The Sole Star (Final Fantasy XV Fanfic)

Chapter XLIX

"What do you think we should do with it?" the gunman asked.

"Probably destroy it," Gladio replied.

"No!" Lorelai interrupted. "We can't! Luminis is powered by this thing! If we destroy it, then everything here will be shut down for good!"

"That's a sacrifice we've gotta make," Noctis told her. "We have to stop that energy output."

"There might be another way!" she argued. "Please, we've got to think about this!"

"It would be a bit of a waste," Prompto admitted, understanding Lorelai's side of the argument.

"I suggest we sleep on it," Ignis finally said. "This place is plenty safe to stay and rest for the night."

Everyone agreed and the magiteks showed them to what used to be an inn. Like everything else, layers of dust covered everything. Most of the furnishings were so old they were unusable. One of the mechanical soldiers kindly lit up the fireplace in the lobby for them. After a simple meal, Lorelai quickly drifted off while laying on the floor next to the warm fire. The others stayed up longer though, sitting together and talking. Gladio glanced at where Lorelai peacefully slept.

"Spill it, Iggy," Gladio quietly urged. "What's the real reason behind having us stay the night here. I sure as hell know it wasn't just to think."

Ignis smiled lightly. "Well, I just assumed Lorelai would want to stay here a while. She seems quite taken by this city."

Prompto happily grinned, gazing over at the girl's sleeping form. "Yeah, it really reminds her of home. Did you see the way her eyes sparkled when she saw all this?"

"Oh, I noticed," Gladio replied. "I just don't think she should get too attached to this place. It won't be here forever."

Noctis sighed. "Let her enjoy herself while she can. We'll figure out what to do in the morning."

Soon enough, the four men fell asleep as well. But while they rested, someone else entered the city. Ardyn strolled in, humming while he acted as if he owned the place. The two magitek beasts guarding the entrance growled and quickly approached him. He paused and looked back at them with a wicked grin. He formed dark, shadowy orbs in his palms and tossed them at the two. Upon touching them, the dark orbs absorbed into the mechanical bodies of the creatures.

They both crumpled to the ground, their armored bodies rattling with a new form of energy. After a moment, the light of their eyes darkened into red. They both stood up, completely under the darkness's control. Ardyn chuckled and continued onward into the city.

Late that night, the lights of Luminis flickered red. The five friends still slumbered peacefully, until a magitek soldier came crashing through a window. Everyone jolted up, quickly noticing the trooper rising to its feet. They saw its red eyes and knew something was wrong. Before it could even take a step, Gladio summoned his weapon and took a mighty swing, separating the magitek's top and bottom half.

Now without its legs, the soldier slowly crawled toward them. Lorelai marched forward, passing the shield and crouching before the magitek. She took its outstretched hand and imbued its body with light. Its armored body rattled and finally collapsed, its eyes now hollow and empty. Lorelai's light magic counteracted the darkness that corrupted it. Standing up again, the girl could see bunches of corrupted magiteks walking around outside along with the lights flickering red. She was stunned.

"W-What's happening to them?!"

"They've become corrupted by darkness!" Ignis explained. "They're now reminiscent to the soldiers the empire deploys!"