Where My Heart Belongs

by MrSova

Amity woke up paralyzed in her sister's Clinic with no memory of what had happened to her. With Odalia gone, she must take upon her the role of the Blight Industries Heiress. But she had to get better before she could do any of that. To achieve that, Emira assigned her sister the best Volunteer in Bonesborough - Luz Clawthorne. Originally posted on AO3

8. Chapter 8 - Behind the Scenes

Willow, Hunter, Gus, and Vee used the Teleportation Glyph. Lilith gave them the combination of the symbols they needed, asking them to let her know once they found anything. She discovered it when Philip escaped Scouts after attacking Luz and Amity in the Clinic.

When Willow and Hunter approached Vee and Gus to join them on this escapade, neither expected to be transported to the other side of the Demon Realm. The portal's bright light disappeared, and everyone stood confused, trying to understand their surroundings.

"Guys?" Vee was the first to speak when she noticed the grim building before them.

The basilisk was used to keep her human appearance, which she was very fond of now. It looked like she wore military boots and trousers while a sweatshirt obscured her shoulders. It was still part of her natural camouflage.

They stood on the beach of a tiny island. It was covered by thick, tall trees that reminded Gus of the Amazon Forest of the Human Realm. There was nothing but a small path leading into the island's center, where a small mountain was emerging.

The youngest witch clenched his backpack anxiously. He wore his camping clothes, hoping he was prepared for anything they might encounter. He was glad he still had some rations and camping gear at home. It made him feel slightly more helpful.

"The report said there should be a building in there somewhere," Hunter whispered, gesturing to the forest path. Willow noted how nervous and pale her boyfriend looked.

"Who wrote the report?" She asked, knowing neither Lilith nor Hunter had ever been here.

"An Empire Coven Officer, Kikimora," Hunter replied, handing the report to the shorter witch. They were shocked to hear the basilisk snort and chuckle grimly.

"You can burn that report," Vee said, shaking her head in disbelief, looking at the witches before her, "Kikimora was Philip's right hand," She explained.

"Well then," Gus butted in, "There's just one way to find the truth," He added, facing the forest path, "Report to Lilith, and let's move forward," He suggested, facing the older witches.

Hunter could not agree more. It was too important not to inform the Coven Head about the spy in the higher ranks right away, especially since Kikimora had access to all major cases and was assigned to the Odalia Blight case.

They followed the path, scared of what they would find at the end of it. A short but wide building incorporated into the mountain was not what any of them would expect. It looked like the front was just a facade.

Hunter exchanged looks with Willow, and they rushed in, breaking the front door. Once they ensured the building was empty and safe to explore, Gus and Vee followed them. The way it was grim and secluded brought the worst-case scenarios to everyone's minds.

"I don't like this place," Vee whispered tremblingly.

"Does it look familiar?" Gus asked worriedly, placing his hand on the human-shaped basilisk's shoulder.

"I was kept in the dungeon, so no…" Vee replied, "This part doesn't look familiar at all… If that's even the right place," She added, and everyone nodded.

"Then we need to push forward," Hunter said sternly.

Everyone but Willow was fooled with his confidence. She knew her boyfriend well enough to know better. She was the only person familiar with his softer side. The one that made him wake up crying in the middle of the night, crawling to his girlfriend, searching for safety.

"Let's get this over with," Vee said in resignation, agreeing to help despite wanting to return home to Masha.

She guided the witches to the lower levels. The staircase they found was empty and made of grayish bricks. The stairs lacked a handrail, making it difficult to descend. The basilisk stopped every few floors to check if she recognized the surroundings. Once she did not, she continued their journey.

It was not until they reached the facility's lowest level that Vee stopped in her tracks. Once she opened the staircase door, everyone could see how she trembled in anxiety. Hunter passed her by, and while he cautiously entered the dark corridor, he held his staff nervously.

It was pitch black, covered in darkness. Gus cast a powerful Light Spell, guiding the glowing orbs to the farthest corners, illuminating the grayish floors and dirty walls. They shared a hesitant look and reluctantly entered. The basilisk followed along when Willow placed her hand on Vee's shoulder, offering her support.

"Were you here before, Hunter?" Gus asked after a few minutes of heavy silence.

"No," The older witch replied dryly, "Why would you think that?" He asked curiously, glancing nervously at the younger man.

"You just seem to know where you're going," Gus pointed out, "You don't check room after room. Rather, it looks like you're heading somewhere," Willow and Vee shared a look, agreeing that the youngest witch made a valid point.

"I…" Hunter suddenly stopped, "I don't know, Gus…" He looked aside sheepishly and sighed heavily before facing the brown-eyed man, "I'm afraid you might be right…"

"Then guide the way," Vee interrupted. Everyone looked at her with shock, "Since we're here, we can as well use this as an opportunity to learn as much as we can about our past," She explained, and Hunter's lips parted in shock.

"Are you okay with that, Hun?" Willow approached her boyfriend, afraid for his well-being.

"I think it's a good idea," Hunter admitted, "No matter the consequences," He added, determination returning to his voice.

Willow did not want to plant a seed of doubt in her boyfriend's heart but was worried for the blonde man. She knew he had a checkered past, having trouble recognizing what was real.

"How do you support Amity, Luz?" Willow wondered, feeling helpless and wishing her friend would be there to help.

They followed Hunter for the next fifteen minutes or so until the blonde man came to a sudden stop. Willow noticed how her boyfriend's hands began to shake. He let go of his staff, and the red cardinal circled his witch with a birdish trill.

"It's…" Hunter gulped, turning his head to the right, looking at the wooden door confusedly, "It's clean…" He noted, and the rest of the group had to agree.

The wooden doors looked like they were often used compared to others. The brass handle was polished, clearly showing where it was held. Hunter pushed it open, and his breathing hitched.

A sudden vision flashed before his eyes when he looked at the dimly lit room filled with mud-filled brick partitions. He had seen himself covered in wet goo, his hands dug through, freeing him. His lungs hurt as if he was using them for the first time.

"Hunter!" A man's voice called out to him.

"Hun! Talk to me!" A feminine one accompanied.

"Hunter!" Another one joined.

Hunter could not reply. He wanted to, but his lips did not cooperate. The Coven Scout did not understand the sudden warm feeling enveloping his body. He could not deny how comforting it was. He focused on that sensation.

"Come on, Hunter, deep breaths," Willow pleaded, cooing softly.

The strong woman held her boyfriend in a tight, secure hug, sitting behind him on the floor, rocking him slightly, whispering words of comfort. It always shocked her that the tricks she learned with Amity helped her support her boyfriend, too.

"You're safe now," Willow continued while Vee walked further into the room, "I'm here, easy now," She continued, ignoring their surroundings.

Hunter's breathing started to calm slowly. His red eyes roamed the surroundings, and he gradually began to return to his senses. He craned his neck and noticed Willow's kind, green gaze. She smiled at him, and he rested his head on his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Please, don't tell anyone about it," He begged tiredly.

"Your secret is safe with me," She replied, pecking his right, scarred cheek.

They needed another moment before they were ready to leave the dirty floor. Willow helped clean the white cape, ensuring her boyfriend was safe and calm. She did not want to admit how worried she was about him.

"Guys…" Vee called, her voice trembling, "I think I found something," She added.

Hunter clenched his jaw and approached the basilisk who stood by a small table. He turned on a small table light and looked at a book the human-shaped demon held. The man tied his thick, black brows and noticed the book turned out to be a journal, filled in with messy handwriting.

"Can I see that?" He asked. Vee nodded, passing the notes, "This…" Hunter gulped nervously, "This is the Grimwalker recipe. The Galdorstone, Palisdrom wood, lungs of Stonesleeper, and Selkidomus' scales…" His voice shook nervously, "And a witch's genetic material…"

"Hunter?" Willow placed her hand on his shoulder, offering support.

"I'm sorry…" He closed the journal and cleared his throat, "It's difficult…"

"Do you know who it was?" Vee asked, unknowingly interrupting. Hunter looked at her questioningly, "The witch whose genetic material you share," She explained.

"It wasn't a witch," He replied plainly, cutting the discussion short. He hid the journal and turned around, "Where's Gus?" Hunter asked, realizing the youngest of their group was missing.

"He was right here," Vee said, turning around.

"I can't see anything…" Hunter whispered, squinting.

"Gus!?" Willow called for him.

Just as they were beginning to get really worried, echoing steps approached the room. Gus's head popped in. His expression was filled with distress. He gulped loudly and calmed his breathing before speaking.

"Come on, guys," Gus whispered, "You have to see this!" He added.

Urgency in his voice made everyone follow him without a question. They exited the room and continued through the corridor. They passed room after room, ignoring the closed doors until they found another one illuminated by dim lights.

"Why are these rooms still illuminated if Philip and Odalia are done for?" Willow wondered out loud.

"You think someone is still here?" Hunter asked, agreeing with his girlfriend's logic.

"Guys…" Vee's trembling voice got their attention.

They looked at the basilisk standing inside the room, staring at something with fear. Her hands began to tremble. Without warning, Vee returned to her original form, unable to concentrate on keeping her appearance anymore.

They entered and immediately understood what had distraught the young demon so much. The room was a large laboratory with dissection tables positioned in even rows. They paled, realizing each table obscured a body with a white cloth.

Hunter was the first one to approach the table closest to the entrance. His hands shook as he grabbed the white material. The blonde man lifted it delicately and froze mid-movement. His ears slanted, and his expression faded when he finally understood that he was looking at another version of himself.

"Hunter?" Gus approached his friend. Willow was not far behind him, "Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"No," Hunter replied dryly, "When I crawled out of the mud, I had the body of a three-year-old. This is a fully developed body," He explained.

Willow looked at her boyfriend with worry. It was the first time he spoke about his origins in front of others. She knew this mission would take a toll on him, but she never expected to find this.

"At least it can't get any worse," She thought, worrying about Hunter.

"What is it, Hun?" Willow asked when she noticed how her boyfriend let go of the cloth, and his ears twitched nervously.

"Whatʼs on the rest of the tables?" He asked, turning around and facing his company, "And why?" He wondered.

"One way to find out," Gus said with determination, "We came here to get answers, so let's look for them," He added, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Vee took a deep breath and regained her human-like appearance. She tied her brows and approached another table. Everyone watched how she uncovered another body. The tension was unbearable. Willow approached the basilisk and noticed another younger version of Hunter.

"What the hell?" She whispered confusedly. Willow approached another table and uncovered another Hunter-looking body, "What the hell!?" She growled before approaching another table.

While the short witch started uncovering bodies in a random, fury-guided pattern, Vee approached a table where she had noticed a familiar-looking, scale-covered tail. She approached it, uncovered the body, and let out a high-pitched shriek. Everybody froze and faced her.

"Vee? What is it?" Gus asked, hurriedly joining the basilisk.

"It's my sister," She answered, her voice shaking. Despite maintaining her human form, her eyes blinked with vertical eyelids, "We were held together, forced to feed, studied…" Her voice broke, and she could not say anything else.

"G-guys?" Willow's voice shook just as much as Vee's, gaining everyone's attention, "It's getting weirder," She said, looking at a body she had just uncovered.

"What is it, Willow?" Hunter asked, worried about the expression she wore.

While Vee was still trying to get over seeing her dead sister, Gus and Hunter approached the shorter witch, and they froze. Willow breathed heavily, watching the tall, no, long feathery, feminine body. The pale, tan face wore a delicate eyebrow scar.

"Luz!?" Gus exclaimed in a pitch so high he was unsure anyone would understand him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hunter asked with a strained voice, "I get my body, but Luz's?" He thought out loud, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"But look," Willow pointed to her dead friend's face, "She only has her brow scar…" She grabbed the cold, feathery shoulder before she froze, "Oh, Titan, that's just wrong," She muttered and pulled the stiff body, rolling it to the side, "And only her Owl Demon scars on her back," She added, returning Luz to her original position.

"What are you saying?" Gus did not follow.

"This is Luz's body from before she was kidnapped and tortured by Odalia," Willow explained before she looked up at her boyfriend, "You said you need someone's genetic material to create a Grimwalker?" She asked, and Hunter nodded, "What if they took a sample of her harpy form from the day she broke the Entanglement Spell?" She asked. The pupils shrank in the reddish eyes in understanding.

"That means Odalia was creating Grimwalkers for almost a year," He whispered understandingly. The sole idea froze his blood.

"But why?" Gus asked. He was just as frightened as his friends.

"More importantly, how?" Vee added, and Hunter nodded in confirmation.

"Vee is right. The Stonesleepers are extinct, and there aren't many Golderstones left," The blonde man agreed.

The silence that filled the laboratory was unbearable. Willow could not look away from her dead friend's feathery face. The image she always feared to witness. No one noticed Gus walk away, only to let his panicked gasp break the silence.

Hunter looked up and noticed the youngest witch a few rows from where he had left them. The dark eyes were filled with tears as Gus muffled his lips, barely controlling his urge to cry in panic.

"What is it…?" Willow could not finish her question when she approached her childhood friend.

All three of them froze when they joined Gus, who still clenched the lifted white cloth. Willow's eyes uncontrollably teared down, wetting her cheeks. The porcelain-like, pale, naked body with auburn-colored, long, mauve hair lay dead on the table.

"Amity…" Willow gasped in disbelief.

Hunter touched Gus's shoulder, and the young man dropped the cloth. He started crying in panic, feeling overwhelmed by emotions that ravaged his body. He did not know what he did when he turned around and hugged Hunter desperately.

"It's okay," The older man returned the embrace, ignoring his helplessness.

Hunter watched Willow approach the table from the other side. The shorter witch cast more light on the pale body, shoving her emotions to the back of her head, focusing on finding answers. The strong hands lifted the dead limbs and inspected the corpse.

"Look at this," Willow said. Gus wiped his eyes and pulled himself away from Hunter as all four of them now hovered above the body.

"What's that?" Vee asked, looking in confusion at the long scar in the middle of Amity's chest.

"That's what I want to know," Willow explained, "I know for a fact that Amity has no scar like that," She explained.

"Do you want to open her up?" Vee asked as if it was the most normal thing to do.

"WHAT?!" Gus and Willow exclaimed outragely in unison.

"That's my friend!" The shorter witch exclaimed, her ears slanted in distress.

"That's the dead body of your friend's clone," The basilisk pointed out.

The witches eyed the demon with wrath. Even a mere suggestion was unthinkable, but stating out loud that someone had played Titan with their friends was even worse. They shared a hesitant look as if they considered dissection as an option to get answers.

"I can do it for you," Vee said, "I'm not emotionally attached to her, so I can get answers we all need," She added.

To say that Willow was furious would be an understatement. Even if she would not be the one doing the cutting, giving her blessing would be just as bad. Her ears fluttered as she was considering her options.

"Fuck…" Willow knew what had to be done.

Hunter guided Gus away from the morgue. They left Willow and Vee alone to deal with the dissection. Out of them all, the short witch was most experienced with working with a scalpel. Even if she mostly used it on plants.

Willow watched her boyfriend leave, guiding the youngest witch away, promising to look for clues elsewhere while she tried to remain calm at the prospect of opening her best friend's body. She knew this would haunt her forever.

"Here, maybe this will help," Vee whispered, placing a piece of cloth on Luz's face. Willow froze in her movements until she reminded herself to breathe.

"Surprisingly, yes. Thank you," The witch admitted.

"That's what they did when opening other witches after forcing us to drain them," The basilisk explained.

Willow looked at her companion and realized that she kept underestimating the demon. Her bubbly, cheerful persona she was pretending to be, creating life for herself in the Human Realm, fooled her.

"I'm sorry you had to go through it," The witch said.

"It's okay," Vee shrugged, "Let's get this over with," She added, and Willow nodded in agreement.

Neither of them wanted to be there any longer than necessary. The witch tightened her hold on the scalpel and cut through the feathery chest. At first, she was shocked to see no blood before reminding herself that corpses do not bleed.

Gulping nervously, Willow grabbed the chest saw and rib spreader. She was shocked that she knew what to do. She blamed those Human Realm television series that Hunter kept watching.

"Oh, wow…" Vee whispered when Luz's chest stood open before them.

"What is it?" The witch asked dumbfoundedly.

"There's no magic," The basilisk said, sniffing slightly. It confused Willow further, "Everyone who has magic leaves a residue even in death. You witches don't smell it, but trust me when I say that real Luz has more power than she would ever use."

Willow blinked dumbfoundedly. She never considered the information she received. To learn that her human friend had access to powerful magic was not something she would predict in her wildest dreams.

"You had no idea, didn't you?" Vee asked, noting the witch's expression, "Well, you'd be shocked to know what I know about her," She added, chuckling nervously, "Or rather about the demon living inside her," She clarified.

Willow let go of the scalpel and sighed heavily. She started worrying about things she was about to find during that mission. She knew Odalia was deranged, but this was slowly beginning to be slightly above her pay grade.

"So, long story short, someone sucked magic from this body?" Willow asked without looking at the other woman.

"I don't think so," The basilisk whispered, thinking hard, "I think that whatever they tried to achieve, they did not manage to duplicate the demon's magic…"

"They cloned Luz in her harpy form with no magic?" Willow clarified, and Vee nodded reluctantly.

"It would seem so," The basilisk added and fell silent.

"But why did they clone Amity?" The witch asked and did not dare interrupt the silence filling the morgue.

"There's only one way to find out," Vee finally said, her voice heavy, "We need to check other bodies," She explained, and Willow's expression hardened.

The witch knew what that meant. They were about to cut open body after body until they would come to a logical conclusion on what Odalia and Philip were trying to achieve. She dreaded the moment she agreed to accompany Hunter on this mission.

Hunter guided Gus away from the morgue, hoping to spare him the trauma that was going to haunt his girlfriend for the unforeseeable future. The young witch did not need to see his friends being cut open.

The blonde man decided to utilize his friend's skills and distract him simultaneously. They entered a dark room, and once Hunter turned on the lights, they were welcomed with the view of the dusty Library.

"Woah," Gus let out an expression of awe, "This is creepy…" He noted, eyeing the bookshelves filled with books about Healing Magic, Oracle Magic, Necromancy, and many other dark arts.

"Yeah…" Hunter agreed, "I was never allowed here before," He added, and Gus froze mid-step.

"Hold on!" The younger witch exclaimed, "Are you telling me you've been here before?" He asked with a higher pitch than usual. Hunter sighed heavily and looked aside.

"He's a friend, right? Darius said I should let more people in…" The Coven Scout thought, fighting his insecurities, "I mean, even Blight let people in, and it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her…"

"Hunter?" Gus's voice dragged the older man out of his stupor. The magenta and dark eyes met, and it was abundantly clear that the blonde was going through something.

"Let's take a seat," Hunter offered, "I dragged you all the way here without being entirely honest about myself," He bit his lower lip hesitantly, "You followed me without asking any questions, so the least you deserve is truth," He added, sitting heavily at the table.

"Okay…?" Gus looked at his friend worriedly, "I see that it's difficult for you to open up, so let me just say upfront that whatever it is, I'm here for you," He added with the most supportive voice he could have mustered.

"Th-thanks," Hunter muttered nervously. He sighed heavily and then looked at the younger man, "So, you know I grew up in an abusive home. That's why I enrolled in the Empire Coven and worked my ass off in the Domestic Violence Department…"

"Mhm…" Gus nodded, confirming that was what Hunter told him during the summer vacation in the Human Realm.

"What I omitted was that my uncle was not really my uncle… More like my creator," The magenta eyes looked aside in shame and anger.

"So what Vee said before…"

"Yeah…" Hunter confirmed, "I'm a Grimwalker," He found the courage to look at his friend and was shocked to see the expression of care and support, "I was created out of some magical items and a human," He explained, "That's why I can't do magic without Flapjack," He added and sighed again. The tension left his body when his Palisman perched on his shoulder and offered a supportive trill.

"So, you grew up in here?" Gus asked, seeing how his friend was feeling more comfortable.

"Sort of…" Hunter admitted, "When I crawled out of the mud, I was already three years old… Or at least that's what I looked and felt like," He said, "My… Philip was not a kind person. He taught me how to fight and started using me to hunt and steal as soon as I was strong enough to hold a weapon," He continued his story, "If I failed to accomplish my mission…" He paused, recalling his childhood, "He was not a forgiving man…"

The heavy silence fell on the Library. Gus did not know how to support his friend but now understood Hunter's panic attacks and nightmares better. He just wished he had known earlier to help his friend better.

"So, how did you end up with Darius?" Gus asked, unsure if it was all right to pry.

"Well…" Hunter looked at the ceiling as if he were counting years, "It was after one mission I failed big time," He looked back at Gus, "I don't even remember what I was supposed to do. I just remember the aftermath. I was maybe ten at the time. Philip punished me. He always did. But that time, he totally lost it. He beat me, electrocuted me, whipped me… And left me in the Bonesborough gutter to die," Gus covered his lips in shock. He was not surprised by the story but by how Hunter spoke calmly.

"I woke up in Darius's house. He healed me, fed me, and offered a home," The Coven Scout paused for a moment. His lips twitched a little at the memory, "For a long time, I thought he wanted to take advantage of me. I could not study in a normal school, so he tutored me at home and helped me enroll in the Empire Coven when I was barely sixteen. That's where I met Lilith," Gus raised his brow questioningly.

"Luz's aunt, Eda's sister," Hunter explained, "Once she noticed I omitted in one report that her niece is a 'dangerous' Owl Beast, she started warming up to me and took me under her tutelage," He chuckled a little, "That's like, the shortest possible version of this story," He concluded.

They sat silently. Hunter finally felt uncomfortable under his friend's dark gaze. He could not decipher his look but was glad he told his story. It was getting bothersome to keep everyone but Willow in the dark.

"That's why you like Chief O'Bailey!" Gus suddenly exclaimed. The magenta eyes widened in shock before Hunter burst out laughing wholeheartedly.

"That's your takeaway from this?" The blonde wiped the rogue tear away, calming down.

"That's all that matters to me," Gus replied with a supportive smile, "You're still the same Hunter I met all these months ago. Whether you are a Grimwalker or a clone from an enemy planet, you're still my friend," He added, and Hunter felt his eyes sting with tears. He blinked rapidly, looked aside, and cleared his throat.

"We were supposed to do a research here…" The blonde murmured with shame, trying to change the subject. Gus snickered at that and stood up.

"Right," The younger man giggled, "Let's get to it then. Lead the way," He said, and Hunter did just that, "Chief…" He added in a supportive tease.

Hunter's ears nervously twitched at the nickname, but he smiled nonetheless. It felt good to open up to someone despite the overwhelming fear of rejection. He now knew Gus was indeed his friend. He did not care about his origins but only about who he really was.

They looked at the bookshelves and picked books with the thinnest layer of dust. They set up a research area at the table closest to the doors and flipped through the pages, learning more about the operation run in this ominous facility.

Emira followed her sister into the Blight Family Catacombs. She dreaded the moment her foot passed the threshold. She had enough bad memories tied to this place. She recalled how she helped Edric, wished she was brave enough to help Amity, and blamed herself for parting ways with her sister.

The Healer always thought she was the one to blame. She was the older sibling and was supposed to care for Amity. Meanwhile, she wallowed in the pain of losing her twin, running to the safety that Viney offered her with no regard for her baby sister, leaving her behind and starting her life anew. She wanted to do better.

"Amity, where are we going?" Emira asked when she noticed how her sister rushed through the corridors.

"I need to check one thing before going to the study," She replied plainly. The green-haired woman wanted to ask another question, but she was speechless when she realized they arrived at the chamber where Luz was held captive, "There's something strange about this… Like, I know this place," Amity tried to explain.

The lavender-haired woman inspected the room. She felt uneasy. The chains in the ceiling, the tools spread out on the floor, and the dried-up blood looked terrifying and familiar at the same time. The lavender head shook, chasing away strange thoughts.

Emira followed her sister in, and her eyes roamed the room. The Healer gulped, taking in the torture chamber for the very first time. She knew that was where Luz's life ended, where her twisted mother poisoned the human to kill Amity, and where the human's blood still remained.

"Have you ever been here before?" Amity broke the silence, eyeing the familiar-looking glove.

"I…" Emira did not know what to say. Should she tell Amity she once followed Odalia, trying to prevent her from torturing Edric? She did not want to admit she was a coward who did nothing to save her sister from the same fate, "I was…" She could not lie.

"What is it, Em?" Amity faced her sister. The Heiress's voice was filled with distress, "Have I been here before? Before coming here with Luz? Why does it feel so familiar?" She urged, hoping to receive an answer.

"Amity, I…" Emira was torn apart.

"I know, I know…" Amity interrupted, lifting her hands and backing down, "You can't tell me anything…" She bit her lower lip and hugged herself. The pale hands balled the charcoal tunic.

"Amity? Are you okay?" Emira asked, approaching her sister.

"Yeah…" The lavender head turned aside, ears slanting nervously, "Luz taught me to follow my instincts, and it's confusing as hell," She admitted. Emira noticed a small smile when her sister mentioned the human, "But I know I was here before…" She looked up at the other set of golden orbs with determination.

"Do you want to tell me more about it?" Emira asked anxiously, unsure what her sister was going through.

"I want to tell you ALL about it, Em," Amity admitted, "I was so scared and defensive…" She paused to gather the courage, "Whatever was done to me," The Heiress admitted to her suspicions for the first time, "I know the answers are somewhere in mo…" She choked. Something was wrong, "Oh, wow…" She blinked rapidly, shocked by her reaction. She shook her head as if she tried to get rid of dizziness.

"In mother's?" Emira tried to help.

"In Odalia's laboratory," Amity said with determination, shocking her sister, "Let's go," She added, passing her sister by and leaving the chamber.

"W-wait, Mittens!" Emira called behind the Heiress, rushing after the younger woman.

"What the hell is going on?" They thought simultaneously.

Amity stomped through the Catacombs, shocked she knew precisely where she was going. She was glad Emira agreed to join her because she was already freaking out, panicking with what she was about to find out.

"Are you okay?" Emira asked when she noticed how her sister froze upon entering their destination.

"Em?" Amityʼs voice quivered, "How did I know where I was going?" She faced the older witch. Emira looked at her sister reluctantly, "I know, I know…" The younger woman entered the room and turned on the lights, "You can't tell me anything," She repeated, approaching the desk, "But I know I was never allowed in here, so how do I know where everything is?" She asked, retrieving the right key to open the drawer.

The room looked like a small library. The delicate light shone with an orange glow, and the oversized desk, with messily scattered books and journals, immediately dragged the witches' attention. They ignored the tall bookshelves that wore signs of frantic search and immediately approached the study area.

"Woah," Emira whispered when she noticed the closest stack of notes while she retrieved more documents from the desk.

"What is it?" Amity asked, noting how her sister tried to hide the papers, "Em?" She looked at the Healer sternly.

"Just…" Emira hesitated, "Take it easy," She added and handed Amity the notes she had found.

"Oh…" The Heiress felt her legs weaken, "My Titan…" She gasped when she noticed a rough sketch of a human.

It looked like the ones from Emira's books. The pages were filled with sketches of body parts, noting where they were located and how they differed from the witch's organs. It was too disturbing.

"What is that?" The Heiress gasped, going through the notes.

"Amity?" Emira tried to get her sister's attention. The frantic expression worried her.

"Did she…?" Amity choked, her ears fluttered, "Did she hurt Luz?" She gazed up at her sister, who looked away sheepishly, "Don't even come up with a lie that there's another human on the Isles," She said sternly.

"That wouldn't even be a lie," Emira thought, but she decided against outing Danielle.

"Em," Amity said sternly, "These notes list the weak points of the human body," She placed the notes on the table, "This one lists the ideas of how to stimulate them to note pain levels!" Her ears fluttered in anger.

"You can read that?" Emira asked in shock, making her sister look at the notes again.

"Oh…" Amity just realized everything was written in Demonic, "You don't?" She asked in return.

"She never forced me to learn it as much as she forced you or Edric," The older sister explained. Amity looked aside and nodded in understanding.

"She hurt Luz, didn't she?" Amity asked. The way Emira clenched her jaw was all the answer she needed, "I had this feeling for weeks now, Em…" The Heiress said, her tone much softer.

"What do you have in mind?" Emira asked worriedly, reluctantly eyeing her sister.

The younger woman's blank expression worried the Healer. The Heiress looked like she was about to be executed. Admitting her most personal thoughts was not easy, especially with how she still heard a nagging voice telling her not to trust the green-haired witch.

"I…" Amity hesitated, "I donʼt even know how to explain it, Em…" She bit her lower lip, "I noticed it already back at the Clinic…"

"That you were less defensive around Luz?" Emira asked.

"That I felt safe only beside her…" Amity explained, "The feeling that I knew her before the accident is so strong, I believe it to be true… I just…" She hesitated again.

"Oh, Titan, am I really going to say that out loud?" Amity fought her insecurities.

"I donʼt know who she was to me," She concluded sheepishly, her slanted ears burned with blush.

"Do you have any suspicions about it, too?" Emira asked, realizing how her sister's face flushed crimson red.

"Let's keep looking," Amity swiftly changed the subject, getting up and approaching the tall bookshelf on her right.

"I'm here whenever you're ready," Emira reassured, following her sister's example, who only nodded in acknowledgment.

They went through the shelves separately. It did not take long for them to ignore the thick books when they found personal journals. They did not talk much, trying to decipher the notes, sharing two stacks - written in Demonic and not.

"Em?" Amity broke the silence, her ears fluttered in anxiety, "Have you found something about Grimwalkers?" She asked, and Emira nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah," Emira confirmed, "About Grimwalkers and mixing genetic material," She added, "There are too many notes in Demonic for me to get the full picture, but this is some weird shit!" She turned one of the journals around to share with her sister, "See that list of names? It looks like a hitlist or something. I don't recognize all of them, but at least half of them are the Coven Heads," She pointed out.

"I think you might be onto something," Amity said passionately, "I found notes on Beast Keeping… That makes no sense in comparison," She presented her journal.

Emira gulped when she noticed the drawing of the Owl Beast. She realized Amity must have been unconscious the entire time when Luz snatched her to safety. Then again, a new question arose.

"Why would Odalia be interested in the Owl Beast?" The Healer wondered.

"Let me see that," Emira asked for the journal, and she continued to read.

"The being we know as the Owl Beast - Strigi. It was a creature as old as Titans. It lived when Collectors roamed the world. What a waste to have it merged with Edalyn Clawthorne."

"Oh, personal Odalia's notes," Emira noticed, "I hope Amity didn't read that far…"

"Even if it was not merged with the Wild Witch, it was fortuitous that it was transferred to her pet. It was so easy to intercept it, even if that pathetic substitute for Amity almost messed everything up."

The notes became more chaotic from then on, proving that her mother's plan was falling apart. Emira flipped through the pages and nervously gulped when she found the list of everything Odalia did to Luz.

"Holy Titan, how did she survive all that?!" The Healer wondered when she saw the horrific procedures the human had survived.

"That's it. Another failure! I need to utilize the remains of my Grom Potion, just in case. This should take care of everyone. I'm getting frustrated, but I will get that power… If not that way, my side project would be the only shot I have to deliver as promised."

"What the…?" Emira gasped.

"I have something else…" Amity paused and paled, "Emira?" Her voice shook with panic.

"What is it, Mittens?" The older sister asked worriedly, looking up.

Amity kept reading. Her eyes roamed the pages frantically, and her ears fluttered unevenly. The dark brows tied in a strange expression filled with a mixture of disbelief and outrage. Emira noticed how her sister's breathing hitched before becoming shallow.

"Amity?" The Healer asked. Amity did not reply, but her hand unknowingly traveled to the center of her chest, "Talk to me…" She pleaded, taking note of her sister's distress.

"E-Em?" Amity suddenly shot up from her chair, dropping the journal immediately, "Wh-what… No…" She mumbled, stepping away from their research area.

"Amity?" Emira followed her sister. She glanced at the journal. A passage on the Wild Witches caught her eye but now was not the time, "Calm down, Mittens. You're safe," She approached the distressed woman.

"D-don't…" Amityʼs breathing became raspy while she tried to catch a breath. Her back made a painful contact with the bookshelf. A few books fell to the floor, "M-mother!?" She gasped, slowly sliding to the floor, still clenching her chest. The burgundy trouser-adorned legs kicked, trying to push away.

"Amity!" Emira called urgently, jumping forward, "Come on! Talk to me!" She begged, grabbing her sister's shoulders, afraid of how the younger witch wheezed, trying to breathe.

Amity did not hear the panicked call. She was overwhelmed with a painful throbbing in her chest while strange visions blinded her. She could not understand what she saw. Her motherʼs face hovered above her. Piercing, blue eyes glared at her with disgust.

"M-mother…" Amity gasped, and her legs kicked the floor in panic, trying to crawl away.

"Amity!" Emira called louder, trying to reach her sister.

"Think! What would Luz do?" The Healer thought anxiously, "Do what Eda did!"

"Okay, come here," Emira forced her sister away from the bookshelf and pulled her close tightly in a firm hug, "Shh, shh, shh, you're alright," She whispered and began to rock.

"N-no… Please…" Amity gasped, worrying her sister further.

Odalia's face twisted in a devilish grin that haunted the younger witch was unbearable. The images of Amity's mother hitting her, casting tortuous spells, and closing in dark rooms flashed before her eyes.

"Ka'arh naagh, havah krit'ah…" The Healer sang a soft lullaby, but it did not work. Amity was completely out of touch, getting more distressed by a second.

"Damn it, our song is not working," Emira realized, thinking hard about how to help her sister, "What was that melody Danielle used?" She wondered, seeing how Amity was getting more incapacitated. She did her best to recall the melody and started humming.

"I'll keep you safe, Mija, I promise…" The Heiress heard a strangely familiar voice.

Amity wheezed again, inhaling sharply. She did not understand why her motherʼs face became blurrier. The green hair morphed into a pair of dark green eyes. The Heiress could have sworn she knew those orbs, but she could not have put a finger on them.

"M-mamá…" Amity stuttered, shocking her sister, "¿Dónde estás, Mamá?" She gasped, and her body immediately stiffened.

"Mittens!" Emira exclaimed, understanding what was about to happen.

Amity's limbs straightened, her nails lengthened, stretching her skin, and her back arched painfully, forcing Emira to help her lay on the dirty floor. The Healer watched her sister with fear, securing her head.

"Youʼre safe, Mittens," Emira cooed, "Iʼm not leaving you, Sis," She reassured.

The Healer could have sworn she noticed a glance of gratitude before the golden eyes rolled up. The pointy ears hugged the lavender head, the pink lips foamed, and the hurt body released a powerful wave of magic as the seizure took its full force.

While Emira held her sister secure, helping her through the attack, Amity was blinded by the strangest visions. She had seen how Odalia cuffed her in the chamber that she had just inspected. Despite her best attempts to call for help, no one heard her scream.

Another vision brought a paralyzing image of how Odalia tried to remove Amity's power, digging her fingers into her chest. The Heiress could not believe it to be true. Her Mother would never hurt her.

"If you can't make use of this power, I will!" Odalia's voice echoed painfully in Amityʼs mind, "One way or another!" She vowed.

A new image haunted the younger witch. She could clearly see how her Mother forced a knife into her juvenile hand. A dark-skinned boy screamed in agony when Amity cut his chest, making him bleed.

"You're just as pathetic as your brother!" Odalia's growl deafened Amity, and a loud slap echoed in the room when an older hand made contact with the tear-stained juvenile face.

The vision of how her Mother beat her, forcing her to control her outbursts while taking control of her Wild Magic, burned the ends of her nerves. Amity could swear she was again going through every punishment Odalia ever brought her.

"Mommy, please," Amity heard herself beg. It only brought more fury and torture.

New visions blinded the Heiress. She saw clearly how she was starved, forced to control her urges, how she was beaten up only to be healed immediately, leaving no mark behind, and how she was constantly humiliated and ridiculed by the person who was supposed to be there to help and support her.

"That's why Emira left you, Mittens!" Odalia hissed, "Why do you think your father doesn't want you around anymore?" She added, and Amity wailed loudly, "Pathetic!"

"Amity, you're safe," Emira cooed, trying to reach her sister.

"Titan, how is Luz strong enough to see her like this?" The Healer wondered, heartbroken at the sight, "How is she strong enough to share her pain?" Another question followed.

Amity seized for minutes, releasing her magic while her nails scratched the floor, and her rolled-up eyes shone the magenta glow of Odalia's spell. Despite years of experience as a Healer, Emira felt unprepared to help her sister. She felt helpless and weak.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Amityʼs body calmed, and the seizure began to cease. The Heiress let out a pitiful whimper, and her jaw finally relaxed. Her eyelids fluttered, and her ears stopped twitching. She fought the overwhelming weakness, but she was too weak. She lost consciousness.

Emira exhaled shakily, releasing the lavender head from her hold, soothing the mauve hair. She did not realize when she had started crying. Her hands deliriously shook as she tried to regain calm. She had no idea how long it lasted but finally gathered the courage and strength to act.

The Healer grabbed the journals they found before bringing her sister into a secure hold. She did not use the Levitation Spell, feeling the need to keep the woman she felt responsible for close. It did not take long for Emira to rush toward the Clinic, unaware of the tears continuously escaping her eyes.

Willow and Vee were exhausted. They had enough after cutting open half a dozen bodies and comparing the results of genetic mixing. With a silent understanding, they decided to take a break and look for Gus and Hunter.

They found the men in the small study. They did not talk as they were too focused on the research. The wide desk they sat by was covered with scrolls, journals, and books. Willow approached her boyfriend and delicately touched his shoulder.

"Willow!" Hunter exclaimed, startled by the sudden intrusion, "Did you find anything?" He asked, pausing his research.

"Yeah," Willow sighed heavily, sitting beside her boyfriend, "They used the Grimwalker magic to clone Luz, attempting to get the Owl Beast's magic," She explained.

"But we don't know what they wanted with Amity. Her cloned bodies were the perfect copy of the original," Vee butted in, "Well, minus the bile sac," She added. The shorter witch did not miss the look Hunter and Gus shared.

"What is it?" Willow asked, tying her brows.

"Well," Gus hesitated, "We found something disturbing, too," He grabbed one of the journals, "They planned to use the basilisks' ability to suck magic to get the same result," He said, handing Willow the journal.

"Did you find what they wanted to achieve?" Vee asked while the green eyes rushed through the text.

"No clue," Gus shrugged.

"We found some notes that would indicate a coup, but that makes no sense," Hunter pointed to the scroll he read, "The coup would require an army, and Odalia was alone," He added confusedly.

"She was?" Willow was confused.

"At least after she killed Philip," Gus said, "She found out he lied to her about his origins. She did not take it lightly," She explained, presenting another journal.

"He was a human!?" Vee exclaimed in disbelief.

"That explains a lot to me," Hunter butted in.

Silence filled the room while Willow and Vee went through the journals the men had found. Everything seemed too unbelievable to be true. They packed everything, taking notes to study them later before continuing their search of the underground facility.

Once they decided on what journals and books they should take back with them to the surface, they continued their path through the darkened corridor. They did not dare to speak. Their nerves were on ten, but they continued with their mission.

"Stop," Gus suddenly whispered, startling everyone, "There's light coming from that room," He pointed to the door at the far end of the adjacent corridor they almost ignored.

"This place is like a maze," Willow muttered, but she followed the group immediately.

"That's why I take notes," Gus showed his provisional map, listing the turns they took.

Willow was too lost in her thoughts to appreciate her friend's creativity or to realize the group stopped in their tracks when they entered the dimly lit room. When she bumped into Hunter, she finally looked around, her jaw slacking in fear and shock.

"Wh-what is that place?" She squeaked with a trembling voice.

The green eyes widened in shock when Willow understood what the source of the light was. Nine, ten-feet-wide, twenty-feet-tall cylinders filled with a cloudy, opaque, greenish, fluorescent liquid filled the room. The witch stepped forward when she noticed a dark shadow in the closest container.

"Willow, don't!" Hunter tried to stop his girlfriend, but she shrugged his hand off her shoulder.

"There's something inside," Willow said, explaining her action.

Hunter knew something was in there. He had seen a cylinder like that before, and he hoped to Titan he could forget that day. Before he could say anything else, Willow stood before the cylinder, extending her hand to reach for it.

"Willow, no!" Hunter exclaimed, but it was too late.

When Willow's hand made contact with the cylinder, a bluish light from its base illuminated all nine liquid-filled containers. Gus squealed in fear. Vee slapped her lips to muffle her scream, regaining her demonic form. Hunter exhaled sharply while his girlfriend was unaware of the tears that escaped her eyes, watering her full cheeks.

"L-L-Luz?" Willow whispered in fear, shock, and disbelief.

Whatever was held in the cylinder was not her best friend. The tan, deformed body was a painful result of the unsuccessful mutation. The limbs did not even look human, frozen in a state between a human and demonic shape. Her face was twisted in agony with her jaw wide open, moved to one side, and her fangs unevenly grown out.

Willow circled the container and noticed one shoulder blade had expanded off the tan back, breaking the dead skin, and the brown feathers surrounded the wound. The shape of the overgrown spine stretched the tan organ painfully.

Willow could not hear anything but a deafening pounding in her slanted ears, not feeling her numb body. Her breathing hitched. She lowered herself, leaning on her knees when she felt nauseated, trying to comprehend what she just witnessed. Gus wanted to approach his friend, but Hunter stopped him when he noticed a greenish aura escaping his girlfriend's body.

Suddenly, Willow realized there were eight other cylinders, and she dreaded learning what they obscured. She released a shaky, calming breath and turned around, facing the one directly behind her. She gasped in fear when she noticed the familiar-looking corpse floating in the liquid.

Gus slowly approached his friend, not believing what they looked at. A naked, pale body, surrounded by a thick mane of auburn-colored hair, was stretched out with nails lengthened and back arched in pain. The unscarred chest was cracked open. The immobile heart was missing its bile sac, leaving a deep recess around the smaller left lung.

Hunter and Vee joined the other witches in time for them to comprehend what they were looking at. Willow faced her boyfriend and noticed he was just as shocked about their discovery. The basilisk exhaled shakily, forcing herself to regain her human-looking form. It was too much for them.

Without a word, Willow approached the cylinder farthest from the entrance. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, and her magical aura's uncontrollable eruption was entirely understandable. The witch looked aside before she gathered the courage to look up and learn what the container had stored.

The pupils shrank in the green orbs when Willow's gaze landed on the last body. The horrific, disfigured shape looked like an experimental mishap in an attempt to combine Luz and Amity's genetic material. The pale hands had lengthened, disfigured fingers, and the legs looked like broken bird-shaped stilts covered tightly with tan skin.

The image of the face contorted in agony burned in Willow's mind. The black, immobile, dead eyes contrasted the ghostly shade of dead skin while the purplish lips obscured long, demonic fangs.

Willow could have sworn the pointy, feather-covered ears twitched, but it must have been her mind playing games, overwhelmed with everything they learned. However, she was sure she heard a weak, familiar-sounding whimper.

Willow forced her gaze away from the horrific view and followed the sound. Her ears twitched when the sound repeated, and she realized another room was hidden on the other side of the storage. She shared a hesitant look with the rest of the group and headed toward the double door.

Hunter tailed Willow with Gus and Vee in tow. His girlfriend was hesitant but determined to understand what was behind that facility. The short witch entered the last room and immediately heard a regular beeping behind the snow-white curtain.

She hesitantly approached the material, dreading hearing the raspy, wheezy breathing. Willow slid it aside, revealing the gurney surrounded by strange, life-sustaining equipment. The witch froze when her green orbs met the mixture of gold and black-gold eyes.

Hunter and the others joined the Willow, but no one could say anything. The image before them petrified them. A creature with Amity's distinct features looked at them pleadingly. It lifted the pale, partially deformed hand as if begging for help.

Whoever was responsible for this nightmare had the decency to cover the creature's crotch with a stripe of white cloth. A bunch of feathers covered the pale, starved stomach. The bare chest was cracked open, and some wires were attached to the bile sac, pulsating softly, gathering the mixture of fuchsia and golden fluid to the container beside the gurney.

The right hand looked practically like Luz's harpy paw, while the left remained witch-like. Another wheezing gasp dragged Willow's gaze to the deformed face, surrounded by greasy brown hair.

The left side of the face looked like a perfect copy of Amity. The left gold eye made it simpler to look at her. Yet the right one was black-gold, surrounded by feathers spread across the face's other half.

Willow gulped and stepped closer, standing beside the hybrid's left side. The green eyes took in the image of the deformed body. The left leg still resembled Amity's, while the right was twisted between transformations. It looked neither human nor demon nor witch-like.

A sudden hold on Willow's forearm alerted everyone, and another wheezing gasp echoed in the room. The short witch lifted her hand, letting her companions know she was safe. The look in the hybrid's eyes was desperate, begging for mercy.

"Wheee…" The creature gasped harshly, its voice distorted in a mixture of Luz's and Amity's tone, "Willow…" It managed out, "H-heeeeeelp…" It added. The plea did something to Willow.

"Amity?" The witch asked. She knew that depersonalizing would not do any good. The hybrid nodded, "What happened to you?" She asked confusedly.

"I… Don't… Know…" Amity gasped harshly, trying hard to communicate, "Woke up… Here…" She continued, hoping to be saved, "Whereʼs… Luz?" She asked worriedly.

Everybody froze. What were they supposed to say? Willow could have sworn that something squeezed her heart in agony, realizing this creature was a version of her best friend who was still capable of love and care.

"Do you know what you are?" Vee butted in, shocking everyone.

"Am-Amity…" The hybrid gasped, "Iʼm Amity… Blight…" Her breathing was slowly improving. The lungs, visible through the cracked chest, expanded more freely, "Iʼm not sure… I'm Amity…" Everyone but Willow exchanged worried looks, "Not… Really…"

The short witch was still frozen, taking in the partially demonic features of her friend. Suddenly, the hold on her forearm loosened, and the pale hand limply fell onto the mattress. Willow took delicate hold of her friend's clone's hand, earning a shocked, wheezing gasp.

"Amity," Willow softly addressed the hybrid, "Can you tell us what's happened to you?" She asked, forcing a reassuring expression.

"I…" The hybrid clenched its eyes briefly before opening them again, trying hard to focus, "H-hurts…"

"Let me help," Gus stepped forward. He drew a small spell circle and cast a spell directed at the hybrid's head, "This should do the trick," He added. His lips twitched as he forced himself to soften his scared expression. Everyone was shocked to see the creature breathe more easily.

"Thank you," Amity gasped, taking a deep breath, her distorted voice filled with relief.

"It's just an illusion. You're still in pain," Gus explained.

"It's the first time I haven't felt it since I woke up," Amity whispered, closing her eyes and smiling contentment.

"So what happened here?" Willow asked again, taking a cloth to cover her friend's bare, cracked chest, giving her the dignity of hiding her breasts.

"I…" The hybrid hesitated, "I remember Luz coming to help me at the Manor… She fought my Mother, and then everything went dark," She spoke, trying to take calm breaths, "I woke up here," She gulped, staring at the ceiling, recalling everything.

Willow's hold on her hand tightened reassuringly. The green eyes observed the hybrid fearfully. She could not believe what she was hearing. How could anyone be so twisted to hurt their child that way?

"I thought Odalia was sick before, but now…? Fucking Titan!" Willow could not stop her racing mind.

"At first I was not here…" Amityʼs voice dragged the short witch back to reality, "Philip was there…" Her voice trembled as she closed her eyes momentarily.

"Did he force himself on you?" Willow asked shakily.

"No… Not this time," Amity looked aside with shame, her ears slanted, "He cut me open," She whispered barely audibly, blinking rapidly, chasing tears away, "They drained my bile sac, used it to power up the Portal Door… Thatʼs what they called it anyway," She explained when she realized how everybody exchanged their looks.

"If they drained your bile sac, how are you alive?" Hunter asked, getting everyone's attention.

"They never emptied it. They took just enough to leave me barely alive," Amity explained, "I would rather die," She gasped, closing her eyes again, releasing tears.

"Amity, please, can you tell us more?" Willow whispered.

"Am I in trouble?" Amity asked worriedly, "The real me, not this monstrosity they made me," She gestured to herself with her right, deformed hand.

"We believe you are," Willow confirmed, blinking her tears away.

"We need to know what they wanted to do with you," Hunter said, standing beside his girlfriend, eyeing her worriedly.

"No way," Amity smiled widely. Her deformed face brought chills to everyone's spines, but at the same time, her expression was so familiar, "Congrats, Willow. The uniform sure would look good on you," She added. Willow could not stop but snorted.

"This is exactly what you said the first time around," The short witch explained, regaining her composure.

"Did they force me to kill everyone already?" Amity asked, scaring the witches.

"Everyone? Who were you supposed to kill?" Hunter asked.

"Amity," Willow whispered, getting the hybrid's attention, "Odalia wiped your memory. We don't know what she did, but you're not yourself. You don't know who I am, you don't know who Luz is…"

"What?" Amity interrupted, her eyes teared down immediately.

"She can't undo this because she's dead," Willow continued, "Do you know what she wanted? Why would she do that?" She asked, but the hybrid cried, unable to respond.

"The… The Coven Council," Amity gasped between cries, "She wanted to take over the Boiling Isles… Philip gave her the idea," She did her best to explain, "She trained me to kill and torture, to be obedient…" She chocked.

Willow glanced at Hunter. The man trembled in fear, knowing that Philip did precisely the same thing to him. Yet, he never knew why he was treated like an assassin, a perfect weapon with no emotion.

"She needed my power," Amity said, interrupting Hunter's stupor, "She wanted even more… But I refused… I fought," She gasped harshly. Everyone looked at Gus, realizing his spell was weakening.

"S-sorry," Gus gasped shakily and refocused on the spell, easing the hybrid's pain and wiping his teary eyes.

"That's why she made me torture my friends…" The hybrid continued her story, "That's why she told me to cut ties with Willow…"

"No attachments," Willow whispered. Amity nodded in confirmation.

"I take it Luz was an unpredictable component in her plan?" Hunter asked. Amity grinned, looking into the reddish eyes.

"She did her best to ensure no one would love me," The hybrid whispered. Her smile faded, "I remember she said that it could break the spell," Amity added, "But I don't know what spell," She said, looking aside.

"Who were you supposed to kill, Amity?" Hunter asked more urgently, afraid that the real Amity would be forced to do something everyone would regret.

"She wanted me to start with Darius Daemonne and Eberwolf…" The hybrid choked, pausing when the pain returned to her, "Lilith Clawthorne was the last on the list…" She wheezed, "But Philip disagreed… I heard them argue," She continued, blinking tears away.

Everyone heard Gus's shaky exhale as he tried to control his emotions to strengthen the spell and comfort the clone. The hybrid's breathing calmed, and she was ready to continue.

"They fought," Amity said, "Odalia said something about the coup, Titan Trappers, and the Owl Beast," She continued, confusing everyone, "Philip wanted to create the Grimwalkers of the Coven Heads to control the Isles, but he also…" She choked, pausing momentarily, "He said something about the Child From the Stars, whatever that was… He wanted a draining spell…" The golden gaze landed on the basilisk before tearing down helplessly.

"Amity… Do you know anything about the commands Odalia could use to cast a spell?" Gus asked. The hybrid nodded, refocusing on the witches.

"To cast a spell, to restrict my magic, to…" Amity paused, closing her eyes momentarily, her ears slanted again, "To make me attack and kill… She had plenty," She explained, looking at Willow.

Amity started crying. The deformed face contorted in discomfort and despair. It looked like she could not focus anymore. Her memories were too painful while she remained chained to the bed, helplessly unable to fix everything.

"Amity, please, how can we help break the spell? Are you still in danger with Odalia gone?" Willow asked, but she received no answer.

"It's important…" Hunter added.

"I donʼt… I don't know…" Amity cried, her exposed heart beating rapidly, "How could I forget Luz…?" She circled back to what really mattered to her.

"Do you know why they would want the Owl Beast?" Hunter asked another question.

"N-not L-Luz…" The hybrid continued in panic. Her heart rate increased, and the magic bile flowed to the container beside the bed more rapidly, "M-my L-Luz…" She cried hard and shakily.

Willow could not take this anymore. At that moment, she did not see a deformed mishap of a sick experiment. The witch saw her childhood friend hurt and heartbroken. Without thinking, the short witch let go of the pale hand and pulled the hybrid into a powerful hug, trying to comfort the hurt woman, mindful of the gaping hole in her cloth-covered chest.

"Shh, shh, you're alright, Amity," Willow hushed, allowing the deformed woman to cry harder, "Iʼm gonna help you, Amity, I promise," She added, and the hybrid's cries began to incrementally decrease in force until they finally died.

"Kill me," Amity gasped into the hug. Willow instantly pulled away in shock and roamed the deformed face.

"Wh-what?" The witch whispered in disbelief.

"Kill me, Willow," Amity repeated, her distorted voice full of determination, "I should not exist. There's already an Amity in this world. One who isn't this!" She exclaimed, "Look at me, Willow. I'm artificially kept alive to harvest my bile…" She paused when the sudden surge of pain paralyzed her. Hunter looked at Gus and noticed his friend, ravaged with emotions, could not control the spell anymore. The dark eyes released a waterfall of tears.

"Amity, I can't…" Willow whispered, shaking her head, her ears slanted in distress and the sole idea.

"Please…" The mixed golden and black-gold eyes roamed the full face, "Youʼre, my best friend. Kill me, Willow. Don't leave me here alone, existing in the darkness until these machines stop working and I expire," She begged, grabbing Willow's hand desperately.

"I…" The short witch choked. The green eyes roamed the disfigured body frantically.

"Willow…" Amity begged again, pained wheezing returning. The said woman clenched her eyes shut, and her mind raced.

"Willow?" Hunter addressed his girlfriend worriedly. The short witch opened her eyes, and her gaze returned to the hybrid.

"Take Vee and Gus to the surface, Hunter," Willow's expression hardened. She helped the hybrid back to the mattress, "Amity, I'm sorry for everything that happened to you," She carefully caressed the brown hair.

"Let me help," Gus said, stepping forward, "I know you may not remember me…"

"Augustus…" The hybrid whispered, shocking everyone, "I missed you…" She added, a small smile adorning her face.

"We'll leave you to it," Hunter said, guiding Vee out. The basilisk was unspeakably happy to leave this place finally.

Willow nodded, never looking away from the hybrid. The gratitude in the differently colored eyes ensured she made the right decision despite how wrong it felt. She hoped that this horrific act would bring peace to this creature.

"Thank you," Amity whispered, her voice shaking with sobs.

"Should I just unplug the machine?" Willow asked, unsure how to proceed. Amity shook her head.

"Burn me… Burn everything," She requested, "Make sure there's not a single strand of my genetic material left to be used again," She explained.

"B-but I don't know the Fire Spell…" Willow tried to oppose.

"I taught you when we were kids," Amity lifted her feathery hand and drew a wobbly spell circle. Her strained bile sac worked overtime, paralyzing the hybrid with pain, "Try Willow," She encouraged the witch.

Willow gulped nervously, but she recreated the spell. She was shocked to see a small green flame appear above her hand. She watched it with awe and noticed the hybrid smile at the sight with pride.

"Are you ready?" Willow asked nervously.

"Are you?" Amity tried to joke. The mischievous smile looked too much like Luz's for Willow to remain calm.

"Amity, I'll make sure you won't feel much pain… As long as I can hold the spell, that is," Gus reassured, and the hybrid nodded with gratitude.

"Thank you…" Amity whispered, "Iʼm glad I can die with you by my side," She added.

Gus drew a spell circle and hovered it above the hybrid's head. He felt uneasy looking into the differently colored eyes but mustered a smile, seeing how it was still a version of his friends.

"Try to relax," Gus whispered.

"Goodbye," Amity whispered, closing her eyes and waiting for this torture to end.

Gus applied the spell and noticed how Willow was shocked to see the hurt woman smile in contentment. The younger witch helped his friend step back, watching her anxiously, knowing how difficult this was to her.

"It's okay, Willow. She thinks she's with Luz now," Gus whispered, explaining what he did to the hurt creature to ease her pain, "But we should hurry. I don't know how long I can hold the illusion," He added, but the other witch could not look away from the hybrid.

The cracked-open, cloth-covered chest with a still beating heart, the deformed body, the face that wore characteristics of her best friends, and the machines keeping her alive were too much. The flame above Willow's hand grew in power when she felt anger rising in her system. The green aura left her body, circling her like wildfire, reflecting ominously in her round glasses.

"How could Odalia do that to her daughter!?" Willow thought furiously and threw a fireball at the container that collected the magic.

Her aura grew further in power, leaving her body in irregular waves. Thick, thorny vines erupted from the floor when she guided another wave of the inferno at the hybrid. The feathers quickly caught fire. The body began to spasm, and the deformed body released a low, distorted howl of pain.

Willow froze, watching the Amity-looking woman writhe in torment. The ligaments snapped when the fire consumed the body. The roar of agony became unrecognizable when the inferno took over the opened chest and incinerated the vocal cords. The smell of burned protein filled the room.

"Come on, Willow!" Gus pulled the yellow jacket, "We need to go!" He urged, realizing that with the power the witch had released, the entire facility was about to burn to the ground.

The gurgling sound of Amity's dying breath assaulted the witches' ears, adding furnace to Willow's anger. She turned her back when she noticed the burning body ceased to move and twitch. The tears escaped the green eyes illuminated by the green glow.

"Willow!" Gus tried to reach his friend.

"Run," The woman whispered, unable to control herself.

How she hissed words let Gus know it was no time to argue with her. Willow felt a sudden, distressing pain at the end of her fingertips. She was shocked to see her primal nails for the first time in her life. She let out a feral howl. Her magic only grew in power that no one had seen since her childhood.

Willow stepped forward. The plants erupted from the floor with every step she took. The witch entered the storage room, crying hard at the sight of the deformed corpses - the failed experiments. She yelled furiously and directed more fire at the containers. The vines sneaked across the room and aided the inferno in the symphony of destruction.

Willow followed the corridor, taking a path they took to find Amity's clone, burning everything in her way. What the flame had not consumed, her vines destroyed. She could not stop herself.

Willow took an additional moment at the morgue, ensuring no remains of her friends' bodies prevailed. The limbs twitched as she burned the corpses. The horrific sight engraved itself in the witchʼs mind.

Willow did not know how she made it out of the facility. She was sure her Palisman helped her out. Hunterʼs voice made her realize she was back at the surface. She kept fuming, unable to control herself or her magic.

"Willow!" Hunter tried to reach his girlfriend, but she did not hear him.

For the first time, he was terrified of the short witch. How her magic escaped her body with no control, how her nails lengthened, how her eyes glowed eerily, scared the life out of him. Flapjack perched on Hunter's shoulder to protect him from the waves of destruction.

"Will, come on!" Gus joined his friend.

"My best friend…" Willow growled, falling to her knees helplessly. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her magic began to lose its destructive power, "I killed my best friend!" She wailed like a child. The witch removed her glasses and tried to wipe her eyes dry with no success.

"Shh, I gotcha," Hunter immediately knelt behind his girlfriend and pulled her in.

"I killed my… I killed Amity…" Willow continued to wail, but Hunter's soothing caresses helped her slowly calm and regain control of her magic, "I…" She gasped harshly when her magic died entirely.

She fell forward to all fours, and her lengthened nails scratched the ground while she kept harshly gasping for air. Hunter shared a worried look with Gus and Vee before refocusing on his girlfriend. Willow's hair ruffled, and she let out a long, distraught hiss, shocking her boyfriend. He had never seen her this panicked.

"Gack!" Willow vomited, shocking the distressed woman. Gus stepped away to give her some space, "Gh-ghwack!" She could not control her stomach, cramped with stress.

"Shh, shh, shh, it's okay. Let it out," Hunter cooed, understanding how difficult it must have been for his girlfriend.

"I'm… S-sorry…" Willow sobbed, "I… Gwack!" Another stomach cramp paralyzed her.

Hunter looked at Gus and Vee, trying to let them know they should leave them alone. They understood the silent plea, giving Willow the dignity of not staring at her while she tried to regain control over her stress-induced nausea.

Gus looked at the other witches from afar, glad his childhood friend had an amazing boyfriend who helped her through the most challenging experience of her life. He then faced the basilisk, and they prepared the camp and food.

Amity woke up sore and parched. The witch opened her eyes and was shocked to realize she was back at her studio. She sat in bed and shook her head, recalling what she had seen before passing out in the Catacombs.

"That couldn't happen, could it?" She wondered, unknowingly placing her hand on her chest, "Mother would never…" She paused when she realized something.

Amity thought about every memory she retrieved so far. Almost every vision was of Odalia being nothing but cruel to her. From the way she lied to control her, through starving her, to trying to remove her magic.

The Heiress shook her head to chase these thoughts away. The sounds of conversation caught her attention. She removed herself from the bed carefully before heading downstairs. Her legs felt weak, so she slowly descended to the Healers' quarters.

Emira and Viney sat by the brew table in their living room, discussing something, gesturing energetically. They paused when they noticed the younger witch. Amity roamed the women before her and understood they talked about her.

"H-hi?" The younger witch did not know what to say.

Amity was confused. While the Heiress's conscious mind told her to keep up her defenses, she thought these witches were there to support her. However, everything she learned helped her believe these women were there for her despite her defensive and rude actions.

"How do you feel, Honey?" Viney asked softly, hesitantly approaching her sister-in-law. Amity glared at her, hating the pet name.

"But why does it feel so familiar?" The Heiress wondered, letting it slide.

"Sore and thirsty…" Amity replied quietly. Viney helped her to the couch, offering her a glass of water, "Thank you…" She looked aside with shame, "Thank you, Viney," She added, trying to drop her defenses. The Healer smiled warmly at that.

"Youʼre welcome, Amity," Viney replied and returned to her seat, sharing a worried look with her wife.

"Did you recall something at the Catacombs?" Emira asked, dreading to hear the answer. Her sister nodded, reluctantly looking at the older Blight.

"Odalia…" Amity whispered, "I think…" She exhaled heavily, "She wanted my magic…" The Heiress rubbed her hands nervously. The two women before her exchanged looks, "But that can't be right… I mean, she's my Mother, right? She wouldn't want to hurt me?" She tried to convince herself.

"Why don't I believe it?" The Heiress thought.

"Amity…" Emira broke the silence, "What do you feel?" She asked, knowing how Luz helped her sister to follow her instincts.

"I…" Amity choked, "I feel that I was used, abused, and discarded," She said, surprising herself with the confidence she spoke with. She blinked rapidly, and her eyes widened, "Oh, my Titan…"

"What is it, Amity?" Viney asked worriedly.

"I was used, abused, and discarded," The Heiress repeated, and despite how awful it felt, she knew it was true.

"Mittens?" Emira shared a look with her wife, not understanding what was happening with her sister.

"I need to tell Luz about it!" Amity got to her feet urgently.

"Woah, easy, Sis," Emira stopped her sister's actions, "What do you want to tell Luz?" She asked, delicately guiding Amity to sit.

"That I was right. I told her at the Knee that I had a feeling that something was blocking my magic and altering my memories…" The Heiress rambled, "I think that whatever was done to me," She noticed how the Healers exchanged worried looks, "Made me forget what made me who I was. How Willow acted during the Ball was the first of many clues, but I was too scared to dig deeper…" She paused, blinking in realization, "I was made afraid to look for the truth…"

"Amity, please, take a deep breath," Emira took hold of her sister's hand, "We don't really know what was done to you," She hesitated if she should continue.

"Emira, tell me," The Heiress urged.

"You weren't supposed to wake up," Viney butted in, earning a frightened look from Amity and a furious glare from her wife, "What? She would figure it out sooner rather than later," She addressed Emira.

Amity could not speak. Her voice was lost to her. Her ears twitched anxiously while her gaze fixated on the floor. She thought about every memory she recalled before she finally found the pattern.

"It was all about how Mother tried to control me and how I found safety… Even if that person left me the moment, I lost my memory."

"Amity?" Emira dragged her sister from her torpor.

"I…" The Heiress choked. Amity's eyes widened in fear, and her hand traveled to her throat.

"It's okay, I get it. You don't have to speak," The older sister said, smiling, "Let's get you something to eat, and we can talk once you're ready," She added.

Amity nodded, accepting the kindness with gratitude. She knew how her Mother would react to her inability to speak and was shocked that her sister did not mind. On the contrary, she offered support and care.

In the next two days, Willow barely spoke with anyone. She could not sleep, haunted by Amity's agonized face, surrounded by flames that consumed her disfigured body. She could not help herself.

They continued their search, but the atmosphere was heavy. They have not found anything so drastic anymore, but they did discover a stash of Golderstones and broken Palismans. They could not find any information on what that would be kept for.

When they were about to lose hope of finding anything else, they came across a small wooden hut in the most remote part of the island. They all shared a knowing look, realizing how familiar it looked to the one they saw in the Human Realm.

Hunter led the way, reluctantly opening the front door. He froze, looking around. The interior seemed strangely familiar. The dark blue coat on a hanger felt almost personal. The Coven Scout entered the main room, allowing others to follow him.

"What is this place?" Gus asked, noting how Hunter behaved.

"The enemy planet," The blonde man replied absentmindedly, "It looks like Philip recreated his home from the Human Realm," He added, trying to make it clear.

"From what century?" Gus asked, watching the gun resting on the table.

"Seventeenth," Hunter replied, inspecting the desk, leaving everyone frozen in shock.

"You do know that would make Philip four hundred years old?" Vee asked and was taken aback by Hunter simply nodding in reply.

"You knew!?" Gus asked.

"He never hid it. I thought everyone knew," The Coven Scout replied. Hunter looked up, and his eyes roamed his friends' faces, "Oh… It's not normal?"

"No! It's not!" Willow snapped, "Cheating death is not normal, cloning people is not normal, abusing and mutating species is not…" She paused, feeling suddenly nauseated again. She took a deep breath and calmed down, "Let's search this place and leave," She finally instructed. No one dared argue.

They had yet to decipher the journals they found but had already learned a few things during their mission. Philip planned to take over the Isles for centuries and hoped to use the Blight family to accomplish his goal.

Odalia's xenophobia and unsatiated hunger for power destroyed his plans as she wanted to take control herself. She tried to use Amity as a tool in her quest, but the young Heiress rebelled.

Odalia then decided to create a perfect weapon. One that would listen to her every command and be so powerful that no one could stop it but Amity herself. That issue had to be taken care of.

Keeping the woman asleep, making her the perfect harvesting specimen for her magic bile and genetic material, was a fiendishly clever idea. However, Odalia did not consider that her daughter was not alone anymore. She had people ready to fight for her, ensuring her safety and happiness.

"Just how do I tell them what we found here?" Willow thought worriedly, knowing their return was inevitable.

Emira helped her sister eat a little before helping her rest some more. She knew the young witch would not admit it, but she was mentally exhausted with their little escapade to the Catacombs.

Once the Healer returned to her living quarters, she found her wife studying Odalia's journals. Emira returned to the couch and waited for Viney to finish reading the passage she was focused on.

"This is sick…" The brunette muttered.

"Hmm?" Emira had no energy to speak.

"These spells…" Viney had trouble formulating words, "The way your mother mixed Oracle and Illusion Magic was sick," She said.

"But?" Emira asked, and her wife looked at her.

"But they could be used to do some good," The brunette said. The golden eyes looked at Viney questioningly, "Like, listen," She handed her wife the journal, "Your mother was a psycho. She used the spells to torture people, capturing them in the neverending trauma. But we can use it to do something good…"

"You're confusing me, Hun," Emira admitted.

"You can keep the patient awake, but they will not feel pain. We could apply it similarly to the Human Realm anesthesia, but the patient would be reactive to physical pain while not feeling it," She explained to the best of her ability.

"You mean we could stop traumatizing people with the simplest procedures?" Emira could not believe what she heard. Viney nodded, smiling at the prospect, "You know this could revolutionize the Healing Magic as we know it?"

"I know," Viney said, smiling widely.

"But that would require a witch knowing both Oracle and Illusion Magic," Emira frowned.

"Well, I'm sure you could handle it, knowing Odalia was an Oracle and Ed was Illusion Master," Viney said, earning the famous Blight disapproving look, "But I wouldn't want you to have to do everything yourself…"

"You would want to hire a witch specializing only in keeping patients comfortable?" Emira interrupted.

"Equivalent to the anesthesiologist," Viney confirmed, "You have to admit that humans were not that foolish dividing Healing Magic into specialties, where one person focuses on one area of expertise," She added.

Emira looked back at the journal. She bit her lower lip hesitantly and thought over her wife's idea. It would be a tremendous improvement to the Healing Magic, but to use the technique found by a psychopath. She could not trust this idea.

"I need to talk about it with Zariyah," Emira said, breaking the silence.

"Of course," Viney replied, smiling warmly, "I wouldn't want to do anything without getting a second or third opinion."

"But we may have found ourselves a side project," Emira added, smiling at her wife.

"First things first," Viney's expression faded, "We need to get Amity back," She added.

"We'll get there. She's strong, resilient, and tragically stubborn…"

"Yeah, she's a Blight, alright," Viney interrupted, teasing her wife.

"Shut up," Emira scoffed, playfully hitting the brunette head with a pillow.

They did not know Amity sat on the stairs leading to her studio, listening to the conversation downstairs. Her eyes stared into the void, and her slanted ears occasionally twitched as she was coming to a life-changing realization.

"Whoever I was, they care about me…" The Heiress thought.

She lowered her forehead to her knees and shook her head in disbelief. During the weeks when she kept pushing everyone away, trying to do what her mother expected of her, these people were still there to support her.

"This ends tonight," Amity thought with determination, "I'm sick of trying to be someone I'm not only because it was Odalia's expectation…" She paused, realizing the thought of disobeying her mother still instilled fear.

The Heiress thought hard about the memories she recovered. The journals were the last clue to learn the truth. She knew there was still a lot she did not know about her past, but she was sure only one person could help her.

"I need to find Luz."