Welcome back and get ready for some specific 80s references.
Mateo winced in pain as Ava wrapped a torn sheet over his eye while covering it with cotton.
"How does it feel?" She asked as Mateo groaned, his right eye moving around.
"Hurts and stings... but are you ok?" He asked Ava who briefly looked away from him.
"Philp and I are fine but what you did was... unexpected." She spoke looking at the corpses which she moved out of the room and placed in the hallway. Mateo chuckled before wincing in pain again as Ava put more gauze in the wound. "I worry about you, about your mind and control..."
Mateo had a dumbfounded look. "Control? What do you mean? He asked.
Ava took a deep breath. "I mean control over yourself, I've heard the scouts talk about how you act during your missions for the coven. It's. concerning like you almost enjoy it."
"WHAT!?" He let out a forced laugh. "Why would you think that?!" Ava stayed silent before helping him and Philp leave the room and into the hallway.
The sound of a grandfather clock startled Lilith who rose from a bed. "What?" The witch spoke before holding her neck tightly. "My voice..." She spoke out with a slightly high pitch as she looked into a mirror to see herself in her old Hexside uniform as she was in her teen years.
"This is odd, but... no, I just need to snap out of this and..." She was then jumped on screaming and quickly tossing off whatever jumped her.
"OW!, bad idea..." A young Eda said rubbing her head before picking herself up. Lilith then pinched herself to make sure this wasn't all a dream but she only felt pain as Eda gave her an odd look. "Something bothering you sis?"
"This can't be real this can't..." She began breathing heavily as Eda took her hand.
"Hey whatever going on with you, I'll help after all we trust each other right?" Lilith then had an expression of guilt.
She then stuttered a bit with her words. "Sure... w w what do you have in mind?"
Eda snickered. "Just follow me I have a lot to show you." She said offering her hand which Lilith hesitantly took as the two walked out of the house as a voice cried out.
"CALAMITY, Wake up!"
Lilith turned around confused. "Did you hear that?"
Eda laughed. "Lily, you sure did hit your head?"
"No?"
Ten Minutes earlier
Lilith held her head in pain which Angel noticed. "You alright?"
"I'm fine just under a lot of stress if you didn't notice." Lilith spat out before laying on a chair while on the other side Camila and her family met with Eda at the stars followed by Mateo as Ava held his head the two quickly glimpsing at each other. (You can't be serious/You can't be serious!) The two exes thought before turning to their families.
"Cam! Kid!" Eda cried out quickly giving a large bear hug. "Thank titan your alive!"
"You too.." Camila said somberly, looking at Mateo, who looked back with his remaining eye while Ava added more patches to his bandages.
Ava finished with Mateo's bandages as Philp sat down next to Lilith. "May I?"
"Go ahead." She said as Philp sat down. "It's been hell isn't it?"
Philp scoffed. "My stepfather he... I can't ever proceed to say what he did."
"I think I can understand him," Lilith said rubbing her hands.
"One minute these hooded creeps try to take us and the next my father is covered in their blood."
"Hodded figures?" Lilith questioned.
Before Philp could explain the elevator rang open with several hooded cultists followed by Joseph who shoved bruised and beat Miles as Mary ran up to her son while her husband quickly grabbed Coraline and held her at knifepoint. "No one move or I'll gut the girl!" He screamed.
Everyone quickly stood up still before the cultists quickly chained and tied them up as they were led to the rooftop.
A cultist was leading Mateo before the former US soldier quickly got out of his restraints and quickly strangled the cultist before looking at the robes and cloak.
Thunder rang out with a bit of boiling rain a large shield covered the hotel which was now covered with a pentacle in the middle with lit candles as they were all brought to their knees Joseph held Caroline tightly as he examined the crowd before pointing to Lilith as she was grabbed.
"Let go of me!" She yelled.
"Silence! And let your sacrifice be the one to open the door to our prophet the lamb."
"LAMB, LAMB, LAMB!" The cultists shouted as Joseph ordered them to be quiet as he held Lilith's neck tight and placed his knife to her throat.
"OH, LAMB RISE TO ME WITH THIS FINAL SACRIFICE OF BLOOD SO THAT YOU CAN UNLEASH YOUR THOUSAND YEARS OF TERROR AND BLOODSHED ON THIS LAND!" Joseph screamed while holding a book that read Ritual summoning for Dummies as he drove the knife into Lilith's neck who fell to the floor struggling to stop the bleeding it leaked into the pentagram which then glowed as the cultists then bowed and began to mutter when large chains wrapped around her arms and legs and began to squeeze tightly as she screamed in pain before large worms entered through her nose to the point she started choking as blood leaked from her mouth and eyes till she passed out.
"TAKE THIS MORTAL AS YOUR BODY TO USE FOR YOUR RESURRECTION!" Lilith's veins then burst out and connected themselves to the pentagram as a bloody hand rose from it. "AND NOW I, YOUR FATEFUL HELPER REALISE YOU FROM..."
BANG!
Joseph grunted as he opened his cloak blood began to leak where his heart was. "Your prison..." He spoke before collapsing on the stairs as the cultists looked and saw a cultist holding a smoking flintlock who then removed their hood showing Mateo.
"That's for giving me the worst hotel service I've ever seen! Oh and for trying to end the world." He stated blandly as the cultists took out their knives and daggers before one of them was blasted with a fire spell Eda took out her staff as she looked at the other quests.
"What the hell are you standing there for? You going to stand there and die or fight for your freedom?!" After a bit of hesitating the guests then charged as a large fight began Angel quickly made his way to the circle where he saw Lilith was still getting her blood and body drained out of her.
"Someone?! Anybody!" He cried out as he yelled at her. "CALAMITY, WAKE UP!"
"AHHH!" A cultist screamed as he was pepper sprayed in the eyes by Camila before being punched in the face as she held Luz and King close to her as she heard Angel and brushed a few cultists to get to him as she looked above her.
"Oh my..."
"Help me get her down will you!" Angel stated as he, Camila, King, and Luz began to pull which only seemed to give Lilith even more pain. Despite being unconscious she began to tear up before being lowered as Camila tried desperately to wake her but to no avail.
"Wake up, WAKE UP!" Camila shouted slapping Lilith's unconscious body as something began to pull itself out of the pentagram. "Try something else, a smell, song..." She looked at Eda and quickly shouted. "Eda you still have that walkman!?"
The owl lady quickly shoved a cultist off the roof before reaching into her hair and tossing the device to her as Camila opened it to find... nothing. "EDA!"
"What?! I forgot to pack my collection!"
Mateo then mumbled before rushing to reach into his pocket and tossing a cassette tape that Camila read. "Is.. this our honeymoon track?! You kept it?"
The coven head grunted. "Just be glad I still have a soft spot for you!" He shouted before breaking someone's neck as Mary, Coraline, and Miles took the opportunity to flee the fight and headed down the stairs.
Angel then placed the headphones into Lilith's now bleeding ears as he put the tape in and played it as a song began to play as a body began to form around the pentagram.
It doesn't hurt me (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Do you wanna feel how it feels? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Do you wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Do you wanna hear about the deal that I'm making? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
"Is that really what you have we listened to?! We need music, Bettles, Bowie, Jackson, a popular boy band, proper music!" Camila shouted.
"THAT IS MUSIC!"
"Do you hear that?" Lilith asked Eda.
"Uh... it's probably nothing, you sure do have a bad concussion." Eda said as the voice went out.
It's you and me
And if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get him to swap our places
Be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
Be runnin' up that buildin'
Say, if I only could, oh
The song sounded slightly familiar as she then stood up.
You don't wanna hurt me (Yeah, yeah, yo)
But see how deep the bullet lies (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Unaware, I'm tearin' you asunder (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Oh, there is thunder in our hearts (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Is there so much hate for the ones we love? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Oh, tell me, we both matter, don't we? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
It's you and me
It's you and me, won't be unhappy
"I remember when I heard it when you let me borrow your human music machine... made me think about something that happened..."
"After you cursed me?" Eda said pulling Lilith closer.
And if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get him to swap our places
Be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
Be runnin' up that buildin' (Yo)
Say, if I only could, oh
You (Yeah, yeah, yo)
It's you and me
It's you and me, won't be unhappy (Yeah, yeah, yo)
"You cursed me and then tried to make it right by making a deal with a tyrant to reverse it or... deep down you would rather have cursed yourself?" Lilith turned around with a guilty look before the apparition rose their hand. "I could make it happen, just say yes and I'll reverse it, then maybe I'll have a good life with my human, or go back with Raine, sure miss him."
Oh, come on, baby (Yeah)
Oh, come on, darlin' (Yo)
Let me steal this moment from you now
Oh, come on, angel
Come on, come on, darlin'
Let's exchange the experience (Yo, ooh, ooh)
Lilith then took the hand before speaking. "I would but there's one thing you should've known."
"What?" Eda asked before Lilith then took out her staff and blasted Eda with it.
"Raine goes by they/them." She corrected as the fake Eda's skin burst off showing a towering figure wrapped in chains with a demonic-looking crown on its head.
It then spoke out "You dare refuse an offer from The One Who Waits!?"
"Oh shut up! You are nothing but a false god who simply wants to get out of some thousand-year banishment! And you dare try to impersonate my own sister! You can only dream of ever being free!"
That caused the old god to yell in anger. "THEN YOU SHALL STAY HERE WITH ME FOR ETERNITY WITCH!" The ground began to shake around her as Lilith could hear more voices telling her to wake up before looking and seeing a bright light as she quickly ran towards it the god caused the area to crumble while Lilith made a run for it.
And if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get him to swap our places
I'd be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
With no problems
Say, if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get him to swap our places
I'd be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
With no problems
Say, if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get him to swap our places
I'd be runnin' up that road
Be runnin' up that hill
With no problems
The witch screamed in a panic dodging a falling boulder and losing her hat in the process as more debris fell closer and closer to her.
Say, if I only could
I'd be runnin' up that hill
With no problems
She then yelled taking a leap as the ground opened as her finger touched the bright light.
Lilith gasped for air before coughing up blood waking up in a bloodbath surrounded by Angel, Camila, Luz, and a few others as they all looked back at the pentagram as a blood-covered creature stood there before quickly exploding into pieces covering the group in it.
"What in..."
"Don't even question it."
Angel then looked at Lilith who wiped the blood off her glasses before putting them back on. "Your alive..."
"I am... I'm alive!" She exclaimed proudly, crying out and giving the technician a bear hug. Camila and Luz simply were simply confused at that point as Eda ran up to them.
"Hey, you guys alright?" She asked as Camila could only respond with a nod just before Lilith shoved her away and tightly hugged Eda which began to cover her in blood. "Uh, did I miss something important?"
The very next day, several bodies were taken out of the Hotel while the surviving guests and employees were treated for injuries. Mateo sat in the lobby with an eye patch placed on his empty eye socket while giving his testimony to a few coven scouts and guards.
'"Do I really need to talk to you guys?" Eda complained as Camila nudged her on the shoulder. "Alright, alright it started like this."
After a couple of hours, most of the guests were able to leave, while Mary and Miles were left with the now-destroyed building.
"So what are you planning to do with it now?" Eda asked.
Mary spoke. "Not much tear it down, maybe turn it into a bar or..."
"Stop right there you caught my ears!" Eda then dropped a few snails into her hands while Coraline sat alone by herself next to the stairs as Luz sat next to her.
"Your not alone you know."
"My parents are gone, I've helped them with these sacrifices, and you talk to me like I'm a regular person," Coraline said Luz then speaking.
"It's not your fault plus I think you've already found a family." Luz then pointed to Mary and Miles who were cleaning up the walls with a mop. "Plus he's protected you for years, basically an older brother to you at this point."
Coraline gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah, I guess. Thanks."
"Hey, anything to help someone," Luz said before patting her on the back.
Angel packed his gear as he was about to leave the hotel before being stopped by Lilith. "I just want to say thank you for... helping me back there."
"Yeah not really the heroic type am I?" Angel said as Lilith held back from laughing. "My girlfriend is not going to believe me when I tell her this."
Lilith snickered. "Well if I ever have a problem with my lighting or something... I'll call you?"
"Oh sorry, I actually got laid off, apparently the company went bankrupt, and well... maybe I'll find another job." The two then gave the other a farewell as Angel took off. Lilith then began to leave as well, turning back and looking at Eda and her family as she looked at her reflection from the glass of the door, she placed her hand on the handle before stopping and turning around as she stopped and began to speak with Eda.
"Excuse me, I happened to notice that..." SMACK! She was then struck in the face by a bag of snacks.
"Sorry! Thought you were a tax collector, go on." Eda clarified while Camila smacked herself in the face.
Lilith chuckled for a bit before speaking. "I get that a lot for some reason, anyway I'm to tell you... I've missed you for so long... Eda..."
Eda then backed away slightly. "Just to be clear you're not one of my exes right?"
"No, but I am a relative of yours," Lilith stated turning her hair into curls before putting on a new pair of glasses to replace the old broken ones. "Look familiar?"
It took about a full minute for Eda to come to the conclusion. "Lily?"
"I'm back..."
Hope you enjoyed this surprisingly long arc.
"For crying out loud there's nothing deadly anymore here Ava!" Mateo stated as he along with a few scouts searched the building in case of more cultists or monsters when he opened a door before tripping and tumbling down a flight of stairs landing at the bottom. "For titan's sake."
"Sir are you alright?" A scout said from above.
"No, I just fell into..." CRUNCH! He looked down to see he had stepped on a palisman as its essence went into his body he inhaled it before using a light spell to see in the dark seeing he had found a large pile of discarded pialismen as he picked up another before breaking it and doing the same before reporting back to the scout. "Actually, I'm going to stay and look around a bit, it might take about an hour to search this place, but I'll be fine..."
He then began to grab handfuls of palsimen breaking and cracking them like eggs as the essence leaked onto his hand which he then drank before he spoke as his voice became deeper.
"I'll be quite fine."