Crown King: Return of The Labyrinth | ✓

Chapter 27: Imprecation

     "We came to help," Vincent intervened, though his eyes seemed to drawn at Cloud. "Nyx called us a while back and explained everything. That's why Tifa was so eager to leave, she'd been siding with this Ardyn and we didn't know."

     "Yes, it was devastating." Yuffie's voice croaked. "I didn't know she could do such a thing. . . Leaving the us, and the kids! Gods, (Y/N), you'd love to see them all grown."

     "I think you would like to see what I'm looking at as well, Yuffie."

     "What?" Yuffie turned around, her eyes following where Vincent had been staring, and this time her eyes widened more, her jaw dropping. She stuttered, her words that could not be understood nothing important to you now for it did not surprise you anymore. You glanced at Cloud who was obviously confused, and when he looked at you for answers, you gave a short nod, yet of course he did not understand.

     Noctis cleared his throat. "Well, if you'll help us, I think it's best if these people here are sent to Gaia." You were surprised that Noctis had been thinking of the same thing you had been thinking, you couldn't help but make a tiny smile. Yuffie, who still could not stop staring at the sight of Cloud, exhaled.

    “How—How are you even—an imposter?!—”

    “He isn't. I can sense death in him, like it was lifted.” Vincent's eyes narrowed. "I wonder who could have done it."

     You and Cloud exhanged glances, your mind soon drifting back when you were still in the Labyrinth, when Shiva talked to him. You knew he was revived by that goddess. . . but until now you didn't know the reason behind it. If it were for the good or for the bad, you couldn't help but find out. You just remembered that you were supposed to be the one dead instead of Cloud. The familiar, eerie smile of the deity of death that flashed in your mind sent an inner turmoil in your stomach, as if you could feel it so real it was creeping up behind you shoulder. You knew to yourself you should not trust her. And the fact that your life was still on the line, and that your death had been due five years ago, you wished you would not cross paths with her.

     You felt a hand wrap around yours, your mind soon snapping back to reality. The hand around yours was warm that your fears temporarily had been lifted, your (e/c) eyes locking with Noctis' ocean ones. You felt grateful that he was here. If he weren't, you could have drowned in those terrifying thoughts.

     "Don't worry, all right?" He tilted his head while caressing your cheek, the distance between you as close as the time you two had been that night in your room, before you left for a mission to hunt the daemons surrounding the city walls. You wished you could go back to those times. Only the two of you. . . Cuddling in your bed. . . Telling jokes and talking about things that always had deeper meaning. . . And merely having yourself engulfed in his arms, safe and sound like an unbothered, peaceful child. It just sounded ridiculous for you could never go back. Eos would soon come to an end, and before it would happen, you had to make sure that the gods who ruled over it must be destroyed.

     Stepping back and putting his hand down, you looked around, feeling uneasy at the people who were now piled and led by Yuffie and Vincent and the Kingsglaive out the palace into the yard, wherein some of them were giving you a cold stare.

     "Don't mind them," Noctis whispered. "They'll soon realize you're the way you are and that we deserve each other more than anyone else."