Author's note: Do you know that feeling that you get when you get so immersed into something and just want to explore it? That was me with this chapter as I had a lot of fun fleshing out this chapter which actually may affect the number of chapters I may put in.
In other words, depending on how the third chapter goes, I may actually have 4 rather than the previously stated 3.
Anyways, thank you for the reception on this fic as I know that it is not very popular but screw that noise, I'm doing this for fun and I'm glad there are those that enjoy this story.
Enjoy the read!
Chapter summary: Luz Noceda, the wayward daughter. That's what they called her in hushed whispers. She can't help that she was a little bit different than them, that she acts near-whimsically and wants to read her Azura book. She can't help it that she is outgoing or loud or overbearing. It shouldn't really bother her. This is her home. Earth. Yet why did she feel like a stranger?
There's a storm in the country.
Dark skies and howling winds signal the arrival of a tumultuous storm creeping across the drowned horizon. Droplets fall with the sound of steel against steel as the darkened navy of the rain enveloped those that foolishly seek the comfort of the outside world. The roars of thunder and the strikes of lightning crackle within the cover of blackened clouds as if it were laughter amongst children. Even the darkened waves of the rolling tide crash violently along the distant shore of the coastline, battering the land in unrepentant anger.
It was weather like these that the people of the land draw themselves inward, sequestering themselves away from the wrath of nature. Doors remain closed. The curtains are drawn over glass windows reflecting the gloom of the weather. The rush of footsteps of the foolish echo over sullied roads, their hurried steps seeking protection from the raging elements as the damp cold chills them to the bone.
It was days like these that memories begin to stir within the minds of children and adults alike, the dreary atmosphere invoking the deepest of memories and the need for more. Some remember of loved ones lost, thinking of brighter times against the gloom. Others think of their friends, thinking about the days spent with warm smiles and playful attitudes. There are even those that dream amongst the waking, hiding themselves away from the dreary reality to a world of their own design and imagination. It is not uncommon then that stories begin to be shared, to remember of tales that were once thought lost. However, in a small corner of a city, all their stories always lead to one thing.
They always speak of the tower on the abandoned coast.
With hushed whispers, people speak of a mighty tower built from stone, appearing overnight with nary a sound. They remember that a once empty coast was somehow inhabited with this structure that rivals the tallest of lighthouses. It was like magic. No one heard any notice of construction. No one heard the tell-tale sign of transports or roads. It was just there plain to see, only discovered by lost children. Naturally, they tell others that there were those naturally curious of the structure, feeling the ever-present need to explore and sate their thirst for the unknown.
Back then, they would try to approach the tower and pry against the solid, wooden door with all their might, uncaring for the consequences. Once their attempts failed, they tried other means, each attempt reaching their own degree of failure. One by one, people stopped coming, no longer satisfied with their efforts to discover what was inside. However, it was not until there was one last person where the mystery only deepens.
When there was only one person to approach the tower, they saw something. Under a clear night with the full moon high in the sky, they see something move across the sand. Under the thin veil of darkness, they claim to see the very sand move, morphing into a hulking figure matching the height of two average humans stacked together. They claim that this creature went inside the tower not through the door but through the very tower itself, merging easily into the stone as it if was water. When they snuck closer to the tower, careful to avoid alerting whatever arose from the shore, they stopped once they reached the door, hearing a sound that sent a chill through their bones.
It was the cry of a child's laugh, reverberating within the very stone tower before them.
None dared to approach the tower again once the person returned to the safety of their home and told others what they saw. Fearing that the tower was cursed or haunted, they warded away others that were foolish enough to think about travelling to the lonely tower.
That was barely a decade ago.
Now, no one ever gives the tower a second thought save for the strict warnings and ghastly rumours that arose over time of its appearance. They are those that think that the tower was once the home of a mighty king who had unlocked ancient secrets too dangerous for the outside work to know. Others think that it was a secret project by the government. Some even thought it was once inhabited by aliens who left behind one of their structures behind.
They are all wrong of course.
It was merely a simple home for an extraordinary family living in the simple world of Earth.
Amongst the very top of the tower, where regular eyes cannot see, sits a glass observatory filled with row upon row of shelves filled with books of all kind. Laid neatly in the deceptively wide room was a table with several books and journals strewn about in a chaotic manner whose topics ranged from fantasy to artbooks. Off in a small corner in the room, a telescope lays balanced on a stand, pointing upwards to the turbulent sky.
And in the center of the room sitting in a wooden chair and reading a book, whose mind was deep in thought yet filled with an unpredictable and tumultuous nature as the rolling storm overhead, lies a girl no more than 14 years old. Her brown hair was left unbound, letting her hair fall down freely, covering both her ears and the tops of her shoulders. Her brown eyes, aged with gloom and hints of fatigue, were hidden behind the thick lenses of navy glasses, darting between the pages of her book that lays in her hands. Her cocoa-coloured skin was clothed with plain yet comfortable clothes, one blue t-shirt and one black shorts. With one last thumbing of pages, releasing a huff of exhaustion for good measure, she closes the book and gently places it on the table, allowing herself to recline and watch the sky.
She gives a sigh, allowing herself the luxury of feeling sadness and pity towards herself. She was looking forward to today as this was her one and only birthday, one of the few times in the year that she could even go outside her home and have fun. She was fourteen, young, full of energy, and couldn't wait to spend it adventuring or playing games. All that was dashed when she woke up to the deafening applause of a storm.
The girl stares into the dark abyss of the storm, unafraid of the thunderous noise or the constant pattering of the rain. Unlike many other kids her age, she finds these types of weather calming for some reason. She doesn't know why the rhythmic feeling of droplets hitting her was relaxing. She doesn't know why the flashes of lightning sends excitement down her spine rather than fear. She doesn't know why the sounds of the waves hitting the tower or the boom of thunder overhead were like a lullaby to her. But she does know one thing.
She was Luz Noceda, daughter of Camila Noceda, and resident of the lonely tower.
For most of her life, this tower was her home, sequestered far away from the bustle of the city or the calmness of the country. Up and down, she long ago memorized the many floors and interiors that encompasses the tower, yet she always finds a way back here. Her sanctuary. The one place where she could go to when things get overwhelming or when she feels lazy and wants to relax. Fortunately, it was the latter. Granted, it didn't start like this.
When she woke up to a darkened sky this morning, she knew that any hope to go outside for anything was quickly running out but not forgotten. Frowning at the incoming storm, she swiftly went down the many floors of the tower to see if she can greet her mother before she goes to work, and maybe see if she wants to celebrate with her. Possibly even ask if she can still go outside in the rain for her birthday.
However, fate was not kind that morning as when she jumped into the kitchen hoping to catch her mother unawares, she only saw the empty form of their kitchen. She looks around and something catches her attention immediately, drawing her away from the kitchen entrance. On the modest stone dining table in the center of the room was a small red box and an envelope that laid beside it neatly. She takes both items into her hands and she was surprised when she could feel a good amount of heft hidden within the box. Resisting the urge to peek into it, she curiously looked over the envelope and sees her name written ruggedly on the back. She has little doubts to who has done this.
She quickly takes a seat around the dining table and wile still holding onto the box, carefully opens the envelope, revealing the letter addressed to her.
Dear Luz,
Lo siento, Mija. Forgive your mother for doing this to you.
My supervisor made a last-minute change in the timetable and I had to leave immediately for work. I promise I will make it up to you later but for now, please stay inside as the weather is too dangerous for anyone to go out.
I left your birthday gift on the table and it is in a small red box. I hope that you get to enjoy your birthday today even with this crazy weather!
Love,
Your mother
Luz gives a wry smile. Always the busy one, her mother. Even when today was her daughter's birthday, she still gets called away to her busy job. Yet, that was something that Luz should have at least somewhat expected.
Her mom, Camila Noceda, was a very busy woman, often working under long hours as a rather known archaeologist and field geologist, normally operating in far off dig sites or in the nearby mines. Her mom often tells her stories about the many discoveries that she and her team has found during her time at work. So often were these findings that her mom's co-workers often joked that she could sense them from the very rock itself. Fossilized creatures, ancient caverns, and lost artifacts were only a few things that were found during her mom's career, often speaking of them when she returned home. Well, speak in the loosest sense of the word.
Camila was mute. She couldn't speak with her voice, so she does with her expressions and movements. When Luz was younger, both Luz and Camila took up sign language classes so that they can easily communicate with each other. Many were the nights where both would animatedly tell each other the stories of the day, signing away rapidly until the lights grew dim and when eyes grew too heavy to bare. Lately, they haven't been able to connect as much, her work suddenly piling up from nowhere. Luz doesn't mind it at all though, understanding the responsibilities her mother has. She was more than eager enough to wait patiently for the days where they can tell stories under the stars, where Luz can delve into her active imagination and imagine her mom's findings as part of a robust and mysterious world.
Yet, Luz remembers when she asked how she was able to speak when her mom couldn't. Her mom waved it off and said something to her, but Luz couldn't remember. Luz just chalked it up to her long-gone father teaching her when she was too young to remember anything. Although, anytime she mentions her father, her mom would always get this faraway look. Luz learned to not mention her father near her after awhile.
Turning her attention to the gift, Luz's smile only deepens when she finally takes the red box and opens it, letting out a small gasp of surprise at what she sees. It was a necklace and a beautiful one at that. Laid on the inner foam was a small, clear crystal connected to a soft, circular piece of twine. The crystal was barely the size of her thumb, but it was radiant in its luster, the light shining brightly as she twists and turns the box around. She gingerly takes the necklace and places it around her neck, admiring how the crystal glowed even in the dimmed surroundings. She places the box on the table, she notices a small, folded note where the necklace was once was on. She takes and unfolds it, smiling even further at what she reads.
I will always be with you. Even if I'm not there to see.
Mom
A warm, fuzzy feeling courses through her chest as she pockets the message. Leave to her mom to brighten her day even when she's not here and when the day started as bad as it is. She plays with the crystal necklace, appreciating the weight around her neck reminding her of the things her mom does to make each other happy.
Yet, as she stares at the thick, front door in front of her, she can't help but sink back into her thoughts and the memories that appear in her mind. Contrary to what she looks like and acts at times, she has no friends. She has no one besides her mom to talk to in this place. She already damaged her social standing at the nearby school to the point where no one wants to even give her a chance or be even be seen with her.
She can't help but remember all the times that she has messed up over the years in trying to just fit in with the other kids her age. That one time during kindergarten when she walked into class covered in mud, saying that it was a fun thing to do. That one time during 3rd grade when during an art showcase, she brought in a model griffon to show off her skills but was rightly laughed at by her peers saying that it was entirely wrong. They said that there was no way that a griffon had a head of a pigeon or even had spider breath. It was just too weird to be true. She doesn't even have the heart to argue as she doesn't know herself, but it just felt right when she made it like that.
There was even one-time during 1st grade when her class went to a zoo to learn about various animals and their habitats that ended in a horrible fashion. Somehow, when the teacher wasn't paying attention to the class, Luz found herself separating from the group and wandered around the expansive lands of the zoo. It wasn't until much later that the teacher noticed her disappearance and after a frantic search, found her conversing with various beasts all around her as if she understood the various hisses, growls, and squawks. Lions, snakes, falcons, and owls were all but the few that were miraculously out of their cages and surrounding the excited girl, blissfully unaware of the problem she has caused. The zoo had to shut down that day and the teacher was apologizing profusely. Luz didn't understand of course and tried to explain but no one believed her when she said that the animals just wanted to talk with her.
Her chest tightens as she remembers one of her more recent stunts, the one that caused too much trouble for her overworked mother. It was during the last few weeks of school for her 8th grade class where they would be presenting their final project before they graduate and enter the 9th grade. It was a simple project, just a book report that had little fanfare or intricacies. However, simple was too boring for her and she decided to tweak her project just enough to really capture the essence of her book, The Good Witch, Azura. A bit of pyrotechnics here and a set of snakes there would really make the presentation pop when compared to other book reports.
And pop it did for it nearly burned the entire school down. Several students were also citing trauma from having uncaged snakes roam around freely in the halls of the school.
It was safe to say that she was promptly sent to the principal's office.
Her ears were ringing after the talk and her heart was pounding from the stress. She can clearly remember the barely restrained voice of her principial hiding the frustration and disappointment towards her. She can still feel the touch of her mother on her shoulder, the normally comforting gesture instead bringing a sense of dread and cold from her icy touch. The principal gave the Noceda family an ultimatum, bringing from his desk a single flyer.
Get your daughter under control or expulsion would be the least of your concerns.
The flyer was an advertisement for a correctional camp, Welcome to Reality Check Camp! It promised to reign in any eccentric individuals from anywhere and turn them into a productive member of society. The paper laid crumpled in a lost corner of the tower but the foreboding feeling of such an outlandish item still stings to this day. It was only a few days before the official start of summer, and her mother reluctantly agreed to putting Luz in the camp. Bowing to the orders of the principial. Luz wanted to fight and scream but one look from her mother put her a halt to that, her mom's cold, blank stare breaking her will.
To this day, her classmates snicker behind her back, hampering her by spreading rumours about the disaster bringer and her tales of wanton destruction and misfortune.
Luz Noceda, the wayward daughter. That's what they called her in hushed whispers. The one completely lost in her own world that she neglects reality. More than once that she has caught other people, mainly adults, saying many cruel and harsh things regarding the two of them. That they feel bad for her mother to have such an overbearing child. That she, Luz, was the reason that Camila was all alone and left to pick up the pieces. That her father was another figment of her own twisted imagination.
She can't help that she was a little bit different than them, that she acts near-whimsically and wants to read her Azura book. It may be a children's book, but it is still a good book nonetheless! She also really can't help it that she is outgoing or loud or overbearing, she just has too much energy cooped up in her!
It shouldn't really bother her. These things shouldn't really hurt her.
This is her home.
Earth.
Yet why did she feel like a stranger?
A wet sensation falling down her face draws her away from her thoughts, quickly realizing that they were her own tears. She wipes them away, trying desperately to remove the dark thoughts creeping into her mind. She swiftly exits the kitchen and clambers up the stone steps, seeking solace in her observatory.
With a mighty slam of the aged, wooden door, Luz burst into the room and quickly sat herself in her chair, grabbing without looking one of various books scattered along the table while ignoring the blustering winds and the downpour of the storm.
Cracking the book open, she breathes a sigh of relief at what she sees and takes out the drawing pencil that was lodged into spiral spine of the book. It was one of her any drawing books, the latest one in fact, but she can still see the numerous amounts of wear and tear on the older pages that were filled with various doodles and sketches. Taking a steady breath, she turns to a fresh page and just begins drawing without a thought, eager to lose herself in the flow of lead on paper.
She has always loved drawing, the act of creating things from her imagination always had a way to soothe her inner demons. She filled numerous shelves with just her sketchbooks and notepads, her mind constantly creating new and wonderful things to fill her canvas on paper. Mysterious creatures straight out of mythology, unique characters, bountiful environments; she has delved into many realms of possibilities. One of her greatest pieces, in her humble opinion, was a medieval-era castle cast aflame, the stones illuminated by the orange glow of the raging fire under a clear night sky. She put great effort and detail in the wisps of smoke that rose from the inferno and the horror-like formation around the castle. When she showed her mother, Luz was ecstatic when her mom couldn't say a thing, but she can tell by her widening eyes that it must looked gorgeous and amazing! With her dedication for drawing, her mother even pushed her to apply to an art school when she was older, a thought she filed in her mind for future consideration.
But what she was really proud of drawing was something that she didn't tell anyone about, not even her mother. It was also something so simple to do too. However, what made them so special and endearing to her was that they came from her dreams.
Glyphs, she calls them. The composition of different shapes and sizes forming into one, specific symbol that held such an air of mystery to them. Pages upon pages of several notebooks were dedicated to solely these glyphs, their ancient and somewhat formulaic form pleasing to the eye. In her head, she imagines that these glyphs were symbols of power or status symbols to signify different hierarchies in a society. She even took some creative liberties and incorporated them in some of her art, placing them on banners or on pieces of equipment as sigils to signify those that they serve.
However, she would never get tired from the way she receives these glyphs. From time to time when she was asleep, she would feel herself being pulled somewhere and receive vivid dreams revealing these glyphs in a euphoric rush of display. Some glyphs were enchanted with an ethereal purple glow, gnawing at the conjured land of the dreamworld. Others were summoned in a burst of force such as appearing in the middle of flames or wrapped in a tornado. A few were of the gentler kind, soothing her inner self with a soft, luminous glow. Each and every time that she receives these dreams, she would rush out of bed and quickly draw what she saw into her sketchbook so that she does not forget them. These dreams started when she was around 9 years old and in rare occurrences as well but overtime, they would increase in frequency as she got older until they would occur several times a week now. Honestly, she would also lend credence to some of the more elaborate creature designs to her dreams as she would sometimes catch glimpses of unknown monsters appearing from the murk.
She was just finishing the touches on her glyph, one of the first glyphs that she learned to draw and memorized as it appeared in a halo of light, when she felt a wave of lethargy hit her. Stifling a yawn, she looks up into the sky and promptly blames the gloomy and dark atmosphere for making her feel so tired so early in the day.
Closing her book with a satisfying thud, she leans back into her chair and closes her eyes. Perhaps a nap would do her good for the day?
So, she lets herself go and falls steadily into unconsciousness.
LuZ nOcEDa
Luz shoots up in alarm, her heart pounding at the eldritch voice. She tries to look around to figure out who said that, but she quickly stopped herself when she realized where she was.
It was the familiar void of her dreamworld, the one that she would always see before any of her marvelous dreams appeared. One major difference now is that Luz herself, clothed in the clothes she was wearing before, was inside her consciousness and witnessing the growing void expand and flow around her.
"W-Who said that?" Luz asks nervously, thinking desperately to reassure herself that this was only just a dream where she was just only lucid, "Oh, I really hope this is just my imagination."
tOo LoNg
"AH!" Luz feels herself being pulled somewhere deeper into her consciousness, feeling a rush of trepidation course through her. Gone was the gentle pull and allure of her dreams long past. Now, it felt like a forceful tug, like something or someone was dragging her against her will to somewhere she should not be.
She forcefully came to a stop after what felt like a minute of traveling through her mental space. Out of habit, she spun her arms around to reorient herself, twisting in a way so that she doesn't fall done. However, something else catches her attention, one that leaves her mouth agape and a pit of despair develop in her stomach.
It was a skull. A gigantic, ancient skull that easily dwarfed her height several times over. It looked battered, neglected, and worn as Luz can easily see patches of moss growing in several areas of the skull, and certain areas missing pieces of bone. However, it was it's eyes that draw her in, a blazing inferno flickering in life as it stares directly at her.
She gulps, feeling her throat dry and clam up at seeing the threatening-looking skull, "C-Can I help you? Just please don't kill me."
RemEmBEr
With a squeal of terror, Luz could only watch as the skull opened its mouth, the creaking of bone and stone rising as it opened higher and higher until something spilled forth and went straight towards her. Luz closes her eyes, bracing for an impact but it never came. She opens an eye to check but she was soon entranced by what she sees floating in the now starlit void.
They were just like her dreams, numerous projections of light and colour dancing to an unknown rhythm. She sees creatures far beyond her imagination, creatures that arose from the deepest abyss. She sees lands far different than what see is used to, trees as high as towers, buildings archaic in their design and far from the shape of the modern world, and lush plains the colour of gold and honeydew. It takes her breath away as her eyes fill with wonder and excitement. Her hands were twitching, itching for the desire to draw what she has seen.
And then the scene shifts, and her breath was taken away once again.
Magic. That was what she can only describe when she sees magnificent gouts of elements arise from the hands of these people. Witches or wizards, she wants to say as they were definitely not human indicated by their pointy ears and other oddities. She sees several of them trek through a bustling town and she imagines the sound of shouting and haggling as an image of a marketplace was placed before her.
"Woah, what is this place?" Her voice was filled with awe, gone was the feeling of dread welling in her stomach. Now, only fascination and curiosity dominate her mind as she feels the urge to explore this new place.
HoMe
"Home?" She asks quizzically to the skull. Oddly, when the shock of everything that is happening wore off, the skull didn't feel as imposing from before. It felt nice actually to be speaking with it. "What do you mean?"
The scene shifts and she represses the need to convulse in revulsion.
It was a gilded room of gold with an imposing throne in the middle, the darkness stayed away by the flickering light of torches alit by flame. However, that was not what she sees and focuses with all her might not to throw up.
It was a dark green heart far larger for any creature she knows about on Earth. Black veins thick with sickly ichor dot the heart as with each painful beat, she can see the fluid travel through the heart. With each passing second, she swears that she can hear the very pulse of the heart echo through her mind, deepening the sense of nausea in her.
Ba-dum
Ba-DUM
BA-DUM
"STOP!" She pleads, "Please, stop." The image dissipating without an issue. She feels herself breathing heavily and wanting to throw up. She forces herself to stare into the flaming eyes of the skull, pouring out every note of mercy in her question, "Why did you show me this? Is this even real?"
RETURN
She was immediately sucked into the skull's mouth, screaming in terror as she traveled through the darkness until she finally sees a light passing through her.
She snaps awake, lurching from her chair at the sudden rush on consciousness. She looked around, processing that it was her room and not the empty void of her consciousness. She breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that the experience was over. She stretches to grab both her sketchbook filled with her drawings and the Good Witch, Azura book, wanting to lose herself in the euphoria of her own mind before she feels it.
Rumble
She stood up, her breath beginning to quicken. She can hear the storm outside intensify, the maddening laughter of lightning and thunder rising in manic glee and the winds rushing in a deafening whistle with each second. The rain falls like an avalanche, battering her only barrier to the outside world. Something deep inside her tells her to grab everything close to her, that she needs to leave now. She can feel the hardcovers of her sketchbook and Azura book, the roughness of her school bag, the hardness of the crystal around her neck before she feels it again.
RUMBLE
The tower shudders. Luz catches herself before hitting her head on the head, but it does nothing to assuage the paralyzing feeling of despair holding her mind hostage. She tries to move, but she can't. Her legs weren't responding to her and she was screaming in her mind to GET OUT!
RUMBL-Crack
The tower shudders once again but this time, her world lurched.
She feels herself weightless, the flooring under her gone in barely a second. The tower is falling. Her home is falling. And she is falling with it.
'Mami,' She thinks morosely, 'I'm sorry for going ahead.'
She closes her eyes, letting the elements swirl around her and consume her. The last thing that she sees was not the tower or her room or even the raging storm around her. Instead, what she sees is a small, worn monument surrounded by blackened woodland, and carved in the middle of the stone was a flower insignia.
And everything went to black.
"Is … going to … okay? She's … like … for … while …."
"…not …, King. I don't … know … she … here. Heck, … lucky … … found … before the boiling … hit or she would … … puddle before …."
She can hear voices. Whisps of a conversation but she is struggling to hear what they are saying.
"…, … why … she there …? … rare … find … besides us in … … of the woods."
"…guess is …good …mine. Here, pass …the herbs. She …need a pick …up before …end of it."
She smells something in the air. It was aromatic but not distant, the thick fragrance barely tickling her nose. She nearly whines, feeling the need to stay quiet, to stay asleep.
"…you hear that?"
"I did. I think our guest is finally waking up."
Luz sputters herself awake, hacking loudly into open air. She props herself up on something, coughing loudly as she tries to expel that she thinks is water from her lungs. One of her hands brushes against the familiar smooth frame of her glasses, giving her some solace from the pain.
"Woah, take it easy, kid," An unknown voice says beside her, "You don't want to cough up your lungs."
Luz remembers. The fall. The tower. The cold feeling of being swallowed by water. She shouldn't even be here. But where is here?
"Where," She manages to say between coughs, the pain in her chest decreasing with each passing moment, "Where am I?"
"The safest place on the Boiling Isles for one thing, kid. Frankly, you look like you had a face-to-face meeting with a banshee." Boiling Isles? That was an odd name.
"Is that somewhere on Earth?" A bout of silence occurred as her head ached in pain. She tries to observe her surroundings, slowly taking in where she is now. Out of habit, she adjusts her glasses and, blinking through the pain, she sees wooden walls filled with random human paraphernalia. It would have been endearing if she wasn't so confused.
"Well, what do you know, looks like we have ourselves a human, King."
"Human? What do you-," Confused at the foreign tone, Luz turns her head, mouth poised to ask a question. She snaps it shut just as quickly when she notices the wild, golden eyes of a woman as pale as chalk in front of her. The rather lanky woman was dressed in a slightly tattered red dress and golden hoop earrings placed on pointy ears. Her large plume of untamed grey hair went down to the woman's knees and a small fang sticks out of her mouth, gleaming as it catches the light of the room. Notably, a small, skull-mask wearing creature that Luz does not recognize from anywhere was lying comfortably on the woman's shoulder but was soon scrambling on it's feet to get a better look of Luz.
"Woah, woah, kid," The woman tries to reassure, her hands up in a surrender-like gesture, "Take it easy. We're only just trying to help."
Luz lets out a breath that she doesn't realize she was holding. She realizes that she was pressing herself farther back into something soft, a sofa cushion once she looks behind quickly. Luz could not help but to try and shrink herself as small as possible, looking as little as a threat to this stranger and weird creature.
"Look, Eda," The creature pointed out, their nasally voice striking a chord at Luz, "She's trying to sink into the depths of the plush prison! It would be pathetically funny if she doesn't look so fragile.
"Shush, King. You're not helping the matter at all," Giving a rough shove towards the creature, the lady proceeded to grab a steaming cup from a small table near her, raising it towards Luz, "Here. You need to drink."
Luz's eyes dart towards the cup and than back to the lady, feeling fear and apprehension gripping her. Her grip on the sofa cushions behind her only tighten as she debates her choice in her head.
The lady scoffs and rolls her eyes, pushing the cup closer to her face, "I swear that it isn't poisoned. Now drink up, I'm not getting any younger."
Luz gingerly takes the cup, feeling the smoot nature of the hardened clay, before taking a small, tentative sip of the clear liquid topped with the green sprinkling of herbs. Immediately, she feels a warm sense of relief wash over her, her shoulders slumping at the sense of comfort. She then proceeds to nearly down the entire cup in one cup.
"Feeling better?" Luz nods slightly. "Good to hear then. Name's Eda and this little bugger that's climbing on the couch? He's my roommate, King. What's yours, kid?"
"L-Luz," She says reluctantly, still slightly fearful of Eda, "Can you please tell me where I am or how I got here? I don't know how I got here, and I need to get back home to make sure my mom is okay."
"Well, Luz," Eda's tone was patient, sitting down to Luz's height so that her golden eyes can look directly to Luz's brown, "You are in my house that's on the Boiling Isles, a different dimension that is definitely not on Earth. As to how you got here, your guess is as good as mine. We just found you laying down in the forest banged up from who knows what."
"Oh." Luz tried absorbing all this new information but this whole concept of this place not even being from Earth was overwhelming to her. She barely leaves the tower and she never went out of the country but now? Now, she just dimension hopped like from one of the characters from her book. She's not sure whether to cry or laugh.
"Did you happen to find a blue backpack with me then?" She asks with a little trepidation, "It kinda has my phone and I need it to contact my mom."
"You mean this thing?" When Eda brought out a medium-sized blue backpack with an Azura pin buttoned on one of the straps, Luz quickly snatched the bag out of Eda's hands and was quickly rummaging through it to find her phone.
"Geez, no need to thank me," She can hear Eda mutter under her breath, but Luz pays it no heed as she scours through the mess that is her bag. She finds several leftover journals filled with homework that she forgot to remove and her latest sketchbook from the tower, miraculously lacking in water damage. Even her Azura book was inside as well. When she finally finds her phone, she made a small sound of success as she quickly began to text her mom.
Luz: Mom, are you okay? The storm was awful, and I need to know that you are alright!
Sending message…
Message not sent. No connection available.
"Argh!" With a guttural yell, she flings her phone into the couch, breathing heavily as she comes to terms with the fact that she has no idea if her mom is alright and that her mom doesn't know that she is okay, let alone alive.
"Woah, easy there," Eda sternly says, "You just woke up and you are still too weak to exert yourself like that. What's gotten you so worked up anyway? Did your mom not send you well wishes or something?"
"Sorry," Luz grumbles, rubbing the back of her head in slight discomfort and looking anywhere but Eda's firm visage, "And no, not exactly. It's just…there was this freak storm happening and it was horrible. Tore down my home with me in it. I don't think I should even be alive, really. I don't know how I'm okay but if that happened to me then I need to know that my mom isn't hurt or worse."
Luz hears Eda take a step back, causing her to look at the strange woman. Eda looked like she was trying to process everything that she heard but there was something in her eyes that looked conflicted and morose. King, Luz notices in the corner of her eye, sat solemnly on the edge of the couch; an unrecognizable look bequeathed on his mask-covered face as he keeps silent and stares at her.
Eda coughs into her hand, drawing Luz's attention to her and allowing herself to focus, "That's a lot to take in, kid. Now, what would happen if I said that I can help you with your situation of yours?"
Luz raises at an eyebrow at the deliberate implication, "I don't know. Do you really have something to get me back home? A place that is apparently on another dimension where I don't even know how I got here?"
"Simple, really." A near-conniving grin was plastered on Eda's face as she slowly yet deliberately twirled her finger in the air which somehow summons a teal-grey circle of light, catching Luz's attention. With widened eyes, Luz watches as the circle expands, dropping a brown suitcase with an actual eye staring at nothing.
"What…?" Luz lets out breathily as her eyes widen at the sight, wonder and curiosity briefly flickering in her eyes.
"What, kid," Eda smugly states, "Never seen real magic before?"
"You did magic?" Luz asks incredulously. "You just did magic!?"
"Only a taste, I can assure you," Eda smirks, revealing her toothy fang more. "Spells, artifacts, etc. You name it, we probably have it and done it. This particular item can most certainly help you get home, I guarantee it." Eda gestures at the case, propping it forward for the human girl to see clearly.
Luz was ecstatic. The euphoric high of experiencing something straight out of her book and fantasies momentarily overriding the fear within her. Her eyes shine brightly as she carefully raises her hand to brush it against the case. She can feel the smooth and lacquered texture of the wood, and the engravings of the well-carved markings on the cover.
"Woah," She lets out, her eyes still trained on the eerie object as she now gently holds it in both hands, moving it around to see everything, "What is it?"
"That is a portal door," Eda remarks, "Known for their ability to hop across dimensions and allows me to stay in business. As far as I know, this is the last of its kind. The only other one that I know of was destroyed."
When she hears how Eda tells the story of the object she is holding, she stills. The gears in her head begin to turn as she notices a slight shift in tone and the subtle shift in Eda's posture. She grips the door tighter, an action that only serves to widen the grin on Eda's face, "Then why give something like this to me? What's to stop me from bursting out of this room and use this thing to get out of here."
"Well for starters," Eda points to an open window and Luz notices the dark environment in the distance. She notices droplets of what looks like rain pouring down outside but something in her mind is telling her to pay closer attention to it. "You're not going get very far. Aside from us being in the middle of a forest and me knowing every nook and cranny of this place, you do not want to go outside right now unless you want to hurt yourself."
"And why not?"
"Because the rain outside isn't like your world. It's pouring down boiling rain outside which can and will cause acidic damage on anyone who isn't protected." Luz gulps, nearly choking on the small lump in her throat as she imagines herself melting outside.
"And secondly, even if you did somehow manage to somehow both escape me and survive the rain, you won't be able to use the portal door."
"Really? Are you sure about that? Because I am pretty sure that I can handle opening a suitcase." Luz replies sarcastically and a little smugly at Eda. However, Eda raises an eyebrow as she crosses her arms.
"Sorry, kid, but that ain't real," Eda snaps her fingers and Luz can only gawk as her grip on the case disappears, phasing through where it once was as the case disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"What just happened?!"
"You didn't really think that I would just give my portal door to anyone, did you?" Eda snorts as Luz huffs in anger, "Rule #1 on the Isles, kid. Make sure you know which is real and what is an illusion. Besides, I'm still going to help you but I'm not some charity case. You are going to earn it."
"Then what do you want me to do?" Luz replies immediately, any thought for caution was tossed to the wind as her mind was now deadest in getting the door and getting back to her mom. She doesn't kid herself though as she knows that if this was any other circumstance, she would happily stay and happily learn everything about this strange new world. Signs of magic, new wild phenomena, unknown creatures, this place was a dream made real. However, her mother was her first priority, as she knows that her mother must be worried sick.
When Eda hears Luz say those magic words, her smile turned conniving.
"Alright, kid, how much do you know about breaking into a prison?"
"I am starting to regret my decision!"
The plan was simple. On the crack of dawn of the next day, Luz, disguised under a mask would break into the prison called the Conformatorium with the help of Eda and King where they apparently need to steal back something precious to them. As to what it was that they need to steal, Luz wasn't told the specifics, but she was told that it was a very important item to King.
When they would break into the prison, Eda and King would lead her to the treasure room where the guards would store all sorts of trinkets taken from anyone unfortunate enough to be arrested and brought here. Finally, when they got whatever they needed to get, they would make a hasty getaway before alerting any of the guards and be home safe and sound. No fuss, no danger. It all sounded simple too, and Luz was confident in Eda's abilities as a magic-casting witch, so says the lad, Eda, herself. There shouldn't be any problems, right?
Luz cursed under her breath as she ducked under the swing of a white-clothed guard with a bird mask, panting as she dashed away from adversary. The rumble of several footsteps was growing louder in the damp halls of the prison as time quickly passed, enclosing around her position to capture her and eventually, Eda and King. If they can even find the hidden duo first.
The plan was a mess from the start. Immediately as they entered through the prison through a grate, they all just so happened to encounter a guard patrol once they leapt down. To Eda's credit, the witch swiftly managed to knock out the guard out with a well-placed blow to the head with her staff, but she was unable to stop the guard from raising the alarm. Once the screech of the alarm rang around them, the torches lined across the hallways turned from a comforting orange to an eery green, making Eda mutter a string of curses.
"Don't worry, kid," Luz annoyingly parrots Eda as she dashes through countless corridors, "We won't get caught by anyone. I'm the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles, we can handle this, and no one would notice. Well, Eda, that turned out JUST fine, right!?" Her lungs burn from exhaustion, but she can't stop running now. She can hear the shouts of guards rise amongst the noise and she can't afford to be caught and be subject to whatever they do here.
A shiver runs up her spine as she remembers the haunted and gaunt looks of the numerous prisoners held behind thick metal bars. Many were either scarred or bruised black and blue. Many were also sporting several lacerations and sometimes even sporting broken arms or legs. But their eyes are what made her choke on her breath. No matter how gruesome the injury or how clean they looked, they all had the same distant, broken look. Luz swore right there and then that she would never let herself end up like that.
When Eda and King were right beside her and running for their lives, Eda promised that she won't let Luz get caught, saying that she has no right to get caught up in their mess. However, that promise was swiftly broken when their measly group was broken up by an onset of guards rushed between them, cutting off Luz from Eda and King. Eda told her to run, to get out of here and meet up later. Luz had no choice but to flee, losing herself between all-to-similar stone walls and the waking husks of living beings.
Luz turns a corner to another darkened hallway and nearly stops herself from running from the nauseating stench polluting the air. The smell of rot and decay coursed over her and nearly gags but she holds it in, pushing further into the hallway to put distance between herself and the hordes of guards behind her. They shout and jeer at her, but the sound grows dimmer as she runs further and further into this decrepit and unsettling passage.
Thinking that she lost them, she slows to a stop and rips off her mask, taking many much needed breathes and avoiding the need to collapse on her knees in exhaustion. She can barely look up, her form hunched from fatigue. In her mind, she tries to remember the way back, but it was all blank. She was hopelessly lost, hidden away from the guards swarming the prison. She tries to straighten herself up but something heavy immediately crashes onto her side, making her hit the floor hard. Her eyes were filled with black spots and stars, and her mask lays cracked and unusable at her side.
"There you are," A deep voice emanates from the haze of pain clouding her mind, "Tsk, of course I got the kid instead of the Owl lady." An iron-like grip was on her arms as she tries to recollect herself from the pain. She can hear the rustling of clothing and the clinking of metal resound in the quiet hallway, making her immediately hyper-focus into consciousness. She sees the burly form of a guard mere inches away from her, one hand pinning both her arms along the cold, stone floor, and the other rummaging behind his back.
"Your luck ran out, kid," The guard states as he takes out a pair of cuffs, "I'm not sure how you lasted this long but you're going away for a long time. But not before you help me get the Owl lady."
"Owl who?" She says quietly, her voice still muted in pain. A blow to her face quickly shuts herself up, groaning in pain as she tries to stay awake.
"Quiet, you insufferable maggot. No talking back to the Warden now," He states, "You are going to do as I say, and if you help me, I may consider lightening your punishment. Otherwise, well, I think you've seen enough of the other prisoners to get an idea."
Luz immediately began to struggle and flail against his grip, trying desperately to loosen his grip on her arms to get away. The Warden's grip tightens once more, threatening to break her arms from the stress.
"Quit struggling, you brat," The Warden growls in annoyance as he tries to place the metal cuffs on her. However, during Luz's flailing, she managed to luckily strike the Warden between the legs with her own. With a grunt of pain, the Warden reflexively let go of her, allowing Luz to scramble away from him.
"Urgh, that hurt! You're going to pay for that!" With a guttural yell, the warden lunges at her, his burly frame drowning her vision and his arms outstretched to detain her. In her panic, Luz immediately grabs the nearest object around her and, with all her might, swings it at the Warden. With a sickening crunch, the Warden's mask cracks under the force and the Warden crumples onto the floor, unmoving.
Luz breathes heavily, her eyes locked on the still form of the Warden. She glances at her hand and notices that she was tightly gripping a thick, stone brick. It was splattered with blood, the crimson staining the surface.
'D-Did I just kill someone?' She immediately let go of the brick, the thud of stone on stone overshadowed by the near-manic breathing she lets out.
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," She quickly mutters in a panic, "I just killed someone. I just killed someone! What am I going to do? What am I going to do!?" In her panic, she presses herself further and further into the wall, wanting to melt away and get away from her misdeed.
"My, my, Warden, is really that time again?" A voice calls out from the cell beside her, the one with the Warden's body in front of it. "It hasn't been a week and you come again to interrogate me? My, how desperate you must be waking me up from my slumber." Luz hears something shuffle towards the front of the cell, and after a slight pause, a slight chuckle rings through the quiet hallway.
"Warden Wrath debilitated? Most unusual," The mysterious voice mutters with Luz barely managing to hear it. The voice sounded apathetic with notes of curiosity intertwined with it. From Luz's hiding spot, she unknowingly draws herself in, barely brushing against the stonewall and causing small pebbles to dislodge and hit the floor.
"I see that I have a guest," The voice says, causing Luz to freeze in place, "It seems that I have you to thank for removing this obstacle. No use in hiding as it is only the two of us so please, show yourself."
Without much thought, Luz jumped out from where she was hiding and landed in front of the cell, putting her head down and began to ramble.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it, but he just lunged, and I had to do something but now I don't know what to do, I'm lost in this God-forsaken prison and I don't want to be stuck here so please help!"
A beat of silence passed before the voice huffs, "Well, I can't very much help you behind these bars and shackles, now can I? The Warden should have his master key in his pockets. I need you to get and unlock the entrance and my shackles for me to be any help. Can you do that?"
Silently, Luz quickly nods before spinning around and, convincing herself that this is for her own safety, rummaged through the Warden's pockets, letting out a small shiver of revulsion when she brushed her hand too closely to exposed skin.
To say that she jumped when she found the keys would be an understatement as once she felt the cold steel hoop of metal keys, she leapt as far as possible from the body, nearly colliding with the bars of the jail.
"Look for the one shaped in a bat's form," The voice helpfully supplied, "That would be the master key."
Luz kept quiet and her head down, her hands fumbling through the mess of keys until she found what she was looking for, an obsidian-coloured key with the head of it shaped into a bat, its wings outstretched. With a loud clink, Luz inserted and twisted the key into the lock, the door swinging wide open once Luz opened it.
"I give you my thanks, stranger. As repayment, I will aid you in your escape," The shuffling of feet amongst stone grows closer but Luz dared not to look up, terrified of what was hidden away in this worn area.
"However, I cannot aid you to the best of my ability if I still have these shackles on me. And it is bad manners to keep hiding your face like this," The voice chided, intertwined with the clink of chains echoing in the room, "Come now, raise your head and unlock these dreadful cuffs."
Luz steels herself, controlling her breath so that it is an even pace and looks up, only to find nothing to see under the dim light of the room. She then looks down, and her eyes widen at the sight.
The creature was small, nearly reaching the height of her knees. Their appearance was much what would describe King, outlandish, as resting entirely on the top of their head was a mangled, blue monstrous hand. The creature had talons, three on each arm and leg, that were dirtied and long with heavy-looking shackles inscribed with foreign letters weighing them down. However, what completely captures her attention was not the rags of tattered clothing covering her body but rather her skin that was poorly hidden or treated. What was once was a demure and unblemished hue of maroon was terribly marred by scars embedded deep within their flesh.
The scars were old, deeply rooted and mangled. Scars that look like darkened tendrils were wrapped viscously around their legs and wrists, extending as far as their elbow. They wove seamlessly into their maroon skin, rippling and shuddering with every movement, as if these tendrils were alive and eating through the muscle. However, it was the burns that took Luz's breath away.
A crown of red thorns. That was what Luz could only describe the horrific wound that was wrapped around their exposed neck, as if it were choking them with each breath. Her eyes slowly crept up the creature's figure to their face and notices another terrible wound. It was another harsh burn scar, this time molded like a flickering flame that rose to the creature's entire left face.
That was when she finally notices their eyes.
One was like jasper, a comforting mixture of brown and mellow gold. The other was scorched into pale glass. Both were widened, a dawning look of realization shattering like crystal as soon as they see her own.
"You shouldn't even be here…" They said quietly, their voice as quiet as a ghost.
Luz, whether it be nervousness, anxiety, or both, couldn't bite back her retort, "Well I'm sorry but I can't help that I was brought here in this world against my will! I was just trying to get something so that this one lady in exchange can help me get back home with her magic portal! But I can't do that since I got separated from them and I don't know if they are okay!"
Her outburst causes the creature to slightly flinch, taking a small step back with their eyes trained on her in what Luz could describe as abject horror. The creature took a second to observe her and then pointed, "That necklace… Where did you get that?"
The request was said so softly that Luz didn't process it at first. When she realized what it asked, Luz protectively clutched the crystal pendant and looked right back at them, "It was a gift from my mother, for my birthday yesterday." Her grip then tightened on the crystal, allowing it's hard exterior to bring back her confidence in strength, "That's why I need to get home. My mom doesn't know that I'm even alive and I can't even contact her. So please, I need your help."
It was calm and still, her own heartbeat being her only companion in sound to the silence. It was not until that the frame of a heavy shackle was put into her frame of vision that she was given her answer.
"I will help you. Now, shall we?"
Beautiful, destructive, and efficient. That was what Luz was given a front row seat too once she let Hecate free.
Every guard patrol that they've encountered were quickly overwhelmed with the magical prowess of the recently escaped prisoner. Her magic was like artistry in motion. Her spells were cast and released with an ease befit with decades of mastery as when each spell found their home on a guard, the guards would always crumple under their weight.
When Luz asked for her name, she stated she long ago casted away her name, saying that it was a cursed name that only brought misfortune and ill-omens to those around her. Luz decided to call her Hecate in homage to her favourite book series to make things easier for each other. Hecate didn't disagree.
They've been running for a while with Luz struggling to keep up as Hecate's small form hid away a cat-like nimbleness and agility. They haven't slowed down in the slightest when they made their mad dash for freedom, with Hecate occasionally encouraging her to keep up.
When Hecate came to a sudden halt in front of a massive door, Luz almost crashed into both her and the wall in front of them.
"What is this? Is this the exit?" Luz asks in a hurry, taking in as much breath as possible for their next run for escape.
"No." Hecate says simply, "At least, not at the very moment."
"What is that supposed to mean!" Without a word of reply, Hecate simply opened the door and walked in, leaving Luz to gape at the act's simplicity. When she finally decided to follow, her eyes widen at what she sees.
The door did not give the room justice for the sheer scale in size. It was a gigantic room nearly flooded with mountainous piles of items that nearly touched the ceiling.
"This is the evidence room," Hecate states at her side, "Or as others may call it, the treasure room. This is the place where the guards put every confiscated item that they could find from any unfortunate prisoner."
"Wow, this is perfect," Luz turned her head to look at Hecate, "But did you take me here?"
"I thought that it was obvious?" Hecate states, confusing Luz, "You said that you needed to retrieve something to exchange for a way to go home, correct? I'm assuming it is related by someone by the name of Eda?"
"Well, yeah," Luz shrugs with her eyebrows scrunched together, "But they didn't tell me what they wanted to steal. And I have a feeling that Eda and King are long gone now. I don't think that they would fault me for leaving what it is behind so why are we still here? And how do you even know that I am referring to Eda, I didn't even mention her before."
"Let's call it a prisoner's intuition." Hecate soon began to hum. With each clack of her talons, she walks around the room and inspects several piles by their base, releasing a content hum when she was done. She then stops at one and leans into it to plunge her arm into the pile.
"What are you doing?" Asks Luz, standing behind her and now confused at Hecate's action.
"Retrieving this," Hecate effortlessly pulled out from the pile a worn notebook, the paper inside worn away with bits of grime and dirt. However, the notebook looked well used. The binding had a noticeable crease and many pages that Luz can see were bent or scuffed with lead smudging.
"A notebook?"
"Yes, my personal one," Hecate replies with a fond tone, "Now, do you have anything to write with?"
After patting her pockets, Luz surprises herself when she feels the familiar bulge of a pencil. Taking it out, she gives Hecate the pencil who thanks her and then begins to do draw.
"Is it really the time to draw?! We have to get out of here!"
"Patience, child. Watch," Hecate rips out the paper she used and placed it on the floor. Feeling her curiosity get the best of her, Luz bends down to see what it is and gasps.
It was a glyph, like the ones that she can see in her dreams. But how does Hecate know what these are?
"It's something that will help us get out of here and get your acquaintance back their item," Hecate states, mistaking Luz's silence for an unspoken question.
"But how?" Luz says quietly, mystified that someone she barely has these glyphs. And if what Hecate is implying is true, then that means that these glyphs are magic and that her glyphs in her book are actually spells! Luz turns her head, her mouth open to ask, "How do you know these?"
For the first time since their escape, Hecate flinches. It was brief and small, but Luz sees it before Hecate can recompose.
"It was taught to me," Hecate flatly says, "They decided to teach me several glyphs when I was younger. Whether I wanted to or not."
"Oh." There was a certain melancholy at the way Hecate says it, but Luz didn't have time to pry for an answer before Hecate simply walks away, drawing what looks to be the exact same glyph. Once the glyph was done, she rips the paper and places it somewhere else in the room, repeating the process three more times before settling back into the center of the room where Luz was.
"Ready?" Hecate asks, kneeling in front of the first glyph with her hand hovering over it.
"Sure?" Luz hesitantly replies, "For what though?"
"This." Hecate tapped the glyph and the whole room glows, lighting up in sequence as the other areas where the glyphs were placed were encased in light.
"What is happening!" Luz manages to yell before the light grew too much to bear, forcing her eyes to close. She soon feels a lurch in the air and her entire world shifts. Up felt like down, left was right, and everything was spinning so much that she felt like throwing up.
"You can open your eyes now, child." Hecate's voice calls out from beside her. Slowly, Luz opens her eyes and sees the familiar structure of Eda's home in the distance. The orange glow of the setting sun left the house with an almost ethereal glow, leaving her stare in wonder.
"W-What just happened?"
"A translocation glyph," Hecate replies simply, "It allows me to travel anywhere in this world only if I know the place well. That includes those items that were in the room."
"You got all those items!" Luz says in astonishment, "But where did it all go?"
"A demon never reveals their secrets," Hecate replies cryptically, "Now, its best that we are on our way. I have a feeling that your companions are waiting for you."
"Okay." And so, they walked, a gentle silence between to two as they approached the home of the proclaimed strongest witch on the Boiling Isles.
When they were near, something from the door extended and shouted something into the house but Luz couldn't quite hear it. However, not even a second passed before the door burst open and something rushed out.
"Kid!" Eda yells out, approaching closer and closer to the duo "Thank the Titan that you're okay! I knew you'd get ou-" Eda soon stops in place, realizing just who is right beside her.
"Just what do you think you are doing," Eda asks with a sneer, venom dripping in her words, "Why are you here, you lap dog?"
"Hecate, do you know Eda?" Luz asks Hecate, confused as to why Eda was mad.
"Hecate?"
"You can say that we know each other," Hecate answers. The demon then directs her attention to Eda, who crossed her arms and looked ready to shout her away, "I hear that you want to send her back home, is that correct?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"And that there needed to be an item offered in exchange?"
"Yeah, but the heist was a failure. If she's worried about that then there is nothing to worry about anyways, I already decided to send her back."
"Really!" Luz shouts but Hecate puts her arm in front of Luz, halting her from her outburst.
"That is good to hear but it is not proper manners if such an exchange is broken," Hecate states diplomatically. She then draws a spell circle in the air, summoning a compass pointing eastward, "Consider this payment rendered, Eda."
"A dial with some needle?" Asks Eda, "You're going to need to do much more if you are going to satisfy my demands. The kid's free but you're not if you think I'm letting you go that easily."
"Do not worry. That device merely points to the trove I just acquired."
"Trove? What trove?"
"The one that I just so happened to steal from the treasure room, the one that you failed to steal from," States Hecate, briefly stunning Eda. Eda's eyes were then widened in increasing interest as she gives a small snort.
"Well, I'll be, that is unexpected," Eda stores the compass in her hair and looks at Hecate, still looking cross, "I'll take it as a peace agreement between us but don't think that this will make me forgive you for what you've done."
"I understand completely. I thank you for your generosity." Hecate bows, her face flat with the lack of expression.
"You're welcome," Eda flatly replies. She then turns to Luz, her mouth turning into a small smirk, "Ready to go home, kid?"
"Yep," Luz brightens up in reply, "Don't get me wrong, this place seems cool, but I think I experienced enough already. I can't keep my mom waiting after all!
"Don't worry, I'm sure that your mother will understand what is happening." Hecate mentions. The thump of wood against grass draws their attention as Eda throws out the case onto the ground. With just a few seconds, the case springs to life, opening by itself to reveal the glowing form of door hanging in the air, revealing a wayward tower off from the coast. Luz feels a familiar warmth stir in her chest when she sees her home. The tower may be broken in pieces, the rubble littering the beach, but it was home to her. Maybe her mom was somewhere there looking for her?
"Well, whenever your ready, kid." Eda says with a smirk.
"Thank you, Eda! And you too, Hecate!" With a burst of emotion, she runs up and hugs the two, leaving them disoriented at the action, "I'll make sure to always remember you! Maybe someday I can comeback here."
"If you do, it will be too soon," Eda snidely replies. Hecate mutters something to herself quietly but Luz couldn't hear it, but she assumes it was something nice.
"Bye," Luz waves, "Thank you for everything!" She walks to the door, hand outstretched to prepare herself to travel through dimensions, but something happens.
Her hand didn't go through the door. In fact, it was preventing her from crossing as her hand was resting on the open portal like a glass window.
"W-What?" Luz then tries to push through, using her entire body to push through this invisible wall blocking her from returning home. The image of the broken tower, her home, was taunting her, causing her to become increasingly agitated.
"Let me through…" Luz struggles to push through, already leaning into the door to push her way through.
"Let me through." Luz tried to shove her way through, her body hurting with each attempt, but the rising adrenaline, fear, and panic was making her not feel anything but the drive to get. Back. Home!
"LET ME THROUGH!" Luz screams at the door, pounding with all her might with her fists and kicks from her legs. Her anger and fear were at their peak, causing Luz to manically strike at the portal as if to break the invisible wall.
"I SAID LET ME THROUGH YOU STUPID, GOD-DAMN DOOR! LET ME GO SEE MY HOME! FUCKING LET ME SEE MY MOM! LET! ME! GO!" Each word was punctuated with a swift and brutal strike at the door. Her eyes were drowned with mania, but the coolness down her cheeks made her realize that she was in tears. With a final desperate scream, she launches a punch straight at the door and cries out in pain, clutching her arm and collapsing onto the ground. Her heart nearly stops when she hears the tell-tale sounds of the door closing. It didn't go through. She didn't get through.
"Luz," A soft voice beside her said, feeling the rough texture of talons touch her shoulder. It was Hecate, "That's enough."
Luz just breaks, her will gone and gripping the soft grass as a lifeline. She cries until there was no more tears. She screams until her voice turns hoarse. She laughs with tearful hiccups that this is all just a dream, that she will wake up in the embrace of her mother and laugh it all away. She hugs Hecate, knowing that she needs something to comfort her and that she may never get to see her mother again.
She falls further and further.
And Hecate is there with her, wrapping her arms around Luz as the girl weeps for her mother to come home.
Author's note: Am I evil for leaving it there? Maybe.
Anyways, leave a review and favourite/follow if you haven't yet, and see you next time!