The crystal ball harshly illuminated the darkness of the bedroom, through its sheen, the recordings of what recently transpired at the Emperor's Castle played on repeat through the evening and far into the night. The inhabitants of the Boiling Isles were in a frenzy, the silent, uncertain panic spreading across the airwaves as the newscasters continued to pick apart and analyze the situation. Amity was no exception, her eyes, wide like saucers, scrutinizing every detail, every glance at the human, now turned fugitive, Luz Noceda. Still, even after so many screenings, so many thoughts and excuses and long rumination, it made no sense to her. Her thoughts and her feelings, once again at odds, her pragmatic nature attempting to fight back but ultimately unable to quell the silly flutterings of her heart. The twisting, near-retching feeling within her stomach had long since settled, but her chest was strained and tired, her head airy and unable to process any coherent thought this late into the night.
Leaning back, defeated, her head hit the backboard with a hollow thud, a loud, exasperated groan escaped her. She shut her eyes tightly, smothering the faintest hint of a tear, slowly breathing away the ambivalence that permeated her entire self.
"Luz… you idiot," she said, breathing slowly and opening her eyes to face the dark ceiling of her room. "What could you have possibly been thinking?" Her fists clenched, swinging her arm and knocking the glowing orb onto the ground, instantly shutting it off. There was nothing more she could gain from the same recycled clips aside from amplifying the festering questions that still lingered unanswered in her mind. The concept of sleep at this moment was as foreign to her as ever, slowly sliding down onto her back and laying outstretched on the bed, hands coming to rest over her stomach, nervous fingers twitching and intertwining with each other. Over and over again, the same questions would berate her mind, the possible outcomes, the uncertainty of it all, the innate worry and anxiety at all of the possible repercussions and reprimands.
As mortified and dismayed as she was at Luz's recklessness, the incessant concern was unshakable. But there was more to it than that. Amity was angry, unable to placate the frustration she felt towards Luz. It was an off feeling, silly even, as if she were betrayed for not being brought along. At the very least warned of such a suicide mission. Maybe there was something Amity could have done, anything at all to help. Maybe even dissuading her from making such compulsive and rash decisions like facing Belos and his coven head on.
At that thought, she looked down at her cast, only one night away from fully healing, but still completely debilitating. Regret began to set in, being fully aware of the circumstances that must have driven Luz to make the choices that she did. Eda was in danger, there was only so much time before she was to be petrified in stone forever. Amity remembered back to that moment, when Eda's fate was formally and so publicly announced. The first petrification in thirty years, the ceremony itself being touted as a momentous occasion, one to celebrate and gawk at for all to see. Such things were mentioned briefly in a few history texts at school, a punishment fit for only the most wicked of rogue witches. The history of Belos and the Emperor's Coven had always intrigued Amity, partly due to the vague obscurity of it all, but also the alluring macabre that seemed to plague much of its history. Never did she think she'd witness such a thing first hand, and now, the simple thought of it was absolutely revolting.
She couldn't blame Luz for what happened, the choices she made, no matter how brash they seemed. Of course she'd do such a thing, she expected no less from the impetuous girl. But right now, she felt so far away. Tomorrow felt so far away. It was as if she could feel the minutes slowly crawl by, acutely aware of every grueling second until sleep would at last whisk her away. Until then, she attempted to quell her tempestuous thoughts, grateful for Luz's escape, ignoring the uncertainty of the future for the time being.
To witness those fleeting moments of Luz producing such extraordinary magic, brave and fearless against all odds, her cape flowing behind her in such a heroic manner. It was exciting, thrilling, awe inspiring. It made Amity's heart ache, hand pressing against her chest as she felt the heat rising to her face. She couldn't deny the absolute giddiness that overcame her when the newscasters repeated their triumphant escape over and over again. However, the feeling didn't last. Her mind was too calculating, too sensible to allow herself to relish in such a happy feeling. Tomorrow, the cast would no longer hold her back, and she would be free to see Luz again in person. Once again, feelings surged through her, the thought of seeing Luz again, in such precarious and uncertain circumstances. Fear, excitement, anger, longing; she swore she had felt every emotion in the simple span of a few moments.
The night continued to drag, minute after minute, hour after hour, thoughts and feelings at last dissipating as exhaustion overcame her. But not even the solace of sleep would allow her mind to settle, as all her dreams seemed to revolve around Luz, in her billowing cape, somehow saving the day.
The morning descended upon her in a flash, a simple blink of an eye turned the night to day and every inch of her body struggled to catch up. She looked down at her cast, the creaking of her neck was almost audible as she bent forward, watching as the magical seal fizzled away in a sparkle of light, the cast loosening, then cracking and falling to pieces onto the bed. Twisting her ankle around, there was no pain, but an odd numbness. If it was from the cast or her general exhaustion, she couldn't tell. It was only a few seconds before her mind snapped to full awareness, leaping out of bed, grabbing a change of clothes, showering, and heading out the door and into the bright morning sun.
With every footfall, her prior nights ruminations returned to her, the conflict and worry, the insatiable urge to see Luz again, to embrace her, to admonish her, to make sure she was alright. To make sure everything was alright. It was a fleeting thought, a distant hope that kept slipping away from her grasp. The cool morning air hit her face as she ran, her watery eyes wide and focused, almost picturing the possible scenarios that awaited her at the Owl House. There was no way Belos wouldn't be aware of their location, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Emperors Coven was descending upon the house at this very moment. Would Luz and the others even be there? And if they were, would they be able to withstand the full force and might of Belos' forces? What if she was too late? What if Luz was captured again? And even if the authorities haven't caught up to them, what were the chances that they haven't already gone into hiding somewhere else?
Panic set in, encouraging her legs to quicken, catching her breath, her heart beating faster and faster from either the fatigue or the panic, she could no longer tell. Down the path, through the thicket of woods and cresting the hill that would reveal her destination, she was taken aback by the sight before her. There was the Owl House, totally conspicuous, unmoved, and very much not under siege by the Emperors' coven. Amity stood there to catch her breath, relief and bewildering reaching her simultaneously. She walked the rest of the way there, alert, as if expecting someone to jump out of the bushes to capture her, but there was nothing. Eventually she reached the door, Hooty's wide, unblinking eyes looking down at her, beak beginning to gape as she approached.
He hooted in that high pitched shriek that would always elicit a grimace out of her without fail. This time was no different, but she heard another voice coming from behind the door that quickly shifted her expression. Before Hooty could let out another word, the door swung open and Luz stood there, eyes wide and blinking at the sight of Amity, less than a second passing before a wide grin decorated her face.
"Amity!" she said, lunging forward before Amity could do anything in response, completely unprepared for the full weight of the excitable girl, stumbling back a few steps, nearly falling if not for Luz's arms wrapping around her neck and pulling her into a full embrace.
"L-Luz!" she managed to mutter, arms stiffened at her sides, she could already feel the heat rising to her face, heart rate increasing, pounding against her chest. Before Amity could fully recover and reciprocate the warm gesture, Luz's hold released, disappointment hitting her slightly at the brevity of their embrace.
"Hey," Luz said in a cheerful tone as she took a step back, a light smile on her face, "What's up? Didn't expect you'd be stopping by… but I'm so glad you're here!" She leaned forward, balancing on her heels, hands intertwined behind her back.
At this moment, at the sight of Luz again, so carefree and cheerful, it felt as if there was nothing wrong in the world, all of her prior apprehensions vanishing at the simple, soothing warmth of her presence. She was safe, everyone was safe, the thought evoking a heavy, unburdening sigh from Amity, a sincere smile coming to her features. But then it hit her, and her face fell. Did Luz not realize the true severity of her situation? The gravity of her notoriety, the infamy of her actions the prior day? The inevitable retaliation that was certainly heading their way, maybe even at this very moment, sent a coursing shiver down Amity's spine. They weren't safe. Amity had to do something. She had to protect Luz.
Luz's expression turned curious as she watched Amity's face contort in deep thought, a few seconds passing before the silence was broken.
"Luz, what are you doing?" Amity said, almost whispering, taking quick glances behind her.
"Huh? What do you mean? C'mon in, you're looking pretty out of it." Luz reached out, grabbing the perturbed girl by the hand and pulling her along into the living room. Their hands touched for only a moment before parting, still, a jolt shot up Amity's arm as their fingers brushed against each other, and she was left staring down at her hand for a second too long as Luz turned back to face her.
"So, what's up?" Luz said, snapping Amity back into her fretful reality.
"What do you mean, what's up?" she snapped, instantly regretting the harsher than intended tone. "Don't you realize the situation you're in? How-how can you be so… so calm about all this?" She was beginning to sound frantic, panic now clearly visible on her strained features.
"Oh… I'm guessing you saw the news reports?" she said bashfully, the grin on her face lacking any hint of regret. Amity stared incredulously, mouth gaped and eyes furrowing.
"Of course I've seen it! Everyone on the Boiling Isles has seen it!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know... it was all a bit of a spectacle, wasn't it?" a short chuckle escaped her, "Oh, also, try not to be so loud… Eda and Lilith are sleeping-"
"Sleeping!" Amity let out before catching herself and lowering her voice, stern tone unchanging, "Sleeping? At a time like this? Also, What? Lilith is here, too?"
"Yup! And, well, yeah, it's early… and they must be pretty exhausted from the other day. I don't blame 'em."
Amity let out an exasperated sigh, arms crossing, right hand pinching the bridge of her nose as her eyes were clenched shut. "Tell me… at the very least, did they set up some sort of protective barrier around the house? Maybe some traps or a deterrent of some sort?"
At this, Luz fidgeted slightly, eyes looking up and away, smiling bashfully to herself as she stifled an awkward laugh. "That's another thing you should probably know about… Eda and Lilith aren't really… What's the best way to put this? They're magically indisposed?"
"What? What does that even mean?"
"Well…" she drawled, "They can't really use magic anymore. I mean, not in the Boiling Isles way, anyway." She turned away, moving to the coffee table and grabbing her notepad. "But! We've still got these." Luz presented the sheets of paper, Amity taking a hold of it and inspecting the glyph that seemed to have been carefully drawn, a delicate finger brushing against it, igniting the ink and crumpling the paper into a glowing orb that now levitated between them.
Her eyes were drawn to the light, but Amity soon looked past it and into Luz's gaze that remained transfixed on her. Large, hazel eyes were wide and swirling with thoughtful reassurance, a desperate plea to recognize the moment for what it was and reject the fears of the outside world. For a moment it worked, and Amity felt an inexplicable warmth, a safety that she hadn't before realized she was so desperate for. An unconscious step forward brought her closer to the light, closer to Luz, their eyes locked into each other's, an inescapable pull isolating them from the world, everything else fading into nothingness. Amity hadn't realized this, but Luz had moved closer as well, the light between them beginning to rise, casting a shadow that accentuated the smallest features on Luz's face. The palpable tension in the air was heavily charged, Amity's senses muting to everything but the other girl's presence, the sound of her shallow breaths, the beating of her own heart in perfect sequence.
"Well, well, what's going on here," came the tired and indifferent tone of Eda, startling Amity and causing her to jump back a few steps, frantically looking about the room in a futile attempt to save face. Eda watched them with half-lidded eyes, leaning against the frame of the room's entryway, arms crossed, a mug held lazily in her hand. "A bit early, ain't it? Keep it down, I'm going back to bed." She took a casual swig of her drink and departed, once again leaving the two girls alone in the room, Amity still reeling at the sudden escalation and subsequent deescalation of her feelings. The little light had dulled now, slowly rising and dissipating into the ceiling. Suddenly, the weight of the real world fell back onto her shoulders.
"Luz…" she said sadly, "what are we going to do? We can't just go about our lives like nothing happened. You… you're practically…" she hesitated, gritting her teeth and averting her gaze.
"What? A hero? A savior? The champion of the Boiling Isles!" she declared proudly, a balled fist in the air.
"A criminal, Luz! An outlaw, a-a rogue witch!"
"One might even say the most famous witch on the Boiling Isles," Luz said with a confident smirk and a waggle of her brow. Amity gawked in disbelief, anger beginning to fester in her gut, words catching in her throat as she struggled to find the proper way to admonish the unflappable girl.
"Luz! Listen!" Amity said, closing the gap between them and settling her hands on Luz's shoulders. "I don't know if you just haven't realized the severity of your situation… but… but you're being completely... facetious!"
A stifled laugh escaped Luz's lips. "Facetious? What does that even mean?"
"It means you're not taking this seriously! This isn't a fantasy story or a game… you, of all people, should know what Belos is capable of! The extent to which he is willing to go to get what he wants…" her arms went slack, head falling, unable to hold her fierce countenance. "I… I-I'm afraid, Luz…" There was an audible tremble behind her words, visibly overcoming her now, but she did not even attempt to subdue herself.
"I don't want to lose… what little this is." Her breathing was slow and shallow, "Whatever this is. I… don't want to lose you."
Suddenly, Luz was upon her again, eliminating the short distance between them and taking Amity into her arms, this time, Amity did not hesitate to return the favor. Here they stood, silent, Amity allowing the feeling and warmth to conquer her frenzied mind, wane the fear that had so thoroughly constrained her heart. She leaned into the hold, allowing her head to rest on Luz's shoulder, a choking feeling creeped in on her, a tightening in her chest, making it difficult to even breath.
"I'm scared, too," Luz said in a soft, low whisper. Amity couldn't help but shiver at those words. "I'm so… so scared." Luz laughed weakly. "But I can't be. I mean… I can't let that control me. I can't just run and hide and live in fear. Not while there are people I love and care about in danger. Friends and family I want to protect."
They came apart, hands falling weakly to their sides. Amity looked at Luz's soft, sincere smile, eyes that gave away her fear, yet still gleamed with hope, a desire for everything to be okay, the only reassurance she could offer to the shaken girl.
"I didn't want to worry you…" Luz continued, almost bashfully, "so I tried acting as if everything was fine. Even though… y'know how could they be, right?"
"Luz, you know you can confide in me. I-I want to help. I-"
"No, Amity, please. You don't have anything to do with this. All of this is my fault, and I need to bear it on my own," Luz said, regret just audible behind her words.
"You can't do this on your own. Let me help you-"
"No," she retorted, steadfast and steely, the impact behind the simple word striking hard at Amity's heart. "All of this started because of me… I got myself into this mess. I won't drag you into it, too."
Her voice was low and somber, at last her countenance matching Amity's own, pained, uncertain, afraid. A strained, pleading smile was on her face now, the sight stunning Amity, immense regret weighing in on her. Of course Luz was aware of what she had gotten herself into, she had no other choice. And again, she was trying to put others before herself, the selfless hero, the fervent champion of the helpless. But Amity wasn't helpless. She could do something. She should do something. Before she could find her voice, Luz continued to speak.
"Whatever Belos throws at me... I'll be ready for him. I mean, I already did it once! I'll just do it again."
"Luz…" was all Amity could say. Luz turned away from her, body stiff, fists balled tightly and pressed against her sides. Amity reached out, but hesitated, pulling back, free hand rubbing her elbow, wandering eyes falling to the ground. For a split second the thought of leaving crossed her mind, abiding by Luz's foolish demand, getting back to her life of certainty and comfort. But that's not what she wanted. Far from it. She wanted to be here for Luz. Protect her. Be her fearless champion for once, just as Luz had done so selflessly for her.
"I'm not leaving you," Amity said, a newfound conviction overwhelming her. "I don't care what you say, but we're doing this together."
A short moment passed before Luz turned back around, facing Amity with a sincere, trembling smile. Amity's hand was outstretched towards her, inviting, her expression almost pleading with Luz to reach back. Luz took a step forward, hand beginning to slowly rise in turn, but then she paused, her smile fading, eyes falling to the empty space between them.
"I'm sorry, Amity. You should go."
Again her heart was stricken, her insides twisting and contorting into feelings she couldn't comprehend. Stunned by her words, all she could do was watch Luz turn away and take a single step before hesitating in place for just a moment. The urge to rush forward and hold her, restraining her from leaving came to Amity, but her legs wouldn't move, and only silent words escaped her lips. In that fleeting moment, that one last chance, neither of them spoke, and neither of them moved for the other. Amity's eyes followed her out of the room, hurried footsteps fading up the stairs. Petrified, she listened until there was nothing left but the heavy, palpable silence that engulfed her.