Up in New York, Alex was in her room sketching up new artwork to distract her from the events that had happened today. As usual, Justin was their father's perfect wizard student, and Alex herself was called out for thinking that demons weren't all bad. Every sketch she drew was of landscapes or random things that she thought went together. But there was one thing that she kept sketching in secret. She started having these strange dreams after her 15th birthday; she never told her family because she figured that Justin would call her a liar. So she kept it to herself and sketched her dreams out.

In her dreams, she would hear these voices calling out to her. The next thing she knew, her eyes turned red like blood as she stared at her reflection in a mirror. Behind her reflection were four figures; almost spider-like, two black ones with red eyes, two white and pink ones with hot pink eyes. Alex's pencil hovered over the sketchpad, the lines she had drawn earlier now smudged and blurred with the pressure of her thoughts. She shut her eyes for a moment, her mind drawn back to the dream that had been haunting her for the past few weeks.

It had started innocuously enough, a foggy landscape stretching out before her, shifting like the colors of a sunset. But as she ventured further, she felt something was off, an unsettling pull, like gravity had taken on a different form in this dream world. Then, the voices began.

"Alex... come to us..."

The voices were soft at first, distant whispers, but they grew louder with each passing night. They felt almost... familiar as if they had been calling to her for longer than she could remember. Every time she tried to look around, to pinpoint where the voices were coming from, they would slip away, like shadows at the edge of her vision. Then, the moment always came—the moment her reflection would change.

She would stand in front of a mirror, staring at her own face as her eyes began to bleed red, like the color was being drawn from the darkness around her. Her heart would race, panic setting in as she realized that something was wrong. But before she could react, the figures would appear behind her. Four of them, moving with a grace that was too eerie, too fluid to be natural.

Two of them were dark, their silhouettes shifting in the dark like they were made of smoke, with eyes glowing a fierce, haunting red. The other two were lighter, almost translucent, their forms shifting with a strange pink hue. Their eyes were bright hot pink, and when they locked onto hers, Alex felt a chill ripple through her, a deep sense of foreboding that she couldn't shake.

One of them—she couldn't quite tell which—stepped closer, and as it did, the air around her seemed to pulse, a low, vibrating hum that resonated in her chest. The voice whispered again, but this time, it was more urgent, more insistent.

"Alex... you are one of us... come."

Alex jolted awake, her heart pounding in her chest as she sat up in her bed, drenched in cold sweat. She grabbed the blanket and pulled it tightly around her, trying to calm her breathing. The dream was always the same and every time, it felt more real. She glanced at the clock again; her family would be expecting her for dinner soon. But the unease in her chest wouldn't go away. No matter how much she tried to ignore it, she knew one thing for sure: the dreams, the figures, and their call were a part of something bigger. Something she didn't yet understand.

But she would, eventually. She had to.

As Alex paced around her room, trying to shake the feeling of being watched, she heard a soft knock at the door. She hesitated, then called out, her voice steady but betraying a hint of unease. "Come in."

Her little brother, Max, poked his head around the door. He gave her a warm, reassuring smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Hey, you okay? Mom and Dad want us to come down for dinner. You've been in here a while," Max said, his tone casual but concerned.*

Alex forced a smile. She didn't want to worry him—not when she didn't even understand what was happening to her. She nodded, trying to push the discomfort out of her voice. "Yeah, just a little tired. I'll be down in a minute."

Max seemed to accept her answer, though there was a brief flicker of suspicion in his eyes. He nodded and closed the door behind him, leaving Alex alone with her thoughts. She stared at the door momentarily before returning to her window. The city lights twinkled below, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something much darker awaited her; something she couldn't avoid for much longer. The voices, figures, and dreams were all leading her somewhere. And whether she liked it or not, she was about to find out where.

Back in Hell, the Hazbin Hotel was bustling with an unusual energy. Charlie stood at the center of the common area, her eyes glowing with excitement as she addressed the gathered group.

"Alright, everyone! I have some amazing news!" Charlie began, her voice bright and cheerful. "My dad has granted us special access to Earth—for a weeklong bonding trip!"

The room erupted into a mix of reactions. Vaggie looked immediately skeptical, crossing her arms with a furrowed brow. Alastor's ever-present grin widened, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Husk groaned, already wishing he could stay behind. Niffty clapped her hands in delight, while Cherri Bomb leaned against the wall, smirking at the chaos. Pentious looked interested on how this would work. Even the spider siblings were a little confused about how that would work.

"A bonding trip?" Vaggie asked, her tone cautious. "Why Earth? And why now?"

"Well, we could all use a little break. And some of us could use the bonding." Charlie explained, gesturing to Molly, Arackniss, and Angel.

Molly seemed to like the idea; Angel and Arackniss just gave each other death glares. "And what better place to relax and reconnect than New York City? Your old home." Charlie announced.

That got a more significant reaction. Angel Dust froze mid-laugh, his expression clouding over. Molly and Arackniss exchanged uneasy glances, their past lives flashing through their minds.

"Wait—New York?" Angel said, his voice quieter than usual. "You mean the New York?"

Charlie nodded, oblivious to the weight of his question. "Wha… How did you…?" Angel stuttered.

Lucifer joined Charlie with a smug grin; being the King of Hell he had information on any sinner when they landed in Hell, including where they were from. Angel realized how this happened and he wanted to just stay behind. Molly leaned closer to her twin, nudging him. "Come on, Tony," she said, her voice tinged with nostalgia and unease. "It's been, what, over seventy years since we left?"

"Yeah," Angel muttered, avoiding her gaze. "And a lot's changed since then."

Lucifer, who had been silently observing, spoke up, his deep voice commanding the room's attention. "Yes, New York. But before you all get too sentimental, remember that this is not a vacation. It's a chance to improve your relationships and work as a team," he said, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group. "Don't make me regret this."

Cherri Bomb chuckled, elbowing Angel playfully. "Looks like Daddy Lucifer's got his eyes on us," she teased. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Alastor's grin didn't falter, though his voice carried a hint of intrigue. "Oh, my dear Cherri, the worst that could happen in New York could fill volumes. And I, for one, look forward to seeing it unfold."

Angel gave Alastor a little glare to not make this any worse. As a part of the trip, Lucifer and Charlie had Asmodeus crystals to help everyone look more human. Charlie handed everyone a bracelet with an Asmodeus crystal attached to it. Charlie then said that at least one person had to stay behind to watch the hotel. Husk tried to volunteer but Niffty beat him to the punch. She scurried away muttering about making things extra clean for when the others return. Arackniss hesitated, glancing at Angel and Molly, thinking that this trip was a mistake. Sir Pentious adjusted his goggles, eyeing Arackniss thoughtfully.

"It'll be ok, Nissy. Plus I would love to see where you grew up." Pentious said, then kissed him on the cheek.

Molly placed a comforting hand on her older brother's shoulder, her usual cheerful demeanor dimmed by the memories. "Hey, maybe it'll be good for us. You know, to see what's changed—and what hasn't."

Arackniss groans, "Ok ok. I'll go. I can never say no to my sister. Or my boyfriend."

Charlie clapped her hands, her energy bringing the focus back to the moment. "Alright, everyone! Pack your bags! We're leaving in the morning. Dad's gonna open the portal, and we're heading to New York City!"