Breathing heavily as she laid against her Chocobo, Irene downed a bottle of potion to heal her injuries. Despite knowing her injuries are healed, Irene could not stop holding onto the arm where she got injured. Tears were falling as Irene let out sobs, she tried to keep quiet.

“Why?” Irene sobbed. “Why did it have to come to this?”

She realized she should have seen it coming the moment Ardyn warned her of Bahamut and the Astrals. Perhaps if she did not put Suho before her friends, maybe their fate would be different. It would mean she would not have to fight them, not hear them speak their true feelings of what they think of her. Irene could deal with what other people said about her but she draws a line at her friends saying cruel things about her.

“Do we mean nothing to you? I thought we were friends!”

“No. I treasure you guys as if you were my sisters.” Irene cried out, remembering her fight with Joy.

Irene expected to meet Titan when she arrived at the Disc of Cauthess. She did not think to find Joy there. While she was happy and surprised to see her, she notices how different Joy was acting. She was dressed in a brown armor that resembled meteor and rocks and her eyes were red. Not only that but Irene thought Joy looked taller.

It was only when she started charging at her that Irene realized this is no happy reunion. Joy was not charging at her to hug her like she usually does, she was charging at her to attack her. Irene did not want to hurt Joy but it looks like Joy had no intention of doing the same. It took Irene a while to realize that Joy is not herself is because she is possessed, her eyes may be red but they are lifeless.

“You are supposed to do your duty as a Queen to her people. You were not allowed to be selfish!”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I let my selfish desires get in the way of my duty.”

Irene managed to weaken Joy and attempted to leave only to be stopped by a bolt of thunder grazing past her hair. Looking to the sky, Irene saw Seulgi donned in a green armor while wielding a magical looking staff. Like Joy, her eyes are red and lifeless.

“Love and emotions get in the way. Did I not taught you to never let those out?!”

“I’m sorry I failed you. I can’t even control my emotions.”

The moment Irene found herself shivering, she knew who was next. From a distance, she saw a pale-skinned, silver-haired Wendy in blue armor that looks too revealing. Unlike Joy and Seulgi, her eyes are purple also lifeless.

“Is Suho that important to you? You don’t deserve to be Queen if you value Suho over everyone else!”

“I’m sorry. I cannot help myself loving him.”

The last person was Yeri wearing a red armor adorned with red jewels that resembles fire. Similar to Wendy, she has orange lifeless eyes.

Irene recognizes the appearances her friends now have. They are possessed by the Astrals. It means that this is what Ardyn warned her about. With Bahamut being the leader of the Astrals, he purposely brainwashed her friends to stop her from advancing.

“Has he known what I’ve been planning since I left Insomnia?” Irene wondered as she cast a shield to protect herself.

Irene felt at a loss on how to get out of this situation. She cares for her friends but she cannot bring herself to hurt them. But with them attacking her so aggressively, she might not have any choice but to hurt them.

“I’m sorry it has come to this, guys.”

Being familiar with the weakness of Shiva and Ifrit, Irene went for them first. She let them both attack her and found a way to make sure both of the attacks heading to her hurt them instead. Both Wendy and Yeri are out of the battle.

The next two, Titan and Ramuh, are the most difficult ones to battle. Their weakness is not as open as Shiva and Ifrit. Feeling unsure but determined, Irene chose to use the same method but differently. Instead of having both attacks hurt each other, Irene found a way to separate the attacks. With the sword in her hand, she absorbed the attacks to combine them into one. She then fired the attacks into slashes that severely injured Joy and Seulgi.

Seeing her friends on the ground injured, Irene was tempted to go help them. But she remembers what Bahamut did to them.

“I’m sorry,” Irene said, closing her eyes as she aims her sword at them. “I just hope you guys…will turn normal after this.”

All Irene saw after opening her eyes is a blank spot with the weapons her friends wielded.

After she realized what she did, Irene found herself fearing for the next person. The last Astral left is Leviathan who was the closest to Bahamut. Putting her tears and emotions away, Irene decides to head towards Bahamut.