Noctis stared at himself, his black hair that fluffed out like the plumage of a chocaboo bird, the mirror image of himself. Nothing was out of place, it was nearly taunting. Like he expected there to be a two-faced devil lurking behind the glass, pointing at him in mocking torment, but it was just a mirror. A calm still reflection that mimicked his every move. The gap he made with his lips as he unsurely watched it. Staring back into his bluish-grey eyes, they blinked in sync but it felt like looking back at a stranger. It had been five days since Cor left and they didn't have any news back from him yet. Noctis' hand moved to trace the inky black lines that made a rune on his arm. It hurt to touch it like that. To trace the lines almost like they were veins themselves.

He grit his teeth cocking his jaw in an uncomfortable manner. The bathroom mirror gave him space. Wanting to be alone to look over the rune for himself, Ignis was monitoring him in the hotel twenty-four/seven. "Huh." Noctis sounded a little loudly at the pain in the crease of his elbow as he traced it. Why it hurt, why it was even there. That face focused on him, light eyes staring back. "What's going on with you?" He whispered to himself, low enough he was sure the guys wouldn't hear.

Perhaps the rune was like veins, a vessel that was used to transfer power in this case. His fingertips started tracing it again from the beginning crossing over the complicated circular pattern that held diamond like shapes on the inside. Again getting to the center crease of his elbow, "gah." He sounded unable to stop it. Figuring it would hurt but each time it hurt more than he was ready for. He stopped raising an outreached hand to the mirror touching its ice like surface. "Are you real?"

Noctis tapped the mirror narrowing his eyes slightly to pick up any detail that he might not be catching. Staring at the impersonator behind the cold wall that divided them. He was only one person. And he wasn't this evil thing he continued to see. The blood on his hands, that couldn't have been him, it had to be a nightmare. Breath caught in his throat, what happened to Luna. Whatever reason they couldn't get answers right now, he hoped it was a good one.

Opening the door he squinted his eyes at the light that blinded him. White soft hues of purple swirled around, this wasn't the hotel room. Again back in Tenebrae. Noctis slowly crossed the reflective floor beginning to wonder if this was happening because of the mirror. This shiny glossy surface echoed on his steps.

In the room where she had been, where the blood had been, there was nothing but blank floor. Noctis knelt down touching it. Gazing at the walls, nothing appeared different except for the lack of her here. He reached down to touch the exact spot where her gown had been spread around her body in blood.

"Awwe !" Noctis yelled forcefully sitting up and pulling his arm back from Ignis who was looking over it. There had been a glow and now it was back to being flat ink. Dimensionless. His hand was gripped around the rune like it was a part of his arm that was bit open. "Noctis." Ignis said looking at his bewildered eyes.

Seeing reason and recognizing Ignis he settled down the best he could.

"It's still bothering you?" Ignis asked.

Noctis covered it protectively. "It hurts to touch."

"We are going to have to touch it. Especially when Cor comes."

"Can you just wait for now, give me some breathing time?"

"I want you to be okay, that is my biggest worry right now." The man focused on him from behind the glasses. Ignis was always like this. Caring and persistent. The guy was talented in so many ways. "Just please don't touch it."

Ignis furrowed his brows, "Whatever this rune is Noctis, we have to figure that out."

Ignis stepped back going for the door. Gladiolus had his arms crossed all not to pleased. Ignis saw exactly what he had saw last time. The clouds, Luna, warning him he shouldn't be there. Noctis could feel her hands in his. Her beautiful flowing dress blowing against him. Luna? Water wet around his eyes.

Ignis came back with the Major. They both stopped and watched Noctis from a distance. "Did it happen again?"

"No." Noctis shook his head. No...

Cor drew closer gazing at the rune, "Nothing exactly matches the design except for the triple diamonds overlapping each other side by side ..." Cor stood up slowly pacing away. "It's a curse rune."

"Someone put a curse on Noctis?" Gladiolus asked.

Cor bit the corner of his lip thinking that over, but his head shook, "No, it appears on the evil things that are cursed."

Tears dropped from Noctis' eyes, "That can't be right. I'm not this..." He thought the last part, the mirror image. The one that would follow Luna with the trident.

"Your ruin isn't an exact match. I'm sure that isn't the only meaning for the one you have." Cor took Noctis' arm.

Noctis' eyes caught the Major's, trapped suddenly like they had been a pool that lured him in. Fiery eyes watched back, in Pryna's hairless head. The withering field rushed dying down and stopping at his feet where he stood in the middle of an empty field. "You're the ...chosen one."

Noctis swallowed trying to summon this sword, but no magic came. Stopped by whatever force this was. "Come and finish it..." Noctis was now on the charred dying earth. Luna fled from him weeping. Looking behind himself from the warmth over his shoulder a three headed dog large as an elephant waited, snapping out with fire at the base of its feet.

Noctis could feel his eyes go to a crystal blue before gazing done at himself in the puddle, before his feet, where red eyes watched back. He was pursuing her again. Parts of his burned away shirt barely hanging on in the breeze. Luna's scream as she retreated burned his heart. "Luna! Run!" Noctis screamed. He could hear his voice even through this figure of himself spoke no words, but she heard them running faster away. Disappearing into the cloud of ash that rose from the burned earth.

Noctis was unresponsive. Ignis watched on the very edge of his nerves now. Cor had also gotten that way. Was it the rune? Noctis' eyes went a pale glowing blue. For some reason Gladiolus' attention moved to the Major seeing a shadow across his face that stopped at his neck. It was demonic in nature with eyes peering back at him. Disappearing, the Major eyes went red and than Noctis', Gladiolus was propelled forward. Something nerved him. He punched the Major back knocking him down to the ground.

Both of them came back alive. Noctis covered his face gazing at the chair he was sitting in. Prompto's eyes were wide in horror. Gladiolus had the Major by the neck. "What's gotten into Gladiolus!?" Ignis yelled rushing over.

"What the hell are you doing to Noctis?!" Gladiolus screamed at him, tightening his hold on his throat. "You're a good shield Gladiolus." Cor spoke looking up at the angered man. "I haven't done anything, I was there with Noctis. In that wasteland."

"Let him go!" Ignis spat angrily at Gladiolus. He stepped away staring at the Major. "It looked like hell." The Major spoke quietly rising off the floor.

Crying in the room became apparent, eyes darting around on the new form that was across the room by the window. Dirt stained white fabric, Noctis tripped out of the chair, "Luna."

There she sat weeping in the hotel on her knees. "Oh my..." Prompto rose from his seat. Luna looked up at him, "Why did you do this? Everything will be destroyed."

Her eyes glossed with nothing but tears surrounded by her long blonde hair.

Tears coating her cheeks, "You can't..." Noctis gripped her looking down at the wetness of three red holes in her chest. Pierce where the fork of a trident would have gone through. None of this made sense, she felt real to his fingers and Prompto's reaction said enough that he could see her. No! Noctis gripped her tighter. She couldn't be hurt. He couldn't have hurt her, gazing back down the holes and blood wasn't there. She fainted in his arms.