Chapter Text
Crackling electricity surged through the air violently. Aimlessly shooting forward to satiate its desire to find release. A swirl of unstable energy flickered with colors of all kinds. Like a vortex that refused to cease, It pulled in the rubble, and all kinds of small objects. Tapestries hanging on the wall flapped vigorously in strong winds that pulled towards the vortex. It was nothing more than a disaster scene.
Luz was thrown backward falling onto her back with a pained yell. Her cape was long gone. Devoured by the chaotic swirl of energy. She was covered in bruises and cuts. Her clothes tattered and torn. Her brown hair was being blown towards the swirl in a messy tangle obscuring her vision. Luz laid there on the ground. Hopeless to stop what was happening in front of her.
Tears ran down Luz's face in a constant stream as she turned over to her stomach, and attempted to push herself up. She tried so hard, but she was too weak. As she pushed up with her arm's she collapsed back down to the ground. She was completely exhausted. Both physically and mentally.
How could things have gone so wrong? The plan was going so well. They were going to stop Belos' scheme. Then it all just fell apart so suddenly. Luz trembled unable to accept the truth of it all. why did it go downhill so fast? Why did they have to-? Her thoughts were interrupted by the heavy thump of a metallic boot near her left ear.
"You foolish girl! Do you know what you've done?" It was Belos. He was looking down at the groveling girl with despise in his eyes. His mask missed the top right horn. His white hair spilling through, blowing in the wind. His cape torn to shreds. He bent over Luz grabbing at her head, and harshly pulled her up to his eye level. "Destroying the gate was foolhardy, who knows what will come of it now?." There was an underlying tone of anger in Belos' voice. It was like he was trying to refrain from yelling, but only barely succeeding.
Luz couldn't resist the emperor's grip on her. She felt like her muscles just wouldn't respond to her anymore. All she could do was endure. Her tears never let up. Honestly, she wasn't listening to Belos at all. She really only had one thing on her mind.
"Why?" Luz whimpered in a cracked voice.
"Hmm?" Belos hummed perplexed by the vague question.
"Why... Why did you kill them?" Luz was choking on her words. It was one of the hardest questions she ever had to ask. She wanted to know. Why did they have to die?
"You mean Lilith and The Owl Lady? It's simple. They were enemies. It is only natural." Belos admitted flatly like it should have been obvious. Luz didn't know why she asked. There was no way a question like that would ever have a satisfactory answer. Her anguish never ceased. Seeing them like that hurt more than she ever thought she could feel, and their murderer was right in front of her. It was the first time Luz truly hated someone.
"I hate you!" Luz scorned pitifully. Her mind was swirling with thoughts and memories. Fury and sorrow flooding in with each. She thought of the time she spent with everyone and all the happy times. The times she laughed. The times she loved. It was some of the best times of her life. Each memory burning away into sorrow. Then there was her mother. Her mother would never know what became of her. She couldn't imagine how broken-hearted her mom would be when she never returns. After all, she was going to die. In the end, Luz couldn't feel anger anymore. Her tears only welled into bigger streams that cascaded like rain on a window
"Humans have always hated me. Just like they will you." Belos threatened. Luz was confused. What did he mean by that? Humans. Hate her? Wasn't she about to die? Suddenly, Luz felt Belos grip drop, only for it to immediately grab onto her hair. She yelled in pain and shock as the weight of her body began to pull on her scalp. Then she hit the floor. Belos pulling her forward with him by her hair, against Luz's will. The wind was getting louder, and the sound of whirring energy and electrical pulses got closer. Luz was being dragged toward the unstable portal. "For so long I've waited. I've waited for the opportunity to exact my revenge upon all of humankind. Then you show up." Belos pulled Luz in front of him and forced her to kneel. He grabbed at Luz's chin violently forcing her to stare into his eyes above her.
"My plans were ruined because of you. A damned human. The punishment I will give you will be far worse than death. You will endure the same pain I have gone through for many years." Luz was terrified by the emperor's intensity. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could tell. They were far more hateful than Luz ever was. " You should at least be a little happy human. Your wish of becoming a witch will come true from this." Belos raised his left hand in front of Luz's right eye. Bending his fingers into a claw grip. Then with a spark, blue light emanated from his palm. Slowly the light gathered around a single point before it quickly spread itself around Belos' palm as if trying to form a shape. It was a rune. One Luz has never seen before.
"What are you doing?" Luz panicked as the hand inched closer. What did he mean by becoming a witch? "No. Stop." Luz continued to plead as absolute terror engulfed her entire being. She tried to struggle to get free, despite how futile it was. What was he doing? This was supposed to be worse than death? What did the rune do? She didn't want this. She didn't want this. She didn't want this! "Stop! Please!" Her terror-ridden pleas fell on deaf ears as the runed hand swiftly cupped around her right eye. The rune blaring It's light directly into her iris.
"Now with the rune of the faceless royal. I shall bestow upon you a great power that shall serve as your curse. A power I am sure someone like you will despise." Belos sneered.
For a split second Luz could see the rune glow brighter. Only for her to scream in pain as the rune began to surge through her body. It felt like electricity was burning at her nerves. The pain was like nothing she ever experienced. Hot and cold at the same time. It was at its most severe in her eye. The light of the rune glowed so bright it was like she was staring into the sun, yet she could not close her eyes.
New sensations began to show themselves soon after. She could feel her ears pulling away like someone was trying to pull them off while gripping at the top of her ear. She could feel the same pulling sensation in her canine teeth aswell. Then she noticed something squirming in her chest as if trying to strangle her heart.
There was nothing she could do but endure the screaming pain. How long has it been? She couldn't tell anymore for all she knew she may have been there for an hour and it wouldn't have made any difference.
Then the pain vanished all at once. She began to wonder if she was dead, but the feeling in her body came back. Her sight returned into focus. There was something wrong though. Something she couldn't exactly focus on when the image of Belos returned to her. She was so disoriented she barely noticed the emperor forcing her to stand by her neck until the last second. He was looking at her with such disdain that his rage alone could burn a forest to the ground.
"I wonder. How long will it take for you to find out? That there are no heroes or villains. That the world can only be changed by force. How long will It take you to break? " Belos lifted Luz off the ground, choking her. She grabbed onto his arm for support. Trying to prevent herself from being choked. "Goodbye."
Luz was then tossed forward straight into the vortex. She barely had a chance to react before she began to feel her body tingle. Swirls of light and color stretched around her in an embrace that squeezed at her mind. She felt so many indescribable things It was terrifying. She screamed into the void that soon washed over her as the world she knew fell apart around her.
Luz's eyes shot open with a start. She stared forward blankly. Where was she? She tried to figure out where she was, but everything was so blurry. She couldn't remember anything. No matter how hard she tried.
She flinched at the splitting headache that forced Itself into her mind. She groaned as she rubbed at her head futilely trying to ease the pain. Her thoughts felt so hazy,
when the headache eased just enough for her to focus, she began to notice everything around her. The first thing that came to her was the consistent beeping to her left. A light from above encompassed the room in a gentle glow. Then there was the soft push of air on her face coming from a dark brown ceiling fan. The ceiling It hung from being some deep shade of mahogany.
Soon, she was able to feel she was laying in a bed. One of the comfiest she could recall. It gave way to the shape of her body embracing her in a soft hug. She looked away from the ceiling towards the beeping she heard ever since she was here. Why was there a heart monitor there? Did something happen to her? She stretched out her arm to reach out to the monitor. She wanted, no, needed to know if this was real. However, the monitor was simply out of reach.
She turned her gaze away from it when she realized that and looked down at her arm. A couple of wires seemed to have been attached to it. Were they for the monitor, or something else? Everything just seemed so hard. She couldn't think straight and every question she had only seemed to make that vast expanse of fog overtake her even more.
"I... why am I?" Luz whispered feebly. The whole time Luz tried to remember what lead her here. She rose from her bed letting the sheet that blanketed her fall down to her lap. Ever since she woke there was only this vague feeling she had that gnawed at her. Like she was forgetting something important. Suddenly something came to her. She had to do something. What was it?
That's right, Eda. Something happened to her. Luz needed to find Eda. With a newfound goal, she turned her dazed gaze to the right spotting a door. There was nothing special about the door. or even the room for that matter. With nothing but a quick glance from her peripheral vision, she noticed she wasn't in some hospital like the heart monitor led her to believe. No, it was just a simple bedroom. She wondered why she was in such a place, but she paid it no mind. She had to find Eda. That was the only thing she could think to do. If she found her she knew everything would be alright again.
She pulled away from the chords that were attached to her arm. The monitor quickly flatlined after losing its connection. She tried to pull herself up but the weakness she felt suddenly became apparent. It was like gravity was far higher than it should be. she continued single-mindedly pushing against her body's pleas. Resisting the pain that shot through her struggling muscles.
"Eda. I... I have to..." Her knees were shaking as she made slow, shaky steps toward the door. She took another step forward only to fall forward into the door. She put her arms up in front of her to brace for the impact and hit the door with a thud.
She leaned on the door for but a second before she weakly reached over to push at the door's handle with a limp grip. The door swung open immediately from the weight Luz was exerting on it. She fell with the door. Hitting the ground with a harsh bang. She would have yelped out in pain if her mind wasn't so desperately focused on a single thing. That one task she felt she absolutely had to do.
"Eda..."
Quickly Luz pushed herself back up and leaned against the wall to help her stand more easily. She continued further towards the exit as the wall kept her supported with each labored step. She didn't know where she was going; she just kept pressing forward with nothing but that aimless goal in mind.
"Eda... Find...Eda... I have to..."
She never realized when she left the place she found herself. Her groggy mind only pushed her forward, ignoring the world around her as she muttered Eda's name over and over again. She was exhausted, but she had to keep going. She couldn't stop now. Eda was waiting for her. That smile. she wanted to see it again. She had to.
Her body, however, began to fail her. After so much abuse she felt her knees buckle from underneath her, and she fell down to the ground. Was this it? Was this how far she could go? But she couldn't stop!
She laid there on the cold hard ground weakly pawing at the floor, failing to crawl forward. No. No. No! She had to keep going! Eda needed her! She needed Eda! However, her body just would not move anymore. It was over.
"Eda... I'm sorry... I... failed you." Luz whimpered weakly. Tears welled up in her eyes as her vision started to become blurry. She stopped trying to move entirely, and just succumbed to her tears.
"Mommy. There’s a girl crying over there." The voice of a young child pointed out. Luz for once noticed the voice now that she no longer felt that single-minded drive. She didn't care though. She just wanted to be left alone to wallow in her own self pity.
"Aviva, how many times have I told you to...? Oh my god."
That voice. No, It couldn't be. Could it?.
"Kid! Are you alright? What happened. Kid?!"
Luz could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. She already lost feeling in her legs, and she could barely see. But that didn't matter to her. She could recognize that voice anywhere. With one last word she fell into darkness and knew no more.
"Eda?"
- Hangar C - Location: Testing Course K -
"Gollem training unit 07-C running at full operational percentage."
"Nosinite battery is stable and fully charged."
"All other diagnostics are cleared. Ready for powering sequence."
A large grizzled man was standing idly by listening to all the reports from the engineers. He was leaning onto the black and yellow railing. Gripping at it with both his hands in apprehension. To think one of his students was actually going to take this test. She must have been the youngest person to ever take it. He was so proud, but that was an uneasy pride. He pulled one of his hands away and reached towards the radio he had placed on his jacket so he could speak with her.
"Amity are you sure you're up for this? I know this is something you wanted, but perhaps you should wait just a little longer. You're only 16. This is live ammunition you'll be dealing with." The man pointed out. He couldn't help but worry for one of his students.
"Mr. Maize I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm fully aware. Don't worry about me. I'm ready for this. I have to be." The voice was filled with static as it came out. Despite that Maize was able to hear the determination Amity held in her voice. With a reluctant sigh Maize gave in.
"Alright then. Good luck." Maize encouraged anxiously. He heard a word of thanks from Amity before the radio cut off. "What am I gonna do with that stubborn girl?" Maize wondered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
His head perked up in confusion when he felt a gentle touch on his right shoulder. He looked behind him to see who was touching his shoulder only to be surprised by the smiling figure he met in front of him.
"Mr.Blight? What are you doing here? I thought you were..."
"Working? Yes. But why would I miss the chance to see my daughter make history? They can handle themselves for just a bit." Mr. Blight's voice came out as calm and collected as it always had. His ever-present smile seemed to bring Maize some ease. "You don't have to worry. These training Gollems are focused on safety above all else. There's no way she'll get hurt. I should know. I built them after all."
"Yeah, you're right. I know that, but still, I worry for her. What if she fails? She'll be crushed."
"You're A good man Maize." Mr. Blight praised in a gentle tone. Maize was caught off guard with that complement.
"Huh?"
"Most teachers just see their jobs as nothing more than just that, a job. You on the other hand. You genuinely care. You see your students as more than just students. You see them as if they were family. It's quite admirable."
"I suppose. I'm just doing my job the best I can." Maize felt a little flustered by Blight's words. He didn't actually believe himself worthy of such praise.
"Always as humble as ever huh? just take the compliment! Amity's here partially because of you, you know?" Mr. Blight stated graciously. He was truly grateful for just how far Maize led his daughter to where she wanted to be.
"Thank you." It was funny to Maize. No matter how he felt, Mr. Blight always managed to make him smile. That permanent smile of his must have been contagious or something.
Meanwhile, just ahead of Maize and Mr. Blight. Suspended by a multitude of harnesses laid the Gollem. It was a large metallic humanoid vehicle. Some would probably prefer to call It a robot, or mecha. It stood up straight at a respectable fifteen feet tall. Its entire body boasted a cubical type of design. Straight edges and surfaces that allowed for it to be implanted with a type of under armor that was extremely durable. However, the armor was also very inflexible making the joints of Its limbs having to go without it. Its head was much like a large rectangular box. A single red light was planted on the front-facing portion of the head. Presumably serving as it's eye or camera. It was mostly black, but there were also portions of Its bulky body, colored yellow and black. Much in the same way as caution tape. Like Its arms, legs, and on the sides of Its head.
Inside Its cockpit was Amity Blight. Amity brushed away a loose strand of brown hair from her rounded ears so the hair wouldn’t bother her anymore. She was wearing a specially designed piloting suit that matched the colors of the Gollem. The only thing that stood out was the golden heart-shaped locket dangling from her neck. She looked over the controls a multitude of times out of nervous anxiety.
She can do this. She had to. She gripped at the piloting device's firmly, squeezing it as hard as she could muster. Breathe. She just had to breathe. Everything would be fine. She's been training her whole life for this. She couldn't let her nerves undo everything she's been working towards.
"Are you ready to begin now?" A voice asked over the radio.
Amity loosened her grip after hearing the voice. She just had to do It. No more stalling. So she let go of that nervousness and filled herself with the conviction to proceed.
"Yes. I'm Ready."
"Very well. begin the powering sequence."
Amity let go of the right pilot device to reach up above her. She flicked a couple of switches which caused an electrical whirring sound that escalated as time went on. She Then went to press down a button that lined up with the switches. She held it down until the whirring became a steady noise. She let go of the button making the cockpit light up. Three large individual screens flicked on revealing a one-eighty degree view of what lay in front of the Gollem. Another smaller screen that rested just between her legs flickered on. It was the tactical screen. Revealing any important details like the Gollem's operational status, or a map. She grabbed onto the pilot device again and pressed one of the buttons that was located the lowest.
"Gollem is fully powered on." Amity relayed to the engineers through the radio.
"Roger. Initiating launch procedure."
The area was soon flooded with a loud alarm, as Yellow lights began to flash from the platforms the Gollem was suspended from, and the one just below it. Loud mechanical hissing and whirring was heard just as Amity felt the sudden jolt of the initial opening of the hangar's launch door. The Gollem rotating along with it.
"Ten seconds until you're cleared for taking off."
Amity hasn't felt like this for so long. The anticipation was killing her. This was It. If she passed this test, the goal she's been chasing for so long would finally be hers.
"Seven Seconds."
After the door finished rotating open, Amity could see the outside and the testing course fully now. It's so close. The Gollem was now lowering down to the platform. Just a few more seconds.
"Five seconds"
Amity let go of the left pilot's device and wrapped her hand around her locket with a gentle embrace. Like she was holding onto a dear friend.
"Can you see me Luz? I've made it this far already. I won't fail now. After all, I have to keep that promise we made." Amity said a hint of sadness inching into her confidence. She gently put the locket underneath her suit to protect it from flying all over the place as she moved.
The Gollem thumped onto the ground with a thud. Then with a hiss of steam, all of the harnesses that held it up released all at once. Four large wedge-like objects uncoupled from the Gollem's feet forming into what appeared to be a pair of skis for each foot. Soon after the objects began to glow from underneath, causing the Gollem to hover slightly off the ground.
"Three, two, one... You are ready to launch!"
Amity gripped at the controls tightly, her determination overflowing. She moved the Gollem into position. Then with a mighty roar, the jets on the back of the Gollem lit up propelling it into the distance.
This was it. Amity couldn't afford to fail. She had more on the line than just her pride. No. It was also to keep that promise. She had to succeed not just for herself, but To honor the memory of her best friend.
"Here I go."