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Ch 1
The first winter snow had hit the ground over Eos. Gladiolus alongside the remaining Kingsglaive members and a few engineers from Lestallum take part in restoring infrastructure... Starting with the citadel and the roads within the city along with clean up.
Outside the Crown City , the Leide desert is a no man's land. The sand is soft and sticky, mixed with enough ash to turn it grey. There are no plants, only corpses of vines and a few skeletal trees that raise their dead branches to the sky in a last scream of anguish. Animals and monsters have disappeared.
Duscae looks more hopeful. Marginally so. There is grove after grove of dead trees, but green moss is growing on the rotten, disintegrating trunks, and sometimes there will be an odd patch of grass, shriveled and dry, ill-looking but surviving. The lakes in the area are covered in heavy brown foam and smell like a thousand behemoths left to decay in the sun. But once or twice, the water bubbles and the foam shivers and breaks apart. Life is still struggling in the depths.
To the south of the of the Disc. The appearance of the land appears different. Demonic storms have torn the ancient mountain to pieces, the plain is strewn with debris and a thousand rocks. The granite arc has collapsed, adding to the chaos.
The region of Cleigne is no different then Duscae , aside from Lestallum that had become humanity's primary and last refuge from the long night , as its power and bright lights keep the daemons at bay during the Starscourge
Here the darkness is eternal. There is no sun , no dawn just the darkness of night. The only light source is the jagged forks of lightning , carving a path through the clouds. In their savage wake thunder shreds the sky , unleashing a torrent of rain... Within the light a ethereal vision of a human.
Serah's eyes snap open , the primal fury of her nightmare waking her up for a third night in a row. Ignis had carried himself similar to Noctis when around Serah. He had never needed as much sleep as his companions. Serah's movements had shaken him awake , yet weary down to the bone. Since the end of the Starscourge Ignis had been busy aiding in the rebuilding of the Crown City when not tending to the last member of the royal family.
There is a lot of uncertainty , and too much insecurities...
It is a pain to even think about it. So all they can do is keep moving forward and never look back.
" Can't sleep ? "
" Something like that , it has been the same dream for the past several days. It just feels like someone is calling out to me. "
Ignis knew prophecy of the Cosmogony good enough , studied it long enough to know how the darkness will end. But there are no records on the future after dawn breaks... No way to know what is in store for them in the future. To Ignis , Serah has been someone who had lost everything by the end of the war.
" Its still a few more hours before dawn breaks , try to get some rest till then "
His arm felt numb due to Serah using it as a pillow , shifting a bit to be more comfortable. He watches over Serah bringing her in..
" You can call me brother "
As the morning approaches , the first rays of light hit the bedside. The Citadel is already bustling with activity while the rest of the city is in the process of being rebuilt and civilians are in the process of moving back to Insomnia to aid in reconstruction efforts. It will take another year or two to get their lives back to normal , or as close to normal.
The people still needed their king but at this time that seat is empty due to Noctis' passing for using the crystal to purge the darkness. However one member of the royal family still survive , while Serah is still wacked with nightmares and visions that seems to be taking a toll on her while attempting to bear fate alone.
" there is nothing anyone can do for me , but there is no way I can be the leader this way.. "
Serah's wellbeing seem to had gotten Ignis a bit concerned.
" you are barely eating or sleeping the past few weeks "
Even though Ignis is not able to see those around him , he is still able to sense them and will know when something is wrong.
Serah struggles with her emotions " I do not know what I feel right now , happy or sad , fear. and a uncertain future. And these dreams I have every night I do not know what they mean. "
In the Cosmogony there is yet another that is not written in the books but it is also a part of the world. Its knowledge is kept by Carbuncle. Noctis is really in the edge of reality unable to pass on a realm between life and death.
" you have to face those fears " Ignis responds and hands her a Carbuncle totem " this will protect you through your darkest dreams "
That night the same dream and vision. Within the dream Carbuncle instructs Serah to instructs to look for the light in the darkness. With newfound strength she reaches out to the light.
" Serah , my sister.. It is me... Use the crystal. I am still alive and I am waiting. "
Ignis knows the dead cannot be brought back and was rather skeptical hearing about it from Serah the next day.
Prompto had also returned to the city after spending some time away. Things are getting back to normal within the crown city after two years of reconstruction efforts. Noctis retainers begin talking about the future and what is to come.
" Maybe it is time for Serah to be the leader of Lucis. " they agree together..
Eos is recovering and animals are reintroduced back into the wild , through the efforts of Sania , Wiz and Prompto. However Serah clung to a different truth.
-Fin-
