As a fire demon, Calcifer always saw himself as a creature of limited purpose. He was constrained to fireplaces and steel boxes, unable to move freely on his own. Heating baths and moving a junky castle were not what he expected to be doing in his second life, yet he knew he shouldn't complain. If it weren't for the Wizard Howl, he wouldn't even be alive.

Calcifer sat in the fireplace, his eyelids weighing down and begging for rest. Though it was not a necessity for him to survive, sometimes a little sleep helped him focus better. He dozed off atop the growing pile of ashes and the fragile heart that kept him alive, giving in to the tempting slumber.

Their relationship was one of high complexity. Calcifer kept Howl's heart hidden and protected while it fed into his own life. Howl avoided most, if not all, human emotions and focused more on magic. They kept this balance for nearly a decade. Howl wanted to avoid any human connection, and Calcifer feared what would happen if he lost Howl's heart - as long as Calcifer carried his heart, their curse stayed active.

"Peekaboo!" Calcifer shot his eyes open only to find a small child standing in front of him. Calcifer blinked a couple times, taking in the sight of the boy. He had short ginger hair and dark brown eyes. He wasn't very tall, only a few inches above the height of the fireplace. He couldn't have been more than four or five years old. The boy had torn clothing in his arms and over the knees, and his face was scuffed with dirt marks and a few cuts.

He laughed. "You're a fire."

Calcifer rolled his eyes. "No, I'm a fire demon. They are two completely different things."

The boy covered his mouth as he continued his laughter. "Can I touch you?"

Calcifer widened his eyes. "No you cannot. I'm not a toy!" Howl walked down the staircase, his eccentric attire too peculiar to miss. His blonde hair swayed back and forth, long enough to cover his eyes. He held a stack of clothes fit for the small boy.

"Howl." Calcifer breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. Would you tell me why you let a child in here?"

"He was sitting on our doorstep in Porthaven." Howl said. He waved his hands over the dining table, closing a spell book he had been studying earlier that day. "He told me he had no home to go to, so I allowed him to stay with us."

The boy reached onto the cement fireplace. Calcifer backed away as far as he could. "Well, would you tell him not to touch me? I'm a fire demon."

The boy climbed onto the fireplace and dropped his hand on Calcifer. Not a second later did the boy fall back on the floor, crying with a burned hand. The tears flooded as he held his hand close. "Bad fire, you burn me."

Calcifer gawked. "I told him not to touch me! It's always the same; I only hurt people."

Howl waved his hand to Calcifer and bent down next to the boy. "Does it hurt, Markl?"

He nodded, using his other hand to wipe the tears from his face. Howl set the clothes on the floor and held Markl's burned hand with one hand, waving over it with his other. With a whisper of ancient words, the mark on his hand faded away and returned to a healthy color.

Markl smiled wide and held his hand up. "It doesn't hurt!"

Howl nodded. "You will learn these things as well. I will train you to be a great wizard."

Calcifer frowned - that's why he brought the child in. He wanted an apprentice. They had been acquaintances for a decade, and Calcifer knew Howl's motives for almost every decision he made. This was of no surprise to him.

Howl picked up the clothes and handed them to the boy. "Why don't you settle in? Make yourself at home."

Markl smiled and rushed to the staircase, tripping on every other stair he encountered. Howl chuckled softly before making his way upstairs as well.

He turned to Calcifer before he was out of sight. "While you're moving the castle, why don't you heat up my bath? Markl will take one after me, I assume."

Calcifer seethed through his fiery teeth as Howl departed from the room, leaving the demon alone again. Heat the bath, move the castle. This was his life - sitting on a pile of ashes weighed down by the heart of a child. He wasn't a powerful fire demon; he was a servant. 

Calcifer enjoyed his nightly conversations with Gwenda. It was a nice change from when he used to spend his nights alone. It helped him forget about the other responsibilities he had to do as a fire demon, and he enjoyed the fact that someone wanted to spend time with him.

Every night since Magnol and now back in Howl's castle, they spent hours talking about whatever came to mind until Gwenda's body couldn't stay up any longer. Sometimes she would officially end the conversation and turn over, but other times she'd fall asleep in the middle of a sentence, lying her head on the pillow without so much as a goodnight. Calcifer didn't mind; his fire glowed a little brighter from their conversations, no matter what.

"So, that was a little intense earlier, wasn't it?" Gwenda said. She brushed Heen's back with her fingers, his soft wheezing a good indication of his pleasure. "Are you okay?"

Calcifer sighed. "I think we'll be fine. We've had our fair share of arguments in the past and were able to get through them."

"Any arguments of this magnitude?" Gwenda asked. She stared at Calcifer, trying to read his mind through his expressions. People were easy to decipher, but it was hard to read a fire demon. Though she trusted him more than anyone, she knew he could fool her with a smooth glance or a simple smile.

But he had not done that to her so far - not that she was aware of, at least.

Calcifer shrugged. "Maybe. I can't really remember. We've had so many fights, it would be like trying to count the number of stars in the sky."

Gwenda nodded. "And those numbers change every year."

Calcifer's face dropped, his memories flooding back as if they occurred yesterday: the Night of Falling Stars, his refusal to accept death, and the one wizard who was as selfish as the star he saved to give him a final chance. It was so long ago, yet Calcifer still looked upon that night wondering if he had made the right decision.

Gwenda widened her eyes after noticing Calcifer's expression. "I am so sorry, I completely forgot. Ugh, I'm so stupid."

Calcifer shook his head. "No, you're not. You just forgot."

"But you literally told me what... two nights ago?" Gwenda sighed. She didn't want to insult him, but with all the information they had shared over the last month or so, she was surprised she hadn't forgotten more. His life was so complex, it kept her awake at night just itching to hear the ending to a moment in his life - a moment she wasn't a part of.

All those years as a star and then a fire demon - she couldn't begin to imagine the amazing things he had seen or done. In the short time that they had become friends, it was hard to believe there was a time where they hadn't known of the other's existence. Even still, that kept her clinging to his words just to learn more about him.

Gwenda looked up. His smile lit up the room as much as his fire did. She rested her elbows on the pillow, leaving Heen to curl up next to her side. "I wonder what it would be like to live two lives. It must be liberating."

Calcifer held closely onto the molten wood underneath him, his flames at a healthy spark. Liberating was the last word he would have used to describe himself, freedom not even in his dictionary. The only amount of liberation he could remember was when Sophie had broken the curse between him and Howl, which he then willingly chose to go back.

He sometimes wondered if that was the right decision as well.

Calcifer smiled weakly. "It can be."

Gwenda lifted her legs into the air, like a girl would when she was gossiping. "So, other than heating water and moving the castle and... well, and being a fire, what else can you do?"

"You've pretty much seen the basis of my abilities." Calcifer said, until one special quirk popped into his memory. "I can also transport myself as long as there's a fireplace in that location, but I don't use that one save for drastic measures."

"What do you consider a drastic measure?"

Calcifer lowered his gaze. "When Sophie was trapped in the Palace, I used my teleportation to find her. I haven't needed to use it since."

Gwenda nodded. "Yeah, I would say that falls into the 'drastic measures' category. You have some really interesting powers."

"Most of my strength comes from others, actually." Calcifer continued. "From the day I met Howl, I was in control of his heart. It connected us in ways no one could truly understand. If I died, Howl would have died, too."

Gwenda widened her eyes as if she witnessed a revelation. "So that's why he was so heartless before?"

Calcifer chuckled. "In a way, I guess I contributed to the rumors of Howl's heartless behavior by concealing it from him."

"Why his heart, though?"

Calcifer took a long, deep breath. "It was his idea. Howl didn't want his emotions to interfere with his training, and by giving up his heart to me he essentially saved my life."

Gwenda tilted her head. "Well, that's a good thing. I should thank him. I wouldn't have anyone to talk to if you weren't here. That, or I'd be talking to myself."

Calcifer winked. "Or some other handsome fire demon."

Gwenda rolled her eyes with a light smile, her cheeks showing the faintest hint of a dimple. "Have you ever gotten your strength from anything else?"

Calcifer nodded. "When we were hiding during the first war, I needed another source to move the castle. I asked Sophie to give me her eyes, but instead she gave me her hair."

"Really?"

Calcifer smirked. "I could always take yours. Give you a haircut and a new look."

Gwenda laughed softly. Calcifer's fiery hands reached for her, moving closer to her braid but stopping before cutting anything. She could feel the heat emitting from his flames, so strange the way he could extend himself that way. It was like a human hand engulfed in a burning fire, yet he didn't take advantage of the situation. In a moment, he had the opportunity to cut off the hair she loved so much, but he restrained his power. He was nothing like the magicians she had come to know in the past.

Calcifer glistened brighter. Just watching her laugh made him smile. His arms were so close to her, so close to embracing a person. He would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted, especially with Gwenda. Yet she sat so calm, so trusting of him. Even with all the power that he held inside, she wasn't afraid.

Gwenda held her braid fondly as he retreated his arms. "I think for now I'll stick with the braid, but maybe I'll take you up on that offer another time."

Heen wheezed as he stole Gwenda's attention. Her playful attitude sparked excitement in the little dog. He rolled on his back, begging for her to scratch his belly and behind the ears. Gwenda spoke in a high-pitched voice to Heen and he responded joyfully.

Calcifer stared at her, as if his eyes were recording her every motion for remembrance: the way she spoke to Heen that made him feel elated and loved; the way she wrapped the stray hairs behind her ear to keep them out of sight; and the way she continually asked questions about his life, yearning for an honest answer. He committed it all to memory.

Calcifer's fire kindled a golden light for a moment, though no substances were added. Even with the little amount of firewood left, he felt his flames becoming stronger now than when he had a fresh set of logs. Something about these nightly conversations kept him alive more than just the mere notion of survival. There was a greater feeling, something stronger than wishing to live another day. An urgent desire had somehow rooted in him.

Gwenda held her gaze on the dog as Heen rested against her gentle strokes. He stretched his legs and yawned before closing his eyes, preparing for sleep. Calcifer didn't know what to say anymore, so he simply said the first thing that popped into his head. "Tell me one thing you would never admit to."

Gwenda looked at him and blinked. "Wouldn't I be admitting it then?"

Calcifer gave a relaxed smile. "C'mon, tell me one thing you've never told anyone before."

Gwenda cleared her throat as she adjusted her body. She moved the blanket over her feet more and then flipped the pillow over. She stared at the ground floor, her tongue poking at the corner of her mouth. Calcifer sat patiently in his fireplace, waiting for her answer.

Gwenda released a heavy sigh, her eyes rolling back. "I... I sort of had a..." She stopped herself, looking to the side and whispering something inaudible, then returned. "I used to have a crush on the Prince."

Calcifer sat frozen in the fireplace. Gwenda laughed, her eyes staring at almost everything she could find in the living room except him. She wrapped a few stray hairs behind her ear, but Calcifer was too preoccupied with her answer to even register her movements.

Calcifer swallowed hard. "Prince Justin?"

Gwenda shrugged. "It was a silly crush. Long time ago. I didn't have actual feelings for him." She rested her chin in her palm and stared off to the side. "I don't know, I liked the way he looked at me and the compliments he gave me..."

Calcifer didn't move. He watched Gwenda's actions from her casual shrug to her wandering eyes staring off into the distance. A distant memory clicked in his mind, as he thought about Gwenda's persistence to stop Sophie's wedding to Justin. There was a more urgent desire hidden within the depths of her core.

He dropped his gaze, listening to her every word.

Gwenda coughed roughly. "Then he started dating Lettie and I... I forgot about it. Thank God I did. He ruined more than just my friendship with Lettie."

"What did he do?" Calcifer asked, his voice so faint it was hardly audible.

Gwenda narrowed her eyes to the corner. "He made me live it every single day. Justin made me his personal servant, probably because he knew I had taken a liking to him. I couldn't stand seeing him and Lettie flirt and be romantic all the time, and Suliman wouldn't let me quit on my own. She reeled everyone in and it was rare that anyone could get out unless fired. I watched them together every day for three months... and it was torture."

The silence between them was louder than anything either could have said. He had so many questions, all of which relating to Justin and how it was possible for Gwenda, this girl who always stood up for herself and defied the norm, could fall for an inconsiderate, maniacal human being such as him. The Prince of Ingary, the man who attempted to marry Sophie while she loved Howl, the man who apparently stole the hearts of so many without so much as a second glance.

Calcifer needed to know. "Did you love him?"

Gwenda shot her eyes back at him. He had never seen such fear in her eyes mixed with extreme hostility. "I told you, it was just a silly crush."

Calcifer kept his eyes on her. "That doesn't sound like just a silly crush."

"How would you know?" Gwenda scoffed. "It's not like you've ever loved anyone before."

Calcifer widened his eyes. If he could feel pain, if he knew what a sharp knife in the heart felt like, this was it. The way she casually let the words roll off her tongue - as if she had stopped herself from saying it before - pierced him like a million thorns.

And it hurt especially coming from her.

Gwenda breathed in a sharp breath, completely appalled by her own words. "I... I'm so sorry, Calcifer. I don't know why I said that. I wasn't thinking."

"No." She watched his fire darken into the growing pile of ash, his eyes cold and defeated. "You're right. I'm just a fire demon. I can never feel what a human can, right?"

Gwenda opened her mouth to speak, but she was at a loss for words. She was angry; she unearthed everything she had felt from her past and lashed out at Calcifer for no reason. Nothing would reverse what she had said, and that tore at her like a dagger slashing wildly inside of her.

"Calcifer that's not-" A hard pounding on the door interrupted Gwenda's plea and startled the entire room. The knocking persisted, waking Heen from his calm slumber. He stood on shaky legs and wheezed toward the door.

"Heen, wait." Gwenda followed him, Calcifer watching from his place. She opened the door, her curiosity tempting her. "Sophie? Martha?"

It was only a second. One moment she stood in the doorway and the next she was flung out, leaving behind a slamming door and a chilling scream. Heen scratched the door, wheezing his loudest to sound an alarm.

"No!" Calcifer stared shell shocked, his mind trying to wrap around what he had just seen. Gwenda was taken; she was pulled right out of the castle and taken away. Right in front of him. "Help! Someone, anyone! Help!"

Calcifer pulled his fiery being as far out of the fireplace as he could, but his center was grounded in its place. He couldn't move; he was useless. He couldn't do anything to save her or bring her back or reverse this twisting tragedy. He took in quick breaths, but his mind only thought of the worst thing that could happen.

He didn't want to lose her. He couldn't. He felt so warm when he was around her, so much different than how he felt around anyone else in his life. He was hurt; more than that, his heart was lacerated and torn to shreds when she said he had never loved anyone before.

Because for a moment, he thought he was in love with her.

"Calcifer!" Hasty footsteps tumbled down the staircase as Howl, Kenta, and Markl rushed to the main room. Heen approached them, his wheezes gesturing toward the front door. "Calcifer, what's going on?"

"Gw-Gwenda opened the door when she heard a knock. She thought it was Sophie and Martha." Calcifer's voice was shaky. "Someone just took her and she was gone."

Howl seethed. "You let Sophie leave the castle?"

Calcifer's fire burned red and extended outward in a deranged, sporadic rage. "She's been out of the castle for over an hour! Gwenda's the one in danger right now!"

From inside the castle, they could hear muffled screams and yelling. Kenta pulled Howl's arm as he rushed for the door. "C'mon, Howl. We need to help her." Kenta opened the door and rushed out, Markl and Howl close behind.

Calcifer stayed put, as did Heen. They could faintly hear the cries from the battle ensuing outside. His fire raged on with terror and wrath and feebleness. He hated not being able to help people. He loathed not being able to touch people without burning them or fight off enemies or hold someone in his arms. All he wanted was connection, a true connection with someone he loved - someone who could love him back.

To embrace a living person was his impossible hope.

"I hate being a fire demon." Calcifer whispered under his breath. He lessened his flames, gradually returning to his original color and size. There was nothing he could do but wait. Time had ceased and this was all he knew. He could move the castle; he could teleport miles away; but he couldn't save the one person he needed most in his life.

Calcifer turned when he noticed a shadowy figure appear from the hallway. The Witch of the Wastes had woken up. She stared at Calcifer, her eyes never parting from his. The demon sighed and shook his head.

Finally, the door opened. Heen rushed over and greeted their friends one by one as they entered. Calcifer looked at everyone who returned, keen on not missing a single face. Howl held Sophie as she panted and struggled to stand. He walked her to the couch and sat her down gently, his eyes glaring at Calcifer. Markl then entered, his head low and his movements sluggish. He stood in the corner, no words spoken.

Kenta walked in and shut the door. He carried Martha unconscious, lying her on the couch next to Sophie. She ran her fingers through her sister's hair, begging her to wake up. No one else entered the castle.

Calcifer panicked. "Where is Gwenda?"

Kenta cleared his throat. He bit his lip, only daring to stare at the floor. "That witch who attacked us before, Noe... she took her. We were too late to bring her back."

Calcifer dropped his jaw. Gwenda was gone. And while he continued to exist in the constraints of the fireplace, he remained a creature of limited purpose.