Crown King: Return of The Labyrinth | ✓

Chapter 14: Imaginary Space

Slowly, the door opened wide. He stepped into the small room of round walls with a blue light coming from the ceiling that shone one thing resting in the middle of the floor. The former king's tomb gleamed. King Regis' body had been embossed out of the tombstone, especially his face that it looked as if he had only been in slumber.

As the door closed by itself behind him, Noctis took a few steps forward, then knelt down with a bow, closing his eyes.

Rise.

His eyes flew open with a pounding heart. The moment astounded him greatly when his eyes opened, seeing the carved figure of King Regis aglow. It transformed into one orb of light, eventually shaping into a human figure.

Noctis' pair of wide blue eyes stared in awe at the spirit of his own father who looked back at him. "D-Dad."

"You came, son." A smile formed at the corner of Regis' lips. "It's quite a long time since you last visited me."

"I-I thought you didn't hear my prayers . . . that I wanted to see you." The raven frowned slightly, but inside him bursted a feeling of happiness.

"But I did hear your prayers that day, and I had been waiting for your return. I thought you wouldn't come back."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"It's fine. Now let me know what you're up to."

Noctis' brows raised. "What?"

"Son, don't get me wrong. I know what's happening to our kingdom. Eos itself rather. There's nothing wrong with asking for help from the ones who are ready to help you."

He sighed. "Why am I feeling too immature when you tell me that?"

"It's not about that, Noctis. Sometimes you have to ask for help, and there's nothing wrong with that. Don't let all the burden bury you down until your last breath just because you've been doing this all on your own."

He stared in disbelief at the spirit of his own father. Up to now he couldn't believe that it was possible for souls to come back to the upper world. Now it made sense, given what he experienced a while ago with the ghosts haunting the catacombs.

"How are you feeling?"

"Me? I'm . . . fine. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure you are? You've been ruling all by yourself."

"What do you mean?"

Regis chuckled. "I've honestly been longing to see my own son with a family, most specially a wife to guide him, but I guess he has no plans for it."

Subconsciously, Noctis felt his cheeks getting warm. "You can't just tell me that already."

"You're 25. I guess you must be in love, but you can't marry her, am I right?"

His mouth twitched, eyes widening. "Hey!"

"Choose your own path. I believe she'll be just fine for you."

"Wait, so you mean—"

"Yes, yes. I give you my blessing, alive or not. But you're too late for that. Your mother and I—ah, so many memories to cherish. I believe I was nineteen when I first fell in love with her."

Noctis rolled his eyes. "Dad, I fell in love with (Y/N) years ahead of your age. I was nine!"

"That isn't love yet."

"I guess it was, but I felt different already."

Regis smiled. "Does she know?"

"Of course she knows." Noctis grinned, which felt good though knowing the fact you were miles away from him. "Actually, we're together for like . . . almost five years."

"And I hope that my son gets to marry her the fastest time possible. I wonder what's wrong with him," Regis retorted.

"I know . . . but it takes time, I guess." He took a deep breath. "We have to be ready of the critics that we might face once we . . . um, that. I love her so much."

"Does she love you the same way, then?"

Well, does she? Noctis suddenly questioned himself, causing a slight heavy feeling in his chest.

"You'll find that out yourself," Regis said. "But what matters, is if the both of you love each other, then nothing will break you apart."

"Thanks, I guess."

Regis nodded, then looked somewhere off the ceiling. "I sense that the rain has stopped."

Noctis listened, and his father was right. "Well," he turned back to him, "I guess it's time for me to go back."

"Farewell, son. And take care."

In the blink of an eye, Noctis faced nothing but the engraved sleeping figure of Regis being illuminated by the moonlight outside. The blue light had mysteriously disappeared, replaced by the empty darkness filling the room.

Creak.

He spun while summoning his sword in his hand, the sound making him suspicious. His eyes scanned for any sign.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

"Crap. The door," he cursed, seeing that the door vanished, replaced by a familiar staircase. Noctis almost backed a few meters away when he realized the staircase was actually the one leading to the top of the tower. Now he had no other option to leave the catacombs, except this way. Even if it meant heading to the tower room.

He sprinted up the stairs with the torch in his hand. At least the fire gave him warmth.

The floorboards outside the tower room creaked as he stepped on them. He aimed the torch to the door-ajar to the tower room. Setting aside his feared thoughts, he opened the door without reluctance.

"?!"

He didn't know how it happened. But through his blinking he caught a glimpse of the trunk opening wide like a clam, inside producing a pitch black sheet that surrounded him. After that one blink, he had no idea where he was.

"What . . . is this place?" He looked around frantically. "Where am I?"

"I guess you crossed paths with the imaginary space, didn't you?"

"Huh?" He turned around, and a familiar feeling filled him when he saw her, eyes dwelled with tears.

"I never thought it would work, but it was a miracle." Lunafreya took his hand. "Don't worry, I've come up with a plan to escape this labyrinth."