At Oathe Haven located just west of Costlemark Tower, the royal retinue made camp. They were waiting for nightfall and Ignis figured he'd make a quick meal to fill their stomachs before descending into the ancient structure. It didn't take him long to make something and he passed out the plates to everyone.

After their meal, Noctis and Prompto dragged (Y/n) into the tent to introduce her to the world of King's Knight. Gladio and Ignis remained sitting in their seats around the campfire. The brute had been reading his book, but closed it when realizing (Y/n) was out of earshot. He focused his amber gaze on the tactician as he seemed to be lost in thought. "So when're you gonna grow a pair and ask the lady out?"

Ignis, eyes narrowed, focused his attention on Gladio. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. When're you gonna spill your guts to (Y/n)? Or are you okay with another guy stealing her right out from under your nose?"

"She has her own concerns as of late. I will not add to it by professing my endearment to her," the tactician declared.

Gladio scowled in annoyance. "That's bullshit and you know it. What's really stopping you? You afraid she doesn't feel the same way? Or are you scared because you think a relationship will cause your duty to the crown to slip? If it's the latter, you're definitely pulling my leg. If anyone can balance a relationship and their job, it's you, Iggy. Besides, you and (Y/n) deserve to be happy."

Ignis' emerald eyes focused on the dancing flames of the campfire. "I refuse to comment on such an absurd topic."

He was fed up. Instead of pissing Ignis off, Gladio angered himself. Standing up, he placed his book in his chair and tried to get more of a rise from the advisor before leaving. "Fine. Be a stubborn ass. But just to let you know, if you don't make a move soon, I will."

Ignis' eyes widen at Gladio's declaration. He stared at his back as he entered the tent to join the others. Would he really try to steal (Y/n) from him? From the brute's expression, he was serious. Ignis gripped the arm of his chair tightly. "Bloody hell..." He couldn't help but find truth in Gladio's words. Somehow, he managed to list all the things that prevented him from making a move. He was afraid of a relationship with her, that is if she felt the same way. He feared he would let his duties slip simply because of finally being with the one person that truly meant the world to him. He didn't want his job to suffer and cause issues for Noctis and the others.

But something nagged Ignis' mind. (Y/n) was aware of his position as royal advisor to the prince. She would understand more than any other person on Eos. Recalling Gladio's words, he could try his hardest to balance a relationship and his duties. He wasn't one to take risks when he was unsure of the outcome, but maybe he would. He didn't want to lose her to someone like Gladio.

His conversation with Jasper was helpful and seemed to have given him more courage than before, but it didn't drive off all his concerns. But for his happiness and (Y/n)'s, he would push them aside and see the unseeable outcome of spilling his heart to her. Now all he had to do was find the perfect moment to confess. His brows furrowed together as he wondered when such a moment would present itself. "Why are these matters so trivial?" He muttered to himself.

"What matters?"

Ignis was startled by the voice. Looking to his left, he saw (Y/n) standing in front of the tent. Her sapphire eyes bore into his emerald ones. Clearing his throat, he shattered their eye contact. "Apologies. An analytical overview of our possible encounters was in order. Costlemark is a treacherous site."

"It is filled with daemons. We will have to be extra cautious," she said, sitting in the chair beside his. "We've plenty of curatives, right?"

"I do believe so," he replied.

Her eyes never left his face as she squeezed her legs together and cupped her hands around her knees. She could see the turmoil of emotions he was trying to hide behind his usual level-headed expression. "We've been together for many years now. You know you can always talk to me, Iggy."

Ignis met her gaze, surprised she was able to detect his inner turmoil. He wondered if this was the opportunity he was seeking, but he kept his feelings under wraps. "I am aware. Although, this may be a topic for somewhat later down the line."

She smiled warmly at him, which caused his heart to skip a beat. "Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here."

A tiny smile pulled at his lips. "I do appreciate your kindliness, (Y/n)."

She turned her gaze to the burning flames. She inhaled deeply before revealing a hint of her true feelings for she wasn't yet comfortable with telling him the whole truth. "I care about you, Ignis. You're the person I care about most in this world. I want to help you in any way possible whether that be a helping hand in the kitchen or a shoulder you need to lean on. You can always preach your concerns to me and I will always listen. That's just how much you mean to me." Slightly embarrassed by her confession, she stood up and walked to the edge of the haven.

Ignis' full attention was solely focused on her. His emerald eyes were wide at hearing the honesty in her voice as she spoke and how her words tugged at his heartstrings, making his love for her blossom more beautifully. His heart was racing slightly, but it calmed down a few minutes later. His gaze was locked on her back, wondering what he could say in response. "(Y/n), I..."

"Hey, are we heading out anytime soon?" Noctis popped his head out of the tent, interrupting his advisor.

The bespectacled man looked up at the sky to see it was nighttime. He'd been so deep in thought and lost in his conversation with (Y/n) that he didn't notice the time. Standing up, he pushed what he was going to say to the back of his mind. "Yes, let's."

Everyone left the haven and trekked to Costlemark Tower. As they walked up the crumbling stairwell towards the tower, they admired the odd architecture and the strange, eerie glow it gave off at night. They passed through what remained of the tower before coming across the entrance that led underground. Strips of blue illuminated the path before them, acting as a beacon in the darkness. Not even the glow of their flashlights compared to it.

"No red carpet, but a stone staircase is the next best thing," Gladio commented as they wandered down the stairwell that led deeper into Costlemark Tower.

On the first landing, Ignis spotted a strange circular object that seemed to be made of bronze. He eyed it suspiciously, wondering what it did. "Huh? What manner of mechanism is this?"

(Y/n) was just as interested and stepped onto the center of the mechanism. She heard a faint 'click', but nothing happened. "Maybe it's broken? This place is ancient, after all."

Proceeding to the next landing, Prompto realized his hands were shaking out of fright. They hadn't encountered any daemons yet, but he was not looking forward to heading underground where there was no chance of the sun to vanquish them when it rose in the morning. The guardian saw how frightened he was and glanced worriedly at him. "Are you okay, Prompto?"

He nodded with a forced smile. "Yeah. I'm not scared. My hands are just shaky."

She could tell he was lying but didn't call him out. "If you say so."

Prompto followed behind her, but came to a stop before descending the final stairwell. He glanced at his friends' backs as they cautiously wandered down the steps. "Well, that was fun! Think we can head back now?"

"The fun's just getting started. Besides, there's a royal arm somewhere down here. We're also here to help (Y/n). You really gonna leave the poor girl out to dry?" Gladio questioned.

"No way!" Prompto ran down the stairs and rejoined the others.

Entering the first chamber of Costlemark Tower, they were ambushed by a group of gelatins. The daemons dragged their goopy bodies towards the group as they conjured their weapons. They easily disposed of the weak enemies before proceeding down a hallway located along the left side of the round room. Gladio looked around the ruins as they wandered down the short hallway. "Well, this place is seriously ancient."

"Indeed," Ignis agreed. "These walls have well withstood the test of time. A stark contrast to the ruins that lie above."

"If this place wasn't crawling with daemons, I would love to explore," (Y/n) commented.

Entering the adjacent room, they were greeted by another horde of daemons consisted of gelatins and galvanades. While the gelatins were easy to handle, the galvanades proved to be more difficult. Noctis and Gladio performed a link-strike on one of the floating daemons, successfully killing it. Ignis, (Y/n), and Prompto exterminated the other galvanades.

They were on their merry way to the next room, only to encounter a group of ereshkigals. They zipped around the stone chamber, dodging the group's attacks and making it difficult to hit them. (Y/n) told them her idea and the boys corralled the daemons into one spot. She then encased them in an icicle prison and Noctis tossed a magic flask. The five watched the ereshkigals burn, dropping one by one. The daemons were all dead.

(Y/n) walked over to the stone railing after the battle was over. She looked around and saw a collapsed column they could cross or a narrow ledge. She wondered which way to go until she heard the voice seemingly whisper in her ear. "This way." Walking to the right path, she was followed by the boys.

"And exactly how do you know the way?" Gladio asked.

"The voice," she answered. "I can hear it."

"You're not gonna wander off like a zombie again, are you?" Noctis inquired.

"That, I don't know. I never get a sign or warning when the voice takes over."

"We'll keep an eye on you, (Y/n)," Prompto said.

Standing near the narrow ledge, Gladio's eyes narrowed as he searched what lied ahead. "I can make out something over there."

"I can make out a ledge ready to give if you breathe funny," Prompto said.

"The risk outweighs the reward," Ignis stated.

"But we're crossing anyway," Noctis replied as he was the first to make his way across the narrow ledge.

Prompto was clearly nervous about crossing. He could see everything else around them was crumbling and doesn't doubt anything else wouldn't. "How sure are we about this?"

"Take it one step at a time," the advisor said.

With slightly shaky leg, the marksman crosses the narrow ledge with (Y/n) behind him. Ignis and Gladio were the last to cross and everyone made it safely to the other side. On the other side, they found a hole in the pathway leading to a walkway below. As they peered down the hole, Gladio said, "Looks like we're good to go."

"Whaddya mean by "good"?" Prompto wondered.

"I believe that would be for Noct to decide," Ignis claimed.

"Not me," Noctis said. "(Y/n)'s the one hearing voices."

"You're just the one with the headaches," (Y/n) stated.

"Exactly."

Hopping down the hole, they landed on another pile of debris. They didn't make it far before being interrupted by a yojimbo. Before it could even swing its katana, (Y/n) froze its feet to the ground. The boys took advantage of the daemon that could barely move. Swinging their blades and shooting their pistols, they were able to fell the yojimbo in less than a minute. She applauded them for making quick work of the enemy before hearing the voice a second time. Listening to it, she took the lead. The four boys followed her in silence through the labyrinth.

Making their way to the floor below by hopping down another hole in the walkway, they passed a room as (Y/n) walked around as if she knew the layout of the dungeon. She guided them through a hallway and into an adjacent room. Turning left, she avoided the room at the end of the hallway and headed towards a collapsed section of the walkway. Before she could leap down, two bussemands jumped up from below.

Noctis was the first to attack, warp-striking one of the daemons. (Y/n) conjured an ice sword and quickly blocked one of the bussemand's attacks. She partied and sent the daemon stumbling backwards towards Gladio. He swung his greatsword and finished it off. Ignis used his javelin to bisect the other bussemand in half, killing it.

Returning to her position as the head of the party, (Y/n) hopped down into a crevice and crawled through a tunnel created by fallen debris. Prompto, who was directly behind her, asked, "So, what's this voice saying to you?"

"Giving me directions to this altar it wants me to find," she responded. "But what is at this altar? I am unsure."

"Guess we'll see when we get there," Noctis said. "Just try not to get too far ahead, (Y/n)."

"Said the pot to the kettle," Ignis remarked.

Gladio scoffed at the prince's remark. "That's rich comin' from you, Highness."

(Y/n) smirked, exiting the tunnel. Pulling herself out of the crevice, she waited for the others. When they joined her, they entered the tower just in time to witness gelatins and a single galvanade spawn. Noctis headed up the spiral ramp to take down the gelatins lingering above while the others dealt with a gelatin and the lone galvanade.

The daemons were annihilated and (Y/n) led the boys up a ramp all the way to the top of the tower. There, they crossed through a hallway and entered another tower with a ramp leading upward. This one was infested with bussemands. Like the previous tower, the enemies weren't an issue and were easily disposed of. Returning to the base of the current tower they were exploring, they jumped down to the floor below via a broken section of the stone railing. It was teeming with daemons, but none they haven't fought before.

Circling around, the royal retinue killed daemon after daemon until none remained. A section of the railing crumbled, granting them access to an even lower level of Costlemark. They dropped down and landed in a large, circular chamber. Exiting it, they take the left path and locate a stairwell descending deeper. With (Y/n)'s confirmation, they walked down the steps and down another hallway.

Through two connected rooms, they fought more bussemands before arriving in a long, downward-sloping corridor. It was crawling with daemons. One by one, the enemies were defeated as they traveled down the sloping hallway. They weren't sure how many daemons they killed by the time the pathway flattened and opened up. They could see something in the distance.

"And what have we here?" Prompto hummed in curiosity.

"Dunno, but it's huge," Gladio said.

Halfway across the bridge-like structure, the blonde began whining as he felt his muscles beginning to ache. They'd been in Costlemark for a few hours and all the walking was causing his body to hurt. "I'm too tired to walk all the way across."

"We'll call it a night here, then."

The marksman perked up at the thought of camping out in a place infested with daemons. "Actually not too tired!"

Coming to a halt in a doorway, (Y/n) gazed out at the narrow bridge they would have to cross. She tried to listen to the voice, but it seems to have left her alone for the time being. Prompto glances at her before looking at the bridge nervously. "We gonna cross?"

Noctis gazed at the girl, receiving a nod. Looking at his best friend, he answered unsurely even after receiving confirmation from (Y/n). "Um, yeah?"

"Knew you'd say that," he huffed.

"Then why did you ask?"

"Just wanted verbal confirmation."

The group hesitantly crosses the bridge. They were halfway across when a yojimbo manifested in front of them and some ereshkigals spawned behind them. They were trapped between the daemons with no way off the narrow bridge.

Prompto looked back and forth between the daemons. "Behind us! And in front of us!"

"The more the merrier. Let's get to work," Gladio said with his greatsword in hand. Noctis, Prompto, and (Y/n) focused their attacks on the yojimbo while Gladio and Ignis kept the ereshkigals busy. In the midst of battle, the marksman was sliced by the katana in the daemon's grasp. Noctis quickly supplied him with a potion when the guardian distracted the yojimbo. She used her ice blade to fight the daemon.

When she pushed it back and its legs hit the railing, she formed a large icicle and sent it soaring towards it. The ice pierced its chest, causing it to topple over off the side of the bridge. Glancing back, she saw Noctis helping Prompto to his feet as Gladio and Ignis annihilated the last ereshkigal.

With the way clear, the royal retinue crosses the bridge and entered another tower. Unlike the other two they'd come across earlier, this one had a spiraling ramp that led downward. However, it wasn't short of daemons. Bussemands were crawling everywhere, swinging their fists and trying to punch one of the group members. They made quick work of them and reached the bottom of the tower.

Sauntering through an archway, Noctis looked around the large room. "Really opens up back here."

Prompto looked around the room and saw the walls were lined with the same strange cubes that they saw at the entrance. He couldn't find any way to move forward and threw out his hands. "Welp, guess that's the end of the road, so..."

Gladio interrupted him. "Not so fast, there might be a way."

"Or there might not," the blonde retorted. He hoped there wasn't so they could finally leave.

"Well, it can't hurt to look now, can it?" Ignis questions. He then remembered how they got here in the first place without getting lost at least once and glanced in (Y/n)'s direction. Seeing she wasn't with them, he felt his heart begin to race with worry. Looking around, he saw she was already on the opposite side of the room. She stood on one of the cubes as it slowly descended into the floor. His eyes widened as a gasp fell from his lips after realizing her mind and body were taken over by the voice. "(Y/n)!"

Ignis sprinted towards her, but he saw he wouldn't make it in time. "Noct!"

"On it!" The prince summoned his sword and warped. The blade embedded into the floor near the cubes, Noctis appearing by it in the blink of an eye. Although he had been quick and precise with his movements, he was too late. The passage had been sealed with a separate cube, separating (Y/n) from the boys.