Their trek into the ruins began. The heels of their shoes clacked against the stone as they descended down a long stairwell. Noctis, as per usual, was in the lead. He kept from running headfirst into the ruins and possibly running into a horde of daemons. With careful footsteps, he and the others took their time descending the stairwell. Halfway down, Prompto glanced over at Aranea. "Those guys your friends or something?" He asked, referring to the two men who were by her side earlier.

"You appeared to be on good terms," Ignis commented.

"Who-Biggs and Wedge?" Aranea questioned. "They're more "subordinates" than they are "friends," but I trust 'em all the same."

"At least you have someone you trust within the ranks of the imperial army," (Y/n) stated.

"It's hard to trust anyone within the empire, even if you are on their payroll."

After a lengthy trek down the stone staircase, they finally reached the bottom. Prompto was more than ecstatic to finally step off the stairwell. "Finally... I thought it'd never end. The people here, they must have been fit." Looking around the room, he noticed the faint glow of the crystal shards hanging on the walls. "Huh? Er...who left the lights on? Maybe the owners are still home?"

"No," Noctis answered.

"We never get warm welcomes," (Y/n) added.

"I doubt we can expect one here," Aranea said.

"Indeed. Stay sharp," Ignis advised.

Checking the area, they headed to the small hallway to their right. At the end, they only found a dead end. Returning back to the previous room, they headed down the left hallway. In the adjacent room, more smaller hallways branched off in different directions. Noctis checked one of the rooms and was nearly crushed by the ceiling caving in. Luckily, (Y/n) had grabbed his jacket and yanked him backwards just before he could be buried alive under the rubble. He thanked her and the two left the room.

Next, they headed down the hallway located across the way from the room with the collapsed ceiling. "Man, all these rooms," Prompto said as he walked ahead of them and towards the next hallway.

"Hey, don't wander off," Noctis scolded the sharpshooter.

"You might end up walking into a horde of daemons or being crushed by debris almost like Noctis was," (Y/n) stated as she sprinted after him.

She tackled him out of harm's way when a small portion of the ceiling collapsed and skeleton daemons fell through the hole. They landed near the couple and were ready to pounce, but the spirit manifested fiery throwing knives and tossed them with precision. Each one hit their mark and caused the skeletons to stumble backwards. Noctis, Ignis, and Aranea disposed of the weakened daemons while (Y/n) helped Prompto off the ground. She flicked him on the forehead once he was back on his feet. "Ow!" He whined.

"Try to think before wandering off," she sighed.

Prompto rubbed his forehead with a pout. "Yes, ma'am..."

Aranea noticed their interaction with a curious glint in her eyes. "Are those two...?"

"Yeah," Noctis replied.

"Firefly and blondie. Who would've thought."

Because of the pile of debris, the group could only proceed left down the hallway. Entering another open room, they were ambushed by skeletons and a reaper. Aranea was the first to act. She swung her lance, targeting the reaper as it stalked towards them. While she dealt with the scythe-wielding daemon, the others focused on the skeletons.

Noctis performed a warp-strike on the last remaining skeleton, killing it. With all the daemons dead, they moved forward and entered the large, open central area of Steyliff Grove. The sight that greeted them caused their jaws to drop.

"Beautiful beyond words..." Ignis gaped in awe.

"That is pretty neat," Aranea said just above a whisper.

Prompto's eyes drifted towards the ceiling of the central chamber when he spotted a strange shimmering. He gasped in shock at the sight of what seemed to be a lake suspended in the air. "Look up!"

Everyone did as the blonde shouted and looked up. Their eyes widen in shock and astonishment at the shimmering water above. (Y/n) took a step closer to the railing and leaned over it to get a better view. "Is that...a lake?"

Aranea also expressed her surprise. "Whoa-If that's the water's surface..."

Prompto, who'd taken his camera out to take a few pictures, blinked in bewilderment. "Wait, what? Does this mean we're underwater?" Taking a closer look, he saw fish swimming through the water. "Whoa. There's even fish."

"The hell is this place?" Noctis muttered.

"Can we truly be submerged?" Ignis mumbled.

"It does seem harder to breathe," Prompto gasped, lowering his camera.

"I don't think that has to do with the lake," (Y/n) stated.

Noctis' azure gaze remained locked on the suspended body of water. "Like seeing a dream."

"Gladio is seriously missing out," the marksman retorted.

"Probably not his thing."

"Now, now, you can never tell," Ignis said.

"As much as I would love to admire the view for hours upon hours, we've got mythril to find," the spirit chimed in.

Aranea nodded in agreement. "Firefly's right. Let's get moving."

Walking a little ways down, they came across a balcony that overlooked the central area. When they went to check it out to see if it could help them gain their bearings, a pack of skeletons and crème brûlées ambushed them. Like the previous battles, the daemons proved to be nothing but an annoyance than a challenge. The group was able to annihilate them all without any issues.

Moving away from the balcony, they arrived at a portion of the pathway that had crumbled. As they stood at the edge and searched for a way across, Prompto couldn't help but express a strange feeling that overcame him. "Huh. Something bothers me about this spot."

"What is it?" Noctis asked, curious as to what the blonde was bothered about.

"Have we been this way?"

"I don't think so," (Y/n) answered.

"Something overlooked?" Ignis asked.

"Not a hundred percent sure..." Prompto mumbled, peering down at the level below.

After looking around, Noctis saw a narrow ledge they could cross to reach the other side. He offered to go first and didn't hesitate to cross. Prompto nervously watched the prince as memories from greyshire glacial grotto filled his mind. He swallowed nervously and tried to ask, "Can I just-?"

"It'll hold you," Noctis interrupted, already knowing what he was going to ask.

"Famous last words," Ignis remarked.

Once Noctis, Aranea, and Ignis crossed, (Y/n) nudged her boyfriend towards the ledge. "C'mon, Prom. It's your turn."

"Right..." Prompto hesitantly approached the narrow ledge. He crossed with slightly shaky legs, but made it safely across nonetheless.

(Y/n) was right behind him and also had no issues crossing. She patted the photographer's back with a minuscule smirk. "Good job, Prom." Said boy pouted with a groan before following after Noctis.

When the path abruptly ended, they backtracked a little ways and entered the stairwell. As they made their way down the steps, Aranea groaned, "Daemons. 'Til death do us part."

"Practicing your vows?" Ignis asked.

"The army swore their oaths a long time ago."

"What does the empire seek here?"

"Specimens-and we're stuck harvesting them," the ex-mercenary answered.

"Specimens?" Prompto parroted.

"Daemons."

Emerging from the stairwell, they walked to the opposite end of the current level they were on. While crossing another extended part of the pathway, more skeletons and crème brûlées manifested.

"These things are getting annoying," (Y/n) huffed, burning a single crème brûlée and exterminating it.

"Couldn't agree more, firefly," Aranea responded, slicing through a skeleton.

Following the successful battle with the daemons, they headed down the path and found another stairwell. Prompto, remembering what the ex-mercenary said earlier, asked her a question. "So what's all this about the army and daemons?"

"What do you think it is?" Aranea scoffed.

"Nice! I love guessing games!" He sarcastically remarked.

"You never were good at them," (Y/n) chimed in.

"I'll say," Noctis commented.

Aranea was slightly amused at the party's banter, but she decided to explain why the empire needs daemons as they exited the stairwell and made their way across the next level. "Turns out the empire makes weapons out of them."

""Weapons"?" The marksman reiterated.

"Yeah. I'm sure you've seen your share by now. Something not quite right with the empire lately."

"It's not just lately," Noctis remarked.

"True. Maybe it's time I left."

"Really?" Prompto inquired. "What would you do if you left the army?"

"Whatever I want. I was a mercenary once. Maybe I'll round up my men and hunt daemons for cash?" She pondered.

"That's a...heck of a plan."

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by another horde of daemons. (Y/n) clicked her tongue in annoyance, creating a large fire vortex and sending it towards the enemies before the others could summon their weapons. Her powerful spell burnt some daemons to a crisp while others were tossed over the railing and fell to their death. She lowered her hand as the flames consuming it extinguished.

Aranea was impressed by the girl's powerful spell and huffed out a chuckle. "You spirits really are a force to be reckoned with."

"Sorry, I'm still a little mad from my short chat with Callyx earlier," she confessed.

"You were being too generous with his eye. Next time, take one of the bastard's arms off."

The guardian smirked in merriment. "Maybe I will."

Continuing their trek, Ignis asked the one question that was brewing inside his head as they located a strange door. "What about the empire strikes you as "not quite right"?"

"The emperor and new high commander, for starters. Then there's that charmer of a chancellor and that asshole of a guardian he has. I really can't stand those guys," Aranea replied.

Entering the room located in the other side of the engraved door, they were greeted by a large room with branching paths. There were bridges spanning across the vast room with a lower level beneath. Noctis approached one of the bridges with caution, but was stopped when hearing Prompto ask, "Is it safe?"

"Not everything's gonna-" Noctis' voice trailed off when he took a single step forward to cross one of the bridges, but a section of it collapses. "Whoa..."

Prompto had been looking at another bridge when he heard the crumbling noise. "What?! Did something collapse?!"

"Calm down, Prom." (Y/n) approached the edge of the collapsed bridge and glanced down at the floor below. She noticed an entrance to another hallway. "Falling to the lower floor might not be a bad idea."

"Guess it couldn't hurt," Noctis replied.

Carefully, the group hopped down to the lower level. They walked through the doorway the guardian had located from the upper floor and down the lengthy hallway. As they cautiously proceeded, Prompto shattered the silence hanging over them. "You smell that?"

"Smell what?" The prince inquired.

"Treasure. The nose knows, dude."

"Now that you mention it..."

"Let's not forget our purpose here," Ignis chimed in.

"Well, aren't we technically here for a specific treasure?" (Y/n) questioned, glancing over at the tactician.

The bespectacled man thought for a few seconds and adjusted his glasses before replying. "I stand corrected."

After traveling through another room, defeating another horde of daemons, and locating a stairwell, they were back on the upper level. They gained access to the adjoining room that had almost the same convoluted layout as the previous. Now they were presented even more paths to choose from. They could either remain on the current floor or venture to the two below.

Everyone left the decision up to Noctis. He decided to test the left path. Just as they were about to cross the bridge, an iron giant suddenly manifests.

"Saw that comin'!" Prompto shrieked.

"To arms!" Aranea shouted, summoning her lance.

Before any of them could attack, the iron giant smashes its fist into the bridge. It crumbled and sent Noctis and the others to the level below. Everyone stumbles slightly from the fall but quickly recovers as the iron giant from above jumps down and more daemons spawn.

"Here comes the big one!" Prompto bellowed.

"Right on cue," Ignis remarked as his daggers were consumed by flames.

"And it's got friends!" The blonde yelled as he shot one of the crème brûlées.

"Livelier by the second. C'mon then!" Aranea leapt into action and targeted the iron giant. Noctis disappeared and reappeared randomly, performing warp-strike after warp-strike on any daemon that crossed his path. (Y/n) favored her fiery throwing knives and helped Aranea fight the iron giant. Ignis and Prompto focused on the crème brûlées.

Once defeating the pack of daemons, the stonework of the shattered bridge floats into the air and seemingly begins putting itself back together. Noctis gaped in shock at the sight. "Huh? What the-?"

"Did that bridge just repair itself?" (Y/n) asked.

"It sure looks that way," Prompto said.

Looking for a way back up, they found a stairwell leading up to the upper floor. The marksman, after traveling up and down stairs for hours now, was becoming slightly loopy. "Never too many stairs! I got a bad feeling about this." He then begins signing to himself. "Stairs they go on, forever they go on, on and on and on..."

"He's gone," Noctis muttered, listening to his best friend sink into a shallow pit of insanity.

"I think we lost him a while ago," the guardian stated.

Back in the upper level, they cross the bridge that repaired itself. From there, they traversed through a hallway and wound up in a room with reapers and crème brûlées. (Y/n), who'd been focusing on one reaper, failed to detect the second one stalking towards her from behind. She disposed of the reaper just in time to turn around and be batted away by the scythe of the other reaper. She grunted when her body slammed against the ground, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the daemon. In the blink of an eye, she transformed and pounced on the enemy.

Using her sharp fangs, she tore it from limb to limb. Her tails flared outwards as she killed the reaper. When its remains vanished, the anger from her body vanished and she relaxed. Her tails that once protruded into the air were now limply laying against the floor.

Being the only one comfortable enough to approach the fox, Prompto strolled over and placed a hand on the side of her neck. He stroked the black fur and noted how her ears twitched. "You kinda went overboard there. Everything good, (Y/n)?"

The spirit turned her head, gold-slitted eyes boring into Prompto's. She reverted back to her human form once his hand fell from her neck. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Still thinking about Callyx, huh?" Aranea asked. "Bastard must've really gotten under your skin."

The (h/c)-haired girl stared down at the floor. "You've no idea..."

Walking down another flight of stairs, the group was back in the central chamber of Steyliff Grove. They found a bridge spanning across the way, leading to the other side. As they were crossing, a pack of daemons manifested in the middle of the bridge. They blocked the group's path and they had no choice but to fight.

The quintet wasn't overwhelmed by the daemons and easily pushed them back before defeating them. Safely on the other side, they follow the walkway until they enter a circular room. From there, they proceeded down a windy hallway with small rooms attached to it. The many rooms and smaller hallways were slightly confusing to the group.

"It's a crossroads," Prompto said, glancing down the hallway before looking into the small room down another hallway.

"Which way?" Aranea asked.

"Whichever way leads to the treasure," Noctis stated, trying to decide which way to go.

"If only we knew that..." Ignis mumbled.

"Welp, guess we bumble on," the marksman responded.

"Keep the bumbling to a minimum."

"How about we stick to the main hallway then?" (Y/n) suggested.

"May as well," the prince replied.

Deciding not to venture into the small rooms, Noctis followed the girl's suggestion and stuck to the main hallway. They were forced to fight against daemons as the hallway would be blocked by metal bars whenever they walked into an ambush.

Another hour passed before the group reached the end of the prolonged corridor. They were finally at the bottom level of the central chamber. Seeing how vast and open the area was, Prompto spoke up. "Ooh, spacious. There's sooo gonna be a big nasty here."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Aranea said.

Walking into the large chamber, they only made it a few feet forward before a quetzalcoatl noticed them. It stood on a bridge above and analyzed them for a few seconds. Once deeming them a threat, it swoops down and begins attacking. Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Aranea conjured their weapons while (Y/n) transformed.

The guardian acted quickly and dodged the quetzalcoatl's lighting attack. She leapt up into the air and landed a little ways from the beast. Using her tails, she manifested a large fireball. Tossing it, she nailed the quetzalcoatl in the side. Her attack did some damage, but not much.

The quetzalcoatl targeted the fox. It ignored the others completely as they attacked it. The beast flew up into the air and shot another lightning spell towards (Y/n). She dodged it and jumped as high as she could and sunk her fangs into its left hind leg. Using her weight, she dragged it down to the ground. The quetzalcoatl tried to shake her off, but she didn't budge. Next, it tried another lightning spell. She was unable to dodge in time and took the brunt of the attack. This forced her to unlatch her jaw from around the creature's leg and stumble backwards with a painful cry.

As she went to back away further, its tail slammed into her side and sent her flying. Her body collided against the wall before falling to the ground, causing her even more pain. She could feel the internal wounds and the external ones. Her body laid limp on the ground, the sound of her blood rushing filling her ears.

Prompto had watched the entire thing with a horrified expression. He shouted her name and lowered his pistol, running to her side with a potion in hand. Noctis, Ignis, and Aranea kept the quetzalcoatl busy while the marksman assisted the injured fox. He fell to his knees beside her, shattering the curative over her. He gently placed a hand on her side as he watched her wounds heal. When her breathing went from shallow to deep, he knew she was okay. Sighing in relief, he got to his feet just as she did. His cerulean eyes remained glued to her, his hand bunching up in her velvety fur.

(Y/n) turned her head and nudged her nose against Prompto's cheek to reassure him before reentering the battle. The boy watched her join the others, gripping his pistol tightly. He also rejoined the fray and shot a few rounds at the quetzalcoatl.

In the midst of the battle, Noctis and Ignis were struck down by the beast. Aranea, (Y/n), and Prompto covered the two while they both used phoenix downs to recover.

Aranea leapt into the air with her lance and dove towards the quetzalcoatl with the sharp tip pointed at its spine. When her attack landed, she dealt some heavy damage and caused the beast to stumble over. It fell on its side and became vulnerable.

With a combined attack from everyone, they were able to defeat the quetzalcoatl. Its body fell limp as everyone stepped away from its corpse. (Y/n) returned back to being human as Noctis wandered deeper into the central chamber. He located the mythril they'd been searching for and put it in his pocket.

Seeing the prince had claimed the mythril, Ignis adjusted his glasses. "That concludes our business here."

Prompto glanced over at the ex-mercenary. "Say, Commodore."

"Aranea," the older woman corrected him.

"You said the empire uses daemons to make "weapons"?"

"Listen-you've seen magitek troopers, right?"

"MTs..." Noctis muttered.

"They're born from daemons, in a lab," Aranea explained.

The marksman rubbed at his barcoded wrist. ""Born from daemons"..."

(Y/n) looked towards the blonde and noticed his strange behavior. Her expression remained stoic, hiding her true emotions. She wondered if he had managed to learn the truth about his existence or was simply just scratching his wrist. Her fists clenched and unclenched, worried about him. Her attention was drawn back to Aranea when she spoke, her jade eyes focused on Noctis. "Darkness is coming. If I were you, I'd watch my princely ass. Uh-"kingly" ass."

"Will do," Noctis replied.

With that, the group left Steyliff Grove.