Author's Note: I'm back from hiatus, baby, and we are back on schedule(ish) for the next installment! Hope you enjoy the chapter and I hope you enjoy New Year's Eve!

I also decided to put in the summaries I put in for AO3. Figured it would be fun to put them here and give you an idea what I have in store. Enjoy!

Summary: Arise! Come forth and unearth the very depths of hell!

"Abomination, rise!"

Magic on the isles is like a muscle; the more you cast a spell, the stronger that it would become. Starting from a young age, young witchlings would habitually start casting spells in mimicry of their heroes or idols, often preferring one type of magic over the other. And little by little, their spell would evolve, reflecting the castor and intertwine itself to their growth. That's why it is a hallmark of every great witch and coven leader to have at least one signature spell, one that they can cast as easily as the breath they take.

Understanding the intricacies of the spell also helps to bolster the strength and responsiveness of the spell as raw talent tends to falter when faced with a practiced skill. Knowledge, like how the spell would bend nature to your will or how it affects the target, would allow the witch the opportunity to refine their craft.

Hence, those spells that were taken to the utmost pinnacle of their craft would always appear different when compared to the same spell casted by a novice. With fire magic, the flames would burn brighter and hotter, often being inextinguishable by anything except the castor's will. For bard magic, their melody would be like the sirens of old, captivating an entire nation with a single strum of a harp. For divination, the sight of the near future seamlessly blending onto reality is a harsh mistress, often making the witch go mad with truth.

That is why it is recognized by the denizens of the Boiling isles that Abomination magic is one of the most difficult types of magic to learn and master. Construct magic such as this often relies on many components to even attempt, with one odd mistake interfering with the entire process if not handled correctly. Knowing which ingredients worked best with one another, what size and medium would be used, and how fast should it appear are one of the many conundrums plaguing this path of magic. Few even dare to approach this route as it was not uncommon to hear of an Abomination go wild after it was summoned, harming their master and their surroundings. Fewer still stay to master it.

With scarcity, however, comes value. Those that have completed their studies in Abomination magic would see themselves lauded over as having legions of creations at their disposal would quickly persuade those around them.

One would often see an accomplished Abomination act more lifelike than a standard automaton, acting with a grace rarely seen from creatures normally born from herbs and animal components. Their outward structure would also appear denser, their material readily solidifying to form a near-impenetrable barrier and creating a perfect bodyguard or soldier. Nonetheless, the summoning speed of an Abomination is always a place of contention within scholar circles as it is often seen that with hasty casting leads to poor results. If the witch was too impatient or ill-prepared for the arduous task of melding the ingredients together, they would find a puddle instead of a giant. If they were lucky, that is.

That was what Amity was taught to obey in the beginning. To understand that this was the way of life in learning Abomination magic.

That idea was slowly being broken with each passing day that she spent with Ms. Mora.

With a simple twirl of the demon's wrist, Mora conjured a great number of Abominations rising from small pots and urns littered in the training yard. Each stream of colourful ooze coalesced into several Abominations of many shapes and sizes, each one harboring a unique trait to them.

'Incredible…,' Amity whispered back then, 'How can you summon so many? I thought the strain of maintaining this many Abominations would be too much, even with smaller Abominations!'

'Witches nowadays often restrict themselves rigidly in how to use their magic, even with the recent efforts of mixing two or more types of magic with one another' Mora explained with a perplexing mix of disappointment and nostalgia, 'Abomination magic is no exception as I have seen many witches approach this path thinking that it is merely broken down to its components. They are wrong of course.'

Amity watched as Mora drew one construct closer, this one quadrupedal and nearly resembling a wolf-like creature with its fangs and lean figure. Amity was soon surprised when the construct gently nuzzled its face into Mora's side, drawing a fond look from Mora's eyes.

'I thought Abominations aren't supposed to feel emotions?' Amity asked, 'Aren't they just like golems?'

'Not necessarily, my dear,' Mora warded the wolfen creature away and began deftly writing on the ground with the butt of her crook, 'Magic is tied with our emotions and mind, Ms. Blight, and how we approach it influences the cast.'

'If one is angry, expect the spell to go awry or be much too powerful than expected. If one is calm or collected, the easier it is to use more demanding spells. If one is filled with grief or pain, it is not uncommon to find a witch briefly unable to use their magic.'

'I…I see,' Amity intently listened to Mora's words of wisdom as the demon continued to write in the snow, 'So how does this tie in with Abomination magic?'

'Abomination magic is situated with a unique disposition when compared to other magic, Ms. Blight,' Mora continued anew, this time bringing closer another Abomination much larger than the last one. This one carrying itself with it's back straight and holding an air of dignity to it.

'What do you see, Ms. Blight?'

'I…,' Amity looked at it intently that day, but nothing clicked. To her, it looked like a normal Abomination but the way it carried itself was unsettling for some reason, 'I'm sorry, Ms. Mora but I don't know.'

'That is alright, Ms. Blight. It is nothing to be ashamed of,' Mora assured. 'What you are seeing is an Abomination carved to reflect someone I once knew.'

'Really?' Amity observed carefully at the construct and finally noticed key differences when compared to the usual featureless summons of normal Abominations. There were subtle nubs beside on the side of their ears akin to ears and when their arms pulsed with magic like a heartbeat, Amity could briefly see the outline of a scar etched into their left shoulder. If she looks closer, she can see the scar flow down and reach its chest.

'Yes. I assume that you know that magic tends to shape itself to us?' Amity nodded. 'Summoning magic is no different as it is directly tied to how we see and experience the world, Ms. Blight. You see, unlike many popular opinions floating about, magic does not want to feel caged or docile. Trying to rein it into a single, solidified form is often why many a summon destabilize or run amok in the first place.'

'And our mind? What does that have to do with this?'

'Everything, my dear. Our mind provides our magic an outlet to adhere to; our imagination and experiences providing a foundation for it to build upon. Our mind helps the summon shape itself into something we know, creating a construct both easier to control and stronger in presence. The stronger the feeling or memory, the more readily would shape itself to it.'

'But how does that make sense?' Amity asked, 'If our magic doesn't want to be restrained, then why does it want to mold itself like that? It seems contradictory.'

Mora gave a small chuckle at the barb, slightly easing Amity, 'Magic was born from a living being, Ms. Blight, and it acts in ways even I don't understand. That knowledge was unfortunately lost in time and I don't have the answer you seek. But I can offer a theory.'

'And that would be?'

'That our magic wants to take form into something that we hold dear. If we try to summon something that is essentially an empty husk, it will try to seek out something to give it purpose or life. That is why my summons are like this, Ms. Blight.'

'Now, we spent a great amount of time discussing magic where we should be practicing. Let's get to it, shall we?'

When Mora asked her to summon her Abomination freely, Amity was a bit skeptical at the prospect even with Mora's gentle reassurance. Amity knows firsthand that her large summons were unstable, a fact drilled and beaten into her head with every failure, and yet when she tried to warn Mora once more, the demon gave a small nod.

'Not to worry, Ms. Blight, I will make sure that nothing goes awry. Now, summon your Abomination with no restrictions. I would like to see what I will be working with.'

With Mora's words, Amity repressed the embers of doubt burning her mind and began to focus. With one deep breath, she spun a magic circle in the air, and felt the magic rush through her veins. When she shouted the command phrase, she expected nothing less but a disappointing gurgle or a disembodied creature.

So, when the large urn utterly shattered in a burst of purple ooze, Amity quickly took several steps back with her mouth agape in surprise with what she sees in front of her.

It was an Abomination bigger than her usual medium class summons but not nearly big enough to qualify as a large class Abomination. The construct was textbook, humanoid in shape but lacking in physical features except for a grim smile and sunken eye sockets. Although, sporadic ripples moving along the outline of the body betray the steadiness of the form. Yet, when the Abomination took an experimental step into the world without any additional command and without collapsing under its own weight, Amity felt a weight fall from her shoulders.

Amity can clearly remember what Mora said that day, never forgetting feeling that the demon was impressed at what she saw.

'Remarkable,' Amity remembers Mora prodding the construct's form with her Shepard's crook, the purple mass conforming to the added weight but no less retaining the form, 'To summon such a creature like this at your age is an achievement. I must commend you, Ms. Blight, as it seems that you are quite the witch indeed.'

Amity cheeks slightly warm at the compliments a few days ago, a small smile gracing her lips as she practices her summoning again. 'I just put in a lot of effort,' She remembers saying to Mora hesitantly, eyeing the construct with suspicion, 'But you don't have to lie. I know that this is a terrible Abomination. I can't even get it to stabilize right and I summoned it too quickly too.'

'Is that such a bad thing, Ms. Blight?'

"You are losing focus, my fledgling. Concentrate at what is in front of you!"

Amity snaps herself back into reality with not a moment to soon as she barely ducks under the stream of fire hurtling towards her. She chides herself at her mistake, softly growling under her breath at the uncomfortable heat nearly striking her. Subconsciously, she draws her Abomination closer to her, it's arm hovering over her to block any oncoming spells.

"Abomination, attack!" With a guttural shout, the construct at her side charged towards a hooded figure clad in a cloak of white and holding a white staff topped with a carving of a raven. The Abomination's fists were poised to crash down on the figure's small frame yet with a mighty shudder, its fists met snow and dirt instead. Undeterred, the Abomination threw several more attacks to appease its master's orders, making sure that the enemy was too pressured to focus. However, the figure deftly weaved through the clumsy attacks of the monster, revealing a grace honed from years of practice and experience. With a single, well-timed blow to the Abomination's temple with their staff, the construct gave one last cry of defiance before dissolving into a pile of sizzling ooze. Amity only had a few seconds to realize that the figure was upon her before being knocked off her back, wheezing at the sudden loss of gravity and breath.

"I believe that it is my win once again, Amity." The hooded figure proclaimed, their voice remaining steady even after dodging continuous attacks in the snow. Amity twisted her head to look at the figure, groaning in pain and eliciting a small huff from the figure.

"Now, is that how we should treat our defeats, Amity?" A hand was quickly placed in front of her face, its pale skin nearly matching the white of the snow dusting the cloth around it.

"No, Ms. Lilith…," Amity brings herself up, accepting the hand given to her by Lilith. With a sigh of discontent, she wipes away the patches of snow on her clothing as Lilith looks expectedly at her behind her hooded visage, "We should always treat it as someplace to learn."

"Exactly." With a swift tug, Lilith removed her hood, revealing her pale and undeterred visage combined with her tired yet caring blue eyes. She takes two small leather canteens tied to her belt and offered one of them to Amity, "Drink, Amity. We've been practicing since the dawn and you need to be refreshed."

"Thank you, Ms. Lilith," With tired hands, Amity grabs the canteen, twisting the cap and greedily drinking its contents. The cold flow of water going down her throat was refreshing to feel after several hours of hard work.

"Aah…," With a satisfied sigh, Amity put away the canteen and wiped away the last of the moisture around her lips with Lilith doing the same.

"You've improved remarkably," Lilith announced abruptly, making Amity warm up in pride, "And that is no lie either. You're Abominations have been steadily improving in both stature and stability in the past few days."

"Thank you, Ms. Lilith," Amity nearly burst in excitement after hearing the announcement from her long-time mentor, "I've been working hard to get it right for my assignment."

Lilith surprises Amity when the cobalt-haired witch released a good-natured laugh, "I can see that! It is rare to see someone so young to flourish like this. You should be proud."

Amity doesn't bother to hide the large smile donning on her face, "Y-You're too kind, Ms. Lilith."

"Although, I must ask," Lilith walked up to Amity's Abomination, her eyebrows furrowed as she analyzes the creature, "I didn't realize Hexside included in their curriculum to modify Abominations from their usual template. Has this been a recent development?"

Amity eyes widened and opened her mouth before she has a chance to stop herself, "Yes, actually. Well, not entirely. I just so happened to add in a couple things and my professor was more than willing to allow it for my assignment. Is that too bad?" Internally, Amity cringed at her poor excuse of a lie. Lilith was a leader in the Council's Coven, and she can no doubt investigate her claims easily. Even thinking about lying to her was twisting her stomach into knots, no less even uttering the lie.

However, what else can she say? That she magically teleported into a mysterious forest and met a stranger that just so happened to have magical components that were once thought to be extinct? Who would believe her?

Granted, Amity's time with Mora was proven fruitful, albeit with some strange side effects. After each school day, she finds herself drawn back to Mora and the demon's quaint residence for training. It was difficult to deceive her mother that she was heading to Mora's place, saying that she found an empty yard, to train but once Amity said that it was to improve her prowess and mistakes, Odalia was quite pleased and let her go.

And the results of such trickery were found with her Abomination. In such a short period of time and with several training bouts against Mora, her handling in controlling her Abomination was getting better considerably. Standing in front of Lilith was an Abomination barely passing her height, the sunken black holes for eyes were staring down at her form and its body was built for strength and resilience. It's arms and legs were the size of tree trunks with enough power to tear the ground asunder with little prodding. However, when she first casted it against Lilith, she felt something nudge in her mind, like it was calling to her. With Mora's talk about how magic interacts with its user, Amity allowed it to flow and was stunned to find out what she summoned.

The Abomination was shaped with a crystal indentation in the center of its chest and where its ears would be was replaced with two dangling orbs of ooze. Under one of its eyes was even one singular darkened dot.

As ridiculous as it sounds, her Abomination harbored some traits from Emira, her incorrigible yet well-meaning sister. When she first realized it, she was shocked, but she had no time to dawdle as Lilith immediately began the sparring session.

"Amity," Lilith called, her back turned towards the hulking construct, "It is not bad to do such things. It is your magic after all and if it helps improve it, then I'll gladly let it pass."

"Really?!"

"Amity, I may be a part of the Council's Coven, but I am your mentor for the better part of the years. As long at it doesn't directly harm you or anyone around you, then I think we can work with what you are doing."

Amity looks down, not in shame but in embarrassment from the praise, the tips of her eyes reddening from her mentor's words, "You're too kind, Ms. Lilith. Shall we begin again?"

"Yes," Lilith walked to the side of the field that they were in and rummaged through the large rucksack placed there, "However, we won't be doing another spar seeing that we have been fighting one another since this morning. I was thinking that we should practice maneuverability again as I cannot stress how important it is to dodge."

"Yes, Ms. Lilith," With a small sigh, Amity took her spot opposite to Lilith and prepared for the incoming swarm of razorflies that Lilith will release. Call it old-fashioned but it did condition her and her Abomination to become better at evading mobile threats. Granted, it did get tedious at times as Lilith would tend to default to lessons developed by her Coven, always repeating it to the point that Amity already memorized the steps to it.

Maybe that was why it was refreshing to go to Mora in the first place? Unlike Lilith who would always encourage Amity to follow the tried-and-true method of learning magic, Ms. Mora simply shook her head when Amity showed her how she did her magic, saying that it was too rigid.

'While I do enjoy seeing how magic has evolved, it does get tiring to see how your teachers at Hexside tend to forget about the simple things.'

However, each time that the demon mentioned something like that, Amity's curiosity was piqued, the pyre of knowledge within her mind burning brightly as she wants to know more about the demon.

During the tedium of dodging the sharp wings of the razorflies as she memorized the strike pattern long ago when they clipped her visage, she remembers the one question she asked the demon.

'You keep saying things like that, Ms. Mora. Forgive my rudeness but how exactly long have you've been alive on the isles?'

The demon sighed when she asked that question and Amity took note of the weariness haunting her eyes. The demon slumped on a nearby tree trunk, an unseen weight weighing on her shoulders as she opens her mouth to speak, 'Too long, Amity. Too long.'

Amity ducks from an attempted lunge from the razorfly swarm and sent her Abomination to handle it before she gets too lost in her own thoughts and gets hit. Seeing that she has some breathing room, Amity tries to recall just what happened on that day when Mora revealed that particular nugget of knowledge.

'I know that demons that can live long lives, but the oldest recorded lifespan of a demon is still around 2-3 centuries. Even then, none had knowledge about magic like you did or even had access to extinct creatures. Just how old are you? Better yet, who exactly are you?'

'There are things best left forgotten from the annals of history, Ms. Blight.' Mora uttered morosely, her hold on her crook tightening as her visage hardened, 'I'm just a simple herbalist making do on her lonesome.'

Amity remembers the fateful day that she pieced it together. It was the nearly a full week when she first went to Mora for guidance on her Abomination magic and a day when Mora told her story. She remembered how her magic was seamless but archaic, her materials littered with extinct creatures from ages long past, and how she seemed guarded at times as if she were being targeted. There was one explanation for this but at the time, it was a leap of faith and it would have caused an uproar if it gets out.

'You're from the Age of Emperors, aren't you?'

Mora paused during their training; her brown eyes surprised yet saddened at the time.

'Yes,' Mora answered quietly as if haunted, 'Yes, I am.'

"Amity, I believe it is time to call it off now." The swarms of razorflies flew back into an open container held by Lilith, their loud buzzing quieting as they entered their chamber filled with smoke and incense. "We shall resume tomorrow so that we can touch up you're Abomination before the deadline at the end of this week. Is that fine?"

"Yes, Ms. Lilith," Trying to forget the sense of foreboding from remembering that a relic of a time of strife was amongst them, Amity walked over to Lilith to clean up the area. Though, in the middle of cleaning the field, Amity nearly slapped her forehead when she remembers that she still has her Abomination active. With a raised hand, Amity has her mouth open to speak but she was cut-off before she says the command from a voice behind her.

"Lilith, how is my daughter this morning?"

Amity freezes in place when she hears the familiar baritone that she grew up with at her time in the manor. She turns around stiffly, her eyes filled with false bravado as she sees someone that was missing for a long time.

He was moderately built but he held himself with the undeterred authority of the member of the Council. He wore a dark purple business suit over a white-collared dress shirt, pristine and unblemished from creases and folds. His face was plain but there were deep lines etched into folds of skin, no doubt from constant stress and scowling, and a goatee of brown hair was left on his chin. His golden eyes showed no compromise, and his brown hair was molded into a professional looking appearance.

"Sir Alador Blight," She hears Lilith announce, "I did not expect you to return so quickly from your trip from the neighbouring isles. Your daughter has been doing great in her training and she has been improving her Abomination magic greatly."

"As expected of a sire of the Blight family." Her father's words were hard and dry, cutting Amity underneath her blank visage, "Step closer daughter, I wish to speak to you."

"Of course, father," Keeping her head high, she steps closer to her father, trying to repress the sense of wrongness when she is always near him. She keeps her back straight and her arms at her sides, just like what she was taught.

She feels her father's hands quickly grasp her chin, forcing her to look into her father's eyes. They were the colour of gold but there was always something unsettling when she sees them. His eyes always felt dull, like the life and spirit was sucked away from them.

"I see that you've been improving quickly, Amity." He starts, his calm voice causing Amity to feel small and wanting to hide away in her room, "Have you finally broken past these barriers that you so foolishly allowed yourself to build?"

"Y-Yes, father, I've-" A harsh flick of his hand struck her chin, dazing her in the throbbing pain.

"Stop that stuttering. It is unbecoming of you." Alador severely states, his eyes uncompromising in the face of such weakness, "Now repeat what you tried to say without such a meaningless stutter."

The air grew quiet, growing in silence as if one could hear a pin drop. Lilith stood off to the side passive and quiet but uncomfortable, her grip on her staff just slightly tightening at the display of disciple.

For Amity, her heartbeat rose, and her hands were slightly shaking. Her father was always like this, his attitude on maintaining a rigid appearance without weakness was absolute in his etiquette lessons. Just once, a fantasy flashed in her mind that her father would just allow this mistake to be forgiven, that no punishment would pass. But they were always wrong. Always wishful.

"Well, Amity." A harsh grip on her shoulder from her father almost caused Amity to grunt in pain, "Are you going to stay quiet as a mouse or will you answer your father?"

Just once, she imagined that her father would be quiet.

A harsh roar resonated from behind her and the earth shook with unrestrained power. A colossal force struck her father squarely in the chest, causing him to launch and land onto the hard bark of a tree, crumpling into the ground in pain.

"W-What?"

"Amity, get down!" Lilith's voice of urgency brought her back from her stupor as she quickly turned around to see her Abomination rumbling with unrestrained chaos and mania. Thinking quickly, she launched herself to the side as Lilith swiftly brought up her staff and struck the Abomination, a red glow permeating from the raven. With a final yell, the Abomination tried to lash out at Lilith, but its fist quickly dissolved into harmless goo, the rest of the body soon following.

"Amity, are you okay?" She can hear Lilith say as she runs towards her.

"W-What just happened?"

"You're Abomination went out of control, Amity," Her mentor's voice was stern but there were notes of concern engraved in it, "You're lucky it didn't target you or else the situation would be much worse."

Her Abomination out of control? She thought that she was able to handle her Abomination by now. "My father," Amity manages to say, "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," Lilith flatly says, helping Amity to stand up from the snow, "C'mon, we have to help him and see if he is okay."

They both hurried to the man's side; his clothes crumpled from the impact of the strike. Amity stood ready as Lilith raised her staff, a white glow permeating from the Raven and emanating towards Alador.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Astonishingly, yes. Your father doesn't seem to have any extreme injuries so it looks like either your father is more durable than he looks or that he must have enchanted his clothes with enhancements."

A groan brought them out of their musings, the light from Lilith's staff ending as Alador's eyes fluttered opened.

"Sir Alador, are you okay?" Lilith asks, kneeling to better look at him.

"I think I am fine," Alador's voice was calm but the sound was different from before. It held no malice or venom but a softness that was left untouched for too long. With a groan, he tries standing up but nearly stumbles before Lilith grabbed him from falling.

"Easy, Sir Alador, you need to take it easy for a bit," Concern was fresh in Lilith's voice, her hands gentle in her hold to keep Alador steady.

"I feel okay actually, just a bit dizzy." He turns to see Lilith, his eyes widening in surprise, "Lilith, is that you?"

"S-Sir?" Lilith recoiled in shock, her grip slackening and causing Alador to fall once again but Amity was there to catch them.

"Father, are you alright?" Amity exclaimed, worry on her face as she feels guilty and responsible for this accident.

"Father?" Alador turned towards Amity, his eyes, lacking a sense of emptiness and filled with life, giving way to confusion and curiosity, "I'm sorry but who are you, child?"

"Father?"

"Alador," Odalia's voice shouted amongst the area, no doubt coming from the manor that was nearby, "Would you kindly return to the manor? We have much to discuss, darling."

At that, Alador turned rigid, his eyes growing dull by the second as he quickly stood up from his spot and brushed the snow off his clothing, "Yes, dear, I will be with you shortly." With a brisk pace and seemingly ignoring what happened moments ago, Alador swiftly removes himself from the field, leaving behind a dumbfounded Lilith and Amity.

"Ms. Lilith," Amity turns toward Lilith who was processing something in her head, "Will my father be okay? You did heal him, right?"

"Yes, I…," Lilith looks like she was remembering a long-forgotten memory before she places her hands gently on Amity's shoulders, "I think its best that you take the rest of the day off, Amity." Before the girl can protest, Lilith gives her a look before proceeding, "I will go talk to your parents and tell them your progress, but I want you to relax for the rest of the day, okay? I don't want a repeat of what happened today with your Abomination, do you understand?"

Amity solemnly nods, "Good. Now, run along now and relax, you earned it." Lilith then turns and walks towards the Blight manor, professional in her posture and stride. With a sigh, Amity quickly packed her things, thumbing the hidden Owl necklace Eda gave her before something abruptly pulls her.

"Oh, Mittens!" Two voices harmonize together, and Amity can't help but have slight exasperation at her luck.

"What do the two of you want?" Amity turns around and sees Emira and Edric look sheepishly at her, their hands behind their back as they balance on the heel of their boots.

"What, can we not say hi to our little sister?" Edric teased but before Amity can berate him, Emira slugged him on the shoulder.

"Emira?! What was tha- Oh, right. Sorry, Em!" Amity was then confused when Edric took one look at Emira's disapproving face and even more confused when Edric actually apologized for something.

"Okay, what is this about?" Asks Amity, her arms crossed as her impatience was quickly rising, "Is this some type of elaborate prank? I still haven't even forgiven you for last time. Titan, even if you did help clean my room and write that letter that one time, don't expect me to lenient after what you've done."

"That's actually what we came here to say," Emira states, causing Amity to look dumbfounded at her older sister, "We know that we've overstepped our boundaries and made you uncomfortable so I guess you can say that we're sorry."

"Yeah, we're really sorry for putting you through that," Edric added who was twiddling his thumbs, "We just were really worried about you, Amity. You're our baby sister and it would kill us if you got hurt.

Amity stares at Edric and back to Emira. She looks at their faces and they look genuinely sincere. However, remembering what they did to her, she still chooses to cross her arms and return to her gruffness with a huff, "And how can I start to possibly trust you after what you two did?"

"How about that we don't annoy you with invasive pranks or teasing for the next 2 months?" Edric offered. Amity hummed, slightly nodding at the offer as getting the twins off her back for that long means that they were quite serious in what they were doing.

"That seems fair," Emir and Edric cheered but they were hushed when Amity gave the both of them a harsh glare, "But I still would like to have something else in this promise of yours."

"Well, we happened to briefly hear that you are going to relax for the rest of the day and we just so happened to nab this!" Emira announces as she brings out something from her back pocket, "How about a ticket to the hottest sensation that has been sweeping the isles lately?"

"Emira, you know that I don't like going to your concerts."

"Not that, Mittens! Have you heard of the Owl House Troupe?"

Amity's stomach flipped from the mention of the group and she stares at Emira, "Why? What's up with them?"

"They just so happen to be having a big show tonight! Think about it, wild wonders of arts and sound merged into a single night of fun! C'mon, it's gonna be great for you!"

"Okay," Amity tried to remain calm and not give any indication that she knows them personally, "But how are they doing this? Aren't they wanted by the Council?"

Edric waves off Amity's concern, "Don't worry! They got it all handled and the Council won't do anything that would harm a bunch of innocent witches in one spot."

"Sure," Amity sarcastically says, "And if I go, you two won't cause me any trouble at all?"

"We promise!" They say together. Amity sighs. She knows that her siblings' hearts are in the right place but is it wise to offer them this olive branch. She looks at the ticket, feeling uncertainty in her stomach. On the other hand, after what happened today with her Abomination and her father, maybe this one time won't hurt?

"Alright, I'll go." The twins cheered from Amity's announcement, "But I hope that you two will honour our agreement."

"We won't do anything to break it, Mittens!" Edric stated.

"Yeah, we promise you that we will be on our best behaviour." Emira adds.

Amity rolls her eyes, a small smile on her lips, "Alright, you two. Now pass the ticket, okay? I'll be spending the rest of the day relaxing so try not to bother me?"

"Will do, Mittens!" With another grumble from Amity, she was given the ticket from Emira and walked away from the two, feeling lighter than before.

"Now what is this all about?" Amity whispers to herself as she looks over the ticket. It was well made, the illustrations and colours merging well to catch the eye of anyone. However, something on the corner of the paper catches her attention.

"Wait, is that a-?" She brushed her finger along a small shape etched into the paper and she soon found herself feeling the now telltale rush of space flying past her and landing unceremoniously on a wooden seat.

"I really have to stop doing that," She grumbles as she took in where she is. She was in a large open room filled with a multitude of seats akin to a stadium, but it was largely empty saved for her and a costumed figure walking up to her.

"We are currently in the middle of rehearsals," The figure called out from far away, stepping closer and closer as they continue, "I am sorry, but I have to ask you to-," The figure stops in front of her, their gold mask and colourful, puffy clothing catching her attention.

"Kid, is that you? What are you doing here?"

Amity raises an eyebrow, "I'm sorry but do I know you?"

"Oh right. Sorry, Kid, one sec." The figure took of their mask, revealing a large mane of grey hair from behind their head and a toothy grin directed her.

"Eda?!"

"The one and only," Eda proclaims with a bow, "Missed me, Kid?"

Amity let out a small laugh, "I guess so, I've just been busy practicing my Abomination magic lately."

"Ugh, nerd stuff," Eda let out a blanch, causing Amity to chuckle at the absurdity, "That's why I went to showbiz, Kid. Much easier to entertain a crowd than to handle your kind of stuff."

"Really?"

"Yep, you have no idea how easy it is to enchant people with my expertise."

"Interesting," Amity took a quick glance around at the empty area, "By the way, where's Luz? I expected her to be around here if you are doing something this big."

"Ooh, right," Eda gave a slightly pained look, "Sorry, Kid, but Luz had to call it quits tonight. Still sick from last time, you see?"

"Oh. Well then, when you see her, can you tell her that I hope that she gets better? Don't want her to feel too bad in missing out something like this."

Eda chuckles, "Will do, Kid. I'll tell her that you're worried about her. Anything you want to do though? The show won't be until much later and we still have loads of time."

Amity bites the corner of her lip, "Actually, I am wondering if you know where Ms. Mora is."

"Really, Kid? You want to practice more magic at a time like this? Haven't you done enough already?"

"Something just came up during my training with Ms. Lilith," Amity could have sworn that Eda's form stiffened but she must have imagined it after the rush of events today, "And I need to see her for some guidance."

With a small huff, Eda summons her staff and draws a portal from the air, "If you say so, Kid. By the way, Mora's been acting a tad skittish since your last visit. Did you say something to her?"

"No, I don't think so," Amity lies through her teeth, averting her eyes so that she does not look at Eda directly.

"Okay then. Well, have fun, kiddo!"

"Yeah, yeah," With a roll of her eyes, she hops through the portal and lands neatly near Mora's abode.

"Ms. Mora!" She shouts in the gnarled forest, "It's Amity! I need your help with something!"

The forest of eerily quiet, the wind still and the insects silent in their song. Amity ventured further into the forest, curious as to why Mora or even Lobos hasn't appeared yet.

"Hello?" She shouts, "Ms. Mora? Lobos? Anyone there?"

A rustle of grass beside her catches her attention and she quickly rushed her way over.

"Ms. Mora? Is that you? It's me, Amity! Something weird happened and I need your help with it!" She makes her way over, the thick branches and foliage revealing a shack under a canopy of branches.

"That's weird." Amity says to herself, "This isn't where Mora has her home. Maybe this is another place they live or someone they know?"

Ignoring the feeling of trepidation and cautiousness, she walks up to the front door and knocks, "Hello? Anyone home?"

Silence answered her.

"Great, what do I do now?" A rustling of leaves catches her attention and walks toward the sound, leading her the side of the house.

"Is anyone- LOBOS!" She sees Lobos barely able to stand, the gelert covered in fresh wounds and his pristine brown coat stained with red blood.

"Lobos, what happened?" Amity barely was able to reach Lobos before the gelert collapsed, Amity panicking when she realized that Lobos was breathing shallowly.

"Oh no no no, what do I do?" Amity tries to pick up Lobos but the heavy weight of the gelery causes her to barely move him.

"Amity, is that you?" Amity snaps up and sees Mora rushing out of the forest covered in scratches and wounds.

"Ms. Mora, what happened to you and Lobos?!"

"We have no time, Ms. Blight. We must hurry or it may be too late. Quickly now, to the house." Mora deftly carries Lobos with her arms and rushes the gelert inside the house with Amity following quickly.

Lobos was quickly placed on a large bed, the blood quickly turning the white sheets into crimson.

"Amity, I need you to watch over him and dress his wounds while I assemble the ingredients necessary for a salve for his wounds." Mora was a whirlwind of action as she hurriedly gathered a mortar and pestle, and a satchel for gathering ingredients.

"Can't you just use healing magic to heal his wounds?!"

"It won't work, his body can't respond to magic like that."

"W-What!"

"I don't have time to explain this, Amity. I need you to make sure that he doesn't bleed out. Can you do that for me, Amity!" Amity made the mistake in looking at Mora's eyes. They were filled with grief, worry, anxiety, and fear.

Amity gives a determined nod, "I will."

"Thank you, Ms. Blight. I won't be too long." Mora rushes out the door, leaving Lobos to Amity.

"Come back soon," Amity whispers, compressing Lobos' wounds with the bandages given to her by Mora.

The bandages slowly turn from a crisp white to a lush red, and Amity is trying to ignore the sticky feeling of blood between her fingers in favour of keeping Lobos alive.

"C'mon, Lobos, stay with me," Amity mutters as she presses down on the bandages, "I don't know what caused this to you, but Mora won't let you off like this. She'll come back shortly, and you'll be fine.

She can see Lobos one eye at her, his scarred one, and gives a low whine.

"I know that you are hurting but Mora can fix you right up, okay? Just wait a bit longer."

However, something strange began to happen in the cabin with Amity and Lobos.

Amity can feel Lobos' muscles begin to shift, startling Amity from her duty. She takes a step back to see Lobos change shape, his muscles convulsing and changing into a larger, witch-like form with his brown fur receding. Amity held her breath as in the place of Lobos, the gelert, was now a tall, nearly naked, brown haired witch with eyes a startling cobalt. Amity was thankful that somehow the person was covered from the waist below with the bushel of bandages Amity applied to Lobos' wounds.

With his chest exposed, Amity recoiled at the damage covering it. A deep scar, far older than any she has see, was laced around his left should with a line leading to his chest. However, Amity stares in shock as she finds out where the scar line leaves.

It was a large, sunken, scarred hole on his left chest, just where the heart should be.

Amity feels herself grow cold when she realizes that this is what Mora's Abomination emulated.

"Lobos?" She asks with caution, "Is that you?"

The man shuffles, grunting in pain as he sputters out a name, blood lining his lips as he gets it out.

"B-Belos. My name is Belos. W-Where is Kikimora? Where is she?"

Author's Note: If this chapter was a mess to read, I apologize as I have been trying to relax from my exams and working on my other fic. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter as a New Year's Eve gift and a belated Christmas gift.