The Burning Flowers

Chapter IX

It was around the time that he saw the massive wave of blue flames tear through a section of the Fifth Ring that Nigreos Noctis pulled himself away from the railing and sat down against the wall, for the implication that came with that sight weighed heavily on him. He muttered a soft question to Lunara, asking if any of the Kosah-Rei could use blue fire magic. When she told him they could not, he knew without a single doubt that Ilirianna Iiji was alive and fighting back. He wasn’t even sure whether he had hoped Ilirianna was killed in the initial combustions or if he was relieved that the princess had survived. On a personal, human level, he greatly respected the young woman who he had served and followed for the last few years, but from a logical perspective, she was by far the greatest threat to him and his sister. The Iijis wielded a power the likes of which few others could harness, almost certainly due to their descent from the Cansi, so if Ilirianna found out what he had done and tracked him down, he might not be able to protect Luna.

So please… I’m sorry, Princess, but please stay away. Don’t come up here…

Of course, that wasn’t to say she was the only threat to the two of them, for their father and the Luz were dangerous in their own right. Should any of them reach the top of the Grand Observatory then Nigreos would once again be forced to make terrible and heart-wrenching decisions. That was why he had already made up his mind to defend Lunara at all costs, no matter who it was that tried to get in his way. He would gladly face his father, but even if the members of the royal team or Eko tried to harm her, he would turn off his emotions and do what had to be done.

That was his resolve.

That was his conclusion.

Those he loved and had considered friends were now his enemies should they choose to be. Until the Kosah-Rei claimed victory over Ijiria, he would never again return to the Great Cities of Noctalus and Erika. He would not get to graduate from the Academy with his team nor would he become the Master of Darkness like he had always expected to. Instead, should they survive this battle, he would most likely be taken to wherever the Kosah-Rei made their base and forced to fight beside Rotana Vesh if they decided to trust him the way Luna assured him they would. And even if he managed to avoid facing down his former allies that night, he would almost certainly face them in the future. The thought made him sick, so he continued with his coping mechanism of shoving the thoughts away and locking them where they could not be found.

Nigreos’s eyes wandered up towards where his sister was leaning against the railing as she observed the chaos below. He was amazed by her strength, for she had been faced with far more challenges that night than he had, but she was not averting her gaze. She knew she had committed terrible sins for Neah’s sake, and she was ensuring that the results of her actions were burned into her memories. The protective part of Nigreos wanted to get up and try to pull her away—to insist that she didn’t need to keep watching—but the other part of him wanted to respect her wishes.

He sighed, leaning his head against the wall and turning to stare up at the cloud-covered sky. What little light the crescent moon had been giving off before had now completely vanished alongside the stars behind the storm clouds, meaning the only illumination being provided came from the flames down below. He absently wondered what time it was, and though he wanted to claim it was long after midnight, the truth of the matter was that it couldn’t be later than nine. He and Luna hadn’t gone to the library with Abi until a little after dinner, which meant there was still a lot of night ahead of them before the sun rose. In some ways that was comforting, for he would be more powerful in the dark, but in others, it was daunting. Would he ever see the sun again? Would he and Luna reach the dawn? He didn’t want to think so pessimistically, but it was hard not to.

He was yanked back out of his thoughts by a soft gasp from Luna. Nigreos snapped his head back down, prepared to ask what was wrong, when he saw her rush backwards a few feet, dark magic flowing to her hands as her features contorted with anger. It was then that a black mass of shadows flew over the side of the railing before swirling around the catwalk. Nigreos was on his feet with his magic at the ready just before the darkness took on the physical shape of a large, broad-shoulder man wearing the customary black suit of the Master of Darkness. His pale eyes flickered between the two of them, his bearded jaw clenched, and there was an unreadable expression upon his ever-neutral face. Nigreos could feel his heart pounding, and even though he had known they wouldn't be lucky enough to avoid this confrontation, he had still hoped it wouldn’t come to pass.

“So you finally had time to spare for us, Father?” Lunara snapped instantly, one of the most terrifying expressions he had ever seen contorting her youthful features. “Guess all it took to get your attention was a teeny bit of treason. Shoulda tried that first, I guess.”

Viiro Noctis didn’t immediately react, instead choosing to stay silent as he gazed upon his children. A part of Nigreos was shocked that Luna would so quickly admit what she had done, for there was no guarantee that Abigail had told him anything, but he almost instantly realized he was being too hopeful. If Abi hadn’t told Viiro about the events in the library then how would he know to look for them at the Grand Observatory? There was no doubt that their father had come there knowing exactly what they had done, so he supposed Lunara had no reason to beat around the bush.

Though, knowing Father the way I do, I have to wonder why he didn’t just attack right away? Why stop like this and give us time to prepare?

“Are you satisfied, Lunara?” he asked finally, his voice a low growl. “Have you finally made me pay for whatever sins you think I’ve committed? Have you ruined my life and my reputation enough for your liking?”

Luna grinned mercilessly, unwavering in the face of her father’s cold, calm wrath. “You know, maybe I am kinda satisfied. Why wouldn’t I be? Take a look around you, Father. Nigreos and I have taken your precious legacy and smashed it into the fucking ground. You’ve got nothing left. You have no heirs to succeed you and you’ll forever be remembered as the Master of Darkness who raised a couple of murderous traitors. That...” She stuck out a finger and gestured towards the railing, as well as the destruction down below. “...is your legacy now, you piece of shit.”

Viiro’s eyes turned towards where she pointed for only a moment before they were back on his daughter. “You’re right. That is my legacy. Clearly, rather than raising children I could be proud of, all I have to show for my parenting is a couple of selfish, hypocritical brats. My ancestors must be ashamed of what they are witnessing right now. Abigail claimed that you were the one who cursed your mother, Lady Clara, and Master Acostav. Already, I find that I believe her, but I still wish to hear it from your mouth. Did you kill them?”

“Yes, I did,” Lunara confirmed.

Viiro’s lip twitched, a subtle reaction to her casual answer and the first sign of emotion he’d expressed since arriving. “Why? I like to think you aren’t so petty as to do all of this to merely spite me, so I have to wonder what else was going through your mind when you decided to slaughter the woman who gave you life. Does it have anything to do with the fact that the changeling scum merged Neah into your body?”

Lunara narrowed her eyes and scoffed. “There were a whole plethora of reasons. Yes, I sought to help Neah, and it certainly opened my eyes when Leiolai Sartella appeared far more willing to save my sister than our own fucking father. Nigreos told me everything you’ve said about Neah these past few days. You’ve always been more than willing to let her die without even trying to save her.”

“Did you maybe wonder whether the Kosah-Rei was manipulating you?”

“Oh, of course!” Luna replied with a cold laugh. “I’m not stupid, Father. How could I not at least consider it. It was a risk, but I deemed it a necessary risk. And perhaps I am being used, but I’ve gotten what I wanted. If being a puppet of the Kosah-Rei is the price of healing my little sister, then Rotana Vesh and Tali Firrik can pull my strings to their hearts’ content.”

As they spoke, Nigreos watched their father closely. Thus far, Viiro had not addressed him, but there was no doubt the Master of Darkness was more than aware of him. Even if he sensed the doubling of Lunara’s mana, he would believe Nigreos to be the most dangerous of the two. Viiro was a strong mage, but he was outnumbered, and that meant that killing them was not an easy task. This confrontation might be won by a millisecond, so Nigreos ensured that if Viiro’s magic so much as twitched, he would strike.

“Well, Luna,” their father was saying. “You claimed Neah wasn’t the only reason, so get on with it. Why else have you done this?”

Lunara shrugged. “I believe in the Kosah-Rei’s philosophy. If you’ve taught me anything of worth in my life, it is that the elite of the country are evil. Never once have I looked at you and admired you, or respected you, or wanted to be like you. You have only ever been a cautionary tale—something for me to gaze at and be the exact opposite of. You prioritize your political gain over your family, and you would sacrifice all of us if it benefited you and the city. I’ve never seen even a fragment of love in your eyes, and I truly think that you are incapable of experiencing emotions that aren’t anger or disappointment or disgust. You’re a fucking sociopath. The Kosah-Rei’s teachings resonated with me, so I joined them. There’s a new world on the horizon, and there isn’t room for you or your backwards ideals.”

“Is that so?” Viiro nodded to himself, still unreactive, as he finally turned to gaze at the silent Nigreos. “And you, Son? Abigail made it sound like you only found out all of this tonight. Why have you chosen Lunara over your country?”

Nigreos immediately gave the answer he’d been rehearsing in his head for the last half-hour. “I will protect my sisters, at all costs.”

Viiro snorted, clearly having expected that answer but still appearing quite disappointed regardless. “Then I know what I must do. I have failed the two of you. I regret that I wasn’t able to beat this nonsense out of you, and I accept the responsibility that comes with my failure. You have two options: Surrender and return to Erika to await punishment, or fight back and die by my hand.”

“Yeah, those are our options?” Luna mocked. “Die later or die now? How about this, Father? How about we kill you, and finally rid the Empire of their wretched Master of Darkness? You’re outnumbered, so I find it amusing that you think you can win.”

Viiro slowly shook his head. “No, I don’t necessarily think I can win, but I do believe I can execute the two of you at the expense of my own life. I have been shamed beyond redemption, so it is my wish for my entire line to die here in this city, myself included. This is my duty and I shall see it through.”

“Do it then,” Lunara challenged fiercely. “Go ahead. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The Observatory went silent as death, the three Noctis tensing up as they waited for somebody to make the first move. Nigreos was unsure of why Luna was so confident, for while he didn’t think Viiro could beat them and survive, he wasn’t quite sure if they could defeat their father in a battle where the Master didn’t intend to live. Yet, a quick glance at Lunara’s eyes confirmed that she was not worried at all. Choosing to trust his sister, Nigreos steeled himself for what was to come, only to be moderately thrown off when Viiro’s eyes flickered downwards and towards the Observatory. Unfortunately, Nigreos wasn’t given a moment to think before Viiro Noctis acted.

“Coreas!”

“Devare!”

The Master of Darkness shouted out his spell and Lunara had cast hers barely a breath after him, leaving Nigreos as the only one yet to act. His mouth was open, the incantation on his lips, but his voice caught in his throat as he processed what he was witnessing. Lunara’s shadows were overwhelming Viiro’s even without his help. The darkness surrounding that catwalk was gradually pushing towards the Master of Darkness, whose eyes had gone wide with confusion. In addition to Luna managing to fight for control over the same shadows, she was able to reach out to those Viiro had not controlled. Tendrils were wrapping around his legs and lower torso. Given that they weren’t tearing him apart, Nigreos had to assume he was using a bit of magic to protect his skin, which meant less of his mana was focused on the darkness Luna was stealing control of. He was bound, unable to move, but if given even a second or two more, he would almost certainly break free.

Viiro Noctis was vulnerable.

Shit… I knew she had become more powerful, but she and Neah combined are enough to just barely overwhelm him?! Then, if I were to…!

“Nigreos, don’t!” Viiro shouted, a tinge of desperation creeping into his voice, but the young man was already rushing forward, closing the few feet between them before pressing his palm against his father’s broad chest.

Viiro’s mana was spread too thin since he hadn’t expected Lunara to be so strong, which meant that Nigreos was able to connect with the dark mana inside his body far easier than he would have otherwise. It was no wonder Luna had been so confident, for she had concocted a perfect plan to assassinate the Master of Darkness. Given how little time the opening would be provided before Viiro redirected his mana, Nigreos reacted on his instincts just like he had back in the library. However, not wanting to be a coward this time, he looked into his father’s eyes one last time, finding another brief flicker of desperation within them, as if begging his son not to kill him in his final moments.

“What do you have to gain from taking Neah Noctis prisoner? Did you think I would be foolish enough to trade my dying daughter for something you want? She’ll be dead soon anyway, so I have nothing to benefit from trying to get her back.”

“And waste valuable manpower? Put the lives of the mages we have at risk just to save somebody who might drop dead tomorrow? Perhaps I appear heartless to you, Ilirianna, but unlike you, I do not think with my heart. I think with my brain, and wasting time trying to save a dead girl is not worth it.”

“Then you would jeopardize everything for your own selfish desires! You would allow Uma Miyon to escape or Vesh to slip from our grasp to save a girl that will be dead in a few months?! You would sacrifice the safety of this empire for someone who will not be around to live in it?!”

As the cruel words of his father returned to his mind, Nigreos found that he took a huge amount of pleasure in that little bit of desperation they managed to squeeze out of this vile man. Viiro knew he would die in shame—a failed Master with no legacy left to remember him other than as the Noctis who couldn’t even control his children.

There was no end more befitting of Viiro Noctis.

Die.

The magic inside of the Master of Darkness bent to Nigreos command and tore outwards, ripping through flesh, muscle, and bone. His limbs exploded, his chest and back were torn open as his organs and blood splattered onto the catwalk, and his expressionless face was turned into nothing more than a pile of meat and bone as what little of his body the shadows didn’t destroy flopped to the ground. The force of Viiro’s death pushed Nigreos backwards, covering him in the gore of his father as he breathed heavily, his eyes locked on the pile of remains dripping through the grates.

I killed him. I killed my father. He’s gone…

“Good riddance, Viiro,” Lunara growled beside him, but just as the words left her lips, she let out a surprised gasp.

Nigreos looked up, wondering what else could have shocked his sister, only to find himself gazing at the horrified faces of Eko and Album Luz standing a dozen yards away.

***

“What the hell…have the two of you just done?”

Album hardly processed her brother’s soft utterance because her mind was so overwhelmed by what she had just seen that she was struggling to accept she was living in reality. After killing the cultists and the Keskivaara loyalists down in the courtyard, Eko and Album had gone as fast as they could into the Observatory and towards the stairwell that would take them to top. They had been desperate to reach the Noctis siblings before Viiro could make good on his threat to kill them—a result Album was confident would come to pass should they be too late. Never had she expected Viiro to be the one to die, and especially not by Nigreos’s hand. She and Eko rushed through the catwalk’s doorway and hurried towards where they sensed the Noctis just in time to see Nigreos completely obliterate the Master of Darkness.

That was it.

There was no reason to talk to them now, because any hope that Abi had been mistaken was gone. What they had seen was more than enough to confirm that Nigreos and Lunara had betrayed the Empire for the Kosah-Rei—that they had activated the combustions, slaughtered half of the Fifth Ring, and murdered their parents. Album had watched her father die because of two people she loved like siblings and she simply did not know what to do. It was like time froze as the Noctis stared back at the Luz. The obvious answer was to attack without giving either a chance to defend themselves and it would have been so much better if it was that easy.

But even having just witnessed what she did, she still struggled to link her close friends to that scene. How was she supposed to attack, and potentially even kill, Nigreos and Lunara? They grew up together. They played together as children and they had been attending the Academy together. Nigreos had fought by her side for years now, and had always been somebody she could trust in and rely on. They entered The Angel’s domain together, they supported each other, they fought hard to save Neah together, so how was this possible? Album just couldn’t understand it. No matter how much evidence was being shoved in her face, her brain just wouldn’t take it in the way it was supposed to.

She still couldn’t find her voice even when Eko repeated his previous question, but instead of whispering it, he snarled it so furiously that his voice cracked.

“WHAT THE HELL HAVE THE TWO OF YOU JUST DONE?! ANSWER ME!”

Nigreos flinched back at Eko’s scream like he’d been struck across the face, but Lunara firmly held her ground and spokein a collected voice. “Viiro came here to kill us, so we killed him first. It was self-defense, simple as that.”

Eko gaped at the young woman for a few seconds before slowly shaking his head, a baffled laugh slipping from his lips. “What is this? I’ve gotta be dreaming. This must be some horrid, stress-induced nightmare.” He put his right hand over his face, clutching at his cheeks so hard that Album wondered if he was trying to wake himself. “Nigreos…? Lunara…? Why?! Maybe Viiro intended to kill you, but what about my parents?! What about your mother?! We’re supposed to be fighting the Kosah-Rei, so why the hell are the two of you helping them?! Why are you assassinating the Noctalus for them?!”

Album had never heard Eko lose himself like he was, for he was a very soft-spoken and passive person. Hearing him so broken made her chest tighten, and as she turned her head to stare at Nigreos, their eyes made contact, but before she could even mouth a question, he looked away. Yet, her gaze remained on him—or more specifically, on the blood that drenched his front half, staining his clothes and covering his face. It truly was a sight out of a nightmare, and combined with what she had seen on the way through the Fifth Ring, she also found herself begging to be awoken.

“I’ve done what I had to do,” Lunara stated in response to Eko’s demand. “You’re a brilliant guy, Eko, so don’t pretend like you can’t see the disease spreading through Ijiria! Don’t pretend like you can’t see where that disease is starting from! Or have you forgotten how your father treated Album all these years? Have you forgotten the many instances where you went to myself or Nigreos, ranting about how he was abusing her?! What have we done, you ask?! We’ve removed a couple of tumors, that’s what!”

Eko clenched his teeth and slammed his fist down onto the metal railing seconds before it began to glow a dull white, a sign that he was summoning his mana. “That’s a very honorable way of saying you murdered my father, Luna. Yes, I ranted about him, but when did I ever say I wanted him to die?”

Viciously raising his glowing hand, Album truly believed her brother was about to release a beam of light, though based on his aim being towards her stomach, he might not have been intending to kill. The darkness around the catwalk trembled as Lunara took control, and without hesitation, Nigreos darted between Luna and Eko, his own magic now at the ready. This caused Eko to hesitate, and as everything moved way too fast for Album to properly follow, Lunara shouted something that caused everybody to freeze.

“You’re cursed, Eko!”

Album didn’t immediately understand what that meant, but based on her brother’s widened eyes and Nigreos’s head snapping back to gape at Luna, the terrible meaning dawned on her. She received confirmation when Lunara raised her hand high, revealing a ruby ring around her third finger that brought one of Abi’s claims from earlier back to the forefront of Album’s mind.

“Lunara betrayed us! She had this ring that was linked to the combustions and she was the one who activated them!”

The light mage felt deathly cold. And if that’s the source of the combustions and Eko is cursed, then…

“Luna, stop!” Album begged, wildly gesturing towards the railing and the Fifth Ring. “There’s no need to go that far! Haven’t we lost enough?! Isn’t this enough?!”

But Lunara just shook her head. “That’s entirely up to the two of you. As you can tell, I intentionally did not include Eko in the initial casting because I really don’t want to kill him. But I’m not stupid, and I’m familiar enough with my family history to know that the Luz have always been the biggest threats to the Noctis. We may have become close allies in the last centuries, and I’d like it to stay that way, but I could not take the risk—not while Neah’s life is linked to my own. So…” Lunara then turned her amber eyes away from Album, instead gazing at Eko expectantly, for the fledgling Master of Light had yet to lower his hand. “What’s it gonna be Eko?”

One glance at her brother’s face made it clear he was scared, but his palm did not waver. The gears were spinning in his head as he ran through every possible scenario, but Album could tell he was not reaching a proper conclusion. She then observed Nigreos once again, and while it had seemed even he hadn’t known Eko was cursed, he hadn’t moved either. Nigreos would defend Lunara’s life against even them.

“Nigreos, are you not listening to her?!” Album pleaded. “She’s going to kill Eko! Can you really stand there and protect her after hearing that?!”

Nigreos frantically shook his head. “She’s not going to do anything if you don’t make her! Eko, just stand down! Please!”

“And then what?!” her brother retorted with another scream. “What am I supposed to do if I stand down now?! After everything you’ve done, I would be committing treason myself by not at least attempting to end this! My empire expects me to risk my life for its security and the two of you have become some of the biggest threats to Ijiria! I can’t stand down! I must act!”

“Not if you join us!” Luna snapped back. “Eko, Album, we don’t have to be enemies! Viiro and Acostav would never have considered my perspective, but I’ve known the two of you long enough to say with confidence that you aren’t satisfied with the state of this empire either!”

Eko snorted. “You’re right, I am dissatisfied! I do think the government is ruled by greed and ambition, and I believe with all my heart that the people need to be heard more! But if I stoop to murder then who the hell am I to judge the elite? Why should I get to decide who lives and who dies?! I will change this empire, but not by destroying it! I am now the Master of Light. Album will soon be a Lady of the NightLight. Those are positions of power that can be used to change things from the inside—to do it peacefully. The two of you could have done the same, especially given how Princess Ilirianna obviously subscribes to some of these ideals. She can help us once she succeeds King Markreas!”

“Maybe that’s true,” Lunara admitted. “Maybe we could have changed Noctalus and Erika, but what about the rest? Lord Cartigan’s made it clear he doesn’t give a shit about what the other Great Cities think. Yes, we could have helped our Cities, but what about Stellareid, Krato, Hiriech, and Harunhein? Do you think they would have changed their ways just because we asked them to? Give me a break! I’m not trying to fix Noctalus, I’m trying to fix Ijiria!” The young dark mage then stepped to the left to stand beside Nigreos, extending her hand to Album and Eko in a sign of friendship. “If we join the Kosah-Rei, we’ll get results far faster.”

“But if it means I must step over a mountain of corpses, then I do not want results,” Eko growled.

Luna’s jaw clenched with frustration as she spoke next to Album. “And you? Album, are you unwilling to do what must be done as well? Are you going to keep covering your eyes and pretending like this empire can be fixed without a complete overhauling of the government? Are you idealistic, too?”

“I…” Album didn’t know what to make of the philosophy, for all she wanted was to keep going about her life as she had been.

She wanted to make her family proud, she wanted to attend the last few semesters at the Academy with her team, and she wanted to be happy. At the end of the day, she wasn’t fighting for some moral reason nor did she really know what she felt about the government of Ijiria. She fought the Kosah-Rei because that was what the royal team was tasked with doing, so as Lunara demanded such answers out of her, she found she could not give any that would satisfy either of them. But what she wanted was now gone. Maybe she could return alongside Abi, Ryokumo, and Ilirianna, but Nigreos and Luna would not be a part of that life again. She had never been happier than these last few years at the Academy, but it was all over now. Her parents were dead, the Noctis would all be gone, and everything would change. She could not stop it from changing, so she didn’t know what to say.

However, one thing was for certain: Nigreos and Lunara were willing to betray her and even kill her brother. Abi and Ryokumo were not. So if she were to choose between taking Luna’s hand and joining the Kosah-Rei or stopping the Noctis from destroying even more of her life, she would pick the latter without question.

But how do I choose to stop them without sacrificing Eko? They’ve cursed him, and they might kill him. I might be about to lose my brother, and to Nigreos and Lunara of all people!

“Please, Luna,” she begged, barely holding back her tears. “I can’t join you. I just can’t. But please don’t kill Eko. Please!”

Lunara’s shoulders slumped with disappointment, her hand lowering back down to her side as she regarded Album with annoyance. “Then go away. So long as you two don’t interfere, I won’t activate the Teritus. I’ll give you a minute to get out of here but after that, I never want to see you again unless you’re ready to see reason.”

Album glanced at her brother, knowing that was the best option for them, but when she looked at his face, she saw determination. Even without saying anything, she knew he was not going to walk away. He would attempt to kill Lunara before she could activate it, or at the very least, sever her ring finger. His bright blue eyes shifted to gaze into hers, but what he said to her was not what was communicated.

“Very well, Album. It seems we’re outmatched.”

“Get ready. I’m going for it. I can’t walk away”

Lunara nodded at Eko’s statement, still appearing disappointed in their decision but relieved that she didn’t have to kill them. It seemed genuine, like she truly thought Eko was not going to try anything, and it was that clear belief that pushed him to act. Album heard him whisper under his breath, “Ilumine”.

No! Eko, don’t!

But she couldn’t bring herself to call out to him, knowing that if she did, she would take away his element of surprise. Eko Luz made his choice, his body turning into a pure white light that flashed him straight towards where Lunara stood beside Nigreos. The young woman didn’t seem to realize what had happened before Eko was upon her, his hand extended towards her left arm, his earlier ball of light ready to be fired. For a moment, Album thought he had succeeded at severing that arm, but her hope was removed instantly upon seeing Luna awkwardly yanked to the side, allowing Eko blast to pass harmlessly into the grated catwalk. Lunara hadn't been ready, but Nigreos had been, and given that he would know his magic was useless in defending against light, he used his shadows to pull Lunara out of harm's way before moving against Eko himself.

“No, Nigreos, stop!” Album shrieked, instinctively summoning her own magic as she raised her hand and cast Luminetta without thought.

A beam of light pierced Nigreos’s chest, searing through his body and causing him to grunt with pain, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. She wasn’t even sure she had fired to kill, and as she watched shadows explode towards her brother, she had a sickening feeling that indecision would haunt her for the rest of her life.

A flicker of orange appeared just behind Nigreos, barely visible with the dark mage in the way. Abruptly, Eko’s body returned to flesh, as if his spell had been canceled somehow, which gave Nigreos an opening to wrap his shadowy tendrils around the young man and furiously throw him back towards where Album was still standing. Eko hit the grate with an audible crash, and as he attempted to push himself back to his feet, Album saw in his skin a dull orange glow just beneath the surface.

No…

Eko’s eyes were wide, his hand raising to his chest as the realization of his failure hit him. Her brother turned his head to look back at her, and she could see him debating whether he should charge the Noctis and try to take them down with him. Yet, both of them knew that they would be able to escape into the shadows, so instead, his eyes shifted to concern for Album’s safety.

“No, no, no…” Album uttered. “Eko… No…”

“Damn it all, Eko!” she heard Lunara shriek somewhere in the distance. “Why couldn’t you have just walked away?!”

His features were already contorting with pain, the accompanying glow getting brighter just like it had in the moments before Acostav died. Her older brother was certainly in extreme agony, but even so, he forced a smile and barely choked out, “I love you, Album. Sorry.”

“EKO, PLEASE!”

But screaming and begging and pleading was not going to stop what had already started. Eko cast Ilumine, returning his body to his energy form, but this time, he did not target the Noctis siblings. Instead, before she could reach out and stop him, he flashed upwards and into the sky, seemingly trying to get as high up as he could.

“EKO!” Album rushed to the railing, tears forming in her eyes as she watched him ascend like a shooting star, before the light turned a bright orange, the spell was canceled, and the dark silhouette of Eko Luz, bathed in flames, plummeted lifelessly down towards the Fifth Ring.