Xehanort stood in the dimly lit b, the soft hum of maery filling the air. His golden eyes were fixed on the monitors before him, the flickering images of camera feeds casting a faint glow across his face. He leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable as he observed the Heartless milling in their tai chambers.

  Suddenly, the sound of a door sliding open broke his focus. Xehanort straighteurning his attention to the figure entering the room. Braig strode in with his usual casual demeanor, though something was different this time. His ever-present smirk was absent, repced by a serious expression that immediately caught Xehanort’s attention.

  “Braig,” Xehanort said, his voice calm yet ced with curiosity. “It’s rare to see you without that foolish grin on your face. What’s the occasion?”

  Braig came to a stop a few feet away, crossing his arms. His sharp eyes met Xehanort’s, but there was a flicker of somethih his usual bravado. “What do you want, Xehanort?” he asked bluntly, his tone uncharacteristically ft.

  Xehanort allowed a faint smirk to curve his lips as he began to pace, his hands csped behind his back. “Straight to the point, are we?” he mused. “Very well. I’ve been sidering the state of our… cohabitation with Ahe Wise.”

  Braig raised an eyebrow, his posture tensing ever so slightly. “And?”

  “And,” Xehanort tinued, his voice taking on a sharper edge, “I believe it might be time for him to… disappear.”

  Braig’s eyes narrowed, and he lowered his voice to a near whisper. “Disappear? I thought we were keeping the old man around for at least awo weeks.”

  Xehanort stopped pag and turo face Braig fully, his golden eyes gleaming with an uling iy. “That was the inal pn,” he admitted. “But the ret i with the virus has plicated matters. I reviewed the yself—it was unlike anything I’ve seen before. And more importantly, a new program has been installed in our systems. A backdoor.”

  Braig’s jaw tightehough he kept his tone casual. “So what? A backdoor’s just a tool. Doesn’t mean it’s dangerous.”

  Xehanort’s smirk vanished, repced by a cold, calg stare. “The implications are clear,” he said quietly. “Ansem is the only one who could have vihat fool Cid to execute such a maneuver under our noses. I ot ighe possibility that he suspects something.”

  Braig leaned against the wall, one haing on the hilt of his on. “And you thiing rid of him now is the answer? How do you pn to sell that to the others?”

  Xehanort’s smirk returhis time tinged with a sinister edge. “Simple. We spin a tale of abando. Ahe Wise, overe by guilt and disappoi, chooses to leave Radiant Garden to refle his as. Or,” he added, his tone dropping to a near whisper, “perhaps he fears retribution for his own mistakes. You know sacrifig children in his experiments. Now seeing his apprentices following in his footsteps he could no longer live with it and chose to abandon them.”

  Braig let out a low whistle, his smirk creeping back as he shook his head. “You really are something, Xehanort. You’ve got the story ready and everything. But you haven’t answered the real question.”

  Xehanort raised an eyebrow, his expressioraying faint amusement. “And what question would that be?”

  “How,” Braig said, his voice dropping, “are you pnning to get rid of him? The old man’s no fool, and he’s ly easy to pin down.”

  Xehanort’s expression darkened, his voice taking on a spiratorial tone. “Do you remember Ienzo’s ret theory? The one based on the irregur?”

  Braig’s smirk faltered, his expression tightening. “The shadowy figure,” he said ftly, his toraying a hint of irritation.

  Xehanort’s eyes gleamed with i. “Ah, I see that the irregur is a sore subject for you. Have you had dealings with this mysterious entity?”

  Braig’s scowl deepened, and he crossed his arms, his smirk now pletely gone. “As if,” he muttered, his tone dismissive. “Just don’t like wild cards messing with our pns.”

  Xehanort studied him for a moment, his gaze sharp arating. Then, with a small shrug, he seemed to let the matter drop. “Very well. The irregur’s abilities are irrelevant for now. What matters is the principle of Ienzo’s theory—that darkness be used to open doorways to other realms. We’ve had some success in our experiments, though the process is… unstable.”

  Braig’s eyes narrowed. “And you want to use that on Ansem?”

  Xehanort nodded, a faint smile pying on his lips. “Precisely. We’ll banish him to the Realm of Darkness. A fitting end for a man who sought to cower and shield himself from its truths.”

  Braig let out a low chuckle, though there was little humor in it. “Cold, even for you. But what about the apprehey’re bound to have questions when the old man vanishes.”

  Xehanort waved a hand dismissively, his tone casual. “That’s where you e in, Braig. You’re such a wonderful liar, after all. I’ll leave the details of the story to you. You also fabricate some evidence while you’re at it.”

  Braig pushed off the wall, his smirk returning, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ve got it all figured out, huh?” he said, his tone ced with sarcasm. “Fine. I’ll hahe apprentices. But you’d better make sure your little darkrick actually works. Last thing we need is the old man showing up again with a vea.”

  Xehanort’s smile widened, his fidenwavering. “It will work,” he said softly. “And soon, Radiant Garden will no longer be uhe heel of that coward but under mine.”

  Braig studied him for a moment, then gave a small shrug. “Alright, boss. Just don’t expect me to stick my neck out if this pn blows up in your face.”

  Xehanort chuckled, his gaze returning to the monitors. “Oh, Braig,” he said quietly, his tone almost patronizing. “You’ve uck your neck out, especially for me. I suppose it e doesn’t get cut.”

  Braig’s smirk faltered for a fra of a sed before he turned on his heel and walked out of the b, his footsteps eg in the dim corridor. Xehanort watched him go, his expression unreadable. Then, with a soft sigh, he turned his attention back to the monitors, his golden eyes gleaming with anticipation.