Ten Ways to Break a Man

Way Two

Prompto didn't know how long he had been in the dark. He had lost track of time as he focused more on the cold numbness that washed over his body. It felt as if there was an invisible smoke that had clouded its way through Prompto's nose down to his lungs.

No matter how hard he tried, Prompto wasn't able to breathe or scream. His body felt like it had frozen in its place. The burning sensation in Prompto's lungs spread to the rest of his body. The smoke that filled Prompto's lungs made it feel like his body was actually on fire.

Prompto wasn't able to do anything but helplessly lie there and allow himself to submit to the black musky night. In the back of his head, Prompto could faintly vision a patch of fire. The orange flames lit up the darkness, dancing around as it grew larger around it.

Fire, Prompto thought to himself. One of nature's most beautiful creations. Yet it is one of the most deadly...

Fire had the ability to spread as far as it wished. It could easily destroy whatever it wanted in it's path. The flames gave Prompto an eerie feeling which told him that it had a meaning.

When the warmth from the flames hit his body, Prompto felt the cold numbness wash away. The smoke cleared from his lungs along with the blackness around him. The fire burst into color, lighting up the area around Prompto once more to where he found himself in the same room.

The same red haired chancellor sat in a chair in front of him under the light. A large book was being held in one hand while the other flipped through the pages. The man's dark eyes hungrily read over the pages,

Ardyn! Prompto felt a sharp pain in his right arm as the name rang through his head. That's what that vision meant. Ardyn's the fire. And he's will take down every single person in his way to get what he wants: The throne!

Ardyn glanced up from the book and stiffened when he noticed the blonde-haired boy watching him intently. A sigh escaped the man's lips as he brought up a hand to scratch his rough cheek. He closed the book and Prompto was able to catch a glimpse at the title: Newfound Rhymes for the Cerebral.

"You're finally awake. I spent my time analyzing Nursery Rhymes. Here's one: Peter, Peter pumpkin eater, had a wife but couldn't keep her; He put her in a pumpkin shell and there he kept her very well."

"Quit with the rhymes!"

Prompto was shocked by how choked up his voice was when it came out. His throat was burning from the one sentence and Prompto had to clear it. His screaming from the time before must have caused him to lose his voice.

"I'm not finished," Ardyn said with a warning glare at Prompto. "Peter, Peter pumpkin eater, had another and didn't love her; Peter learned to read and spell, and then he loved her very well."

"What's that mean?" Prompto croaked.

"You'll find out later," Ardyn said, winking at Prompto. "I'll give you a hint: It has to do with you."

What's a nursery rhyme with pumpkins got to do with me?! Prompto wanted to scream. None of the rhyme made sense, even more that he was getting so caught up on a rhyme instead of his main focus.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, Prompto, you know what I want," Ardyn remarked as he stood up and walked over to the cart. His long robes dragged on the floor behind him and stopped along with Ardyn who had knelt over the cart.

Prompto felt a cold chill wash over him. If the rhyme hadn't been foreshadowing the trauma that was soon to come, Prompto should have known from the moment that he had woken up that Ardyn's presence only brought dreadful warnings.