Inner Daemons (Final Fantasy XV Fanfic)

Chapter XXI

The following day, the gang had returned to Lestallum. Not only did they report their find to Talcott, but they also took on a couple of nearby hunts. Noctis was all about doing small jobs of that sort alongside his hunt for his ancestors' power. Though the whole time since they left the Greyshire Glacial Grotto, Angelica's mind went back to her own plans.

Though she didn't mind lending the prince a hand in his journey, she honestly felt like she was wasting time there. If she had had her way, she probably would've already made it to Niflheim and taken down a portion of their army. She thought of sneaking away again, but then another thought crossed her mind. What if my attempts are futile? What if I'm not strong enough to take down the Niffs? I'd fail Mom and King Regis.

Her oddly quiet behavior didn't go unnoticed though. Ignis and Gladio had definitely picked up on it. Even though Angelica was often quiet and distant, there were times when she was even more so. They learned that that was always when something was on her mind. Both men had quickly taken notice of it after they left the Grotto. Even now, the boys were in their hotel room, chatting with Iris and Talcott.

"Hey, anyone seen Angel?" Iris suddenly asked, realizing the redhead was absent.

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "No, but she really shouldn't be left to her own devices at the moment."

"Why not?" Prompto inquired, clueless about Angelica's recent behavior.

"Perhaps I'll have a look around," Ignis said, standing from his seat and ignoring the blond's question.

Noctis jumped to his feet. "I'll go too."

Before he could move, Gladio snatched his arm, keeping him from following the bespectacled man. "Noct, maybe you should leave this to Iggy."

"Huh? Why?"

The shield rolled his eyes. He's almost as dense as Prompto. "Just... let Ignis take care of it. He knows what he's doing."

Ignis glanced back, catching a glimpse of the encouraging grin Gladio gave him. He left the room, silently thanking the tattooed man for keeping the others from interfering. He knew that with Angelica, one-on-one talks were the most effective. The girl wasn't one to openly tell everyone everything that bothered her. He only hoped she hadn't left town on one of her revenge plans.

Meanwhile, Angelica stood alone in the darkness of the outlook. The whole area was vacant, leaving the girl to her thoughts. She stared down at the beautifully crafted dagger in her hand. She treasured the blade that belonged to her mother, keeping it in her backpack of things that was often stored in the trunk of the Regalia. The tears she'd been holding back for so long were finally falling freely.

"I'm sorry, Mom," she muttered. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, or anyone. I'm a failure of an assassin. What good am I to anyone now?"

All the guilt and pain of her losses had finally caught up to her. She couldn't stand being so useless. She was always given important roles and jobs back in the Citadel. Now it seemed like she was stuck following the prince around on his little journey. Her tears kept flowing. She gazed down at the glistening dagger. Maybe life isn't worth living for a failure like me.

She slowly raised the dagger up until it was level with her neck. With the very tip of the blade touching her skin, she lined it up so that it would pierce her artery. But before she could act, a firm hand caught her wrist. Her teary eyes grew wide and darted to the side, recognizing the gloved hand that stopped her.

"Angelica." Ignis's voice was laced with astonishment, but also slight anger. "What on Eos do you think you're doing?"

The girl was quick to tug her wrist free and lower the weapon while turning her head away. "I was just... seeing what it felt like on the recieving end of a blade."