At least Perseus was honest about the doors, Gwenda thought as their rescuer slammed the exit shut. The black door matched the darkness inside, and she distinctly remembered the sly demon warning her that this door would do her no good.

Most likely why his witch chose it for their capture.

Yet even that was not the greatest revelation of the night. A young man with a fervent heart of gold - their savior was none other than Markl Pendragon.

"Markl!" Wynne rushed into his embrace, her arms hardly reaching above his waist. As the young witch recounted the horror they just witnessed in an episodic series, Markl nodded vigorously while sneaking a glance to Gwenda and Kenta in-between, like he was itching to speak to them. Gwenda noticed how the boy had grown over the years, even tackling her own height, but somehow he still seemed changed. Nothing physically different, yet different all the same.

When Wynne ran out of breath, Markl patted her shoulder. "Wow, that's some scary experience. I'm sorry that happened to you. But honestly, what are you all doing here? Why are you even in Wales?"

Kenta tilted his chin forward. "I think we could ask you the same thing."

Markl dropped his smile, and Gwenda shuddered from the déjà vu. How he faked a smile for Wynne, acknowledging her for what she spoke but not truly listening. The little quip of his grin, falsely claiming all was well. And then, when the conversation grew too serious and he was caught, the facade wall came crumbling down.

Just like Calcifer.

"It's none of your business." Markl said curtly. "But you need to leave, like right now."

"That would be great and all if we knew the way out." Gwenda said sourly. "And what does that mean, it's none of our business? I think we have a right to know why you're here of all places in the mansion of a crazy, evil witch."

Markl blushed, running his fingers up and down the back of his neck. "Lily's not that bad. A little rough around the edges, but she's been an amazing teacher."

"Teacher?" Gwenda gawked. "Lily? How... how long have you been here? Do you not realize that Lily is actually Noe?"

"That crazy witch?" Markl scrunched his eyebrows. "Lily's nothing like her, I promise."

Gwenda directed her full hand toward the black door. "Clearly, nothing like Noe when she locks us in a room with weirdo manipulator creatures!"

"Dopplers." Kenta corrected. "What happened to Xarx as your teacher?"

Markl rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not think about that lowlife. We haven't been on speaking terms in quite a while."

Markl spoke of his time in Wales like it was dream come true. The skills he learned, the honing of his craft, and the utmost praise for Lily Angorian. It was more like a dream than anything, considering all they knew that truly existed in this household. Markl was living a fantasy.

Gwenda tried to remember the sweet child playing pretend in Sophie and Howl's flower shop. She tied to remember the innocent boy who smiled when he learned a new, fantastic spell and couldn't wait to show off. She tried to remember the Markl of years ago.

Because this Markl was not him.

Light footsteps sounded above them, as if descending the stairwell to the basement. They tapped in a bizarre rhythm growing louder and louder the closer they walked. No one was prepared to face Noe in this state, especially considering Markl had not acknowledged that his supposed teacher had been Suliman's most loyal soldier under pretense, and they were desperate for a swift exit.

Gwenda pleaded with Markl. "We need to get out of here. Out of Wales. I need to get to Calcifer."

Markl quickly pointed toward the closest door to him. "Go through the red door. It's the only way to present-day Ingary. I'll enchant it specically to send you to his current location."

Home, she thought. All Gwenda could think about was home. Her loving family, the familiarity of Ingary, even the presence of good magic. All she wanted was to finally return from whence they came.

And yet Markl changed everything.

She grabbed his arm lightly with a hint of urgency. "Come with us. Come home."

Markl looked straight through her. How long since he'd surpassed her height? How long since he had matched Calcifer's recent temperament? Somehow, meeting him here felt destined or necessary, and she couldn't bear to leave without him.

"Oh, trust me," Markl said, his voice etched with spite, "I'll be there soon enough."

Markl grabbed the handle, whispering a spell before opening the door completely to a new darkness. He assured them they would exit through the closest door to Calcifer, and urged them not to fear the coming events.

"If you see Howl," Markl said before closing the door on them, "Tell him to meet me alone."

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As they exited the confines of Ben Sullivan's home, all were graced with a clear, starlight sky. The bright twinkles of millennium old beings illuminated the nighttime with brilliance. Calcifer couldn't help but stare at his compatriots of the sky, acknowledging their final moments of infinity.

Ben closed the door behind him, walking with Vega on his cane and Serena to his side toward the center of the mountain's peak. He lifted his head high as if he, too, could witness the splendor above. "Tonight marks twenty years since Markl fell from the sky. We all must prepare ourselves accordingly for what may come."

Calcifer turned to Sophie and Howl. With a strong reassurance, they stood firm in waiting. Markl was destined to arrive that very night and when that happened, he would be surrounded by the love and warmth of his family. This was their final opportunity to prove to Markl his genuine goodness.

Calcifer hoped, for both of their sakes, that Markl's choice was pure.

Then, the door to Ben's home opened in haste, yet no one else remained inside. All eyes darted back to the entrance to see who might have joined their presence. Had Markl used a transporting door to connect to Ben's in order to come through? Had he finally arrived to seal their fates?

Although, it was not Markl with whom they were blessed to see. No, instead of the destined child, three figures emerged from within Ben's home, despite the fact that they had also been worlds away. Calcifer thought he was living another dream, as he didn't believe he deserved his wish to be granted.

Gwenda, Kenta, and Wynne walked out of the entrance, surprised that their journey through the magical door had successfully brought them home. After fateful portals and strange entryways led them astray, it was a miracle they arrived back in Ingary surrounded by their ecstatic family and friends. Kenta pressed a firm hand over his chest, relief waving over the exhausted wizard. Gwenda smiled at the familiar faces she saw, and locked eyes with Calcifer immediately.

She nearly rushed into his arms until Wynne cried out, "Madame Serena! What are you doing here?"

So suddenly did Wynne run into the woman's arms. So quickly did the elder woman kneel down and accept her embrace. However, she was torn between the little girl she had come to know and the one with whom she had forsaken years ago. Serena stared at Gwenda, as did she to her in complete disbelief. Not only was her mother as recognizable as the day she left, so was the wizard who ran off with her.

"Wha... what the hell are you doing here?" She couldn't breathe; she could hardly move. This was not like the phantom doppler who imitated her almost to a tee from Gwenda's perspective. This was her mother, in the flesh and in reality.

And she couldn't bear it.

Her movements were instinctual - run. Get away. Leave before this broke her any further. While her impulses begged to shield her from this possible catastrophe, even she knew that running had never solved her troubles. It only persisted in the pain and anger and sorrow.

Yet she kept running.

"Gwenda-" Calcifer ran after her. He knew exactly what she thought, exactly what tore at her the moment Serena caught her eye. Her nightmares were becoming a reality, and he wouldn't let this destroy her. "Gwenda, stop!"

Calcifer reached forward and embraced her from behind, halting her from taking another step. She held his arms that secured around her, recognizing his comfort, and relaxed in his cradle. It was only this comfort that allowed her to bawl into tears, releasing whatever anguish had multiplied in the mere moments they had arrived home.

He was her stronghold, her rock - the fire that ignited her when she was at her lowest. And Gwenda knew she couldn't go through this low without him.

Calcifer whispered softly in her ear, "Don't run. Please. I can't keep losing you, Gwenda. I know you're hurt and seeing her made that infinitely worse, but I will not leave your side. No more lies, no more deception. I am so sorry I ever made you doubt me. You deserve only the truth."

Slowly, she turned around in his arms, facing toward him. Through sobs and shakes, an array of questions flooded inside, questions she wasn't sure she wanted answers to just yet. Those answers would simply anger her further, feed the vile thoughts that pestered her for years. Gwenda could have relinquished herself to this, but she did not want to feel such negativity in this moment.

Because there she was - finally in the arms of the man she loved, hearing such modesty and truth from his words for the first time in forever, and living the dreams she had dreamt for too long.

Gwenda opened her tearstricken eyes, the redness pressed deep into her skin, and looked at him - her beautiful Calcifer. "Took you long enough."

As if time had stopped and they were the only two people in the world, Gwenda and Calcifer leaned in for a long awaited kiss. A kiss of passion and love, of forgiveness and regret, they were finally reunited at long last. Only moments ago they had nearly given up all hope of ever being together again, and fate had returned them back to each other once more.

Kenta turned away from the romantic reunion and faced Howl. "It's been a while, my friend." They immediately shook hands and patted each other on the back. They spoke of their journeys and difficulties, Kenta sharing deeply all that he loathed about the country of Wales.

Howl simply laughed. "It definitely isn't a place for magicians like us, old pal."

Kenta then turned to another comrade, one that he hadn't expected to see upon returning to Ingary. "Ben... it's been even longer."

Ben smiled and nodded. "We can enjoy reunions later. I believe our focus is on Markl now."

"We just saw him." Gwenda said as she and Calcifer walked toward them. "He was in Wales, but he said he would be coming back soon." She turned to Howl, a mixture of confusion and concern in her words. "He wanted to see you, Howl. Alone, for some reason."

Howl stood frozen, washed with uncertainty. That was his final request the night before he vanished, and still what he desired. Markl wanted to meet him alone, yet Calcifer was necessary to help guide his soul right. The old fire demon was connected to him through Vega's curse. Pure goodness or pure evil was Markl's fate, and Howl worried for the consequences should Calcifer not be the first to intercede.

And yet, dare he defy Markl's wishes and bring Calcifer along, the boy may never come around to see the goodness in his heart.

Calcifer read Howl like a book. He didn't need to see inside his mind to know. "You should go. You need to see him first. I'll handle my end when you're done."

Howl nodded, thankful for the confidence in his friend. Before he could move, Sophie grabbed hold of his hand. "I need to see him, too. I need to know he's okay."

Howl tightened his grip around hers. "I don't think he'll be too upset at that."

Though they were unsure where Markl had planned to meet, Howl and Sophie made their descent down the mountain. After weeks of unknowing, weeks of waiting and wishing and wanting, they were closer than ever. With each step they took, Howl repeated these words within his mind hoping the boy would heed his message: We're here, Markl. We're at Seren Saethu for you.

The night air had chilled, and gusting winds carried opaque clouds around the peak in which they stood. Some were not accustomed to extremely high heights, however, such as Wynne. Though the peak was larger than the surface of Star Lake, knowing a distant, hefty drop could await them on the edge was like staring down the cliffs in Wales all over again.

Wynne grew dizzy and nearly fainted until Gwenda caught her fall. Though she, too, feared heights to this length, it was nothing in comparison to flying on a gryphon's back in constant motion. "We should get Wynne out of here as soon as possible. She's afraid of heights."

"I can take her." Gwenda heard Serena, though she did not look up. "Our home has a door dial. I can bring her home."

"Kenta can take care of his own daughter." Gwenda spat. "I can take care of my own niece. She is nothing to you."

Serena took a step closer. "Gwendolyn-"

She refused to meet her. "It's Gwenda."

She busied herself with her half-conscious niece. Gwenda kept her vigilant and awake, reaffirming that she would be home to see her mom and siblings soon. While she spoke, the little witch girl fluttered her eyes and tried to make sense of everything around her. She knew they had arrived home in Ingary; she knew they were out of that eerie mansion that hadn't started off as scary as it had ended.

Yet what Wynne couldn't understand was Aunt Gwenda's reasons for speaking so harshly to Madame Serena.

Gwenda asked Kenta about the best ways to bring her home, though he did not respond. She asked again, and still he stayed silent.

She stood up with Wynne, who clutched her side for stability. "Kenta, I'm talking to you."

"And you're ignoring someone else."

Gwenda scoffed. While she knew not why Kenta and Wynne were so familiar with her mother, she had her own assumptions. It was no coincidence that Lona was quick to defend their mother any time she was brought up in conversation, how her sister pleaded with her to think about mom's perspective. These conversations had been increasing over the years, adding more and more fuel to her anger.

Lona always played devil's advocate for their mother, always hoping Gwenda would come around one day and seek forgiveness. It didn't take a genius to fit the puzzle pieces together.

Ben wrapped a comforting hand on Serena's shoulder, almost willing the courage inside to rise. Her voice, though timid, was forceful all the same. "I want to fight with you. I want to hear you argue with me and tell me how angry you are because that would at least mean I could talk to you. I miss you, sweetie."

"Don't you dare call me sweetie." Gwenda turned to Serena, fully facing her with the hate and rage of a teenager with a broken heart. "You don't get it, do you? I am not yours to call anything anymore. You made that abundantly clear the moment you left with him."

It was mockery that he stood there, holding her the same way he had the day he whisked her away from their home. Gwenda could never forget his face, never forget the stain he left on their family history.

And certainly, there was no more room for forgiveness in her heart.

Serena pleaded once more, even reaching a shaky hand forward. "Gwenda-"

"No!" Gwenda slapped her hand and backed away a few steps, still holding Wynne as if she were her own lifeline. "You don't get to just waltz back into my life after sixteen years and expect me to just call you mom with open arms. You don't get to parade the man who destroyed our family around like he's the best thing that ever happened to you, because that's not even close to how I see it."

Wynne had numerous questions milling about in her mind, yet she was cognizant enough to the tension in the air to withhold her curiosity for the moment. Kenta extended his hand toward her, holding his daughter and knowing he and Lona would need to fully explain all that she now wondered about the woman who had merely been a kind stranger before.

Amidst her shouts and ire, it was a relief to feel the comfort of Calcifer so close. The simple way he held her, allowed her to rest against him - it reminded her of all she dreamt since their severance. While this was not how she expected to return home, knowing he at her side was enough to keep her from falling apart completely.

Gwenda looked her mother in the eyes, watching the pain and sadness and desperation rain over her like a thunderstorm. "Lona wants me to forgive you... and I understand why. But I just can't."

No more words. Nothing more needed to be spoken. The familial line between mother and daughter had been sundered and tattered for years beyond repair, and time had only fueled its effects. Serena knew further prodding would only weaken what was already decimated.

She would simply have to wait a little longer for her daughter's forgiveness.

Vega floated gently atop Ben's cane, her flame so eloquent and calm. "I can see why Cal loves you so much. You're a fire in and of yourself."

Gwenda turned to the blue fire, only now realizing the admiring pair of eyes and saintly virtue. "Thank you, random fire demon I've never met before. Tell me, are you going to trick me like the last one?"

Calcifer became tense. Even Vega, in all her glory and majesty, grew cautious as to this curious news. He urged Gwenda to share further. "Lona said you went to Wales to find another fire demon. You actually found one?"

It almost seemed like a distant memory. From Noe's sleeping spell to the doppler room to Markl's assistance, so much had happened in a short span on time. She had nearly forgotten about the sly, pervasive demon who goaded her for answers. She wished he had vanished from remembrance entirely, yet Gwenda knew that would only leave them at a disadvantage.

She needed to warn Calcifer. "Yes, someone you know. His name is Perseus."

That name rang a terrifying bell in Calcifer. Never had Gwenda seen him so visibly frightened by the sound of one's name. Never had he ever shown so much fear and unease at the mention of a single soul. His mind was a glass castle shattering from a single rock, an insignificant barricade returning to haunt him anew.

And yet, the only question Calcifer held was the very one he had wondered all those years ago on their Night of Falling Stars. "He's still alive?"

How vivid that night was still to him. Passing by star after fallen star, the ones whom he'd resided next to for centuries, he watched their true colors shine brightly on their swift descent. Many perished that day, drowning in Star Lake or tumbling down Seren Saethu or vanishing in the thicket of the Wastes. No one expected to live another day, and Calcifer knew his decision wreaked havoc on one of the few whom he had called friend.

How he hoped Perseus had died that day to save him the carnage and vengeance that was to come.

"Did you doubt he'd find a way?" Vega asked.

"Yes, actually."

"He's not one to quit so easily."

"He must hate me so much." Calcifer turned to Gwenda, his entire body shaking beyond his control. "No, hate isn't even strong enough. You don't realize what I did to him. He was-"

"I know you stole Howl from him." Gwenda held him tightly, trying to be his anchor as his body burned intensely with each passing second. "I couldn't be more relieved that it was you instead. He's conniving and sadistic and vile in every way."

"He's the most fearsome evil I've ever met." Calcifer whispered, somewhat at peace knowing they shared the same sentiment for his former comrade. "Even as friends, Vega and I knew his nature. Even amongst the stars, he was beyond our ego. I don't know how you all stood against him."

"It wasn't just him," Kenta added, "his contracted human is Noe. They're planning to cast a spell. The one you all wrote together. The Novus Ortus."

Calcifer nearly tripped on his own words. "How did he find that spell again? I thought we buried it."

"Yeah, in a human-dominated world centuries ago." Vega recalled. "Guess that world included Wales."

"I don't believe it." Calcifer buried his instability behind kindling hands. Perseus was responsible for all of this. He was in the midst of the greatest revival of an infamous curse built centuries ago. Little by little, he was enacting the steps to fulfill the Novus Ortus that would grant a fallen star one final opportunity for immortal life.

A life of his own choosing.

"You've had trouble sleeping?" He asked Vega. "Trouble with magic and even hearing wishes again?"

Her answer frightened him. "Yes."

"Me too. Then it's him." The hell he had experienced during the past few weeks, the hell any fire demon had been experiencing, he now realized the schematics of the curse they created so selfishly in another lifetime. How he wished now they had not created that curse in the first place. "I can't believe the spell has already been in motion this long."

From the distant corner of Seren Saethu's highest peak, sparks flew like lightning bolts from the clouds. They swirled and electrified until a grand beam shone brightly. Yet just as quickly as it had come, so had it vanished, and in its place stood the bane of Calcifer's existence.

"Oh, what a fabulous reunion." The low and chilling voice was unforgettable as it echoed from within the constraints of a lighter in the hand of its owner. As she flipped the wheel, a vibrant green flame emerged, swirling like a cyclone out of his restraints. Like prisoners set free, Noe and Perseus settled in opposition to their enemies.

His smirk was plastered crookedly amidst his viridian flames. "Vega, Calcifer. It's been too long."