He'd expected more daemons crawling around in the Citadel than this. Small blessings. Then again, his expectation was based on a sum total of zero prior experience with daemons. So there was that, too.
But, by whatever God was or wasn't looking out for them, they only crossed paths with a handful on their way down. Damn good thing, too. Noct didn't have time to waste on creepy crawlies. Something bad was going down in the Citadel and hell if he meant to find out what it was. If Dad or Rei was in danger—all the more reason to get there faster.
Luna's words needled him. No way Reina had pulled down the Wall to let the daemons in. No way. Luna was mistaken. She wasn't wrong on purpose. It was just a big misunderstanding or something. And Luna didn't know Rei like he did. Yeah, sure, she had been acting different since she had woken up from that Dream but seriously? She'd lived through the end of the world and was doing everything not to see it again. Noct could understand that, even if he couldn't relate to it.
The crystal chamber, when they finally reached it, was guarded by a bunch of Crownsguards. Way more than normal. But if there were Crownsguards outside, didn't that mean there weren't imperials inside?
Only one way to find out.
All the guards tripped over themselves to bow to him, stumbling over their "Your Highness"es and knocking helmets with each other. Didn't they have better things to worry about?
"I'm looking for my dad. Is he inside?" Noct asked.
"Yes, Your Highness," said the Crownsguard in the center-front—the marks on his uniform said he was in charge, but Noct couldn't have said what rank that meant. "Along with Princess Reina, Marshal Leonis, and…" He hesitated, eyes darting as if to look to his superior for guidance, before he remembered he was the superior. "Ah… one of the imperials."
So there was an imperial inside. Why were they all standing here, then?
Whatever.
Noctis brushed past the guards. He would just see for himself what was going on. They opened the doors for him, bowing again and not even complaining that he was bringing his whole retinue and Luna, when usually only Dad was allowed in there. Noct had been in once before. It was just as big as he remembered, just as bright, and—honestly—still a little bit creepy.
Dad was inside. And Cor. Reina was facing—that creepy burgundy-haired guy? What the hell was even happening? They had hands clasped as magic jumped between them like electricity over metal. At least, he thought it was magic. That was what it usually looked like when he tied lines with Reina—more or less—except this magic was red.
Everyone turned when Noctis entered—though Reina and the chancellor looked a second later than Dad and Cor. The visible signs of magic around them faded, but that didn't mean it was gone.
"Noctis." His dad sounded earnestly relieved. "You are safe. Good."
Luna drew level with Noct and gave him a significant look. She had said that the chancellor was pure evil. And that Reina was working with him.
But, damn it, he wasn't going to believe that unless Reina said it herself.
He turned away from Luna. "What the hell is going on?"
"A great many things." Reina was moving toward him. Actually, past him and toward the door.
Noctis caught her arm. "Rei. Please. Tell me something."
She looked at him with that complete and utter understanding that only Rei ever had for him. "Noctis, I swear, I will explain everything that I can once everyone is safe. But right now, there are daemons running through Insomnia and if I do not stop them, people will die."
Noct released her arm and let out a breath. "Right." Luna had him worried that Rei wanted everyone dead or some shit like that. Of course she didn't. She was trying to protect them. He had been right all along.
She threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight—briefly. "Come, if you want." And then she pulled away toward the door.
Noctis glanced at Luna. She was still giving him that look, like the truth was staring him in the face and he couldn't see it, but it wasn't like that. She was the one who couldn't see it. Reina had just said that she wanted to protect people from the daemons, that she wasn't going to waste time standing around talking while Insomnia was in danger. How could Luna say she was some servant of the darkness or whatever after that?
He shook his head. He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he just turned around and followed Rei out. No matter what else she was, she was his twin. And she was fighting to protect Insomnia and everyone in it. She was fighting to keep Dad alive. If someone was drawing lines, Noct knew where he was standing.