New World • Prompto Argentum

chapter fifteen

"Lumina." The silver haired man softly spoke her name, finally seeing his long lost friend after all these years. He jogged towards her and the others, also seeing an unfamiliar face among his friends.

"Hope!" She called once she saw him, rushing towards him as well. The two met halfway, sharing a warm hug. Hope felt relaxed, he felt at peace seeing that yet another one of his friends was finally safe and sound. The two broke apart, smiling at each other.

"W-We thought, I-I thought that I'd never see you again." He admitted, his sadness now visible. He had missed her dearly, she was the one who helped him the most during his teenage years.

"I made you a promise, didn't I?" She reminded the director, who smiled at the memory.

"No matter what, I'll come back to you and save you from all danger! We're friends after all!"

Yet, the Lumina he remembered was but a child. Her voice now was much less childish and her looks were completely different. She had grown and Hope felt his cheeks burn at the thought. Yet, he realized that the unfamiliar figure eyed him carefully. Hope was no fool, he knew she was already taken and he would cause no havoc.

"Of course, my friend." He then acknowledged the rest behind the girl. "Welcome back to Academia, everyone. It's nice to see you." The director's eyes then fell on the freckled man. He held out his hand and with a warm smile, he greeted him. "My name is Hope Estheim. I am pleased to meet you." Prompto shook his hand with one of his goofy smiles, he was actually shocked by how kind Hope was.

"I'm Prompto Argentum, nice to meet you." He tried to sound just as formal, but realized that he failed miserably.

"Now, what brings you all here?" The silverette questioned, realizing that they were not there only to greet him.

Lumina sighed and licked her lips. "It's a long story, so you better take a seat." She advised and Hope raised an eyebrow, before obeying her and sitting down on his office chair.

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"So you've all become L'Cie again?" Hope's face fell once he heard the full story. His friends nodded, one by one showing him their brands.

But when Lumina's turn came, Hope gasped. "I know." She dropped her head in sadness. Prompto linked his hand to hers, giving it a light squeeze. "Hope, we need to find Lightning. It's the only way to break the curse." Vanille explained and Hope brought his digit under his chin.

"Are you certain?" He questioned, catching everyone's attention. "What do you mean?" She asked back, seeing his skeptical look.

"Do you surely know that your Focus is to find Lightning?" Lumina thought for a second. She was pretty sure that was it.

"We're supposed to 'make everything like it used to be'. Lightning's missing, this could be the key." Lumina explained her thoughts and theory, but Hope was not convinced yet. "Lightning is not the only one missing." He pointed out, Snow clenching his teeth in remembrance of his fiancee.

"But Serah..." Vanille began but was cut off.

"She is not dead." Hope spoke with complete sureness. Lumina furrowed her eyebrows, she could tell when Hope was just stating theories or facts. He turned at the platinum haired man, crossing his arms behind his back. "You remember the Oracle Drive?" He questioned and Snow nodded.

"What is the Oracle Drive?" Prompto suddenly joined in the conversation, eager to find out a way to cure Lumina as fast as possible. Hope connected eyes with him before starting to explain.

"It is a device built by an ancient civilization. It was built to show the future, the visions that the seeresses would have." The director then turned to the others, expressing his thoughts. "I saw Serah." He admitted, seeing Snow gasp and Lumina's eyes light up. She knew Serah couldn't be dead, Lightning would never allow that. "She is... How do you say that..." The silverette fidgeted with his words.

"Just say it!" Snow growled. "She is a crystal." That was the final blow for Serah's friends.

"Serah became a L'Cie, again?!" Snow shouted, his eyes getting watery at the thought. Lumina couldn't believe in her ears, what would have caused Serah to want to become a L'Cie? Did Lightning know?

"Serah knew the costs of being able to see the future and thus changing it. She knew she would die, so instead she turned to the Fal'Cie. She became a L'Cie so that she would have another chance; with the heart of the Goddess beating inside her chest." Hope proceeded in explaining everything that had occurred while everyone though Serah to be dead.

"This way, she made sure to save the new world, the new Cocoon, after Caius almost destroyed it." The director held his hand above the so called Oracle Drive, pressing some buttons here and there before the machine revealed the pink haired young woman.

"S-Serah..." Snow took a few steps closer, not being able to comprehend what Serah had done, the decision she had made. Prompto looked at the so called Serah. He had heard lots and lots about her, from Lumina and almost everyone on New Bodhum. She was much loved by everyone there; she was kind and sweet. That explained why she sacrificed herself for the sake of her home, for the sake of her people.

Serah reminded him of Noctis. Their personalities may not be identical, Noctis of course was his little grumpy self, but their goals were mutual. To save their homes, protect their people. The ones they loved and called family and friends. Prompto knew that Noctis would sacrifice himself if needed, without a second thought that is of course.

"The Focus says to bring everything back to the way it was. Maybe, Serah is the true key to solving this paradox." As Hope kept speaking, Snow's eyes never left his crystallized lover, the hope that he could finally save he lighting up in his heart. "Lightning was always gone. Serah's disappearance is what changed everything, everyone." Hope finished. Lumina connected eyes with her blonde partner.

He linked his hand to hers and nodded. "So, how do we find her?" The raven haired girl asked.