A clanking sound filled the basement as Eda secured the final lock containing the door Vulkan had come through. It sat on the floor, wrapped in a thick layer of chains, and secured by the multiple locks Eda had spent hours securing.
"Well," Eda started, satisfactorily rubbing her hands together, "That things locked up tighter than Fort Knox… well, maybe not. I actually know how to unlock this! Still can't get past those damn Kentuckian guards. Those bootlickers are first on my list once we get Luz's portal back!"
Eda wiped her brow and made her way up the stairs, happy that she could at least prevent any more freaks from entering the Boiling Isles. She opened the door to the living room upon reaching the top of the stairs and saw Luz sitting on the couch. She was blushing and wrapped tightly in a blanket, while Willow, Lilith, and Gus stared at her with concern. King was also there but he was in the corner trying to eat a box of tissues.
"I mean, I expected her to be surprised, but she hasn't said anything in a while." Willow commented.
"Wait, you knew about this?" Gus asked.
"I'm sorry, what's going on?" Eda asked, unsure of what to make of the situation before her. Well, except for King eating a box of tissues. That was pretty par for the course.
"Well," Lilith Began, "Do you remember how Vulkan mentioned dying before he came through the portal, and how he – obviously – came back to life?"
"Sort of?" Eda responded, "there was a lot going on then. I kind of drifted in and out of the conversation."
"Well, to keep it brief," Lilith continued, "Amity killed Vulkan, then we all came back here, realized Vulkan might have resurrected, and Amity offered to warn the Emperor's Coven."
"What? Why?"
"Because if they're dealing with him, then we aren't." Lilith explained.
"Ha!" Eda snorted, "Quick thinking! Looks like Luz and I are rubbing of on you…" Eda paused, remembering Luz's seemingly troubled state, "Hey, wait, what the heck is going on with Luz? Is she sick or something?"
"Amity kissed her, and she's been like this ever since." Willow nonchalantly explained.
"Hehehe…" Luz shakily chuckled, "I'm fine, Eda! Who's Amity?"
"Oh, so that finally happened?" Eda rhetorically asked.
"Wait, you too?" Gus interrupted, "Seriously, am I the only one who didn't know Amity had a crush on Luz?"
"Yup." Willow flatly answered.
"I was pretty sure it was a thing at the convention." Lilith chuckled, "I don't think Amity even knew at that point!"
"Well, I'm pretty sure King had no idea." Eda pointed out.
"Heh?" King grunted, dropping the cardboard box he was eviscerating, "Had no idea about what?"
"The whole 'Amity having a crush on Luz' thing." Eda explained.
"Guys, I can still hear you." Luz interrupted, bashfully covering her lower face with the blanket.
"Luz!" Gus and Willow shouted in unison before jumping to sit beside her on the couch.
"Are you okay?" Gus hurriedly asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Wait, what?" Luz asked, suddenly pulling her head out from underneath the blanket, "I'm fine! She just kissed me on the forehead, why would I not be okay? My mom does that!"
"Luz, we just watched you mumbling gibberish on the couch for five minutes while in a nearly catatonic state." Lilith dryly pointed out, "Unless you do that every time your mother shows affection, I think it's reasonable to ask if you're feeling okay."
Luz sighed and unwrapped the blanket from around her person, tossing it to the floor.
"I'm sorry, I just… processing." Luz started, "I'm dealing a lot of feelings right now and I'm not sure if they were there before. I never even knew Amity felt like that."
"Seriously?" Eda asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You really didn't know?" Willow chimed in.
"BWAAAAAAAAH!" Hooty bellowed as he launched a volkite beam at some oncoming birds.
"Even I knew…" Lilith pompously started.
"Titan, will you SHUT UP?!" Gus interrupted, prompting gasps from the entire room, "We get it, you're all just so perceptive, congratulations! Aren't you just so much smarter than her for catching on?"
"Well not to toot my own horn, but…" Eda started.
"No!" Gus interrupted, pointing an accusing finger at Eda, "Shut it, dropout, and get to the back of the line! Luz has been teleported to another dimension, had to learn magic, committed light treason, and had to deal with a giant freak trying to kill her friends – so maybe some things slip her mind. Heck, I never caught on, and I skipped two grades! I'm sure it must be a rip-snortin' good time to obsess over the love life of a teenager, but why don't you just let off and let her process for a little while!"
The roomed was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Eda stared abashedly at the ground, Gus's words weighing heavily on her. Willow's right hand covered her mouth as she stared wide-eyed and stunned at Gus, and Luz stared blankly towards the front door, seemingly numb to what had just happened. Even King had paused from his gnashing at paper biproducts to see what the commotion was about. Lilith, seeming unperturbed for her part, took the silence as an opportunity to comment.
"…Witch-puberty?" Lilith smugly asked.
"What? Why do you ask?" Gus asked as he turned towards Lilith, placing his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest, "Do I look taller? Does my voice sound deeper?"
"Lilith, stop." Eda interjected, looking up to her sister with sad eyes, "The kid's got a point, Luz has been through a lot. It isn't our place to butt-in on her personal business."
"Ugh," Luz sighed, "Thanks, Eda."
Luz rose from the couch and approached Gus. She rested on her knees and tightly embraced him, with Gus returning the gesture a short second later.
"Thank you, Gus." Luz said, "I appreciate you sticking up for me, even if it was just puberty-induced rage. And maybe it's just me, but you are looking a little taller, buddy."
Gus's eyes glassed over after a helplessly jovial grin covered his face. His hug with Luz tightened and, after a final squeeze, the two separated. Luz rose to her feet, and she placed a friendly hand on Gus's shoulder and shot him a smile.
"Luz…" Willow reluctantly spoke, "I'm… I'm sorry if we hurt your feelings, we didn't mean anything by it."
"It's fine." Luz replied. Her voice sounded more confident, but also tired and dejected. "I just think I need some time alone. Let me know if anything important comes up."
Luz slowly made her way to the closet that had served as her room since arriving at Bonesborough. The eyes of her friends followed her, concerned over her current state as she drifted into the darkness of the Owl House's long hallway. Thoughts spiraled through Luz's head, some of excitement, and others of anxious uncertainty. She was so lost in her own head that she didn't noticed the rapid huffing and pitter-patter of paws that rapidly approached behind her. Before long she felt a sudden pressure on her leg, caused by a small demon desperately clinging onto her.
"Is… is it okay if I come with you?" King asked, looking up to Luz with emphatic eyes, "I promise not to say anything, but you just seemed kind of down."
Luz couldn't help but smile at the erratic demon's gesture. She might have been more reluctant if someone else had made such an offer, but like Gus, King made no judgement of the events that had recent transpired. She knew his offer was selfless, nothing more than an attempt to help a friend in need. She reached down and gently grabbed King, whose grip on her leg immediately released. She pulled him up to her chest and cradled the demon.
"Of course, little guy." she gingerly replied.
Luz reached the backroom closet and shut the door once inside. She sat down on her sleeping bag and gently placed King near her feet, who padded the surface with his paws and paced in circled until finally settling on a position to sleep in. Once he had stayed, Luz laid her head down to rest. She had no desire to think of the oddly confrontational events that had just occurred in the living room, or her feelings towards Amity. She only wanted some quiet and time alone. To this end she had succeeded, but the lack of sound and darkness of the closet had affected her, slowly weighing down on her eyelids and sending her into a deep slumber. There Luz and King rested, undisturbed by the day's events.
"They don't respect you; you know." a voice whispered in Luz's head.
The voice suddenly awakened Luz. As her eyes opened, she found herself floating in an endless void.
"You've finally found love," the voice beckoned, "But to them, it was all just a game! I can only imagine how it feels, finding yourself at such an emotional crossroad, only for those closest to you to brag and jest about how they knew all along. To treat your feelings like a game of squares at the workplace!"
"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to tell me who you are." Luz said aimlessly into the void.
"Child, I wish I could!" the voice began, "But I will tell you what I can. I come from that door – the same as Vulkan – but my powers are quite limited here. After it was shut, folded, and chained, my abilities to communicate in your realm are quite limited."
"And you think I should trust you because of that?" Luz belligerently answered, "All kinds of weird stuff came out of that door! Vulkan tried to kill my friends!"
"But he didn't!" the voice interrupted, "You understand little of our realm, child. Vulkan thought your friends were elves, correct? Here, they are not the Tolkienian fair-folk you are familiar with – they are torturers and slavers with a sadistic streak. Vulkan was wrong for his destructions, but it was only driven by his own former trauma. And all it took was a kind soul like you to persuade him against his violent urges. And what about those yellow knights that repaired your city, that healed your friend? Surely you cannot think poorly of them!"
"I still don't know anything about you." Luz bluntly replied with a twinge of doubt apparent in her voice, "Why should I trust you?"
"Because in addition to every strange thing you saw leave this realm," the voice answered full of sadistic cunning, "The Emperor Belos was originally from this domain."
Luz tried to respond, but her shock and desire to learn more left her unable to reply.
"Oh, did Edalyn never tell you?" the voice goaded, sensing the effect his words had on Luz, "The first time she opened this door – the only time before Vulkan had entered your realm – someone I considered a confidant had treacherously abandoned me. I had even considered him a friend. I had taught him ways of mystic might that could tear entire worlds asunder, all in the name of knowledge. But apparently his aspirations were greater; he had aspired to conquer entire dimensions with this new magical might. He knew I only had a limited capacity to reach your realm, and so he set up his base of operations. Your dear adoptive mother kept this a secret from everyone, for fear she might have to face repercussions. I only ask your help in bringing this traitor Belos to justice!"
"But…" Luz stuttered, "But how could I help?"
"Oh, sweet child," the voice reassured Luz, "Belos only gained his power from my teachings. You need only have audience with me, and I could turn you into a witch of power infinitely greater than his! Edalyn may have locked the door with lock and chain, but all of the locks are opened by the same key. All you need to do is retrieve it and find me."
"But I don't know what's in that door!" Luz exclaimed, "How could I ever find you?"
"I am a master of all that is magical, dear Luz." the voice responded, "If the door is opened, I will find you. It is late, and your friends will soon be asleep. You have the perfect opportunity to fix what had once gone wrong. Simply take the key, and all will go just as planned."
Luz suddenly found herself back in the Owl House, awake and alert. She silently rose from her sleeping bag and headed towards the closet door. Upon opening it, she saw the windows in the hallway were emitting no light and heard snoring in the living room. She looked back at King, fast asleep on the floor, and silently shut the door as she slid out of the closet.