Chapter 32

Philip struggled to breathe, his throat ablaze and raw as he gasped for air. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, and he found himself lying on a cold, wet floor. Long strands of his hair clung to his sweaty face, hindering his attempt to look at his surroundings, but then he noticed it was completely pitch black.

Waves of agony coursing through his body, particularly in his hands and feet, stopped him from trying to move to his side. Trembling, he lifted his right hand, only to find a metallic object skewering it, connected by a chain. The sickly green substance, that was his blood now, oozed from the wound, and the same horrifying sight greeted him when he checked his other hand and feet.

Groaning in pain, he tried to open his mouth, only to realize it was clamped shut by something cold and metallic. His heart raced as he struggled to comprehend the situation, unable to recall how he ended up in such a dark place. He then heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Oh, you poor dear," a chillingly familiar voice pierced his ears, and Philip shuddered as Elizabeth appeared before him, kneeling down. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up," she said with an unsettling sense of amusement, her cold hand brushing against his shoulder. As he became aware of his lack of clothing, he trembled even more when her hand traced a path down his bare back. "Don't worry, everything will be fine now. You're here now, with me."

Philip tried to pull away, but Elizabeth gripped his jaw tight, her nails digging into his cheeks, drawing blood, keeping him in place. "No, my dear beast, you are exactly where you belong," she whispered, a twisted smile on her face. Behind her, a dark figure emerged and transformed into Caleb.

"She's right, Philip," Caleb spoke coldly, his dark empty sockets staring down at him. "You're exactly where you deserve to be…"

Philip's eyes shot open before he swiftly sat up, panting as his heart raced against his chest painfully. He felt disoriented, but he immediately noticed that he was not in complete darkness anymore but in what looked like a stall used for a farm animal. He quickly inspected his hands and feet, finding them green, but there were no chains or objects piercing through them. He let out a shaky breath of relief, grateful that it was all a nightmare, but his hands instinctively clutched the blanket that he just realized was covering him. He pulled it closer as he tried to shake off the unsettling sensation of her hands caressing his naked skin.

His pointy ears twitched as he heard movement outside the stall. He whipped his head around to see an old man aiming a rifle at him by the entrance.

Philip didn't take a second more to react and sprung at the man. The old man fired a shot, but Philip dodged it effortlessly with lightning speed and in one sweet motion, he knocked the gun from the man's hands and seized his throat, slamming him against a wooden pole. His eyes glowed dangerously as he bared his sharp fangs at the terrified man.

"Who the hell are you?" Philip growled, his grip tightening on the man's neck. Before he could do more, a door opened, and he was prepared to face what he thought might be an ambush by Elizabeth and her people. However, he froze when he saw Sister Margaret, Sister Lilian, and Camila rushing in, clearly shocked by the scene.

"Oh my lord, Philip, put Derick down this instant!" Sister Theresa ordered, looking horrified to witness Philip ready to crush the man's neck.

Philip stared at them, his glowing blue orbs seemingly floating in the dark depths of his eye sockets before his brows furrowed in confusion when memories resurfaced. They reminded him of their arrival after hours in the car, at a location with a barn and a two-story house. He vaguely recalled an old man there before being led into a stall before darkness enveloped him.

Releasing his grip on the man, Philip stepped back, guilt washing over him as Derick fell to his knees, coughing. "I… I apologize," Philip muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Sister Lilian rushed to help Derick, kneeling beside him. "I knew he was dangerous!" Derick wheezed, glaring up at Philip. "For God's sake, he has horns like the devil himself! Just you wait until the church hears about this!"

"Oh, quit your yapping, Father Derick," Sister Margaret retorted, as she and Camila strode over to the three. "We warned you countless times not to come bother Philip, especially without any of us present."

Sister Lilian swiftly used her wand to heal Father Derick's neck, easing his pain and stopping his coughing. Her eyes fell on the rifle lying on the ground nearby. "And really, Father Derick?" Sister Margaret scolded as she noticed the weapon as well. "That was what that sound was? You actually tried shooting at Philip?"

"I was defending myself," Derick argued, attempting to get up. Sister Lilian offered her arm, helping him stand back on his feet.

"Is everything okay?" Luz asked immediately as she and her friends, except for Vee, Willow, and Amity, rushed into the barn, with Father Francis following closely behind. The lights in the barn were turned on by one of the kids, making Philip wince at the unexpected glare of the lights above him.

Great, now everyone was here to witness the chaos Philip had just caused. He avoided looking at any of them, struggling to hide his shame while Camila explained to them there was a huge misunderstanding, but that everything was alright now.

"I highly doubt that," Hunter let out with annoyance, making Philip feel his heart clench. He could also feel the weight of Hunter's glare on him.

"Hunter…" Gus mumbled to his friend.

Hunter said nothing and continued to glare at Philip, who stood there saying nothing, which only further irritated him. Unable to bear the man's presence any longer, Hunter turned around and stormed off.

His friends watched him leave silently.

"Alright, well, since there doesn't seem to be much harm done here, we should probably have Philip catch up about everything," Father Francis suggested. Sister Lilian agreed and gently guided the grumbling Derick to Father Francis, who led him out of the barn, leaving the two nuns, Camila, Masha, and Gus with Philip in an awkward silence.

"You've been asleep for a month," Masha casually broke the silence.

Philip looked at them in apparent shock.

"They're kidding," Gus quickly said, while Luz couldn't help but chuckle at the joke, especially when Philip's eyes turned half-lidded and he frowned at Masha, who offered him a lazy smile of theirs.

"Sorry, I just had to," they said. "But you have been sleeping for 3 days."

"Sister Lilian used a spell to put you to sleep for a while," Gus added. "You looked like you really needed it."

Philip glanced at Sister Lilian, who gave him an apologetic smile. "I apologize for that," she said. "But Gus is right. You didn't look well, and I thought maybe having a dreamless sleep would help."

Dreamless sleep… Well, most of the time when he was out it was dreamless, except for the last moments with…

"How are you feeling, Philip?" Camila asked, catching Philip off guard. He stared at her in confusion before noticing how everyone was looking at him with concern, while Luz watched him patiently to respond.

Last time, Philip and Camila were not really on good terms, thanks to the hurtful words he had spoken to Hunter in the kitchen. He imagined she felt obligated now, though, to show some concern for him since he somewhat helped them back in Gravesfield. But he didn't want her to feel that way. After all, he had pulled them into this whole mess.

Philip's glowing eyes drifted to the side as he thought about her question. He still felt tired, but not as much as before. His body still ached, especially in the areas where Elizabeth had supposedly healed him. However, his thoughts were no longer as foggy or scattered as they had been before. The past weeks had left him feeling as though he was losing his sanity, but now, he felt he could think clearer than he ever did since he arrived on Earth.

Yet…

He still felt his mind was split open in some way, as if someone had undone it. And the heavy, dark weight was still threatening to pull him down, for all the terrible things he had done to everyone.

Now, he really wanted to return to the stall and sleep. He preferred to be punished by Elizabeth in those nightmares for his actions than stand there with everyone just looking at him. Even Luz's presence was making him recall how he had broken down in front of her like a pathetic child.

The physical pain in his nightmare would distract him from the guilt that was clawing at him, which he preferred.

Speaking of pain, He glanced down at his green arms and hands. The throbbing pain in his being remained, but he had grown somewhat used to it, especially since he couldn't, and wouldn't dare to, of course, eat more palismen.

"Philip?" Masha called out to him, drawing his attention back to the present and reminding him he had not yet answered Camila's question.

"I'm fine," he responded calmly, composed as he straightened himself out and turned to face them with a bored expression.

Luz frowned at him. Her brown eyes stared at him as if she was trying to peel away the mask he was wearing, making him uncomfortable, almost suffocating him. He turned to look at Sister Lilian, hoping to escape Luz's gaze.

"Well, I guess let me get you up to speed here," Sister Lilian said gently. She explained to Philip that they had been relocated by the Catholic church to a town in Woodsmith, New York, specifically on the outskirts. As long as they stayed within the borders of the state, Elizabeth and her people were not allowed to attack them, which made Philip wonder why they wouldn't. She continued, telling him they were given a temporary home until they were ready to take the next steps.

"The next step is to make the portal to get the children back to the Boiling isles," Philip said simply. "Which we should start doing immediately."

"I agree, but the kids informed me that you need demon blood for the portal to work, and unfortunately, I have to go to Vatican City to get more in person," Sister Lilian explained. "The church isn't so lenient with giving it out to just anyone. The only reason I had it was for emergencies, and I will have to explain to them why I handed it to you without approval and convince them to provide us with more. It may take some time to get it."

Philip's jaw clenched with regret; he wished he hadn't made Luz use the Titan's blood. He should have found another way to transport the kids to the church building without drawing Elizabeth and her people's attention.

"Well, we can at least start working on the portal while we wait for you," Luz suggested to Sister Lilian.

"From the list you guys showed me, that may not be so easy, either, unless you go to the city," Sister Lilian said. "Woodsmith won't have everything you need, and I strongly advise for you guys not to go to the city until I get back."

Luz frowned. "But you said Elizabeth and her people wouldn't attack us as long as we stay in New York and that they don't know we're here."

"Yes, I did say that, but that doesn't mean she can't find other ways to be dangerous," Sister Lilian explained patiently. "New York city is large, but there is a higher possibility Elizabeth and her people would track you guys there. The church prefers you all stay put here until we have everything under control."

While Luz expressed her frustration with an annoyed sigh, Philip's mind was already racing to devise a plan to gather the supplies needed for the portal from the city without detection; he would definitely have to ask Gus for help at hiding his appearance. He was willing to go against the Church's wishes, as he had to build the portal as soon as possible. So when Sister Lilian brought the Titan's blood, he could get the kids to the Boiling Isles back right away.

Earth was not safe for Luz and her friends, not while Elizabeth and her people were out there. It was Philip's duty to protect the children.

"So… we're just going to wait here like sitting ducks?" Luz grumbled.

"I think that's alright," Masha chimed in with a casual smile. "We can have fun and explore the town here." Then their eyes lit up as they continued. "I was reading some of the town's history, and there's an old mansion a few miles from here that's supposedly haunted and cursed."

Luz and Gus looked intrigued now.

"A haunted mansion? Like in one of those horror movies?" Gus asked excitedly.

"Yep," Masha replied. "It's gated, and even the townspeople, based on some comments I read, are too terrified to go near it."

"We should definitely go."

"No, no one is going to a haunted mansion," Camila said firmly.

"What? Why not?" Luz asked with a frown.

"It's over 200 years old," Masha pointed out to Camila, as if that should make a difference.

"I don't care how old it is. We can't have you kids wandering around when we have people after us," Camila insisted. "And if the mansion is that old, then it's probably a hazard zone."

"Pero, Mama…" Luz groaned.

"Your mom is right, Luz," Sister Margaret agreed, but seeing Luz's disappointment, she added. "But I bet there is plenty to do in the downtown area. I don't see a problem with you kids going there and exploring."

Luz still didn't look happy, and even Gus looked disappointed.

"Also, Philip, I think you should stay at the barn while we're here, for Hunter's sake," Camila said. "I hope you understand."

Philip didn't respond, but he understood and agreed. He didn't want to bother Hunter at all. It was clear to him that Hunter wanted nothing to do with him, and he couldn't blame him for it. It was better if he just got the boy to the Boiling Isles, made sure he was safe, and avoided any interactions with him in the meantime, even though… his chest tightened at the thought of never speaking to Hunter again, never having the chance to make amends.

"Oh, by the way. I'm going to need to take some of your blood," Sister Lilian said to Philip. "The church wants a sample to see if they can provide some way to help you control the instability you have over your body."

"I doubt they can help," Philip responded simply.

"Well, unfortunately, I can't take a no," Sister Lilian said. "They're concerned you might lose control and hurt someone."

Philip looked down at the ground, hating that the people from the Church had the right to believe he would harm someone. He had almost killed Derick earlier, so… he was definitely a danger to others.

"Well, Philip isn't going to lose control again and to hurt anyone," Masha pointed out confidently, crossing their arms over their chest. Gus nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we got your back, Philip." Gus smiled at him, while Luz offered a hesitant but small one, too. Philip stared at them with utter confusion.

He couldn't deny that he felt strange at that moment. Masha being nice to him was somewhat normal from their few interactions, and Gus had always tried to befriend him. However, seeing Luz looking as if… Philip didn't like it. He didn't like how everyone in the room was talking to him as if he had done nothing wrong or showing concern when he wasn't doing okay. But before his emotions could threaten to spiral into self-loathing and frustration, he pushed them down and cleared his mind, focusing on the important matters at hand.

He had to take Gus aside and talk to him about how they could reach the nearest city so they could gather all the necessary pieces to make the portal. But maybe he should do it the following day.

"Tomorrow, Father Francis, Sister Luna, and I are leaving first thing in the morning," Sister Lilian informed Philip. "And don't worry about Derick. He'll stay at the church in town, and hopefully he won't bother you while we're gone, as long as you stay in the barn."

Philip hoped it was he who wasn't going to bother Derick instead.

"Well, let me get some things so I can take a sample from you," Sister Lilian said, stepping out of the building briefly and returning with the necessary equipment. She had Philip sit in the stall where he had slept, and he extended his right arm to her so she could begin to draw 'blood' from him. Green ooze filling the syringe. Philip detested the absence of any trace of red.

"Alright, this should be enough for them," Sister Lilian said after collecting three flasks filled with his blood. She placed a Band-Aid on his arm, which he didn't think was necessary, but he allowed her to do what she wanted.

Gus and Luz dragged a bale of hay into the stall and explained that Derick had suggested he use it as a makeshift bed, with a blanket on top. "It's better than sleeping on the ground," Sister Margaret commented. "You're not some animal, after all." Philip wanted to argue that she was right; he wasn't an animal, but a monster who deserved the hard floor.

"Maybe we can find something softer for you," Camila said.

"This is fine," Philip responded as he undid the string holding the straw together and scattered the bits in the corner of the stall before throwing the extra blanket on top.

"Well…" Camila hesitated, breaking the silence that had fallen among the group. After Philip settled on his bedding, Sister finished storing the samples in a small black box. "Pizza should arrive soon," Camila said, addressing the kids. "I'll come back for you three later, okay?"

Luz nodded. "Sure, Mama."

Philip frowned as he watched the women leave the barn, while the three kids remained standing by the entrance of the stall, staring at him intently, making him uncomfortable.

He really wanted to be left alone for now. So much had happened in the past weeks, and now that he didn't feel like he was losing his mind completely, he wanted time to gather his thoughts; he felt if he didn't have a moment to himself, he would just grow frustrated.

"I don't think you should stay in the barn the whole time," Masha said earnestly, and they truly believed it. They felt they were isolating Philip, which was the opposite of what he needed. They wanted to help him change his views on witches completely and have the opportunity to apologize to them. Philip making amends and getting along with Luz and the others would benefit everyone. At least, that's what Masha believed.

"Yeah, I think we should at least allow you to visit the house for a bit during the evening," Gus suggested, turning to Luz. "Maybe we can have a group vote."

Luz placed a hand under her chin and thought about the idea. "Yeah, I think that could work," she said. "I think the majority would vote in our favor, honestly. Let's bring it up during dinner."

"Don't even think about it," Philip responded sternly, his glowing eyes fixed on her.

'"What?" Luz raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Philip didn't explain himself. Instead, he simply looked frustrated.

"Philip, you being cooped up here the whole time isn't healthy," Masha pointed out. "I mean, I'd be down for coming over, but you need to be surrounded by other people and not inside an abandoned barn used as a storage unit."

"Masha is right," Luz said. "And we won't let you sit here in this room all the time feeling guilty because, well, my dude, that wouldn't be cool of us to let you do that."

"Yeah, man, come on. Even if you think you deserve it, it's not right." Gus added.

Philip stared at them with an impassive expression, taking in what the boy just said, then turned his focus to Luz. "You told them…?"

Luz said nothing for a long, dreadful moment. "No…" she said as she tried to maintain a straight face, but she couldn't help but wince when she lied.

Philip frowned at her this time, making her sag her shoulders with her sigh.

"Alright, fine, I did. But I had to tell my friends. I couldn't keep that as a secret from them."

Philip should have seen that coming since now Camila had no problem leaving the kids alone with him even though she wasn't so fond of them being near him without her around before.

"But we didn't tell Hunter or Vee at all," Gus quickly added. "Which is fine since… he's the one that definitely needs to hear everything from you, right? And Vee as well since well… you know."

Philip's gaze fell to his lap, his hands curling on his knees.

"And I know Hunter doesn't want to talk to you, and it's probably better if you give him some space for a few days, but I do think you should talk to him soon," Gus said. "He's been… kind of closed off since we left the church."

Philip imagined Hunter was having a hard time thanks to him. After all, his failed attempt to apologize to Hunter probably caused so much mental turmoil for the boy.

Philip wished he hadn't frozen up like a coward.

Great, now he felt even worse for bothering Hunter at that moment, particularly after the boy had almost lost his life a couple of times thanks to Elizabeth and her people. What Hunter needed when he arrived at the church was proper care from Sister Lilian and not a monster tormenting him further. Philip acknowledged that he wasn't in the right state of mind during that encounter, but he knew he should have handled it better. He needed to do better with the kids before he was sealed away.

And now that he thought about it…

"I think they deserve at least an apology," Masha's voice played in his head.

Philip swallowed the anxiety that was building up in his throat.

Most of Luz's friends already knew he felt terrible for his actions, so not apologizing to anyone else, except Luz, felt like an act of cowardice to him. He knew he had to do better.

He had to be better.

"Gus…" The boy turned to him in confusion. Again, Philip felt like a coward and shifted his gaze away, focusing on a smudge of dirt by Masha's foot. He felt lightheaded, but he pushed himself to continue. "I am sorry for almost killing you, for destroying your home, for being the reason you've been separated from your father and friends for so long, and for how rude I've acted towards you and your friends," he said quietly, feeling shame grip his heart. He tried his best to hold back any grief he was feeling as he didn't want to repeat what he had done with Luz when he apologized to her. He didn't want to show even a single tear.

He closed his eyes, struggling for a moment. "I truly thought that I…" He paused, then shook his head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. I shouldn't have done all those terrible things to you, and I promise I will make sure you and your friends get back home. I will do everything in my power to save your world from the Collector."

Philip almost held his breath as Gus, Masha, and Luz remained silent. He wondered if he shouldn't have said anything, if it was the wrong time to apologize to Gus. And maybe his apology was completely meaningless since Luz had already told Gus about his remorse.

Or perhaps the boy didn't want to hear any of it.

"Thanks, Philip. I… I didn't realize I needed to hear that, honestly," Gus said, rubbing the back of his head quietly, surprising Philip. He cautiously opened his eyes and looked at Gus as the boy continued speaking. "I guess yeah, it's nice to hear that you regret it and… well, if you help us reunite with our families, then I'll forgive you." The boy offered with a smile. "Even if you don't want me to forgive you, I'm still going to do it."

Guilt still gnawed at Philip from the inside, but hearing the boy's forgiving words stirred something within him. He couldn't quite put a name to the feeling, but it almost made it difficult to hold back the tears that threatened to well up in his eyes. He looked away momentarily and then nodded in acknowledgement of Gus's words.

Though, Philip had the urge to tell Gus that he didn't need to forgive him. Philip didn't deserve it after all.

Meanwhile, Masha and Luz looked at one another with a smile at what just took place.

Truth be told, they were surprised to hear Philip apologize to Gus, and it was honestly an immense relief that he did it now that he was in a better state of mind. And seeing him tear up just further showed them that yes, Philip did indeed feel guilty for what he did, and the prior apology he gave to Luz wasn't just due to the terrible state he was in.

"Oh, and I brought this 'cause you're going to need it when we're ready to build the portal." Gus pulled out the instructions that Philip had written from his bag and handed them to him. "I also grabbed this from the table," he added, presenting a stack of papers he had clipped together. "I wasn't sure what they were, though."

Philip took the stack of papers and immediately recognized them.

"What are they?" Luz asked curiously.

"Magic spells, the glyph patterns that I learned across my years in the Boiling Isles," Philip explained. "At least, some of them."

Luz was surprised and quickly ran towards Philip, grabbing the papers and eagerly flipping through them. Philip didn't stop her.

"Wow…" Luz said in awe. Just like the teleportation pattern he had given her, each sheet contained a different magic spell, written in words instead of glyphs. Behind each sheet was a brief explanation of what each spell did. She looked through one spell in particular. "This spell can make you run super-fast for five seconds."

She then recalled how she had wondered what Philip was writing on the sheets of paper back at her house after he had finished with the portal instructions.

So… that's what he was doing during that time…

But…

"Why were you writing them down?" Luz asked Philip, perplexed.

"Hunter doesn't have a magic bile sack like witches do, but he was always so interested in mastering magic, especially wild magic," Philip said silently. "I wanted to… give him every magic spell that I knew as… a gift…"

"Oh…" Luz handed the stacks of paper back to Philip. "Well… I think it's an awesome gift," she said, offering him a soft smile. "Heck, if I were him, I would be so excited. Imagine once we're back in the Boiling Isles, I could try using all the spells!"

"Yeah, that sounds pretty cool," Gus agreed, amused. "Though, I imagine it would take some practice using them correctly, right?" he asked Philip. "Probably would be better if you taught Hunter yourself, so he doesn't end up using the spells incorrectly and hurting himself."

"That's why I wrote instructions behind each one," Philip said.

"Yeah, but it's still not the same as getting help from someone on how to do it, right?" Gus asked.

Philip's gaze dropped. Now he was unsure if giving Hunter the sheets of the spells was a good idea, especially since he wouldn't be there for Hunter to teach him himself.

"Well, now you made him feel bad about it all," Masha said to Gus, shaking their head in disapproval.

"Sorry, Philip. Forget what I said," Gus said, feeling guilty for making Philip look depressed in front of them while he was trying to be kind to Hunter. "It's very thoughtful, and I bet he will definitely appreciate it when you give it to him."

Philip didn't respond as he just placed the instructions of the portal and the stacks of spells underneath his makeshift bed.

"Well, pizza should be arriving soon," Masha said. "Do you want some time for yourself for the rest of the night?"

"We can bring pizza if you want," Luz said.

"I can't eat," Philip responded before Gus said anything about it. He didn't want to have a repeat what happened the last time he had eaten; the breakfast made by Camila sat in his stomach for only a little while until he threw it up. Which shouldn't have surprised him, since his body couldn't digest anything he ate.

"Oh, well… how about we ask Sister Lilian to help you sleep tonight, just in case?" Masha suggested.

"Right. Before she leaves, she can give you a good night of sleep," Luz said.

Philip's teeth clenched. His chest hurt with shame and other emotions that were riling inside of him by how the kids were once again showing so much concern for him.

"No…" Philip said in a very cold tone, avoiding eye contact with the children. They looked at him in confusion as his hands curled up again on his knees, his fingers digging into his flesh. "Just… get out and leave me alone already."

"Hey, man, what's your-"

"Luz, stop," Masha said calmly.

Luz was about to argue with them, as she didn't like how Philip was suddenly reacting so defensively when they were just trying to be nice to him. It also confused her why he was acting that way after he just apologized to Gus for being rude. But Masha signaled with their head in Philip's direction so Luz could see how Philip buried his face in his hands as he took slow, shaky breaths. He looked like he was getting overwhelmed, which made Luz's annoyance with Philip vanish.

"Philip, what's wrong?" Masha asked gently. They wanted to sit next to Philip, but they didn't want to make him feel more suffocated.

Philip said nothing and continued to just focus on his breathing.

Damn it… he had thought now that he had slept well in the past few days, he wouldn't fall apart so easily, yet here he was…

He was able to calm himself down after a few minutes. He was able to steady his breathing and his emotions. When he looked back up, he saw the kids were gazing at him quietly, once again looking worried. He expected Luz to at least look mad.

"I apologize," he murmured as he looked away, despising himself. He wanted to continue with his apology, but his throat clenched up.

"Hey, man, it's alright," Gus said with a gentle smile. "If you need some time alone, we understand."

"Just let us know instead of getting mad at us next time, alright?" Luz suggested.

Philip said nothing in response.

"And of course, we can work on that as well," Masha said, knowing full well Philip didn't have the best communication skills. For crying out loud, the man was from the 1600s, and men during that time didn't just openly express their feelings or needs in a nice manner. They really had to explain to Luz how she couldn't just hold Philip to the same standards as the people of the modern world. It was almost like expecting other people from different countries to have the same mannerisms. Of course, they could all help Philip develop healthier habits, but they knew it would require considerable time and patience, given his age and the deeply ingrained habits of 400 years that were not so easy to just shove aside.

"Anyways, we'll let you rest," Masha said. "We can come over tomorrow after Sister Lilian and the others leave in the morning. Sound good?"

Philip still didn't respond. The kids took it as if he was closing off on them, which probably meant it was best for them to take their leave.

"Alright, well, I guess goodnight, Philip. We'll see you tomorrow," Gus said before he made his way out.

Luz said nothing more to Philp. She observed him while she was deep in thought. Then an idea crossed her mind, and she couldn't help but grin widely as she joined Gus.

While Luz walked out of the stall, Masha observed Luz's expression and felt a bit concerned, although they weren't sure what to make of it. Though, the rumors from their school concerning Luz and her mischievous tendencies were probably the reason that made them have some worry.

"Well, for reals, Philip, do try to rest," Masha said, turning back to the man. "The offer to have Sister Lilian help you sleep still stands, if you're interested."

Philip didn't want to seem like he needed any help to have a good night's rest, but he honestly didn't want to deal with thoughts that would likely keep him awake for the rest of the night.

"Fine," he responded with a sigh after some time.

Masha smiled casually at him. "Cool. I'll let her know to come over once we're done eating dinner. Okay?"

Philip simply gave them a curt nod but still avoided eye contact.

"Alright, well, I will take my leave now," they said before walking off. "Have a good night."

Philip intended to wish them and the others a good rest as well, but lacking the courage to articulate it, he remained quiet. Which, of course, he couldn't help but hate himself for.

He heard the door to the barn shut after the lights went off, and he sighed as he laid down on his makeshift bed. He pulled the blanket over himself completely, closing his eyes and doing his best to keep his mind blank, but of course, it was easier said than done.

He thought about Hunter, how much the boy was suffering from his presence. How Luz and Gus were being too nice to him, which he didn't deserve, especially since he was still acting rude to them.

Even though he had slept for the past few days and felt well rested after waking up, he now felt mentally fatigued after his interactions with Luz and the others.

Truth be told, he didn't mind if he stayed alone in the barn the whole time. Though, he was starting to rethink that when his mind began to replay the moments when he created the grimwalkers and how he got rid of each one of them…

He wasn't sure how much time he spent lying there, trying to maintain his blank mind, when suddenly, there was a crackling sound in the barn. Philip sat up, attempting to calm his racing heart, before an eerie silence filled the barn. Philip's brows furrowed in puzzlement, for he couldn't hear anything, yet he could feel a presence, particularly that of a palisman.

He waited for a moment before getting off his bed and stepping out of the stall. He froze in place when he spotted Hunter standing right in front of the door, glaring at him.

Philip felt himself grow nauseous and cold. His blue, glowing eyes stared at the boy, and he was unsure of what to do. Before he could react, Hunter's staff flashed yellow and in a split second, he teleported right in front of Philip before harshly blasting him directly at his chest. Philip was sent flying backward, his body hurtling through the air before crashing into the hard ground. He landed with a painful thud, the impact sending shockwaves of pain through his body. Agony consumed him as his chest burned from Hunter's blast; he felt as though his chest was boiling. He gasped for air, struggling to breathe. He tried to curl up, but Hunter teleported right beside him before his foot came crashing down on his wounded chest, causing Philip to cry out in pain. The weight of the foot made it difficult for him to breathe, exacerbating his already labored breaths. Philip struggled to look past his pain as he stared up at a glaring Hunter, and he had to tilt his head back when Hunter jabbed his staff right at his throat, the end of it glowing menacingly.

His current position reminded him of how he had sliced the throat of the fourth grimwalker, Justice, while they slept in a cave they'd found refuge in after burning a town to ashes. Justice had a mental breakdown from all the deaths they had just taken.

The memory of Justice choking on his own blood kept playing in Philip's head as he was pinned down, the screams of the people from the town leaving a scar on Philip's soul.

"I don't know how you did it." Hunter's sharp voice snapped Philip back to the present. "I don't know how you convinced Luz of all people, but I'm not going to let you hurt her or any of my friends again, do you hear me, Belos?" Hunter's foot pressed down harder on Philip's chest, causing Philip to wheeze in pain.

"I don't care what you went through in the past. I don't care what that minister or Pastor Jonathan did to you. You have no right to manipulate or hurt any of us." Tears welled up in the boy's eyes as his shoulders shook from anger and frustration. Despite the boy's turmoil, his staff's glow grew stronger, ready to blast Philip's neck.

"I'm warning you, Belos, if any harm comes to them because of you, I will find a way to end you," Hunter hissed. "And I don't care if you take my threat seriously or not. I will not let you take away the only good things I have in my life."

Now, Philip could shove the boy off him, but he couldn't find the will to even lay hand on Hunter. So, instead, he lay there as he continued to struggle to take breathe through the pain. He took in the boy's words, his blue eyes staring at Hunter with anguish as he desperately wanted to apologize to the boy, to tell him how much he was sorry for hurting him, for killing all the other grimwalkers, how he promises he wouldn't harm the boy's friends. He wanted to tell him he wanted to protect him and the others with his life, but he couldn't. He couldn't let out the words, as he was gasping for more air.

Tears continued to trail down the boy's face, and Hunter couldn't help but grow more frustrated when he saw Belos's pained face.

"Damn it…" The boy pulled himself off Belos. He took a few steps back as Belos moved to the side and took in struggling breaths as his hands grasped his chest painfully.

Hunter felt extremely guilty. He had been enraged at the man when he overheard Luz talking to Amity about how she was planning to have everyone vote to let Belos have a chance to come into the house during the evenings. The conversation had completely shocked Hunter, especially since it was Luz who had brought up the idea.

Hunter had taken the past few days to think about everything that had happened, and even then, nothing made sense. All he knew was that he didn't want Belos to be in the house. He didn't want to talk to Belos even for a moment. He just wanted Belos completely gone from his life so he could try to make a new life for himself with people who wouldn't play with his emotions and cause him so much pain.

Philip continued to cough in agony, but after a few moments, he could breathe a bit better.

"Hun…ter," Philip struggled to let out, but when he looked up, the boy was gone.

Philip's labored breaths echoed through the barn as he weakly sat up. He looked around to find himself completely alone again. Dread gnawed at him, remorseful for causing the boy to shed tears once again. But he found himself also in so much physical pain when every breath he took sent waves of agony through his chest. The wound, strangely, was not healing as it should.

Trying to push aside the reason why his wound was refusing to heal, he focused on the pain as a distraction from his thoughts. He managed to drag himself back onto the makeshift bed and covered himself with the blanket. He hid the damage caused by Hunter from Sister Lilian when she arrived to lull him to sleep, using her spell.

After all, he didn't want to cause any more problems for Hunter.

He assumed the wound would eventually heal, probably as he slept through the spell. He didn't see any reason it wouldn't.

So, as Sister Lilian waved her wand by his head, he just closed his eyes, curled on his side, and let the spell drag him to what he hopefully was a peaceful sleep, to momentarily escape from his problems, even though he didn't deserve it.

Just a heads up, i post this story first in archive of our own and i also include awesome fan art done by readers as well there starting in chapter 15 I think (since that's when I started getting them) : ).

Peeps also engage in archive of our own more or in in tumblr. if you want to follow me in tumblr and ask questions you can do so. u can find me as chiconisroc in tumbrl and nisrocchico in archive of our own

or if you want you can leave a comment in this website too : ) or pm me