The last thing you remembered was the entire Citadel exploding while dust and strong winds hurled towards different directions. You heard the others shouting and yelling, but at the same time you also heard Ardyn's wicked laughter echoing throughout the inevitable chaos.
"THE FALL OF INSOMNIA. THE RING IS NOW MINE."
"Argh, cut it!" You groaned, cursing under your breath while holding the side of your head.
You rose from the pile of ashes within the moist ground, forcing your way out with your heavy breathing. It was the unbearable silence that killed you when you looked around to see no one else but you, plopped amidst the ruins of the Citadel and Eos itself conquered by eternal darkness. Your whole body seared with pain when you mustered the strength to stand up. Cuts and bruises were all over your body, you dared not to touch them and decided to wander about the melancholic ruins. There was no sign of anyone nearby, and it all dawned on you.
This was it. You had prepared yourself for this in a long time and yet, you felt so afraid. You never expected that the Astrals would capture and kill you this way. You knew to yourself there was no way out. It was only you now, and even if you needed Noctis, frustration surged into you at the thought of promising him just a while back, that you would not get yourself killed. But then you knew you would be eventually, and that was what angered you the most. You could not even produce a single tear as much as you wanted to.
"JUST SHOW UP ALREADY!" you raged as you looked up the blank sky, as your grip on your saber tightened so much your knuckles turned white, yet it seemed as if you did not feel it. "I KNOW YOU'RE ALL OUT THERE, RIGHT? TO KILL ME? GO ON THEN!"
No one answered.
You seethed, screamed and threw your weapon in fury away towards the ground; it disintegrated into crystals. "JUST SHOW UP ALREADY!—COWARDS—THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU NOW?!" A lance materialized in your hand. "ACTING LIKE YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME? STILL CAN'T GET OFF YOUR CRADLES AND SITTING PRETTY 'CAUSE YOU'RE SCARED?" You spun, hurling the weapon only for it to explode in glinting dust after it was countered by a ray of blinding light.
Your breathing became heavier while you shifted your stance upon seeing the towering, godly Bahamut landing on ground. The Draconian's gaze never left yours, the swords he held in each hand gleaming in the darkness. The ground shook for a moment, causing you to look down and catch countless cracks forming behind you. You cursed as you jumped out of the exploding area, waters shooting out of the ground until another looming and taller deity rose and roared when her eyes locked with yours. Leviathan made a deep growl, making you step back away further.
There's two of them, you thought, waiting for another Astral to show up, but then there went nothing. However, you knew that you were now stuck between Bahamut and Leviathan. Where you were right now—you were not sure. You hoped this was just an illusion to fool you.
"I see that the arrogant child is back," Bahamut taunted in Astral language, making you turn to face him. Your jaw tightened while summoning a sword. "Ah, you do not plan to fight us with the weakest weapon, do you?"
Behind you, Leviathan let out a mocking laugh.
"The child knows how to play games, M'lord," she taunted. "You might want to let her do her thing before we finish her off for good!"
The water serpent continued to laugh hysterically but you looked down at your sword. It was the Buster sword similar to the one Cloud has. Your clenched your fist, looking up at Bahamut again. I'm not gonna let them make the worst of me, you thought.
“Why?”
In an instant Leviathan's chuckle died down, as you were met by Bahamut's piercing glare of hatred. Leviathan now came into view after she glided to hover beside Bahamut. You took a deep breath despite the throbbing feeling inside you. You knew that if you were to die soon, you should not show them that you were afraid. "Why did you have to destroy Eos when you only wanted me?" you asked, trying to calm your tone though inside anger and frustration welled up. The grip on the hilt of your sword tightened. "You killed Shiva. And you even let Ardyn control the Labyrinth and gave him your favor when before—"
"The child does not understand!" Leviathan snarled. Bahamut remained silent and allowed her to go on. "We had to kill the second Betrayer after she hid from us, although it was worth it!" she jeered. "That despicable, flirtatious Glacian. Such a shame to the other deities!"
"It was her decision to make," Bahamut said grimly, his eyes flicking over you, "and it is the child's decision to surrender herself to us after trying to run away. You know it would have been easier if you showed up sooner—"
"I know," you spat, still trying to force yourself from bursting all over. "Now just get straight to the point, will you?"
The two Astrals gave you a menacing stare, it felt like their figures appeared to be lurking shadows underneath the dull, waning moon. You did not dare do anything suspicious even if you wanted to look for a way to escape and find Noctis and the others. Leviathan growled, slithering away from Bahamut to prowl behind you again.
Bahamut lifted his wings, his eyes gleaming. "You do not realize why we had to destroy Eos. Ardyn Lucis Caelum had already told you, and yet you seem not to get."
Your brows knitted as you did not let your guard down especially that you back was facing Leviathan.
"You are Eos," he hissed, your eyes widening, "that is why we shall destroy you, whether you like it or not, for the planet depends on you. You and Eos are one, your life force sustains it." His orbs gleamed once again, as if he were amused at you being shocked, confused, and speechless. "We have been waiting for this for quite a long time, child. And yet you dare defy against our will. Perfect humans, untainted worhsippers—that is what we want."
You stood there, feeling as if you knees merely became weak. The blade of your sword touched the ground when your grip loosened. Your whole body went numb, feeling the deep growl of Leviathan coming nearer from behind.
The Draconian let out a cold chuckle. “And since you are now here in the realm of in-between, let us not complicate things any further.” He drew his swords and raised his wings high. "Surrender yourself. It will all be easy eventually once you do so."
You closed your eyes shut as Leviathan let out a mighty roar, Bahamut then advancing and raising his swords. He was there, just a few meters away, and could finish you off in one hit, and Leviathan, who could have now been gliding swiftly to stab you in the back. After everything you did, it was all in vain in the end. You just did not know.
Eos.
You were the one giving life to Eos all along. That was why the Astrals had been eager to kill you, their daughter—no, you were really not. They made you in their own favor, as they weave and weave and weave all those threads of fate whenever and however they please. They helped you defeat Ifrit just because they wanted to, and now their minds had changed just because they wanted to. If they really wanted to do things for the better, this was not it. They only wanted this for themselves and showed how cruel and manipulative they were.
Everything just went upside down after looking back at what the Hexatheon always foretold, and now as you saw everything that happened then on, they actually had not just watched over Eos since time immemorial. They controlled it. All those times that generations had passed, all those times people had been given the mindset of what they should believe in, you knew it was time to stop. For you believed it was time for humans to have their own free will.
Your muscles loosened, your eyes flying open, the Buster sword clashing effortlessly against Bahamut's weapon. Adrenaline rushed vigorously through your veins; you had not felt so alive for a long time. You didn't notice one of your eyes glowing fulgurously while the other one obscure grey.
Bahamut seethed with rage. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"
"A TRICK IT IS!" Leviathan roared behind you.
You turned your head over your shoulder, seeing Ramuh and Titan standing between your back and Leviathan's enraged state, more than impatient to rip your head off, but how unfortunate it was for her, she was being blocked by the gods of lightning and earth. Ramuh turned to face you, the long, cylinder bolt in his hand crackling with sparks and his long, white robes flowing gently through the uneven breeze that matched his serene face.
"We apologize for coming late to the reunion, Astral of the Most High," he said, staring at Bahamut who scowled. "I see that the plan has begun, has not it?"
Leviathan hissed. "You do not ever think of trying to stop us, you filthy traitors! We should have known you were trying to delay what we should have started sooner—"
"Don't blame it to us, Levi," Titan surmised coolly as rocks emerged around him after flexing his arm, his eyes gleaming dangerously, "blame it on your trust instincts."
"FOOL!"
"There is no turning back now!" Bahamut spat. You wheeled around to face him again. "The errant Oracle may have persuaded these two morons into helping the child. We are not letting them into our way now!"
"Yes, M'lord. We shall end them arrogant, treacherous alecs!—"
"Ah, always being the loyalist, eh? Alright then!" Titan grinned, raising his arm. Leviathan roared and did not hesitate; she glided towards Titan in one swift motion, yet before she did, Titan had already plummeted his fist towards the rocky ground. Countless chunks of glinting batholiths rose in spiral formation, hindering Leviathan from passing through.
Ramuh's eyes landed on yours as he formed a tiny smile. "I am very much confident that he can manage Leviathan." He swung his bolt and lowered it, it was actually even much larger than your whole body, much more to his giant form. And this time you understood; if it were the only way to defeat the Draconian, even though there was the slightest chance you wouldn't survive the electric shock, you did not hesitate and nodded. It was much more risky when he shaped into a blinding orb and swooped down towards you so fast you did not realize.
Energy was all you could feel inside. You could feel the Fulgurian's presence in your mind. Lightning sparked from all over your body as a dome of thundering clouds materialized over you to protect you from Bahamut's sword that stroke the shield. The dome disappeared after you now held the lightning bolt, hurling it towards Bahamut's alarmed state. It hit one of his wings before he could avoid the surprise attack, causing him to land shortly on the ground again.
Behind you, a resounding shriek echoed within the realm—no, two. Your stomach churned, but you stepped the feeling aside and ducked immediately, barely missing Bahamut's sword that could have sliced your head off. You sprinted away further and glanced at the sky. It was still blank and uneventful, the dense atmosphere also not helping with the terrifying reality.
Your body was so full of electricity it sparked and shot skyward, the bleak sky enveloping your glowing body. Bahamut was off earth now to chase you as he roared. You had never seen him so wrathful.
"STOP FLEEING FROM ME AND FIGHT, FULGURIAN! YOU SHALL NOT POSSESS THE CHILD!"
You did not answer, yet you could feel Ramuh's emotions nearly being transmitted into your mind. The bolt in your hand sparked, you could feel how strong the wind was that you had to squint your eyes. But it did not bother you more than what Ramuh told you in your mind.
No, you thought, seeing Bahamut before you as he drew his sword, his other wing utterly destroyed. Your grip on the bolt tightened. You wanted to flee, to run away. After Shiva being dead and Titan possibly being killed, you didn't want Ramuh's life to end as well even if they were gods who were immortal. You knew they would instead be succumbed to extinction till they were forgotten.
It is the only way! Ramuh said sharply in your head. Destroy the Hexatheon. Bahamut and I are the only Astrals remaining. Do it!
It is the only way.
You closed your eyes, letting out a scream of pain, feeling the sword of Bahamut thrusted into your chest, the sparks around your body flying out as your hand let go of the lightning bolt; it dropped off and exploded into static showers.
Bahamut cried in victory after pulling the sword out, swatting you off, your lifeless body plunging earthward.
You felt nothing upon meeting the rocky ground though it caused such impact, fumes of ashes and mist hissing around your body. Bahamut landed on the ground softly, swinging his sword back and forth and crouching over you.
"It is the end, child." He rose, staring down at you and was about to turn away. "You can now return to sleep, once and for all."
He turned, walked away, and his breath hitched, looking down at the hole in his chest as it gradually vaporized into thin smoke, the light in his widened eyes flickering to a dim. He brought up his hand to touch the hole, and yet it waved unbearable pain to him. He slowly turned, his mouth twitching.
You were standing exactly where you had landed, only now that you held a crystalline dagger that had just materialized back in your hand.
"You can go to sleep as well." The dagger disappeared into crystals as you spoke, looking into his deflated soul of abyss. "And for your information, I am not a goddamn child."
Bahamut was about to open his mouth, but before he could do so, he vanished into nothingness with a hiss. You closed your eyes, took a deep breath and turned around.
You caught a glimpse of Ramuh, Titan and Leviathan's corporeal form disappearing into thin air, until there was no more left of them but you, standing here alone in the silent realm of in-between. It was all over now, and yet you felt empty, not because you felt remorse, but because it felt like you did not give the right amount of justice to Shiva, Titan and Ramuh. They were gone.
"That was very entertaining to watch, (Y/N)."
Your heart throbbed, wheeling around. Maybe fighting the Astrals was not your greatest fear. Because when your eyes landed upon her glowing form situated on top of the ruins, her white aura contrasting to the darkness around you, it was game over. The Astrals may have failed to take your life, but this—this goddess—she was an exception.
After years of trying to avoid death, it seemed like this time, there was no way of escaping it.
Etro formed a sly smile. "Welcome back, dear. We meet again."
°
Y'ALL. TWO CHAPTERS LEFT AND IM WHEEZING. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING UP WITH ME THIS FAR. ALSO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK OF THE STORY OVERALL. I HAVE ALSO REVISED A LOT OF CHAPTERS ESPECIALLY CHAPTER 10 AND 11. THAT'S ALL, PEACE OUT ××
—abel