BREAKING THE FANTASY

Written by: Gwendolyn Frost. Special thanks to meowloudly15.

CHAPTER 5: Amused.

When Luz woke up the following morning, she instantly pulled out the book that was entrusted to her by Lilian. Inside was a bunch of information about runes discovered throughout the Human Realm's history. Some even resemble those she had seen in the Boiling Isles but with clear differences.

"Hey, Luz. Good morning." Caleb said while sitting on a seat next to her on the table.

Luz flinched instantly at the sound of Caleb's voice and immediately put her book under a manga and pretended to be reading from it… upside down. "Heeey… Caleb. Top of the morning to you too, pal! How's it going?" Luz said as her nerves were making her sweat.

"Ok, yeah… I honestly don't know what you're hiding from us this time, but at the moment I don't care. So anyway, do you mind if I tag along with you at Robin's today? Professor HP is… doing his thing at the park today. And I'm still deciding whether or not I should… join him." Caleb said, staring into his mug of coffee as he listened to Luz sighing heavily in relief before replying at his question..

"Uh… yeah! Sure! That'd be great, actually. I wouldn't mind some company at work." Luz said before jumping on her seat once more when she heard Willow's voice at the opposite side of her.

"Make that two."

"Willow! How long have you been sitting there?!" Luz exclaimed as she leaned back against her seat with her right hand pressing on her chest.

"Long enough to see you eyeballing a very sketchy looking book." Willow said as she sipped her mug of coffee.

Luz began to sweat and forced a laugh out of her in a robotic manner as she 'explained' herself. "Oh, this? This is just…" But she was cut off by Willow before she even began making stuff up.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't really want to know. Just lemme tag along as well, cause I don't want to stay alone at home. I'm sick of playing video games all day by myself" Willow confessed.

"Oh, sure… both of you are welcome to hang out at Robin's with me if you'd like!" Luz said as she wrapped her arms around the two sitting at her sides with a big smile on her face.

"Sure that could be fun. But also… I'm going to raid a tournament in the afternoon that's taking place a block away from Robin's." Willow grinned.

"Wait… I thought you said you were sick of playing video games all day?" Luz asked.

"Hey, I did said by myself. And to some extent, yeah, I could use a break. But… I grinded my character yesterday and I know I've got a chance of winning this tournament." Willow said.

"Ah, yes. That weird character you can't stop gushing about." Luz teased Willow with a grin, making her laugh.

"Hey, what do you want me to say? Dude might be a weirdo that wears a television box over his head, but he makes me laugh and I love how quirky he is. Ok? Besides, you gush about Azura all you want and you don't hear me complaining." Willow says, making Luz laugh softly.

"Ok, ok. You've got a point. To each their own, I guess. But seriously, you guys have no idea how happy I am that you two want to hang out with me at work. Cause I'll be honest… I try making friends everywhere I go but… in the Human Realm. It's hard man." Luz says with a little bit of sadness in her tone, making the two pat her in the back, they knew perfectly well that the Boiling Isles is where Luz felt the most comfortable.

There was a short period of silence before Caleb dropped… a meme quote. "That's rough, buddy." Making both Willow and Luz laugh out loud.

"You had to ruin the moment, didn't you?" Luz shoved Caleb, making him grin.

"Hey, nobody was saying anything." Caleb said as the two's laughter began to fade out.

"Ok, let's finish breakfast and then we can head to Robin's, alright?" Luz said as she grabbed the book and the manga before walking up to her room and hiding the book behind the bunk bed. She came back to the dining room to finish her breakfast, telling Amity of the recent change in plans. They weren't driving alone that morning after all. They packed up their things and finally made their way to the car and soon they were back on the road, heading to the Orb.

When they reached their destination, Amity grabbed her bag and leaned in to kiss Luz. "Thanks, que tengas un bonito dia en el trabajo.~" Amity said with a wink, Luz was loving that Amity was becoming a lot better at her pronunciation.

"Is it really this HOT in here or is it just you?" Luz flirted with a grin and a slight blush on her cheeks, which made Amity herself blush a little bit.

"Get a room, you two." Willow said to tease them while she was texting.

"Move out and you've got yourself a deal." Luz said with a grin as she looked back at her while Amity laughed at both of their comments.

"Ok, ok. I gotta go now, Caleb, Willow; have a nice day both of you too." Amity said as she closed the door and began to walk up to her job at the Daycare Center.

When Amity walked into the Orb, the eeriness of the hallway connecting all the classrooms inside began to show itself once more. She couldn't explain why she felt this way. The hairs on the back of her head would stand up against her will, it was an uncanny situation. What was it about this particular room that made her feel so frightened? For a brief moment… she got an answer when her subconscious brought a voice out of nowhere. The voice of Mrs. Greene, that Monday when she had a verbal discussion with her mother's doppelganger. She shook off the feeling immediately and hurried up to the lecture room where she found Miss Craig and Aisha setting things up. "Good morning, I see you started without me." Amity said with a soft chuckle.

"Amity!" Some children rushed up to her and hugged her, catching her by surprise.

"Oh hey! Good morning to you too! Where are the rest?" Amity asked the two while picking them up, noticing a lack of faces in the usually crowded room.

"They're outside with Leni and Wendy." Aisha replied as she was putting down some small lanterns around the place.

"Oh, alright. So… wait… Wendy?" Amity asked in confusion. "Is she… working here again?" Amity asked as she put the kids back down.

"She came by and volunteered to help." Aisha said.

"Oh, I see." Amity said and looked down at the kids as one of them asked her with their big ol' eyes.

"Won't you come out to play with us too, Amity?"

"We can handle things here. Why don't you go out and have some fresh air?" Miss Craig said while she and Aisha were setting the chairs in front of the small fantasy-like storytime set they built.

"Oh, sure. I guess I could go out and play some." Amity said while laughing softly when her hands were pulled by the two children. Leading her out of the room and back outside with the rest of the group where she saw Leni with a blindfold pretending to be 'IT' putting up a playful monster voice while trying to catch the kids escaping from her. All while Wendy was helping most of the kids to stay away from the 'monster's' reach.

"Rawr! Immonna getchu!" Leni growled at the group as she moved from one side to the other as she heard the gleeful laughter from the young kids. The blonde worker would goofily sniff the air when everyone went silent from Wendy telling them to lower their voices. Obviously, they were still loud enough but for the sake of letting the kids have fun, Leni pretended as if she didn't hear anything. Amity was pulled into the field by the time this happened, with the kids that brought her panicked and ran away as Leni held her arms close to her torso as if she was a T-Rex and reached out for Amity who was caught by surprise. "I got ya!" Leni said as she pulled the blindfold up. "Now you're it… wow… you're not Wendy." Leni whispered the last part out of surprise. "Hey, Amity… welcome to the show."

"Thanks." Amity whispered with a soft chuckle. "What do I do now?" She asked for directions.

"Well, I'm a dinosaur, Wendy is a gorilla… maybe you can play a troll?" Leni suggested as she handed her the blindfold.

Amity couldn't help but laugh. "Sure… but maybe instead… I can play a Titan.." Amity said as she put the blindfold on, laughing softly at the joke that only she would get. She made sure that the blindfold was wrapped around the spots where her ears were hidden under her hair in case she would fall or stumble. "Here goes nothing…" By now, Leni had moved away from her now that she was the monster. Amity then proceeded to extend her arms and walk slowly as if she was heavier than she truly is. Growling as she did so. "Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum! Who dares to enter my domains!"

"RUN! Run from the Titan!" Leni said as she and Wendy led the kids away from Amity.

Wendy raised her eyebrow when hearing Leni calling Amity a Titan. "Titan? Why does that sound a bit familiar?" She whispered to herself before she got distracted by the kids pulling her away and running from Amity.

"I hear the laughs of naughty children around me!" Amity said in a villainous voice that would often crack to her own as she was trying to stay in character but failing to do so due to her laughter.

The game would continue for half an hour or so, until they were called inside by Miss Craig. She and Aisha were done putting together the room so Amity would start her story of the day. Inside, everyone gathered, the children sitting on the chairs in front of the fantasy-like stage they built. They closed the curtains a little bit so the room was mostly lit by the lanterns they placed around. Surprisingly for her and the other workers at the site, the children did not last long this time around. They were all quite exhausted from playtime earlier in the day. So… nap time began earlier than usual.

Miss Craig closed the door carefully after Amity and the rest had left the room and went back to join them back at the Teachers' lounge.

"Well, I guess we're having a longer break today." Aisha said as she poured some coffee in her mug.

"Yeah. It's been a while since they've had this much exercise. But that's a good thing." Amity said as she took a seat in front of Leni and Wendy at the table.

"Tell me about it… my legs are killing me." Leni jokes.

"Sorry if storytime was cut short, it was kind of my idea to play this game." Wendy said while leaning against her chair.

Amity shook her head. "That's ok. Don't worry. We read a book to them before naptime and at the end of the day. So there's plenty of time left to finish the story"

Wendy grinned. "Back when I worked here, we didn't read that many books to them. Maybe this batch of kids are much more responsive to lectures, or perhaps you're just too good at what you do!" Wendy complimented Amity's talent for storytelling, making the pink haired girl blush slightly.

"Oh… I just do my best, really." Amity said, looking at Aisha when she elbowed her gently.

"You're being too modest. They're always eager for storytime with Amity. She even makes up stories for them sometimes." The comment made Amity sweat a little bit.

"Make up… yeah. I guess I have a vivid imagination." Amity laughed, the rest were unaware that the made-up stories they were talking about were really embellished versions of her adventures in the Boiling Isles..

"Well, I sure was invested in the book you were reading today." Wendy asked. "Oh, before I forget. I'm throwing a party tomorrow night if you guys want to come." Wendy said, with Aisha replying with a grin.

"Nice. Count me in."

"Ditto. What about you, Amity? Wanna hang out with us?" Leni asked Amity who nervously smiled in response.

"I'm not sure if I can make it… I'm having a date tomorrow with my girlfriend."

"Ooo!" Both Aisha and Leni teased Amity, making the pink haired girl roll her eyes and laugh.

"What do you two got planned?" Leni asked.

"Oh well, I don't know yet. We haven't got the time to plan things out as of late. Maybe dinner… maybe the movies. I'm not sure." Amity said as she stared down at her coffee mug.

"Well, in any case, you're welcome to step by and check the party tomorrow night. Just ask Caleb for directions. I should be telling him about it at Professor HP's lecture at the park." Wendy said. "What about you Miss Craig? You'd like to party?" Wendy asked the red haired woman watching the news on the tv.

"Thank you, but I'll pass. Not only do I have a commitment, but I'm also in my thirties, surely I'll be standing out awkwardly in the middle of so many youngbloods." The pale woman said with a soft laugh, making the rest laugh as well.

"What?! Are you kidding me? Your thirties, that's nonsense. You would pass like a college student for sure." Wendy said.

"Yeah, besides age is just a number. As long as you feel young!" Leni said.

Aisha was about to say something herself, but her attention was caught by Amity staring into her coffee. There was a frown on her face, that the curly haired gal read as a sign of worry. "You ok, Amity?"

"Yeah. I'm just… concerned, I guess."

The reveal made Leni and Wendy turn their attention to them. "You seem more than concerned." Leni pointed out, not joking or teasing this time. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Amity bit her lower lip, she was meaning to talk about this with Willow or someone else at home, but didn't find the chance to do so. She sighed softly and nodded. "Yeah, I don't know… I fear that there might not be a date tomorrow."

"Why would you say that?" Aisha asked.

"Well… it's that, Luz has been really distracted as of late. So, it's been a while since we've had a date. I just fear she's going to make up an excuse like she always does… I really feel horrible thinking that way but…" Amity began to vent her frustrations, with her co-workers and temporary volunteer listening to her intently. "There's something eating her up that has made her gone a little distant as of late. Yes, you've seen there's a spark between us in public but… really, the times that we've got the chance to be just us… things are different. I don't know if I'm explaining myself but…"

"Hey, it's fine. We're not judging you." Wendy said. "It's ok to feel the way you are right now. A relationship is not supposed to be one-sided."

"Yeah." Aisha added. "How long has it been since your last date?"

Amity blushed, trying to find the way to avoid the question but sighed once she realized that it was too late to change the topic, she leaned against the table with her hand holding her forehead. "It's been close to a year now…"

"WHAT?" Leni exclaimed, while Aisha dropped her jaw. "That's like… a decade in teen years… geez."

"Hey, give her a break." Wendy scolded Leni, making the blonde gal flinch slightly. "Everybody goes through stuff sometimes. A year without a date doesn't mean anything. What's important is they're together regardless of how they spend their time as a couple. Right, Miss Craig?" Wendy asked for the red haired Principal to back her up.

Barbara, who was listening to the conversation, replied after sipping her mug. "I suppose you're right. Then again, I'm not exactly one to give relationship advice. I'm not that kind of therapist."

Leni looked down at the table as she apologized to the still blushing Amity. "Sorry Ams, I didn't mean to say it like that."

"It's ok…" Amity said.

"I'm sorry if what I'm about to say comes off as… inappropriate." Aisha said. "You know I went to middle school with Luz. Back then, Luz was the awkward kid that would accidentally make people uncomfortable while trying to make friends. When you started to share with us that you were dating a 'Luz', my mind did not even remember that awkward kid that I knew from school. Then she showed up here and I was very surprised to know that awkward kid and Amity's girlfriend were one and the same. I was genuinely happy to know that you were able to connect with that awkward kid from middle school. We barely interacted back then, so I didn't really know Luz that well, I only knew of the so-called problems she caused back then. She was just misunderstood, I thought. It's a little disheartening to know that you two are struggling like I did, like Leni did, like Wendy did, like we all did… but then again… this is all part of life. What I'm trying to say is that… you're not alone. If you wish to talk to someone about how you feel, you're free to come to us. Ok? I want to think we're more than just work-friends… right?"

Amity smiled and chuckled softly. "Yeah, we're friends. I'm not just venting right now because I have no one to speak to about this, I trust you guys. Teasing and all, I love working here and hanging out with you. I'm sorry if we only spend time at work… I really wish we could go out more."

"Aww." Both Aisha and Leni said as they hugged Amity, making the pink haired girl laugh softly.

"If Luz cancels… maybe I'll show up at the party or if there IS a date, then maybe I can bring Luz along?" Amity asked as she looked at Wendy who grinned back at her.

"Sure! The more, the merrier! It's a party after all." She winked while giving her the thumbs up.

"Thanks. I mean… I really really wish that there is a date. Trust me, we live in a full house right now so having some privacy is hard to get." Amity said with a laugh.

"Oh, I see. I see. I get what you're saying." Aisha said with a wink, making Amity blush as hard as ever.

"Shut up!" She shoved her while laughing out loud.

"Keep those voices low." Miss Craig reminded them.

"Yes, Miss Craig." They all said in unison as they went to talk some more about random things. At some point, they started to talk about lunch and about possibly heading up to the Thai Food restaurant across the street. But while they were making up their mind, Leni opened up a bag of candy she had in her pocket and started to fill her mouth with them.

"You're really going to be eating Gummy Koalas for lunch…?" Aisha asked Leni with a little bit of disgust in her face.

"Hey, I was running around all morning. I need sugar." Leni said as she engulfed a couple of treats into her mouth before offering it to the group. "You want some?"

"Eh… no thanks." Aisha said.

Wendy laughed softly. "Pass, but thank you."

"Maybe just one." Amity said as she grabbed a candy. "Only red ones, huh?"

"Yup, they're the best!" Leni said before she looked at Miss Craig who's eyes were glued to the tv. "What about you, Miss Craig? You'd like some?"

Barbara was woken up from her trance and looked back at Leni while staring at the bag of red candy she was offering. She looked closely at it as if she was trying to figure out what it was, like an alien from outer space trying to comprehend what human candy is. "What is that…?" The pale woman asked as she placed her mug down on the table.

"Gummy Koalas. It's… candy, they're good." Leni said a bit confused by her reaction.

"Oh, I see. No thanks. Ok, girls. Since we've got a lot of free time on our hands, I'm going to go get myself something to eat. Do you want anything from around the block?" Barbara said with a smile as she was about to head out of the teacher's lounge.

"Oh, we're still trying to figure out what to eat. You can go, tho. We'll keep an eye on the place." Wendy said with a smile.

"Ok, BRB."

Leni blinked and as soon as Miss Craig left, she made sure by rushing to the door and watched as the woman left the building through the main entrance. "Is it just me… or what just happened was strange to you as well?"

"Maybe a little, but I can understand her reaction, granted that Gummy Koalas are NOT a lunch." Aisha said with a grin.

"Ok, I get it already. But seriously… it's not the first time I see her making that face… as if… I don't know. As if she really can't tell what she's looking at." Leni said as she walked back to her seat.

"She's colorblind." Wendy said, making the rest look at her, bewildered by the revelation. "You guys didn't know?"

"What do you mean she's colorblind?" Leni asked.

"She can't see the red color." Wendy elaborated. "Not sure if it's a psychological thing… but I found out about it when she did something similar during work."

-FLASHBACK-

Wendy found herself at the Daycare Center, walking down the hallway after helping some kid go to the bathroom. When she opened the door to the lecture room, back then they used it for painting… she was met with a very surprising sight. She gasped and her eyes looked horrified as they scanned the room, seeing so many canvases there mostly covered in red.

"What is going on here…?!" She exclaimed at another ex-worker with glasses.

"I know it looks really bad… but there's hardly any paint left. Only red!" The worker replied while Wendy looked around for more paint. They both panicked when they heard the door and watched as Miss Craig entered the room, her eyes looking around and noticing her workers there standing with a look on their faces as if they had just witnessed a murder.

"Hey." Miss Craig said with a smile as she looked around. Both Wendy and the other worker just raised an eyebrow at her chill response before they heard their boss asking with a confused look on her face. "Where's all the color? This all looks so gloomy and depressing."

"Uh…" Both Wendy and her co-worker just replied in confusion as well.

-END OF THE FLASHBACK-

"Bruh. The whole room looked like a murder scene! And Miss Craig walked in like nothing's happening." Wendy laughed. "She can't see it. I think she sees it as gray or something. I'm not sure. I did some testing and found out it's just the red color. She can see other warm colors. Y'know… orange, yellow, pink… or cold colors made out of red like purple."

There was a small brief moment of silence after the revelation, with Aisha breaking it by waving her hands around her head. "Mind Blown…"

"Now that you mention it, this starts to explain a lot. I've had my own share of moments like this." Amity said.

"Yeah, I confronted her about it and she… told me. But she wouldn't say anything else. She doesn't like to talk about it so I just… dropped the subject. Like I said, I did some digging and colorblindness doesn't really work like that as far as I know. It's just the red color…so it is possible that it is a psychological thing." Wendy said as she leaned against her chair.

"Don't you think that maybe… she's making it up?" Leni asked.

"If she is pretending to be colorblind then she's a terrific actress, cause her reactions do look very convincing." Wendy said.

"Wow." Aisha laughed as well. "I have to say, tho. It's sad to know that, imagine waking up every single day of your life, not being able to see the color of your own hair." Aisha said as she shivered from the thought.

"Does she even know that her hair is red?" Leni asked while eating more candy.

"Leni! Oh my goodness! Of course she knows that her hair is red!" Aisha said, making a 'duh' face. "You think she would spend three decades of her life walking around without someone ever saying anything about her hair? It's her most distinguishable feature."

"Hey… it could happen!" Leni defended herself with a slight blush on her face.

"She knows." Wendy said with a soft laugh at the two. "She surely knows, Leni."

"Maybe it's not even her real hair color." Amity suggested. "Perhaps she dyes her hair just like me." She says as she toys with some of her pink hair locks and green braids on her shoulder. "Perhaps it's her way to embrace her colorblindness."

"That's an interesting theory." Wendy said with a smile.

"That's reassuring." Aisha said. "Yeah, good for her if that's the case."

Leni chuckled softly. "Well, I still think that red Gummy Koalas are the best."

"Oh, shut up you." Aisha said, making the other girls laugh.

"I think strawberries are delicious." Amity said while laughing.

"Ayy, pepperoni and tomato sauce on pizza." Wendy said as she finger gunned them all.

"Y'all dropping to Leni's level is cringe." Aisha said while laughing too. " Also making me hungry. Wanna go get some Thai food across the street?"

"Ditto. I'm starving now thanks to you." Amity said, with the rest moving up their seats. "Somebody got to stay to guard the kids, tho."

"NOT IT!" Aisha, Amity and Wendy said, making Leni, who had a dozen of Gummy Bears, failing to say it in time.

"Aww man…" Leni said while the rest laughed. "Fine."

"Thanks Leni! I'll bring you something, don't worry!" Aisha said as she was followed by the other two gals to get some food.

The rest of the day went off smoothly. With Luz back at Robin's Roast Cafe's shift coming to a close.

"So, are you going to stay for the event with Professor HP or do you want to come with me?" Luz asked Caleb as she began to clean the counter and leave everything ready for the next shift.

"Still haven't decided yet…" Caleb said as he picked up his laptop and placed it back on his backpack. "But I'll wait for Willow in the meantime."

"Oh, that's right! I forgot about Willow! She's still at that tournament, right?" Luz asked.

"I suppose so. She didn't tell you anything about meeting somewhere?" Caleb asked back as he moved to the entrance, opening the door for the both of them as they walked out of the Cafe.

"No, she hasn't sent anything in the group chat either." Luz said as she checked her phone. "Ok, new plan. Wait for Willow, I'll go get Amity, Vee and Gus, then come pick the both of you after, ok? If something happens, call me."

"Sounds good. See ya on the flipside." Caleb said as he walked across the street while Luz moved to her car.

Meanwhile, Amity was left alone with Wendy after the Daycare Center known simply as The Orb closed down. Aside from them, her Boss; Barbara Craig was also in the building after Aisha and Leni had left. Amity was cleaning up the lecture room a little bit as Wendy helped her out by arranging the books on the shelves.

"So, are you going to be a volunteer now?" Amity asked out of curiosity.

"Oh no! Not at all, I was bored back home and after yesterday… I couldn't stop thinking about this place. I should be starting my new job with Professor HP on Monday!" Wendy said with a grin.

"Oh, you got the job." Amity said with a smile. "Congrats."

"Thanks." Wendy said with a soft laugh. "I should get going. Professor HP is about to start his conference at Gravesfield's Central Park. I'll see you tomorrow, maybe? Good luck with your date if not." The purple haired girl with the beanie said with a wink as she waved at Amity from the door.

"Yeah, maybe. See ya!" The pink haired replied with her own wave of her hand before watching the other gal leaving the place from across the hallway. That… dreaded hallway. Amity was feeling that unnerving sensation once more. It wasn't that the hall was dark, which it wasn't. It was well lit. Something about this place was making her feel uneasy… as if something was taking place in it. Something she couldn't see or hear… but it was there.

Out of curiosity… now that she was alone there. She took the chance to do some experimenting. She was rusty, but she hoped that what she was about to do would at least put her mind at ease. She drew a magic circle and performed Illusion Magic first. She intended to reveal if there was something hiding in plain sight, but as the wave of magic scanned the place, it revealed… nothing.

She sighed in relief. But the sensation didn't seem to go away… she stared into the hall, a singular flicking of the lights made the hair on the back of her head stand out once more. She took a step back into the lecture room, her hands beginning to shake. "This is so stupid." She whispered to herself. "There's nothing… it's just a stupid hall… I've been working here for almost a year… why now? Why do I feel so scared now?" Amity tried to reason with herself as she leaned against the door frame.

But then… an idea drew itself in her mind. And decided to do something that she hasn't done in a long time. She walked back to the hall and stared into it as she drew another magic circle out but she used Oracle Magic instead. What little knowledge that her mother rubbed off on her, she used it now to see what lurked beneath this hall. And as soon as the circle revealed its secrets. Her skin tone became much more pale than usual and instantly shut her mouth to muffle the scream she felt that she was about to let out while staring into the hall… and the body of Mrs. Greene covered in a pool of her own blood laying in the middle of it. The body was as pale as the night, no light was left in those open eyes of hers, most of the color on her clothing was bleached and the sound of a heart pumping began to fill her ears. The heart of Mrs. Greene pumped blood out from the injury inflicted right above the left side of her chest.

Suddenly, another figure emerged from the ground. The sight of a tall and slender figure covered in black clothing staring down at the body of Mrs. Greene. She would take a step back, making the figure to look back at her when they heard the noise she made. She saw them. That white porcelain face with round pitch-black hollow eyes and smile that were oozing ink. "Pink?" The disturbing figure said, their voice heavily distorted as they began to giggle in a very unnerving way. "Is this the first time you've seen a corpse…?" The monster began to walk up to her, their body contorting or maybe it was the vision that was fading out.

"NO! NO! PLEASE! STAY BACK!" Amity screamed and stumbled back on the floor, shoving her back against the wall. "Don't you take another step!" She warned as she was about to draw a magic circle as a last resort.

"Help… me…" Dahlia Greene's corpse whispered as her eyes were locked on hers, making her let out a cry as tears began to stream down her face. For a brief moment, her eyes would see her own mother instead… she watched the figure rushing up to her as they lifted their blade smearing the blood of her previous victim against her.

"It's all your fault!" They screamed at her before the figure dissipated when the spell ran out of magic and was met with the sight of Miss Craig grabbing her by the shoulders as she continued to scream her lungs out.

"It's ok, Amity. It's ok… it's me. You're ok. You're safe." Miss Craig said as Amity's eyes shifted back to normal and the Oracle spell she performed was gone and the sight of that… dead body disappeared with it.

Amity sobbed as she looked horrified at her Boss' eyes and then threw herself at her. "I'm so sorry…"

Barbara was confused but tried to comfort her, rubbing her hand down her back in reassurance. "Are you apologizing to me or…? You're worrying me, Amity. You look terrified."

"Can you please help me out of this place, I don't want to cross this hall alone… please." Amity begged, her eyes still staring into the spot where she saw the body.

"Ok. We're going up now." Barbara said as she helped Amity up, she could notice Amity's legs barely even able to hold her still. "Now… we're going to walk forward, ok?" Barbara said almost as if she was speaking to one of the kids at the Daycare.

Amity nodded, horrified as she walked down the hall. Whispering to herself as her boots stepped on the spot. "I'm so sorry…" Barbara did hear but made no comment about it as she helped the pink haired worker out the hall and out of the Orb. Outside, Amity dropped herself to her knees and held her hands on the edges of her dress tightly.

Miss Craig was still confused but kneeled down once more and offered Amity some tissues she had in her pocket. "What happened, Amity?"

Amity cleaned her face, but the tears flowed some more. Her voice broke down a few times as she replied. "You wouldn't believe me…"

"Try me." The pale woman said as she dropped down on the floor next to Amity.

"I guess…" Amity tried to find the words… or an explanation as to what she saw thanks to the Oracle Magic she used. "That I feel guilty… about Mrs. Greene. Ever… since I found out she is dead. I have felt unease at the Orb. Walking through that hall, where I last had a verbal fight with her… I've felt… scared. I feel goosebumps, I feel dread in it… and I think I saw her there… I didn't wish for her to die. She didn't deserve to die. I didn't mean to fight her… I didn't…" Amity was panicking once more at this point, rambling incoherently until Barbara stopped her.

"Amity, Amity! It's not your fault. Ok? Your fight with her did not get her killed." Miss Craig said as she held Amity's cheeks so she would look at her in the eyes and focus on reality. "You didn't do anything wrong. Even if you have not fought with Mrs. Greene, it would have probably happened, either way. Bad people exist in this world. They're the ones who did it. Ok? Not you."

Amity stared into the dark eyes of her Boss and nodded as she sobbed some more. "Why would someone do such a thing?" She asked… the naive innocence of hers getting the best of her, at this point she felt as if she had regressed back in time, a time where a little girl would crave for her mother's reassurance.

Barbara sighed and tried to think of an answer. "People are sick. Only someone who has lost their way would do such a thing. Money, revenge, hatred, all those factors are part of the human condition. We're flawed. We're imperfect. And so are you… but I can assure you. That you're not at fault. You're one of the kindest human beings I ever met in my life. You only had a moment of weakness. You were protecting the kids, hers and her friend." The woman said as she let go of Amity's face as the younger girl stared down onto her lap, watching her tears dry up on her dress. Hearing her calling her a human made her feel a little bad. Wishing she could reveal her secret to the humans she considers friends.

"Thank you. I'm sorry…" Amity said as she blew her nose with a tissue.

"It's ok. What do you mean when you say that you think you saw her, tho?" Barbara asked with curiosity.

Amity looked back at her and blushed. "Gh-ghost?" She chuckled nervously.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Barbara chuckled as well.

"I don't know what I saw. I just know what I sensed… maybe it's the guilt, like I said." Amity blew her nose one more time and then whispered under her breath as she saw Luz's car approaching. "Shoot…" The pink haired girl began to clean her face once again before groaning softly. "Miss Craig… would you get my bag… please?" She said with a huge blush on her face. Giving her that look in the eyes that begged her not to make her go inside again.

"Sure. I'll be right back." Barbara said as she helped her stand up and moved back into the building while Amity was left alone with Luz who parked in front of her.

"Amity?" Luz asked as she stepped out of the car, shoving her glasses back up her face. "Have you been crying?" Luz asked with a concerned tone in her voice as she walked up to her.

"Kinda…" Amity smiled.

Luz quickly went to hold her, Amity just buried her face on her chest as Luz tried to reassure her. "What happened? Is this because of the therapy?"

"We didn't even have therapy today…" Amity chuckled softly, wrapping her arms around Luz's waist tightly. "I'll… tell you all about it when we get home. I… let's just get out of here."

Barbara stepped out of the building and waved at Luz when their eyes locked and handed them Amity's bag. "I'd say take the day off… but it's the end of the week. Are you coming back on Monday?" Barbara asked, a little worried that she'll have to replace Amity.

But the pink haired girl let go of her girlfriend and took her bag back from her Boss as she shook her head with a reassuring smile. "I'll come back. I'm not leaving this job, for now. Thank you, Miss Craig. For the record… you're one of the kindest people I know."

The red haired woman smirked and shook her head. "I'm not as noble as you are, Amity. Take care. See you on Monday. Or feel free to take the day off if you need it. Will I see you tomorrow, Luz?"

Luz smiled nervously and laughed softly. "For sure. Yeah…!"

Amity waved as she stepped into the passenger's seat in front of the car and held her bag close to her chest as Luz drove off away from the Orb, heading to Gravesfield's High where she was planning to pick Vee up at the Library. Luz looked at Amity during a red light and gently held her hand, kissing the back of it as she asked.

"You sure you want to wait till' tonight?"

Amity squeezed Luz's hand like she never did before. "I used Oracle Magic at the Orb." Amity said while her eyes stared down at her bag. "Which showed me a vision of Mrs. Greene… her body on the floor and… something killed her." She teared up a bit, holding her hand against her forehead and quickly wiped out those tears.

Quickly, Luz managed to find a spot where to park using just one hand to keep holding Amity's. "I don't know what to say… that sounds traumatic. I'm sorry you saw that." Luz said as she brought her girlfriend into a hug. "How can you tell it was all real, tho? I never heard of you using Oracle Magic before."

"Back when I was little, my mother made me learn both Abomination and Oracle Magic, so when it turned out I excelled at Abomination she stopped." Amity said while leaning against Luz. "I don't know if what I saw was real… but it was horrifying, there was… so much blood. That thing that killed her was holding a blade soaked in blood and oozing ink down their eyes and mouth. I don't know if that's the person who killed her… but they truly look like a monster."

"I'm sorry for not being there." Luz whispered as she kissed the top of Amity's head and reassured her by rubbing her shoulder in their embrace.

"It's ok, Luz. It was my fault, I was curious about why I had this… fear of going through that hallway. I'm thinking the guilt had something to do with it. I know that my fight with Mrs. Greene didn't have anything to do with her death. But… she died… and I feel horrible about it." Amity said as she squeezed Luz's hand some more.

"Can I do anything to make you feel better?" Luz didn't have any idea of what to say at this point.

"You're already doing it, Luz. I wish I was having this conversation with my siblings… they would probably understand how I feel. I'm not saying you don't… by the way." Amity said as she looked up at Luz. "But she looked like my mom… I know she did very bad things… but she's still my mom. She's not welcomed in my life… but I would feel horrible to know that something happened to her."

"I know." Luz said as she hugged Amity some more until the pink haired girl brought the conversation back to what she saw.

"I've never encountered ghosts in this Realm so far in my time here. But… was Mrs. Greene trying to tell me something? Before the vision would cease, she asked for my help… if I knew how to communicate with the dead like my mother did… maybe I would be able to figure it out."

"I think you're looking into this a little too much, Amity. I'm not sure if we can even communicate with ghosts in the Human Realm like we did in the Boiling Isles where… they're just floating around or… y'know haunting Hexside. Thanks to Eda." Luz said with a soft chuckle.

"Well… I guess we will probably never find a way to." Amity sighed.

"Wait… now that I think about it. Maybe there's a way." Luz said while rubbing her chin.

"Huh?" Amity looked up at Luz with a raised eyebrow.

"Well… it's a long shot. But remember that one friend of Vee? Y'know… that 'friend' of hers." Luz grinned.

"Masha?" Amity laughed softly. "What about them?"

"They seem to be into that kind of stuff. Y'know…? I mean for you it is natural. But in the Human Realm, we label Oracle Magic as part of the Occult. Maybe… they could give us a hand in communicating with the dead?"

"It wouldn't hurt to ask, I guess." Amity shrugged.

"Ok, we'll talk about this with Vee, settle something up with Masha. Talk with the dead. Getting them and Vee together. And we will all live happily ever after.~" Luz said as her eyes sparkled as she went back on the wheel.

"Luz… don't play matchmaker. Y'know how Vee is. She doesn't seem ready to ask Masha out." Amity said.

"You never let me do anything fun." Luz said with a frown before both of them bursted into laughter.

"Ok, fiiine! But if Vee dies of shame you're the one who's going to tell your mom." Amity said as she leaned against the passenger's seat.

"Deal." Luz said with a wink.

Amity leaned in and quickly smooched Luz's cheek. "Thanks for the laugh, tho. I needed that.~"

"Anything for you, sweet potato." Luz said as she was about to send Amity a kiss of her own before Amity screamed at her when her eyes saw a car about to hit them.

"Luz! The road!" Amity exclaimed as Luz quickly turned the wheel to get the car out of the way.

"Fíjate por donde vas, ¡pendejo!" Luz screamed at the other driver making Amity sweat a little bit as she watched Luz exchanging colorful words with the guy before Luz finished the argument by flipping him off and drove away. Luz blushed afterwards, ashamed of what she had done in front of her girlfriend and immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry about that, amor. It won't happen again… I swear."

"Oh, you swore alright. I think…" Amity said before she tried to ask. "What does pen-"

But she was stopped instantly by Luz's index finger as she pressed it against her lips. "Nope, you're not saying anything filthy with that pretty little mouth of yours. Plus… my mom is going to literally murder me with la chancla if she ever hears you say that." Luz said, horrified and nervous of thinking what would happen. Just as soon as she removed her finger from Amity's mouth, she looked at her as her pink haired girlfriend began to laugh out loud once more, making her smile.

The rest of the trip went off smoothly. They met with Vee at the library where she was sitting at the same table as always. She waved at them with a big smile on her face, closing her book and grabbing her bag, speaking to them in a low voice since they were at the library. "Hey, good afternoon to you two. Shall we go?"

"Hm, give me a moment. I gotta… eh… talk to the librarian about a book I'm looking for." Luz said as Amity sighed and took a seat next to Vee.

Luz walked up to Lilian the librarian, who's closed eyes were facing Luz already. The hispanic girl grinned back at her new witch friend and asked her. "Have you… found anything yet?"

Lilian chuckled softly. "As a matter of fact, I do have something to report. But don't get your hopes up." She warned but it was too late, that spark in Luz's eyes returned and Lilian was instantly brought into a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Shh… you're in a library." Lilian whispered at her.

"Right. Ok." Luz laughed softly as she let her go.

"Follow me." The shorter woman said as she walked around the counter and led her to the secret passage within the library at the end of the hall. "Wait here." She said as she began to walk through the book shelves inside the room, leaving Luz alone at the entrance.

Luz began to eye some of the books placed on the nearest table, the same one where Amity made a Water Abomination the day before. While she flipped the pages, her attention was caught by a book that dropped from the nearest shelf. She blinked and looked through the shelf, there wasn't anyone there. She walked around it just to be sure. She shrugged it off and picked the book up and was about to put it back in its place before she realized what book she was holding.

The Book of Death.

That very same book which she grabbed before. The day she confronted Lilian about her being a witch. The curiosity got the best of her and she opened the book. There was… nothing. Literally nothing. The pages were blank. She raised an eyebrow and began to flip the pages before she noticed a page with some words and quickly flipped back to find it. What was written there made her heart start racing.

'Shhh… don't say a word. Flip the page for YES or close the book for NO.' The page had the drawing of a hand inviting her to flip the page, which she did out of impulse.

'Do you want to learn magic, YES?' The following page said, Luz began to sweat, she looked around her to make sure that Lilian wasn't watching her. When she was sure of it, she flipped the page.

'Do you want to see the Owl Lady again, YES?' Luz frowned, her eyes blinking repeatedly as if she was trying to hold her tears and then flipped the page.

'Do you want to open a portal, YES?' Luz was scared at this point… but she was desperate, so she turned the page again.

'Do you want to defeat The Collector… YES?' Luz was considering closing the book, she knew this was a bad idea, so many times have she seen this in fiction. Do not listen to the book that communicates with you! She thought to herself… but she did flip the page again.

'Take this book and meet me up at night.' Luz closed the book and was about to place it back on the shelf before she stopped herself from doing so and hid it in her jacket just in time before she was startled by Lilian's voice behind her.

"Hey, take a look at this." The Witch with the closed eyes said as she placed a book on the table in front of them, making Luz quickly face her with the most nervous look drawn on her face.

"Oh, right! YES! What did you find?." Luz tried to act natural, but Lilian didn't seem to care what she was hiding and simply started to ramble on about her findings.

"I'm not sure how this can be helpful, but through history in the Human Realm, a lot of civilizations who preached about beings coming from the stars always seem to imply to use quartz in order to travel in between worlds. How is that possible? I don't know… I mean, there are some yahoos that believe that the Loch Ness lake is filled with quartz and have come to the conclusion that the famous monster is really just a dinosaur lost in time." Lilian said to Luz who blinked in confusion.

"That's it?" Luz said before blushing. "I mean…! I don't mean to say it like that. I… don't know what to say."

"I told you not to get your hopes up." Lilian said as she closed the book. "Your biggest chance is finding some Titan's Blood, and actually… I do have another thing to say. There are some history books that you can find in the main library that speak of the tale of the Wittebane brothers. And how one of them fell in love with a witch that traveled in between realms. They had a shack on the far edge of this town, maybe…"

"There's nothing. We know about the place. We checked… there's nothing." Luz said with a frown.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to keep looking. I'm sorry." Lilian said before Luz smiled and shook her head.

"Thank you. For everything you've done. I don't… want to keep pushing it if you don't feel comfortable helping me." Luz said before the Witch chuckled softly.

"I'll keep looking for you. I'm curious where this goes next." Lilian said as she began to lead Luz out back to the main library. They exchanged goodbyes and Luz went back to meet her girlfriend and little sister.

"Let's go." Luz said as she kept her hand close to her chest where she hid the book and placed it on the side of her car's door once she stepped into the driver's seat. She drove them off and began to head towards the Newscast Center to pick Gus up. Halfway there, she looked back at Vee through the mirror above her. "Hey, Vee. How're things going with Masha?"

Vee instantly blushed and looked at Amity for support. "Amity, she's doing it again!"

"Actually…" Amity bit her lower lip as she looked back at the blonde haired Basilisk-Human. "We kinda have a favor to ask."

"WHAT?!" Vee grew even more nervous than before. "NO!"

"Ok, relax, sis! It's not what you think, ok?" Luz began to laugh softly. "We just want you to ask Masha to do something for us."

"What kind of thing?" Vee asked as she glared at Luz, not trusting her.

Luz stopped at a red light abruptly for dramatic purposes as she turned back to look at Vee and replied with an ominous tone. "Speak to the deceased…"

Vee squinted her eyes at her and blew her a raspberry. "Ah, sure, let's go ask the goth if they can speak to the dead. That's a stereotype, y'know?"

"So what you're saying is… they can't speak to the dead?" Luz asked as she raised an eyebrow at her little sister, making her to sweat before she leaned back against her seat and crossed her arms in defeat.

"Ok, fine…"

"Well that was easy." Luz said as she went back to drive.

"Thank you, Vee.~" Amity said as she blew a kiss to Vee, who immediately replied to her with the biggest Basilisk puppy eyes ever.

"Promise me she won't try to do something…" Vee said as she gave Luz a dirty look, making her bigger sister grin back at her.

"I promised you I would make sure she wouldn't do it again and I intend to keep that promise. Ok?" Amity said as she chuckled softly, reassuring Vee with a kiss on her forehead.

"They look sooo cute." Luz said as she made smooching noises.

"AMITY!" Vee exclaimed.

"Stop bothering your little sister, Luz Noceda!" Amity said while laughing.

Soon enough, Amity stopped laughing and heard her phone ringing, she checked it and saw a message from Gus in the chat room for them. "Hey… Gus says that don't bother to pick him up. He's heading to the Park right now because someone tipped them off about something that's about to happen."

"Huh?" Luz asked and then sighed. "Ok, I guess we're heading back now. Tell him we're heading to the Park anyway."

Before they knew it, they were back at Gravesfield's Central Park. The place where Caleb and Willow were killing some time while waiting for them by playing a game on their SWAP system. Caleb was sweating and mashing buttons like a mad man while Willow was leaning back against her seat as chill as the breeze while beating Caleb in the game.

The game came to a close, with Willow being declared the winner. "How are you this GOOD?!" Caleb complained.

"Bruh… you keep doing the same thing over and over. Of course I'm going to punish you for it." Willow said, rolling her eyes with a grin.

"What am I supposed to do?" Caleb said.

"Seriously, you've got better reflexes than me. You've got the tools to be good at video games. I mean sure… I can beat you in arm wrestling but you can fucking parkour your way to the top of a building. You were trained to figh in IRL. It's the same basics man. You gotta learn to play defensively when you're getting overwhelmed by offensive pressure and wait til' your opponent messes up." Willow explained.

"Huh… really?" Caleb said.

"Yeah, just because it's a video game doesn't mean it can't reflect real life. You practice, you git gud, build muscle memory and think before you strike." Willow said as she started to play again.

"Wow, I never felt more respect than ever for you, Willow." Caleb said while sweating some more when they began to play again.

"More than ever? So you're saying you never had any respect for me before, huh?" Willow teased. "Now I'm kicking your ass for real."

"WAIT! Were you holding back this whole time?!" Caleb panicked as he watched his character getting beat up by Willow which ended in the announcer exclaiming the word 'PERFECT.' "Nooo… Rumble McSkirmish… I'm sorry." Caleb teared up a bit.

"Hey guys. Willow, how did you do at the tournament!" Luz said as she walked up to them with Amity and Vee following behind.

Willow just sighed and then said in a sad tone. "I was sent to the losers' bracket."

"Aww, Willow, I'm so sorry to hear that, I'm sure you'll win the next…" Luz was about to wrap her arm around Willow to comfort her before the green haired girl grabbed her by the arms and began to shake her up.

"But I made my way to Grand Finals from there and won 200 dollars!" Willow exclaimed gleefully, making the rest smile for her.

"Oh, that's great!" Luz said nervously before she was shook back and forth again by the pumped up Willow.

"And I did all that using a low-tier character! Second worst character in the game, my ass!" Willow exclaimed as she finally let go of Luz as she looked up at the sky in dramatic fashion and screamed into the air in pure joy, making some dogs bark at her. "Do you hear that FGC! MY CHARACTER IS NOT TRASH!" Shortly after, Willow turned back to face them and waved the two 100 dollar bills and shrugged, playing it cool now. "But whatevs… so I won a tournament today, no big deal. Who wants pizza tonight? It's on me.~"

"Well, that's a relief that it wasn't a big deal. For a moment I was thinking the victory numbed your brain, Willow." Luz teased with a soft laugh as she wrapped her arm around her friend, the rest laughing it off as well.

"It's Miss Champion Willow for you.~" Willow said with a wink. "I'm gonna make a call to Luigi's so he starts making our pizzas. Extra cheese, everyone?"

"Oh my Titan, yes please!" Amity said as she joined Willow while Luz went to talk to Caleb.

"So, are we going or do you want to stay for the lecture?"

"No, I'm not staying, but I feel like I can make a quick check on Professor HP. Would you guys wait for me?" Caleb asked.

"Sure, take your time. We'll wait for Gus in the meantime, he should be here shortly." Luz said as she waved at Caleb who quickly began to run towards the center of the park.

Further away from Caleb's position, Professor Howard Phillips was sitting down on the front side of Wittebane's statues where he gave a lecture to a small crowd of loyal listeners there. As the man spoke, his eyes crossed with Caleb, a quick smile drawing on the teacher's face, happy to see the young assistant of his to accompany him on such a special day. Caleb didn't have to wait long, the session was coming to a close. He stood next to his soon to be co-worker Wendy who was there and initiated the clapping after Professor HP finished his speech.

"You never miss one, huh?" Caleb said as he joined in clapping with the rest of the crowd. Wendy heard his voice and then grinned.

"Where were you? Did you quit the job or what?"

"Oh, no. Let's just say… I wasn't feeling too well." Caleb said with a soft chuckle.

"Huh. Well, whatever." Wendy said with a smile. "By the way, I'm throwing a party tomorrow night. I invited that cousin in law of yours, Amity." She said with a wink. "We met at the Orb Daycare Center. I used to work there. So, if you want to come, bring the rest of your family with you. I've seen the pictures on your social media. They look like fun."

"Haha! Ok, thanks. What's the occasion?" Caleb asked.

"The beginning of something good." Wendy said as she stared with conviction at the Professor adding a few more words after revealing that he was running for mayor for the same party that Mrs. Greene was a part of.

"Y'know… I think you're putting too much faith into Professor HP." Caleb said, a bit concerned about Wendy's sudden blind trust in someone she doesn't know too well.

"What're you talking about?" Wendy said as she was caught off guard by the statement.

"Don't get me wrong!" Caleb said a bit nervous from the upset look on Wendy's face. "I enjoy working with Professor HP and I believe the guy hasn't given me any reasons to let me down. He is… like a friend to me. And I do care about his well being. But… seeing the way you look up to him. Reminds me of myself… a few years ago. I put my trust in someone who didn't have the best intentions for me. I wouldn't want you to go through that. So… I can tell you from experience. Be careful who you put your trust on."

Wendy was a little upset from the lecture coming from Caleb of all people, but she chuckled it off. "Ok, weirdo. I don't know what happened to you but… I assume it was terrible."

"Yeah… it was." Caleb said before the both of them heard a little commotion coming behind them as a larger group of people came protesting against Professor HP's sudden interest in politics. Like a mob they arrived, with hostile signs and everything.

"GET OUT! YOU'RE NOT WORTHY OF YOUR POSITION! YOU'RE BRAINWASHING OUR YOUTH! NO WITCHCRAFT CULTURE!" They screamed things like that and far worse.

Caleb and Wendy sighed and said in unison. "Of course."

"Jinx. you owe me a soda." Wendy said, making Caleb laugh softly. The two of them went to join Professor HP as he walked past them and addressed the crowd.

"I hear you, I hear you! I know you're not my biggest fans, but if you're willing to listen…" The man said before he was interrupted by the screaming becoming a lot louder than before. At some point, the teacher stopped trying to speak and was startled when he saw a piece of rotten fruit about to hit him before Caleb swiftly used a branch from the floor to reflect it back with a swing.

"My word… where did you learn moves like that?!" Wendy exclaimed as Professor HP held his hand close to his chest.

"Thanks, Caleb…" The man said, a little bit in pain, with the both of them helping him to stay on his feet.

The three of them soon turned around when they heard the voice of someone using a megaphone to speak to the crowd. "Disperse! This isn't the place for these kind of protests!" The man is tall with a short haircut, short beard and wearing a red suit. "Professor Howard Phillips legally asked permission for giving a history lecture today here at Gravesfield's Central Park. He is not here for political purposes. And neither should you."

By now, Caleb could notice that not only the police were approaching the scene, but also the media. He even saw Gus there holding a camera alongside a bunch of other cameramen from different stations and MEWTUBE channels.

"As the new Director of Parks and Recreations, I kindly ask you to stop this right now. We do not condone this kind of behavior." The man in the red suit said as the crowd began to scream back at him.

"Is this what the government has come to!? Sympathizing with a witch-obsessed lunatic?!" One of those mob members yelled.

"As a matter of fact… YES!" The red suited man said as he walked up to Professor Phillips and stood next to him while speaking through the megaphone. "I'm Carmine Loeb and I want to donate 40 thousand dollars for Professor Phillips' campaign. I believe in him. We need someone with a fresh vision!" Carmine said as he posed for the pictures the media was taking while he shook Professor Phillips' hand.

"Wow… that's very generous of you, sir." Professor Phillips said with a nervous laugh, looking rather confused still.

"Say nothing of it. Smile and wave at the camera." Mr. Loeb whispered with a large smile still drawn on his face.

Wendy was ecstatic, while Caleb was very much suspicious of what happened here. He almost felt… as if he had lived through this before. Just like Belos? He asked himself before he shook his head. Professor Phillips hasn't given him a reason to doubt him… yet. He looks genuinely surprised. But what about Mr. Loeb? Did he plan this? All of these questions were spinning in his mind. "I gotta go, sir." He told Professor Phillips before he was dragged forward for the media.

"Huh? Of course, Caleb! Get out of this madness while you still can!" The man laughed nervously.

"You're not staying?" Wendy asked.

"No… I'm exhausted. See you tomorrow." Caleb said, making the purple haired gal nod.

When Caleb joined his family, they seemed to be aware of the situation that took place. "Is everything alright there?" Luz asked, with Caleb forcing a smile on his face, deciding not to say anything more about it.

"Yup. Politics, am I rite?"

They laughed softly at his joke before Luz exclaimed when she saw Gus running up to them. "Gus, over here!"

"Hey!" Gus stopped and panted softly from the exercise. "What a riot, huh?"

"Ready to go? We're going to pick up some pizzas before heading home."

"Sounds like a plan!" Gus said with a grin, the rest beginning to forget about the drama that took place and quickly made their way to the car.

They arrived home, ate pizza and had a quiet time until Camila came back from work. Before most of them went to sleep, Vee was on a video call with Masha. Which ended with her asking them about helping with a… spiritual call as they would say. Making the Goth to smirk at Vee, which in turn got a slight blush from the Basilisk gal when she heard the response coming from them.

"Oh? Is that right? I thought you were scared of those?" Masha teased.

"Of course I'm scared! Ghosts in the Hu- I mean! Ghosts are scary in general." Vee almost blew her cover. "Besides… I'm not asking for me. I'm asking because… well my big sister and her girlfriend wish to speak to a spirit." Vee said as she glared at Luz, grinning and giving her the thumbs up from across the room.

"Ah. Alright, I guess I can take a break from watching the clinic and help you out." Masha said. "But what's in it for me?" They said while they fiddled with a lock of hair hanging from their left ear.

"The Clinic? Why are you watching the clinic?" Vee asked in confusion.

"Have you seen the man that runs it? That man is surely not human. And I'll prove it. He is a WITCH!" They said, making both Vee, Luz and Amity sweat as they heard them.

"Eh… witches, here in Gravesfield. Pss, nooo." Vee laughed softly… a laugh that came off a little forced.

"Anyway, if you want me to do this for you, I wanna go watch Cadaver Wife on Sunday, you're buying. Deal?" They said with a wink, making Vee's tone skin go pale from one moment to the next.

"Ok…" She said in a low voice before she coughed a bit and tried to play it cool. "I mean, yes, of course. I could go to the movies. For sure, for sure."

"Great! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Masha said before hanging up, with Luz quickly jumping to land on the couch next to her and gleefully screamed in her ear.

"Let's fucking goooo! Ahhhh! It's happening! They just asked you out!" Luz began to shake poor Vee by the shoulders before she heard Camila screaming at her from across the room.

"LUZ! ¿¡Que te he dicho de decir sandeces en público!?"

Luz flinched and smiled nervously at her as she hugged Vee. "I'm so sorry! I swear that I have a good reason for it! Guess who has a date on Sunday?!" Luz said, making poor Vee blush and pass out. "Oh wait, no! Don't go into the light!"

When poor Vee had some air, both Camila and Luz reassured Vee about the whole situation, with Amity being there as well for support. Soon enough, they dropped the subject and everyone began to head to bed.

But… just as soon as Luz made sure everyone was finally asleep. She made her way outside to get the book from the car and went back inside, making sure not to make a sound. The Book of Death had a message for her once she opened it that read:

'Are you ready? (Same rules.)' There was a hand drawn in the page that invited her to flip the page, which she hesitated at first but soon did so.

The following page seemed to have some sort of incantation… or poem? She cleared her throat and walked to the nearest mirror on the wall of the living room as instructed and repeated the following words:

"Hear my voice, come here… my Muse. You who my imagination fuels. I know you're there, I saw your beam. Please come forward, before… my world turns… Grim?" Luz said, sweating as she waited for something to happen. But nothing did… "Are you serious?"

"I know right, what a bummer!" Luz's reflection said, making real Luz gasp and scream as she was pulled by the wrists into the mirror, waking up shortly after in a flip sided version of the living room.

There… is where she saw her. The hooded figure she saw the night before. "Hello, hello, hello, hello! The light is lit, and the stage is set! You who wish to beat the cosmic being that stole your pet…" The being said in a rather gleeful manner.

Luz stared at the figure, short and hooded in pink, their face was pale, at least the lower half that was visible, with the top side obscured and only showing those glowing pink eyes. "You…" She cleared her throat nervously. "King is not my pet! Who are you?!"

"Your muse, of course. You've run out of options, I see. Is it my help, you seek?" The Muse said as she practically hovered closer to Luz, making the taller gal to back down a few steps.

"Why do you wish to help me? What do you want…? What's your endgame? Every Eldritch Abomination has one, I've consumed a lot of fiction, lady! So you better tell me the truth… cause your book called The BOOK OF DEATH is the biggest red herring I've ever seen!" Luz said as she held the book in front of the Muse's face, making the Eldritch being to laugh it off against the couch where they laid.

"Hahahaha! RED!"

"What's so funny…?" Luz said with a serious look on her face.

"Oh, you'll get it soon enough. Not in this chapter, tho. I hear you. But truly, I'm your Muse. What I want is for you to move on. You're STUCK! You shouldn't be here. Your arc should have ended four years ago, good number by the way… but you shouldn't be here. Your ticket back to the Isles is gone now. You'll have to make a new one…" The Muse said as she hovered around Luz.

"And how do I do that?" Luz asked as her head spinned from side to side everytime that being continued to move.

"Patience, all in due time. We've got magic to learn first. Did you forget? Special, you are. Like the Owl Lady says, you built your own fate. Yet, there was a world you were supposed to change."

When Luz heard the mention of Eda, she frowned and stared down at her feet. "I won't be deceived again, I warn you. When I learn what you're truly after… I won't help you achieve your goals."

Tears began to stream down Luz's face as she glared at the Eldritch being, who grinned back at her. "Trust me… what I'm after… benefits you as well. Your story will be preserved for generations to come." The Muse said as she took the hands from Luz's hands before handing it back instantly and when she touched it, she woke up in the same couch, but no longer inside the mirror. When Luz opened the book, there were no more blank pages. Instead it was full of glyphs and glyph combinations, everything she needed to learn to master the Human Realm's own magic system. The one she stopped at, resembled the one from back home, but different… she touched the page but instead of consuming the paper it simply began to fill the entire room with light, making her tear up again in joy. But then frown once more… thinking… at what cost?

End of Chapter 5.

The Ink Man and The Muse are creations of mine; Gwendolyn Frost. Thank you for reading!