~(Y/n)'s POV~

"It's more prominent than before..." I look over my shoulder and in the mirror. The curse mark on my back was darker than before. Now, waves of pain accompanied it every hour.

It was also slowly growing all over my body. A knock resounded throughout my room which made me flinch. I quickly covered the mark with a shawl my mother gave me. "C-come in." I mentally slap myself for having a shaky voice. The door slowly opened to reveal Noctis. He greeted me with a warm smile which I returned.

"Hey, (Y/n). Your father is calling for you," he informed me. I thanked him and went to the throne room. My father, Raiden, was discussing important matter with Noctis' father, Regis. They ended their conversation and both of them smiled at me. "Ah, there's my precious gem," my father said. If my mother was here, she'd be correcting him saying that I was more than a gem. My mother decided to stay at home to watch over the people of Sinicidia.

My father told me about the multiple plans he had for our Kingdom. King Regis also agreed to my father's plans. "I love all the ideas. It'll be tough to choose," I answer honestly. My father chuckled deeply along with King Regis. "It seems my son could learn a thing or two from your daughter, Raiden," King Regis said with a smile.

"She's just like her mother. I wouldn't trade either of them for anything or anyone." My father's words made me so happy. I ran up to him and kissed his cheek. "I'm totally telling mother what you just said." My father chuckled deeply once again. I left the throne room and walked the hallways of the Insomnia palace. This was my first time being here. Even though Noctis and I have known each other for years, I've never been to where he grew up. Insomnia is a big city full of busy people. I might ask Noctis to give me a tour of this lovely city.

Noctis and Prompto were walking towards me with smiles plastered on their faces. "Hey, (Y/n)!" Prompto greets. I smile and wave to him. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain. The mark was throbbing and I gasped in pain. Noctis noticed and ran over to me. He grabbed my hand and steadied me. "Are you okay?" He asked. I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I... fell off my bed last night," I lied through my teeth. Noctis chuckled and leaned his forehead against mine. "I swear, you are so clumsy." I kiss him lightly on the nose with a small giggle. "Remember when I tripped over a small pebble when we were younger?"

"How could I forget?" He laughed. "Wait, you tripped over a pebble?" Prompto asked, joining in the conversation. I nodded with a smile. "Noctis and his father were visiting Sinicidia. I took him to the beach and showed him where I would always sit to watch the sun. While running, I tripped over a pebble. After that, my mouth was full of sand and I was crying."

All three of us couldn't contain our laughter. The halls echoed with our boisterous laughter. Our cheery laughter died down after a few minutes had passed by. "(Y/n), I want to take you somewhere." Noctis' words made me tilt my head in confusion. He smiled and dragged me to the Regalia. Noctis got behind the wheel while I sat in the passenger's seat.

Noctis drove for a good thirty minutes until we reached our destination. He took me to a cliff that overlooked an enormous flower field. I gasped at the beautiful sight before me. "It's beautiful," I said under my breath. Noctis stood next to me and held my hand. We entwined our fingers together like ribbons. I rested my head against his shoulder.

We admired the view, until my back began to throb in pain. I pulled away from Noctis and hugged myself. The pain was more severe than earlier.
"(Y/n), what's wrong?" Noctis asked, worry laced through his voice. "N-nothing. Just the back pain."

"We should head back. You need some rest. I'll bring you something to help with the pain."

"Thank you, Noct."

We got in the car and headed back to the palace. I headed to my room while Noctis went to get me pain medicine. I knew it wouldn't help, but I was really glad he was worried about me. Noctis dropped off the medicine and kissed me goodnight. I went out to my balcony and stared at the beautiful moon above.

My body began to shake from the pain. I ran back inside and tore off my shawl. The mark on my back has spread to my arms and legs. I took off my dress and saw the mark had created black streaks across my chest and stomach. I stared in fear at myself in the mirror. As the pain grew even more, the mark spread to half of my face.

"I'm a monster..." I cry into my hands. My father knows of the mark, but no one else does. If they saw me now, they would be frightened. Without a word to anyone, I left the palace.

~3rd Person POV (with Noctis)~

-Next Morning-

"(Y/n)?" Noctis knocked on the door to (Y/n)'s room gently. He turned the handle and saw the room was empty. "Maybe she's with someone else." Noctis left her room and walked around the palace. He ran into Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto outside of the throne room. "Have any of you seen (Y/n)?" Noctis asked the group. "No, his majesty, King Raiden, is asking for her as well. We assumed she was with you," Ignis answered.

Noctis began to worry even more for (Y/n). The others also felt worried for her. "I'll go check the garden," Prompto announces and runs off. "I'll ask around if anyone has seen her since last night." Gladio left Noctis with Ignis. "We should inform her father if we can't find her," Ignis stated. Noctis clenched his hands into fists. Ignis noticed and calmed the prince down. "We will find her, Noct," Ignis reassured him. No words parted from his lips as he stormed off to search for (Y/n) as well.

Hours pass and no one can find (Y/n). "I'm sorry, Noct," Prompto said sullenly. Noctis shook his head. "It's no ones fault that we can't find her. I'll... go tell her father." Noctis entered the throne room and was greeted by a worried Raiden. "Noctis, have you had any luck finding my daughter?"

Noctis looked down in shame. "No, your majesty." King Raiden's face fell. He leaned against the wall for support. King Regis walked over to his best friend to calm him down. "King Raiden, I promise I'll bring (Y/n) back safely," Noctis proclaims. "Thank you, Noctis. My wife would be even more devastated than me if she learned her one and only daughter was missing."

"May I ask... is something wrong with (Y/n)?"

"It seems you've caught on to our secret. I also cannot lie to you or your father."

King Raiden stepped closer to Noctis with help from Regis. "When (Y/n) was little, she was cursed by a witch. She bears the mark on her back. The mark causes her pain and is slowly growing across her body. For the past sixteen years, I've been trying to find a cure to the curse. My search ended in failure. After some people found out about the curse, they shunned her. My daughter was called countless of names. One man even called her a monster."

Noctis' eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. (Y/n) never said a word to him about her past. After hearing it, he's more desperate to find and comfort her. "King Raiden, I'm going to search around Insomnia. I'll bring her back, no matter what." King Raiden smiled at the young prince. "Thank you, Noctis. I'm counting on you."

Noctis stormed out of the throne room and ran to the Regalia. "Where do you think you're going?" Ignis asked as he fixed his glasses. Ignis was accompanied by Prompto and Gladio. "I'm going to search the city for (Y/n)," he declares. "We're going with you!" Prompto shouts and jumps into the Regalia. Gladio and Ignis also follow the blonde's lead.

"Then, let's go." Noctis was behind the wheel, to Ignis' dismay, and he revved the engine. They sped off and began their search for the princess. Minutes turn to hours as their search ends up to be in vain. "We've looked everywhere! Where could (Y/n) have gone?" Prompto sighed in frustration. "Noct, is there a place you showed her?" Gladio asked from the backseat. Noctis' eyes widened at Gladio's question.

"I took her to a cliff that overlooked a flower field that's not far from here," he answered. "That's our best bet right now. If she's not there, we must begin to send out a bigger search party for the princess," Ignis stated. Noctis drove out of Insomnia to the cliff he brought (Y/n) to just yesterday. It wasn't a special place, but Noctis wanted it to be.

They all got out of the car and spotted (Y/n) near the edge of the cliff. "(Y/n)!" Noctis ran over to her, but his body was hit by an invisible force.
(Y/n) turned around and what Noctis saw horrified him. He and the others gasped at the sight. Her face was almost covered with an eerie black substance. "(Y/n)..." Noctis stands up and tried to approach her one more time. "Don't!" She yells. Noctis reached a hand out towards her, but she took a step away from him.

"I-I've become a monster." (Y/n) covers her faces with her hands. She crashes to her knees and begins to cry. Noctis' heart shattered as he saw the love of his life break down in front of him. He couldn't even hold her tightly to comfort her. "You're not a monster and you never will be one," Noctis said, his voice strong and stern. "Noct, thank you for everything." Noctis was confused at her words. (Y/n) stood up and smiled at him. "Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?"

"Because... I am. There's no cure to this curse. I've accepted my fate. Now you must be the one to accept it." Noctis grits his teeth in anger. "I won't! We can help you!" (Y/n) shook her head as tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I hope you'll forgive me one day, Noctis." A dark aura surrounds her body as she disappears.