Major announcement below! Please read!

Chapter 5:

Heart of Darkness

As the afternoon fell to evening, the sky darkening, and the lights of nightlife glowing, Kurt found himself beating a hasty retreat from the Covention under the orange blaze and the azure twilight sky's light. He loathed hiding within the crowd, bustling and buzzy as it was and easier to hide within, though he felt he would be more prone to scrutiny under the eyes of local fuzz. Kurt decided to go to the outskirts and hide among the rocks and forestation, following a vague path toward the vast ocean. As he moved closer to the ocean, the heat rose to a vicious high he could barely comprehend, his shoulder aching as he limped toward a gully, that thinned and tapered into a cool cave, seemingly empty and habitable.

Distantly he saw a fortress sitting atop the pillars of spiked rib bones, but he could only make out the grey walls and the fiery aortic pit burning above it all. The more he looked at the world, the more he thought it felt as if he were living on a pseudo-Bionis, every part of this world felt vaguely living, from the walls of the castle to the cave he currently sat in. Maybe this was that awful feeling he felt coming to this world, the terrible sense that you're standing in the belly of the Behemoth, and that he was shouting to the skies as they gave up on him[2]. As he thought of this, Kurt felt himself slump against a stalagmite, silently growing aware of the pieces of stone and calcium.

When he came in among them he spent time touching them, studying them, sitting very quietly near them, Kurt had largely ignored nature and its beauty, what with trees, grass, and flowers being the most abecedarian part of life to even consider, he could hardly see how anything that still, that unmoving could be alive, yet here he was, feeling the pulse of life from the limestone and calcium outline of the cave. He shook his head. "I was insane, ignoring everyone." He looks up. The stone pillars are still. They know he's there. They probably also know what he's thinking. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I can't do anything right, even by all of you."

Hours go by before he is found by anyone or anything, the first thing that finds him is a nightmare from his past. He found himself in bed, screaming, determined to run away, tussling with his mother and father who were trying to keep him still, he was lost in a fog of fear. A doctor was called— he was afterward told— and he ordered that Kurt be kept abed, that he be kept watch of, and that his future depended upon it. His body seemed on fire and he could not sleep.

Whenever he tried to sleep he would see red eyes, bloody red eyes with arms outstretched to grab him. Later, he grew worse, seeing the eyes and arms in the daytime and gripped by the fear that they were going to lurch forward and take him away. Day and night he begged Camila not to touch him or come close to him, shaking with terror because no one saw them but him. He was afraid to sleep, dreaming of being trapped in the arms, locked into a pathetic and weak struggle against the grip. Time pulled him away from whatever lurked in the darkness and he got well. However, he saw the red eyes again, felt the grip of that evil woman again, hearing her titter at his plight, the fire encircling him and caressing him, then choking him again.

He woke in a cold sweat, tears streaming down his face. Still leaning against that stalagmite, he stood to his full height, leaning against the mineral pillar, seeing the pale white face in front of him, and there was the next person to find him: Eda, again, who took him back to the Owl House.

The next day was spent arguing with Luz, who finally found him appalling and cruel, and selfishly depressed. She would go on to nearly reject him entirely, giving him the cold shoulder for a long while.

When she did, Kurt went to find Etheridge, to fulfill their agreement, and hopefully dole out retribution. The school was just being let out for the weekend when he arrived so of course, he ran into Emira, Edric, and Viney. For a moment he wondered where Florence disappeared to, but he ignored it. "Hey, Kurt," the spell slipped onto their eyes, recognizing him as frustrated. "What's going on?" she asked.

Kurt said nothing, waving it off as him being tired, however, under the message there lay a fit of powerful anger, a warning: I don't want to talk about it. Edric frowned, understanding with a simple nod and Emira gave him a calm pat on the shoulder, giving a firm, friendly squeeze. To which Kurt leaned into partially, raising his hand for a moment to touch hers, but turning away.

"Long time no see, Kurt," Viney beamed, "We were just heading out. This time we're going to my house if you want to come?"

Kurt shrugged, whatever, he was down for it. He had nothing better to do.

"Great!" Viney clapped her hands together and strutted toward the exit, the twins following behind her, but Kurt stayed stationary since he knew what was coming.

The entire world froze for a few moments, enveloped in a grey and red aura, Luz's friends had stopped speaking, moving, and breathing, and his friends seemed to do the same. He put his hand in Emira's face waving it a few times When he saw that she didn't react, he realized that somehow time had frozen again. He walked the school just a little bit until he heard voices speaking, turning a nearby corner. He hid in a locker opened by a frozen student.

"I thought I taught you patience along with many other things, Etheridge," One spoke, presumably the person Etheridge wanted him to meet. It was a refined adult voice, as he paid more attention, he realized they came from a higher point than expected. "He will be here, besides if he doesn't come out, we'll search the entire school until we find him. Even if we have to destroy it to find him."

He could hear the other person sigh, it was Etheridge, he could tell from the smooth, fast-paced voice, "Why don't you just track his anti-magic pool?" Etheridge spoke, "This is pointless, all this walking…" he drawled the vowels.

"This is part of the hunt, Etheridge, the chase," the older man said in a matter-of-fact tone, "But if you want it done so badly… do it yourself. You learned the spells, didn't you?"

"I will then," he responded restraining his anger, he went silent as Kurt quietly panicked that he'd be caught. Were there actually anti-magic spells? No, that was a dumb question, what else had he been doing all along? The big question was if he could be found that easily? "He's—"

In an abrupt flash, Kurt was being dangled in the air, head to the ground, by the lower hem of his shirt. His arms swayed wildly, as he kicked the humid air trying to hit the one who grabbed him. The sonorous and inflectionless adult voice, "Way to spoil the fun!" he said, "I was trying to make him nervous and get that single sigh of relief before we caught him, now it feels cheap, like a jumpscare."

Etheridge scoffed, muttering something along the bounds of, "…pointless."

A beat of collective understanding between them passed before Kurt sensed the gaze of the man, "Kurt the human, I presume. Well, after what Etheridge here has told me, I seriously doubt that you're fully human." The man above him, or below, uttered. Kurt turned his head to face him, as he was standing on the ceiling as opposed to Kurt who was a single drop away from splitting his brain stem in two on the cool cement floor. The man was tall and saturnine, swarthier than Kurt, with his hair like a blooming flower, pulled into whorls of spadices and petals, shaped in a ponytail behind his head. He was dressed in a flowing, wide-sleeved robe, like that of a judge's robes, but textured like an African spiral quilt. His face was bright, his ears round, wide smile on his lips with grey eyes alight with excitement. "Ah, perfect, everything has fallen into place."

"Don't worry about your voice either, you can speak here." Etheridge cut in.

[What the hell are you guys?] his voice came out in rasps, almost unable to be heard by anyone other than them.

"I'm your damn classmate," Etheridge hissed behind his titular smile.

"And I'm Claude Cullen, your professor, but you can call me C.C. (CeCe)"

[My professor? So, you're the one that Etheridge wanted me to meet?] Claude nodded at that. Etheridge's brown eyes stared at him from behind C.C. [You didn't answer my question, what the hell are you guys?]

"Give him to me real quick. I'm gonna say something to him."

"Are you going to intimidate him again?" C.C. apparently knew about the insane thing that occurred just the day before.

He paused, "Yeah, maybe a little."

"Here you go," Kurt was passed off as a balloon.

Kurt wrestled against Etheridge's grip, attempting to regain some sense of balance by leaning his head forward, toward the gravity grounding the two of them. However, Etheridge pulled Kurt down toward his face, only an inch from his face. Kurt got a clear look at him, then – his eyes giving off an innocent, childlike glint, hidden behind the dry expression. He reached up to Kurt's copper-colored face, his almond-brown hand running across Kurt's cheek. Kurt turned away from it, a growl intoning from his throat, [What are you doing?] slipping from Etheridge's grip and hurtling head first into the ground, [S-Shit!] he found himself caught by Etheridge, holding him by the pant leg. "Hello there," Kurt finally got a look at his hand, which was bony, pale, and atrophied. "I can tell you're observing us, it would be best if you avoided doing that. Any determinate factors you get from trying to read me are likely false."

Etheridge dropped him onto the floor like a heavy tote of groceries after a long week, just barely high enough to not break anything, but clearly uncaring if it did. C.C. spoke cheerily and excitedly. "Okay, buddy. We're gonna give you the rundown of how this works."

There was intense wrath in Kurt's eyes, uncontrollable and nigh unending, the same that could be recognized in Etheridge.

"Unless you wanna make this a fight."

In response to seeing this incredible animosity, he couldn't help but feel a tug at his lips, rising up and up, almost until his cheekbones were touching his eyebrows.

"Yeah, no. I think we've had enough fighting for the last five chapters. And plus, he still holds more power over you." C.C. uttered, "Besides, we have to talk. You and me specifically."

Kurt growled, black energy rolling off his body. He was beginning to wonder why he even came here if he wasn't going to get satiate the anger in the pit of his stomach, the man before him wanted him here for some reason though, used Etheridge to bring him here. There must have been a reason why.

"Okay then," the man snapped his fingers and they appeared in the auditorium, "You should know that you and Etheridge are my only students here at Hexside. And that you are the only Anti-magic witches in town."

"[What does that matter?]"

"It means that we can talk in peace, without having to worry about any others hearing what we say or trying to stop us from conversing," C.C. leaned toward him. "This also means that none of the students will hear us and neither can the Emperor's goons. So, that means that I can start with your business with me."

"[What business would I have with someone like you?]" Kurt crossed his arms. "[You guys are nothing but trouble! Your little lackey here-]"

"Etheridge is not my lackey. He does whatever he pleases whenever he pleases, but I prevent him from doing whatever might prove detrimental to others," he explained, quickly and smoothly, "I don't plan on making you do anything, if that's what you're on about. If you think that the reason I asked him to bring you here is for anything other than teaching a fellow Anti-Magic witch about his history, then you would be wrong, I'm sorry to say."

"He's right," Etheridge chimed in, his signature grin covering his face. "I know that I messed with you a bunch, but your grudge with me doesn't change the fact that he's just trying to help a fledgling head along his way to becoming a feathered young bird who needs no help from anyone else. At least, that's what he did with me."

There was a short pause between them, Kurt's veins still surging with simmering red blood, seething at the Etheridge, still with that idiotic smirk plastered on his face, "Why should I trust you? Etheridge threatened to kill Luz."

"Mmm hmm," Etheridge hummed then cackled, "I'm very subject to my whims, aren't I? I did help you out those other times though…"

Kurt knew what he was referring to. "Yeah, that was me, too. I did all of that. I also saved your ass when you passed out in front of Wrath." He smiled, "Nothing compared to what you did to me, though."

The many other times when Kurt was in combat, apparently, Etheridge too, was there helping him along the way. At least that was what Etheridge purported happened, but Kurt didn't really believe him all that much. However, he knew way too much about his narrative for it to not deserve consideration as the truth. Somehow, he even knew about…

"I told him not to kill you. Plus, if I wanted to kill you, it would be incredibly easy. Anti-magic gives us unique abilities, things that you would have trouble imagining. Things that we all have trouble imagining, like learning to speak again, or making someone forget," C.C. explained, "It would let you protect yourself in this world, from others like Etheridge. Like us. We aren't the only Anti-Magic witches in the world, hell, there are Anti-Magic witches on Earth! There are hundreds of monsters out there that are lurking in the dark, just waiting for you to feel an ounce of security. And I don't want another of my brothers to die."

Kurt bristled. Another? He wondered. C.C. picked up on it.

"We're a dying race, Kurt. I'm sorry to tell you that," he continued, pausing as the teen's body relaxed, "Etheridge here has been living on the run from Emperor Belos since his childhood and I have been in hiding here as a secretary for quite a while now. Teaching who I could, when I could. Trying to guide the newest generation away from the cruel traditions they have been taught about us." He grabbed Kurt by the shoulders, "That's all I want! I just want to be a teacher, steer people away from anger and cruelty. We are not bad people, Kurt. We're people who make mistakes. And I'm hoping you forgive me for what Etheridge here did, it was reprehensible and he will be punished for it. But what he did should have no bearing on our business, showing you the world you live in, teaching you about your heritage, and maybe giving you peace of mind. Would you let me do that for you? And keep in mind, if you deny this offer I'll still protect you."

Kurt sighed, this was quite the proposal. At first, this felt like everyone was against him, but as C.C. unraveled each of the notions that the first encounter with Etheridge had set in his mind, this seemed relatively benign. The offer was that he would be able to learn about his anti-magic abilities, about his history here, the most enticing part of the deal was the idea that with his help Kurt might be able to fend off those like Etheridge, he might even be able to get rid of whatever mental block existed between his thoughts and his words. He glanced at the people around him, observing their frozen bodies speaking with each other mirthfully, a genial smile gracing their empty grey faces. He could be like them again. He knew the chances that this could turn out to be a bust, it could turn out to be a bad thing. However, the rewards far outweighed the risks.

"Does that mean you're in?" Etheridge grinned wider as his eyes and the edges of his mouth spilled murky water.

While he hated what occurred between them in the arena, and there was still anger in his gut, Kurt smirked right back. He was going to get his life back. If he had to claw it from Etheridge or whatever wicked creature came his way, [7]he'd take it back. The giddy feeling in him lifted him enough to ignore the deep animosity. "[Hell yeah I'm in.]"

Viney's house had more people than some of Emira's classes, including younger siblings, grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts, and the friends they brought along. It happened to be some kind of family event that she neglected to mention to them, and thus they were roped into the group events and chores. Viney and Edric took to taking care of the many kids while Kurt, Zadie (who had been brought along at the last second), and Emira helped in the kitchen, though Emira felt useless since she didn't know much about how to cook red meat, though. Red meat, at least according to her mother's empirical evidence she had no reference for was unhealthy as there was a better chance of death eating it.

Kurt moved deftly in the kitchen, his feet swift and enterprising, remembering how he moved the same way when he was preparing dinner with Zadie. She watched him then, too, but only in passing glances (possibly longer than a few seconds, enough for Edric to call her out on it, and Amity to mention having a crush on him) and he very ostensibly knew where he wanted to be when he was there. His gait even seemed to lift partially, no longer the elephantine and physically confused boy he always made himself out to be.

He came across differently when he arrived at Hexside to join them and she suspected that it had something to do with the Covention incident that she heard so much about. He had been beaten on by her sister, left as a husk of his body. Though this was common for Anti-magic witches (from what she heard from her mother about them, as they had gone into hiding on the neighboring lands, away from the Boiling Isles and the few that were left lived in hiding and persecution) there was a pep in his step, rather. Nearly dying and taking heavy blows from an Abomination about three stories high didn't do that to you. And now, she was very eager to find out.

He asked for a spice, which she passed along, grazing his warm brown hand. "Here you go," she murmured, she hadn't meant to, but she was too deep in thought and the room was too silent for her. She looked at him again.

It wasn't often she had so many thoughts of someone not related to her. That was natural though, she was interested in him. A little crush. Not major. Inconsequential in the long run. She wouldn't act on it. Besides he didn't seem like the type to… well. There were a few things that she suspected about him, what with how he carried himself.

It was little. Small. Teensy-weensy.

She joined him in the pleasantries that came after they finished assisting with the dinner, where he began conversing with the brown-haired teen with a lute at his feet and who was playing a slow song on the clavichord they kept beside the window next to the entrance. He was not a bard witch though, he just enjoyed playing, he said.

"Where we come from, music is played purely for enjoyment and entertainment, there is no utility to it." Which was when she realized that they weren't from the Isles. She inquired where they came from, and he answered with a smile, asking whether she would be willing to hear the truth. Kurt didn't know the traditions of the Isles like the rest of them and would likely be a little less confused than she. Emira wanted to know anyway, "We're from Laxárdalur, a landmass far away from the Isles. Not a part of the Titan. It was three times the size of this country. Magic was something that people only dreamed of, but there were a few who knew of its existence, only people with money knew what it was and fewer knew how to use it properly.

"Our family was kinda middle class, but there was someone who knew that bad things were going down there, so we kinda noped out of there, I guess. The trip here took seven months and only a few of our parents made it, some of them gave up out of hunger, some were forced to eat their siblings, my dad used a bone as a knife to keep my uncle off of him. But Viney's mom – Rán, cleverly used a net to catch some nearby sailors and plunder their food. It saved them and kept them from dying. Eventually, they made it here."

"Woah," She whispered, amazed by the history of Viney's family. She had neglected to mention their parents' story of crossing dismal seas to find salvation, but somehow Emira felt that she was understanding her a little better. "Why didn't she say anything about this?"

"Because it's personal," a woman interjected next to her, she looked just like Viney except taller and somehow, more built and muscular. Emira assumed it was her sister since she looked too young to be a mother. "What we went through, we went through. And what our parents tell us is between us and them. We don't have to—"

"Oh, hush up, Gunda," Viney interjected, walking in after the woman her optimistic smile beaming at them, "I didn't want them to think that I was more badass than them or to talk about some very sensitive topics between them."

Emira saw that she was talking about her own parents, who were much less admirable than was common. "It's fine. Our parents, they weren't always so…" She sighed, "It started happening recently, actually. They started to fight every once in a blue moon and it got worse as we got older. When Amity came, it was the best time of all our lives. We went out places, we saw the rest of the family, it was great. Edric was especially fond of it, he felt like he had his mother back on his side. But… then she started working for the Emperor's Coven – creating the Blight Industries we know today. It took its toll on her. And dad, he, well he disappeared. Like he always did.

"They're not bad people, they just… I guess they don't know how to deal with being adults," she suggested. Somewhere deep inside of her, it disappointed her that adults, who were supposed to be the experts, ended up being the ones who were fooled by the trick of life.

Adjacent to her, Kurt had listened with disconsolate sensations pricking at him. He understood her, in a way that he could never speak of.

"Hey, no!" Viney interrupted the beginning of doleful feelings among them, turning to her relative on the clavichord. "Rig, play something upbeat!"

He blinked at her and quickly played something upbeat in the key of G and time of six-eight, a waltz of sorts. Kurt glanced up at him as he recognized the chord progression as something nostalgic and enjoyable. He played a low beat, the upper extensions, and a melody on top. A kind and bubbly song. Kurt grabbed the lute at his feet and began playing as well.

It was a famous Yusef Lateef song from '61 that had been covered quite a few times, specifically with Herbie Hancock and Carlos Santana, which was the version of the song that he learned, and which he joined in with. Though it was a variation. He played and watched as the others joined in the dancing, Emira in the center of it all with Viney, moving free and riant, she let the girl before her guide her motions. As he watched, she watched him. The other guided his careful melody until they both let go of their partners, Kurt and Emira left to duet on their own.

A strange fever crept within him and led him to ponder in the evening filled with the serenade of a quiet guitar and a single dancer. The peace of the Viney's house and the lovesome lights in the windows poured a tender influence into his restless heart. The stomps and sways of dance riled him. He did not want to dance again, but even in his heart of darkness, an inkling of fondness grew between them. She felt this way before, the quietude of admiration and deep intimate allure, but it was never as strong as when she met his eyes again. His heart danced upon her movements like a buoy on shore. She heard what his eyes said to her from beneath their shade and knew that in some dim past, whether in life or reverie, she had heard their tale before.

That's it, y'all. It has been a year and some change since I started telling this amazing story to you all and since you all gave such wonderful feedback, I want to give you all this month's chapter along with some (non-spoiler) bonus content, such as the concept art for each character, Kurt's music playlist, commentary on each chapter so far, and annotations on the easter eggs I left!

I'm very excited to release these things for you all. You've given me so much and I've been constantly writing this story to the best of my ability. There were times when I almost gave up, but you all have been nothing but patient and kind to me.

Kagaminelover657, thank you for the exceptional critique and advice. Literal Paragraphs about my crazy story! I never would have expected anyone to take this that seriously. To the rest of my reviewers, thank you for taking the time to read this story! I love you all and cannot thank you enough!