Night Light {FFXV/OT4}

Somnus Ultima

Chapter Twenty One: Somnus Ultima

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Even when he heard the grinding of rusty chains that signalled the lift descending Prompto couldn't bring himself to raise his head. He knew it would be Ardyn again, but still some small part of him hoped that it would be Noctis who stepped out of the elevator. He was quick to find that tiny flicker of hope and squash it, refusing to let it grow. That'd just make it hurt more when his futile dreams were dashed.

Sure enough, it was Ardyn who stepped forth form the elevator. Prompto couldn't see him with his eyes cast downward like this but it didn't matter; he knew it was Ardyn from the way the man's footsteps sounded, echoing in his ears.

The grey, cracked bricks that made up the floor was all Prompto could see, but even that image was blurry. His eyes refused to focus, but he couldn't really bring himself to care anymore. He was dying. He knew that. It was only a matter of how long it would take.

"My dear 05, you're not looking too good. Perhaps a parting gift will raise your spirits?" The voice was like silk laced with poison, and Prompto saw a fuzzy black shape he presumed to be the toes of Ardyn's boots enter his vision. The Chancellor was so close he could feel the man's breath hit his face as he spoke and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. Ardyn smelt of rot and decay and Prompto found himself gagging despite having nothing left to throw up. He hadn't eaten in days now.

"Now now 05, behave yourself. This is our final meeting, you better not spoil it with your bad manners"

Despite himself Prompto felt a frown twitch at his lips, a half baked retort forming in his mind. He couldn't vocalise it though, as that would require far more energy than he had left. Just breathing was such a struggle, speaking was out of the question.

Once satisfied that Prompto would behave Ardyn took a step backwards, regarding the blonde for a moment. Prompto didn't mind the brief silence; every word out of Ardyn's mouth sent a wave of nausea rippling through him. He'd much rather the man never spoke again.

"The attack on Insomnia was delayed for a few days so I had the body of your dear General Loqi delivered to me. Do you like what I've done with him?"

Those words had Prompto jerking his head up despite how his neck burnt in protest, red eyes wild as they caught sight of Loqi. He felt countless emotions assaulting him from every side, almost overwhelming with their sudden intensity. He'd thought he was too dehydrated to cry anymore but he felt fresh tears well up in his eyes at the monstrous sight.

It was Loqi, but the man was changed - horribly so. The entire left side of his body had decayed and turned to viscous rot, a putrid black sludge oozing from beneath the skin. Even the Brigadier General's face had been affected, the same black ooze dribbling down from the corners of his mouth.

Prompto shifted his gaze up to Loqi's eyes and his heart broke all over again. One eye was decayed while the other had been left untouched by the scourge. Prompto felt a horrible twisting in his gut as he saw that eye was wet with tears that ran black. Loqi was staring right at him. Crying.

Seeing Loqi -the first man to ever care about him- like this broke Prompto, more than any of Ardyn's twisted games ever could.

"Now solider, your final order.. put dear 05 out of his misery, will you?"

Prompto winced at the pained gurgling that left Loqi's mouth as he tried to protest, despite how the scourge destroying his body reacted to the Chancellor's command. Loqi stood slowly, his body looking like it might collapse under him at any second. He carefully took a step forwards and Prompto was suddenly very aware of the sabre in the mans hand.