Castle Oblivion
First Appearance: KINGDOM HEARTS CHAIN OF MEMORIES (2004)
On the 22nd Day to Roxas's existence, about half of the Organization members are sent to Castle Oblivion, a castle in the world between worlds. The Organization found it and is using it as a research facility. Lexaeus, Zexion, Marluxia and Larxene are sent first, and the next day Axel and Vexen join them. The Hero of the Keyblade, Sora, arrives there at about the same time, and the Organization, using a special girl called Naminé, tamper with his Memories. Several days later Riku, Sora's best friend, arrives there as well, giving Vexen the perfect opportunity to gather data of him and create a replica of Riku. Due to the members going up against Sora and Riku, as well as inner conflicts between their ranks, they fall one by one, starting with Vexen. A month later, the only member of the Organization still alive is Axel - who is responsible personally for both Vexen and Zexion's deaths. Day 49 marks Sora's "falling asleep" in order to restore his Memories. On Day 52 Axel is left alone in the castle and turns to tend to one more task handed down to him by Saix aside from eliminating the traitors to the Organization. The mission is to search for the Chamber of Waking, a place of interest for Xemnas no one else knows much about. He will leave there on Day 71 - empty handed, and from Day 118 to 149 will be dispatched there yet again, still to find only nothing.
Day 255 marks Axel's third venture into Castle Oblivion on a mission, where he stumbles upon Xion who came there on a search of her own. Simply setting foot in the Castle makes Xion collapse as Memories flow into her. She recalls being there with Saix, who told her she will not see Castle Oblivion again before ushering her out. When Axel shows up, he finds Xion on her knees. She's surprised to see him but he offers her a cold front. He hasn't a clue what the girl hoped to find in such an empty place. Xion snaps at him - that is the place she came from, and all of the answers she seeks are there. As though he failed to hear her, Axel asks Xion about her mission for the day, implying she shouldn't be there. If she disobeys orders, the Organization will destroy her. The girl asks if it's because she's useless but Axel protests - he never said that. He tells her to go home, but Xion can't. She's remembering things about who she used to be. Axel tells her in return to stop remembering; nothing good will come of it. She claims to remember Axel, however, and to make matters worse she insists they met right there - in Castle Oblivion. Axel refuses to heed her words, making Xion stomp her foot down and plead for him to help her. She needs to know who she was, and with that final declaration she simply runs away. Axel calls after her, telling her not to go further. He can't stop her though and she steps past a door into a bright white light. There, she manages to view her Memories, but it's hardly what she expected to see - She is not the same person she was before becoming a Nobody.
Axel and Roxas come to the castle over a month later on yet another mission. No sooner does Roxas step into the castle, however, he falls to the ground as images begin to fill his mind. Axel insists they retreat but Roxas refuses. If he hangs on just a bit more, sees one more picture... yet before he manages to see anything of any worth, he passes out, and Axel drags him out of there through a Corridor of Darkness.
