"Nyxia!" called out a masculine voice through the darkness of Abstantia Cathedral, but it was only answered by its own echo. "Damn it, where did that witch get to now?" Gladiolus never imagined they would have to go through a maze to track down their companion. Behind him walked two other men, though the second was significantly further back, snapping his polaroid camera away at the old structures surrounding him.

"Keep up, Prompto," said the other as he walked just behind Gladiolus. Prompto loved nothing more than his camera...and it would be the death of him someday.

"Sorry! It's not everyday you get to walk through a cool place like this." Prompto hurried up to the pair at a skip, but their party was still short one person. Nyxia, the reason they were all here, had wandered off, which wasn't completely uncommon. Although sometimes, they had reason to be concerned when she did. She usually wasn't fully aware of what she was doing, or even where she was going. "She couldn't have gone far. We only turned our backs for a minute," Prompto added thoughtfully.

"I legitimately believe something is leading her," Ignis, the sophisticated of the three, stated. "Perhaps the Divinities." But that didn't lessen Gladio's agitation of the matter any. Screw the unseen entities that were leading this spoiled sorceress to whatever her supposed destiny was. This was the third time this happened since they agreed to her father's request to help her locate the Gem of Tenebra. The artifact, as they had initially been told, might not necessarily be in the form of a jewel. Ignis even once reminded them that 'a gem is simply something precious - it could be in the form of anything.' Ultimately, only Nyxia would know what it was by whatever force that led her.

"I legitimately believe her disappearances are getting on my last nerve," Gladio grumbled. "We don't have time for this."

"I agree it is an obstacle, but we must show patience," Ignis insisted, but the front-man ignored him, straightening his opened, black vest as he walked on. The short silence that followed was interrupted by a strange, clicking noise coming from the darkness behind the endlessly tall columns. It sounded threatening, but what it belong to, Gladio wasn't sure.

"Sounds like cicadas," Prompto said, but his nervousness indicated that probably wasn't what they were hearing. It got louder, and Gladio was the first to draw his weapon - a massive greatsword that was practically the same size as his muscular body.

Then, the silhouette of a giant creature emerged. Prompto's assumption came close - it was a huge, winged bug. The entirety of its body was painted a bright, metallic green. Even in the dark chamber of tall ceilings and faded windows, it was hard to miss. "Ugh!" Prompto shouted, drawing his two pistols. "Gross!"

The giant blade swung first, causing the over-sized insect to vigorously beat its wings. It was angry. Shots fired, and the fight was on. The clicking was much more fierce in response, almost resembling a hissing sound. The flying, monstrous bug charged at Prompto, who rolled out of the way to dodge, and he followed the maneuver with a couple of shots more at the ugly thing. It staggered back before it took flight.

"The wings!" Ignis shouted, and Gladiolus figured he addressed him, because his sword would have the best chance of landing where needed. Mere projectiles weren't going to cut it here.

"Sure, Ignis. Let me just fly up there," he answered sarcastically, mapping out a strategy.

"I'm on it!" Prompto announced, and his trigger finger flipped a tiny switch on the outer sides of his guns. Again, he had the vermin in his sight, and two, fiery projectiles shot into it, sending it into a dive bomb towards the floor. The noise of the impact resembled a collapsing house, though a lot less destruction followed. Just a mess on the floor, really.

"Well, that was easy," Prompto twirled his guns around his fingers.

"Show off." Gladio turned his head as a tiny sound chimed from the darkness.

"That was most definitely Rubia," Ignis said, "which means Nyxia can't be far."

"I swear, when I get my hands on her-"

"Easy, Gladio." He didn't like to be lectured, but regardless, he took a moment to inhale. Then, he exhaled. As far as he was concerned, Nyxia was as much a hassle as Noctis was when they walked by him. He sighed inaudibly. Former king and hero, Noctis. He still missed that kid. He might have even called him a friend.

"She's lucky she's pretty, or she might be dead."

"Pretty tough. I think she has more brass than you sometimes," Prompto's provoking only caused him to roll his eyes, but he kept his mouth shut. Meanwhile, the vulpine creature came into view, her bright, red fur standing out in the poorly-lit chamber. "Come here, Rubia!" Prompto knelt down, and the Carbuncle perked her ears in excitement. Prompto was Rubia's second favorite, next to her owner, as he always seem to be babying her when Nyxia wasn't looking. "Can you take us to her?"

"Mew!" Rubia's tiny, high-pitched response came, like a loud, excitable kitten. None of them could really understand her, but it seemed like she and her owner could have full conversations with each other. The fox-like creature skipped down the dark hall, and Prompto was directly behind. The other two followed with a little less eagerness, though they all knew they could rely on Rubia's dedication to her master to know they were headed in the right direction.

The sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can go find Iris. Gladiolus mused, hiding his distress. He had been restless for the past three days, considering his little sister had not answered any of his text messages or calls. At the very least, Iris usually got back to him within a day. This was very unlike her, especially since she was usually inseparable from her phone. He hadn't mentioned this concern to anyone about it, as he didn't want to distract them from the main mission. Besides, it could be nothing.

He hoped it was nothing. He would have rather made the trip to locate her and find her safe and sound rather than find her in trouble.

Led by the Carbuncle and the puck-sized flashlights that were pinned to their jackets, the trio made its way way deeper into the cathedral. The downward trek seemed like forever, and there were no indications from outside that the building consisted of a whole, underground area. This was a surprise to the three of them.

After a while, the columns faded into black, and it was just endless chambers of stone walls and broken wood that once shaped furniture. The entire floor was huge, and it resembled a labyrinth. Once they came across a room with a single casket in its center, they were beginning to think there was more to this place than they originally anticipated.

"I'm starting to think we've entered a catacomb," Ignis deduced, but he sounded wary. Where there were coffins, there were usually dead bodies, and where there were dead bodies, there was sometimes necromancy in the works. Gladio hated necromancy. He had seen enough of the blasphemy in the trials of Gilgamesh. All those lost souls that were tried just the same, only to meet their ultimate ends in the tombs.

"Hey, what is it, girl?" Prompto asked Rubia, who was pawing at the stone coffin - as if she wanted it opened. "Um, Ignis. Should we open it?"

"The grave has already been disturbed. The stone slab is just a sliver off. Do you see?" Ignis reached out with a gloved hand to push the lid. As more of the hollow space was revealed, it appeared empty. As a matter of fact, there wasn't even a visible bottom to the casket.

That was even more unsettling than finding a skeleton, Gladiolus figured. "It looks like a secret passage," he said. "Should we go in?" Although, the vulpine pet was already sprinting into the dark hole.

"We best go after her. Nyxia could be in danger, for all we know."

Good riddance, Gladiolus bitterly thought, watching as Ignis conjured a ball of blue, glowing energy. He dropped it into the chasm to see how far the descent was. Soon, the orb seemed to stop shrinking, even stop moving all together as it hit the bottom.

"That's it. It should be a safe drop down," Ignis stated.

"Let's goooooo!" Prompto eagerly yelled as he jumped in. The farther he fell, the tinier his voice echoed. Then, there was a small splash of water, then a few seconds of silence, as if the other two were waiting for a sign. Before they could follow, Prompto called from down below. "Um, guys? It looks like a dead end. I don't even see Rubia."

Gladiolus was the second to drop into the lower floor, and indeed, it looked like they were in a square room with no way out. Just water around their ankles. "Strange," he muttered, looking around. "There's gotta be something we're missing." Last came Ignis, who staggered slightly as his feet caught the wet ground; it took Gladio to seize his arm so he didn't completely lose balance. Prompto started feeling up on a wall, and meanwhile, Ignis was searching for some sort of switch.

Gladio, for one, wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to be looking for. He just hated the feeling of water in his boots. The sooner they got out of this hole in the ground, the better.

"Wait. Did you hear that?" Ignis asked, holding up his hand.

"No. What?" Gladio answered, having only heard...nothing, really.

"Rubia. I heard her from over there." Years ago in Altissia, Ignis had been blinded in battle, and so his hearing had dramatically increased. Thanks to Nyxia, he regained his sight, but luckily, still kept his keen ears. It wasn't uncommon that he would hear things no one else could. He approached another wall, and though it looked just like the others, his hands reached out to touch the stone bricks, but his hands didn't even touch the surface. They actually went right through!

"Whoever built this underground passage was trying to conceal something. I wonder if Nyxia found something of interest." Very carefully, Ignis stepped through and disappeared behind the false wall. Prompto looked over to Gladio, his expression suggesting he could see his friend was distracted.

"You alright there, big guy?"

"Peachy," Gladio said simply, though he knew Prompto wasn't convinced. Without further discussion, they followed Ignis through the barrier with no further words, trailing down the long hallway before them. Just like the rest of the sanctum, they had very little light to guide the way. Eventually, they all came to a stop, Ignis starting the chain. Rubia was perched further ahead, and just in front of her lied an emotionless figure of a woman. She was covered in blood.

"Nyxia?" Ignis called to her, but as the three of them approached, she didn't seem to respond. "Nyxia, are you alright?" He leaned down beside her, brushing her raven-black hair from her face. Her eyes were closed, but Ignis didn't seem to panic. "She's breathing. She just appears to be unconscious."

"Whose blood is that?" Prompto stammered.

Gladiolus looked further ahead, a shadowy hump on the ground catching his eye. Whatever it was, it met its end at her hands. "Doesn't look like it's hers. Look at that." The other two followed his gaze further ahead, and though it was only a couple of yards away, the darkness still forced them to squint to focus.

"Is that a daemon?" Prompto asked. Ignis walked forwards, his boot catching onto a weapon on the ground that he shortly after picked up.

"A Reaper, to be exact. The blood on this scythe is fresh, too."

"Is it hers? She doesn't look like she's actually hurt."

"It's not daemon blood. If she had any wounds, it's likely Rubia might have already healed them." Ignis rose to his feet, looking over to Gladiolus. "We need to carry her out of here in case daemon reinforcements come. Could you please?"

At this, Gladiolus repined.

"Hmph. Fine."