The reaction was vehement and visceral. Prompto recoiled, less struggling now and more shrinking back against the cross-shaped mechanism he'd been strapped to, his breathing gone high and shallow, eyes wide. The color had drained completely from his face, making his freckles and bruises stand out starkly.

"N-no..."

The terror surged up, sharp and raw, the burst of adrenaline flooding his veins. He couldn't move. It left his heart pounding, vision tunneling. All he saw was Ardyn's smile-- and, in his mind's eye, the rows of clones suspended in fluid, rows and rows of faceless armored soldiers.