CORRUPTED FLOWER| Final Fantasy XV Fanfic

II

        The area was quiet and desolate, much like a ghost down. Amethyst parked the Regalia in a well hidden spot.

       "The outskirts of Insomnia.." Crowe looked around at the rundown buildings, broken streets, and knocked down powerlines.

        "Definitely nothing compared to the rest of the city." Gladio pointed out.

        "Alright, now comes the harder part: actually finding where the missing amulet is." Amethyst looked around.

"It's not here?" Ignis asked.

        "It is, but Miss Amethyst and I weren't able to get ahold of the specific area. This may be the time consuming portion of the mission." Crowe replied.

        "I doubt it. Something tells me this is merely the tip of the iceburg. We need to dig deeper." Nyx thoroughly searched through rubble and around the rundown buildings.

        "Slow down. We could be covering up our entrance simply by moving things around. We need to think about this. If we were the ones who stole the artifact, where would we go to hide?" Crowe stopped everyone. Amethyst had wandered back to the car, seeing something next to the front right wheel.

        "Ah, here it is. I've found it!" She called. She got back into the car and backed it away from the space. There were curled lines and marks making up a large design in the ground. It seemed to glow, but the light it gave off was dim due to its age.

The others jogged over and Amethyst re-parked the car and got out.

        "Now the question is: how do we get inside?" Nyx asked. Amethyst chuckled.

        "Don't worry, I'll take care of that." She said simply. The small female hovered her hand over the center of the large design, giving off a light that triggered the dimmer light to shine brighter and connect with her. She showed no sign of weakness, even though it was painful.

        The entrance was soon visible as it opened in a spiral motion, revealing a long spiral staircase. Amethyst took her hand away, exhaling in exhaustion and falling to her knees. Ignis rushed over, helping her up.

        "Are you alright?!" He asked, terribly worried his mother tired herself out too much. The panting lady nodded.

"I'm fine." She replied with a slight smile.

       "Maybe you should wait here?" Gladio suggested, looking almost as worried as Ignis.

        "No. We all need to go. I'll be alright. A little loss of energy won't kill me."

        "Take it easy. Please." Crowe said before starting down the staircase, followed by Nyx, Amethyst, Ignis, and Gladio in the back. It was dark and cold inside, and the staircase was long. Making it to the bottom, the group was welcomed by a wide open space. It was dark, meaning their flashlights had to go on.

        "What is this place?" Gladio asked, shooing dust and cobwebs away from his face.

        "These are the ruins of an old shelter, where animal shapeshifters used to seek refuge from hunters and circus owners looking for fresh meat if that's what you wanna call it." Amethyst shined her flashlight on gold and silver designs on the walls.

        "Not much of a ruin if it's still in one piece." Gladio replied, looking around.

        "Well, it also hasn't been opened since animal shapeshifters exhisted, which was centuries ago. I suppose not much deposition has occurred over time for it to be in ruin. I mean, look at the material on the walls. Incredible.." Amethyst explained.