Luz struggled to collect herself as King sat beside her on the floor. It was too late now, Luz had to go through the rest of her mission. Luz wiped her tears away, sniffling. She wrapped the witches wool cloak around her shoulders, picking up her staff and using it to help herself up. King stood up beside her, a worried look in his eyes.

"Luz...? Wha-what happened?" King asked tugging on her cape. She looked down at him, contemplating, there was no point in hiding now. Luz took a deep breath and sighed slowly before replying. "Eda was captured trying to rescue me from Lilith." She explained, her face morphed into a neutral expression, closing her eyes for a moment to collect herself again.

"Well... we can just go save her then!" King replied optimistically. "You don't get it King." Luz replied in a harsh tone, King looked up at her in confusion. "I've been lying to you all this whole time, I work for the Emperor." Luz continued. Maybe if Luz was harsh and cold enough it would hurt less to abandon them.

Luz headed to the door, stopping in the door frame and turning her head to look at King. He stood still with wide eyes piercing into her very soul. She turned her head away and looked outside. "I betrayed the Owl Lady so that I could get her portal key and give it to the Emperor."

She pulled her cloak from her bag and wrapped it over her purple cape, hiding it from sight. "And now that mission is almost complete." She finished, donning her mask and pulling the hood up. She took a couple of steps outside before King ran up to her and tugged her cloak. "But what about everything we've done together? Azura? The lessons? Did... did that mean nothing to you?" King's voice broke as he looked up at Luz's now covered face.

"Were you pretending this whole time..?" Tears gathered in his eyes as his grip tightened on her cloak. Tears pricked in Luz's eyes but there was nothing she could do to comfort him now, they were enemies, they always were.

She ripped her cloak away from him, the force making him fall on the ground. King looked up at her as Luz mounted her staff. "I'm the Amber Guard. I do my mission then leave. Nothing more, nothing less." She replied coldly, and with that she took off into the sky. Leaving King alone in front of the Owl House.

It was better this way, Luz reasoned with herself. It was better to leave him behind, broken, than to have him chase after her and get himself captured like Eda. Her grip tightened on her staff as she flew over the forest, the sun slowly rising over the horizon. The third and final day of her mission.

Soon, she landed back on the bridge. Heading into the Castle, scouts moved out of her way as she moved down the halls to the throne room. She stopped in front of the throne doors sometime later, Luz hesitated before pushing the doors open and heading inside.

Inside the room was only Lilith and the Owl Beast. Lilith had sealed the Owl Beast in a blue bubble. Lilith looked over at her when she entered. "Ah, I see you've kept your promise." Lilith said as Luz walked over to her. "I told you I would be here before the Emperor showed up." Luz replied.

A few minutes of silence passed before the doors opened again. Scouts coming in and lining up on either side of the doors and saluting. Kikimora followed them into the room next. "All kneel before Emperor Belos!" She said, bowing and stepping aside revealing the Emperor himself.

Lilith and Luz both kneeled as he entered the throne room. The Owl Beast broke free from Lilith's bubble, screeching and lunging at Belos. "Eda, no!" Lilith called after her sister.

Belos vanished before the Owl Beast could attack him, appearing behind her and throwing her against a wall by lifting his finger. The Owl Beast fell to the ground, glowing red ropes appearing to keep her down.

Luz stood up from her kneeling position as Lilith ran inbetween Eda and the Emperor. "My Lord, I apologize for my sister's rash behavior. She is still in her cursed form. Once you've healed her, as promised, I am sure she will become a useful asset to the coven!"

Luz walked over and stood beside the Emperor as Lilith spoke. Belos ignored her, turning to look at Luz instead. "Do you have it?" He asked. Luz swallowed nervously before shaking her head and replying. "The Owl Lady still has it on her person somewhere."

Belos hummed, turning back to the Owl Beast and summoning his mechanical staff. A red beam of light came into contact with the Owl Beast, it whined in pain and Luz winced in sympathy. The black in the Owl Beast's eyes retreated back to Eda's golden eyes. The beam ceased as Eda blinked and looked around in confusion.

"Ah. Where am I? What is this? Aw farts, I got caught." Eda said, looking up at the Emperor. Luz's eyes widened, so Belos could really heal curses! Or at least in this case, partially. The Emperor bent down to Eda's level. "Edalyn Clawthorne, the infamous Owl Lady, the wild witch of Bonesborough. Mentor of Luz the Human." Luz tilted her head, wondering where Belos was going with this.

"You stay away from her, or so help me, Titan..." Belos chuckled. "You've got it all wrong. The human is safe, for now. I just want the portal she came through." Oh, he was weaponizing the connection Luz had made with Eda to get what he wanted.

"Tough, 'cause I ain't telling you nothing!" Eda replied. "Ugh, pity. Although I suppose I could ask the human herself." Belos snapped his fingers and guards ran in to drag her away. "Wait! Don't touch her! Lilith, don't let him hurt her! Lilith!" Eda called as the doors shut behind her.

"I'm surprised Amber Guard. You really did get the Owl Lady to care deeply about you." Belos said. Luz nodded, still watching the doors Eda had left through. "Ah, taking her to the healing ceremony?" Lilith asked hesitantly, looking up at the Emperor. "I will not be healing her."

Luz looked back at Belos in surprise. "But, you, promised me." Lilith muttered. "Don't be so naïve, Lilith. This is the Titan's will. All wild witches must be dealt with before the Day of Unity. The Owl Lady will cause more trouble within the Coven than she ever did as a wild witch. You understand, don't you?" Belos replied, resting a hand on Lilith's shoulder.

He looked to Luz and nodded at her. "Get the key." He ordered her. Luz nodded and turned to leave, she caught a bit more of their conversation before she left the room.

"Of course..." Lilith trailed. "Good. Oh, one more thing." Belos said with a snap of his fingers. Luz didn't catch the rest as the doors closed behind her. Luz sighed before heading down the hall. The guards probably took Eda to the Conformatorium. So that's where Luz would head to.

It was about mid-day when Luz dismounted her staff in front of the Conformatorium. A shiver went down her spine as she looked up at the imposing building. Taking a deep breath she headed inside the building.

Luz looked around once she entered and spotted a scout. "Scout! Where's Ed- the Owl Lady being held?" Luz stumbled over her words as she headed to the guard. The scout looked up from their clipboard and immediately saluted her. "The Owl Lady is being held in the holding cell in the dungeon, waiting for petrification." They informed.

"Petrification?" Luz asked, luckily the scout couldn't see her horrified expression behind her mask. "Yes ma'am, at sundown." The scout nodded. Luz swallowed the guilt trying to claw it's way out of her throat. "Th-thank you scout." She cleared her throat. "Return to your task." She ordered, heading away to the dungeon cells.

It made sense... Eda was a wild witch, a powerful one. Even if she was trapped in her cursed form. And as Belos said, Eda would cause more trouble within the Coven than out. Luz didn't doubt that Eda would be able to break out of the Conformatorium if they kept her in a normal cell. Petrification was the only option for Eda.

Was healing her own curse and returning to the Human Realm really worth Eda's life though? Luz shook her head, she wasn't sure but it was already too late. There was nothing she could do. Luz had already made her choice, but that didn't stop the intense guilt she felt in her gut.

Luz stopped in front of a set of double doors, locked with a chain and padlock. She stood in front of the door for a moment, collecting herself. She looked down the hall for any scouts before collapsing her staff back into pen form, clipping it to her belt. She took her mask and cloak off, shoving it into her bag she still had. Leaving her in her tunic and the purple cloak Eda made for her.

She took an ice glyph from her bag and broke the chain. Luz headed inside, using a light glyph to light up the room a bit more, even if she didn't really need it. Growling came from the other side of the room as Luz headed over to the beast.

Eda turned at the noise and growled, going in for the attack. Luz backed away holding up the ball of light. "Eda, wait! It's me! It's me." Eda closed her eyes from the light, reopening them and revealing them to be gold again. "Luz? Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no, wh-what are you doing here?" Eda panicked, lowering herself from her attack stance. "I... I don't know, I just had to see you again." Luz replied, gaze downcast as guilt clawed more fiercely within her.

"You can't be here. You have to leave! Now." Eda stated sternly. Luz opened her mouth to say something but nothing came, regret and guilt flooded her as she truly realized what's she's done. She was selfish. There wasn't anything she could do now, but she could still explain, still apologize for everything. "Eda I..." she didn't know where to start, her mind yelled at her for how selfish she was. She argued with herself, she tried choosing the best option with the least consequences!

And look where that got her.

"Listen to me. I'm here because of my own actions. I went against Belos's law, and for a while I was able to get away with it. But," Eda sighed. "Well without magic, I can't do much. I don't regret anything. I lived freely and... I got to meet you." Luz's guilt only grew with her words. "Eda..."

"But if you stay here, I won't be able to protect you. You need to leave. Now!" Eda said again, reaching into her hair and pulling out the portal key.

"Go back to the Human Realm and keep the portal away from Belos. I don't know why he wants it but it can't be good." Eda explained as she put the key around Luz's neck. Luz gripped the key tightly, she felt so guilty and conflicted. Was all this really worth it at the cost of Eda's life?

Luz whimpered and looked up into her mentor's golden eyes. "I don't know your whole situation back home, but it's gotta be better then getting caught by the Emperor. Go home kiddo, and get some help from someone. Your not a waste of space or useless or whatever... you're strong and independent and I'm glad I got to meet you." Eda said, a small smile on her face.

Technically she would be doing what Eda said... by giving Belos the key she would go back to the Human Realm curse free. That was worth it... right? Fulfilling Eda's wish and her own, finally going home and the Boiling Isles could fade into a bad memory.

Not all of it was bad though... Eda, King, Amity, Willow, Gus, and Hunter... could she really leave them forever? Leave Eda to die for Luz's own selfish gain? Eda put a clawed hand on her head and ruffled her hair for the final time. "Go home kid." But what was home anymore?

"I'm sorry I can't keep my promise to help you find your mom. Be careful when getting your elixirs, the Emperor will be looking for you and that portal."

Luz lunged foward knocking Eda back a little bit and catching her off guard. She hugged her tightly, the Owl Lady returning the hug fiercely. Luz sniffled as tears spilled down her face, when did she start crying? "I'll miss you..." Luz replied, hugging tighter. There was a pause before Eda replied "I'll miss you too kiddo..."

Luz needed to apologize for everything. About her mission, the deal with Lilith, with Belos... "Eda... there's something I have to tell you." Luz started, pulling away slightly.

A loud buzzing noise suddenly started to blare and red lights flashed. "Luz get away!" Eda shoved her away, sending the human to the ground. Luz looked up in time to see the chains magically become a cage around Eda. The platform she was on jerked and started to move upward.

Luz panicked, getting up quickly she needed to explain everything! She leaped up and grabbed the edge of the cage looking up desperately. "Wait, not yet!" She dug her claws in the metal, Eda gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. Goodbye." Eda then unhooked her and tossed her back down to the floor.

Luz yelped as she fell, once she landed she looked back up "but I still have to tell you-!" But her sentence was cut off as the platform completed it's mission. Taking Eda away from her forever.

"...That I'm sorry..."