{The Void proved willing, the Crystal proved unforgiving.}

Reveria was barely able to warp to the top of the altar, rolling onto the last few steps as she choked and spluttered water that remained in her lungs. Not that again, not that vision again. It was piercing, blinding, and unchanging. The vision sent by Bahamut meant that she hadn't altered Noctis's future which were equal parts relieving and discouraging. The last tie to her bloodline to sacrifice his life for all was a daunting memory to endure, especially since it was made to happen. When she regained focus she froze at the sight of Ignis surrounded by magitek troopers and Ardyn Izunia himself, but her eyes were stuck on the Ring of the Lucii in the Advisor's possession. No. No, don't do it. "No..."

"I swore an oath to stand with Noct and keep him safe. Whatever it takes, I will protect him!"

"Ignis!" Reveria yelled but Ignis made his choice: he slid the ring onto his finger while pleading to Lucian rulers and the Void muttered to her, its remark furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. Ignis, he...he was willing to give his life, aware of the consequences that the previous rulers may not find him worthy and could burn him alive for even trying the same way they took Ravus' left arm. But then she remembered that the Ring of the Lucii was unforgiving and felt the power of the Crystal burn at his eyes, the true sacrifice for someone who always saw the world in total clarity. It was a moment after that the Void stilled, and Reveria watched on intently as Ignis let out a fiery shockwave that hurled unsuspecting troopers off their feet and left a blue outline where he once stood. He's…he's warping. The Ring accepted him, deemed him worthy.

"Shit. Shit!" She patted her ear a few times and materialised an identical earpiece, quickly hooking it in her ear before opening the channel, "Prompto, Gladio, I need you guys at the altar! Now! Ignis, he…"

"Rev! We thought you―" Gladiolus spoke up, cutting Prompto off.

"What's happening down there?" Reveria caught a glimpse of Ardyn warping away to confront Ignis and tried to form her words. "Rev, talk to me!"

"He...the Ring of the Lucii, Ignis is using it to battle against Ardyn but―"

"Iggy's using the Ring?"

"He won't have a lot of time, Gladio. I need you two to hurry, forget about the remaining magitek and help me."

"We'll be there as fast as we can."

Reveria peered down at a barely conscious Ravus, still dazed by one of Ardyn's brutal magic attacks, and summoned Ragnarok to her grasp. "Just a few more...please…" The Void whispered and she roughly threw the blade, Ragnarok stabbing into the stone a metre away from Ravus and Reveria reappeared in a mix of purple and blue fizz unable to catch the hilt as she bounced painfully to a stop. She had no time to worry about her new bruises as she wobbled towards the High Commander of Niflheim, buckling over her legs and crawled over to him. Within arm's reach, a blue Key fuzzed under Ravus' body and she placed her hands on his chest, flinching away at the dark intricacies of Ardyn's arcana. It was nothing she's ever felt before, brewing with daemonic energy enough to plague all of Eos, and it was festering inside of Ravus.

"Reveria, no…" he muttered and weakly shoved her away with his metal hand but she barely had to swat it away as she replaced her hands. "Forget about me―"

"Never. Sola Key." The sigil shuttered white and dots of lights drifted up from it, Reveria able to take a quick breather as the daemonic magic shrouding Ravus' heart was gradually dissipating. Then she suddenly snapped her palm beside her and a protective barrier hovered above Noctis, just in case Ardyn tried to use him as a hostage for any inconceivable reason. Although she struggled, Reveria stood from her place while keeping her eyes on Ravus. The Bladekeeper's strength wore her own arcana down and the injuries she sustained during the battle in Altissia kept her alert, her Arsenal garbs torn and bloodied and soaking wet, her hands shaking from being submerged in the freezing waters. "Why...why put yourself in so much trouble? Over someone you were so eager to kill?" Ravus took a moment to answer, grunting as the dark magic that clung to him was fighting for resistance but he knew the Voidwalker was darkness personified.

"I finally realise it is not the fault of Noctis, but rather the fault of disregarding my duty to protect my sister."

"What about Noct? And Luna? And Ignis, oh Six, Ignis has gone and risked everything, made himself a vessel to channel the power of the Crystal. This is...this is all my fault. My presence alone incites chaos."

"The Voidwalker suddenly doubting her duty?"

"No. The Voidwalker realising her duty. I was given a blessing from one of the Six to help Noctis reach ascension but…" She glared sadly over at Noctis and saw the sigil pulse a few times before fading; Ravus pulled himself from the crater and dusted his clothes while Reveria slid over to cradle Noctis in her arms albeit carefully as to not irritate her wounds. His body was cold, the royal arms leaving him with just an inch of his life, but he was breathing. Luna kept him alive, Reveria could feel the Oracle's arcana strumming against her gauntlet, but knowing she was willing to do such an act while falling into the abyss was one the Void would remind the Voidwalker. The Oracle gave her life. Reveria will always be indebted to her. "Now I understand why King Regis bestowed it onto me. I may have Lucian blood but I am Vaezan at heart and my birthright gives me the power to seek the Void. Noctis will banish the darkness from this world, how he does that will be entirely up to me."

Ravus frowned, "By doing that, you'll be disregarding your duty."

"Maybe. Who wouldn't if it meant keeping your loved ones safe?"

"Even going against the Astral that adorned you the vessel of destiny? You would go as far as opposing the Bladekeeper just for Noctis?"

"I―"

"Noct…" A pained grunt broke her train of thought and the Void whined underneath the noise, Reveria reaching out a hand to summon a gold sigil once Ignis slumped to the ground. He finally succumbed to the aftereffects of the Crystal, breathing fast but breathing shallow, and from where they were both the Voidwalker and the High Commander could see the damage had already been done. His eyes that were burning rage in reds and purples were glazed over in stone and the cracks stretched down his cheekbones. It was when the Key shattered that Reveria realised she couldn't revert what had happened, for the Void remained still.

Ravus sauntered over to Ignis and crouched by him, "That was rather reckless."

"Where's Noct?" Ignis choked out. "Is he...is he alright?"

"More or less―all thanks to Reveria. You should be happy she got here when she did."

"Rev? Oh thank goodne―" He spluttered the rest of his words and a whisper from the Void made Reveria snap her head up to see Gladiolus and Prompto running up from the other end of the altar calling for the King and the Advisor and she tried her hand one more time at using one of her Keys to ease Ignis's pain. Lightning pain shot through her gauntlet and she bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, the sigil barely stabilising as she begged the Void for one last spell. It listened and the sigil trembled.

"Be still. Conserve your strength. You've a calling to fulfil." Ravus stood up. "As do I. May fortune favour us both…and you as well, Noctis."

"Ravus…" Reveria tried to persuade him. "You don't have to go back to them. After what they did―"

"There's no turning back now."

"Then...then stay alive. Please, Ravus. Don't fall under their treacherous lies. Please."

"It's the least I can do. For you, that is." She hesitated to reply but Ravus was already walking away, Prompto barely batting an eyelid at him as he jogged over and caught Reveria just as she was falling backwards. He could see by the condition of her gauntlet just how much she exerted herself; the usually silver finish was entirely black and some of the digits had already melted off, exposing the magma-like cracks in her fingers.

"Please...forgive me…"

"I should be the one apologising," Reveria countered Ignis, wheezing as the injuries were beginning to deteriorate. She looked back at the city and the sight of the dark waters and burning buildings reminded her of the horrors unleashed in Insomnia by the same forces and struggled to lift herself off the ground. Prompto noticed her intention and assisted her off the ground, keeping a steady hand on her back in case she lost her balance. "Prompto, Gladio...protect these two. Altissia is in ruins, I have to try and fix it."

"Are you crazy?" Gladiolus half-yelled at her as the weight from Ignis on his shoulder forced his gravel to sink deeper in his throat and Prompto stood between the two of them in the hopes that their discussion wouldn't turn into an argument. "Don't you think you've put yourself through enough? That sigil's gonna burn right through you."

"Then let it scorch me alive. Noct wouldn't want this to happen. We can't leave Altissia like this."

"We don't have a choice. Iggy's seriously injured and Noct's barely alive. We need to go."

"Then go. Let me handle my own birthright, Gladio, I only want to restore as much as I'm able to.

Gladiolus pressed a few steps closer and Prompto already had a hand up to try and calm them down, but he would've swatted the gunslinger's hand if he wasn't carrying Ignis. "Your title doesn't mean anything when your friends' lives are in your hands!" Reveria also stepped forward but swayed to one side, Prompto also there to grab onto her arm to steady her.

"My title doesn't mean shit! You of all people should know that! Thousands of lives have been ruined because of magitek and you'd just, what, walk away as if you're not a part of this? We all are! Can't you just…"

"Rev...please. We need to get away from here. Together. We're not leaving anyone behind." Reveria blinked. Prompto's tone was different. The sunniness to his voice vanished completely and was overtaken by a seriousness she never thought she'd see in him. But they were running out of time. She glared at Gladiolus, visibly pissed off at her, and relaxed her gaze when it fell upon Prompto.

"Fine," she sighed. "Fine. Their lives are first. Let's go."

Reveria crushed the fourth elixir and exhaled as the magical properties fused in the glittery liquid healed the last of her wounds, her fingers grazing her bare shoulders where that magitek assassin impaled her. The Leville was exceedingly more luxurious than the one in Lestallum, her body wanting to melt into the mattress when she woke up from her slumber. The duvet soft wrapped around her figure, the pillows fluffy and light under her head. Like a warm hug, she didn't want to leave, but the looming shadow that followed her everywhere kept her occupied, kept her distant and kept her quiet.

She did all she could to treat Ignis's wounds the previous night and her heated conversation with Gladiolus didn't help the situation, since he gave her the cold-shoulder when telling her the train schedule after she woke up. She braced her hands on the bathroom sink and could only stare at herself in guilt and disappointment, even while the Void was humming its praises. What Noctis would think if she told him the truth about everything, it made her shake her head. A man in red strode into the bathroom and bowed his head before speaking.

"Reveria, Argentum wishes to speak with you."

She turned her head, "He does? Why?"

Ragnarok hesitated, "...sorry. I meant to say that Argentum is currently alone and has requested of you."

"I don't wanna talk to him right now."

"Your Grace, considering the events that occurred last night, I believed that you would like someone to talk to."

"Your Grace," she echoed him with a half-smirk. "You haven't called me that in a while. So, what, you're not gonna join us?"

"I am not. Having a walking reminder of war by your side during these unprecedented times won't be relaxing." She sighed, "Especially after what happened. Everyone is sensitive and...I assumed that you could find comfort in Argentum, even if it's a little."

After a bit of deliberating, she finally agreed. "He can come in but keep an eye out for Ignis. He says he's fine but I can feel otherwise."

"Of course." Ragnarok bowed his head before he left the bathroom and Reveria combed back her hair with both her hands, suddenly unprepared to meet Prompto again. The last time the city was falling apart around them and Prompto persuaded her to fall back. Him. Not Gladiolus since he was busy trying to start a fight about titles and bloodlines and Ignis was too weak to even interact in the conversation. Even when she threw on a vest and strolled back into the bedroom, Reveria didn't meet his eyes but that was because his eyes were cast onto the Altissian horizon and she noticed the bruises and cuts on his arms.

"Surprised you asked for me," Reveria started the conversation but Prompto didn't turn around when he replied, making her tilt her head in concern as she quickly put on her Vaesan undergarment. "Thought you were still eating."

"I couldn't eat much. A lot of my mind."

"Yeah, I don't blame you...you didn't get your wounds checked out?"

He looked down at himself and let out an empty laugh, "Never knew I had any to begin with. I didn't even feel a thing."

Reveria furrowed her brows. An unspoken word shuddered a golden sigil underneath Prompto's boots and he glanced up at her in surprise. "You need to do a better job looking after yourself, Prompto."

He laughed again, "I swear! I didn't feel anything." It was her serious expression that brought him back down to earth, her furrowed brows and glassy eyes saying more than her words could. Reveria took a shaky breath before slowly walking up beside him, grabbing the collar of his jacket and looking into his eyes. The air suddenly chilled and his eyes focused. "Rev, what's going on?"

"You have to promise me, Prom," her voice cracked and her grip tightened. "You have to promise me that you won't tell Noctis a thing."

"Reveria, you're scaring me―"

"Just, promise me." She looked down and shook her head a few times, "Only Gladio, Ignis and Cor know but I am trusting that you won't tell him. You can't tell him. Not yet. You can't..."

"Rev, I...I promise." Reveria bit her lip and in a fit of emotion, pulled him in as close as she could and kissed him. She didn't expect him to respond to it but he did, gently wrapping his arms around the small of her back to relax her hold on his collar. For a moment, she dipped back just to stare in his eyes, and didn't fight back when he wiped the tears from her face. Maybe they didn't have to say a thing but that moment ignited a flame between them. A flame Reveria was afraid of burning lest she be consumed entirely.

Reveria peeled away from him, tucking stray hairs behind her ears as she distanced herself from the tender moment they shared by sitting on the ottoman in front of the double bed, the golden sigil flashing once before disintegrating into ash on the floor. "Sorry…" she muttered, digging her hands through her hair while her head hung low in disappointment. "That wasn't supposed to happen. I'm so fucking stupid..."

"Rev, I promised you...right? What can be so bad that―"

"I know how Noctis dies." When she didn't hear Prompto reply, she nodded and repeated herself. "I know how he dies."

"How?" He sounded defeated, plopping down next to her and unsure of how to properly react to this new information. There was no way, right? His childhood best friend dying? But with Gladio and Iggy and even the Cor Leonis knowing about this meant it was actually plausible. But Noctis, dying? Like he hasn't been through enough already.

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's his destiny. Noctis is the Chosen King and it's his destiny to save Eos, save all of us."

"But he'll be sacrificed? Rev, we have to tell him―"

"You can't!" Reveria urged him. "You can't. It doesn't matter what you tell him, he'll do it all the same. It's his calling. Just like my mission is mine."

"So then what is your mission?"

"My mission, given to me by Bahamhut, is to aid his ascension. But...I can't...I can't do it. Not after what happened yesterday. I'm trying to find a way to stop it all from happening but…" Her eyes began to swell again. "I don't even know where to start, Prom. My only cousin and the last official tie to the Lucian bloodline to sacrifice himself and for what? My magic feeds on the absence of existence so why do I get a pass and Noct doesn't?"

"There has to be a way."

"If there is, the Void hasn't told me. The Crystal is adamant about Noct's ascension and I have spent all this time protecting him from intangible forces just to put him in danger all over again. I'm such a terrible person."

"You're not," Prompto reassured her, gently holding one of her hands. "You're not a terrible person for fulfilling your duty. You were doing what you thought was best."

She sniffed, "I just wanted to keep him safe. That's it."

"And you can still do that. And whenever the time comes, you have to make a decision. Either help him ascend the throne or go against one of the Astrals, which...actually seems really daunting in my opinion but―"

"I'll do it. I'm done. I'm not fighting Bahamut's fight anymore. I don't care if I have to fight him, if it means preventing a destiny never meant to happen then...I'll do it." Then she chuckled once, "You haven't changed a bit." A timid kiss on his cheek broke his train of thought, and she flashed him a genuine smile. But he wasn't flushed red all over his freckled face but instead responded with his own little smile. There was that sunny smile he always had, enough to light up a room completely swallowed by darkness. But Reveria couldn't help it, she didn't want to fall for Prompto all over again but here she was, falling. Again.

"Your Grace," his familiar voice echoed outside her hotel room and Reveria made a little sigh, Prompto watching her gauntlet let off of a small shimmer before Ragnarok invited himself in. He bowed his head, "The train will be arriving in twenty minutes. We should depart soon, taking into consideration Ignis's condition."

"We're coming. How's Altissia?"

"The Keys are doing its work. While your magic is faint, it will take time until the city is fully repaired."

Reveria glanced up at Ragnarok, "And Ignis?"

"His condition does not seem to be improving. I have done everything I could but…"

"It's okay, Ragnarok. Thank you for trying."

"I'll wait for you downstairs." Ragnarok left her room, keeping the door open, and Prompto saw that as his own opportunity to leave. Once the room was empty, Reveria fell backwards onto the bed and brought up her metal hand, a phone shuddering into her grasp. She tapped the screen twice with her thumb and she was greeted by the time and a message from Cor that made her brows furrows. Processing the message, she climbed off the bed and grabbed her jacket off the desk chair, glancing out the window for a moment before leaving.