Game of Insomnia | ✓

Chapter 16: Celebration

|Your Point of View|

After the night I had with Noctis had passed, the next night was the gathering which soon settled after Nyx reintroduced the winners of the game: Lightning, Yeul, Noel and I. The audience clapped their hands and cheered, confetti showering the ballroom. We walked down the stairs and we shook hands with each person we passed by. I scanned the vast room. It was filled with countless people that there were also some standing by the pillars. My eyes immediately darted on a certain person.

Noctis.

He was also looking at me that made my heart beat faster. To be honest, I wasn't used to being the center of attention of so many people. I never felt comfortable standing in public for at least once in my life. And now I just felt more nervous; Noctis proved that to me. Despite of my nervousness, I still kept on stepping down the stairs yet I still made sure not to trip for it would definitely be embarrassing. I was astonished of seeing Lunafreya again who stood near the end of the stairs. I wasn't sure if she was waiting for me. The lady who spoke to me once in Gaia was now here before me.

"May victory be with you all," Luna bowed slightly as I shook her hand gently. "My blessing is finally bestowed upon you."

"Thank you, Lady Lunafreya," I gave her a soft smile.

"You need not to call me Lunafreya, (Y/N). Luna would be just right."

"S-Sure, L-Luna," I felt a little uneasy of calling her by her nickname since she was a former princess, a princess of Tenebrae.

She bowed again and gestured for me to walk onwards, "You don't want them to wait for long, do you?"

"Oh, sorry," I scratched the side of my neck and went on but before so I also gave her a slight bow. The congratulations line repeated for, I guess, more than a hundred times and I also shook hands with countless people I clearly did not know of. I finally heaved a sigh after shaking hands with the last person, but was astounded that the person had jet black hair and blue eyes. "Noctis," I felt my heart skip a beat. "I-I didn't know it was you."

He let out a childish laugh, "Why? Don't tell me you're not expecting for me to congratulate you? I. . . I'm glad you survived the game. Congratulations again, (Y/N)." He lent out a hand and I didn't have a second thought to shake his hand gently.

I slightly looked around. Where was Cloud?

Noctis tilted his head which made me look back at him with wide eyes. "Something bothering you?" He asked.

I looked down, the corner of my lips lifting upwards. "N-Nothing."

"You seem to look for someone."

I startled, "W-What? Me? Looking for someone?" My cheeks blushed. "I. . . I was just wondering where Cloud was. . . I didn't see him in here. Do you know where he is?"

Noctis sighed, "Unfortunately, no. I haven't seen him even this morning."

"Oh, I see. . ." I scratched my head.

There came an awkward silence between the two of us when the music started. The orchestra played a soft, melodic music that gave me nostalgia. I could remember back when Noctis and I were kids, we were running through the palace halls and the instruments played classic music. A smile formed across my lips. Years had actually passed. Eleven years, I guess? The music played and we watched the crowd dance. They all did waltz, and I saw Luna dancing with Prompto. I chuckled at the sight.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Luna and Prompto," I pointed to the couple dancing and then disappearing into the thick mass of crowd. "They're dancing together."

Noctis smiled. "I'm happy you still remember Luna, too."

"How are you guys doing?" I leaned my back on the nearest pillar. Now I was facing him.

"Luna and I. . ." He paused for a while, looked at me that made me feel nervous again and then turned his head away. "The truth is, we never talked again when you. . . when I thought you were dead. The pain was still in our hearts and the two of us didn't dare to talk about you. We only talked the previous week, and I really was not in the mood to talk to Luna that time but Ignis persuaded me to do so. I thought Luna will talk about something unimportant so I wasn't ready to talk to her yet, but when she arrived, she actually came to talk about a serious matter. The Game of Insomnia, I mean. After nine years of no interactions, we finally talked."

I looked down. Should I bring that up?

"What's wrong?" He stared into my eyes, waiting for my answer.

"Is it true that. . . You and Luna are getting married?"

There was an astounding look in his eyes, but his lids lowered and he took a deep breath. ". . . Who told you?"

"Nyx said you're soon to be wed."

Noctis scratched the back of his neck, "It's. . . It's more of a peace treaty. Luna's brother, Ravus, is now an official of the Imperial Army. To make things with Niflheim settled, my father wanted me to marry Luna. So it just sounds like an arranged wedding."

I went silent.

"M-Maybe I shouldn't have said it."

"Congratulations," I smiled, looking up to him, "I hope the peace between Lucis and Niflheim lasts until the end."

Noctis swallowed and didn't respond. Silence came again. The music faded, and soon was replaced by another nostalgic one but this time it was a loud and upbeat one. The woodwind instruments lead the music that made the crowd cheer and hop around, clapping their hands and when the bridge came again, they would change partners. The once serene ballroom drastically changed into a room filled with cheers and joy.

A hand lent out to me, "Care for a dance?"

Without reluctance, I gave him my hand. He ushered me towards the crowd and now blended into the others, dancing around. I wasn't used to dancing and I was surprised that the steps were more difficult than I thought.

The music went on and on and I departed from Noctis, meeting a person and dancing with them. I also stumbled into a big guy by his forties and realized he had been drunk, so I had to deal with him too. The music was near to end. I turned around and saw Noctis again before me. He smiled at me, so did I, then we danced until the end of the music.

Everyone cheered once again. Once the music ended, the doors opened wide and all of us shot our heads to the origin of the sound. However before I would react my attention was caught by someone who appeared out of nowhere from the crowd on my right.

"Cloud! Where were you?" I was about to run to him but he had already walked up to us. He only looked at me and then to Noctis. The two exchanged looks, which made me confused. Then Cloud set his eyes upon the man wearing a hat who entered the ballroom so suddenly. "Is that guy over there trying to make a scene? He could've just opened the doors normally the way others did," I whispered to Noctis, who shrugged but took a step forward and had his eyes fixed on the person. I then looked back at the man and noticed there were a few more men in grey cloaks behind him. I also noticed another man who adjusted his hood, pulling it down more that his face couldn't be identified and soon he disappeared into the crowd.

Where would that guy go?