Odalia and Alador arrived at the Emperor's Castle with Eda, Amity, and King, who were still covered in hardened abomination clay, and Lilith was walking alongside them.
"Here we are", Alador said.
The two Blight Parents walked up to the gate and showed their Emperor's Coven badges to the coven member on guard, and he opened the gate and let them in.
"Come along, Lilith", Odalia said, "the Emperor awaits us."
Lilith followed them down the castle halls, and soon, they arrived in the throne room, where Kikimora was waiting for them.
"Here we are", Odalia said.
"Welcome", Kikimora said, "the Emperor should be along any minute now."
"I'll free our captives", Alador said.
Alador took out a hammer and chisel and used them to break the trio free of their clay imprisonment, and Odalia made a spell circle that caused magical chains to wrap around them and Lilith.
"There", Odalia said, "that should prevent you from trying to escape."
Amity turned and looked at Odalia, still wanting to get revenge on her and Alador.
"You", Amity said, "I'll kill you and your husband right where you stand!"
Amity tried to break free of the magical chains, but she began to feel them getting tighter and tighter.
"Try not to struggle too much", Alador said, "we don't want you dying before the Emperor gets here."
"Where is the old man, anyway", Eda asked.
"We don't know", Odalia said, "but he should be here soon."
The four captured Owl House residents stood around waiting for Belos to show up, and Eda looked up at the Titan's heart and shuddered.
"Not that thing again", Eda said, "it gives me the creeps."
"I suppose it is a bit unsettling", Lilith said.
But when King looked up at the heart, he began to hear the sound of voices whispering, and tried to listen closely in an attempt to make them out, but he was interrupted by the sound of a door swinging open.
"Well, well", a familiar voice said, "look what the Blights have brought to me."
The voice belonged to Emperor Belos, who walked into the room with Hunter by his side.
"Luz Noceda's closest companions", Belos said, "but where is Luz?"
"She got away", Odalia said.
Belos was not happy to hear that.
"What", Belos asked.
"Everything was going according to plan until the human mysteriously disappeared", Alador said.
"I don't want to hear any excuses from either one of you", Belos said, "I was promised that Luz would be delivered to me in due time, and she is not here."
"So that's what this is about", Eda said, "you held that auction to lure us into your trap and hand us over to Belos."
"You're not far off", Odalia said, "the purpose of the auction was to sell our latest creations to the highest bidders."
"However, we didn't make plans to capture you and bring you to the Emperor until we were informed that you all would be in attendance", Alador said.
"I should've known Edric and Emira would tell you about it", Amity said.
"Edric and Emira", Odalia asked.
"Amity thinks those children of yours told you we were going to be at the auction", Eda said.
Upon hearing this, Odalia let out a chuckle.
"Oh, Amity", Odalia said, "dear, clueless Amity."
"Those twin disappointments said nothing to us about this", Alador said.
"They didn't", Amity asked.
"No", Odalia said, "it was someone else."
"Who was it", Eda asked.
"Lilith can answer that", Odalia said, "can't you, Lilith?"
A nervous expression appeared on Lilith's face as Eda, Amity, and King looked towards her.
"What's she talking about, Lily", Eda asked.
"Well, Edalyn", Lilith said, "I..."
"Aunt Lilith", Amity said, "did you have anything to do with this?"
"Not just anything", Alador said, "she had everything to do with it."
"Quite right, Alador", Belos said, "it was her paying me a visit a few nights ago that led to this moment."
The others looked at Lilith with looks of shock and betrayal on their faces.
"You went to Belos", Amity asked.
"Why would you do that", King asked.
"I suppose I have some explaining to do", Lilith said.
"Hell yeah you do", Eda said, "start talking."
"Okay", Lilith said, "did Mother tell you that Dad's not feeling well?"
"Yeah", Eda said, "she said he's been in bed for a month."
"Well, his condition has gotten much worse", Lilith said, "a healer who came by one night said there might not be much time left for him."
Eda was shocked to hear about the condition her father was in.
"Mother is devastated by this, and I couldn't bear the thought of our father dying", Lilith said, "so I decided that it might be time to get help from someone who might be powerful enough to help save him."
"Emperor Belos", Amity said.
"That's right", Lilith said.
"Wow", Eda said, "in order so save one family member, you're sacrificing two."
"Don't you mean three", King asked.
"Yeah, sure", Eda said.
"I promise you, this wasn't what I had intended", Lilith said, "I was after Luz."
Needless to say, that didn't help Lilith's case much, and the others got more and more mad with her.
"You were going to give my girlfriend away to Belos even though you know he's got something planned for her that we don't know about", Amity asked.
"He assured me that he has no intention of harming Luz", Lilith said.
"Lilith is correct", Belos said, "however, she failed to bring Luz to me, even though I made it very clear that that was her task."
"I understand", Lilith said, "I'm sorry."
"But fortunately, you did manage to bring these three to me", Belos said.
"Why is that fortunate", Lilith asked.
"I may have a use for them", Belos said, "and I suppose that is sufficient enough for your promised reward."
Belos reached into his cloak and pulled out a bag of herbs, and Odalia made a spell circle that caused the chains wrapped around Lilith to disappear.
"Mix these herbs in a broth and give it to your father", Belos said, "it should help with his condition."
"Yes sir", Lilith said, "thank you."
"No, Lilith", Belos said, "thank you."
As Lilith walked away, she looked back at Eda, King, and Amity, the former two looking at her with resentful looks on their faces, and when she left the throne room, Amity looked down at the ground with mixed feelings of shock and guilt, having realized something.
"I hurt Edric and Emira for no reason", Amity thought.
With that matter settled, Belos turned back to the captive witches and demon.
"Now then", Belos said, "where were we?"
"Not so fast, Belos", Eda said, "why do you want Luz?"
"Pardon", Belos asked.
"What have you got planned that makes Luz so necessary for it", Eda asked.
"Yeah", Amity said, "why are you so interested in her?"
"Well, if you must know", Belos said, "come with me, it's time I showed you the Titan's grand plan."
Belos walked out of the throne room, and Hunter pointed his artificial staff towards the three prisoners.
"Move it", Hunter said.
Hunter led them out of the throne room, and Kikimora looked at King with interest as he went with them, and soon they were led into the room Belos had walked to, and they looked in awe at what was in front of them.
"Welcome", Belos said.
There, in front of them, was the portal to the human realm Belos had been constructing, and Eda noticed that her portal was in the center of it.
"My portal", Eda said, "I thought Luz destroyed it."
"Not completely", Belos said, "I was able to salvage what was left of it and reconstruct it as a part of this larger portal."
As Hunter watched the scene unfold, he heard a chirping sound and noticed Li'l Rascal on his shoulder.
"What are you doing here", Hunter asked, "I told you to stay in my room."
Belos heard his nephew's voice.
"Golden Guard", Belos asked.
Li'l Rascal turned into his inanimate form, and Hunter quickly hid him as Belos walked over.
"Who were you talking to just now", Belos asked.
"Uh, no one", Hunter said, "just myself."
"Yourself", Belos asked.
"Yes", Hunter said.
The two looked at each other in silence, until Belos spoke up.
"Very well, then", Belos said, "but do take care not to do it too much, or people might start to think things about you."
"Of course", Hunter said.
Belos walked back towards Eda, Amity, and King, and Hunter let out a sigh of relief.
"What are you trying to get to the human realm for", Amity asked.
"I'm glad you asked", Belos said, "allow me to explain to you what the Day of Unity is."
Belos lit a fire in a goblet, and an image of the Titan skeleton that made up the Boiling Isles appeared within the flames, and the image changed to show the Titan's body in the human realm.
"As you can see, the Day of Unity is when our world will become one with the human world", Belos said, "it will be the start of a new era in Boiling Isles history."
"And what of the human realm", Eda asked.
"It will not be harmed", Belos said, "but it is by the Titan's will that his body must be brought to that world."
"Why would the Titan want to go to a world like that", King asked.
"Purification", Belos said, "to be purged of wild magic once and for all."
"And what does Luz have to do with all this", Amity asked.
"Her part in this new age is very important", Belos said, "but I think I've said enough."
Belos clapped his hands, and a pair of coven guards appeared.
"Take these three away to the Conformatorium", Belos said.
The guards nodded and led Eda, Amity, and King out of the room, and Belos turned to Hunter.
"You are dismissed as well, Hunter", Belos said, "I have much planning to do if I want Luz to come to me."
"Yes sir", Hunter said.
Hunter left the room, and he began thinking to himself about his uncle.
"He just doesn't want to tell anyone why he wants the human", Hunter said, "there's so much stuff that man's hiding."