Crown King: Return of The Labyrinth | ✓

Chapter 15: Stolen

"Quick," she took his hand, pulling him along as they ran. Noctis took the opportunity to look around where they were, but the question he had in his mind wasn't answered unfortunately.

Walls that seemed so endless surrounded them side by side, as if they were about to close. The dull grey sky spread across the heavens as he looked up on them. The cold wind hit him over and over, "Where are we?"

"The heart."

"Heart? Of what?" Different pictures came into his mind, including the heart of a human itself that creeped him slightly.

"The heart of the labyrinth," Luna stopped running, turning around to face his once confused expression that now changed.

He felt a lump in his throat hearing as the words entered his ears. "What?"

"It's a long story—but I have to find a place to hide you—he's supposed to be here and it frightens me now I know he's out of sight—"

"Luna, wait. Calm down—who is he?" Noctis' amount of nervousness increased that he took one of the female's hand. "Hey, don't worry. I'm here to protect you, alright?"

"You don't understand," she shook her head. "Ardyn. He's gotten more powerful than what we think."

"A-Ardyn?" His brows knitted automatically. The name gave him a sudden increase of anger—no, wrath. His fists clenched and his teeth gritted. "I-I knew it. He's the one behind all of this! Where is that son of a—"

"Noctis! Don't underestimate him. Don't you know that he is now the one controlling this labyrinth? We're all doomed. The maze has gotten stronger and deadlier."

"Killing him is the only way, Luna!" He turned away from her towards the endless walls casted of shadows. "If we end the life he doesn't even deserve, the maze will shrink back to its extinction . . . That's why he suddenly disappeared years ago. I knew it. He had been working for this for so long."

"But you can't beat him that easily unlike before. As I said, the labyrinth's gotten more evil," she avoided Noctis' eyes on her as he turned back. "I-I tried, Noctis. I tried my best to make the labyrinth  we had used disappear after the Game of Insomnia, but I didn't know he was watching over me. That night, I was sure the labyrinth itself shrunk to extinction. I didn't know he was there, only now that I figured out."

"How are you even sure it was him?"

"He told me when he abducted me. I was thrown here into this labyrinth, the maze itself summoning me. I'm not sure how many his men are, but they're all dressed in black, and speaking of that— Noctis, there's something we all should be worried of."

"What?"

"The reason I summoned you here, is because I wanted to warn you of the danger in Insomnia."

He felt like his heart stopped beating. The moment sent anxiety that he wanted to go back to the real world and save his city.

"Noctis, there are traitors among your glaives which makes me worry about your city and your people. I've tried almost everything I can to warn you, but I couldn't. Only now that I managed to escape."

"H-How?" He uttered it barely as if he was lost of words. "F-For how long?"

"Quite a long time," Luna kept her voice as calm as possible. "That guy Edmund? He was sent by Ardyn, to put that poison into your drink."

"I've heard of him. (Y/N) told me."

Luna nodded, "And that's not all of it. Even if he was locked up, he still had a few more companions with him—and, I'm afraid. . . Noctis, they're with (Y/N) now."

His world turned upside down. The walls seemed to pull closer, every inch of space left from their feet slowly decreasing. He looked at the walls, for a moment, realizing he never thought of you being in danger. (Y/N), no . . . "This what I've been afraid of. I shouldn't have let her go."

"We can't do anything, Noctis. We can't control anything. The labyrinth makes everything we do impossible."

"What do you mean by that?" He turned away from the closing wall. "Wait, don't tell me—"

"Yes, you know the answer," she nodded.

Noctis blinked; he couldn't believe what's going on. He looked down at his opened palm. The feeling was mysteriously gone, and he couldn't feel anything rising inside him, or a sign of anything changing from his vision. He blinked once more and stared at his palm. He tried everything he could muster to make it appear.

Nothing happened.

From his side, Luna sighed. "Noctis, we can't take them back anymore. Our powers are gone."

"It can't be!" He clenched his fists. "How? How can this happen?!"

"The labyrinth, Noctis. We have nothing against it anymore. It drained all the powers we had," Luna looked at the once grey sky that had mysteriously darkened, almost black.

Even his vision, his hearing—all of his senses seemingly drained. He couldn't imagine a world without summoning a weapon, or warping at a long or short distance. He couldn't imagine a world without teleporting almost anywhere.

And now that he and Luna were standing on their backs facing a pair of yellow eyes staring at them within a patch of darkness at the end of the path, he didn't know if his life would last long.