~(Y/n)'s POV~

"That does not look sturdy," I complain, pointing to the collapsed column that conveniently created a way over the hole in the floor. Of course, it was our first obstacle as we entered Costlemark Tower at midnight.

"But it's the only way across," Gladio said. He then directed his amber gaze towards me with a smirk. "Unless you want me to toss you over to the other side so you can find another way."

I shook my head, sticking my hands up in front of my chest. "No, no. I'm good."

"We should let Gladio go first!" Prompto chimed in.

"Yeah, if it can hold him, then it'll definitely hold the rest of us," Noctis agreed.

Ignis messes with his glasses, glancing at the brute beside me. "It would be the most prudent way."

Gladio agreed, stepping forth and setting a foot on the column. I stared at the bridge, watching as small pieces fell off from his weight. A small crack began forming, causing Gladio to cease his movement. I could feel the tension in the damp air as he decided to take smaller steps.

Once safely across, Ignis was next. I glared at the breach as it began to grow and create multiple veins across the column. After the royal advisor was Noctis and Prompto. The raven haired prince decided to go before his best friend, the crack almost looking as if it couldn't take any more weight.

Prompto tensed his whole body while crossing, making a small part of the column collapse. Luckily, he made it to the other side without falling. Now, it was my turn to cross. Before stepping on the makeshift bridge, I stare down at the floor beneath. It wasn't a long drop, but it would be a long trek to find a way back up.

"(Y/n), be careful," Noctis warns, his eyes glued to the crack as I put both feet on the column. I nod and began to balance steadily while taking slow and gentle steps. Once I reached the middle, the sound of cracking echoed around us. Freezing, I look down to see the damage had greatly increased.

Peeling my eyes away from the source of the sound, I locked eyes with Gladio. He pushed past Noctis and held out a hand. "You're gonna have to jump."

I shook my head. "N-no, that'll make it collapse even quicker."

"Don't trust me, eh?"

"Pft, completely the opposite, actually."

"Then, jump. I'll catch you."

"Gladio, I love and trust you with all my heart, but I'm not gonna make that jump. If I fall, I fall. I'll find an alternate route and catch up with you."

"You're crazy."

"And you're-" I was silenced when I heard the column collapse and felt my body plummet downwards. Gladio, in a desperate attempt, lunged our to try and catch me but was held back by Ignis.

The fall wasn't long and I was able to recover within seconds. Brushing the dirt and gravel off my clothes, I looked up to see four pair of eyes peering over the ledge at me.

"You okay?" Gladio asked, worry filling his words and gaze.

"Perfectly fine. Like I said, I'll find an alternate route. I'll try my best and meet up with you within a couple of hours."

"We can't just leave you by yourself, (Y/n)! The daemons here are powerful!" Prompto shouts worriedly.

"I'll be fine, Prom. Go on ahead."

One by one, they left my sight, except for Gladio. I saw in his eyes that he was trying to find a way down, but I glared at him to free him of the dangerous thought. "Don't you dare, Gladio. I'll see you soon."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance and erased the idea. "I know you're tough, but... be careful, (Y/n)."

"You too, Gladio. Make sure Noct and Prom don't do anything stupid." He chuckles deeply before nodding and leaving. I took a deep breath to calm myself before proceeding forward.

As Prompto had said, the daemons were much stronger than we have faced before. Luckily, they haven't come in large numbers to attack me yet. A few Bussemands and a handful of Ereshkigals were my worst encounter so far.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed since I've seen the others. The only sign I received from them was areas purged of daemons and the wears of battle within the stone walls. Descending a spiral walkway led me to a room with strange cube-like structures with a different number of columns near each cube. A switch was present with each one, but only one out of four worked. The cube carried me further underground until it slid back into the wall and dumped me into a narrow passageway. A few switches later, I was dropped into a hallway with a tall ceiling and heard the sounds of clashing blades mixed with the cries of a Naga.

Swiftly, I made my way into a vast room to see three Red Giants and a Naga. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio had been petrified by the Naga while Ignis was trying to fight off all four daemons by himself. Summoning my dual blades, I jump onto a Red Giant's sword and run up the side to reach its head. With a few deep slashes, the daemon vanishes and I move onto the next one.

"(Y/n)!" Ignis shouts for me. I turn to face him as he signals me for a chain attack. I nod with a smile and made my way over to the tactician. With our attacks in sync, we took down another Red Giant. All that was left now was a slithering Naga and a single raging Red Giant. The others finally were freed from their stone prisons and grouped together to kill the Naga while Ignis and I took down the last Red Giant.

After what felt like hours, the daemons were all vanquished. I dispel my blades just as familiar arms wrap around my body and pull me upwards. A small shriek of surprise escaped me as I was turned to face the culprit who had me in their warm and strong arms. "G-Gladio, you scared me!"

He grins at me while laying a kiss on my forehead. "You are a sight for sore eyes. I thought we'd be killed."

"I'm glad I rushed here. Iggy looked as if he was gonna collapse at any second."

Gladio's grin then fell into a sorrowful frown. He pulled me closer to his chest and nuzzled his face in the crook of my neck. His warm breath tickled my skin, but I couldn't bring myself to laugh because of his sudden change in behavior. "You have no idea how worried I was," he whispers.

I wrap my arms around his neck and thread one of my hands through his hair. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Gladio. Guess we both have had our heart attacks for the day."

He chuckles lightly before moving his lips to mine. It was a quick but passionate kiss, which I didn't mind due to the fact how dangerous this place was. We broke apart and Gladio refused to free me from his embrace. "Y'know, I can't fight like this."

He lifts me up even higher to the point where my feet can't even touch the ground. "Don't care. You're stayin' right in my arms."

I huff in laughter and kiss him on the cheek. "Fine, but you're putting me down when the next daemon appears."

"Yes, Ma'am."