Just pretend you've been here the whole time, they won't notice you were gone.

Hey guys, I'm back after... uhhh... oh shit sixteen days. Huh, felt like it was less time. Well... at least I came back, unlike your dad. Been busy playing, by which I mean getting addicted to, Remnant 2. Big fan of the first game and the second is just perfection.

Except for Annihilation, that guy can piss right off.

I'm back to continue the story. With this chapter, the big forty, we now have five chapters left before the story is finished. Try to bear with me, we're almost there.

Chapter 40: Edge of Salvation

"The defiant… subjugated. Not for pleasure, nor glory… but in service of an ailing, endless void." -Rhulk, First Disciple of the Witness

The day had come.

They were going to storm the Isles and free it from the Collector. With luck, they would be able to save everyone that had been taken by him and destroy the Vex as well. Luz couldn't help but feel nervous. A pit churned in her stomach, only slightly helped by Amity taking her hand. They had been planning all night, pressed for time with another Vex assault being less of a possibility and more of an inevitability. Now, they had taken to the waves with their ships. More had been built over the last few months, primarily for fishing. However, they could still ferry troops all the same. Paladin paced the deck of Salty's vessel which served as their flagship. Before him was a fighting force of Witches determined to save their home.

"I will not lie to you," he said, his voice booming over the waves. "The coming battle will be fierce. Many of you may not return. If anyone wishes to back down, now is your only chance." Not even one of them moved and Paladin nodded.

"You know I would not ask anything of you that I would not do myself," he continued. "Which is why I shall be taking to the field with you. A leader who does not lead the charge is no leader at all. Steve shall run tactical for this mission." The Witch nodded. He would be staying back to coordinate troops as they landed and began their attack. The goal was to make enough noise to lure out the Collectors forces and maybe, if they were either incredibly lucky or unlucky depending on how you wanted to view it, the Collector himself.

"We shall storm the heart of the Isles!" Paladin shouted, his voice carrying across the fleet, "Bring down the dark pyramid! And slaughter any Vex that stand in our way!" He raised his fist to the sky and the ranks of soldiers echoed his call, baying for blood and Radiolaria to water the ground.

Luz and her friends watched from the side, flanked by Darius, Alador, and the BATTs, who would be their escorts. Venator leaned against the railing beside Camilla, watching her Brother, their previous fight left in the past.

"You just want to die with the guy," she said with an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders. "That right there, that's loyalty. Or indoctrination. One of the two."

"You sure you don't want to be down there?" Camilla asked. Venator laughed and shook her head.

"Nah, stealth missions are more my vibe. Besides, someone's got to make sure nothing happens to that pretty face of yours." The two shared a laugh at the Hunter's comment. Even after she had spilled her heart to Camilla, she was still hung up over the woman. Old habits die hard.

"What's going on you two?" Luz asked in a tone that made it very clear she disapproved.

"Seriously, Camilla, I'll be fine joining you," Venator said, ignoring Luz's comment, "Hunters aren't usually supposed to have that long a lifespan anyways. We're more of a live fast, die young bunch."

"No heroics," Camilla said.

"That'll be easy for me."

Their ship arrived at the docks and Salty began to pull them in. Paladin stood at the bow of the ship, gazing over the landscape.

"Let those who once lived here be protected," he said, his gaze drifting to the pyramid that dominated the skyline just like it had back in his time.

Odalia was unceremoniously dropped before Synegorus and held at gunpoint by a lone Goblin. Slowly, she stood up, trying to force down her fear. Briefly, she entertained the idea of trying to wrestle the gun from the Vex, but she instantly discarded that idea. There was no doubt that they had already simulated that possibility. Ignosi walked past her, uncaring of whatever fate befell the Witch. She dusted off her clothes and tried to muster a façade of bravery. However, it instantly shattered the second the portal activated.

"Well done, Mrs. Blight," Synegorus said smoothly, "You played your part admirably. For an organic." She could sense the Mind's gaze sweep over her and felt like she was being deconstructed, cell by cell.

"This unit still posits that we should have used a simulated replication," Ignosi said evenly from its command console. It needed to ensure that the machine island was operating at peak efficiency. Since Luz had discovered a new weakness within the Vex, they would have to restrategize.

"Then what happens to me now?" She asked, unable to keep her fear from tinging her voice. "Are you just going to kill me?"

The Mind laughed. It was a dreadful sound, full of malice. It didn't feel right to have such a noise come from such a creature. To have such a noise even exist in the first place. Odalia felt her bones writhe from the sound and averted her gaze. Sweat rolled down her skin.

"Why would I kill you?"

She hadn't expected that. Death was the only end she had ever seen for this. The Mind would use her as it wished and then discard her once it was done. It's what she had done to dozens of unfortunate business partners. It seemed only fitting that it would eventually spin around on her. She believed that, in the Human Realm, such a phenomenon was referred to as karma.

"I told you that you would have a place in the new, perfect world, did I not?" Synegorus asked, something approaching amusement entering its voice. Despite herself, Odalia felt her heart leap.

"R-Really?"

"Of course, Ignosi thinks you will make for a most wonderful test subject."

Any hope Odalia may have felt was instantly squashed flatter than a sheet of paper. She was to spend the rest of eternity enduring these monsters' torture, all for their sick amusement and morbid curiosity.

"Why?" The words slipped out before she could stop herself. "Why me?"

"Why not?" Ignosi spoke up, not caring enough to look at her. "Some part of you, deep down, knows that you deserve this."

"Your terror pleases me," Synegorus said lazily. "There is no need to be humble in the face of my mercy. You may bow."

Mercy. That's what it called this. Odalia balled her fists. She wouldn't take this lying down. She hadn't gotten to the top by accepting what misfortune came her way. She had lied, she had schemed, and she had most certainly violated multiple ethical boundaries. She was Odalia Blight, and if she could not escape, then she would certainly force the Vex to kill her.

Her hand went to her Oracle gem. She remembered what had happened last time, Ignosi easily overpowering her. She didn't care. She wanted to send a message. Her fingers curled around it and her mouth opened, a cry of defiance on her lips.

"I said bow."

Any chance at resistance was lost at those words. Odalia felt the weight of the Mind's presence slam down upon her. She buckled, falling first to one knee, then to two. She struggled against the weight as Synegorus watched. It observed her like a child might observe a bug helplessly struggling as they tore off its limbs. Eventually, Odalia fell to her hands and knees. Blood began to leak out of her ears, nose, mouth, and eyes.

"As is your place. In time, your entire wretched race of parasites shall bow before me."

Ignosi stalked over and grabbed her by her hair. Her usual tight bun had long since been discarded, leaving her hair down for the first time in years. It dragged her up until their heads were level. Slowly, it traced a finger around her face. Its touch felt like acid.

"I am certain that she will be a fascinating case study."

"Theoretical: Our knowledge of this world and its occupants is still limited. Practical: I shall leave no fiber unexamined, no tendon unplucked, and no neuron unprodded."

The fleet of Witches and Demons made their landing on the Isles at Noon. Surprisingly, nothing was there to meet them. They began to offload their supplies, setting up basic camps and sending out a few small scouting teams. A small contingent had remained behind in the city to look after the young and elderly. The rest of them stood at the ready, hundreds of people ready to fight for their homes.

Paladin was in a small tent, conversing with Darius, Steve, and Hettie about their strategy. Many had taken the lack of Vex to be a good sign. Paladin knew better. They had withdrawn for a reason, and it could not be a good one. Venator pushed open the flap, conversing quietly with Katya. She said a few more hushed words before turning to her Brother.

"Stealth team is set, and escorts are ready to roll," she said. "We'll move on your word. Unless you're content just sit here and let me rust." Paladin gave her a quick wave to let her know she was heard. Content to wait, Venator pulled out one of her knives and began spinning it over her fingers.

"All squads have reported in," Steve said. "We advance toward the pyramid at your word."

"Then let's not keep the Collector waiting any longer." He nodded to his Sister. "Return to your squad and be ready to roll out." Venator tapped her knife to her forehead in a mock salute and slipped away. Outside was her crack stealth team, the best of the best, consisting of Luz, her friends, and her family. The BATTs would help escort them to the Skull, but after that, they were on their own. Venator had to infiltrate a pyramid ship, one of the Black Fleet, backed up only by a few children and a woman who had never held a gun until yesterday.

She was confident they would be done in time for dinner.

"Alright kids," she said, gesturing to the Hexsquad. She was quick to shoot Camilla a wink, much to Luz's chagrin. "And other, good-looking individuals. We'll be on our feet and moving in five minutes. Make sure to pack snacks and don't forget anything because we are not turning around."

"Be careful Mittens," Alador said, giving his youngest child a quick hug. "We'll be waiting for you when you return." Not far away, Darius was talking with Hunter.

"If you get turned into a puppet, so help me Titan, I will tear my way through that pyramid and give you such a scolding that your ears will be sore for the rest of your life!"

"Good luck to all of you," Paladin said, stopping by for a moment. "The Traveler favors you." He turned and left, on his way to get the main army moving. Darius and Alador were hesitant to follow suit but eventually departed.

"He has no way of knowing that," Venator said cheerily. "But it's a nice thought. Now, time for death!"

"Theirs or ours?" A mildly concerned Hunter asked. Venator shrugged and began to saunter off in the direction of the Skull.

"Don't know, that's what makes it fun."

The others were quick to fall in line with the Hunter. Collectively, they mounted up, with Camilla borrowing a spare ride from Paladin. Derwin and Amber brought up the rear, looking around just in case of an ambush. At the front were Katya and Venator. Luz and co were sandwiched in the middle. Luz fell into line beside her mother, watching as the Witch and the Nightstalker laughed over a joke the former said. She narrowed her eyes at Venator accusingly.

"What was all that about?" She questioned. Camilla looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to elaborate. Luz tilted her head toward the Hunter.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Camilla closed her eye and turned her nose up in jest, but Luz could see the ghost of a smirk at the edge of her mouth.

"I know I can be oblivious," Luz said, receiving a dry remark from Willow about Amity's incredibly obvious infatuation which caused the girl in question to blush. "But even I can see that there's something going on between you two."

"Who I associate myself with is none of your business."

"I'm your daughter. It is expressly my business."

Camilla chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Why are you bringing this up anyways?"

"I'm not going to explain why I don't want to witness my mom's romantic life."

"You're just upset that she's not falling head over heels for Royal, aren't you?" Lancer chimed in, loathe to miss an opportunity to tease Luz.

"No," Luz quickly denied. A raised eyebrow from Camilla made her avert her gaze. "Maybe." They continued in silence for a moment before Luz spoke up again. "Are you… interested in her?"

"She's a good woman," Camilla answered, trying to gauge whether Venator could hear her. "Funny. Brave. And I do like her. As a friend. But I don't think I'm interested in going any further than that. With any of them." She gave Luz a look, letting her know that she didn't want to be put in some kind of ship with the Guardians. Luz finally relented and backed off.

"You got any more flattering things you wanna say about me?" Venator cut in, falling back a little. Camilla jumped a little at the sudden comment but quickly got herself under control.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Literally all of it." Venator tapped the side of her head. "Exo hearing. It's pretty damn good."

"Well, I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings."

"Don't worry about it," Venator said. "It's mostly force of habit anyway. Though I did mean everything I said. Besides, the hot ones usually tend to be straight anyway."

"I didn't say that I was-" Venator placed a finger on Camilla's lips.

"Shush Cammy, let me pretend. Besides, I have all the time in the world to win you over." Camilla smiled and nodded and Venator removed her finger. The group continued to ride in silence, listening to the ambiance of the Isles. Or rather, the lack thereof. The lands were quiet, with the wildlife having fled. Venator suspected the Vex were behind it somehow. Whenever she encountered something she couldn't explain, she blamed it on the Vex. She was usually right anyway.

Eventually, they reached the base of the Skull. A massive wall of bone stretched into the sky, dipping and curving with the Titan's skeletal structure. A staircase wound precariously up the side, leading to the chamber where Luz had helped Phillip meet the Collector, all those weeks and centuries ago.

"This is the end of our ride," Katya said. She banged her fist against Venator's shoulder twice, producing a sharp ringing sound. "Make sure you come back in one piece; you still owe us that bar."

"A Hunter always pays her bets," Venator said. "Except for when we can't. Or when it's inconvenient. Or when we think we'll get away with it." The BATTs offered one last wave before flying off. Venator pulled out her hand cannon and looked up the length of the Skull.

"Alright, if anyone wants to back out, you missed your chance about ten minutes ago."

And so, they began to climb. Venator took the lead, holding Malfeasance close to her chest. Her optics darted across the skyline, the pyramid now directly overhead. She knew they were too exposed, too vulnerable. If something caught them now, they would be truly in for it. Venator was confident she would survive. It was the others that gave her worry.

That was something she wasn't expecting. Venator could barely remember the last time she had been concerned for the safety of another outside of her Brothers. She barely got along with her old squad, not for lack of trying. Ringo was mostly just apathetic while Ravie seemed to actively hate her. Venator had always chalked in up to the Awoken being jealous of her looks. She had known them for years, but she couldn't say she really felt anything when they died. Their deaths made the mission harder, but that was about it.

Now, Venator had an entire entourage of people counting on her. It was a strange experience, and she would be damned if she let them down. As she reached the top of the Skull, she stared out over the horizon. The others filed past her as Luz prepared the glyph. Venator took off her helm and pulled out one of her knives. They had been a gift, something she had never told anyone. Holding up the blade to her mouth, she gave it a soft kiss.

"I won't fail this time, Elsie. I promise."

Behind her, Luz called that it was ready. Venator stowed the knife, redonned her helm, and joined the others on the glyph.

"Lancer, are you sure this is accurate?" Gus asked warily. "It looks pretty complex, I don't want to get smeared across the side of the pyramid."

"I'm going to ignore that clear and blatant insult to my memory," Lancer said. "Too late to back out. Luz, if you would do the honors." The girl nodded and stepped forward. She knelt on the ground and raised a hand, preparing to activate the glyph. As she did, she gave one last look at the pyramid.

"Don't worry guys, I'm on my way."

Blinding light flooded the inside of the Skull. And then, everything vanished.

Paladin held up a hand, signaling the army to stop. At once, thousands of feet fell still. The air was thick, an ill omen of what was to come. The terrain before them was rough and uneven. It wasn't the best area to fight in, but it was all they had. The army remained there in silence for a moment, waiting anxiously.

The Titan took a moment to bask in the atmosphere. He hadn't been part of a force this size since the Great Disaster on the Moon so many centuries ago, where Crota, the Son of Oryx, had sent thousands of Guardians to their final deaths. A part of him missed it, the sheer destructive power an army of Lightbearers could unleash. The rest of him remained focused, caging that desire for destruction in his mind and using it to fuel himself.

"Why is it so quiet?" Alador asked, nervously shifting his weight from side to side.

"They know we are here," Paladin replied stoically. "He is taunting us. Don't let him get to you." As soon as Paladin said that, a bright orange light appeared before them. It expanded as a small group teleported before the army. Bill, Tarak, and a few elite Titan Trappers marched forward to parley with the Guardian. Paladin recognized the puppet of Raine not far behind them. It almost seemed like they were trying to hide behind their entourage.

"You are one of the other Lightbearers." Paladin noticed from the Witches voice that it wasn't a question. Tarak was quick to speak up.

"We humbly request your surrender, o mighty Lightbearer," he said. "If not for your sake, then for theirs. The Grand Huntsman has no wish to see more blood be spilled."

"Tell your Dark master that the forces of the Light have come for him," Paladin said. "I am going to personally tear your armies apart, rescue my brother, and mount the Collector's head on a pike."

"No one ever chooses peace," Bill scoffed. "Very well, Lightbearer, the battle is joined." As soon as the words escaped his lips, the air behind him became choked with the entropic energy of decaying neutrinos. Hordes of Taken began to swarm the field, twitching madly as they flooded the land. Paladin turned back to his army.

"The enemy is here," he said, projecting his voice across the army. He raised a single, Arc-infused fist into the air.

"Kill them all!"

And thus, the battle began.

Luz felt her knees buckle slightly as they hit the ground. Already experience with teleportation, she was ready to catch herself. Her stomach rumbled unpleasantly but she was able to keep it under control. Her friends, it appeared, were not.

"Teleportation is the worst," Amity groaned, rising unsteadily to her feet after emptying the contents of her stomach on the onyx floor. The others muttered in agreement as Lancer quickly checked them.

"You're all fine, quit whining."

"Quiet," Venator said. "I need to focus. She placed her left hand against the wall and held out Malfeasance. The Dark weapon growled at her, snapping at her hand angrily. Willow walked up to the base of a statue. It was of a large horse-like creature with considerably more hind legs than anything should be allowed to have. She reached out to touch the base, only for Venator to grab her hand and pull her back.

"Rule numero uno of dealing with Darkness shit: touch nothing."

"It's just a statue."

"We're in enemy territory," Venator said. "That's an enemy statue."

"So, where to first?" Luz asked. Venator eyed her curiously.

"We're looking for your friends. I thought you were making the plan. I've never actually been inside one of these things."

"So, we're just going to wander aimlessly until we stumble across Eda, King, Lilith, and Royal?" Hunter asked. "That's… not a very good plan."

"Well, it's literally the only one we have," Amity said. The other shrugged and reluctantly agreed. Together, they began to move through the pyramid. The Witches had their staves pointed in all directions while Camilla shouldered Venator's rifle. Lancer helped her give the weapon one last check to ensure it was ready to fire. Venator moved at the head of the group, leading them on as walls opened to let them through.

The inside of the pyramid was cold, and the air held an aura of danger that was so potent, it was almost physical. Everywhere they went was the same. Dark, winding hallways filled with all kinds of iconography that hurt their minds to think about. Sometimes, the passage would narrow, forcing them to slowly shuffle through one at a time. Other times, the ceiling would swoop down to meet them, forcing them to crawl through slim gaps. They came across more than a few massive, gaping pits. Luz had no doubt that a painful death was waiting for them at the bottom and elected not to investigate further.

"This place is freaking me out," Vee admitted, staying close to the Hunter for protection.

"Good, that means you're smart enough to know how dangerous this is," Venator deadpanned. "The most important thing we can do here is stay together."

The second those words left her mouth, the doorway she had stepped through slammed shut, isolating the Guardian and Vee, and leaving the others without her protection. They could hear her pounding on the door, trying to open it back up to no avail. Willow and Vee stepped over to the door as well, looking for any way to pry it open. Regretfully, the smooth obsidian gave away no secrets.

As Luz watched the others panic, she felt an unsettling cold creep down her spine. The temperature dropped lower if that was even possible. She could see her breath hang in the air as she shivered. The wall beside them folded away, allowing the Collector to step through.

"No one told me I had guests over," he complained as the Witches raised their staves. "And here I am, all without food to serve. What a poor host I am. What can I get for you guys? Wind? Radiation?"

"Where are my friends?" Luz questioned, narrowing her eyes. The Collector's eye twitched a little, but otherwise, he remained unchanged.

"I suppose we'll have to skip refreshments and move straight on to the party games," he said. Willow lowered her staff slightly.

"Wait, you're not going to kill us?"

"Well, no," the Collector responded. "If I wanted to kill you, I'd just do this."

The pressure in the room increased a thousand-fold, forcing everyone aside from Lancer and the Collector to the ground. They all cried out in pain as the Dark being watched. Luz felt like her body was being frozen, set on fire, ripped apart, and stitched back together all at the same time. She began to spit out blood in between screams of agony, certain that it would start pooling into her lungs if the torment didn't end soon.

Just as quickly as it had started, the pain vanished. The Collector continued to watch them; his smile having remained unwavering the entire time. The Hexsquad coughed a few more times as they unsteadily rose to their feet. Lancer fretted over them, making sure they were alright.

"But I'm not going to do that," the Collector said casually. "Instead, we're going to have some fun." Glowing pink threads began to descend from the shadows above them. The tendrils wrapped around their limbs, dragging them into darkness.

Venators fists slammed against the door frantically as she heard the cries of pain. She flooded her limbs with Light, cut at it with her knives, and even tried to blast it apart with heavy weapon fire. Nothing was working. Vee watched nervously, wringing her hands in worry.

She backed up slightly and searched the wall for any weak points. It remained impassive. Cursing, she began to pace. Blip appeared beside her, scanning the room.

"I see an opening." Venator spun just in time to see the wall Vee was pointing to fold away. She gazed down the obscured hallway and raised a lone eyebrow.

"Does the Collector think we're stupid?"

"I do not believe there to be any other option," Blip said. "We can either remain here while the others struggle or follow the path to- A fight worthy of us! We shall rip our foes to pieces! -an inevitable trap."

"Let the record show that I hate this idea," Venator said as the three entered the hall and began to march down it.

Outside of the pyramid, the battle had commenced. The denizens of the Isles had the Taken outnumbered, but that didn't mean they were easy to kill. The Dark creatures were capable of holding off scores of Witches with relative ease.

Belos watched warily as Paladin blasted a Taken Trapper to pieces. The corrupted Witch disintegrated into smoke as their body collapsed. A few stray pellets from the Titans shotgun hit a Hobgoblin. The Taken Vex unleashed a swarm of retaliatory projectiles that slammed into Paladin, exploding against his armor.

Beside him, Bill was shouting orders to his Trappers. The Witches formed a spear wall as a few of their companions prepared to sling their strange magic. Dark-blue crystals arced overhead, falling into the enemy lines. More than a few Witches were frozen solid, likely dying instantly. Before they could prepare another volley, a large mass of swirling purple limbs appeared in their midst. Darius morphed his hands into scythes and swept his arms wide. His blades cut into the fur and leather armor they were wearing, spilling blood.

While Darius was drawing back from his assault, Tarak turned to face him. He slammed a palm into the ground, sending a wave of frigid spikes toward the Witch. Darius managed to dodge, only for another Trapper's spear to catch him in the shoulder. He found himself pinned to the ground, the Trapper standing over him as dull pain flooded through his body. Nothing vital had been hit, but Darius was too hurt to protect himself. Seeing that the Witch was being dealt with, Tarak turned away to face another combatant.

The Trapper roared in praise to the Great Huntsman and brought the spear down, only for another pair of Abomination arms to grab it and tear it away. Alador threw the weapon aside and struck at the Trapper. Using his powers, the Trapper froze one limb but was unable to avoid the other. The Abomination goo pinned him to the ground as the Witch shouted both prayers and curses as loud as he could. Alador brought up his other arm, shattered the ice encasing it, and sharpened it into a point. He raised it overhead and prepared to stab. Before he could, Darius, having torn the spear out of his shoulder, pounced upon their foe. He shifted his arms into a large sphere and brought the dense maul down on the Trapper's head. The Witches eyes widened in realization before he was crushed.

"He was mine," Alador said with not nearly as much hostility as he may usually have. Darius turned up his nose, cradling his shoulder gently.

"I didn't see your name on him."

The two were forced to move as a Taken Minotaur turned its attention upon them. They dodged its fist as it slammed into the ground between them. Darius grunted in pain as Alador got back to his feet. The Minotaur prepared to fire upon them only for Paladin to jump past it, grabbing onto its optic. He dragged it with him, causing the Taken to tip over. It fell onto the ground and Paladin quickly spun around, bringing a fist down on its head with a thunderous boom.

"Get him out of here!" He shouted to Alador. "Hettie is tending to the wounded in the back!" Alador nodded and used his Abominations to grab Darius, slowly hauling the Witch away. He let out a few weak rebuttals, only for Alador to ignore him.

From his perch on the flying star, Belos watched Paladin lay waste to the Taken lines. His lip curled in contempt as he considered his options. His best bet at finishing his mission would be manipulating the Collector. However, the opportunity was rapidly fading away. And he didn't know how much longer he could keep Raine under control.

As his eyes tracked Paladin, he recalled something Bill had said; specifically that Titans were anathema to the Collector. Slowly, Belos's gaze turned to the skull, then to face his castle where the beating heart of the Titan still lay. It was a desperate move, but if it worked…

Belos felt his face twist into a vile grin as he gripped the star and took off.

Luz slowly awoke in a formless void. There was a low droning sound buzzing in her ears as she rose to her feet. Her eyes darted warily, searching for any signs of her friends.

"Hello?" She called. "Is anyone out there?"

The buzz grew louder, becoming something recognizable as whispers. A multitude of voices all rushed to speak over each other, growing louder and louder. Luz could start to make out their words. A few were crying out in pain and sorrow. Others raged in hatred. Yet more were somber, resigned to their fates.

"Please! Is anyone there?" Luz shouted into nothingness. And nothing answered.

"Why did you lead us here Luz?" Amity asked from behind her, stepping from the abyss. "Why did you lead us to our deaths?" Luz turned to face her girlfriend and instantly covered her face in horror. The Witch bore grievous wounds. Blood dripped steadily from a gash on the side of her head. One of her eyes was closed, a fresh scar running over it.

"This is all your fault!" Hunter shouted, appearing from the shadows. He bore wounds different to Amity, though similar in severity.

"I… I didn't think…"

"Of course you didn't think!" He cut her off. "You never think!"

"We did everything we could to reunite you with your family," Gus said as he stepped in.

"Now, we'll never see ours again," Willow finished. Luz backed up as her friends limped closer to her. She tripped and fell onto her back, scrambling away. Amity reached out to grab her, her bloodied hand moving slowly and unsteadily. Luz continued to back up, only to run into someone else. She looked up, meeting Eda's gaze. The Owl Lady's limbs were bound and her gem was dark. A predatory growl threatened to creep out of her throat.

"It just wasn't enough for you, was it?" She asked. "It wasn't enough that you took my magic. You also had to throw everyone on the pyre as well!" Eda's curse began to overtake her. Her fingers lengthened into claws that plunged towards Luz. Just before they cut into her, everyone vanished and the world around her melted into a vague haze.

Luz was breathing heavily, her eyes still wide with fear. Slowly, shakily, she got to her feet. She found herself in the throne room of the palace, just before the throne.

"Bravo, Luz," Phillips' voice said from all around her. "Truly remarkable work."

The Nightmare of Phillip manifested and began to pace around Luz as she spun to face him. His eyes bored into her.

"To think, you lead those Witches straight to their doom," he said. "It was remarkable. Even I was never that convincing."

"I'm not like you!" Luz shouted, pulling Royals' glaive off her back and pointing it at him. Phillip tilted his head back cockily, spreading his arms as though he welcomed the blade. Luz obliged, stabbing at the Nightmare's chest. It punched through at an odd angle and Luz looked up at Phillips' face.

As she made eye contact, she let out a gasp. The Nightmare of Royal stared back down at her, his glaive still buried in his chest. The Exo raised an eyebrow as he inspected the wound as though it were nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

"Your edge alignment was poor," he growled. Luz felt her arms go slack and the glaive clattered to the ground. Royal watched it fall distastefully before turning back to Luz.

"But you do have a special talent for disappointing people, don't you?"

Camilla awoke with a groan as the threads binding her limbs receded. Rubbing her sore wrists, she looked around in confusion. She was at the bottom of some kind of arena, with a massive statue looking down on her. The others were around her, still wrapped in their binds. Luz knelt on the ground, hands on her forehead as her eyes were clouded with crimson fog. Camilla could hear her daughter whispering to some intangible person.

"I just wanted you to be proud of me."

"I am proud," Camilla said weakly, reaching out to her daughter. Before she could grab her, she felt the air tighten around her. An unseen force lifted her up, bringing her face-to-face with the Collector.

"Hello," he said cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear. "Who are you? King never mentioned you in his stories." Said Demon floated beside the Collector, struggling against his own binds.

"What are you doing to her?" Camilla shouted.

"Oh, you know, exposing her to all her deepest fears and regrets until her mind snaps and she takes her own life." The Collectors' chipper tone didn't match his words. Camilla didn't respond, her eyes full of fear.

"You're no fun," the Collector complained, waving his hand. More threads snapped into place, trapping Camilla once more.

"Collector, please," King pleaded. "You don't have to do this."

"Don't I?" He snapped. "You made me do this! All you had to do was be my friend!"

"Proud of you?" Royal was furious. "How could I ever be proud of you?" He sighed, leaning back and looking away from her. Luz watched him, feeling tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"I tried, you know. Traveler above knows that I tried to make you into someone worth half a damn." He looked down at Luz as though she were a stain on his clothes. "I guess that was just my most recent mistake."

"No, we're friends. Family." Luz protested, choking up as she did. She grabbed Royals' forearm, trying to hold onto him. His optics narrowed and he pulled his arm free.

"You're nothing but my greatest failure."

The Nightmare faded, leaving Luz in darkness. Slumping down onto her knees, she stared into the void with a hollow gaze. She began to weep, covering her eyes with her hands. She didn't know how long she stayed like that.

"Luz, wake up!" Lancer's voice managed to reach her through the cloud on her mind. For a second, the fog covering Luz's eye faded and she could see her mother being held by the Collector. Then, as soon as it had vanished, the cloud returned. Luz was forced back into her own mindscape, drenched with Darkness. She heard more whispers from her friends, blaming her for everything. Rather than listen, Luz grabbed Royals' glaive and held it tightly.

"Get out of my head!"

Belos crashed at the front entrance to the castle. He rolled off his ride, fortunate that the puppet lacked bones to break. Pushing himself up, he stormed into the ruins that were his castle. His breathing was heavy, each breath like glass shards digging into his lungs.

"Just… a little… further."

Venator and Vee were lost. The pyramid had been leading them away from the others. They wandered deeper and deeper into it, searching for whatever it was leading them to. Venator moved quickly, with Vee struggling to keep up. The girl's panic began to overtake her and she started hyperventilating.

"Kid? What's the matter?" Venator asked, turning back as she stopped moving.

"What's the matter, Number Five?" The Nightmare of Belos asked as well. Venator tried to reach out for the Basilisk, only for her hand to be batted away.

"Stay away from me!" She shouted. Venator looked over her shoulder to where Vee was staring. Seeing nothing, she turned back to the girl.

"She must be experiencing visions of a Nightmare," Blip said.

"Yeah, I got that!" Venator shouted before gripping Vee's shoulders. "Listen to me! Your family still needs you! We have to keep moving!" Vee's eyes darted around in her sockets as she muttered incomprehensible gibberish.

"Now isn't the time for an existential crisis!" Venator shouted, shaking Vee vigorously. "Come on! They need us!" Not trusting herself to speak, Vee nodded. Venator half-lead and half-carried her further down the hall. Vee's eyes continued to dart wildly. Venator kept her gaze locked forward, her own Nightmare nowhere in sight.

Eventually, the tunnel ended before a large doorway. It opened before the two, granting them entrance to its chambers. As Venator stepped in, she let out a whistle.

The walls were lined with row upon row of puppets. All the people the Collector had stolen away were stored here for safekeeping. After gently setting Vee down, Venator let her fingers trace one of the Puppets. She felt her Light bubble as she reached the moon sigil. Acting on a hunch, she placed her palm against it and poured her Light into her hand. The sigil began to boil and, with a slight grunt, she tore it off.

Principal Bump gasped as he returned to reality. The Witch almost collapsed to the ground, saved only by Venator holding him up. She gently helped him into a sitting position.

"Where am I?" He asked, coughing slightly as he did.

"Long story," Venator said. She looked around the room at the thousands of puppets adorning the walls.

"Kid," she called to Vee, "start gathering them up. We've got our work cut out for us."

Luz felt her senses fade in, finally returning to the real world. The Collector looked down on her with surprise. In an instant, the pyramid bent around her. Her feet became locked to the floor. She struggled to maintain her balance and had to resort to leaning on Royals' glaive.

"You're not supposed to be able to break out of that," the Collector said. He stroked his chin as he dissected Luz with his gaze. Finishing his ruminations, he snapped his fingers, freeing her friends.

"What do you want from us?" Luz shouted, tugging at the restraints on her feet.

"I want to see why King thinks you're so special. Why he'd choose you over me!" The Collector took a second to compose himself. "Here, let's play a proper game." He clapped his hands together twice and her friends dropped to the ground all around her.

"Did anyone catch the number on that Rat-Worm," Eda muttered as she rubbed her head, still slightly delirious.

"Eda?"

The Witch looked up and narrowed her eyes, as though she didn't believe what was in front of her.

"Luz?"

"It is you!" The girl tackled her magical mentor in a hug. After a moment, Eda returned the hug.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, holding the girl out at arm's length. "How are you here?"

"Long story." Luz glanced down at Eda, focusing in on her bandaged elbow. "What happened to your arm?"

"Long story."

"Hey!" The Collector shouted, "Don't ignore me!" The arena fell silent as he dropped King and Camilla into the pit. The Disciple floated above them, a contemplative look on his face.

"Why are you doing this?" Luz asked. "Can't you see that you're hurting people?"

"You think I'm hurting people?" The Collector laughed. "I'm nothing compared to what could have been. You should be grateful!"

"What are you talking about?" Eda asked angrily. "Do you have any idea what our life has been like with you?"

"And what do you think would've happened if one of the others was here? You'd all be dead! I've kept you alive all this time!" The Collector took a second to calm down. "But I see that my generosity is not appreciated." he snapped his fingers and a door near the Collector opened. A figure stepped into the shadows behind him, holding a long, elegant blade.

"If you will not hear reason, then unreasonable means must be taken."

The figure stepped to the edge of the arena and threw their weapon into the ground. The blade pierced the floor of the pyramid, two fan-like edges on opposite ends of a staff. The figure stepped off their platform and plummeted to the ground. The ground cracked under their weight as they dropped into a kneeling position. Their hand reached out, grabbed the shaft of their weapon, and looked up.

Royal rose, tugging his weapon out of the ground. Long, pink threads trailed into the shadows above, trapping the Guardian in the Collector's control. His armor was worn and shattered, a far cry from the proud metal he had once worn. His skin had been rent open, with wires hanging out of his gut in a cruel mockery of human intestines. There was a massive hole in the center of his chest and his jaw hung limply on one side of his head. His optics were cold and lifeless, completely devoid of life.

"What did he do to you?" Eda whispered in horror. Luz was too afraid to speak, staring at the corpse of her other mentor.

"Guardian!" The Collector shouted. Royal looked up at him, awaiting his orders.

"Kill them."

Royal pulled Edge of Salvation back and lunged, bearing down on Luz with killing intent.

Cliffhanger! Mwahahahahahaha! You'll have to wait another two weeks (probably) to find out what happens next! If you're wondering what Royal's weapon looks like, take Lubraes Ruin and cross it with the Medjay's Palm Axe from For honor.

In other news, I've been working on starting another story. It's another Owl House fic, but this one is technically a crossover with my own personal world-building project that I've been working on for a while now. It's a big undertaking and I'll be uploading the first chapter of it alongside this one. The whole universe is a big thing with lots of moving parts, so introducing people to it is a difficult process. Give it a check if you're interested, I think it just might be worth your time.

NOW ONTO THE REVIEWS!

musizlover2008: Absolutely wild shenanigans isn't it? Lightfall lore had been something else.

Jebest4781: Big thankies.

GodzillaMaster: I said I'd be doing something more with Royal and Camilla. Never specified which one. And, look, Lancer is not smart with his money. If you're wondering what Royal's end of the bet was... it was nothing. Lancer was just that confident.

OMAC001: Soon... ish. It's honestly more one-sided.

Frank180: Cheers mate, love to hear it.

davisjustus99: Haven't heard that one, I like it.

Parvus: And so, it is done. This Rizz cannot be bested. but if you're looking for show recommendations, I've been really enjoying that new Superman show. Also been rewatching The Last Airbender. It's pretty damn good. Hot take of the century, I know. As for movies, my personal favorite is Hacksaw Ridge. Highly recommend it if you enjoy war movies.

Eda walked into the living room and, noticing that it was devoid of life, elected to lounge on the couch and see if there was anything interesting on the Crystal Ball. She kicked her feet up on the table, only for them to brush against something. Raising an eyebrow, she looked down at the table and noticed that Royal had left a few of his weapons. A smirk formed on her face as she scooped them up. A quick check revealed that they weren't loaded, much to her disappointment. But she could still have some fun.

Holding Sleeper Simulant in one hand, she propped it up on her shoulder. Her other arm reached out, pointing a Huckleberry at an invisible enemy.

"Beware alien filth," she recited, trying to mimic Royals' voice. "For you face a Guardian of Humanity!" A brief, digital laugh from behind her pulled her from her daydream. Spinning, she saw a very amused Lancer and a completely flabbergasted Royal. She coughed awkwardly and tried to hide the guns behind her back, a rather difficult task considering that Sleeper was almost as wide as she was.

"How much of that did you see?"

"All of it," Lancer said, enjoying every second of what he was seeing. "That's going in my favorites folder."

"How are you doing that?" Royal asked, gingerly pointing at Eda as though she were some eldritch beast.

"Doing what?"

"Holding both of those at once!" His words were frantic, slightly panicked. Eda looked at the two guns before shrugging.

"I just… am?"

"No one can wield two exotics!" Royal shouted. "No exceptions! It just doesn't happen!"

"Well, you know what I think about rules. Here, you try." She held the guns out to him. Royal flinched a little. Eda shook them slightly in encouragement and Royal reluctantly took Sleeper from her.

"I'm not sure about this," he said. Eda shot him a deadpan look.

"If you don't take it back, I'm keeping it."

Royal sighed and slowly wrapped his fingers around Huckleberry. Eda relinquished her grip, her fingers sliding over the grip. The second she let go, Royal exploded. It wasn't a small explosion either, this was a violent blast that sent his limbs flying everywhere. Eda screamed and ducked behind the couch as Royals' left arm almost took her head off. She looked over the couch to see Lancer absolutely losing it.

"That… was… better than I… could've hoped." He said between fits of laughter. After taking a moment to compose himself, he resurrected his Guardian. Royal had a grumpy look on his face as he stared at Eda.

"I hate you."