Owl House AU:Little Owl Lost

Chapter 1: Lost Little Owl

Edalyn Clawthorne's heart pounded as she raced through the forest, branches snapping underfoot. The moonlight barely cut through the thick canopy above, casting eerie shadows that seemed to reach out for her. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps, the weight of the curse on her shoulders as heavy as her own fear. The transformation had only happened once, but the aftermath was enough. Her friends at Hexside had looked at her like she was a monster. Even Lilith, her own sister, couldn't bear to meet her eyes.

She had tried to explain it to her mother, but it didn't matter. Gwendolyn's obsession with curing her now seemed even more terrifying than the curse itself. She didn't want some strange potion or spell to fix her. She wanted to understand it—to control it, if she could. But no one believed she could. No one believed in her anymore.

So she had run. And she had found the doorway.

Now, at 14, Eda found herself alone in a world that made no sense, with strange sights and sounds all around her. Gravesfield, Connecticut, the sign had read. It was nothing like home. The magic in the air was faint, barely noticeable, and the people… they were different. Normal. Unaware of the wild magic that pulsed through the Boiling Isles.

Eda wandered the dark streets, her arms wrapped around herself against the chill. Her red hair was wild and matted from days on the run. Her school uniform, now stained and torn, hung off her shoulders, a reminder of a life she was no longer a part of. She passed house after house, the warm glow of lights spilling from their windows. Inside, she saw families. Happy, laughing families. Children her age sitting around dinner tables, carefree and loved.

Her stomach growled, but it wasn't just hunger gnawing at her. It was loneliness. She was an outcast now, in more ways than one. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she swallowed them back, refusing to break down in the middle of this strange world.

Eventually, her legs gave out, and she found herself at a bus shelter. The air was thick with the smell of rain, and she shivered as the first drops began to fall. She pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face in them. There was no one here to help her. No one to tell her it would be okay.

She was alone.

As the rain came down harder, Eda let out a soft, broken sob. Her shoulders shook, and the tears she had been holding back finally flowed freely. She had no idea where she was or how to get home. But the truth was, even if she could return to the Boiling Isles, there was nothing waiting for her there anymore. Only fear, suspicion, and a mother who would do anything to change her.

For the first time since finding the portal, Eda truly felt the weight of her isolation. She wasn't just lost in a strange world. She was lost to everyone she had ever known.

And she had no idea what to do next.

Eda watched the rain fall in sheets, each drop hitting the pavement with a soft hiss. Her heart clenched in fear—it reminded her of the Boiling Isles' boiling rain, the kind that scalded skin and left the ground steaming. She half-expected the raindrops to start burning, as if her cursed existence had followed her into this new world. Was this her life now? Lost, hiding in a bus shelter, scared of something as simple as rain?

Back at Hexside, she had been Eda, Lord Calamitous—the best prankster the school had ever seen. She could outwit her professors, sneak potions out of the supply room, and excel in six of the nine magic tracks, even if they'd only let her officially study potions. She had been top of her class, confident, untouchable. Her future had been bright. Early admission to the Emperor's Coven exam had been practically guaranteed. But she'd blown it off, rebellious as always. She didn't want to be tied down to some coven, following orders. She'd wanted freedom, wild magic, adventure.

Then came the curse. That terrible, irreversible curse.

Eda winced, the memory of the night her life changed flashing in her mind. The first time she transformed into the Owl Beast, she hadn't known what was happening. She'd blacked out. And when she woke up, her father was lying on the floor, scarred by her claws. She had attacked him in her beast form. Her family had looked at her with horror, as if she had become a monster overnight.

Her mother's desperate solution still echoed in her head: cut the curse out of her. As if Eda was a problem to be solved, not a daughter to be loved.

Now here she was, in a world without magic, without family, without hope. Her stomach growled, a sharp reminder of how long it had been since she last ate. The cold was seeping into her bones, and she pulled her tattered cloak tighter around herself. She didn't know how much longer she could sit here, but she also didn't know where else to go.

The sound of footsteps approaching pulled her out of her thoughts. Eda tensed, instinctively reaching for her staff—except she didn't have it. She had left it behind when she ran.

A figure came into view through the rain, a girl about her age, maybe a little shorter. She had dark skin and square-framed glasses that reflected the dim streetlights. Her long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and she wore a concerned expression as she stepped closer.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked softly, her voice cutting through the downpour.

Eda looked up, blinking through her tears. She hadn't even realized she was crying again. The girl's tone wasn't harsh or suspicious, just… worried. It caught Eda off guard. She had been bracing for someone to scold her, to demand to know why she was loitering in the rain.

"I… I'm fine," Eda muttered, her voice hoarse. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying, but it was pointless. The girl could already tell.

The girl knelt down in front of Eda, ignoring the rain soaking her clothes. "It doesn't look like you're fine," she said gently. "You're freezing, and it looks like you've been out here for a while."

Eda shivered, but she tried to keep her guard up. "What's it to you?" she asked, her voice a little sharper than she intended. She didn't know this girl. She didn't know if she could trust her.

"I'm just worried about you," the girl replied, her eyes softening. "My name's Camila. Camila Delavega."

Eda hesitated. This girl—Camila—didn't seem dangerous. In fact, she looked genuinely concerned. And Eda was cold, alone, and had nowhere else to turn. Maybe… just maybe, she could let her guard down, at least for a moment.

"I'm Eda," she mumbled, barely above a whisper. "Eda Clawthorne."

Camila smiled, her concern not fading, but something like warmth crossing her face. "Nice to meet you, Eda. Come on, let's get you somewhere warm. You can't stay out here in the rain."

Eda wanted to resist, to say she didn't need anyone's help. But her body was betraying her. She was cold, hungry, and exhausted. She had been running for days, and she didn't have the strength to keep up the walls she usually built around herself.

"Okay," Eda whispered. "Just for a little while."

Camila stood up, offering her hand. Eda stared at it for a moment before finally taking it. It felt strange—accepting help from someone she didn't know. But right now, it was all she had.

Together, they walked into the rain, Camila guiding her toward a new, uncertain future.