Luz POV
As Luz rose into the air, the burning pain of the spell racked her body. It felt like her veins had molten lava running through her. She wailed in pain as the fiery feeling grew more and more. Her only solace was that Belos seemed to be feeling the same way.
Luz tried to open her eyes to get one last look at her friends, but her vision was blurred and went white as the pain only continued to increase. She was starting to panic. She couldn't take this much more. She never expected the spell to hurt this much
However, a loud bang concluded the casting of Chronological Repentance, and Luz was knocked into what seemed like unconsciousness. Vision going black, the pain instantly stopping. She sighed in relief. The burning in her veins gone, she felt much better. And the knowledge that the spell worked and saved her friends brought her peace.
However, as she heard herself sigh, she quickly realized that she was not unconscious, just floating in a black void. She looked around, and before long, her vision landed on a figure not too far from her. Wearing a blue trench coat, white aged hair pulled back into a small ponytail, and with a green line across their face, was Philip Wittebane.
Luz grit her teeth, and steeled her resolve. She tried to move towards him, but found that she could get no traction. Instead, she tried to swim through the air. To her relief, she began to move closer to Philip. The witch hunter seemed to notice her now, and turned to face Luz.
His expression was one of rage and hatred. Strong enough to stop Luz entirely, freezing her in place. Not with magic, but with fear. Luz knew that wherever they were, magic was no use. In addition, when she reached to her belt for her glyphs, she felt none there. That meant she was effectively powerless.
She looked to Philip, and took a deep breath. "When you finally stopped trying to convince my friends to free you, you had said something along the lines of how I impressed you for figuring out this spell. Does that mean you know Chronological Repentance too?" Luz asked, breaking the silence of the void around them.
Philip only continued to glare at Luz, not responding, not saying anything. Not moving. Not making a noise. Just floating, glaring with intense hatred at the human before him. Luz asked Philip if he could hear her, but in response, his eyes only squinted further.
Finally, after what felt like minutes of silence, he responded. "What are you trying to do? I have no reason to speak with you, or engage in pointless small talk."
"Well, you obviously recognized the spell. I was trying to gauge what you knew on it, so that it can be completed."
"What do you mean to be completed? Is this not the end of it?" Philip asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"I thought you recognized the spell... What did you think I cast?"
Philip sighed. Looking over Luz, he seemed to come to some sort of decision, his expression turning ever so slightly less hostile.
"I suppose it will make this easier if I explain. I do not know the spell. In my centuries of life here, and in learning the new powers I have from the titan, I have lost much of my knowledge that I learned from before I became emperor. All my studies into glyph magic are no longer present in my mind. And, I destroyed most of my journals, so that no one could learn what I had learned. I never knew I would lose my memories. Otherwise, I would not have destroyed my research."
"Some time after you destroyed the portal door, I went to the Bonesborough Library to try and recover the one journal I had left there, and donated. One that contained my research on how to build a new portal door, and more research on the glyphs I knew. However, it was no longer there."
Belos glared harder at Luz, and she felt herself shrink under his gaze. "It would stand to reason, however, that since you knew such a complicated spell, that it was you who took my journal. Have I guessed correctly?" He questioned.
Luz nodded. "Yes. Spending time on a crystal ball at the Library, I learned of one other human that had been in the boiling isles. At that time, I didn't know who you really were. So, I looked for your journal to try and build my own portal door. However, an echo mouse had eaten it and made a home in it."
At this, Philip sighed. "But I am assuming you learned how an echo mouse could replay the knowledge that they consumed, and learned from my journals that way. That explains how you learned such a big spell."
Luz laughed. "So you mean to tell me that you don't remember how to build a Portal Door, or cast any glyph combos?" Philip glared at her. "And that is why you kept trying to capture me. You knew I had your journal and knew how to make one, and you don't." She laughed harder.
"Well, it wasn't only your journal. It did help a lot, but I also spent a lot of time researching further into the oldest history books I could find. I learned quite a bit about the old magics, and how the glyphs worked. I never completed a new portal door. But, I was able to learn this spell. And that brings me back to my question before. What spell did you think I casted?"
Philip sighed. "I only recognized the Glyph of Power. Not the full combo. I don't have that knowledge any more. However, knowing how dangerous that glyph is, and how little time you have spent here, I figured you ruined the spell and simply destroyed us."
Luz laughed at that. "No. I wouldn't have cast it if it would have killed us. I don't want to kill anyone. I made sure I had the spell done properly. I spent over a month working on it."
Philip nodded at this. "As I said when we were fighting; You do seem to have a strange affinity for glyph magic. So, enlighten me. What is the spell you casted."
Luz took her time to explain the spell to Philip. Since he was involved, it was only fair that he knew what was being done. As she explained it to Philip, Luz thought to herself. She didn't like Philip one bit. She hated him for tricking her, for ruining everything, and for trying to kill everyone. But despite all that, when it came to talking about glyph magic, and on the history she had learned in her research, no one really compared to Philip. He might be evil, but he was smart, and talking to him felt like talking to an equal sometimes.
Sure, she could talk to anyone in her family about glyph magic, but at the end of the day, they were mostly confused by it, and Luz would overwhelm them. However, talking to Philip about it was different. He was able to keep up with her thought process, and understand what she was saying at a deeper level. If Philip hadn't been such an evil guy, Luz could have seen him being a teacher for her.
"So, you reverted time, and managed to halt my processes in doing so. I must say, you are quite the adversary. If I had known how difficult you would be to deal with, I would have dealt with you a long time ago." Philip stated once Luz finished explaining the spell. "However, now that I know you have all the knowledge that I have lost, I suppose that this spell helps me in the long run."
Luz froze up at that. Philip already had a plan? How? "What... What do you mean by that?" Luz asked nervously, eyeing Philip.
"Please, reiterate what your conditions you worked into the spell were, so that I can make my conditions around them."
Luz sighed, and did as Philip asked. "1. Those excluded from the memory wipe would be kept safe. You would be unable to persecute them, and you would be bound by oath to not pursue them or harm them. Not even to interact with them."
"2. You will be unable to complete the day of Unity Spell. Well, at least not be able to use it to harm any witches. You will have to find an entirely new way to complete your plan."
"3. You will be unable to kill me, or any that are protected from the spell. Bound by oath, you are unable to participate in even the slightest bit in their deaths. Be it from your coven attacking them, or you attacking, it won't work. This spell is an even stronger version of a sacred oath. They will be safe.
"4. And finally, these conditions will stay in effect so long as I live. You will be stuck with my decisions so long as I am alive." Luz concluded, eying Philip.
"So long as I don't go against those terms, I am allowed to set any additional requirements on you?"
"Not exactly... The point of this spell is for me to repent for my actions to those I care about. So, the only conditions you can force on me have to be related."
"You say that, yet most of the conditions you made in the spell are about stopping me. I don't think you quite understand this spell properly. You may view your actions of giving yourself up to me as a way of repenting for your wrong doings, but because you included me in the spell so much, I believe you gave me more say than you anticipated."
Philip laughed. "Magic is a weird thing. Although I am just theorizing, the magic of the spell and its nature of having us make a deal still pushes through. I can feel it. That what I said is true. And I am sure you can too."
Luz nodded, feeling herself tremble. Philip was right. As he said those words, Luz could feel it in the air. That whatever force the spell had had agreed with Philip's theory. He had much more sway than she anticipated. Luz, had made a mistake.
"So, with that being said, I think you should rename your spell, Luz the Human. You aren't really repenting to your friends. I think the name Chronological Submission is a much better title." Philip laughed "You placed yourself under my control, and submitted your life to me, and in exchange, you protected your family."
"You completed your goal, but that allows me time to complete mine. I understand so much better now." He smirked "And I know exactly what my terms will be. Judging from the nature of glyph combos, each side always has an equal number of parts. That would mean to complete a spell like this, I would need to have four terms as well. One to compliment each of yours."
Philip laughed now. "And since I didn't get any say in you making yours, it's only fair that you get no say in my portion either. That means, I can make any demands I want of you.
"1. You will willingly stay as my captive, and come with me once this spell is complete. Should you try to escape in any way the spell will end. You will have to choose to keep your spell working, or end it if you choose to leave."
As Philip said this, a loud sound echoed throughout the black abyss the two were floating in. Sounding like a gong, Luz felt something deep inside herself solidify. And judging by Philip's expression, she surmised that he felt it too. As he stated his portion of the spell, the first set of rules were placed into effect. An oath was being formed. And Philip just smiled.
"2. While you are my captive, you will endure rigorous torture until you give me what I want, and tell me how to make a new portal. You will be in agony all hours of the day until you submit. You no longer have any rights so long as you are my captive"
Again, the gonging sound rang out, and Luz felt a weight on her shoulders. The dread as she realized what was going to happen to her setting in.
"3. Should your friends or family ever try to rescue you, It will be considered an attempt to escape. To keep the spell active, you would have to convince them that you want to stay as my captive, and willingly return to the torture I will inflict on you."
Luz felt herself tremble in fear as the gonging sound rang for a third time.
"4. You will have no contact with anyone outside of the cell you will be locked in. No communication spells will be able to reach you, and if they do, you will disregard them, and forget they ever happened. I want you to feel alone. Helpless. I want you to suffer for all the trouble you have caused me."
As Philip ended his demands, Luz felt a rush of air blow past her. She let out a strained breath, and flinched as she felt herself fall to hard ground. When she finally opened her eyes, she found that she was laying on a stone floor in a dark room. She heard groaning to her side, and looking over, she saw Philip slowly getting up off of the ground.
He was back in his emperor outfit, horned mask and large cloak. Bright glowing blue eyes shining out. His gaze turned to Luz, and he stood. "The longer we talked about that little spell you cast, the more that some of my memories came back to me. I do not remember the original name for the spell, but I do remember more of what it does."
He raised a hand and slimy vines rose from the ground and lifted Luz into the air, immobilizing her. "The spell doesn't work exactly how you thought it would. You see, you tried to modify it. To take away what power I had. And you tried to hide what control I had on the spell from me, in the hopes that I wouldn't know. Am I correct?"
Luz could only glare at Emperor Belos before her. Just because he was right doesn't mean that she would have to admit it. "I will give you credit, Luz the Human. You almost fooled me. But your unending excitement for magic was your undoing. You were so excited to talk about the spell you found, that you helped me remember. If you had just shut your mouth, you probably would have won."
Belos chuckled darkly as he stood to his full height, glaring down at Luz. "No one in my entire life has gotten the better of me so many times. You... You are quite the unique individual. So, I thank you for giving me this chance to not only keep you out of my way, but to also study you, and learn what makes you so persistent. What makes you so good at foiling all my plans."
Belos raised his other hand, and his eyes squinted in concentration. "However, I need some time to change my plans, and set new actions into motion. And I need you to be waiting here for me when I need to speak to you."
Luz gasped in fear, as she suddenly lost feeling in her legs. Looking down, her anxiety increased, her heart rate skyrocketing in panic. And not the good Amity kind. Belos was turning Luz to stone. Petrifying her.
"Wait. What are you doing?! You can't kill me! That was part of the spell!"
Belos chuckled. "Oh Luz. I am the most powerful being on the Boiling Isles. The equivalent of a god. Sure, a normal witch can't undo a petrification spell. But me? I can turn people to and from stone as I please." His hand continued to tremble as Luz felt the feeling in her body continue to eb away. The vines holding her lifted her into the air, suspending her.
"You see, a petrification spell doesn't kill a witch right away. Not really. Their soul and mind are preserved in the stone. Their physical form is temporarily deceased, but not in the normal way. And that means that using this spell, I can kill you and revive you over and over again. Because, I am not really killing you. It just feels like I am."
Belos continued the spell, walking to the center of the room. Waving his hand, a pair of manacles appeared hanging from the ceiling of the stone cell. The vines carried Luz's half petrified form over towards the shackles, and Belos quickly secured them around her wrists.
"I find this to be a very effective form of torture. You can survive up to two weeks encased in stone before you truly die. And so long as I come back before then to undo the spell, I can torment you as much as I please.
He glowered at the human in front of him. And with a wave of his hand, the vines vanished in an instant. Immediately, Luz's full weight fell onto the chains. With a loud crack, her shoulders popped out of socket, causing her to scream out in pain.
"Normally, that small of a distance would barely hurt someone. But one who's lower body is turned to stone, now you have to hold all of that extra weight as you hang there."
Luz's vision went white with pain, feeling like her arms were being torn off, as the cold empty feeling continued to now rise up her torso. Slowly but surely, her stomach, then chest and shoulders turned to stone too. Her arms faded out of feeling, and all that was left was her head. Her skull throbbed in pain, at the inability to breathe. The lack of blood flow. The panic was setting in more and more.
"You will tell me what I want to know. One way or another. And if you don't your existence will be nothing more than endless torture. While you are trapped here, think long and hard, if your friends here are worth it. If they are really worth what you will go through."
The last thing she saw before her vision went dark was Belos's mask, blue eyes staring into her own with nothing but hatred. Luz closed her eyes, and lost the rest of the feeling in her body.
Everything went cold, and empty.