Ardyn groaned. "Where am I?"

The former Caelum man found himself in a dark and murky world. He didn't know if he had spent here for a moment or an eternity in this strange emptiness.

"Am I alive? Does it matter? Perhaps not," he muttered to himself.

Despite the emptiness and darkness of this place, it was quite familiar to him. Thinking about it deeply, two millennia ago, he was trapped in a small prison, the undesirable picture of grey stone walls around him. A very cramped space, broken shackles that were dangling from the ceiling and laying on the cold stone ground.

Yes, he had been here before. No doubt about it. It was Angelgard. Sitting in that very same cell Somnus had cast him in those two millennia ago, away from prying eyes whilst Somnus himself remained in Lucis, building the kingdom that it is now today. All while his "dear" older brother was sealed here, supposedly to be locked away forever. But that had changed.

Moments ago, he was at Lucis, the Citadel, to be precise. Having wreaked havoc upon the streets of Insomnia, meeting up with Regis Lucis Caelum, forcing him to summon the Old Wall, thus bringing about Somnus before him. Even if Somnus's soul was bound to a giant stone statue.

But it was after that, he found himself in an astral plane. He had been in that astral plane before, his people having called it the Void. It is in that separate plane of existence where one of the Six lies in, Bahamut. The Draconian. A large towering humanoid figure, silver and gold adorned armor with a dragon head as a helmet, the mouth wide open to show Bahamut's face, many swords serving as wings for flight, and a greatsword served as the Draconian's primary weapon of choice. Arguably the most powerful among the six Astrals.

It was there in the Void that Bahamut gave Ardyn a different prophecy, one far different than the one he had been previously given. It turns out, his entire grief, his brother's betrayal was all part of some greater prophecy that was orchestrated. Consequently, Ardyn blamed it all on the gods for his predicament. But still, to hear a different prophecy meant for him other than the one originally given to him was an astounding one to hear.

When he had first gone to the Crystal to have his prophecy given to him, the Crystal told him that he would be the Chosen King, only for then to cast him aside after taking in so much of the daemons from those he saved. Now, his new prophecy was to continue heralding the Starscourge within him, controlling it and plague all of Eos into darkness, and the only time he could rest was when the True King had awakened, ascending into the Crystal and receiving its power to truly vanquish the Starscourge from existence.

The crimson-haired man grumbled at the revelation, an expression of disdain appearing on his face. "Nothing matters-none of it. Not the 'blessed' gods above nor the accursed kings below. To hell with them all!"

That's right. To hell with that new prophecy of his. He doesn't care if that was preordained for him, it was the fact of the matter that all of this, his entire suffering was the gods' fault. But even then, even if Somnus had known that this was all the Six's plan, he still would've followed suit with his own agenda and locked him away. Somnus was that power hungry, and like he was told, compared to himself, the younger brother was unpopular, nor was he powerful to have any distinct features about him. The anger, hate, and spite that boiled within him was what mattered to him most.

His vengeance. His revenge.

No longer would Ardyn bow to the whims of others. Taking his destiny into his own hands, he will be the one to control everything. The master of puppets, so to speak. A man so cruel that he will be even crueler than the gods. No longer will he see the benevolentness of others. No longer will he be the one to bestow generosity and kindness. The previous man, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, is dead.

What remains now is Ardyn Izunia, vessel of the Starscourge. The killer of kings. The one to plunge Eos into darkness.

The darkness of scion that would slay the Chosen King once the time comes. Yes... Kill the King of Light.

And after that, he will kill the gods. Most especially, tear off that mask of Bahamut, break his glaives and splay him across the ground in shame. That is his vow.

It doesn't matter how many decades, centuries, or eons might pass. He will fulfill it.

[Chapter I] | The Ambivalent Prophecy

M.E. 735

It had been one year since Adagium had attacked the Crown City. Being the ever vigilant king he was, Regis spared no time at all asking for updates regarding the situation of the city's security. They could never allow another occurrence like that to ever happen again. Many Lucians' lives were lost that day.

A big dent had been made in the faith regarding their king, but it wasn't enough for them to lose complete hope in Regis at all. The young king swiftly made repairs to the wall amplifiers, investing quite a lot into the repair efforts for the city. Many soup kitchens and relief stations were established near the upper ring of the Crown City, millions of Lucians being grateful for this. Slowly by the months, Insomnia was re-establishing its former glory. But the attack on them will forever remain a stain on them. That much was true.

As the days went by, the war outside Insomnia's walls still raging about, Regis toiled away in his own office space, away from the throne room as he had other business to attend to. Sending reinforcements to the frontline of Lucis' battleground, to be exact. Normally, this would be a job attended to by two of his trusted friends and guardsmen, Clarus Amicitia and Eliwood L/N, the two of them being the co-leaders of the Crownsguard. But aside from the lives of being trusted soldiers, advisors, and friends to the king, the two had the jobs of being fathers to their respective children. Three years before, Clarus's wife had given birth to a healthy baby boy. Gladiolus Amicitia was the baby's name, a young toddler now. He was to be the next in line to inherit his father's title when the time comes, Shield of the King, the dedicated protector. And as for Eliwood, a couple months after Ardyn's attack, his wife, Ninian, gave birth to a baby boy as well. They named him Y/N.

Regis was there when Ninian gave birth to the recently born infant L/N. Because due to Ninian's nature and overall frail body, she ended giving birth within the L/N Manor, Eliwood at her side. As soon as he had received the call about her pregnancy, when her water had broken, the red-haired man had dropped everything at work and rushed immediately home. Not wanting to miss the birth of one of his best friend's children, Regis dropped his work as well and wished to be there in support. The young king couldn't help but smile at the couple, watching as his dear friend held his newborn child in his arms, gently cradling and rocking the boy as the infant mewled and groaned. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Thinking about this now, Regis couldn't help but fret about his own wife, who was pregnant herself. In fact, the young king was very anxious about Aulea's condition. Last he heard from her was that she was relatively fine, stationed at the finest hospital to receive the finest of care and attention. He even urgently notified the nurses and doctors there that he should be the first to call should anything change. Whether it was for the better or worse. It was only natural, of course. This was his wife, who is pregnant with his child. The last thing he would want is to lose them both.

Regis was so anxious that he didn't realize he had snapped his pen, spilling ink all over the paperwork and hand. He sighed, wiping some sweat from his brow, noticing that he was dripping a considerable amount.

"Calm yourself, Regis," he said to himself, taking a few deep breaths. "There's nothing to worry about. Aulea is being taken care of. There is nothing to worry about at all-"

He was interrupted when the doors to his office were busted open. It was Cor, the man's breath heavy, seemingly having run all the way here. Regis only looked at him confusedly.

"Cor? What's wrong?"

"Your Majesty," Cor panted. "It's Her Majesty, Lady Aulea is-"

"Aulea!?" He shot up from his chair. "What happened!?"

"She's gone into labor. The hospital-"

It didn't need to be said twice for Regis, the young king grabbing his coat from the rack nearby and brushed past Cor. Wordlessly, the young Leonis followed behind as well. He didn't question his position at all, not protesting at the fact that he had completely abandoned his current work to be with his wife. It was a natural thing to do for him.

Jogging down to the elevator, Regis hurriedly presses the button to descend many times, trying to urgently hurry the elevator to come down to their floor. Even though pressing the button multiple times wouldn't do anything at all. Cor made many attempts to calm his king down, but he couldn't do nothing to waive the anxious atmosphere that surrounded the young king, desperate to see his wife and eager to see his newborn son. He had to be there by their side. Soon enough, the elevator opened, the pair seeing both Eliwood and Lyn in the elevator.

The two looked at them with curiosity, Lyn speaking up first, noticing the nerve-racking expression on her king's face. "Your Majesty, is something the matter-?"

"Ground floor, quickly!" Regis urged, both Cor and himself ushering themselves in.

"Any particular reason why?" Eliwood asked, pushing the button for the ground floor.

"Her Majesty has gone into labor," Cor explains. "You needn't worry, Your Majesty, the Regalia is waiting outside for you and will depart as soon as you're inside."

Lyn gasped, a smile coming to her face. "Aulea has gone into labor? Congratulations, Your Majesty."

"Thank you," the king thanked. The three noticed how excited, but nervous and anxious at the same time. His eyes never left the meter above the elevator doors, muttering to himself of things like, "hurry up, hurry up," at the display. He was very desperate to head to the hospital.

Again, they couldn't blame him. He was far too excited and worried about his wife.

Once they reached the ground floor, Regis was the first to dart out of the elevator's doors, having to shuffle himself through the doors before they had even fully opened. Eliwood, Lyn, and Cor gave chase after the young king, the four of them exiting out the double doors of the Citadel, Regis a few steps ahead of the other three. And just like Cor said, his royal car, the Regalia, was waiting outside.

The Regalia is a beautiful and luxurious vehicle. A black leather, five-seater convertible in a sleek black color. Silver ornaments and accessories on the car, namely the crest of the Regalia itself, the silver hubcaps and tires having a near identical image to that of a chocobo's talon. Another notable detail to the car was its license plate. Aside from the obvious announcement that the car is from Lucis, the plate reading "Insomnia RHS-113, The Royal Capital", it had lights to illuminate the license plate, and a clear decal of Lucis's emblem, a winged skull.

The young king scrambled into the back of the Regalia, joined by Eliwood, and Cor and Lyndis sat in the front, the former in the driver seat with the latter in the front passenger seat.

"Step on it, Cor!" The king beckoned.

Eliwood put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Regis, calm yourself. I understand your plight, but-"

"She could be giving birth any minute!" He refutes. "Go, Cor!"

The Marshal of the Crownsguard nodded his head and stomped his foot on the gas, having already turned on the engine. The engine roared to life, the rear tires letting out a screeching noise as smoke from the tires were evident at the fact that the car had begun accelerating at an almost egregious speed. Revving the engine, the loud boom of the exhaust pipes sputtering, the royal car sped out of the metal gates of the Citadel, the man running it having to quickly open it so the car didn't crash into the gate itself.

---

The car ride to the hospital was far from smooth, to say the least. Considering the urgency of the situation, Cor was driving rather recklessly, Eliwood and Lyndis having felt like they were holding on for dear life.

Swerving through traffic, almost cutting corners, and narrowly crossing through yellow traffic lights before it turned red, oncoming bystanders looked on at the Regalia with confusion. Would could possibly make them be in such a hurry?

But again, most people didn't realize that the king's wife was currently in the hospital and in labor. If they didn't realize that, they looked at the driver of the Regalia like they were a maniac. The Regalia eventually arrived at the hospital, though not unscathed. Because of the reckless driving, Cor ended up crashing the car into a lamppost. They couldn't blame him, however, the curve was very narrow to see, so as soon as he turned the corner, he basically crashed right into it as soon as the lamppost appeared. The car hissed, out of commission as the four exited, Lyndis and Cor ushering for Regis and Eliwood to hurry on. Having already decided that they themselves would handle the car and ring up an old friend regarding it.

So hurrying on ahead, Regis and Eliwood bolted for the hospital, the sliding doors opening for them and the two dashing right toward the front desk. They scared the receptionist that was there, the girl recoiling in shock as she had nearly fallen off her chair, clearly surprised by the sudden appearance of the weary looking king and his attendant.

"Y-Your Majesty?" She asked.

"Aulea-my wife-which room is she in!?" The king spoke, clearly out of breath. However, he was speaking a bit too fast.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Ahem. Her Majesty, Lady Aulea is in labor," Eliwood interjects, his slightly calm but still had a sense of urgency in it. "We're asking for which room she's in."

The receptionist calmed down, "Oh, I see. Give me one second. ...Here she is, room 312 on the third floor."

"Thank you," Regis briefly thanked. "Eliwood! Come!"

The red-haired man sent a grateful nod toward her. The two began to depart for the elevator, the receptionist yelling out a "congratulations" while they were still within earshot.

Rhythmic clicking noises as they hurriedly walked down the corridor, specifically in the west wing of the third floor. Glancing at the numbered rooms on the side as they passed, they keenly scanned for room number 312. However, they could hear the distinct groans and moans from Aulea down the hall, most presumably in preparation to give birth. The sound alone was enough for Regis to take off and burst through the hospital room's door. The nurses and doctor that were inside, along with Aulea, jumped at the surprised appearance of the king, Eliwood almost embarrassingly showing up behind the king with a sheepish expression.

"Aulea!" Regis gasped, quickly moving to her side and grasping her hand. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes," she said, her breath shaky and weary. A tired expression on her face, sweating profusely as she gripped her husband's hand tightly. "Our baby... I can feel it..."

"I know. Be strong." Regis turns to the doctor and the nurses, "Doctor, how close-?"

The doctor interrupts, though a bit nervous. He was still shaken by the sudden appearance of their king. "Nearly there, Your Majesty. Uh, if you could continue holding Her Majesty's hand..."

"Of course."

Regis did as he was instructed. A bit odd for the king to take orders from his "servant," but he was a man for the people. He was well respected, and still is. And right now, his wife was in the hands of this medical service worker, and he was going to do all that he could to ensure her safety. And his child's.

Aulea was instructed to push, the woman groaning in pain, holding onto Regis' hand for dear life as she did as she was told. Immense pain was going on down at her nether region, using all of her strength, mentally and physically, to push her baby through. To birth new life into this world. She would push in between intervals. One. Two. Three. She pushed again. Each time bringing her more pain than the last. But she couldn't stop. Not now. Not when her baby was this close to being born.

The doctor and nurse that were down below supporting her, his hands open to bring the baby out whilst the nurse was holding her legs open. They could see the head of the newborn child being pushed out toward them. The baby was wet and slick, coated with a slime-like fluid, crying out in distress, a clear sign of its vocal cords healthy and alive. They continued to encourage her, ensuring that Aulea was doing a good job, which she was. It was just one last push and the baby would be fully out. Another interval. One. Two. Three. Aulea pushed, and the baby was finally out.

The baby let out a loud cry once more, the nurse carefully cradling it before looking to the king with a joyous smile on her face.

"It's a boy!" She exclaimed. Claps soon erupted into the room, Eliwood couldn't help but hold a big smile of his own.

It was just like when his own son was born.

Regis smiled warmly at his newborn son, outstretching his arms out, asking if he could hold him. The nurse had quickly wrapped the baby in a blanket and gently gave the baby to the king.

And as soon as the baby was in his hands, in his arms, Regis' smile couldn't help but collapse into that of a frown. There was still the threat of Adagium. Not only that, the threat of the Niflheim Empire outside their Wall was still there too. He would have to take care of that as soon as possible. It was a king's burden that he couldn't bear to put onto his son. But he couldn't think about that now.

Another smile graced his face, nudging Aulea gently with his elbow.

"Our son looks handsome. Doesn't he, Aulea?"

"Yes... He does..." She said. Her voice was rather weak.

"What should we name him?"

"...Noctis," Aulea said quietly, a small smile on her lips, her face a bit pale. "Noctis Lucis Caelum."

Regis chuckled. "Yes. Yes, Noctis sounds quite nice. It has a nice ring to it."

"Regis...? Promise me...promise me you'll take care of him..."

"Of course," Regis said, brushing a bit of hair out of the way of his son's face. "We both will, won't we?"

He then received no answer from her. Furrowing his brow, he asked again.

"Aulea? Aulea?"

He looked over. Her expression was straight, eyes closed, face completely pale, almost like she had already taken her last breath. Regis's own breath in fact left him, a breeze of wind caught on his throat. The man went to open his mouth, only for it to be cut off by the ringing noise of the machine next to Aulea.

The green line on the machine had gone flat, no longer going in waves. The BPM showed zero. It felt like his own heart had stopped, his face dropping. Eliwood was the first to notice his friend's crestfallen expression, the others currently celebrating at the king's birth of his newborn son. That was when they soon heard the monotonous beeping noise of the machine, seeing that Aulea was no longer moving, her chest no longer heaving with life. The doctor and nurse quickly scrambled, Eliwood having to lead Regis out of the room, who's bright blue eyes no longer filled with life as they somberly stared at their loved one. Regis continued to hold Noctis in his arms carefully, leaving the room, and Eliwood shut the door behind them.

His lips quivering, the red-haired man had a face filled with distraught. The flatline... He didn't want to believe it. To think Aulea had...

Footsteps were being made toward them. Eliwood lifted his gaze up, turning his head toward his right to see Lyndis and Cor heading to them. They had worried expressions, an almost grim look on their faces to try and deduce what the situation had happened inside the room. Eliwood merely shook his head, Lyndis and Cor looking to their king, whom was sitting at a nearby bench with his newborn son in hand. Regis hadn't said a thing to them. Perhaps it was because he didn't notice them at all. But Regis' face said it all. Tears streaming down his cheeks, a somber but warm look as he stroked his son's cheek, the newborn baby letting out mewls and coughs every now and then.

Aulea had given her life giving birth to this child. Their child. A beautiful baby boy. Noctis Lucis Caelum. His most cherished son and the future 113th king to the Caelum bloodline. It was like the world had placed a curse on him, though. To bring forth a life, it had to take one. And the life it took was his wife, Aulea.

Regis remembered his wife's words. Promise me...promise me you'll take care of him.

He brought forth his son's forehead close to his own, biting his lip as he held a determined look on his face. One last tear streaked down his cheek, continuing to hold the baby closely and gently to him.

'I promise, Aulea. I promise you. I will take care and protect him... Our precious son.'

---

M.E. 741

It had been six years since Noctis was born. Six years since Aulea had passed as well. Whilst overjoyed that he had a son, the stress of maintaining the kingdom and handling the crisis against Niflheim was taking a toll on him.

Maintaining the Wall also had its fair share of stress as well. Because he utilized the Crystal, which was utilizing his magic, it began leading Regis to age rapidly. Despite being in his late twenties to early thirties, it already looked like he was in his mid-life crisis. Almost looked like he was in his mid-forties. His short beard had grown a little bit, Regis looking a bit haggard with bags under his eyes, and his walking posture wasn't as straight as normal. It got to the point that he needed to wear a leg brace to assist him in walking. It just went to show that the maintenance of the Wall had taken its toll on him considerably.

But that wasn't what stressed him the most. In the recent days of the Niflheim war, Regis had gone to see the Crystal. To see if there was ever going to be an end to this conflict. The end to the Starscourge that plagued their land. The end of Adagium.

However, the only thing he was left with was confliction. Very conflicted feelings about the matter. As of now, his son was five, a very young child. But without a mother figure, he noticed that Noctis was particularly lonely. Even when it came to talking to him himself, Noctis had a longing for a mother figure. But part of that was fixed and rectified when Noctis was introduced to two individuals. The first was Ignis Stupeo Scientia, nephew to his current Hand. Ignis was a young and passionate boy, an astute observer and dignified boy, dedicated to making Noctis' life comfortable, but also serving as a friend as well. The same could be said for the second boy, Eliwood's son, Y/N L/N. He was the complete opposite of Ignis, and a bit different from his father as well. Y/N was a fiery boy, excitable, and friendly, definitely able to get the more playful side of Noctis to come out. Regis was quite grateful for the two of them.

But that wasn't the thing that had him with conflicted feelings. It was when he visited the Crystal and received a premonition.

Fifteen years from now, in the year M.E. 756, Noctis would set out on a journey. But it was this journey that could have potential consequences regarding his son. The visions showed him Noctis in despair, losing everything. Everyone he loved. Even going so far as to become corrupted and kill the one he is to be wed. But that was just one path. Another was the one of supposed salvation. This path did grant him a sense of gratitude and relief. On this path, the Starscourge would be eliminated, the daemons would disappear and Adagium would finally be laid to rest. The most optimal path that must be obtained, right?

There was a cost, however, that being in the form of his own son. Noctis Lucis Caelum had been revealed as the true Chosen King, his body to be served as the vessel and weapon to purge the darkness from this world. This meant that his son must give up his own life in order for others to be spared the despair and darkness to come should the efforts fail.

If that wasn't supposed to give him conflicted feelings, what was supposed to? Regis had to walk out of the chamber that held the Crystal, trembling as he walked to the nearby balcony outside. His somber gaze pointed out toward the horizon, exhaling sadly as he rested his hands on his face. He loved his son dearly, the pride and joy of both himself and his late wife. And there was the promise he still wished to keep for her. How could he let his son die and become the fated sacrifice to save their world? Why did it have to be him...

What was he to do...? He couldn't lose his son...he couldn't...

The double doors to the Crystal's chamber opened, walking in Eliwood. Eliwood wasn't as haggard looking as his friend, but he was noticeably older than he once was when he was young. His fiery red hair had now taken a bit of duller color to it, his blue eyes just as bright, but there were slight lines to the bags under his eyes. Although he had a cheery look on his face, it faded when noticed the crestfallen expression on Regis' face. Conflicted, doubting, something like that.

"Regis? Is something the matter?"

Regis bit his lip. Should he tell him what he had seen? What awaits the fate of his son? He goes to open his lip, only for a gap of hair to be caught in his throat. He couldn't say anything. More so to say that something was preventing him from saying anything.

He then shook his head, giving Eliwood a slight smile. "No. Nothing at all, my friend. Merely pondering the current circumstances of things."

Eliwood furrowed his brow. He made a slight glimpse at Regis's hand, noticing how it was trembling. In fact, it had been trembling so fiercely, and if it were to continue profusely, it might look like the ring that he wore on his hand would fall off. But Eliwood made no comment of it and pushed the thought aside, even though he did ponder on whether to ask his king of his dilemma. There are some things his king does keep to himself, playing close to the chest.

"I suppose you mean Niflheim, correct?"

"Yes. If what Clarus, Cor, you, and Lyn are telling is true, then the kingdom may fall very soon. Perhaps not now. But soon."

Eliwood furrowed his brow, "Which comes to my newest report. We sent a team of Crownsguard under Lyn's command to infiltrate one of Niflheim's magitek facilities."

Regis turned to his friend with intrigue. "Oh? And what news do you bring?"

"The previous scoutings were correct. Niflheim, although their invasions are successful, are suffering many loses to their forces. In doing so, they have been...heading into rather dangerous developments."

"What kind of dangerous developments?"

"The Niffs are subbing their human soldiers with soulless machines," Eliwood replied grimly, handing Regis a folder that held classified documents to the normal soldier, including photographs of Niflheim's experiments. "Besithia is... Cloning himself. After that, he merges the born fetus with the daemons, turning them into a black miasma and using that to power their new mechanical soldiers. Magitek Troopers, they call them. MT for short."

"Magitek Troopers," Regis murmured, eyeing the report with a keen eye. "Diabolical. Using his own cloned offspring..."

"Indeed, old friend. Thankfully, Lyn was able to save one. With the time we had, of course."

"Oh? And how goes the child?"

"Physically, fine. But has been unconscious the majority of the ride back from Niflheim. Still is. Lyn has been pondering what to do with him."

Wordlessly, Regis nodded his head and returned the file back to Eliwood, the kingly man turned his gaze back to the horizon. Eliwood watched his friend with a curious stare, wondering whatever roamed through that man's head. While he knew that Regis would speak his mind about things, or he would ask whatever was on his mind, as a friend should do, there were some things that Regis kept to himself. Whether it was a good thing or not, Eliwood chalked it up as things should only be told when they should be. But there are times when he knew that there are some things that had to be pestered on.

"Your Majesty-Regis-what is the matter, really? The Sword of the King may be the position I have been given, a proud duty that I am glad to have taken, but I am your friend, first and foremost. And I am not the only one that you can speak to about this. You shouldn't need to put up walls and withhold yourself to the many burdens that plague you. We are all here to help you," the man spoke truthfully.

Regis let out a bitter chuckle, sighing deeply at his friend's words. He was right, of course.

"You always have been astute, Eliwood. I am very glad to have you as a friend."

"And I, you."

The king then faced him, "I...seeked the Crystal out for assistance. Advice to be more precise. Instead, what it gave me was a premonition. A vision of a possible future."

"A future? What kind?"

"For one, Noctis is the True King of Light. The prophecy the Crystal gave my family two millennia ago. And the second... I saw two paths."

"Two paths?" Eliwood reiterates.

"Yes. In one path, Noctis ascends and becomes the King of Light, vanquishing the Starscourge, but... At the cost of his life."

Eliwood's face falls. To say he was shocked was an understatement. It is not everyday you receive an order from a higher power, saying that your son must die in order to save everyone. And with the Astrals having their own agendas, being fickle and mystical beings, there's no question and telling of what they could do should you rebel against their beckoning. Eliwood tried to put himself in his friend's position. Not even bending fealty to the Draconian, getting on his hands and knees, begging profusely would change the Astral's mind.

Once the Astrals' goals are set, it is usually something that must be seen through. No matter the cost. And they are mere mortals with blessed powers, of course, but it was those very powers that had been granted to them by those very same gods. To even think about rebelling against the Astrals would be considered madness.

"...And the other path?"

"...One of darkness and uncertainty," Regis spoke, quietly. Like but a murmur in a dark room. "Should he go down that path... An insurmountable clause of consequences shall follow him...something that I do not want to happen to him. Ever."

Eliwood was quiet. The silence is almost sickening and ominous. A sense of disquiet of a tense situation was rather unnerving. No one would want it, with how much stress it can cause.

The red-haired man soon spoke up, "...What do you plan to do?"

Regis hummed. "What do we do? Simple." He looked over at Eliwood, a fiery and determined glint in his eyes. "We prepare for all that we can."

[Chapter I] | The Ambivalent Prophecy