Enemy
The next morning, Luz wakes up feeling better but slightly anxious about an unknown enemy. She tries to remind herself that it's okay to be afraid as long as she doesn't let her fear control her.
Is it me? Am I the one everyone should be afraid of? No Luz, stop thinking that way. Remember what Amity said, that I deserve to be okay and that I'm loved. I'll go talk to Eda, reach out before my thoughts spiral into something dark.
Luz gets out of bed and gets ready for the day. Looking in the mirror, she notices how much healthier she looks. A good night's sleep helped but she's surprised by how quickly she went from looking tired and beaten down to looking and feeling so much better.
Luz looks down at the scar on her wrist and wonders if her new powers had something to do with this. She realizes she could have the ability to heal which is ironic since her scar was created when she was in a dark place.
Luz puts her sweatshirt sleeve back over her scar, covering it for now. She hasn't told Eda she's able to do magic yet and she wants to ease her into it.
Luz takes a deep breath and starts walking downstairs, ready to tell Eda about this newfound power. It won't be easy, but they'll work through it together.
Once Luz arrives downstairs, she sits on the couch and waits for Eda to come into the living room. She can hear her making breakfast in the kitchen with King and smiles, relieved to return to some sense of normalcy after feeling so disconnected.
Eda comes into the living room with some griffin eggs, a plate for each of them. She sits down next to Luz and smiles, noticing how she's already looking so much better.
"Good morning, kiddo. I can see you're looking better. How are you feeling?" Eda asked.
Luz smiles, still a bit anxious but ready to open up.
"Honestly, I feel great. Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about. I'm still kind of in shock about it but maybe you can help me find out why it's happening." Luz replied.
Eda looks a bit concerned but sympathetic and nods.
"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure we can figure it out. We always do." Eda said.
"Yeah, you're right. Okay, here it goes." Luz replied.
Luz takes a deep breath and focuses, pulling up her sweatshirt sleeve to reveal her light glyph scar. As she focuses on her positive emotions, feeling safe and comforted now that she's back home, her scar starts to glow bright yellow. Then she creates a light glyph and holds it in her hand, a proud smile on her face.
"So I found out I can create a light glyph on my own using my emotions. I know it's kind of scary and there's still a lot I don't know about this power, but I think it's incredible. I'm finally able to use magic!" Luz said.
Eda looks shocked at first but smiles, the little light glyph illuminating Luz's eyes as it shines brighter.
"Well would you look at that. Honestly, I'm not surprised. You've always found a way to make what seems impossible possible. This power is proof of that and I'm so proud of you." Eda said.
"Thanks Eda. I'm doing my best and I finally believe that's enough. That I'm enough. I guess the only downside is it activates when I experience negative emotions too. That's when I started having flashbacks again and losing myself...I guess I'm just scared to feel that way again." Luz replied.
Eda puts her arm around Luz as her light glyph slowly starts fading. Eda notices this and tries to help.
"Listen kid, I can't promise you won't feel that way again, but I can tell you this. No matter what obstacles you face, you manage to find a creative way around them and always come out stronger in the end. It's what makes you an incredible human and a powerful witch. I've always believed in you, now it's time you start believing in yourself." Eda replied.
Luz puts out the light glyph and gives Eda a hug, tears in her eyes as she takes in these words and finally believes this about herself. Then she looks at Eda and smiles.
"I needed to hear that. Thank you." Luz said.
Suddenly, Luz and Eda hear a knock at the door. Not expecting anybody, they look at one another confused. Then Eda heads over to the door and opens it.
"Hey kid, what are you doing here?" Eda asked.
Luz gets up and walks over by Eda's side, curious to see who's at the door. She's surprised to see it's Hunter.
"Amity told me about Luz's new glyph power and I came over to help. And I'm not a kid anymore, I'm eighteen now." Hunter said.
Before Eda can respond with a witty comeback Luz steps in, excited to hear what Hunter knows.
"Hunter, thanks for offering to help. What do you think this light glyph scar power is all about?" Luz asked.
Hunter walks inside and paces for a bit, thinking about this. Then he pulls out a book on wild magic and explains.
"When you drew the light glyph symbol and activated it, it became a source of power connected to your emotions. It's a different way of doing magic but it's definitely possible. You were probably experiencing a lot of pain in that moment, but it gave you light powers because you wanted to protect the people you love. Belos did something similar when he carved glyph symbols into his arms, but his power was fueled by selfishness and greed, that's why he became a monster." Hunter said.
Luz thinks about this and starts to connect the dots. She knew the power was connected to her emotions, but now she knows why.
"I get it. So what you're saying is, this power can be good or bad, depending on who uses it and what their motives are. I think this power is so cool, but it also makes me nervous. It's tied to my emotions and I'm afraid of what it might do to me if my mind goes to a dark place." Luz said.
Hunter wants to tell Luz it's going to be okay, but he knows that's not the full truth. So he decides he needs to be honest with her.
"If that happens, you may not be able to come back from that dark place. The darkness will either consume you or turn you into your own worst enemy. I'm sorry, but I just want to make sure you're prepared for the worst." Hunter said.
Luz looks terrified but the fear fades as a sense of hopelessness comes over her. She looks at the ground feeling defeated.
Eda notices this and speaks up.
"We won't let that happen. You'll be okay, Luz. I know you will." Eda said.
Luz tries to breathe to calm herself down, but her anxiety starts to creep in. She needs to talk to someone and the only person she feels comfortable opening up to about all of this is Amity.
Hunter starts to feel bad, he wanted to help but he can tell he might have made things worse.
"Luz, are you okay?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need to talk to Amity. I promised her I'd reach out when I need her, so that's what I'm going to do." Luz said.
"Alright, that sounds good. Now why don't you sit down and relax. I've got some work to do around the house, but I'll be here so reach out if you need anything, okay?" Eda replied.
Luz nods and watches as Eda leaves. Then Hunter speaks up.
"I'm sorry if what I said scared you. I just want to do everything I can to help." Hunter said.
"It's okay. I think it's better I know so I can be more self aware. I guess this power is kind of a gift and a curse in a way." Luz replied.
"I guess you're right. Honestly though, I'm sure you'll be fine. You're a good person and you always strive to do what's right. Plus you have all the support you need when things get tough." Hunter said.
Luz's mood starts to lift as she realizes she's a lot stronger than she gives herself credit for and she has people in her life who can support her when she needs help.
"Thanks Hunter. I think I'm going to go over to Amity's myself. Some time alone will be good for me, it'll give me some time to think and process everything. If Eda asks, can you tell her where I am so she doesn't worry?" Luz asked.
Hunter's a bit nervous about this. He doesn't want Luz to go off alone, especially after learning about how deadly her powers can be if she loses control. But he also understands needing time to process, so with hesitation he decides to let her make that choice.
"Okay, I'll talk to Eda if she asks. I get why you want time alone, but don't get stuck back in isolation. Remember to reach out if you need to talk, you've got a lot of people who care about you." Hunter replied.
Luz smiles and gives Hunter a hug. He flinches at first, shocked by the sudden contact but then hugs her back.
Once they stop hugging, Luz starts walking towards the door, looking back one last time.
"Thanks for looking out for me, but I'll be okay. Like you said, I've got a lot of people who care about me and that's what keeps me strong. Goodbye Hunter." Luz said.
"Goodbye Luz." Hunter replied.
With that, Luz leaves, flying away on her bat palisman Azura. She knows she should go to Amity, but part of her still wants to figure out this power on her own so she doesn't hurt the people she cares about. She watches as the blue sky and clouds around her pass her by, knowing it's her choice in the end.
You can do this, Luz. You can figure this out. You just need to stay strong.