After the events following Ardyn's deception, Noctis promptly called Ignis after regaining consciousness and told him how he was tricked by the man. He told him how he shoved Prompto off the roof of the train, believing it had been Ardyn. The advisor calmed him down, telling him what they had to do first and to rendezvous with him and Gladio.

Before Noctis could tell Ignis about finding (Y/n)'s staff, the train entered a tunnel and the call suddenly dropped. Looking up at the ceiling and sides of the tunnel, he saw myriads of daemons crawling around. The sheer number of them caused him to gape in shock. Tightening his grip on Pestilence's staff, he glared at the horde of enemies. "And things just got worse."

Daemons leapt off the ceiling and walls of the tunnel, landing on the train. Noctis watched the assailants for a few seconds before a faint glow caught his attention. Looking down, he saw (Y/n)'s staff was glowing faintly. The moment he lifted it up, lightning struck the daemons and killed them instantly. The boy gaped in awe when seeing his path was cleared and glanced at the staff once more before proceeding to regroup with Ignis and Gladio.

Noctis used his own magic and grinned when seeing how enhanced it was due to wielding the Horseman's staff. Once defeating another group of daemons, he chuckled. "I gotta get me one of these." He continues to fight through daemon after daemon as he makes his way toward the front car of the train. With every passing wave of enemies, he was becoming irritated and exhausted. "Where do they keep coming from?"

What felt like an eternal struggle, Noctis reaches the front car and realizes it's no longer broad daylight when looking toward the end of the tunnel. Night has begun to fall, which wasn't a good sign. He couldn't believe how quick the sun was setting. "What?! No light at the end of the tunnel?!" Then, he takes notice of many large spider-like daemons hanging from the ceiling ahead of the train. "What in the world...?"

The daemons drop onto the train, which emerges into the rapidly disappearing daylight. The train becomes swarmed as it reaches Tenebrae. Noctis looks toward the distance and stares with wide eyes at Fenestala Manor. His attention was soon redirected to the horde of daemons stalking toward him.

All of a sudden, Leviathan emerges from the valley below and begins unleashing waterspouts at the daemons, knocking them loose and shattering the train's windows. The Tidemother creates another water cyclone, which sucks in the daemons as they are knocked off the train.

Once all the daemons were gone, the Astral vanished. With the assailants gone, Noctis looks back at Fenestala Manor and realized it's burning. He kept his gaze focused on the blazing building until tearing his eyes away. He added (Y/n)'s staff to his arsenal and headed back inside the train.

<----------<<<<<

Arriving in Tenebrae, Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis climb off the train once it rested idly in the station. The raven-haired boy kept glancing at his advisor, wondering when to tell him about Pestilence's staff.

Ignis could sense the boy's jitteriness and looked up at him. While he could still only see shapes and colors, he knew exactly who he was looking at. "Noct, what seems to be the issue?"

"Yeah," Gladio spoke up. "What's the deal?"

A heavy sigh came from Noctis as he held out his hand and conjured (Y/n)'s staff. "I found this in one of the cars." He handed it to Ignis, who used his hands to identify the object when he wasn't familiar with the blurry shape.

The strategist's gloved hands traced the tip of the staff, eyes widening when he finally recognized it. "This is..." His hands gravitated back toward the middle of the weapon.

"Okay, so you found (Y/n)'s staff," Gladio stated. "But where's (Y/n)?"

"How should I know?" Noctis groaned. He pulled out the vial in his pocket and showed it to his shield. "Last time we talked, she gave me this before disappearing. It sounded like she was gonna leave. Maybe she left."

"She would never leave behind her staff," Ignis retorts. "You saw the chancellor, correct?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Ignis wrapped both hands around the staff, grasping it tightly. "I deduce the chancellor's involvement aboard the train is linked to (Y/n)'s disappearance."

Gladio folded his arms across his chest. "And why's that?"

"Upon the altar the day of the rite, he spoke of manipulating her. I fear his plans are coming to fruition." He hung his head, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I've failed in more ways than one..."

"Hold on, Specs," Noctis said. "You're really blaming yourself for all this? Because that's just ridiculous."

"Noct..."

"If that bastard has (Y/n), then we're gonna find her. We're already heading to Gralea to find the Crystal and I bet that's where he took her." The raven-haired boy combed a hand through his unkempt locks. "I hope we find Prompto before we get there, though."

"So we've got the Crystal, a chocobo, and Iggy's girlfriend to find," Gladio said with a brief chortle. "What a list."

<----------<<<<<

Inside one of the labs located in Zegnautus Keep, (Y/n) placed her hands against the glass tube she found herself sealed in. Glancing at one of the computers along the back wall, she noticed the time and realized she'd been trapped for a few days. She pressed her forehead against the frigid glass, praying to the Six the others were safe. Closing her eyes, she listened to the faint beeping of the machines and computers inside the lab.

Suddenly, (Y/n)'s eyes flew open as they traveled over to the mechanical door. It slid open, Ardyn sauntering through with his usual wicked smile plastered on his face. She spotted a few MTs following him, but they waited outside the door. She thought she saw another person among them, but the door closed before she could get a better look.

"Ah, you're awake." The chancellor waltzed over to the console in front of the glass tube. "Welcome to Gralea. Morosely, I will be incapable of giving you the grand tour."

"What possibly could you accomplish by bringing me here?" (Y/n) inquired.

As Ardyn held out his hand and clenched it into a fist, a surge of pain resonated from her chest. She fell to her knees and screamed at the top of her lungs. She tried to fight against it, but she felt her body growing weak and wasn't able to push herself up. It was even difficult for her to raise her head when she heard a small 'click' from the console. "Wh-What...?"

"Now, now. There's no need to fret." Ardyn lifted his hand up from the button he pushed. "This process will be rather equivalent to your time upon the seafloor. In the matter of days, your body and mind shall be mine to command as I see fit." He lowered his hand, the pain vanishing from the girl's chest.

When (Y/n) thought her suffering had ended and she could finally stand back up, another scream erupted from her throat as several needles attached to thick wires plunged into her back. Before she could yank at the wires in an attempt to remove the needles, metallic claw-like clamps pierced her skin to secure them in place. She leaned her body against the glass, glaring at the man on the other side. Her eyes darted down to the console when she saw his hand gravitate toward another button.

Ardyn's hand hovered over it just as they heard a struggle from the other side of the door. He hummed in curiosity as he turned his head before beckoning the MTs to enter the lab. The machines obeyed their master and entered the room, dragging someone along with them.

(Y/n) lifted her gaze from the console and glanced at the magiteks. Her eyes widened when she realized who was reluctantly following them. "Prompto?"

The blonde, who was being restrained by both MTs, looked toward the Horseman imprisoned in the glass tube with wide eyes. "(Y-Y/n)?"

The girl noticed the multiple scratches and bruises across his body. She could tell they were all fresh wounds and desperately wanted to heal him. She placed her hands against the glass, wondering why he was here and not with the others.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't be receiving any answers as she felt the needles in her back begin to inject a substance in her body. She wondered what it was, but it only took mere seconds for her entire body to become paralyzed and for her to receive her answer. Her body collapsed inside the tube.

Pestilence tried moving her fingers, but they didn't budge an inch. She tried to speak and found she could no longer talk. Seeing this, Prompto struggled against the machines restraining him. "Stop!" He bellowed, trying to kick and punch the machines. His eyes narrowed with a sharp glare as he looked at Ardyn. "Let her go!"

The chancellor chuckled at the boy's futile scuffle. "Apologies, dear boy, for I must refuse such a ludicrous declaration." He pressed the button his hand had been hovering over and turned to look back at the Pestilence as water began to fill the tube. "Ta-ta for now, my dear. When you awaken, the final pawn shall be in play."

Due to the paralysis, (Y/n) was helpless. Her body was lifted off the bottom of the tube as the water rose. When it reached the top, her mind relapsed as she remembered the ocean's cold embrace and the endless loop of death. Like before, she could feel the water filtering into her lungs. The last thing she heard before drowning was Prompto's angry and desperate wails as he was dragged out of the lab.

<-----------<<<<<

Inside the dining car, Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio are at one of the booths. After their encounter with Aranea in Tenebrae, she entrusted the train to Biggs and Wedge, who promised to deliver the three safely to Gralea.

Noctis stared out the window, his thoughts filled with his recent encounter with Ardyn and Gentiana. Now he knew for certain where (Y/n) and Prompto were. Looking toward Ignis, he noticed he no longer wore the protective visor and the scars, even the minor ones, were vanishing. He also no longer carried his cane around and now wore his normal glasses. "How're your eyes, Specs?"

"The right eye has mended. Eyesight has returned. Though I cannot say the same for the left," he replied. "While the scarred tissue is gradually receding, visibility is poor."

"Still can see shapes and colors with your right eye though, right?" Gladio asked.

"Yes." He crosses his arms, glancing down at the table. "(Y/n) informed me of the extent of damages to my left eye. It will take more time to mend."

Noctis pulled out the empty vial. "Hope you won't be needing another treatment. We're out."

"What truly matters is I am no longer in need of guidance."

"You sure you don't need the cane?" The brute questioned.

"Yes, Gladio." Ignis looked out the window, admiring the passing scenery with his newly healed right eye. While the blurriness of his left eye disrupted his right eye, he could still see what was what and who was who. Once he tore his gaze from the window, he looked back at his companions. "We should be drawing close to Gralea."

Noctis nodded. "Yeah."

"I can't imagine what it'll be like," Gladio commented.

"Swarming with daemons, but you knew that," the boy scoffed.

"Don't remind me."

"Once we arrive, we'll make for the Keep," the strategist informed the others.

"The Keep?" Noctis parroted.

"Zegnautus. An imperial megafortress said to be impregnable."

"With Prompto, (Y/n), and the Crystal inside it," he added.

"What goes in, must come out," the shield stated. The group fell silent for a brief moment before Gladio shattered it with his deep, gruff voice. "So, are we buying this story that the Crystal can purge daemons?"

"The proof is in the purging, but it does stand to reason," Ignis replied. "We've observed that as the nights have grown longer, the daemon hordes have grown stronger. If they are in fact averse to the Crystal's light, it could save not only Lucis, but the world."

"We'll find out once we take it back," Noctis said.

Suddenly, the train comes screeching to a halt. The group braces themselves to avoid any injuries from the unexpected stop. Gladio's brows furrowed in confusion as to why the train was no longer in motion. "The hell?"

"What is it?" The advisor asked.

"My guess? Something to sidetrack us."

The trio get up and move into the cabin car. As they walk past a series of large windows, the glass begins cracking and the train shakes violently.

"What now?" The brute hissed.

The group's attention was drawn to the train's loudspeaker as Biggs used it to contact them. "City's trying to keep us out...with the daemons." Small imp-like daemons, known as snagas, begin swarming across the windows. The trio saw the cracks beginning to spread as the daemons attacked the glass. They backed away from the windows as Biggs addresses the boys again. "Gotta run! Don't worry about us."

One of the daemons busts through the glass and lands in front of Noctis and the others. He holds out his hand to tell Gladiolus to move back, then attempts to conjure a weapon into his hand. "Let's get to work." When his sword didn't materialize, he looked down at his hand in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Gladio asked, noticing the boy's bewilderment.

"The weapons...they're stuck!"

The shield went I question him further but stopped when he noticed the snaga's movement. "Get back!" He suddenly shouted, pulling Noctis away from the enemy charging at him and kicks it in the face.

"Run!" Ignis bellowed, retreating away from the daemon.

Gladio pats Noctis' shoulder. "C'mon, move it!"

As the three make their way through the train and to the freight car, they were pursued by the daemons. "Only a matter of time before we run out of room to run!" The advisor hollered.

"Got a better idea?" Noctis asked.

"We trade the train for the Regalia!"

"C'mon!" The brute growled when noticing Noctis' slower pace.

"On my way!" The raven-haired boy yelled.

Eventually, the trio make it to the freight car and hop into the Regalia. Noctis gets behind the wheel while Gladio gets in the passenger's seat and Ignis climbs into the backseat. "Strap in," the ravenette said as he started the car's engine.

"Gun it!" Gladio shouted. Noctis drives the Regalia out of the freight car and onto the train tracks.

An electronical voice grabbed their attention. "Threat upgraded. Activating level 4 security measures. Sealing all gates."

The Regalia sped down the train tracks toward the entrance to Gralea. The daemons chased after the group as they tried to make it to the gate before it sealed and locked them out of the city. Noctis drives the car through a tunnel and across a bridge as an artillery shell suddenly strikes near the car, causing a small explosion. Ignis cursed from the backseat as Noctis swerved to avoid another shell.

"One clean hit and it's over," Gladio said.

"It'll take a bit more than that to stop His Majesty's trusty steed," Ignis stated.

The artillery strikes begin hitting their mark. An imperial drop ship can then be seen falling out of the sky. Gladio watched the aircraft as it fell. "Dodging one thing to run into another."

"The Regalia can take the punishment. Just focus on your driving," Ignis said to Noctis.

More artillery strikes the Regalia. Noctis was unable to dodge all the shells and soon the vehicle was on fire. He stared at the flames, clutching the steering wheel tightly. "You can do it, girl. You can get through this."

As the Regalia closes in on the gate, several more strikes land directly on the car. Gladio saw their entrance to Gralea was shrinking by the second. "It's closing! Floor it!"

"C'mon, old girl..."

Just as the Regalia makes it through the rapidly closing gate, another strike lands square on the royal contraption, briefly engulfing it in flame. Noctis brings the car to a screeching halt on the other side of the gate near the debris of a train car that stretches across the width of the bridge, one end propped up above the tracks. The Regalia now sits sizzling on the tracks, all its windows shattered.

"That's all she's got," Gladio said.

"It'll do," Noctis claimed.

The trio get out of the car and begin to walk away. Noctis turns to look back at the car with a somber expression, recalling a memory from childhood of his father stepping out of the car and embracing him. "Dad... Thanks for everything."

After a moment, Gladio speaks up. "Are we seriously marching into the capital empty-handed?"

"And with no assurances the Crystal can beat back the daemon hordes," Ignis added.

"Guess we'll find out the hard way. No turning back now, right?"

Noctis stared at the destroyed train. "No way in hell we're turning back. Let's go."