This is the choice I chose to make.

This is the choice I chose to make.

This is the choice I chose to make.

Irene repeated the words to herself thrice as she parried the blade attacking her. With her friends, she tried to go easy on them and possibly…end up making them disappear. This battle will prove to be her hardest because not only is she battling Leviathan, she is also battling Suho.

“Bahamut, you are one cruel Astral,” Irene said to herself. “Not only did you brainwashed my friends and made them disappear. You do the same to my husband!”

Irene shouted the last sentence after parrying another attack from Suho. Like her friends, he wears an armor mimicking fish/mermaid scales and he has dark blue lifeless eyes. Earlier she tried to talk him out of whatever spell he is under but nothing seems to be working. If only she had the Ring of the Lucii, despite the blood contract she would use it to vanquish what spell Suho is under.

Exhaustion is close as Irene continues to reluctantly fight Suho. To gather her thoughts and decide a plan of attack, Irene cast a shield around herself. While Suho attacks her shield, Irene quickly downed a potion to heal herself. She is suddenly reminded of what she saw occurred in one Ardyn’s memories.

In that memory, Ardyn is approached by an evil apparition of his Somnus who forces him to kill Aera. That very event is what lead to Ardyn’s decision to turn against his fate and plot to bring down the Lucis Caelum born from Somnus.

“My God,” Irene whispered in realization. “He’s making me relive what he put Ardyn through, somewhat similarly.”

Before Suho breaks down her shield, Irene cast a spell to temporarily petrify him. Looking up to the sky, Irene began to shout to Bahamut.

“You have me right where I am, so why don’t you show yourself!”

A flash of light appears from Suho, enveloping him then Irene who covers her eyes to block out the bright light. Irene opens her eyes and finds herself along with an unconscious Suho in a world that resembles the sky when the dawn rises. Rushing to Suho, Irene lightly tries to wake him up.

“Please open your eyes, Suho,” Irene said, placing her hand on his cheek. “Please don’t disappear as our friends did.”

Suho’s body suddenly floated upwards before disintegrating into the air, leaving Irene to stare blankly in shock.

“NO!” Irene shouted in tears, brandishing her sword. “Show yourself, Bahamut!”

Irene turned in a circle, unsure how Bahamut would appear.

“Foolish girl,” A disembodied, deep voice replied. “Had I known you would be so weak; I would never choose you to sit on the throne.”

A crack appeared before Irene’s eyes as an armored figure slowly appeared from the crack. Irene backed away as she held her sword in front of her. Bahamut seems to not have changed based on what Irene saw in the memories. Unlike his companions, he wore a mask to hide his face. Everyone sees Bahamut as the leader of the Astrals due to his golden armor along with his kingly presence.

Irene secretly powered up her sword as she aimed a strong fire spell at Bahamut, aiming to unmask him. Bahamut, unprepared, did nothing to stop the spell from hitting him. Irene stared at his face intently in anger, she frowned when she saw what he looked like.

“Were you expecting the face of a monster?” Bahamut replied casually.

“Maybe,” Irene said, still holding her sword. “I find you more monstrous with a human face like that.”

The only being to ever catch a glimpse of the face of Bahamut was Noctis Lucis Caelum. Based on what he saw, Bahamut closely resembles the very men he chose to be the one True King. In other words, it is no coincidence Somnus and Noctis were chosen. They both have a face that looks like the one Bahamut has.

“If you chose your descendants with a similar face to you, then why was I chosen?”

Bahamut slowly waved a hand in front of his face. Irene let out a surprised gasp at seeing Bahamut with her face! Momentarily distracted by Bahamut’s face, Irene remembered what she was there for. Raising her sword at Bahamut, she spoke aggressively.

“What did you do with Suho and my friends?!”

“I did what I have to do to make you the best Queen. To accomplish that I needed to weed out your weakness.”

“Weakness?” Irene scoffed. “They were not weaknesses; they are people who I loved.”

Irene powered up her sword, still aiming it at Bahamut.

“Because they are people that I loved, you will bring them back to me. I do not mind ending your existence to get what I want.”

Bahamut smirked, “Well then, I like to see you try.”

~~~~~

It felt like an equivalent exchange with the decision she had to make. Bahamut was still the cruelest being she ever met. After defeating him, he chose to rub it in that he can bring her friends back but he cannot do the same to Suho. The reason is that Suho is not real, he was a mere distraction Bahamut created to test Irene.

Begrudgingly, Irene demanded he brings back her friends. She also forced him to give her the ability to be immortal. Her reason is simple, to stop Bahamut from doing the same to any future Lucis Caelum descendants. Irene is determined to be the last Lucis Caelum of her time.

Asleep on her throne and with a smile on her face, Irene looked peaceful. On her lap is a photograph she still holds onto like a precious treasure. It was a photo of her wedding to Suho.

Even if you’re a fantasy that’ll disappear once I open my eyes

I won’t let you go.

I won’t wake from this dream baby.

Forever, I got you, you got me

Love you till kingdom come

-Red Velvet, Kingdom Come