Chapter 35

He tried to forget, to move on… he vowed it to himself repeatedly that he would. Silas would tell himself that healing would require time. At least, that was what he had needed to adjust to life after his grandmother passed away when he was just a young boy. The pain of her death still echoed deep within his heart, even though it was much less crippling than the raw agony when she initially died.

He thought and hoped the anguish he felt when he "lost" Philip would gradually wane as life continued. However, winter, spring, summer came and went, and the relentless ache that gnawed at his heart showed no signs of abating. Despite his attempts to occupy himself with work and the side jobs he had picked up, he remained feeling as though someone was suffocating him. His thoughts still wandered to Philip's gentle smile, to the moments they had spent time in the forest together or inside the barn without his parents knowing. He missed Philip's voice and the warmth of his presence. Even while he ate, Silas would recall when he and Philip had shared a meal by the riverbank. So yeah… It seemed to Silas that he just couldn't stop thinking about Philip.

Over time, the additional jobs became overwhelming, leaving him with barely enough strength to drag himself out of bed each morning for his fieldwork. He found himself feeling utterly exhausted every day, both mentally and physically, regardless of the amount of sleep he had. Food lost its flavor, and his father's harsh words and his mother's concerns no longer mattered. He withdrew from his friends as they struggled to comprehend his inner turmoil. Silas couldn't blame them though; he had shared nothing about his relationship with Philip and what he had done to him. Sometimes, he longed to confide in at least one friend about the pain of losing Philip, but he knew they wouldn't handle it well. He also didn't engage with anyone from town unless he had no other choice; Silas didn't see the point of it since everyone just seemed to be mere shadows passing by while he slowly deteriorated.

Before Silas met Philip, the world seemed simple yet meaningless, but he was fine going about his life just like everyone else until Philip came into the picture. Thanks to Philip, he saw that the world had so much more to offer.

Maybe… he shouldn't have ever gotten close to Philip in the first place…

At times, he had hoped that attending Mass and hearing God's words would provide some comfort, but even then, the pastor's sermons fell on deaf ears. All Silas could hear was a distant hum as he watched the pastor's lips move, and he felt the hole of in his heart grow more painful when he no longer saw Philip in his usual spot at the front next to the Minister.

After a few months, he did, however, notice concerned glances directed his way whenever he was attending Mass or present in town. At first, he didn't realize the worried looks on their faces until he mustered the courage to make eye contact with a few individuals who had been silently watching him. He had felt the weight of their gazes for quite some time. He couldn't be sure, nor did he truly care, whether their eyes were reflecting fear for their well-being or his own whenever they were casting hesitant glances towards him. He assumed that most likely they were afraid of him, given the resurgence of paranoia regarding witches ever since the word got out that Philip had made his way to Hell or to a demon world.

Ever since Philip vanished, more "witches" were being discovered and executed in public, adding to people's fear that others were also tainted by the Devil. Silas had not attended the hangings of the "witches", and if you asked him, he couldn't tell you why. Perhaps he couldn't stand to remember the last time Philip stood before them while others cheered when he set a woman on fire. Or Silas probably was afraid he would feel nothing if he just stood there and watched as more people who were accused of working for the Devil were murdered. Perhaps he wouldn't feel a thing since he had grown so tired of feeling so powerless to stop the executions. Or… he didn't want to accept the fact he was too much of a coward to do anything about it.

He had stopped shedding tears after weeks of doing so inside the stables with Obedience, who had tried comforting him by nudging her muzzle against his head. He felt as though he had run out of tears, or maybe he just felt too broken to continue. Truth be told, he felt he had died the moment Philip had left. Or at least, that a huge part of him was missing. To him, the world seemed so pointless now…

Sometimes at night, he would retrieve a box hidden beneath his bed. Inside were all of Philip's journals, the flask with the blue liquid, and some fragments from the altar. Silas would just gaze down at the journals, run his hand over one, recalling how Philip would occasionally carry and write in them.

Silas would occasionally pick a specific journal, the one with the most worn cover. He had read through it before, learning everything that Philip knew about witches, the altar, and the witch who had taken Caleb. He would reread the pages about the altar before staring down at the sketch that Philip had drawn, along with the magical pattern that looked like the one Philip had passed through. To prevent his heart from breaking further, he would quickly hide the journals, as they held no extra details on reaching the demon realm without the altar; the fact that he had no way to get to Philip was devastating.

The guilt he carried for not believing in Philip, for doubting his sanity, and for abandoning him threatened to consume him during most nights.

Silas had come to believe that he was truly foolish to have pushed away the one person he had fallen in love with due to the fear that he allowed to consume him. There were moments he asked himself if the Pastor's words were true, that two men falling in love was a sin because honestly, it didn't make sense to him. What he and Philip had was genuine, innocent. They weren't hurting anyone by being together.

If only he wasn't a coward. But, of course, he had ruined it. He ruined what he and Philip had because he was so pathetic.

One evening, Silas found himself at the spot where the altar had once stood. His tired eyes stared at nothing as he visualized his last moment with Philip before he vanished through the swirling portal. He imagined himself back at that moment and instead of simply standing back, frozen in fear, he was reaching out, calling out to Philip, attempting to stop him. And if Philip insisted on entering the portal, Silas would have followed. That's right, he would have willingly gone with Philip to the demon world instead of staying behind and bearing the pain he could no longer endure.

He wondered if Philip had ever stood in front of the altar, in the same spot where he was standing, after Caleb had been taken. He pondered if Philip had also been frozen in disbelief, calling out to Caleb after the portal sealed shut. It felt somewhat ironic that he now found himself enduring a situation almost reminiscent of Philip's trauma.

Maybe… he deserved the pain at this moment for only thinking about himself when he abandoned Philip.

"Ah, so… this is where you've been," a familiar voice said from behind Silas. He barely reacted since he still wanted nothing to do with anyone, especially at the place where he had lost Philip. "I've been searching for you all day," Alexander grumbled, evidently annoyed by his lengthy effort to locate Silas. After a long silence, Alexander growled, "Turn around, boy."

Silas had the urge to just walk away, but he sensed something was off, so he turned.

He thought the situation he found himself in was rather strange, since he never talked to Alexander before. There was no reason for the two of them to have any sort of interaction, even though the man was well respected in town. Alexander didn't like to "waste" his time with just anybody.

Silas' tired eyes met the disdainful gaze of Alexander, who was standing a few paces away. Silas also took notice of the rifle that Alexander held in his hands.

"The minister has informed me that I should leave you alone," the witch hunter began. "He believes you've demonstrated your devotion to God and that you are no threat to anyone. Pastor Jonathan convinced him of that. But…" Alexander's piercing blue eyes narrowed. "The people are growing worried, or rather terrified of you."

Of course, Silas should have expected that his deliberate isolation and perhaps his unkempt appearance – his hair was longer than customary, and he had grown a disheveled beard – were unsettling everyone since he appeared rather off.

People really had nothing better to do with their time except judge him.

Silas stared for a long moment before narrowing his own gaze at Alexander. "You think me a witch?" he inquired in a hoarse voice, the disuse telling.

"I've heard about your… association with that Wittebane boy," Alexander said, the distaste apparent when he mentioned Philip. "Pastor Jonathan claims the boy bewitched you. If that's true, you should have broken free from his spell after he left, and yet you've been wallowing like a wounded dog, as if your heart has been shattered. It seems to me that maybe you are permanently cursed… Or have you also given your soul to the devil just like he did?"

Silas knew he should be filled with anxiety at the man's words; Alexander somehow saw through him and could tell that his soul was "tainted". Silas could imagine where things were going now, but instead of feeling afraid that he may be the next one with a rope around his neck, he simply felt numb.

"Sinful souls like you don't change," Alexander declared, his tone as cold as ice. "I've tried for years to straighten that Wittebane boy out. No matter how many times I broke his accursed left hand, he continued to defy our Lord by using it…"

Time momentarily halted for Silas as he processed the man's words. "What… did you just… say…?" he uttered, recalling the times when Philip had his left wrist in a splint. He had a feeling Philip was getting punished by the Minister, but he would try to push such assumptions away since Philip would change the subject any time he asked about the injuries.

"I've told the minister countless times that he should have been hanged for his deeds," Alexander continued with a cold snarl while Silas just stood there, staring stoically. "But the minister insisted on keeping him alive, even after Pastor Jonathan found out of his true nature. Lusting for other men, how disgusting… How I wish I had truly ended him that night when we punished him to purge the sins from his soul. I truly believed he wouldn't pull through, but he did."

Memories suddenly flashed in Silas' mind:

— "Unfortunately, Philip hasn't been feeling well lately," Silas overheard the Minister say to a woman as they strolled down the aisle, passing by Silas and his parents. "But the doctor assures us that he will make a full recovery as long as he remains bedridden."—

—Faint traces of a greenish bruise marred Philip's ghostly pale cheek. His eyes, once filled with emotion, now appeared completely hollow, devoid of any lingering sense of pride. Philip said nothing and simply stood there in silence, looking exhausted, defeated.—

Silas felt his heart twist and turn within him, a maelstrom of emotions churning deep. Alongside the turmoil, something dark began to brew, a hot crimson and ebony anger. It was directed at Alexander, who continued to run his mouth.

Coward...

That word echoed in Silas' mind, the very same one that had been for months, but this time it was louder.

He was a coward.

He was selfish.

He was pathetic.

He had abandoned Philip out of fear for his own life, leaving him behind to suffer. When Susan was taken after being accused of being a witch, he had gone to plead with Philip to release her, but in truth, he wouldn't have done more. He had merely stood by, a passive witness as countless innocent lives were extinguished; those who had perhaps committed a single wrong act faced a merciless death sentence. He had fled in terror when he saw Philip's transformation, witnessed the emergence of a cold and unfeeling man who set a woman ablaze, appearing almost pleased by her agonized screams.

He had messed up.

All because he was a coward, blindly believing what others claimed to know what God wanted from them.

His tired eyes gradually darkened like the sky heralding a massive storm.

The witch hunter glared at him disdainfully. "Yes… I see the real you," he said with a hiss, his voice growing louder. "I will do to you what I should have done with that demon child ages ago!" Before he had a chance to direct the end of the gun at him, Silas lunged at Alexander with unbridled force, sending them both crashing to the unforgiving ground. The impact was harsh, but he didn't care when the back of Alexander's head hit the ground. Ignoring the shock and pain in Alexander's eyes, Silas began to relentlessly bash the man's face viciously.

He didn't keep count of the merciless blows he delivered. His fists came down with all the anger, with all the built-up frustration, all the hatred he had for himself.

Silas' mind flickered back to Philip's pale, bruised cheek, the haunting image of his shattered eyes. He had once thought that Philip looked as if he had been beaten, and it had sadly been true. And the worst part of all was that Silas didn't comfort Philip when he found him like that. Instead, he had run off as if he was the one wounded.

The thought of anyone hurting Philip made him lose his mind. He wanted to scream at Alexander with all his might, to threaten him to never lay a hand on Philip again or he would kill him.

He could still feel Philip's desperate fingers gripping his arm, trying to hold on and keep him safe from Pastor Jonathan. The memory of him forcefully prying Philip's fingers away haunted him. Silas hated how he abandoned Philip to his tormentors. He hated himself for not looking back to what may have been Philip pleading him to take him away to somewhere safe.

Silas was a fool.

For heaven's sake, he had been the one to reach out to Philip, to engage with him despite Philip's attempts to push him away on that hot summer day. Silas was the one who had challenged Philip to prove himself on his father's land by plowing the fields. He was the one who had helped Philip dig around so they could find the blue liquid. Silas had been the one to pull Philip onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him, drawing him close.

Silas couldn't understand why he had let fear blind him so much.

Why couldn't he had just been braver?!

His fists continued to rain down on Alexander, not noticing he had burning tears streaking down his face. Not realizing the pain radiating on his now blood-soaked fists as all he could see at that moment was red…

Sister Lilian, Father Francis, and Sister Luna were led by two men down what seemed like a hallway of a dungeon. They had arrived in Fiumicino and were immediately escorted from the airport by guards to Vatican City. Father Francis had recognized the Vatican Apostolic Library as they approached it, but they had walked past it and went into a rather old building through one of the side doors.

Sister Luna was not having a good time; she instantly feared the worst as they walked down the dungeon. She imagined they would be interrogated then locked up to never see the light of day.

Father Francis felt nervous himself, but the fact Sister Lilian seemed rather calm eased him a bit.

Eventually they reached a black wooden door. One of the guards knocked on it before it was opened by an older man. The man had curly short white hair and let out a bright smile to the newcomers, but his attention was mostly directed to Sister Lilian.

"Good Afternoon, Michael," Sister Lilian greeted before she introduced Father Francis and Sister Luna to him.

"It's nice meeting you, Father Francis and Sister Luna," Michael said before stepping aside. "Come on in. Silas has been waiting for you." He ushered them into the room that was dimly lit by a series of tall candles sets in ornate holders lining stone walls.

Another man was present, sitting behind an old oak desk, who Father Francis and Sister Luna assumed was Silas. Silas' posture was relaxed as he leaned back, arms resting on the wide forearms of the chair. He wore a black robe that added to his mysterious image. Unlike Michael, Silas seemed to defy the passage of time; his muscular frame contradicted his supposed age of hundreds of years. He had dark brown hair with silver streaks and a grizzled beard framed his wrinkled face.

Sister Luna relaxed when she saw Silas didn't have glowing red eyes, but the atmosphere around him felt rather intimidating. She and Father Francis had thought Sister Margaret had the most intense gaze they had ever laid their eyes on, but it seemed Silas had her beat. His gaze was unwavering, as if he were scrutinizing every nuance of their presence, studying their every move with a keen, penetrating intensity.

Michael thanked the guards before he closed the door and locked them all inside after telling Sister Lilian, Father Francis, and Sister Luna to take a seat on the chairs before Silas. Father Francis and Sister Luna hesitantly did so when Sister Lilian took the seat in the middle with a small smile.

"So, you're looking better," Gus pointed out at Philip as he and Masha sat with Philip in the stall where he had been sleeping for the past few days. And if Gus was being honest, the man didn't look as pale, and he lacked that pinched look to him. Though, he still looked rather tired with those dark circles under his eyes and a bored expression that made Gus wonder if it was the mask the man tended to use to hide his true feelings.

Philip didn't respond to the boy's comment and simply eyed the children.

He was feeling better; the wound wasn't as bad as it was the day before. It still stung terribly if he made any sudden movements, but at least he wasn't in pain when he was breathing.

Camila had visited him in the middle of the night to change the gauze, even though he didn't want her to, and then she did so again before Gus and Masha came over for their visitation time with him as part of Luz's plan for making him a "better" man.

After having a good rest, which was a surprise, he felt in control of his emotional state and thoughts. The dark voice hadn't bothered him yet, so that was a plus.

Now, he wasn't talking to Masha and Gus, as he didn't know what to say to them.

Well, he did want to talk to them about telling Luz to not bother with her mission to redeem him, but Luz was rather stubborn and would probably get more serious about helping him become "better" if he tried to resist. So, for now, he tried not to dwell on Luz and her noble reasons for trying to help him. Instead, he was trying to decide how he could start collecting what he needed to build the portal.

"Oh, right, let me properly introduce you to Twig," Masha said before they pulled out the bird that was hiding under their jacket.

Philip immediately tensed. Countless memories of him crushing palismen before absorbing their souls flashed through his mind as he stared down at the palisman who looked up to him rather hesitantly, as if she could sense the danger he posed to her.

Gus looked concerned as he saw the man holding his breath. "Um… Masha, maybe bringing Twig near Philip isn't a good idea," he said.

"Oh, how come?" Masha asked before turning to Philip. "I wanted Philip to get to know her since, well… I kind of wanted to ask you if you could… maybe teach me how to use magic?"

Gus blinked at Masha while Philip now gazed at them as if they grew a second head.

Masha gave him a sheepish look. "The others offered to teach me, but I kind of want you to do it since, well, you're human and I'm assuming you'll have a better understanding of humans using magic."

Philip wanted to tell Masha that he was no longer human and refused to teach them. He didn't feel it was appropriate for him to help her as he didn't trust himself to be around a palisman, but before he had the chance to speak, Gus jumped in.

"Luz knows how to use the palisman's magic," the boy said to Masha. "Eda used to lend her palisman Owlbert, and Luz was pretty good at using him to cast magic spells. She would definitely teach you. Also, she's very good at teaching, which is kind of surprising." Gus chuckled. "She taught us the basics of glyph magic while we've been on Earth these past few months."

Philip relaxed a bit and mentally thanked Gus for bringing up Luz. He recalled when Luz used the palisman to fight him off. Truth be told, she was pretty talented, so logically Luz would be a great choice to teach Masha how to use their palisman efficiently, especially since Philip never tried to partner up with a palisman.

Instead… he had just studied and "eaten" them.

"Oh," Masha said, not really looking as excited as Philip imagined they would be knowing a human friend would be the best candidate to help her. "Yeah… I guess she could teach me."

Gus could also tell Masha didn't seem to want to learn from Luz, but he would ask them about it later. Instead, he watched Twitch go back into her hiding place underneath Masha's jacket, unknowing that she was uncomfortable around Philip.

"So, are you going to visit that girl you met at that park today?" Masha asked Gus curiously, changing the topic right away and hoping to include Philip in a normal conversation that was not related to his terrible actions.

"I want to," Gus responded, rubbing the back of his head. "But I haven't talked to Camila or Auntie Margaret about it yet. I'm not sure if they're going to be okay with it."

Philip had no idea what they were talking about, which Masha noticed. They explained to him how Gus had met someone at the store the other day and she had invited Gus to hang with her and her friends at a park. Philip eyed Gus, who seemed to be looking nervous. Based on the stories the boy had told him, he assumed Gus probably felt there was a chance he may be bullied like he had when he was younger.

Well, honestly, Philip thought there were more reasons why Gus shouldn't meet with this girl and her friends.

"I don't think it would be wise of you to meet her," Philip stated.

"Why not?" Gus asked.

Philip gave him a stern look. "The more you interact with others out there, the greater the risk you're putting yourself and others in," he said. "They will immediately know that you aren't like them. And if they find out you're a witch…"

"So, I'm just throwing this out there," Masha cut in. "The typical human isn't so paranoid about witches like they used to be. People using magic is usually just something humans believe to exist in movies or shows. These kids aren't going to suspect Gus to be some witch unless he uses magic in front of them, which I doubt he will do. Yeah, they probably will think Gus is different by how he interacts with them, but he can easily get away with it by telling them he was homeschooled. Usually, people expect others who have been homeschooled to be just very sheltered or 'weird', so yeah, it's a great cover story. I don't think there's anything to worry about. Honestly, I think this would be a great experience for Gus overall." Masha offered an encouraging smile to Gus, who was feeling supported.

"There's still the possibility of someone out there working for Elizabeth spotting him," Philip argued. "For all we know, she may have a spy in town."

Gus was starting to feel a portion of Philip's paranoia as he brought up a good point. Maybe someone was indeed working for Elizabeth and here he was, putting himself and his friends out in the open so carelessly because he wanted to befriend more humans.

Masha waved off Philip's concern. "Gus will be fine. We've already went out with Camila and Auntie Margaret to the stores. Sister Lilian said we won't have to worry about Elizabeth or her people here, so yeah, don't worry so much about us. Though, that's nice of you," they said as they smiled at them, a hint of tease in their voice.

Philip's brows furrowed at both the teens for their lack of concern. Though, maybe he was indeed worrying too much. Earth had changed so much to the point it felt like he was in a different world altogether. If anything, he was the one who stood out the most compared to Gus and the others. The teen witches had fit in so well to the point that no one suspected them to be other than… well, human.

He found it rather ironic and sad that he, who was once human, didn't feel like he belonged on Earth anymore.

He pushed the depressing feeling aside before it began to build up as he realized that maybe he could take advantage of Gus making friends in this new town. Maybe the boy could get to know the town a bit more so they could possibly find out where they could get some of the parts they required for the portal. He also recalled that Gus had a talent to cast illusions, which he could use on himself once he recovered from his wound.

"Alright," Philip said calmly as he eyed Gus. "But make sure you don't go out there alone."

"Of course," Gus responded with a smile.

Gus had originally thought Philip would either be in a foul mood after Luz's dramatic presentation the day before or be completely closed off from him and Masha. Instead, Philip was worried about him and the others, which erased the little concern he had earlier about Philip maybe reverting to his old, callous self. He turned to Masha. "I may need your help with convincing Camila and Auntie Margaret about me meeting 'strangers' at the park. I have a feeling they'll be worried about it, too."

"Yeah, most likely they will be," Masha said, "which I can't blame them for. But don't worry, I'll get them to say yes."

"That's a terrible idea," Luz promptly objected. She and the rest of the occupants in the house were sitting together at the dining table, enjoying their chicken soup and garlic bread for dinner. She directed a frown at Gus. "Trust me, Gus, human teenagers are… not the nicest people."

Masha mirrored Luz's frown in response to her comment, and they weren't the only one disapproving. Vee shot Luz a perplexed look, and Auntie Margaret, sensing some hostility growing in the conversation, calmly set her spoon down.

Gus recalled the dreadful stories he'd come across about the cruel actions of humans toward one another, including the capacity for teenage bullying. Well, teenagers from his world had bullied him as well, but not everyone in school was terrible, which meant there were definitely good human teenagers out there like Luz and Masha.

"But both of you are human teenagers," Gus pointed out.

"Well, we're... different."

Masha raised an eyebrow. "How are we different?" they inquired.

"Well…" Luz hesitated, her gaze dropping to her bowl as she fought to keep the memories of her own experiences from flashing in her mind.

Camila was unsure of how to handle the situation. She could empathize with Luz's perspective all too well from her own experience in school.

She thought about the times she discussed with Luz about her challenges with making friends. She had tried forcing Luz to change herself to fit in better, advice she now regretted, especially when she saw the room full of friends who accepted Luz for who she was. What was clear to Camila now was that Luz's fear of humans was something she couldn't ignore anymore; such fear could turn into something uglier in the future if not addressed appropriately. She also didn't want Gus and the other witches to develop a fear of humans, knowing firsthand the consequences of that fear as she thought about Philip and how humans back in the day feared others who were different.

Oh, she hated Elizabeth and her people for giving humans such a negative image.

"I think that everyone is different in their own way," Vee chimed in, shifting the focus of the conversation. "There are many nice teenagers at my school who I befriended."

Hunter, who had remained silent until now, spoke up with a bitter tone. "Are you sure they weren't just pretending to be kind? People can be pretty good at lying, you know?" His magenta eyes locked onto Vee with an emotionless expression.

Vee, undeterred, met his gaze and replied firmly, "Yeah, I'm sure they weren't faking."

Margaret eyed all the teenagers who were now avoiding looking at one another. Some seemed to be deep in thought, others looking rather awkward as they avoided eye contact. Amity, in particular, appeared extremely uncomfortable.

Camila, aware of the tension in the room and the recent hostility Hunter now harbored toward humans, broke the silence as she made a decision on how to handle things. "Alright, it looks like Luz and Hunter will join Gus in meeting this girl at the park." The decision came as a shock to Luz and Hunter, their faces reflecting a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Margaret chuckled at Camila's choice and returned her focus to her bowl of soup.

"Pero, Mamá," Luz began to protest with a hint of panic in her voice.

"No peros, mija, This will be good for you three."

"I agree with you on that," Masha added, nodding firmly.

Luz clenched her fists in her lap, lips pressed into a firm line. Hunter, on the other hand, displayed more evident frustration as he abruptly rose from his seat. "May I be excused?" he asked, attempting to keep his annoyance in check but still struggling to maintain a monotone. He didn't want to be rude to Camila, even though he was displeased about being forced into interacting with people he didn't want to.

Well, he just didn't want to interact with anyone much these days.

"Yes, Hunter, you may be excused," Camila replied softly as Hunter withdrew from the group and made his way down the stairs to his room.

Amity offered a comforting gesture by placing a gentle hand on one of Luz's clenched fists.

"Do you want me to come with you guys?" Amity asked her.

Luz sighed after a moment, giving Amity a forced smile. "No," she responded. "I'll be okay."

Vee observed her sister, puzzled by Luz's hesitancy in interacting with other human teenagers, and was debating about asking Masha or Camila for answers.

"So… how was your guys' time with Philip?" Willow asked Masha and Gus in an attempt to relieve the tension. Her bubbly voice sounded as if nothing awkward had taken place in the room.

"Well, it went pretty well," Masha began, grateful for Willow's change of topic, which helped lighten the mood. They proceeded to share a few details about their conversation with Philip. In truth, it was more about the random things Gus and Masha discussed, while Philip mainly sat and listened. Or at least, he appeared to be listening, as there were moments when he might have tuned them out.

Nonetheless, Philip didn't walk away from them, so things appeared to have gone smoothly. Gus eventually joined the conversation, and Masha silently hoped that the meeting with the girl and her friends at the park would be successful. If things went well, it might help Luz and Hunter overcome their growing judgments about humanity.

Masha sighed. It seemed like Philip wasn't the only one who had hostility towards another race…

They asked themselves why life couldn't be simple for once.