The Entanglement

by MrSova

When Amity was forced to cut ties with Willow, she was sent away for four years. In the meantime Luz stumbles into the Demon Realm making it her new home. When Amity returnes to continue her higher education at the Hexside Academy she is suprised to see a human living in the Demon Realm. A human who is apparently her childhood's friend best friend now. Cross Posted on AO3

9. Chapter 9 - Grometheus The Fearbringer

Amity cast a light spell while she walked deeper into the catacombs. She did not want to admit it to Willow who followed her but she knew very well where she should look for Luz. "If she's here." Her mind reminded her. They were walking for a while now. Straight ahead. Then to the left corridor. Turn to the right. It was not a coincidence. Willow was too smart to be fooled.

"Amity…" She finally cut the silence. "This place is enormous and yet you seem to know exactly where you're going." Willow said and Amity gulped. Blight stopped mid-step, placed her hand on the cold wall to ground herself, and let her head down. She sighed heavily to gather courage.

"Odalia used to lock me in here." She finally admitted quietly and walked away before Willow had a chance to comment on that. "She never said anything…" Willow thought and did not say anything out loud. "There's just so much baggage. Yet, she tries to be better every single day…" Suddenly Amity's ears twitched, cutting Park's train of thought.

"What did you hear?" Willow recognized the reaction of her friend. They both stopped and Amity listened in closely. A scream echoed through the darkness. "This one I heard as well!" Willow exclaimed and they rushed forward faster than before. They knew they were not far away anymore. Few more turns and they made it to the dead end. Or rather a large, wooden door at the end of the corridor.

"No! Amity!" A loud yell of panic and pain mixed with fear was heard from the other side of the door. The familiarity of that pained voice sent chills through their spines. Young Blight did not think twice. She busted the door open and covered her mouth to contain the scream of shock. She never thought what she should expect to find but Luz's mutilated body, facing the door, hanging from a ceiling, cuffed by her wrists, enduring psychological torture while her own mother was standing in front of the human was not one of them. It took Amity a second to get herself under control. She rushed in and took hold of her mother's collar, throwing her to the side of the cell, approaching her hurt girlfriend.

"Get her down! I'll take care of Odalia." Willow offered and Amity nodded, never looking away from the human body. She had no time to think about her anger toward her mother. Her eyes were solely focused on Luz. Nothing else mattered to her at the moment. A small spell circle summoned an abomination slime that surrounded her legs, lifting her up to get better access to remove human's hands from the shackles. The abomination crept in between the human's wrist and the metal, forcing it open.

"NOOOOOOO!" Luz screamed when the first hand plopped down to her side. Amity frowned, noticing her girlfriend's dislocated shoulder. She took hold of the human's waist to secure the body. Once she freed the second arm she caught her girlfriend and slowly lowered them to the floor, keeping the human's comfort in mind. "Noooo! Noooo!" Luz was screaming repeatedly, thrashing in the hold, trapped in her mind. Amity sat on the floor and cradled the human, holding her upper body close to her chest.

She took in the view. Dirty hair mixed with sweat and blood was stuck to her beat-up face. Her dry, broken lips were swollen, covering bloodied teeth. Fewer teeth than Amity recalled. Cuts and bruises on her face were inflamed, swelling her features up, making her almost unrecognizable. Her chest was heaving heavily and shallowly, broken ribs made her shape uneven, her naked skin was infected, and inflamed along the dozens of cuts, gashes, and ripped-out skin. Young Blight looked at the relatively fresh burn on the human's scorched neck and her heart rate increased. Luz's trousers were wet, dirty, ripped in multiple places, showing long legs hurt just as much as her upper body. The smell of feces was still strong even though Amity knew Odalia to clean that out. That did not matter though. The only thing that mattered was that Luz was alive. At least for now.

"Luz?" Amity said loudly trying to snap her girlfriend from the vision in her mind. A familiar voice made it to the human's consciousness.

"LET GO OF ME!" Odalia roared behind young Blight but she ignored her voice. She trusted Willow to take care of it. The only thing she cared about whilst hearing her mother's voice was that she could reach Luz.

"Luz!?" It became louder. How did Luz know that voice? It seemed so familiar. Yet almost forgotten. The pain made it to her limbs. All at once she felt everything. The screams stopped and Amity noticed tears rolling down the mutilated cheeks. Luz felt them. They were warm. "Oh, Titan! You're awake!" The voice that brought her back to life will be the same voice that will ask her for mercy. A sudden gasp revived her lungs and sent a painful jolt through her body. The human felt all of the broken bones in the instant. But it all suddenly changed. Amity placed her palm on one of the wet cheeks and felt a rush of happiness when she noticed Luz slightly opening her hazel eyes. A pleasurably cold palm on the cheek made the human feel safe. She coughed but was not able to say a word. "At least those eyes are still the same…" The witch thought. Everything was blurry but Luz noticed a lavender hair and golden, teary eyes above her. "Please, hold on! You're hurt!" The panic was heard in the voice. Luz knew that voice. She loved that voice.

"I… A-a-amity…" Luz stuttered, overwhelmed with everything, trembling in smaller arms.

"Shhh… just stay calm, I'm here. Keep your strength." Young Blight tried to make sure she herself was calm to comfort her girlfriend.

"A-a-amity…" Luz was not giving up. "I-I… I love you." She whispered, exhausted, determined as if that were supposed to be her last words. Said witch looked down at the beat-down body. The human's torso was turned into an inflamed bloody pulp that needed immediate Healer's attention.

"I love you too…" She whispered hoping Luz would hear it while she caressed her dirty hair. Tears finally broke free. Her sobs turned into wails and finally into a wild, angry scream when she realized the human lost consciousness again, turning limp in her arms. She was happy to finally find her girlfriend but the tortures she had to endure will haunt her for the rest of her life. Especially considering that everything happened because her mother was… sick sadistic bastard! "LUZ!" She hollered, holding the human's body close while she rocked with it. The angry sobs took over her body while she hugged the unconscious human close, her magic seeped away encircling them both in a wildfire of purple energy, enlightening the dark room.

Eda was not far behind when she heard familiar screams. Her heart raced like crazy. Both with fear and happiness. "She's alive! Hurt but alive!" She realized while she walked in faster, clenching her staff tighter, Owlbert's eyes were glowing gold. She could not believe that Amity even recognized this place. If it would not be for the young Blight they would never have found Luz. A sudden cry made it to Eda's ears. Amity's wailing echoed through the corridor.

"LUZ!" Amity's scream froze Eda. She prepared for the worst when she finally made it to the end of the corridor engulfed in purple light, originating from the lavender-haired witch. She approached the opened door and carefully went inside. She noticed Amity sitting in the middle of the room, hugging Luz's body, rocking with it, surrounded by Blight's powerful aura. "Fucking Titan!" Eda thought when she noticed the state Luz's body was in. The anger rose in her rapidly. She looked to the right and noticed Odalia fighting against Willow's vines, trying to break free. The intense smell of infection and feces filled her nose.

"ODALIA!" She roared, magic seeping from her body as well, engulfing her in gold light. "WHAT… DID YOU DO… TO MY KID?!" She asked furiously. Amity's cries died down when she realized Eda was standing at the entrance to the room. Willow was shocked enough to get distracted from containing Odalia.

"Oh, nothing much, Dear." Odalia said in a sickly sweet voice. "It's not like I clawed her back…" Her sentence was cut with a powerful punch from her right.

"ENOUGH!" Willow lost her composure. Not even she saw that coming. "That's for forcing Amity to cut ties with me!" She punched older Blight's face again "That's for sending her away!" Another punch landed on Odalia's stomach. "That's for keeping her letters from me!" A kick was sent to the abdomen. "That's for torturing my best friend!" She punched her face again. "Both of them!" She added and the punch sent Odalia flying to the floor. Willow was breathing heavily standing above the woman's body, the vines were surrounding her like eery tentacles, and the eyes behind the glasses were shining bright green.

"Kid…" Eda walked toward the short witch. She placed her hand on the shoulder hidden underneath the yellow jacket. Willow snapped out of her anger and straightened up. She looked up at Clawthorne witch. "I'll take over from here. Make sure these two make it safely to the Healers', okay?" She asked and Willow nodded, following the command. "Now… let's chat." Eda murmured when she took a stand above Odalia who wiped the blood from her face, smirking at the Owl Lady.

"Come on, Amity. We need to hurry." Willow approached her friends. "Oh, I should have killed her." Willow thought when she finally noticed the state Luz was in. Amity looked down at her girlfriend. Her chest was still heaving. Still alive. She moved her hands to get a strong hold of the body.

"Ugh…" Luz unconsciously mumbled in pain. Amity stood up and looked down at the unconscious body again. Human's head was lolled back, her aorta was pulsating quickly, her chest was heaving in sharp, shallow breaths, and her breasts were covered in goosebumps despite the warmth of her body. The witch looked up and shared a look with her mother. She could feel her self-control barely hanging, her magic started to seep out again, but Luz's groan brought her back. She turned to leave with her girlfriend safe in her strong hold.

"Wait." Willow stopped Amity before leaving the room. "She seems to be running a fever." The short witch said, removed her jacket, and placed it on her friend's naked torso. "Now, let's hurry."

They did not notice Luz's eyes struggling to stay open. She could only hear the deafening sound of her own heartbeat. She saw a blurred Willow placing a jacket on her upper body. It sent painful chills to the human's spine. Her cuts and bruises were painfully touching the fabric of the jacket. Luz tried to move her head to the side. She managed to get a glimpse of Amity's face. The face, paler than usual, surrounded by a mane of lavender hair. The witch was holding her body close, afraid to ever let go. The light spell above them drew Luz's sight into its hypnotic beauty. Her eyes closed again. Staying awake was too difficult. She felt her limp arms hurting her with the shoulders dislocated, bouncing with each step. Her back ached underneath Amity's strong hold, and so did her broken legs. Nonetheless, it made her feel safe. "If I'm not gonna make it… at least… I had a chance to see Amity… one last time…" A positive thought ran through her foggy mind and her lips curled into an almost invisible smile.

"Are you holding up?" Willow asked while they kept running toward the exit.

"I am." Blight confirmed in a stone-cold voice. "I just worry about Luz, she's trembling." She added, her voice turned softer when she looked down at the body in her arms.

The sudden burst of cold air hit Luz's body when they finally made it out. She cracked her eyes open, shocked with a new sensation, and gasped heavily, breathing in the fresh air for the first time in days. She ignored the pain in her chest. She needed the air. The field behind the Blight Manor was covered in thick fog as the sun was slowly rising above the horizon. "H-hoot…" Luz heard a very subtle voice in her head. She groaned while she tried to say something, tears once again left her eyes, and her swollen lips tried to smile slightly. "Hoo…" She heard a little bit louder hoot mixed with supportive purring. "I thought I lost you…" Luz thought, closing her eyes again. A feeling of relief washed over her hurt body. Subconsciously she knew that Owl Beast felt her pain. She knew it was blocked with Odalia's shackles but was it aware during the torture? Was it feeling what Luz was feeling at the time spent in the catacombs? Suddenly a warm feeling surrounded her body. An ounce of her pain faded.

"Willow!" Amity exclaimed and suddenly stopped when they reached the Manor's gate. Willow turned around and noticed that Luz's body was surrounded by a faint, golden light. Its warmth lifted up Amity's hair and enlightened her pale, scared face.

"Does it hurt you?" Willow asked with concern. Blight shook her head, not able to say anything.

"B-b… Beasty…" Luz murmured, still barely conscious. Amity shared a look with Willow in a mute understanding.

"We have to hurry." Amity finally spoke up sternly and drew a spell circle. An abomination slime rose from underneath her feet and made her slide through the forest like on a tidal wave. Willow followed her on the vines. They rushed through the forest faster than they ever would flying on staff. Emira's Clinic was finally visible at the end of the street. "Hold on, Luz. We're almost here." Amity whispered as if she wanted to reassure herself rather than her girlfriend.

"Come on in." Willow said when she ran past her friends and opened the door to the Clinic. The waiting area was empty at this time of the day so they had no problem rushing up the stairs to the first floor where the operating and recovery rooms were. Amity felt strain in her muscles while she carried the limp body of her human girlfriend but the knowledge she was so close to getting her the Healer's help gave her extra strength. Willow ran past Amity again and looked around the information area where Viney was waiting for them with a gurney, already dressed in Healer's robes.

"What the…?" Willow did not understand how Viney was ready for them.

"Lilith came over some time ago. We prepared everything just in case…" Viney explained while she helped Amity place Luz's body on the gurney. "Most of our staff is out today so I will need to ask for your help from time to time." The Healer added and noticed a silent agreement between both young witches.

"Mmm-ity…" Luz whispered unconsciously when her body was placed on the surface. Amity released her hold and placed a shaking, strained from carrying the body, hand on the feverish forehead. "Oh, Titan. She's burning up!" Blight thought looking at the shivering body.

"I'm here, Luz. You're safe now." The lavender-haired witch said softly, trying to sound calm and confident. Luz faintly smiled before her head went limp again and fell to the side.

"Let's go, guys." Viney said when she stepped next to the patient and lifted up the rails that secured the unconscious body. Amity did the same on her side of the gurney. "Emira has the ICOR ready and is waiting for us." The Healer said as they started rushing through the corridor. "Intensive Care Operation Room." She explained noticing Willow's confused face.

Back at the catacombs where Amity and Willow left Eda with Odalia the tension was through the roof. Eda listened carefully when the steps of the young witches disappeared while she kept glaring at Odalia. Said witch shared the deadly stare but the maniacal smile on her face did not bode well. Eda took a deep breath to calm her racing heart but that did not help. The smell of rotting flesh, feces, sweat, and dried blood was stuck in her nostrils. It just made her even more angry. Clawthorne's face reflected those emotions making Blight smile even wider.

"I was wondering what took you so long… Edalyn." Odalia said with venom dripping from her voice.

"Why did you kidnap Luz?" Eda growled in response, shifting the grip on her staff, holding it in two hands. Odalia chuckled while she got back up.

"Well, how else would I let you feel the pain you caused me?" The Blight witch finally replied with a question. Eda was confused.

"What the hell did I do to you? What was bad enough that you were ready to kill my child!?" The golden wave of magic surrounded her legs up to her knees. The warm energy lifted her gray puffy hair. Odalia clenched her jaw and with a swift move, a pink spirit erupted from her orb, preparing to fight.

"Playing dumb, Clawthorne?" Odalia hissed. "You really want to pretend it wasn't you who told Alador to divorce me?!" She was spilling her anger, the Oracle's spirit grew in size. "Since high school, you were putting stupid ideas in his head, like that Brawl on the night we were meeting investors!"

"We were teenagers! Is that a good enough reason to kill my Kid?" Eda was not believing what she was hearing.

"You took him away from me! Your 'kid' took my daughter! You all deserve to suffer!" Odalia yelled and Eda decided she had heard enough. Her staff hit the floor and the golden light filled the room.

"You killed Alador! You tortured your daughter into obedience! You hurt MY KID!" She roared and attacked with everything she had. Odalia jumped away swiftly, commanding the spirit to jump at Eda with its full force. Their impact sent the dust flying up, crumbs of concrete left the ceiling, and rays of energy blinded them for a mere second. Owlbert left the staff and tried to attack Blight from behind, tugging at Odalia's hair, but that just angered the green-haired witch. However, he distracted her long enough to give Eda an opening. Clawthorne took a forceful swing with her staff and punched Odalia in the face causing her to spin in midair and fall to the floor face down. "ENOUGH!" Eda yelled, furious she had to deal with the witch instead of being with her daughter. Owlbert returned to the staff and his eyes glowed again. Eda drew a giant spell circle with her staff and Odalia's body was paralyzed, unable to move.

"How dare you!" Blight growled with anger while she tried to fight back but her limbs were stuck. Eda pulled Odalia up and cuffed her in the shackles she was keeping Luz tortured for the past few days. "What now? You want to take revenge? Eye for an eye?"

"No." Eda said coldly. "You are a sick person, who blames everyone for the failures of their own making." Eda explained coldly, letting herself calm down knowing Odalia was now defenseless. "Alador told me how you treated him when he opposed you treating your children like some kind of slaves, trophies. When they found his body in your home I was not even surprised. Not when I already knew you had no remorse for torturing your daughter into obedience with the forbidden spell. Manipulating her mind, scarring her for life…" Eda was taken aback when she noticed the short witch just smiled.

"Well, maybe if Edric would not be such a weakling it would not have to come to that." Odalia said without a hint of regret in her voice.

"You disgust me…" The Owl Lady could not believe anyone would have the guts to hurt their children for their own gain. "I will make sure you will never hurt anyone else ever again." She vowed and turned around to leave. She stopped in a half step when she heard Odalia laughing maniacally. Eda turned around and looked at her with shock.

"Of course I won't!" She finally said, strands of her green hair falling messily on her face. "I won't be able to hurt anyone if your daughter will kill everyone first!" She added with another burst of laughter. Eda jumped at her throat with a gold flash.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Clawthorne growled, snarling, showing off her fang but the fear in her voice betrayed her.

"Oh, nothing much, Edalyn." Odalia said quietly with a mock in her voice. "I just recalled the human's fear of the Owl Beast we all witnessed a few years ago during her first Grom. When she killed the demon its remains were shattered all over the place. It was not too difficult to get some… samples." Blight looked at the floor where an empty syringe was discarded. Eda paled down, her face was dead white. "So you see… After confirming her deepest fear, did not change that much as a parting gift I slipped her a very clever concoction." She chuckled a bit while she felt Eda's hold slipping. "So you see… I won't have to do anything. Or isn't she right now surrounded by everyone who wronged me…" She had no chance to finish that sentence as Eda knocked her out cold. Owlbert flew onto her shoulder and hooted supportively.

"We need to run. Fast!" She told her Palisman and they ran out of the catacombs as fast as possible. The sun was already rising above the horizon. She had no idea how long she had but she needed to get to the Owl House first. Owlbert turned into a staff and they flew faster than ever before. On the one hand, time has stopped for her. Yet, on the other hand, she was looking angrily at the sun that was rising way too fast. "I need to make it in time! I need to find it in time!" Tears were falling down her cheeks uncontrollably. Once she made it to the house she rummaged through her potion cabinet.

"Eda? What's wrong?" King asked, startling the witch. She completely forgot she left him to look after the house, knowing Lilith would ask Hooty to come with her. She turned toward him but did not say a word, her lower lip quivered. "Just tell me how to help." He said realizing he has never seen his mother that scared.

"I-I…" She took a deep breath "I need the Grometheus Antidote." She said quickly and returned to her search.

"On it!" He said knowing that this is not the time to ask questions. Not when Eda was barely hanging on. He still remembered the smell of the potion they were looking for. It has been over four years but he still could hear Luz's yells after her battle with Grom. The creature left some residue on the human after accessing her memories. He had no idea how Grom may have been in touch with his sister once again but if Eda told him to look for the Antidote he would not stop sniffing until he found it.

"Fuck! It's not here!" Eda yelled from her bedroom. She growled angrily, throwing something massive against the wall.

"Eda!" King yelled from downstairs "It's here!" He yelled and his mother showed up quickly with a gold flash.

"Oh, King!" She lifted him up to kiss and hug him "You may have just saved everybody! Let's go!" She did not wait for his response. She just ran out of the house and flew quickly toward the Bonesborough hoping she will make it in time.

"Eda, can you tell me what's wrong? Did you find Luz?" King asked not sure if now was the time.

"Yeah, we found her." The witch said quietly "I'm just not sure she will make it… Odalia poisoned her… tortured her, King!" Eda was crying uncontrollably "I didn't protect her!"

"Eda!" King hugged her "No one could have done anything. She was kidnapped, there was no trace of her." He said, trying to calm his mother down. "You can help her now…" He added when they landed in front of the Clinic. The bright lights were flashing in one of the windows on the first floor. An explosion soon followed. They did not talk anymore, just ran in and quickly made their way to the first floor. The screams were guiding them in the right direction.

Once Viney, Amity, and Willow entered the operation room they moved Luz's body from a gurney to the actual operating table. The bright lights hurt young Blight's eyes but she quickly adjusted, ignoring her discomfort, focusing only on Luz. She did not notice Emira's nose crease when she felt the mixture of smells surrounding the patient.

"Here, put this on." Viney gave both Amity and Willow the Healer's robes. "It might get nasty." She explained and both young witches put the robes on without any further questions.

"Amity, I need to know what happened and what we are dealing with." Emira finally spoke up, looking seriously at her sister. Once Amity was robed she approached the table and silently looked at her sister.

"Are you ready?" She asked while placing her pale hands on the edges of Willow's jacket. Emira and Viney nodded. Amity lifted the jacket with a slow but swift move, revealing the body. Both Healers controlled their gag reflexes when the smell of pus and rotting flesh hit their nostrils, turning their heads away. They needed a second but finally looked down at Luz's body. Its mutilated form made them forget that it was Amity's girlfriend they were looking at. The breasts cut so deep, parts of skin and muscle tore away, bruises, gushes, and inflamed cuts on the ribs. "The back looks worse…" Amity commented, noticing their expressions.

"What the hell happened to her?!" Emira could not believe her eyes. Both Willow and Amity shared a look. The first one rubbed her swollen knuckles.

"Odalia happened to her…" Willow growled silently with anger and desire for vengeance in her voice.

"Okay…" Emira stopped her. "Now is not the time I guess."

"Let's clean her up before patching her up." Viney agreed "Willow, will you help me with that? Since you don't know many healing spells I will be asking you to help with supporting us. Is that okay?"

"Of course! You can count on me." Willow said with enthusiasm. She was happy she could help in any way possible. After all, it was her best friend's life on the stake and she was afraid she would be useless.

"Great, you two get prepared." Viney told Emira. She handed Willow a mask that would help block the smells. After the Healer put on a similar one she started to cut off Luz's trousers. Amity stepped forward as if she wanted to object in a way. "Amity don't worry. I know this might seem uncomfortable but we need to undress her…" Viney said without stopping her actions. "It's not like this body even looks like Luz anymore…" The Healer thought grimly.

"I promise we will never speak of it again." Emira proposed with a small supportive smile. They did not know that Amity did not worry about her family and friends seeing her girlfriend's naked form. No, she worried they had to witness her mutilated form. While she was in her weakest state. She knew deep down that this was what they would see in their minds for the rest of their lives and she did not want them to see Luz as anything less. Nonetheless, the need to help save her girlfriend was stronger than anything.

Viney finished discarding the remains of Luz's clothing and the smell of excrement attacked their nostrils despite the mask. She started a spell circle with Willow and step by step, limb after limb her body was cleaned. At least from the sweat, blood, pus, and remains of feces. After careful inspection, Viney noticed that Luz's hips were lacking any wounds so she draped that part of her body in a dark blue robe. "At least some dignity will remain…" Willow thought while looking at Viney's actions. Unfortunately, the upper body was a complete mess. Just like her legs. They strapped her body to the operating table and with another spell, the table lifted her vertically with no support on her back while her head was held upright with magic. It allowed Willow and Viney to clean her back and apply anti-inflammatory ointments to the cuts.

"So what really happened?" Emira asked Amity while they were waiting for the body to be prepared for the operation. She noticed a lavender head flowing down in defeat.

"Odalia…" Amity started "She paid Boscha to bring her Luz." She explained, clenching her fists in anger "It took us days to find her. We searched real estate after real estate. Finally, I've seen… she locked me in the…" She tried to explain, touching her neck. Emira looked up at Luz's body and noticed a scorched bite mark.

"Catacombs…" Emira interrupted. "I'm so sorry, Amity…" She placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Anyway… Once we made it there it's been days… I don't know how many. Four? Maybe five? That's the state we have found her in… chained to the ceiling…" Young Blight said, hugging her arms, and Emira looked down with a panicked look in her eyes.

"Four, maybe five?" Emira was making sure she heard correctly. Amity just nodded. "She shouldn't be alive. Look at her." She commanded and noticed Amity's confusion "Past the cuts and bruises." She told her sister and waited patiently for Amity to notice what she had in mind. Swollen but dry and cracked lips, dark circles under eyes, dripping blood from the cracked knuckles, despite no fighting attempt, stomach collapsing so deep she could have sworn she had seen the organs inside.

"How long can humans survive without nutrition?" Amity finally connected the dots.

"Average human? Three days without water. If they have water, lack of food is not that much of an issue. But I really don't suspect Odalia making sure she had her water intake." Emira said sadly. "It must have been the Owl's magic or some other cause for her to survive that long." She concluded.

"And done!" They heard Viney's voice that dragged their attention back to the human "She's all yours." She added and Emira approached the patient with Amity.

"Thank you." Emira said and Viney looked at her with worry. She has never seen her wife so serious. "Willow, please go to the supply room and get us the human blood Eda left us and an IV. Lots of IVs." The short witch just nodded and disappeared into a corridor. "Amity." She addressed her sister "I want you to take care of the front of her body. If, in any case, she wakes up you will be able to calm her down." She explained and then sent her sister a dead serious look "And no speed healing. In her current state, it can kill her. So take your time." She added and once Amity nodded in understanding they started working. "Start with those inflamed and rotting cuts. Everything else can wait but we need to get rid of that fever."

"Understood." Amity said as she drew a blue spell circle and started tending to the ripped piece of flesh on Luz's abdomen. It seemed like one of the oldest wounds on her girlfriend's body. Once she started working on it they all heard Luz moaning and gasping raptly in pain, her face winced unconsciously. Willow returned a few minutes later with the small fridge that had a surplus of blood and IVs. Viney helped her attach everything to her friend and they supported both Amity and Viney in healing Luz.

The process was slow. Too slow in Amity's opinion. She was tempted to put in more of her power but the fear of losing Luz was keeping her in control. Willow was replacing IV after IV. Hours were passing by and only the angle of the sunlight was telling them how much time had passed. Slowly yet steadily they have been healing Luz's worst cuts that have been causing her fever. Young Blight was about to move onto the cuts on the human's broken leg when suddenly Luz's eyes burst open to Amity's surprise. She was right in front of Clawthorne's face when she noticed a sudden reaction. The hazel orbs roamed from one side of the room to another in panic. She tried to move her head but the magical restraints kept her in place.

"Luz, calm down. You're safe." Amity stopped the spell and tried to calm the human down. "We're healing you. Willow and Lilith are here. Eda is on her way as well." No words seemed to reach Luz's consciousness.

"You!" Luz growled in anger, sending a deadly glare at Amity. The witch was not prepared for that. "Didn't you have enough!? Let me go! I need to warn Amity…" She tried to pull on her restraints, panic in her eyes broke Blight's heart.

"Shhh, Luz, it's me." Amity tried to calm her girlfriend down when she realized the human still thought she was held captive.

"NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Luz hollered angrily, pulling on her restraints, snarling, and breathing heavily through her clenched jaw. Amity was not taken aback. She fully understood what Luz was going through. She had Odalia in her mind long enough.

"Amity, can you calm her down?" Emira asked, interrupting Amity's train of thought "I really have a bad one here that I need to finish." But she did not realize what was happening in Luz's mind. Amity on the other hand was well aware of the confusion the human was experiencing.

"We need to take her off the table." Young Blight finally realized.

"What?!" Both Emira and Viney exclaimed.

"She's been cuffed under a ceiling for the past five days and now we brought her to the exact same position to heal her. Healing hurts so in her mind we are just continuing her torture!" Amity exclaimed and everyone else was taken aback. "In her mind, I'm torturing her." Amity thought, understanding the glare Luz had sent her.

"You… you lived through that, right?" Emira asked softly with a hint of regret in her voice. Amity nodded and started to remove the restraints.

"No! Stop! I will not! I can not!" Suddenly Luz started shouting with no sense to other witches including her girlfriend.

"Oh no…" Amity whispered but no one heard her. She noticed the human's eyes turning pitch black the moment one of her hands was freed from the restraints.

"Is that Luz screaming? What's the problem?" Lilith showed up in the operating room. Once she realized Luz was fighting her way out she ran forward, pushed Amity to the side and took the hit onto herself. The blood oozed from her head but she knew it was nothing serious. She was more taken aback by the feral transformation of her niece. She has seen her in the harpy's body but this was different. It was primal. Uncontrollable.

"No!" Luz screamed again while she pulled herself out of the remaining restraints. Willow tried to stop her but the moment the human felt a hand on her shoulder she threw Willow to the wall and started losing control. "I will not!" She yelled again, holding her head. The powerful wings erupted from her shoulder blades and her hands turned into claws ending in sharp talons. Luz fell to one of her knees and she yelled loudly as the broken leg could not support her. No one understood what was happening. Amity was still on the floor from the push Lilith gave her but she was staring at Luz trying to understand what was happening. In all the months they spent together she has not seen anything like it. Partial harpy transformation was worrying the witch. "Is that the lack of elixir in the past days?"

"Luz?" Amity asked softly, hoping to reach her girlfriend. That was a mistake. Luz looked at her with black eyes which started glowing in bright blue light. The moment they made eye contact Luz's ears grew into spiky, beast-like ones, and her remaining fang grew out. Blight gulped. She immediately rolled up the floor and summoned an abomination in case Luz was not able to control herself.

"See! Take a good look! She's afraid of you!" Luz's mind taunted her. "She knows you will kill her. Why wait? Just get this over with!"

"No!" Luz screamed while her claws cut the air, attacking Amity. A blue glow faded for a moment. Just enough to have a single coherent thought. "Please! Run!" She begged her girlfriend. Amity was confused but did as asked. She used an abomination to protect herself. The moment the blue glow returned to Luz's eyes she was out of control.

"Oh, such a girlfriend, using magic against you. She doesn't trust you. She knows you're a monster!" The voice in Luz's head continued.

"I'm not a monster! She trusts me!" Luz screamed and Amity understood that the human was fighting something no one could see. She only needed to last long enough for her girlfriend to win. "I'm not leaving you, Luz." Amity thought and prepared for a one-sided fight.

"What can I say? Like mother, like daughter?" The voice echoed in Luz's mind.

"She's nothing like her mother! SHUT UP! SHUT! UP!" Luz hollered, barely controlling herself, slicing the air with her talons. She did not realize she scratched Amity's arm in the process. The Healer's robe restricted the witch's movement, making it difficult to fight.

While they trashed the room in their dance macabre,Viney and Emira hid with Willow behind the operation table. Lilith was taken away by one of her scouts. It seemed like Luz was focused solely on Amity. The witch used her abomination magic to defend herself from the human's frenzied attacks. Luz jumped up, to strike the lavender-haired witch with all her might. Her wings helped her gain the higher ground. Amity created a shield of purple slime and rolled away. Her arm was leaving a trail of blood. Luz's claws hit the wall but she quickly realized where her target had disappeared. She growled facing Amity again. "Why is she attacking only me?" Said witch thought while she was getting tired from the fight and blood loss. She did not realize how much they trashed the operating room.

"Luz, you can fight it!" Amity tried to support the human in an attempt to put an end to that fight but before she could have done anything else she was plastered to the wall with Luz's strong claws. "Luz…" She coughed weakly.

"Perfect! Kill her! Just rip her throat! She won't have a chance to hurt you, to leave you. Just KILL!" The voice echoed in her head. "Bite through her throat! Rip out her aorta!"

"NOOOOO!" Luz hollered and Amity realized she was still fighting whatever was forcing her to attack, not giving up. She looked up and noticed a strange bluish glow in her black eyes. It was not her Luz. No! Her Luz was fighting that thing. In the corner of her eye, Amity noticed Eda's gray hair. Hopefully, she would help save Luz.

"Luz! Snap out of it!" Amity's voice was choking, trying to reason with her girlfriend, holding her forearm to keep open airways. "Luz!" She coughed "I know you wouldn't want to hurt me!" The young witch struggled to breathe but she did not stop reasoning. Luz slowly lifted her right hand. Her talons were engulfed in golden energy mixed with blueish light. "That's new!" Amity thought with fear. Both she and Eda understood that the Owl Beast's magic was corrupted with the Grom's energy. "Beasty!" Amity tried to plead, but her voice was weak. Luz was about to strike her girlfriend down. Before Eda could react something had changed.

"Noooo!" Luz yelled again, her hand stopped in mid-air right before the talons reached Amity's face. Suddenly the human hit and scratched the wall right next to Amity's head "You failed! It was so simple! Just take her guts out! Look how pathetic she is?" The voice ran through her mind. "No! Shut up!" She screamed, turning her head to the right as if she was talking to an invisible person, letting Amity go, placing her second hand on the wall, scratching it as she slid down to her knees, grabbing her own hair.

The pale witch fell to the floor and noticed Eda was holding a potion vial in her hand. "I will not hurt her!" Luz yelled, fighting whatever was tormenting her inside, still keeping a hold of her head. "You are weak, mercy is such a stupid idea." Voice echoed. "I love her! I will protect her, care for her!" She pounded her head on the floor to get rid of the voice in her head. "Stop that human! Sooner or later you will destroy her and everyone you care for. You will traumatize them. And if not by your hand they will die because of you!" Amity got up and prepared the abomination to stop her but Eda shook her head, stopping the Blight's action. "I won't give her trauma!" Luz continued, blood oozing from her shut eyes from the impact on the floor. Suddenly her claws scratched down her scalp, she opened her eyes widely and threw her chest up in pain "Like you believe that! Why lie to yourself?!" The human yelled and Eda noticed her black eyes shining with Grom's blue glow. "I'll give her home, family, and my last name you fucking…" Her words were interrupted when Eda gave Amity a sign to hold her with abomination while she poured the antidote into the human's throat open with a screech.

"Let her go, now!" Eda ordered and Amity removed the restraints. Luz fell to the floor on her back again, writhed in pain, and held her head again. Her wings were flapping angrily, her scream was mixed with a screech, and in what seemed to be a whole eternity she finally turned to stand on all fours and started retching violently. Amity wanted to approach her and give her some kind of support, and comfort but Eda stopped her by raising a hand. "No! What!? NOOO!" The voice yelled echoing hurtfully in Luz's mind. She could have sworn her head would explode but the voice started to die down. Luz finally vomited a black goo that immediately started to crawl away. At that moment her wings immediately retracted to her shoulder blades, her ears turned back to normal, her feathers hid underneath the skin, and her hands regained their human shape. "You're not going anywhere…" Eda murmured while creating a spell circle to capture the Grom's essence. "Yeah! Get the fuck out!" Luz thought and everything went dark.

"Luz!" Amity exclaimed while she jumped forward to grab a hold of the exhausted human, falling face down to the floor. She managed to catch her just in time sliding underneath. Whilst sitting on the floor, Amity turned Luz on her back and held her close. She placed a pale hand on the beat-up, burning face. Once Luz regained consciousness she did not even notice she was lying on her back, her mind was silent. Her eyes fluttered and her cotton-candy-haired goddess was right there above her. The cold hands on her cheek brought her back to life.

"So… nice… cold…" Luz choked out in a groggy voice, closing her eyes again, Amity laughed a bit and started crying with happiness seeing she was still alive. The human forced her eyes open. The blue light was gone and the black eyes slowly turned back to normal hazel brown ones. Luz's eyes fluttered heavily but she managed to smile delicately while she looked up at Amity. It did not last long. She lost consciousness again and her body went limp in Blight's arms. Sobs shook the witch's back. The rollercoaster of emotions wrecked her.

"Come on, Boots…" Eda kneeled by her side. "It's going to be all right but you need to let her go now." She added, noticing how Amity was reluctant to let go of the body in her arms. Emira approached her sister, kneeled by her side as well, and smiled warmly. Finally, yet hesitantly, the lavender-haired witch loosened her hold on the hurt body, allowing Healers to retrieve their patient.

Once Luz was again strapped to the table, Eda helped Emira with the healing procedure while Viney took Willow to the recovery room. Amity was left standing alone behind Eda. She felt her body finally registering the cuts and bruises she gained from her girlfriend. Her breathing started to quicken. She left the room in a hurry, feeling her self-control slipping away, and tried to walk away through the corridor, hoping to find a solitary place to regain her composure. A few steps away from the ICOR she slid down the wall, crying uncontrollably, trembling, and feeling sick.

"Amity?" Viney was returning from the recovery room where she left Lilith and Willow when she noticed her wife's sister sitting on the corridor floor. The lavender-haired witch was resting her forehead on her knees. Her fists were clenching the robe. The rapid breathing was indicating a panic attack. "Amity?" Viney repeated but there was no reaction. She did not know what to do. Usually, Emira dealt with her sister's distress. "Titan, she's bleeding." The Healer thought and she decided to approach the young witch. "Amity, I need to heal your arm." Viney said, touching the young witch to get her attention. Amity did not react so Viney just started healing her.

"T-t… Th-thank you…" Amity choked out between sobs, gasping for air as if her lungs were closed off. She lifted her head to look at Viney. Her puffy red eyes were swollen from crying. The Healer noticed a mixture of gratitude, hurt, sadness and relief. "So many emotions…" Viney thought but she kept on healing. The cuts on the pale arm were closing nicely.

"It's okay, Amity." Viney replied with a smile "Is there anything I can do to help you?" She asked, noticing that Blight's breathing was not calming down. "I don't know what you…" She was interrupted by Amity's sudden hug. "Need…" The young witch threw herself into Viney's torso and wailed like a child. "It's all right, Amity." The Healer cooed her, returning the hug in a tight embrace. The brunette positioned herself in a comfortable cross-legged sit and pulled the crying witch into a cozy position. Viney started rocking them in a slow manner and caressed Amity's back in a calm, soothing manner.

"I'm… I'm so… sorry…" Young Blight choked out after a while. "It's just…" She tried to explain her emotional outburst.

"You don't need to explain, Amity." Viney said with a soft voice and Amity finally sat up and looked at her sister-in-law with a teary sight.

"I can't stop thinking, what Luz felt when she found me…" Amity finally admitted what had bothered her. "Finding Luz alive was such a relief but I also felt anger I have never experienced before." She continued and Viney listened to her carefully. She was surprised that Amity trusted her with her feelings. Maybe she finally warmed up to her. "Everything Luz had to endure is my fault…"

"Let me stop you right there." Viney interrupted. "None of it is your fault. Odalia is a grown-ass person who chose to pay for kidnapping and then tortured Luz. It was no one else's fault but hers. She was doing the same thing to you for years. And none of it was your fault. She was supposed to take care of you, make sure you feel safe and loved. She failed you as a parent in the most basic parts of being one." Viney pointed out and Amity's eyes teared up uncontrollably again.

"I know it's true but I have this nagging voice in my head that tells me otherwise." Amity explained, looking down sheepishly. Viney smiled softly and touched Amity's shoulder.

"That's called 'intrusive thoughts' and we'll deal with them later." The Healer proposed in a supportive manner "Do you want me to take care of your bruises now?" Amity shook her head, sitting up, moving away from Viney, still ashamed of her outburst.

"I think I should head back and help Eda and Emira with Luz." She said and turned her sight back to Viney "Thank you for helping me calm down… and not pushing me away." The Healer just smiled.

"Hey! That's what family is for." The brunette said, stood up, helped Amity up and walked her back to the ICOR.

"She's out." Eda informed Emira who just finished setting up the IV in her unconscious daughter's arm.

"Maybe that's better. We still have a long day ahead of us." Emira said in a serious voice. Eda may have not known the Blight Healer very well but she knew that was out of character.

"Are you okay?" Clawthorne asked, "You know that if your emotions are corrupted the Healing will take a toll on you." She added and Emira sighed heavily in defeat knowing that the older witch was right.

"I can't stop thinking… How sick a person has to be to torture someone. To lock a person up in a dungeon and destroy them physically, mentally, poisoning their body, mind…" Eda listened carefully, noticing the emotions in Emira's voice. "Then I think back to when I was still living in the Manor. Amity was also locked in the same dungeon. I was not strong enough to stand up for her, to help her. We were separated for four years, for Titan's sake!" She exclaimed, lifting her hands in the air. "If it weren't for Luz we'd probably still be strangers." Eda smiled at that comment. She looked at her daughter's unconscious face and stroked her hair.

"Yeah, she has a talent for getting in trouble but it usually results in bringing people together." Eda said and Emira looked at her questioningly. "My sister, Lilith, was the one who cursed me. Yet Luz found a way to transfer the curse. Of course, she was hurt in the process but that brought the Clawthorne family back together. Lilith bonded with Luz, my mother came around… we healed." She explained and Emira's features softened.

"Yeah… I remember when Puddles attacked her during one of her first Beast Keeping classes." Emira recalled a brief moment she was at school with Luz "It ended up with me and Viney getting to know each other a little bit better…"

"Yes!" Eda interrupted the Healer and pointed a finger at her dreamy face "That's the emotion you should focus on."

"Oh! That's sneaky Eda" Emira laughed a bit "But I guess we can go back to healing Luz now." She offered and Eda just nodded with a satisfied smile.

It has been a moment since Amity was able to rejoin Eda and Emira in the ICOR. Viney guided her back to also make sure that Emira did not need any assistance. The young Blight has noticed Luz's body held in the upright position. "Exactly how I left you." Amity thought. Both Eda and Emira were working on the hurt back and their faces were showing signs of fatigue.

"You should go and rest. Viney and I can take it from here." Amity offered with confidence returning to her voice. Emira sent a look toward her wife and Viney nodded with a small smile.

"Just a moment." Eda said weakly "I want to make sure this one is finished before we go." She explained and everyone agreed silently. Amity walked over to Luz's face to inspect her. Her brows were frowned, she was mumbling something incoherently from time to time but she was still out cold. In the meantime, Viney changed the IV and made sure the needle was not causing too much swelling.

"Her temperature has definitely gone down. It's almost at the acceptable level." Viney noticed when she cast a small spell circle to check on the human's vitals. "For a human, that is." Amity touched her girlfriend's forehead at that comment.

"Good but she still has a long way to go." Eda said once she stopped healing the cut on the back.

"All the more reason for you to rest. You can change us in a couple of hours." Amity said and then looked at her sister "What's the current status and your approach plan?"

"We cleaned and closed all of the inflamed cuts. They were the most difficult ones because the oldest ones had already started to rot." Emira said and Amity felt a heat wave of anger. She did not let it show on her face but Viney noticed a small glow appearing around Amity's hands. Young Blight took a deep breath and calmed herself down before her sister-in-law could have reacted. "Since you're here Amity, please focus on the broken bones and sprained joints." The young witch raised her eyebrow not knowing why it was relevant that she was here. "The pain may wake her up and I'm sure she'll be calmer with you around." Emira explained and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "And take it slow. Please."

"I will." Amity promised but she was not looking at her sister. Her sight was focused on the body strapped to the vertical operating table.

"All right, let's go." Eda interrupted, stretching her arms. "I should check in on Lily and get some sleep." She added as she left the room. Finally, Amity was left alone with Viney and Luz. The Healer took a place behind the patient while Amity was still in front.

"Let's use this as a learning opportunity." Viney offered with a smile. Amity sent her a dead glare. "Hey! Luz has a knack for getting into trouble so I want to be sure you'd be able to help her." The healer explained and Blight's expression softened immediately. She did not even consider it. "Since I'm sure you want to be able to help her in case of danger you need to learn on her body. Learning on a witch's body would not help you at all." She added an explanation and now Amity was smiling softly, recalling when she helped Luz heal a few weeks ago. "Let's start with identifying where the damage is located." Viney guided Amity and they created a large, joined spell circle that moved from the bottom of Luz's body upwards, scanning bones and joints. They moved as instructed - slowly.

"I identified a crashed left foot, right femur broken in half…" She started listing out and her eyes were jumping from body part to body part where healing was required. "Two ribs were broken on the right side of her chest, three ribs on the left side. The left collarbone is broken while the right one seems to be crushed. Her skull has a small fracture. As for the joints, her kneecaps and shoulders are completely destroyed. To be honest, now that I have seen that I have no idea how she managed to attack us before?" Viney was nodding with a small smile, surprised with the young Blight's skill.

"Very good. You missed just a few small fractures like broken fingers and a broken nose but I'm really impressed." Viney said. "So what would you start healing first?" Amity thought about it for a moment.

"I'd start with broken ribs as the left ones are extremely close to puncturing her lungs. Then I'd move to the broken femur as it may break the aorta in her thigh." She finally came to a conclusion, making the Healer smile widely.

"Perfect decision!" She exclaimed, feeling pride "Well, let's get started. You go on with ribs and femur while I'll focus on her joints." Viney offered. She skipped explaining that a bone can be rebroken and set again while healing human's joints needed her level of expertise. Amity nodded and they started the procedure. Each of them had their own spell prepared while they were focusing on healing differently structured body parts.

Time was passing by excruciatingly slowly. Setting Luz's ribs was not as difficult as Amity feared yet the cracking sound hurt her ears. She was surprised to see that the human did not respond to the pain. She had no idea how long it did take her but when she was about to set the femur she felt that setting that bone might be too difficult. The leg was swollen, hurt not only by the broken bone but also by the crashed kneecap. Additionally, the internal bleeding was complicating everything.

"Viney?" Amity decided to ask for help. The Healer stopped working on the joints and looked at the lavender-haired witch. "Would you help me, please?"

"Sure. Let's just move her arms down since her shoulders are back in place." Viney offered and they adjusted Luz's position before moving forward with the procedure. Amity looked at the window for a mere moment, just to see that the sun had moved past the highest point. She sighed, knowing that Emira and Eda will soon come to relieve them.

"Thank you. I just worry about doing it alone. I don't want to cause her additional pain." Amity said and Viney nodded in understanding.

"No worries. Let's do that together. I'll guide you." The Healer said and they drew a spell circle together. "Can you feel the structure of the bone?" She asked and Amity nodded "Good, now focus on the density of the structure, feel the edges…"

"It's just so different from witch's bones…" Blight commented.

"I know." Viney said and the loud crack echoed in the room when they tried to adjust the bone. Suddenly Luz's eyes snapped open, she yelled showing off a missing fang, and her eyes glued to Amity's face. The ivory cheeks were enlightened by a blue spell, and the golden eyes were focused on the spell but the moment the human moved she lost her concentration. Viney was prepared for that and took over the spell. "Calm her down." She commanded, frowning brows since she had to put more energy into a spell now. Amity looked into Luz's hazel eyes with shrank pupils. She placed her pale hand on the tan cheek in a calming gesture.

"Luz, it's okay." She tried but the human's breathing was rapid and shallow. "The ribs must be killing her since they were reset just a while ago. And now the leg… Oh, Titan." Amity thought, looking at how Luz clenched her jaw in a futile attempt to control herself. The pain was overwhelming.

"Am-am… Miiity…" Luz mumbled when she finally set her sight on the golden orbs. "It… h-h-hurts…" She added and the tears rolled down her cheeks. Amity rubbed the tears away with both cold palms on the human's face and placed her forehead against Luz's.

"I know, Luz. I'm sorry but we need to set your bones." The young witch explained while Viney kept on working, pretending she was not there. "Just focus on me. Feel my hands on your face. Do you feel that?" Amity asked and Luz tried to nod against the restraints. "Good. You are doing so very well." She praised her girlfriend.

"Please…" Luz whispered, "N-no more." She cried and sobs shook her back. A silent Owl's purring left her throat. Amity noticed that the human's aorta was rapidly pulsating on her neck. She moved her pale right hand to the neck and started feeling the pulse. Luz's sobs turned into hitched rasp gasps, she tried to breathe in but it seemed she was not receiving any air. Her eyes started roaming across the room in panic. "H-h-h-elp…"

"VINEY!" Amity panicked as well. The human's pulse was too high.

"Moment!" The Healer replied. Another crack echoed through the room.

"AMITY!" Luz screamed her lungs out. She tried to turn her head back but the restraints held her in place. Her eyes rolled up and Amity realized that her pulse was speeding up dangerously.

"VINEY!" Amity repeated with panic seeping through. The pulse she was feeling on Luz's neck suddenly stopped. She did not care anymore what the Healer was doing. Amity drew a spell circle and the restraints disappeared. She pulled the human down to the floor. Viney wanted to oppose but she noticed the tears rolling down the Blight's face. Luz was not moving, not breathing, her head lolled to the side while Amity drew a spell circle and tried to revive the human's heart. Viney quickly joined in.

Luz suddenly felt warmth surrounding her body. She opened her eyes and realized she was not strapped to a table anymore. She was standing in the middle of the operating room, dressed in her favorite clothes. She looked down and noticed distressed Amity kneeling on the floor right next to Viney.

"It's too different…" The Healer muttered feeling helpless.

"Guys, what the hell…" Luz walked closer to them and noticed her own mutilated body lying on the floor. "No, no, no, no, no…"

"Oh, fuck this!" Amity cussed, pushing Viney away a little bit. She knelt above Luz's chest, placed her pale hands between cut breasts and started pumping on the chest she had just finished repairing. The human could have sworn she felt the pressure and her girlfriend's hands.

"What the hell, Amity?!" Viney exclaimed but Amity was not hearing her. She was recalling that one conversation she had with Luz all those months ago.

"You can't be serious?" Amity asked with a laugh.

"Don't judge us too harshly. CPR saved thousands of people around the world." Luz offered with a smile. Amity was still thinking that her friend was just making fun of her. "There must be something about this in the Library. I'm not joking!" Luz said seriously.

Amity could not believe that their banter on the hypothetical revival of dead people would end up with them spending hours in the Library, researching the topic of human healing magic. That was what she admired about Luz. Even the most ridiculous conversation usually ended with Amity learning something new. She admired the human so much.

"Amity, stop! You'll hurt her!" Viney tried to stop her but Amity was not listening. "Staying alive, staying alive…" She recalled Luz singing the strange song with her dorkiest smile in a flash of memory.

"No, Amity! Don't stop!" Luz's spirit tried to yell but she was not heard.

"Thirty!" Amity said to herself, she then leaned down and grabbed Luz's nose and chin. She blew air into her girlfriend's lips, making sure her chest expands when the air fills in her lungs.

"AMITY!" Viney stopped her by the second breath. The Healer pulled her sister-in-law away from the human's body. "Oh, Titan, she lost it! Kissing dead girlfriend?!" Viney could not understand.

"Let me go!" Amity opposed while she tried to return to her actions. The abomination slime erupted from underneath her body and separated her and Luz from the rest of the room.

A sudden presence of a warm touch on Luz's arm scared her. Should not anyone be able to touch her spirit form?

"Hi, mija…" A familiar voice made it to her ears. Luz looked into her mother's eyes not believing what was happening.

Amity had no idea how long she was trying to revive Luz. She was getting more tired but she was not about to give up. She was so focused on her actions her mind completely ignored the doors to the ICOR being opened and closed.

"Luz?" Eda whispered when she noticed Amity pumping Luz's chest while they were separated from everyone by the abomination slime, surrounding them, protecting them from any interruption. "My Kid… oh no… my Kid… she can't be…" Clawthorne's mind was racing but Amity was not ready to give up, another breath was forced into an immobile chest. Eda walked over and young Blight let her in. Amity trusted her enough to know she would not stop her in her attempts to save Luz.

"Mami?" Luz asked, shocked, speechless. Her lips trembled but she could not cry. She froze.

"I'm sorry I left you, Luzita. I was not strong enough." Camila spoke in a soft and warm voice "I'm so happy you found a family, friends, and… love. You grew up to be so strong, passionate, and good." Noceda walked over to Luz and placed her hand on her daughter's cheek. "I'm so proud of you, mija." Luz's face tore down. "But you have to go back now… Luz Clawthorne." She added and pushed her daughter away.

"Mami!?" Luz felt herself falling from a great height. She looked at her mother who was slowly getting further and further away. "¡Mami, no!"

Eda was sitting on the floor, crying silently, holding her daughter's hand. Viney and Emira were too confused to react in any way. A sudden cough followed by rasping breathing filled the room. Everyone looked at the human on the floor when the abomination disappeared into nothingness.

"Luz!" Amity was right above her girlfriend, holding her face, looking with relief into once again alive eyes.

"Kiddo! Can you hear us?" Eda managed to choke out, surprised to see her alive again.

"Mamá, por favor…" Luz mumbled, confusing everyone. But she was alive. Amity leaned in and kissed Luz's forehead with a sense of relief.

Then everything caught up with the young witch. Exhaustion, panic, sadness, happiness, it all hit her like a tidal wave. She started crying uncontrollably, gasping for air. Said witch placed her head on the tan shoulder, hugged the human closely, and wailed loudly. She did not notice Emira sharing a look with Eda and Viney who were waiting for the young witch to calm down.

"It's gonna be alright, Boots…" Eda tried to help but Amity could not get a hold of her emotions.

It was not long before she cried herself to unconsciousness and fell asleep snuggled to Luz's shoulder. Her exhausted body, emotionally broken and exhausted mind drained all energy. Amity had no idea when everything faded to darkness.

When Amity came back to her senses she was tucked in a recovery room. Her eyes took in the surroundings. The room was covered in darkness. The windows were slightly ajar. "Night already…" She thought when she realized how tired she was. Her body was feeling as if someone else was in control of it. She sighed heavily while trying to regain control. After a while, she managed to sit up in bed. She took a wider look around the room and noticed Luz sleeping in the bed on her right. Amity could have sworn her heart skipped a beat. The witch forced herself to get out of bed. Her body was tingling with weakness but she forced her legs forward. Once Blight made it to Luz's bed she grabbed her girlfriend's hand and smiled softly. Her features were looking much healthier, and her limbs were covered in casts and Healing Glyphs but everything seemed better now. Luz was alive and safe. Amity smiled when she noticed steady breathing. The witch sat down by the human's bed and listened to the breathing. She missed it so much. She could not wait to listen to it once they were back home. "Wherever that might be…" Was Amity's last thought when she fell asleep once again, calmed down by her girlfriend's breathing and the warmth of her palm.

Little did the witch know that the moment she grabbed Luz's hand the human regained consciousness. Unfortunately, her hurt body did not cooperate. She could feel the warm coolness of another hand in her palm. She felt the dull ache in her body, the fabric of the bandages touching her skin, and the scent of disinfecting potions but unfortunately, her body did not react to any commands. It was as if she was paralyzed. "Not again…" Luz thought, trying to open her eyes, move her hands, and do something. Only her heart reacted in an increased heartbeat. She was relieved when she realized it was Amity by her side, holding her hand. Witch's scent was unlike anything else she smelled in the Boiling Isles, calming Luz down. A weight shifted around and Luz realized Amity lay her head by her side. A soft kiss placed on her hand sent chills down her spine. The witch soon fell asleep sitting in the chair with her head on the bed, refusing to let go of Luz's hand. The human gave up trying to speak up. She soon fell into a restless slumber as well.

When Luz opened her eyes the darkness surrounded her. The smell of humid air and fungus made her realize she was underground. Sudden bright light erupted from the ceiling and the pain hurt her eyes like a sting of a swarm of fire bees. Once she had regained her sight, she realized she was still in the shackles, hanging from the ceiling. The older green-haired witch was standing in front of her. Her cold blue eyes were staring at her with pure hatred.

"How is it that my daughter fell for such a pathetic animal I will never understand." Odalia spoke coldly. "I tried raising her to be a respectable part of society but apparently she is just a bundle of faulty genes." Luz growled hearing that comment "And yet she managed to fight the Entanglement Spell. She disobeyed a direct order." Odalia placed her pale finger on Luz's chest and poked the human's most recent scar. "That made me realize that with proper motivation… Let's just say I may still have a use for you."

"Fuck… you…" Luz growled. She had no idea how long she had been held in the shackles but she knew Odalia was slowly losing her patience. Yet, the witch smiled viciously.

"Yes… be angry." She whispered in an almost hissing manner. Before Luz could retort in any way she felt a strange stinging in her abdomen. She managed to look down and noticed Odalia using a wavy kris dagger to cut her skin. Not too deep to really hurt her but deep enough to cause her significant pain and blood loss. "Luz…" She heard and looked up.

"Luz…" She did not understand how Odalia was speaking if she did not move her lips.

"Luz…"

"Luz?" Amity's voice made it to her ears. "I can feel your pulse rising. Are you awake?" She continued but the human could not open her eyes. She was still deep in her nightmare memory. A small grunt managed to escape her throat. "It's all right, I'm here. You're safe, Luz." Amity spoke again and she delicately caressed her girlfriend's face. "Titan, she's so distressed." The witch thought while she looked at Luz's frowned brows, eyes rapidly moving underneath the eyelids, and sweat droplets on her forehead. A groan turned into a sigh of relief. The human's features relaxed a bit when the pale hand touched her cheek.

"Mmm…" Luz tried to speak but it was as if her whole body was on strike. "Titan! Why can't you just cooperate?!" She was getting frustrated with her body.

"Shhh… don't force yourself." Amity tried to calm her down. "Emira said that with the strain your body got from…" She hesitated knowing how hurtful it is to recall being tortured "Your body needs more time." She continued. "Be patient. I'm not going anywhere." She added and placed a delicate kiss on the human's forehead. Luz tried to listen to her. Once she relaxed knowing she was not alone she fell back to sleep.

"Azura lifted her staff into cotton-candy skies and shouted 'I challenge you to a witch's duel!" Amity read out loud hoping it would help her girlfriend. It was really the only thing she thought she could do for her now. "'You shall not shan't doeth no more harm,' Azura calleth out…"

"How is she?" A sudden voice made Amity jump in her seat. The witch closed the book and looked at the older Clawthorne entering the room.

"No change, I'm afraid…" Amity said quietly. "She keeps on having nightmares, waking up then falling back to sleep. That is at least how it looks… she did not move nor speak…" She added.

"Wow, Boots. Lay of the book. The flowery language is not good for you." Eda tried to tease the young Blight but it did not lighten the mood for anyone. "Maybe you should take a break? You've been living in this chair since you brought her here. Get some fresh air, meet with some friends…" Clawthorne offered but the young witch shook her head.

"I just don't know what else to do, Eda…" Amity said, sadness seeping from her voice, the grip on her book tightened.

"I know, Amity." Eda admitted as she sat down on the other side of the bed with a deep sigh "So do I…" The silence occurred between them. Each of them was lost in their thoughts. Both of them were thinking about Luz.

"Tenéis que calmarse…" A croaking voice was heard from the bed. Both Eda and Amity shot up standing up and looking at the human.

"LUZ?!" They both exclaimed, looking at any sign of Luz coming back to them.

"¿Me escuchas?" Luz asked in a foreign tongue, confusing Eda and Amity who shared a quick look before refocusing on the human. The latter one cupped her girlfriend's face just to make sure she was not dreaming. "¿Amity?" She whispered with the same accent and the young witch sobbed in happiness.

"I'm here, Luz. I'm right here." Amity whispered and Eda was about to say something but her daughter's voice interrupted her.

"No me puedo mover…" Luz said, confusing the witches even more. "It's just lips but at least I can communicate. Geez! Finally!" She was frustrated but relieved she would not be trapped in her mind forever.

"Kiddo…" Eda started, not knowing how to approach her daughter "We don't understand you."

"¡¿Qué?!" Luz started to worry that she only thought she was talking. Her breathing started to increase. "Is it all in my head? Maybe I'm in a coma?! I had a stroke and I'm… I'm…" She started panicking.

"No, no, Kid, calm down." Eda placed her hand on her daughter's arm "You speak your mother tongue. You speak Spanish, Luz." She explained and Amity opened her eyes widely in understanding. "Like the day in the bathroom…" Young Blight thought, recalling the only other time she heard that strange language.

"I will need to confirm it with Emira but it can be a temporary response to severe trauma." Amity spoke up softly.

"E-entiendo…" Luz whispered while her breathing started to calm down.

"What if it's not temporary?" Eda looked at the other witch with concern. Amity frowned and looked at her girlfriend with love.

"Then I'll learn Spanish, Eda." She said with determination in her voice, caressing the human's cheek, noticing how her breathing calmed down, ignoring Eda's wide, teasing smile.

"Well… at least we know she's healing." Eda tried to find some positives in this dire situation. "How about some Hexes Hold'em?"

The following morning everyone was honestly surprised to see that Luz finally opened her eyes. She looked confused, weak, hurt, and out of place. But everyone was happy and relieved she was alive. However, she did not speak up. She was just laying in bed staring at the ceiling. Her eyes were blinking slowly but could not focus on anything. Viney and Emira tried different healing spells but they were unable to help Luz's predicament. The pattern has been repeating for the next few days. Everyone was losing hope until one morning Amity was woken up by a delicate squeeze in her hand. The witch lifted her head from the side of her girlfriend's bed and looked up not sure she actually felt right.

"Luz?" She mumbled a whisper while she sat up. Once again she noticed Luz's widely open eyes staring into a ceiling. The witch sighed heavily, sitting back down. "I miss you…" She whispered more to herself than to anyone else. A delicate movement of tan fingers shocked Amity who got to her feet again in no time, hovering above her girlfriend's face. The hazel brown eyes managed to slowly move to the right to meet the golden ones.

"M-m-miss… y-you… t-t-too…" Luz managed to mumble. Amity's left hand flew up to her quivering lips, covering a sob while her eyes teared down in relief and disbelief, and her ears slanted down. The witch froze, she could not say anything else. She was just staring into the human's eyes still not believing they were staring back at her. "D-do you… under-understand?" Luz asked but Amity could not answer. She just nodded frantically still trying to comprehend the situation. Another squeeze of the human's hand brought Amity back to reality, making her take a deep raspy breath in, returning the hand squeeze.

"Take it easy, Luz." Amity asked, removing the hand covering her lips, placing it on the human's head and caressing the hair in a comforting manner. "Do you remember anything that happened to you?" She asked after a while and Luz nodded slowly. A single tear left her right eye.

"I… died…" She mumbled, making Amity cry quietly, nodding in confirmation. Luz slowly started closing her eyes again.

"Luz?" The witch panicked when she noticed closed hazel-brown eyes.

"Tired…" Amity tried to calm her breathing. "Not leaving… you…" She added and did not say anything else. The witch sat back heavily in the chair by the human's bed and lost her self-control. She cried her eyes out, hiding her face in her hands, not realizing she was not alone anymore.

"Boots?" Eda asked, afraid to know what made Amity cry so badly. "Amity?" She walked over to the young witch and touched her shoulder, making Blight take a deep breath in, calming herself down. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, Eda…" Amity wiped her own face, trying to regain her composure. "Luz…" She looked up at the older Clawthorne and smiled through the tears, shocking the older witch. "She spoke and squeezed my hand, Eda." She explained then another sob escaped her lips that grimaced in a smile. Eda was not controlling her tears as well. She could not believe what she was hearing. "She's coming back to us…"

Viney and Emira were glad to hear that Luz was slowly regaining her ability to talk but they were still unable to predict when the human would be able to fully regain her health. If ever at all. It was nothing like they have treated before. Even Eda was clueless as in the years she cared for Luz the human never experienced such severe injuries. So they just waited patiently.

The next morning Luz opened her eyes right on schedule. However, this time Eda, Emira, and Viney were waiting for it with Amity. They tried not to crowd the human, and let her adjust to the surroundings but it was difficult considering how happy and relieved everyone was.

Luz blinked slowly a few times, trying to focus her eyesight. She noticed a blurry gray, fluffy mane and her lips curled up in a half smile. She then moved her head to the right and focused on Amity's face. She grunted and frowned her brows, her face was flushed with a grimace of pain.

"Luz?" Amity asked with worry in her voice. Her girlfriend managed to smile delicately once again.

"It's… okay…" The human managed to whisper "Just… hurts… sore…" She added an explanation and took a deep breath in. A small groan escaped her lips.

"Luz, will you mind if I'll check your progress?" Viney stepped forward and waited patiently for her patient to turn her head to the left. Luz focused her sight on the Healer, blinking a few more times. Then she looked at her mother, and finally at Emira. Their sad, yet relieved expressions worried her. She managed to nod in consent and Viney started inspecting Luz's health.

"H-how long…" The human managed to whisper but she could not finish that question. She felt a cold hand in her palm, squeezing her in support. Emira walked over to the bed and looked into the hazel eyes.

"Almost three weeks, Luz." She said with cold professionalism. "We weren't sure when you'd wake up. You have broken…"

"Don't…" Luz interrupted her and closed her eyes, a shaky breath escaped her lips. She was haunted by a flashing memory of Odalia crashing her femur with a metal rod. She felt like crying but was too weak to do so. Yet, a small cold hand caressed her cheek in a comforting manner, offering support. Silence filled the recovery room. No one dared to speak up.

"The good news is, we can finally take off your cast." Viney was the first one to break the silence. She looked into Luz's eyes and smiled supportively. "Your body healed wonderfully but you still have a long way ahead of you, Luz." She added and the human nodded. "I'll be back later to take off your cast."

"We'll give you some space now." Emira offered with a smile and left the room along with Viney. She shared one last look with her sister and disappeared into the corridor. Eda and Amity took the seats by Luz's respective sides. Owlbert jumped out of gray hair and cuddled into the human's cheek, purring loudly.

"Missed you too… buddy…" Luz smiled faintly, happy to interact with the Palisman. A silent hoot escaped her lips as well. "Missed you too…" She thought, hearing the Demon in her head. "So…" She looked at Amity "What's… new?" Eda's scoff surprised Luz.

"She wouldn't know. Didn't leave this room for longer than a shower… ouch!" A small abomination hand slapped Eda's head. Luz managed to smile when she noticed Amity's embarrassed, flustered expression, ears slanted down, cheeks covered in blush, hand surrounded with a pink spell circle. "Oh, that reminds me…" Eda said with a smirk, pointing at her daughter's face, confusing young Clawthorne. "I don't want to rush you but I was at the market the other day and I found, totally not stolen, this beauty." She retrieved a silver-colored, white-gold fang from her hair. She did not notice how quickly Luz's expression faded "They didn't have human ones…"

"Eda, stop!" Amity interrupted the older witch while she got up to get closer to her girlfriend, her flustered expression long forgotten. Luz's breath was shallow, raspy, labored, her hands clenched the bedsheets, her knuckles turned white, her eyes stared up into the ceiling, and droplets of sweat appeared on her forehead. "Has Eda ever told you how she earned her golden fang?" Echoed in Luz's head.

"What did I…" Eda did not understand the sudden change, Amity shushed her and placed both her hands on the human's face.

"Luz, calm down." The young witch said with a calm, steady voice, rubbing her thumbs across the tan cheeks, trying to ground her girlfriend "You are safe here. Please, breathe with me, can you do it?" She asked but Luz was not hearing her. "It was a wonderful day really…" Odalia's voice haunted the human's head and a delicate Owl's trill followed.

"No… don't…" Luz gasped, fighting for each breath, panicking with the realization she cannot move. "P-p-please…" Her eyes teared down, pupils shrank down, and a delicate hooting was heard.

"Luz, look at me!" Amity was not giving up while Eda looked at their interaction with awe. "This is just a memory. You are not there anymore. You are safe, she cannot hurt you!" Blight was talking loudly and clearly "Please, look at me, Luz. You are safe now." She repeated again like a mantra. "You're safe…" Luz's eyes finally moved from the ceiling behind the witch's head and looked into the golden, worried eyes.

"A-am…" She struggled to speak "A-amity… where…" Her eyes roamed across the room and returned to Amity's face, showing confusion and fear "Where… am I?" She gasped for air, scared of the answer.

"You're in Emira's Clinic, Luz. You're safe now." Amity repeated patiently "Can you feel my hands?" She asked and Luz nodded delicately "Can you smell my perfume?" Another nod "Can you see me now?" Another confirmation "Breathe with me?" She caressed the human's hair in a slow, comforting manner, letting her pale fingers between the locks, trailing from her forehead upwards, knowing how the Clawthorne liked it and took a deep breath in and out while Luz followed. "Very good, Luz…" Amity praised and guided a few more breaths until Luz was calm and back with them.

"S-s-sorry…" She whispered while tears escaped her hazel eyes. She did not register when Amity grabbed a tissue to clean up her face from tears, and sweat, and hushed her apologies. "I…" She looked back at Eda, trying hard to ignore her mother's fearful, pale expression "I love it, Mum." She took another deep breath "T-thank you…" She added and closed her eyes, trying to keep her calm. Within a few more calming breaths she was back asleep, exhausted with everything. Amity plopped back down to her chair and balled her hair in frustration.

"Boots?" Amity threw her head up, groaned, and looked at Eda with glistening eyes. "Are you all right?"

"I will be…" She looked back at the sleeping human "And so will she…" Blight took another deep breath "I… it's just…" She could not gather her thoughts.

"You've been through it?" Eda offered and Amity nodded sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Boots… Amity." That shocked young Blight. "Please, give that to the Healers." She gave Amity the white-gold fang, getting up from her chair. "I know you'll take good care of my Kid, you did so far… don't think I didn't notice." Eda said enigmatically with a mischievous smirk "Come Owlbert!" She summoned the Palisman "We'll be back as fast as we can…" She said while she approached the door.

"Where are you…?" Amity tried to ask but Eda cut her off.

"Don't you worry your lavender head about that, Boots." Eda smiled wickedly "Gotta go, byeeeee!" She disappeared in the corridor, leaving Amity alone with sleeping Luz.

Viney returned to Luz's room by midday with a metal trolley filled with pliers, cutters, bandages, and ointments. Amity put down another book that helped her pass the time and got up to greet her sister-in-law. She looked at the trolley and then back to Luz's sleeping form. She frowned, knowing that she had seen a similar object in the catacombs.

"Is everything all right?" Viney asked, noticing Amity's expression. Said witch sighed heavily.

"Should be…" She turned toward the Healer "Just make sure that trolley is behind you and out of her sight, okay?" Amity asked with concern in her voice, Viney did so without question. Blight then walked closer to her girlfriend's sleeping form and caressed her sleeping face. "Luz, wake up." She whispered, delicately getting the human's attention. "It's time to get you out of the cast." She explained and a small groan answered her.

"Hey, Luz." Viney stepped forward as well "I just want to make sure you know what is happening. Removing the cast can be unpleasant since you haven't been able to move your limbs in a few weeks." The human barely opened her eyes but managed to nod in consent.

"I'll be here with you all the time, Luz." Amity assured her "So just look at me and let Viney do the work, okay?" The witch smiled, hoping to give her still very confused girlfriend a sense of safety.

"O-okay…" Luz whispered, blinked a few times, and looked into Amity's golden eyes. The Blight witch gave Viney a sign to begin.

"I will start with your left arm, Luz. Then we'll remove the cast from your chest." Viney informed while she took hold of a rather large cutter. Luz tried to take a look but Amity held her face in place.

"Don't look there, Luz." The lavender-haired witch spoke softly, afraid for Luz to panic. The human looked back into the golden eyes and grunted slightly when Viney applied pressure to cut the plaster away. "Very good, Luz." Amity praised her girlfriend and started caressing her wavy hair in a comforting manner. Luz shut her eyes in another shot of pain when she felt the cutter going through the cast on her chest.

"Okay, Luz." Viney said after a while to get her patient's attention "Amity and I will now lift the plaster, okay?" She asked and Luz shot her eyes open. She looked at the Healer, then the cutter in her hands, and finally nodded. When Amity let go of her face Luz watched how Viney placed the cutter on the metal trolley and she could feel her own heart racing. She quickly looked back at her girlfriend trying to calm herself down.

"Are you ready?" Blight asked to make sure. The human nodded ever so slightly and the witches took hold of the plaster. They both shared a look and started lifting the cast at the same time, carefully watching Luz's reaction. The human felt cold air on her torso. She tried to look down but she was too afraid. When the cast was finally away from her body she managed to sneak a peek down. Her chest was covered in bandages and long-term healing glyphs. Her body seemed thinner than she could recall. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath in, groaning in pain in the process of the first deep breath in weeks. "Are you okay?" Amity asked while she let Viney discard the remains of the plaster. Luz shot her eyes open just in time to see that the healer rolled the trolley to the human's other side. "Now… let's see how this will work…" Echoed in the human's head and her breathing increased drastically.

"D-d-don't…" Luz squeaked in panic, her eyes never left the trolley. Viney shared a look with Amity and said witch once again guided her girlfriend's face to look at her.

"Luz, can you hear me?" Blight asked but the human was still focused on the trolley. "Luz, you are safe. We're removing your cast. Look at me, Luz." She pleaded but there was no response. Viney did not know what to do so she took hold of the cutter to continue her work.

"NO!" Luz exclaimed, fear taking over, her eyes turned black, while she tried to crawl away from the witches. Amity sent Viney an angry glare but she quickly turned back to her girlfriend.

"No, no, no, Luz, you are safe here. Look at me, Luz!" She said louder in a commanding voice but Luz was still staring at Viney in fear. Amity then created a small spell circle and an abomination slime created a wall between Luz's bed and the rest of the room. "Luz…" Amity whispered, "Please, look at me." She asked and after a few more rasp breaths and comforting strokes, Luz managed to divert her sight. The blackness of her eyes slowly disappeared and hazel orbs teared down.

"I… I-I'm so… sorry…"

"It's all right, Luz." Amity assured her "I know it's not easy but I'll be here, I'll help you get through it, okay?" She added and Luz cried, sobbing silently.

"So… s-s-sorry…" The human repeated with eyes shut and brows frowned. "S-sorry…" She kept on repeating while Amity caressed her face and her hair, and kept her close to let her calm down. It took her a moment to regain a sense of reality. No one rushed her, Viney was waiting patiently. Finally, Luz managed to take a deep breath and looked at Amity. "We can… we can continue…"

"Okay…" Amity confirmed and slowly she removed the abomination screen. "Just keep looking at me, okay?" She asked and Luz did not look anywhere else. Removing the remaining casts from her right leg and arm was not difficult. To Luz however, it was extremely exhausting. Her heart kept racing with all the unexpected memories flushing her mind. She knew the process did not really take long but for her, it was the biggest workout of her life.

"All done." Viney's words made their way to the human's mind. "Now, we just need to take off your bandages, clean you up, apply those ointments…" She paused, noticing her patient's expression. She was barely conscious, breathing heavily, hardly keeping her eyelids apart, forehead covered in a cold sweat.

"It's all right, Viney." Amity said, covering Luz's body with a blanket. "Leave those ointments here and I'll do that later. Let her rest for now, okay?" She asked the Healer while wiping her girlfriend's face and Viney nodded in response.

"I'll check in on you later." Brunette witch promised and left the room, taking the metal trolley with her.

"You did great, Luz." Amity lowered herself and placed a delicate kiss on the human's forehead. "Now sleep, okay?" She did not need to ask Luz twice. Once she was allowed to close her eyes, feeling safe with the witch's presence, she fell asleep.

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