The Dark World

:This article is about the chapter. For the world, see Realm of Darkness.
"The Dark World" (闇の世界, "Dark World") is the ninth chapter of Kingdom Hearts III.
== Summary ==
As Master Yen Sid explains about the three lost Keyblade wielders, King Mickey mentions that he spotted Aqua! Where is she now...?
== Synopsis ==
At the Keyblade Graveyard, a hooded figure wielding No Name observes Kingdom Hearts.
Shortly before Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy traveled to Olympus, Master Yen Sid gathered Mickey Mouse, Riku, and Kairi and informed them of a tragedy more than ten years ago: three Keyblade wielders, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus faced different fates after their battle with Master Xehanort. Ventus's heart was locked in slumber, and Aqua found a safe place to conceal his body. Terra vanished without a trace and, in an attempt to find him, Aqua ended up in the Realm of Darkness. Mickey reveals that he found her there.
In the Realm of Darkness, Aqua uses the Master's Keeper Keyblade to defeat several Heartless, reminiscing about her time wandering the realm and hopes that following her bonds to Terra and Ventus will lead her home. She comes across the Castle of Dreams which she recognizes as Cinderella's homeworld, having visited it during her journey. As she explores the empty world, Aqua is overwhelmed with grief but resolves to keep going. She finds solace that there are no people as it means they haven't fallen to Darkness. Aqua notices the stars and remembers the last time she, Ventus, and Terra spent a night under the stars in their homeworld.
Suddenly, Terra walks down the castle to her, though he is merely a memory of when she met him there years ago. Aqua realizes that places have memories as well and wonders if Terra and Ven's memories of the Castle of Dreams will show her the way home.
== Worlds and characters ==
Keyblade Graveyard	Mysterious Tower	Dark World	Castle of Dreams	Other
* Luxu 	
* Yen Sid
* Mickey Mouse
* Kairi
* Riku	
* Aqua 	
* Cinderella(flashback)
* Prince Charming(flashback)	
* Terra (flashback)
* Ventus (flashback)
== Production notes ==
=== Series continuity ===
* The events of this chapter take place before Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy embark for Olympus in "A New Departure".
=== Differences from the game ===
=== Goofs ===
=== Trivia ===
* This chapter was originally set to be released in March 2020, before being postponed to early April. It was then postponed again to April 16, 2020.
* This is the first chapter of Kingdom Hearts III where Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy do not appear.
* This chapter adapts Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage, a game originally set to serve as the prologue to Kingdom Hearts III before being repurposed as part of the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue collection.
Dark World, The
Dark World, The
Dark World, The
Dark World, The