By the time the five left the Greyshire Glacial Grotto, it was dark out. They went straight back to Burbost and slept at the caravan. With the boys all fast asleep, Lorelai laid awake in her bed, the lamp next to her and the light of her phone's screen illuminating her face. The raven-haired girl was messaging a friend who she figured would have the answers she sought.

"When and where can I find you?" She sent the message. After a moment, her phone vibrated and a reply popped up.

"Hmm, I'm close to Old Lestallum. How about meeting me at the Crow's Nest there tomorrow?"

Lorelai smiled to herself. "Sounds good. I'll see you there."

"I'll be waiting."

A quiet sigh of relief escaped her lips. She set her phone down next to her bed and finally closed her eyes. The following morning after breakfast, Lorelai begged the boys to take her to Old Lestallum.

"Please, I really need to go to Old Lestallum. You don't even have to stay there, you can just drop me off." She clasped her hands together and gave them her saddest face. "But it's really important that I go there today. Pretty pleeeaaase?"

"You don't have to beg," Noctis told her. "We'll go to Old Lestallum. Not like we have anything else to do at the moment."

"Yay!" Lorelai cheered, hopping off the ground in joy with a giddy grin on her lips. "Thanks, guys! You're the best friends I've ever had!"

The group got into the Regalia and left Burbost. Gladio was the first to ask the question on the boys' minds, "Out of curiosity, why Old Lestallum? Why do you need to go there all of a sudden?"

Prompto sat up and turned around in his seat. "You took the words right outta my mouth, big guy. I was wondering the same thing."

Their eyes landed on the black-haired girl. Lorelai gazed down at her lap, rubbing her arm nervously. "It's for... personal reasons. All I can say is that there's someone there I need to speak to."

"That's it?" Noctis questioned with a sigh. "You're not gonna tell us anything else?"

"Well, if it's for personal reasons then we shouldn't pry," Ignis said to the others. "Lorelai's business is her own."

The rest of the car ride was small talk, the other three men following Ignis's words and not bringing up anything else on the subject. Lorelai masked her concerns behind a smile and an upbeat mood. The last thing she wanted was for her friends to get involved and discover the truth. It was always something her people would swear by. For whatever reason, if anyone decided to leave Siderum, they were sworn to never tell a soul of the kingdom they came from. It's what kept them safe and hidden for nearly two thousand years. Lorelai was still determined to never break her oath.

Arriving in Old Lestallum, Lorelai nearly shoved Noctis out of the car so she could get out. "Okay, you guys can do whatever you want. I'll meet you back here later." Before they could say a thing, Lorelai rushed towards the Crow's Nest across the street.

Gladio shook his head at the girl's behavior and walked toward the motel with Noctis following him. Meanwhile, Ignis went over to the man at the food truck who was selling things. Prompto tagged along behind the bespectacled man, nervous about questioning him. Ignis bought a few extra curatives and stashed them away. Leaving the makeshift shop, Prompto's mind went back to the image of Ignis's jacket resting on Lorelai's shoulders.

"Um, Ignis, c-can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Of course," Ignis replied. He glanced back, seeing the worried expression on the blond's face. He stopped and turned around to face him. "Whatever is the matter, Prompto?"

"I-It's just... uh..." Prompto's cheeks turned slightly red in embarrassment and he lightly scratched his cheek with his index finger. "Y-Yesterday, in the Grotto, when you and Lora got separated... You... um..."

Prompto's lack of clarity on the subject gave Ignis the insight he needed to understand. The man chuckled and adjusted his glasses. "Prompto, I assure you, I hold no attraction towards Lorelai. She is merely a friend who needed a little help at the time. The poor girl was deathly cold."

Prompto immediately sighed with relief, a small smile creeping across his lips. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that." His troubled mind had been eased at his friend's words.

Ignis rested his hands on his hips, the faintest of smirks on his face. "You have grown quite smitten with her, haven't you?"

Prompto nervously scratched the back of his neck and giggled. "Yeah. She's just so... amazing, y'know?"

"You talking about Lora?"

Prompto spun around to see Noctis and Gladio. Gladio nudged the prince with his elbow. "Course he is. Haven't you seen the way he stares at those pictures of her?"

"I-I do not stare!" Prompto argued, his face red. "I admire! It's two different things!"

Noctis waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. Either way, it's creepy."

The group continued to talk, mostly teasing the flustered blond as they headed over to the motel to wait.

~~~~~

Lorelai entered the Crow's Nest. She walked over to the counter, already reaching into her pocket for some gil. "One Jetty's, please."

She paid the man and he brought her a bottle. She turned and looked around, her eyes scanning over the seats before landing on someone sitting alone at the table at the far end of the room. With her soda in hand, she approached the table and slid into the booth opposite the person. The man in front of her was reading a book. He wore a simple tan-colored shirt and shorts. Dark brown hair poked out from under the hat he wore and rounded glasses sat comfortably on the bridge of his nose. A large backpack laid in the booth right beside him. He hadn't even noticed the girl who took a few sips of her soda.

"Marco," she calmly spoke his name, bringing him back to reality and away from the pages of his book.

"Lorelai, how nice it is to see you again," he greeted with a smile, his brown eyes locking onto the girl across from him. He closed his book and stuffed it into his backpack. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Lorelai's expression turned to one of complete seriousness. "I believe you're the only person who would know anything about the subject." She slipped out her phone and pulled up a picture of her kingdom's insignia, turning it to show the man. "What do you know about this symbol?"

Marco stared at the picture for a minute before saying, "That is the Siderum crest. It's very similar to Solheim's crest except the sun is replaced by a star, which makes sense considering that Siderum was born from Solheim's fall."

"I know about all of that," Lorelai interrupted, putting her phone away. She leaned against the table. "But I saw both emblems on some kind of vault within the Greyshire Glacial Grotto."

"Ah, that's understandable." Marco dug through his backpack, quickly pulling out another book. He swiftly flipped through the pages. "There are many old ruins I've seen throughout Lucis that bear those symbols. In fact, I believe there is one that has murals of the ancient kingdoms."

"Really? Where?" Lorelai asked with excitement in her tone, nearly jumping out of her seat in the process.

Marco stopped on a page and pressed his finger on it, pointing out the words. "It's called Steyliff Grove. It can be found at the northeast end of the Vesperpool."

Lorelai grinned. "Great! That's all I needed to know!"

"Wait, don't tell me you wanna go there." There was worry in Marco's tone. "A dangerous beast lurks within those ruins. Not to mention the entrance only opens at certain times."

Lorelai waved a hand dismissively. "I can handle it. Besides, I've got to see those murals. By the way, I've got something else to ask. Do you happen to know the locations of the royal tombs?"

"The resting places of the past kings? I've seen a few, yes. I can show you where I've seen them."

Marco took out a map from his pack and unfolded it, spreading it out across the table. The two gazed down at it, Marco pointing out a few places he knew of. There was only one that Lorelai knew the guys hadn't been to. She had Marco explain it to her in more detail and tucked it into the back of her mind. Lorelai took several gulps of her drink while Marco gathered up his things.

"Well, if that's all you need, then I'll be going," Marco cheerfully said, standing from his seat. "I've got places to see, ruins to explore. If you ever need anything else, I'm just a phone call away."

"Okay, be seeing you." Lorelai waved to him as he left the diner.

The raven-haired girl remained in her seat, a frown on her lips as she sipped her drink. She needed to think through the options presented to her. I've got to see those murals. They could be the only remnants left of everything I once had. Hopefully the boys will go after the tomb and let me hunt down those ruins. But even if they do decide to tag along, I'll just play dumb. It'll just be like a sightseeing tour. Lorelai was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the blond waving to her from outside the window.

Prompto hurried inside, passing by Marco in the process. "Hey, Lora!" he called out, approaching the girl's table. He sat across from her and pointed his thumb behind him. "Was that the guy you needed to talk to?"

Lorelai forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, he's an old friend and an explorer. I've seen him in the oddest of places."

Prompto laughed lightly. "Well anyway, we've been waiting for you forever. We were thinking of staying at the motel tonight."

Lorelai glanced out the window at the setting sun. She hadn't even realized how late it had gotten. "Sounds like a plan," she replied.

Finishing up her soda, Lorelai threw away the empty bottle and left the diner with Prompto. The two crossed the street and met the others at the motel. Lorelai knew that the following morning would be when she'd finally split up from the boys, or at least that's what she hoped. She needed to do this and she wanted to do it on her own. She merely wanted to see her home one last time, even if it was just a picture. And even if her friends decided to join her, it wouldn't alter her choice. She'd made up her mind. She was going to Steyliff Grove, with or without them.