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Chapter Text

He felt as if he had been in a daze of darkness for a long time…

He felt completely exhausted and weak.

There were moments when Philip became aware, and his instincts took over to keep him safe… to keep him alive…

He wasn’t sure how long it had been since his failed attempt to destroy the Boiling Isles and its wicked inhabitants, but he knew that days had passed since he returned home.

Home…

Despite the walls falling apart, with old newspapers and garbage scattered across the cracked, stained, wooden floors, he recognized it as his own. The place he hadn’t seen for many centuries. The very one that he was born in and grew up with his brother…

He had thought that upon returning home, he would feel something reminiscent of joy or sadness, but instead, he felt empty.

Completely empty…

His glowing blue eyes gazed at the living room, barely lit up by the moon, for a few more minutes before he turned to the worn-out couch, then to the darkened chimney, and finally to the stairs across from him. All he saw were fragments of a past long forgotten.

He tried to stand up but collapsed instead.

Slowly, he raised his right hand, revealing a long, thin, brown limb with very long fingers. He lifted his left arm, which looked the same but mostly green.

He looked down at himself and saw that his frame was sickly, green, brown, and sludgy looking.  

His hands went to his face and instantly could feel exposed teeth, confirming his suspicion that he was in his cursed form. Well, half the usual size, which explains why he didn’t take so much space in the living room.

He tried to curse under his breath, but instead a growl made its way from his mouth.

If he could, he would have frowned at the sound he just made. Unfortunately, his mouth was in such a state that it couldn’t make any human expressions.

He tried speaking again, and again, and only the sounds grunts and growls kept coming out.

Panic began to eat him up, but he took slow, deep breaths to calm his nerves.

He mentally told himself that he would be okay. There was no way he would be stuck in this grotesque form, unable to speak properly. He reminded himself he was still recovering from the Collector’s attack.

But then he wondered, how was he recovering?

Earth had no magic.

Perhaps the magic form the countless palismans he had absorbed was still affecting him.

Magic…

His mind went back to the Boiling Isles.

Oh, he was honestly enraged at what happened to his plans to destroy the wicked island and its people. For Christ’s sake, he had lived for centuries and worked so hard for everything to fall apart.

Years of suffering and sacrifice to protect humanity, and he had failed…

And all thanks to a human girl.

A human girl who had been bewitched by those foul creatures of the Boiling Isles, just like his brother…

Luz and her friends somehow freed the Collector who had stopped the draining spell…The witches and demons continue to live… even if they were now stuck with the Collector in the Boiling Isles.

He could hope with the Collector in the Boiling Isles, there was no way any of the witches or demons would come to Earth, but he felt a feeling it was of no use.

They will somehow come to Earth and infect human society.

If only he had taken more decisive actions against Luz and her friends. He could have gone out to the owl house and killed Luz and that blasted witch of hers himself. He could have done it. He could have killed them easily in their sleep and no one would have known it was him.

He was a fool… that was what he was… so stupid to have shrugged her off simply because she was human.

Yes, he wanted to help her get back home - after all, she was from Earth - but the mercy he gave her was his undoing. A huge mistake on his part.

He shook his head from the frustration that was gradually building up.

‘Let’s go eat dinner, Philip!’

An ancient memory flashed through his mind as he stared at the stairs. He could see a young boy with short blonde hair running downstairs.

No…

Something deep inside of him twisted painfully, which made him quickly turn to the door as his heart raced.

He had to get out of there now.

He yanked the door open so he could dash out of the house, but something struck his chest before wires latched around his limbs, crushing them against his body.

Suddenly he let out a screech of agony as countless bolts shocked through him.

“I got him!” someone yelled out as Philip struggled against his restraints, he felt he was burning alive.

He stumbled back before he felt the world turn sideways. His body hit the ground hard. The electric shocks from whatever was binding him stopped and left him panting heavily, and in pain.

“Hurry, before it’s too late!” another voice called out, both sounded feminine.

Philip did his best to stay conscious, but unfortunately, his weakened form did not last long before he was met with darkness again. 

Chapter Text

“It’s official. I cannot live without pizza!” Gus said before letting out a moan of pleasure as he savored the cheesy bite in his mouth.

Camila gave the dark-skinned boy a warm smile at his reaction. Observing the kids gathered around the table, she felt a sense of satisfaction at the success of her plan. Taking them out for pizza and arcade games seemed to have lifted their emotional states.

“Don’t you think it’s kind of weird that this cheese is made of animal’s milk…?” Amity asked as she simply stared down at her slice that sat in her place.

Willow, seated across from Amity, found the concept intriguing and remarked, “I think it’s very interesting. I wonder why we never thought of it.”

Vee, who sat beside Camila, piped up with a shy tone,” “I told you pizza is amazing,” as she took a large bite of her food. The shapeshifter didn’t look exactly like Luz anymore. Yes, she looked like Luz’s twin, but her hair was slightly longer and loose while Luz’s was held in a low ponytail. Vee also had some butterfly pins to hold her bangs off her face. “You should try some, Hunter,” she said as everyone turned to the blond teenager, who was sitting between Willow and Gus, staring down at his untouched plate.

The dark bags that hung under his eyes were still prominent even after five months of the whole traumatic events he and the rest of the kids went through

To be honest, Camila was worried about every single one of the kids gathered at the table. The past five months had been incredibly difficult for them. In the beginning, Luz and her friends were withdrawn, sleeping most of the day, barely eating, and prone to tears.

Camila had taken off a week from work - she would have taken more days off, but unfortunately her work wasn’t that lenient - and did her best to hold them when they need her. She listened to everything they wanted to say and did her best to help them process the trauma they had experienced before they arrived on Earth. They had lost their homes, their families… It was heartbreaking to even think about it.

Fortunately, each kid showed some signs of improvement, or at least found the strength to get out of bed and do something to keep their minds occupied. They had each other to rely on and understand the pain they had gone through.

What they had experienced was truly terrible. The way they had lost their homes to the Collector, a powerful creature, was difficult to comprehend. The mere thought of such a being existing made Camila anxious.

Of the group, Willow was the one who had stepped up the most, helping Camila ensure that the others weren’t starving themselves. Amity, Luz’s caring girlfriend, had also been a great help in supporting Luz.

Luz…

She turned to her daughter, who was simply nibbling on her slice, eyes half lidded with a darkness to it.

Luz did not come back the same.

She was not the usual overly cheerful hyper girl that she had seen grow. Instead, she seemed so closed off, barely giving a smile to anyone, and if she did, it seemed so forced.

Camila would be lying if she didn’t admit from all the kids Luz was the one who she was worried the most about.

Well, who could blame her? Luz was her daughter, after all. But she had to admit, from all the others, Hunter was the next in line that she felt she needed to keep her attention to a lot.  

Luz had told her a lot about Hunter, and the things Camila heard were heart breaking. How he was created by a monster who would dispose of him as if he was nothing…

A monster that was once a human and had lived for centuries.

A monster who tried killing every single living being in the Boiling Isles.

The monster who hurt her daughter…

Camila felt her phone vibrate in her lap. She quickly pulled up her phone to turn off the alarm she had set up on her phone.

When she looked up, she was met with the kids staring at her with mixed expressions.

Some held fear, others hesitation, and others determination.

Camila took a deep breath, to tell them what they all had been wanting to hear that night. What they all have been waiting to do.

“Let’s do this.”

Philip’s body was wracked with pain, every breath feeling like fire in his lungs. His throat was raw and he could feel the scratchy sensation with each inhalation. His eyes fluttered open slowly, struggling to focus on his surroundings. It took him a few moments to realize that he was lying on his side, facing a set of unfamiliar coated bars. The metal wires that restrained his arms against his torso were already uncomfortable, but now he noticed green vines coiled tightly around them, constricting his movement even more.

As he lay there, the sounds of movement reached his ears.

Summoning his strength, he slowly pushed himself up onto his knees, using his shoulder to level himself upright. It was only then he realized he was inside a cage made of metal bars, thorny vines, and some kind of purple solid material.

He also took notice that he was still inside his old home…

“So, we finally meet…”

Philip came face to face to a tanned skinned woman, plumped, with an icy glare that looked very familiar.

Camila did her best to hide the fear that was eating her up by facing the creature in front of her. He looked like a mix of skin-walker and a wendigo, just like she had seen from certain videos she had found online. The grey hair was long and messy on the creature, long horns were sticking out, and glowing blue eyes stared at her, or more like it was staring through her, making her skin crawl…

Philip eyed her before noticing she had round ears.

She was human…

He opened his mouth to speak to the human, but just like before, he let out growling sounds.

So… he still couldn’t make out any proper words… Which was odd.

He ignored how his heart was gradually beating a bit faster at the fact he couldn’t talk yet.

“I have so much to say to you.” Camila said evenly, before she dared to say what was in her mind. “Demon.”

Philip was slightly annoyed at her for calling him a demon, but for now, he decided to ignore her and plan his next steps carefully.

First things first, he had to break free from the aggravating wires around his arms then he had to get out of the cage, especially as he felt a little of anxiety creeping up from being kept in a small space.

Communicating with the human woman seemed out of the question for now. Which was kind of disappointing, since for years he had yearned to talk to another human being.

Yes, Luz was a human, but she was a nuisance, brainwashed by witches, so she didn’t count…

Anyway… he thought about breaking free from his hold now when suddenly he heard the door of his old home creak open. Walking into the living room was no other than…

Philip felt anger when Luz and Willow walked into the room. Luz’s eyes darkly glared at him before she had the audacity to stand directly in front of him, much to her mom’s hesitation to hold her back. Willow stood a couple steps back from Luz, also glaring at him while she held her staff tightly, ready to defend her friend or attack him, it seemed.

The room fell dead silent, and the only sound in the room was from Philip breathing heavily as he did his best to maintain his composure.

Who could blame him, though?

Standing in front of him was the main reason that humanity was now in more danger.

400 years of work, of suffering… of sacrifices… to do what was for the better good for their race, shattered by a girl.

And to make matters worse, she had the nerve to glare at him as if he was the one who had done wrong, as if he was truly the bad guy.

Oh, how he loathed her, especially as she insisted on having a disgusting witch in their presence.

Stupid ignorant child…

“Belos.” The silence was broken with Luz’s bitter tone, making Philip freeze on the spot.

Belos was not his name…

She knew what his real name was…

Philip was his name.

She knew his name was Philip.

He told her before to not call him Belos anymore.

He told her to call him Philip!

Belos was NOT his name!

Philip lost himself as he slammed into the unyielding cage bars violently, making Camila try to pull her daughter back with worry. Willow jumped into a defensive pose, ready to intervene if Philip managed to break free.

Luz stood her ground, her eyes on Philip who repeatedly threw himself against all four walls of the cage that surrounded him, trying to break free. But the cage held firm, its bars solid and immovable. The thorns on the vines surrounding the cage bit into Philip’s flesh, adding to his pain and frustration. He couldn’t think clearly, his mind consumed by a blind fury that left him oblivious to the world around him.

“He won’t break free from that,” Willow assured Camila as Philip was still trying to break free. “He’s just hurting himself.”

Her words did not reach Philip. His mind was drowned with rage as he continued to strike the walls with his weakened body. His breathing became labored, his chest heaving as he fought against the constraints. Anxiety grasped his heart tighter, which made him abruptly stop so he could shove his limbs against the metal wires and roots that restrained him.

He was suffocating…

The walls of the cage seemed to be closing in on him, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

With a guttural roar, Philip desperately strained against the restraints, heedless of the wires digging deeper into his flesh, while his arms throbbed with pain. Suddenly, a dark sludge burst through the deep cuts he was receiving and just when he felt his mind going deeper into madness, the device on his chest was activated by Luz and electric currents once again burned through his insides, making him reeling in agonizing screams.

When the shocks subsided, Philip was left gasping for breath, his limp arms still restrained against his torso, the sludge continuing to trickle down them like macabre tears. He gradually regained his senses, feeling confused and disoriented. For a moment there, he felt as though he had completely lost control of himself.  

Luz continued to watch him. Her chin tilted up.

“You’re not going anywhere,” she said coldly just before four other children entered the warehouse.

Philip felt his thoughts abruptly stop when he caught the sight of the familiar blonde locks that belonged to one who was walking slowly to where Camila was, avoiding eye contact with him.

The boy he had created and reminded him constantly of his destiny in life.

Hunter…

Chapter Text

Hunter didn’t want to look at him…

Better yet, he didn’t want to come into the warehouse.

Well… scratch that, he did want to walk in and face the man that he had dedicated his whole life to, but he was just terrified of doing so.

To be honest, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do even after coming to stand 20 feet from his uncle’s cell.

Should he demand answers from the countless questions that plagued his mind? Or should he plead for the man to take him back? To prove to him he was still worth keeping… to love…

For a while, he had thought his uncle was dead.

The way he saw his uncle’s body splatter in the cave months ago as if he was nothing, but slime led him to suffer multiple panic attacks every time he even thought about his uncle.

Believing his uncle to be dead was the most painful thing he ever experienced, very close to finding out about the truth of who he was and what his uncle had done to the previous clones.

The boy kept his eyes glued to the ground; his arms wrapped around his own body while he did his best to focus on his breathing as he thought of all the years that he lived by his uncle’s side.

What made his heart continue to throb painfully since he found out about the horrid truth was the question whether his uncle even loved him… If all that affection his uncle had given him was simply an act just like the mask he wore of a noble hero to the demon realm.

He clenched his teeth, accusing himself of being a coward for not even sparing a glance at his uncle, especially since, well, he was standing right there in front of him.

Months ago, he had begged for his uncle to somehow come back to life. He just couldn’t bear the fact his uncle had died before he even had the chance to somehow… win him back…

Hunter’s heart began to beat fast as he panicked. He hesitantly looked at his friends, who were glaring at the one standing behind the bars that surrounded him. Metal bars that he had set up himself.

His fingers dug into his arms, wondering what they would think if they found he still wanted his approval.

Would they shun him?

He wouldn’t blame them, not after everything his uncle had done to them. He could see the disgust and hostility in their eyes. Even though they would deny it, a little fear was still there, but just on the edges.

A growl reached his pointy ears, making him swallow the anxiety that was choking him and slowly look up.

Bright blue eyes were staring down at him, the same ones that had pinned him back in the cave before…

His stomach churned and cold sweat ran down the back of his neck and without a second thought, he burst out of the warehouse, barely hearing his name called out after him.

“Hunter!”

The smaller witch of the group spoiled the silence in the room before chasing after the boy, the one Philip had created, through the front door of the house.

Philip didn’t waste any second of his time thinking about the two boys. Instead, he turned back to the naïve girl, who continued to glare at him while he managed to finally catch his breath after the electric shocks he was forced to endure.

“I’m only going to say this once,” Luz said with an even tone, the purple-haired witch stepping beside her with her own staff in her grip. “If you lay a finger on any of my friends or family… I will make sure you don’t see the light of day ever again.”

Philip almost let out a grunt of amusement at her threat, but he held it back for now. His arms slightly pushing against the holds as the desperation to break free of them crept on him again.

“Now…” Luz took a step closer to him, earning a nervous ‘Mija’ from her mother. “Tell me how we can build a portal back to the demon realm.”

Philip growled at her out of annoyance.

He couldn’t believe the girl had the nerve to be demanding things from him while she has him locked up like a caged animal.

“If you don’t tell us how to make that portal, then we will make you,” Willow said coldly too, pointing her staff at him.

Philip straightened up as much as he could while still kneeling.

He wanted to tell the girls that he wasn’t afraid of their pathetic threat, but like before, instead of words coming out, sounds of a beast reached everyone’s ears.

Luz narrowed her eyes with suspicion, failing to notice his irritation; the lack of forming any proper words was growing old for Philip.

“I… don’t think he can speak,” Amity told Luz.

Luz looked at her with confusion and doubt.

“Maybe he’s still healing,” Amity said. “He’s still not as big as he was back at the cave,” she pointed out.

Luz glanced back at Belos before frowning.

Her girlfriend was right. Belos wasn’t as big as she last saw him in the demon realm. He was almost getting there though, especially since the first time she had spotted him as some sort of blob looking thing in the middle of the abandoned house’s living room, months ago when she opened the door, hoping that the portal would somehow work again.

“Maybe we should wait till he can talk again,” Amity suggested.

Luz looked down at the ground, hands turning into tight fists.

“We need to go back,” she said under her breath. “Before it’s too late.”

“Or…” Willow spoke up when an idea popped into her head. “We don’t really need him to talk.”

This time, Luz and Amity turned to her in confusion.

“I think Gus can help us,” Willow smiled. “But we should talk to him first to see if he can pull off the idea I have.”

“Let’s find the others and talk about this tomorrow,” Camila said to them.

Luz frowned at her mom’s suggestion.

“Pero, mama.”

“We need to check on Hunter,” Camila said calmly. “That should be our main priority before we follow through with what Willow is planning.”

Luz’s mouth twisted to the side with irritation, but her mom was right. After everything Hunter has been through… she didn’t want him to continue to endure things alone.

“He won’t escape, Luz,” Amity said to Luz, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Hunter, Willow, and I made it impossible for him to break free.”

Luz glanced at the bars that consisted of the metal bars that Hunter set up vertically around Belos. Purple ooze that was now rock solid, thanks to Amity, was layered on top of the metal bars, giving them more strength. The thorny vines that were crisscrossed were inside the cage to add more layers to his cell.

Suddenly, more vines shot out from the ground inside Philip’s cell to latch around his body before yanking him down more painfully to his knees. He let out a gasp of pain.

He tried moving, but could barely move an inch now with the additional vines holding him down.

Luz looked at Willow with confusion, who in turn gave her an amused smile.

“See? We don’t have anything to worry about,” Willow said with confidence. “Now, let’s go check on Hunter.”

“Esta bien…” Luz’s shoulders dropped and accepted Amity’s hand on to hers before they walked away to the exit. Of course, not before she threw a dirty glare at Belos.

Camila had Willow accompany the other two girls just when she, herself, approached the cage.

Philip was eyeing the girls with annoyance and didn’t even realize Camila was standing in front of him till she spoke up.

“You are a terrible man,” Camila said with an even tone, her eyes fixated up at him. The nervousness she had earlier was vacant from her face. “Well… from what I see and everything you have done according to the children, are you even a man?” she asked, her arms crossing over her chest.

Philip growled at her, not liking the way she was speaking to him.

“You don’t scare me,” she said. Her eyes were like Luz’s, which Philip just realized now. “And if you do even try to hurt those children again, I will do worse to you than just keeping you up in a cage for the rest of your life,” she pulled away from him, before walking out of the worn-out house.

Philip clenched his teeth hard in annoyance, struggling against the new restraints that dug into his limbs painfully.

After a few minutes of trying to break free from the vines, he gave up, leaving him panting with exhaustion, forced into a kneeling position.

Getting out of his cage would have to wait, it seemed…

He had to take time to heal to regain his strength so he could break free.

So, he sat there, ignoring the familiar walls that surrounded him, doing his best not to let unwanted memories play in his mind again. The glow in his eyes vanished.

Eventually, the room grew quiet, and Philip, without realizing it, fell asleep from the exhaustion he didn’t even realize was dragging him down.

Chapter Text

“Thank you,” Little Philip said with a shy smile as he took a bundle of corn from a guy who was selling them by the dozen inside the town.

He kneeled to the ground and began tying some thin rope around the bundle while the corn seller walked away.

“I swear… he may be a witch… like his mom…” some woman whispered to another as they were walking past him.

Little Philip did his best to focus on his knots, trying not to listen to the people’s growing gossip, even though it made him feel his heart tug down.

“Maybe he’s not,” the other woman, short compared to the other, said in a hushed voice. “Their dad would never let the devil come back into that house again.”

“Their dad is long gone… probably was lured to hell by the devil…”

“Oh, dear…” the short woman mumbled. “Well… maybe the boys won’t be as easily influenced then…”

“I just know that his brother has those strange eyes like his mother… and that’s why the minister is taking into consideration taking the little one under his wing.”

The boy threw the bundle of corn behind his back before walking down the road.

People kept their distance from him, making sure there was a vast gap when they walked past him. Children would look at him with a mix of fear and hostility, never offering to play hide and seek with him.

He slightly spared a side glance to a child who was doing their best to help their mother unload from a cart bag of produce that their father had brought into town to fill up to their small store.

Little Philip’s hands tightened their hold on the rope that held onto the corn and forced his tiny legs to move faster away from town and into the forest, down the path that would lead him to his home. He shoved the dark, heavy feeling that tried to claw into his heart. But honestly, he was having a harder time ignoring the sadness that would make his eyes slightly moisten up.

After a long period of walking, he eventually came to a stop right in front of the front door of his house. A house that stood far from others.

The house was a perfect size for a family, but…

Little Philip shook his head, annoyed.

“You are not a baby,” he told himself. He took a deep breath before exhaling it and formed a smile on his face before barging into the living room.

“I’ve returned, Caleb!” he yelled with enthusiasm as he shut the door behind him. He ran to the kitchen, dropping the bundle of corn next to a small table. “I came back as fast as I could,” he said with bright blue eyes to an older boy who was starting a fire in their small fireplace so he could start boiling the water that was inside a huge black pot.

The older boy turned to him, his magenta eyes lit up when looking down at his little brother.

“Good job, Philip,” he said with a sweet smile, ruffling the little boy’s hair. “Look at you, bringing that entire stack of corn by yourself now. You’re growing stronger every day.”

Philip stood up straight with his fists against his hips, grinning up at his brother with pride.

“I’ll get so strong that I’ll be able to hunt down all the witches and demons soon!” the little boy claimed loudly.

Caleb chuckled.

“You sure will,” Caleb agreed, going over to their table, and picking up a piece of carved wood. “I’ve been working on something for you for a while,” he said as he sat down on a tiny stool. He took out a knife from his back pocket. “I’m almost done with it.”

Little Philip was curious, sitting down on the ground across from his brother. He smiled with enthusiasm as he watched his brother carve onto the wooden piece.

Caleb was very good at making things out of wood. There was a vast collection of wooden birds on top of one cabinet in the dining room that he had made; Philip loved looking at them.

One day, Philip was going to ask his brother to teach him how to make beautiful things out of wood. The way their mother had taught Caleb.

Little Philip kept observing his brother carve away while the usual question that would cross his mind came up again.

He wanted Caleb to talk about their mother, since he didn’t have any memory of her.

But like always, he didn’t dare to ask. He knew better than to ask his brother about their mother, a woman that was tainted by the devil when he was born.

At least, that’s what he heard a lot in town.

“What are you making me?” Philip asked instead.

“Something that will hopefully scare the monsters while you hunt them down,” Caleb said, carving holes into the wood. Philip realized his brother was making a mask. “This will make sure you are strong and brave,” Caleb said once he was done carving down the second hole before showing it to Philip. “I think adding some horns to it will make it more interesting, don’t you think?” Caleb suggested before the little boy jumped to his feet and took the mask from his brother.

Philip was filled with joy as he looked down at the unexpecting gift, but then, suddenly, he felt some dread in his heart.

He hesitantly looked up at Caleb, who was now looking at him with confusion.

“I’m sorry Philip, did you not like it?” Caleb asked. His brother just stared at him quietly. “It’s okay if you didn’t,” Caleb was gentle, letting out an assuring smile. “I can make you a better one.”

Philip wanted to ask Caleb if they would be lured by the devil as well, just like their parents were, but not wanting to worry his brother, he forced a smile on his face.

“Horns would for sure make it cooler,” he agreed before placing the mask on his face.

It was a perfect fit.

Next thing little Philip knew, he was in the forest, with the mask on that now had two wooden horns sticking up.

He jabbed up in the sky a wooden sword while he looked down at his brother, who was standing at the bottom of a small cliff, wearing a tattered cape and wearing a long pointy hat like a witch was rumored to wear.

“I will hunt you all down!” Little Philip said, loud and proud.

The older boy was amused and waved his hand in a strange direction.

“Not before I eat the town’s kids first,” Caleb said with a high-pitched voice.

“I’ll never let that happen,” the little boy said, pointing down the sword in his brother’s direction. “I will protect my brother and the town from evil creatures like you!”

The scene changed with little Philip helping his brother with picking up sticks for firewood in the forest, doing his best to be by his brother’s side since he enjoyed their time spent together a lot.

“Witch!” Both boys heard screaming near them. “Chase after her!”

They saw a woman running through the forest and a group of people running after her.

“Can we join them?” Philip asked his brother right away, and Caleb smiled, nodding to him, and before they knew it, they were holding sticks as weapons, running alongside the mob.

After that, the townsfolk would approach little Philip every time he visited the town with smiles, giving him fruits, bread, and even milk. People would offer him and his brother side jobs now that they were taking part in the witch hunts.

The more witch hunts they helped in, the nicer people became towards them.

One day, there was a new guy in town that little Philip took notice of that everyone seemed to gather around while he spoke. People would greet him right away when he walked among them. The man was a large one, with a thick beard and a bald head.

“His name is Alexander,” Little Philip had told his brother while they ate their cheese and bread at night at their small table. “He came from a different town and supposedly he has caught the most witches that anyone has ever done,” he said with his mouth full of cheese. “I want to be like Alexander one day. I’ll make sure no evil witch comes to our town, and I’ll make sure you aren’t taken by evil like our parents.”

“I should be protecting you, since I’m the older brother,” Caleb said with amusement, cutting a slice of bread before serving it to Philip’s wooden plate. “But I know you’ll become a great witch hunter like Alexander, if that’s what you want to be.”

The little boy continued eating his food with his hands.

“Today, someone told me the Minister wants to take me in as his apprentice,” the little boy revealed. “Is it okay if I say yes if he asks me?”

“Of course, it’s okay,” Caleb said in a gentle tone. “I think having an adult role model will be good for you.”

“I promise I’ll be good and learn as much as I can,” Philip said.

“I know you will,” Caleb said before the scene turned dark, and Philip was now a teenager, wearing the mask that his brother had made him when he was very young. He was holding a long pitchfork while people were running around in the forest, women screaming out with fear that the devil was in their presence.

The word had gotten out that some strange figure did some magic in town in front of a crowd, and it left everyone in a frenzy of panic. Philip and Caleb had grabbed their pitchforks and went out looking for the foul creature.

Along the way, the boys separated, which now was making Philip worry for his brother.

Instead of looking for the witch, Philip began seeking his brother out.

He had to find him…

He had to keep him safe…

Philip couldn’t lose him like he had lost his parents. Even though he could barely remember them, he had grown afraid his brother would suffer the same fate as them.

Caleb was the last person he loved left in the world.

Yes, the town people treated him now with respect, but… his brother was the person he cherished the most. His brother… almost like a father to him…

He couldn’t lose him…

Philip’s heart raced painfully as he continued to walk deeper into the forest.

Dark thoughts clawed at him, reminding him of the old rumors he had heard as a child.

‘You guys are cursed by the devil,’ a mocking voice played in his mind. ‘Your souls are tainted… There is no way to save your brother…’

“Caleb!” Philip called out desperately now as he moved faster, walking farther from the mob, closer to the river. Thanks to the full moon, he could move between the trees with ease, avoid tripping on anything that was sticking out from the ground.

Eventually, he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a voice near the riverbank. His hands gripped his weapon as his heart drummed against his chest.

He told himself he could do this… he had to find his brother…

Quietly, he followed where he heard the voice from and eventually spotted two figures by the river. He hid behind a thick tree before peeking out to spot the familiar blonde hair of his brothers, always tied in a low ponytail.

Philip’s eyes widened when he saw, standing in front of his brother, was young looking woman with pointy ears. The woman was smiling widely as she, from nothing, conjured a fireball to hover over her hand.

“I’ve told you days before, I am not here to harm anyone,” the witch said calmly, her eyes glittering as she eyed Caleb whose pitchfork was pointing downwards, instead of taking a defensive pose. “Let me take you to my world, where it is full of magic… You don't belong here.”

Caleb seemed to be mesmerized by the fireball.

Philip yanked down his mask, feeling that his brother was in danger. He stepped out of his hiding place.

“Caleb?” Philip called out, with uncertainty, which snapped his older brother's attention to him, with some hesitation. “What are you doing?” the younger boy asked. Noticing how his brother was not fighting the witch made fear grasp his heart and his mind race with terror.

‘He will be next,’ the dark voice in Philip’s head hissed. ‘He will be taken away too..’ Hatred ate him up at that second.

“Get away from my brother!” Philip snapped before pointing his weapon at the witch. “You’re not taking him away as well!”

A young witch boy, Gus, standing far from the tree, was watching all the events unfold with uncertainty.

One moment, Gus could see Caleb’s eyes filled with sadness and regret as his brother tried to ‘save’ him from the witch, and then the events jumbled up. Caleb was nowhere to be seen in the forest, Philip was crawling out from the river, shivering and cold, sobbing into the muddy ground.

Then the minister and Alexander were standing by him.

“They were right, he and his family are all cursed by the devil!” Gus could hear Alexander yell with disgust. “We should burn him before he attracts more witches to curse us all!”

Philip just curled up into himself, with the mask that his brother had made him clutched against his chest.

The minister had a stone look at him as he observed the broken boy.

“Or… we can make him into their worst nightmare…” the Minister said calmly, and right before Gus’ eyes, the memory jumped from one of Philip’s memories to another. One memory was with young Philip being lashed at with a whip, making him cry out words that sounded like a sort of prayer, making Gus’ eyes wide in shock. The boy then saw a memory of Philip crying in a tiny dark room, curled up on the ground, telling himself it was his fault that his brother was taken away. Cursing himself for failing to kill the witch. Another was of young Philip being forced to whip a woman accused of being a witch. Even though Philip had tears in his eyes and was begging the minister that he didn’t want to do it.

Gus was frozen on the spot, heart racing badly. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing in front of him as young Philip continued to whip the back of the sobbing woman.

“Kill the witch!” Gus kept hearing through Philip’s memories, many dark, disturbing moments. “Burn her!” Gus’ face grew pale as an adult Philip was now standing in front of a crowd, with a calm smile, cold eyes resting on them as he held a stick that was lit on fire. Next to him, a woman was tied up against a wooden pole, crying. Surrounding her were countless sticks and leaves.

The minister was standing a few feet from Philip, hands behind his back, straight and stoic as always.

"No…” Gus felt his body grow cold when Philip turned to the woman, who cried out that she wasn’t a witch, begging them to believe her.

“You cannot trick us any longer, witch,” Philip said in a cold, calculated voice.

“Don’t do it!” Gus now yelled out as he began sprinting to the crowd, but he was too late. Philip threw the stick he was holding to the mass surrounding the woman before the whole fire engulfed her fast.

Gus stopped dead in his tracks, eyes full blown wide, stricken with shock.

“No…” he let out weakly, in complete shock as he stared at the woman screeching in agony as her flesh burned and peeled while everyone else cheered.

“No!” Gus threw his hands over his eyes, now filled with tears, and screamed for everything to just stop, but more memories were playing around him, so many of them, too fast that he couldn’t process them, overwhelming him. “Stop!” he screamed, falling to his knees.

“Gus!” a familiar voice yelled, making Gus’ eyes snapped back open, finding himself crying into Camila’s chest.

“Shh, it’s okay, I got you,” Camila said softly to him as her arms were tightly wrapped around his shaking body.

He was not inside Belo’s memories anymore.

Luz was next to him, a hand on his shoulder with concern, while the other hand had taken the magic amplifier from Gus’ tight hold.

A roar made Gus jump with fright and throw his arms over his face. Luz, Willow, and Amity stood up, glaring at Philip, who had woken up the second Gus was out of his memories. He yanked against his restraints more violently than ever before.

Philip had completely lost it.

Not one thought was crossing his mind, and all he did was rage like a savage animal. Blue eyes glowed more than usual as he finally tore free from all the restraints that were holding his arms together.

The device that had been latched on his chest was ripped off as well and thrown to the side.

Willow and Amity stepped forward with their staffs.

Willow’s staff flashed green as she had green veins shoot out from the ground and try to wrap on to Philip, who had finally smashed through the cage the kids had made.

“Oh no,” Luz let out in fear, but still jumped in front of her mother and Gus to protect them. She couldn’t do anything without magic as Philip violently tore away from the veins that had dared to latch on his limbs.

Amity, from the purple ooze that had been on the metal bars, made a large size abomination, almost the same size as Philip. It landed a punch at Philip’s head. Philip staggered but tackled the abomination and tore through it with his mouth.

Before Willow and Amity had a chance to act again to restrain Philip, he ran through the wall nearest to him and was out into the forest, leaving Luz and her friends behind in his battered childhood home.

Chapter Text

Hunter and Vee sat in the kitchen, with fresh hot cocoa in their own mugs, freshly served.

Both teenagers had stayed behind at home while the rest went back to the old, abandoned house deep in the woods.

Hunter decided he couldn’t go with the others. He couldn’t face Belos again. At least… not yet.

He had asked himself what the point was. He couldn’t find the courage to talk to his ‘uncle’ the day before. Instead of facing his fears, he had run off back to Luz’s home, and had just hidden himself under the covers in his current room, down in the basement with Gus, like a coward…

So, Vee stayed back with Hunter in their current home, with a drink that was relaxing Hunter, comforting him a bit when he sipped on it. He really needed something to distract him, since he was nervous at the thought of what the others were doing with Belos. Flapjack, his red cardinal partner, sat on top of his head, eyes closed as he rested.

The night before, after he had fled from his ‘uncle’, Willow had suggested that Gus should investigate Belos’ memories in order to find out how they could return to the Boiling Isles.

Hunter honestly didn’t think the plan was a great idea. He didn’t want Gus looking into what was inside Belo’s twisted mind, but unfortunately Luz insisted they should at least try. And since Luz was stubborn to follow through with Willow’s plan, everyone ended up agreeing.

At least… Hunter was glad he had told everyone what he and Luz had found out about his true nature… How he was a grimwalker, a clone created by Belos and how Belos used to be a witch hunter. He was glad to have told everyone the truth and was so relieved that everyone, instead of rejecting him, had comforted him and assured him he was their friend and no matter what, they would accept and would be there for him.

They cared for him…

Unlike…

Hunter gave his head a shake, to snap out of his tormented thoughts before taking a small sip of his hot cocoa; it was still too hot, so he was careful not to burn his mouth.

“This is really good, Vee,” Hunter said to the girl who sat across from him at the round table.

She smiled with a slight warmth in her eyes.

“I tried to follow exactly how Camila does it,” she said, rubbing her thumbs against her own red mug. “It didn’t really come out tasting the same as hers though…”

“Well, I think it’s delicious.” Hunter offered her a grin. “And between you and me, this is better than anything I’ve tasted from the Boiling Isles,” he said with amusement.

Vee giggled with a hand over her mouth.

Their peaceful moment was interrupted when the door to the house slammed open. Their friends rushed into the living room, with Camila ushering a very pale Gus to the couch. Luz shut the door behind while the other two teenage girls ran to the windows around the house to make sure they were locked. They also shut the curtains.

“It’s okay, Gus, I got you,” Camila said gently as she sat next to the boy, holding him as she rubbed his back in a circular motion.

The boy hugged his legs tightly against his chest, hiding his face on his knees. His talisman, Emmiline, was nudging her head against his side to comfort him.

Hunter pulled away from his chocolate wonder. Flapjack jumped off his head, flapping his wings to stay up in the air before landing on the table.

“What happened?” Hunter asked with a mix of panic and demand. He directly looked at Luz, who hesitantly met his gaze. To him, she seemed very nervous.

When he didn’t get an immediate response, he went over to Gus.

“What did he do to you?” Hunter asked the younger boy softly, hands slightly hovering over the young boy. He was unsure if he should touch him yet.

The earlier anxiety he had for Belos was gone at the moment. Instead, Hunter felt the powerful urge to protect Gus.

“I’m o-kay…” Gus said with a muffled voice, not looking up at Hunter.

Not believing him, Hunter glanced back at Luz, frowning at her.

Luz was quiet, looking down as if she was lost. Willow and Amity came back from the other rooms after making sure the other windows were secure.

“Belos escaped,” Amity revealed.

Hunter’s eyes widened in disbelief, staring at them for a whole second.

“What?!” he exclaimed in shock. “How did that happen?!” he panicked, as the worst-case scenarios played in his head.

“Gus was looking through his memories as we had planned,” Amity explained. “But we had to pull Gus out because…” she rubbed her arm, not wanting to share with Hunter the way Gus was screaming, with his hands on his shaking head with a desperation to stop the link he had with Belos. “Anyways, once we stopped the connection, Belos woke up and broke free.”

“We tried stopping him, but somehow he got so much stronger since yesterday,” Willow said.

“This is bad, this is really bad.” Hunter paced back and forth in the living room, hands tugging on his hair. “We have to hide somewhere far from here before he kills us!”

“I think we should be okay,” Camila spoke up to the teenagers, hoping to calm Hunter down. “He ran the opposite direction from this house.”

Camila’s revelation stopped Hunter from his pacing.

“But he can still find us,” he said in a serious tone.

“I think we should be more worried that he goes into one of the towns or the city,” Camila said. “Who knows how much damage he can cause.”

Hunter rubbed his tired eyes before looking at Luz.

“I told you this was a terrible idea,” he said, annoyed.

Luz frowned at him.

“We had no choice,” she said, matching his tone. “He’s the only one that may have a clue on how we can go back.”

“And did you find out how?” Hunter challenged.

Luz just looked back down at the carpet floor, mouth twisting to the side with frustration.

“Guys, we don’t have time to argue about this,” Amity stepped, especially to defend her girlfriend. “We need to stop Belos before he hurts anyone else.”

Hunter and Luz looked at one another before they sighed in resignation, pushing away their current aggravation they had for one another at the moment.

“Alright, but it won’t be so easy now that he has all his strength back,” Hunter said.

“Maybe I can help?” Vee asked as she joined the group.

She received confused looks from them.

“Yesterday, I could feel the magic more coming from him,” she explained. “Maybe if I can absorb some of that magic, I can weaken him.”

“And we can capture him again,” Luz said.

“Maybe we should work on making a better cage first,” Amity suggested.

“Great idea,” Willow agreed.

“And I think some of us should be out there keeping Belos from hurting others,” Luz added. “We need to keep him occupied and keep track of him till we can lock him back up.”

Hunter wanted to object to Luz’s idea, as he knew he was going to be the one to hunt him down… But he knew leaving Belos to roam around free was a terrible idea.

“I guess… I’ll handle Belos…” Hunter let out with uncertainty.

“I’ll go too,” Vee offered. “I can see if I can absorb some of his magic.”

“I’ll come as well,” Luz said.

“No, you’re not,” Amity said, receiving a confused look from Luz. “Luz, you don’t have magic. You can’t really defend yourself against Belos.”

“But this is my mess,” Luz tried to argue. “I can’t let Hunter and Vee handle that monster alone.”

“Mija…” Camila spoke up with worry.

“No, mama, I have to fix this,” Luz argued, a bit too desperately.

“I am not comfortable with any of you kids going after this Belos,” her mom said. “I know I can’t really stop you kids and I will do my best to help, but if Amity feels that you going with Hunter and Vee is too dangerous, then I can’t let you go with them.”

“Pero, mama. I must do something. I can’t just stay behind and do nothing.”

“You aren’t doing nothing,” Amity said gently, placing her hand on Luz’s arm in assurance. “We need that brain of yours to help us make a better cage.”

“Amity is right,” Willow smiled at Luz. “I think you’re better off with us than out there.”

“But Belos is too strong for the two of them,” Luz argued still.

“They won’t be alone.” The group looked down with confusion when Gus spoke up. He finally pulled his legs down, wiped his eyes with his sleeved arm. He looked up with red-rimmed eyes.

Camila released her hold on him, noticing how he looked less pale now, but she still looked at him with concern.

“I’ll go with Hunter and Vee,” the boy said. “I can distract him with his memories so Vee can weaken him, and Hunter can lead him back to you guys.”

“Oh, no you’re not,” Hunter said. “Whatever you saw in that demented head of his messed you up. I don’t want his memories to cause you more damage.”

Gus closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath before looking back at Hunter with a determined face.

“I can do it,” he said. “And we should hurry before something bad happens.”

The group observed him. Some wanted to tell him he should probably stay behind and let Hunter and Vee handle things with Belos, but they didn’t, as they knew they needed all the help they could get.

“Alright…” Luz sighed, trying to ignore the guilt that has been eating her heart for the past months. “Vee, let’s make sure you share your location with me on your phone in case.” she pulled out her phone from her back pocket as Vee did the same. “Text us when you guys find him and call us if anything happens.”

“Sure thing, Luz,” Vee said.

Gus got off the couch and Emmiline jumped up in the air and turned into a staff for him to hold with both hands.

Hunter went downstairs to the basement for a second to retrieve a yellow hoodie after Camile told him it was cold outside. Flapjack had turned into a staff for him to wield as well.

Luz shoved materials into a backpack and packed other things to take to the abandoned house so she, Amity, and Willow could plan out how to make the new cage tougher so Belos couldn’t break out next time.

“Please be careful,” Camila hugged Vee who returned the embrace.

“Don’t worry, I will be,” Vee assured her softly.

The group left the house and walked together back to the abandoned house with the night lit up thanks to the full moon.

Amity pointed to Hunter in the direction where Belos had run off to once they arrived near the abandoned house.

Hunter stared at the darkness between the trees.

The fear he had for Belos crept back up, but taking a good look at his friends, especially at Gus, who was still a bit pale, made him shove down the hesitation. He had to stop Belos from hurting someone else.

So, after receiving nods from Vee and Gus, Hunter got on his staff, with Vee sitting right behind him. Gus got on his own staff with his usual unique style.

“Let’s do this…” Hunter mumbled to himself before the three flew deep into the forest.

While Hunter was arguing with Luz back at home, miles away, Jim, a trucker, was chatting with his wife on the phone as he drummed his thick fingers against the steering wheel of the freight truck as he drove down the road, between the forest.

Jim didn’t love nor hate his job. He drove across the country, taking loads to different states, depending on what his dispatcher could attain for him, because he was paid well.

The pay was good enough to give his family a decent life, which was what mattered to him the most.

Jim was tired, and he couldn’t wait to reach the next rest stop so he could have a goodnight sleep.

To keep him awake, his wife was talking to him through his Bluetooth. She was telling him how their son was doing well in his second month of elementary school.

He continued to drive down the familiar route he sometimes took when he suddenly noticed something massive was standing down the road 10 feet in front of him.

Jim cursed as he instinctually hit the brake, but he still slammed into the mass object.

Hunter, Gus, and Vee were standing near the riverbank. They were following the trail of enormous foot and handprints that Belos had left behind till they came across the river; Gus had called to Hunter to stop for some reason.

Hunter and Vee observed Gus with confusion as he stood by the riverbank, looking down at the river.

Hunter rubbed the back of his neck before walking over to Gus.

“Hey, hum… Gus?” he began, unsure how to approach the boy. He guessed Gus was suffering from the impact that Belo’s memories had left behind.

Hunter couldn’t blame Gus for being shaken up for what he might have seen in those memories. Heck, Hunter was and probably won’t ever be over what he and Luz saw when they were inside of Belo’s mind months ago.

There were moments that he still got very anxious and had nightmares in his sleep. Thus, why he couldn’t even… look at Belos…

Thus, why he had simply run away the day before…

“You know, I’m here if you want to talk about things, right?” Hunter said, feeling awkward. He still lacked practice with comforting others. “Of course, you don’t have to tell me what you saw, but… just… well, if you want to tell me you can… I just want you to know you don’t have to endure things by yourself.”

“I used to think humans were so amazing,” Gus said in a very quiet voice, crouching down as he stared at his reflection reflected by the river. “I was so obsessed with them, I even made a club back at school called “Human Appreciation Society”,” he let out a small laugh.

Hunter blinked at him with confusion but let the younger one continue.

“I thought it was so cool how they looked almost like us, yet they didn’t need magic to create all the things they created. To progress… Meeting Luz was one of the best moments of my life. Not going to lie, when we first got stuck here, yeah, I was so worried about my dad, King, Eda, and everyone else in the Boiling Isles, yet…” he bit his lower lip, hands clutching his knees hard. “I was also excited we were in the human world…” Gus looked up at Hunter, his eyebrows furrowed. “When you told us how Belos used to be a witch hunter from the human world, I thought, well, it was probably just him, who was probably just jealous of us having magic, or maybe he was the only one that misunderstood us. But… I did research about witch hunters through Luz’s computer and… I found out the town, Gravesfield, was filled with humans who were against witches too. They would chase people out of town, or even…” he looked back down. “They killed them…”

Hunter’s eyes widened at the revelation.

“They killed people they believed were witches when they probably weren’t even one,” Gus continued. “And then I found out humans didn’t just hate or killed people for being witches… they did the same to others because of the color of their skin, what they believed in, who they loved… or just because they were different…”

Hunter and Vee stared at the boy as they processed his words.

“Well… sometimes humans still do that…” Gus shook his head with a disappointed sigh. “I read that this country especially did terrible things to people that had the color of my skin, like… very terrible things… and yeah, I was shocked. Shocked that I used to look up to those humans so much, that I thought they were such amazing living beings. I just can’t understand why they would do such terrible things to innocent people… I just can’t wrap my head around it… I’m still shocked, you know, but I guess… I didn’t feel it hit me that badly yet till…”

“Till what…?” Hunter asked quietly, encouraging the boy to continue.

"Gus’ lips pressed into a shaky, thin line. Tears gathered in his eyes as he hugged himself with his arms.

“Till I saw…” the boy choked out, shutting his eyes tightly. “Till I saw with my own eyes how… people from Gravesfield had hurt people because they had believed they were witches… till I saw how Belos whipped a woman… till I saw… How he burned another one to death….”

“Oh, Gus,” Vee went to him, throwing her arms around him.

“It was terrible…” Gus said sadly, burying his face into vee’s shoulder. “She begged for them to stop, but everyone in that town just cheered…”

Hunter felt his stomach drop at what Gus admitted to seeing in Belo’s memories.

A woman burned to death… just imagining it made Hunter feel sick, and he couldn’t help but feel angry as well that Gus had to have seen such an awful thing.

Belos burning a woman… No one deserved such a terrible end.

Yet… he wasn’t shocked that Belos would have done such a thing, especially since the man had planned to annihilate everyone from the Boiling Isles, man, women, and children… Heck, Belos had killed countless of his brother’s clones…

The man was just disgustingly cruel.

While Vee comforted Gus, who was letting tears stream down his tender cheeks, Hunter began to ask himself, why did he continue to be on Belo’s good side? Why was he so afraid of Belo’s rejection?

Did he really want the approval of a monster?

Was he that pathetic?

Yes… his ‘uncle’ in the past would compliment him at times if he did something correctly. His uncle made sure the right people had raised him, had trained him to be the strongest he could be. The moments Belos would even lay a hand on him was when Belos seemed to have lost control of his cursed form, when Belos momentarily let his emotions consume him. Then again… Belos never once apologized for any of those ‘accidentally’ incidents. He never felt bad when he left a bruise or a scar on Hunter’s body.

Hunter’s heart tightened up as he felt anger continue to rise in him.

His hands turned into tight fists.

Gus pulled away from Vee, giving her a tired smile. He was grateful for her always providing support and comfort to the group.

“We really need to capture him before he can hurt anyone else…” Hunter said coldly, gathering Gus’ and Vee’s attention. “And once we find out from him how we can go back to the Boiling Isles, then…” He closed his eyes, struggling to say the next words. “We need to make sure we get rid of him for good.”

Gus looked at him with confusion.

Hunter opened his eyes and met his friend’s gaze. “Belos has hurt and killed too many people for centuries,” he admitted, ignoring the mix of emotions he was feeling at the thought of wanting to get rid of Belos. “He's a terrible man who doesn’t care who he hurts. He’s a monster, and… he’s never going to stop hurting others.” Hunter’s voice wavered for a second before he continued. “So… we have to stop him for good, no matter what.”

“Hunter…” Gus felt his own heart tug at the thought of how much his friend was hurting. He knew Hunter still cared for Belos. And honestly… something else that he had seen in Belos’ memories had disturbed him badly. “There… was something else that I saw that is bothering,” he said, but before he had the chance to continue, the three teenagers heard a loud roar far in the distance.

Vee and Gus jumped back to their feet.

“That’s him,” Vee said.

“Yeah, it is,” Hunter said as he got on his staff. “Let’s go before we lose him.”

Gus was hesitant as he got on his staff. He wanted to tell Hunter about everything he had seen in Belo’s memories, especially now that Hunter brought up how they should kill Belos.

The boy, though, decided he would bring things up once they had Belos back in a cage. Little steps at a time, after all...

So, once Vee was secure behind Hunter, Gus put his serious face on and flew with Hunter in the direction they had heard the roar from.

They flew fast through the forest, avoiding the trees and branches.

The plan was simple; they had planned after flying from the rest of the group.

Once they found Belos, Gus would use the amplifier tool to trap Belos into his own memories. Once Belos was immobilized, Vee would jump in and suck as much magic energy as she could from him, to weaken him. Then Hunter would do his best to either use his magic to keep Belos in the forest, or away from town, or get Belos to chase after them back to the abandoned worn out house.

“Damn it…” Gus heard Hunter say when they arrived at a shocking scene on the road.

The three jumped off from the staffs to come face to face with a huge freight truck turned to the side, light illuminating slightly its surroundings. The front of the truck was somewhat crushed. On the other side of the truck from them was Belos, growling as he limply moved along the side of the truck. Gus took notice that Belos was sniffing the truck like a dog would do.

“We need to make sure the driver is okay,” Gus said as Hunter and Vee nodded in agreement.

“Alright, do your thing, Gus,” Hunter said as the younger boy pulled out his amplifier tool. Both the tool and his eyes glowed as he targeted Belos straight on.

Belos stopped what he was doing and turned to them with empty black eye sockets.

The creature let out a growl at them, which made Hunter confused.

The boy turned to Gus and saw the glow emanating from Gus’ eyes and from the tool.

“Hum… Gus?” Hunter brought his staff up as Belos kept growling in their direction. “Any time now.”

Gus frowned; lips parted out of confusion.

“I’m trying to,” he responded, eyebrows furrowing as he focused more on Belos.

“Gus…” Vee stuttered as she slowly moved back behind the two boys, feeling vulnerable as Belos began to crawl to them on all four.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Gus said, his eyes still glowing brightly. “There’s nothing there…”

“What do you mean, there’s nothing there?” Hunter stepped back, taking a defensive position now.

“I mean… all I’m seeing is complete darkness!” Gus revealed, panicking now. “I can’t find any of his memories.”

“Is he blocking you?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.” the glow from Gus’ eyes vanished, and he brought his own staff up. Belos stopped moving, teeth clenched hard as he growled darkly. “It’s as if his memories are not there. Like, they’re completely gone!”

“How’s that possible?” Hunter asked, completely lost at the fact Gus could tap into Belos’ memories before and now there was nothing?

“I don’t know,” Gus admitted, his heart pounding in his ears as he stared at Belos, at the empty eye sockets, and the lack of blue glow to them. A mortifying thought crossed his mind. “It’s like… he’s not there…” Gus said, making Hunter more confused.

Then the three teenagers winced as a flash of blue and red lights they didn’t even notice had approached the area.

Gus, with an arm over his eyes, peeked out to see two cars that he identified as police cars.

“Oh, no…” Gus let out as four people in uniform got out of the cars slowly, with wide eyes as they stared at the beast that stood before the children.

The cops had been called by a 911 dispatcher after the truck driver's wife had called for help.

Belos had lost interest in the kids and was looking right at the cops the second they arrived.

“What… the hell is that…?” one cop stuttered, while the other three cops had their mouths hanging open. The words were stuck in their throats.

Belos slowly stood up, still facing the cops.

“No,” Gus panicked more, taking a step forward. “Run!” he yelled at the cops, but he was too late.

Belos let out a screeching roar before lunging at his new prey.

Chapter Text

Hunter teleported in an instant, thanks to his talisman’s magic, in front of Belos before sending a yellow blast right at him.

Belos staggered back, the attack barely phasing him. He roared at Hunter and tried swiping at him with his hands, but the boy teleported to the right and sent another blast at him.

“Gus!” Vee shook the younger boy, who was staring with wide eyes at the way Hunter was attacking the enormous creature and avoiding any attacks by teleporting or flying out of the way. 

The way Hunter didn’t wait for even a second to protect the cops really made Gus admire the older boy, but also worry about him so much for risking his life like that.

Then again, Hunter trained to be a great warrior since he was created.

“Gus, come on, we have to help him,” Vee shook him again, which made him snap out of his thoughts. “Let me try to drain him,” she said once she got his attention.

“Right,” Gus said, shoving down the anxiety he had down before jumping on his flying staff. “Hold on,” he told her as she grabbed onto the end of the staff as they flew over to where Hunter was successfully luring Belos into the forest, away from the cops that were frozen with fear and in total shock at what they were seeing.

The cops weren’t sure if they were hallucinating or if what they were witnessing was real.

A huge monster, looking straight from a horror movie, almost attacked them and was now fighting what seemed to be a young boy flying in a flying stick.

Yet…

It felt so real…

One cop, whose heart was pounding hard against his chest and hands shaking out of terror, raised their gun and began shooting at the creature.

“Hunter, look out!” Gus yelled at his friend, who flew back fast to avoid getting shot at.

Belos flinched and covered himself with his arms as the bullets struck him in multiple places, especially when the other cops joined in the assault. Belos launched towards them, landing on one of their cars, crushing it under his weight, before smacking one police officer hard, which sent her flying across the road.

“Audrey!” one cop called out in anguish at the way her body landed hard on the pavement road and just laid there motionless. He and the other cops were wide eyed as they also saw how the countless bullet holes that the monster was covered in were now closing slowly as if he was healing.

The beast straightened up on his legs before roaring at the cops, which sent them running off from him fast. Something landed on his back, stopping him from chasing after the police officers.

Vee tried draining the magic out of him, but she was cut off from using her ability as he rocked his body violently to get her off him. She did her best to hold on to his hair, ignoring the glowing eyes on his back that glared at her with hatred.

The monster impatiently growled when she didn’t budge, so he made his arms twist back unnaturally and snatched her off him.

“Let go of her!” Hunter yelled as he made a magical yellow fist shot from the ground beside the car Belos was on before it nailed him on the head hard. Belos hit the ground, making him release Vee as well.

Hunter appeared right above Vee, grabbing her by the back of her sweater before teleporting them both higher in the sky from the scene.

Belos pulled himself back up from the ground to face multiple copies of Hunter on their own staffs surrounding him. Belos swiped and slammed his hands at the illusions when they began flying around him.

“Try to hold him down for me,” Vee told Hunter as she jumped on Gus’ staff when he flew over them.

Hunter dove down and landed ten feet from Belos. The illusions flew around a frustrated Belos who kept slashing at the copies. Gus and Vee hovered right above the beast.

Hunter launched magical gold like chains from his staff to bind Belo’s arms tight against his body just in time for Vee to drop on the monster’s back again and began to drain the magic out of him, blue energy pulled out of his body and got sucked into Vee’s mouth successfully this time.

Belos let out a roar of anger as it struggled against his new restraints.

Gus’ eyes glowed blue and with the amplifying tool, he shoved memories into Belos. Memories Gus had seen from the latter’s mind.

But the memories had no effect on the creature as he tried to throw his body back to the ground so he could crush the girl. Hunter did his best to hold Belos back, but he was sent flying forward to the ground hard, breaking the hold on his magic. Vee yelped as she lunged herself to the side just in time to avoid Belos slamming his back down.

She quickly dashed to Hunter, who quickly gathered himself and teleported by Vee before beaming them both on top of the freight truck.

Gus flew over to join them while his illusions vanished.

“Are you guys okay?” Gus asked with concern.

“Yeah, I think so,” Vee said, slightly breathing faster than usual. “But… that magic of his felt so… off,” she said to the boys as she grabbed onto her stomach, feeling it ache.

“We need the others,” Hunter said with his hands clenching his staff hard as the three teens watched Belos twist his body unnaturally to get back on all four. “He’s too powerful for the three of us.”

Gus looked down at his amplifier tool. He couldn’t believe the memories he had placed into Belo’s mind didn’t hold him.

He looked up with annoyance before noticing Belos grab his head with both hands, rocking it. He moaned for a bit. Some blue light shone in his black sockets before they dimmed to almost nothing, leaving the other blue looking eyes across his body to be the only glow strongly transmitting out of his body. The monster released his head before snapping it toward where the teenagers stood.

Gus furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at the creature, recalling one memory he had seen only briefly in Belo’s mind.

He had seen how Belos used to tear the talisman open and drain their natural magic to control his outbursts.

“Vee, what did you mean that his magic felt off?” he asked the girl, who looked at him with a frown.

“It’s hard to explain it, but… when I absorb magic, usually it feels and tastes good, yet… when I absorbed him just now, it tasted… rotten,” she tried to explain. “I never tasted anything like that before.”

Vee had told them before how delicious magic tasted when she absorbed them, which made Gus think of something with this new information and old that may relate to Belos’ situation.

Currently, Belos seemed like he was out of the picture and instead some sort of mindless beast had taken his place. From the little snips of memories Gus had seen of Belos, it seemed like the beast form was like a curse. Gus wondered if maybe the magic that Belos had drained out of the talisman became rotten over time, which led him to continuously drain more ‘pure’ magic to help him control the rotting magic.

But now… without the talisman's ‘pure’ magic to help Belos fight the rotting magic, possibly taking over him, he was out of their reach, unless…

“I think I have a plan that might work,” Gus said. “We might have a chance against him.”

“What is it?” Hunter asked, stepping in front of the two when Belos was again approaching them with a defensive stance.

“You guys trust me, right?” Gus asked his friends, who looked at him with confusion. He continued with a serious look at them. “I have a plan, but it will only work if you guys trust me. And whatever you see, Hunter, just ignore it for now. I will explain later.”

“I don’t know if I like the sound of that,” Hunter admitted, as he hated being kept in the dark with plans.

“What do you want us to do?” Vee asked without hesitation.

“I need you to absorb more of that magic of his,” Gus instructed Vee who seemed hesitant. He looked at Hunter. “And you do your best to keep Vee safe while I distract him and also try to hold him down as well for a bit.”

“Hum… sorry Gus, but… that’s exactly the same plan as we just did and looked how that ended!” Hunter said impatiently, throwing his hands up in the air.

“It’s kind of the same plan… but this time I’m pulling us all into the illusion, too.”

Hunter didn’t seem so sure what to do, but the determined looks from Gus and Vee made him sigh in defeat.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Hunter said as the three jumped off the freight.

Gus held on to his amplifier tightly. His eyes flashed a powerful blue light that expanded around them and engulfed Belos as well. Blue images of buildings, trees, and bushes flashed around them.

The illusion made the monster look side to side. He couldn’t see the teenagers anymore, nor the uniformed humans.

Hunter and Vee looked around as they also lost sight of Belos.

“It’s okay,” Gus said. One of his eyes was glowing blue, while the other was his usual brown. “He’s still across from us.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, using the amplifier tool to have better control of his magic. “I just need… to focus…” he said through clenched teeth before their blue surroundings shifted to reveal Belos to them again. Which made Belos also spot them, making him dash at them.

“Come on…” Gus said, his eyebrows furrowed with concentration. Hunter grabbed on to him and Vee to teleport them, but before he had the chance to do so, tons of figures appeared between them and Belos, making Belos abruptly stop. Their surroundings shifted to what seemed to be a small town with wooden outdated brown houses.

Hunter and Vee were confused as they saw countless adults holding pitchforks and torches. They wore attire that looked out of time and some males had weird looking tall hats.

“Hum…” Hunter let out, not sure what he was witnessing.

“Now, guys!” Gus said out loud.

Hunter teleported Vee and himself on Belo’s back. Vee began absorbing the magic as Hunter restrained Belos once again with gold magical chains as he held on by Belo’s hair.

Belos roared at them and tried shaking them off, arms struggling against the binds, and after some frantically tugging, he broke free from the restraints.

Light in his blue eyes glowed a bit more, making Gus move forward with his plan.

“A monster!” one of the woman illusions jabbed a finger at Belos, screaming with fear and hatred. Which, surprisingly, made Belos completely stop where he was.

He stared at the mob that stood before him.

“Kill the monster!” someone from the mob yelled.

“Burn him!” The rest of the mob raised their weapons up and screamed too before they ran at the creature.

Belos backed away from the mob, intimidated, before he tried swiping at them if one got too close to him. 

His colossus hand went through the humans, but that didn’t stop him from trying to attack them multiple times, but after a while he realized they were illusions. His body began shrinking slightly, which made him reach out on his back to pull the teenagers off him. 

Hunter used his staff to blast the limbs away to give Vee more time to drain the magic.

Gus saw more blue light come back to the dark sockets of the beast.

“Got you,” Gus said under his breath. He closed his eyes to focus and made the human mob vanish.

He replaced them with one figure, standing alone directly in front of Belos.

“Philip!”

The creature stopped trying to pull the teenagers off and snap his attention at the new illusion.

Hunter, wanting to see what made Belos stop struggling, looked over the creature’s shoulders and saw the new illusion that Gus made, which made him stare with utter confusion.

The new illusion Hunter was seeing was of a preteen, looked like the spitting image of him except it was a younger, scarless human version of him.

And it had made Belos stand there in complete silence, tense like a rock.

“Come on, Philip, let’s go home,” the illusion said with a warm smile, reaching out a hand to the creature.

The monster continued staring without making one move or sound. The moment the illusion made a step towards him, though, made Belos let out a defensive growl.

The illusion of the boy looked sad for a moment, but then gave out an understanding smile.

“It’s okay, Philip,” the illusion said. “I’m here now…” it said before closing the distance between it and the creature.

Belos backed away more, roaring at the illusion to back off, completely forgetting how his magic was being drained out of him.

The blue light got stronger in his empty sockets while the illusion continued to reach him.

The creature grabbed onto his head and shook it side to side violently. Both from his magic being drained out of him, and from what it was seeing in front of him.

The beast roared in what sounded like agony as his body lost its form, distorting into a blob,

“Don’t stop yet, Vee!” Gus called when his friends jumped off the creature. Vee realized she could still drain the magic from Belos from a short distance and continued to do so by sucking it with her mouth. 

Slowly, the blob of goo shrunk and formed the shape of a human, laying on his side, holding his head. Belos was back into his human form, except for the fact he had horns sticking out and his arms were green like the same substance that his beast’s form was made of. His long hair was matted and messy, some strands struck on his cold, sweat-drenched face. 

Gus saw how deadly pale Belos looked.

“Okay, stop!” Gus called to Vee, which made her stop draining the magic from Belos and fall to her knees. 

Gus stopped the surrounding illusions while Vee grabbed her stomach as she looked deadly pale herself.

“Guys…” she groaned weakly. “I… don’t feel that good…” Her stomach made a weird, loud growling sound.

She turned away from the group before she puked a huge dark substance.

Concern flashed across Hunter’s and Gus’ face, making them run over to her. Gus was already regretting making Vee drain the possible foul magic. What if it somehow messed her up as it did to Belos?

Vee stopped puking and looked up at the two boys weakly. Both hovered over her with worry.

“I don’t think I want to do that ever again,” she said, with cold tremors running through her body. “That magic… it’s just bad… but… I do kind of feel better now…” she tried to assure them as she didn’t enjoy seeing them worry over her so much. Once she looked less like a ghost, her friends grabbed both of her hands and helped her up.

The three saw the puke was just a blob of greyness, with smoke radiated from it.

They then returned their attention to the man lying on the ground, panting, shaky hands on his head still.

He did nothing but lay there before his thoughts finally made sense and a wave of pain came crashing in.

He curled into himself, feeling as though he was struck hard by some sort of giant beast. His whole body was radiating in agony, his head especially throbbed painfully.

He opened his eyes, which were slightly grayish, and pulled his hands off his head, ignoring the horns that were sticking out of his head. He noticed he wasn’t inside a cage anymore but was surrounded by what seemed to be a road, countless trees, and some sort of mechanical contraption just lying there on the side. 

Slowly, he sat up, ignoring the way his body begged him to not move. He continued to be confused as he took in his surroundings again. 

He also looked down at his green arms and tried to shift them to look more human-like, but he found himself unable to.

The last thing he remembered before he had fallen asleep was Luz and her annoying friends were demanding answers from him. They wanted to know how they could go back to the Boiling Isles.

Then, that middle-aged woman, Philip guessed was Luz’s mother, had the gall to threaten him too.

He grew frustrated as he couldn’t remember anything else after the woman left him alone at his childhood home.

So many questions ran through his head.

Like, how did he end up out here, out in the open?

Why was his body in so much pain and stuck in what seemed to be half beast mode?

He spotted three familiar children walking in his direction. Two of them pointed their staff at him as they approached him.

He glared at Hunter, mostly with pure hostility and hatred, bearing his sharp fangs at them. 

“Don’t… come..an..y..clo..se.rrr,” He struggled to say with a rough, beast like tone. He tried standing up, but his knees buckled and made him crash back down on all four.

Suddenly, he shut his eyes hard as memories of his brother, sad looking, lurked in his head while countless voices began praying in unison as well in his mind.

He slammed two fists against the sides of his head, to shove the memory away, to stop the voices, but then very spotty memories that he didn’t recall happening came rushing in.

He vaguely saw in the strange memories how apparently, he had broken out of his cage, fought Luz’s friends back at his house. How he had run out into the forest before the metal-like carriage crashed into him. How Hunter and the other two kids fought him and how he was also struck by other humans in uniform with guns.

Those memories…

They couldn’t be his.

He felt as though someone had just implanted them against his will.

There was no way he had acted out like a mindless beast.

Yet…

He remembered, after Luz had made him mad, how he lost control of himself in his cage.

No thoughts had crossed his mind when he had slammed his body against the cage and had struggled to break free. 

He had somehow lost… himself in a blinding rage.

‘You’re losing it…’ a voice hissed in his head.

Philip’s fists pressed hard against his head. His heart slowly pounded hard against his chest as a certain fear he had in recent years was once again crossing his mind.

He desperately fought hard to take deep breaths to control his racing heartbeat and to maintain his thoughts from racing.

But… gradually he was losing himself.

He was failing to calm down.

‘Monster…’ a dark voice said again before it continued to strangle him inside. ‘The devil has tainted your soul… Just like it did to your family.’

Philip found himself hyperventilating, desperately trying to get air into his lungs, but he found himself unable to. His chest felt as though it was being stabbed with a knife, making him curl into himself.

‘You are worse than them now…’

“Hey, it’s okay, just take in deep long breaths,” Philip heard someone say close to him, making him swipe at them with frustration.

Hunter pulled Gus out of the way from getting struck by Philip just in time.

“Hey!” Hunter snapped at Belos, who continued to have a hard time breathing. “He’s trying to help you!” Hunter glared at the man before giving Gus a look for the stunt the latter had just pulled. “Are you crazy?” he lectured the younger boy.

“It’s okay,” Gus gave him an assuring, yet hesitant, smile. “I got this.” He was about to kneel again next to the trembling man, but Philip pulled away from them, feeling too vulnerable now, falling to his side.

The way Belos was having a severe panic attack made Gus remember the few memories he had seen of the latter in his dark years before he traveled to the Boiling Island. One of memories that plagued Gus’ mind was the way some horrible man whipped a young Belos into repeating some sort of verse that was called a ‘prayer’ for hours.

Yes, Belos had committed too many terrible things, just like many humans on earth had done to innocent people, but…

Gus couldn’t help but feel his heart clench at how beaten down Belos looked at the moment.

The teenagers jumped slightly back when Belos slammed a fist to the ground, and gradually, the violent shaking slowed down and they could finally hear him taking in slow, deep breaths.

Philip’s shoulders relaxed as the stabbing feeling in his chest vanished and all he could feel now was his whole body filled with pins and needles, temporarily giving him some relief from the pain his body was experiencing earlier.

His long messy hair blocked everyone the look of relief he had now that he could breathe properly.

The teenagers stopped focusing on Belos for a moment when they heard sirens coming from down the road. They saw a few more police cars reaching to where the three cops were attending to their fallen comrade and an ambulance that Gus had seen in a television show stopped by, too.

“This is bad,” Vee said with wide eyes to her friends. “We need to leave now.”

Gus and Hunter looked at one another before glancing back to Belos, who was curled up, silent.

“Well, we can’t leave him here,” Gus said to Hunter. “We need him to help us find our way back to the Boiling Isles,” he reminded him, when he noticed Hunter seemed hesitant to bring Belos with them.

Hunter clenched his teeth, annoyed.

Gus was right…

They needed to go back to the Boiling Isles, and only Belos possibly knew how.

Hunter eyed Belos, the anxiety he had for the man was coming back, and the way how Belos looked so weak was making Hunter feel sick to his stomach as well. But he did his best to shove those feelings down as he grabbed one of Belo’s arms hard.

Belos flinched for a second before he looked up to see who had touched him before he snarled and tried to swipe at him with his free arm.

Hunter used his staff to smack the attacking limb away easily.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Hunter said, maintaining a tight grip on Belo’s arm. “You’re coming with us, even if you don’t want to.” He yanked Belos into a sitting position, much to Belo’s hisses filled with pain.

“You… impu…dent…child,” Belos managed to growl at the boy before he tried to yank himself free.

“Philip, stop,” Gus said sternly, making Belos freeze in place.

Belos hated to admit it, but someone calling him by his actual name completely caught him off guard.

“We need to get out of here now,” Gus said. “We aren’t safe here, especially since you hurt one of their own.” he pointed in the direction of the police officers who were now running towards them, hands gripping their guns.

“Put your hands up!” one cop snapped at them, pointing his weapon at them.

Gus quickly used his magic amplifier tool to make them appear as if they vanished and then made replicas of them seem like they had gotten up and ran towards the forest, the opposite direction from where they had come from. The police officers fell for the illusion and chased after the copies, yelling after them.

Now that the cops were currently distracted, Gus looked down at Philip.

“I-’m…no..t…goin…” Philip tried speaking but felt as though his mouth wasn’t cooperating well. Forming words was such a challenging task for him right now.

“You don’t have a better option right now,” Gus said in a serious tone, guessing what Philip was going to say. “The way you look right now, you aren’t one of them, and you know how humans handle ‘monsters’.”

Philip glared daggers at him for calling him a monster.

Gus didn’t cower. The boy stood his ground as he returned a little of the glare back, but just for a second before he softened his gaze at the older man.

“You’re safer with us than out here,” the boy said. Gus walked to Philip’s other side before continuing to reason with the man. “Especially since you don’t seem to have much control over your ‘beast’ form now.”

Philip felt his heart skip a bit at the boy’s words.

Not having control over his cursed form…

Fear that overwhelmed him minutes ago threatened to grasp at him again.

‘Even they see it…’ the dark voice hissed in his head.

“We should hurry,” Hunter said, ignoring the way his friend was trying to keep Belos calm, as if trying to have him cooperate with them instead of dragging him back to the forest.

Philip tensed when Gus grabbed his other arm, but gentler than Hunter did.

“We can talk more later, but for now, let’s go before my illusions vanish,” Gus said.

Philip wanted to snap at them, slash at them, bury them ten feet underground, but he was too exhausted and in pain to struggle, mentally and physically. He clenched his teeth hard and couldn’t help but let his head fall forward in defeat.

Both boys took the lack of struggle as their cue to help him up on his shaky feet and lead him back into the forest as fast as they could. Which was hard to do since Philip’s legs threatened to give out every three steps, but eventually they were off the road and out of human sight so Gus could release the illusions he had run around.

And silently, the kids hoped the man in the truck ended up okay as they left the road behind…

Luz sat on the bottom of the steps of the stairs quietly, in the basement of the abandoned old house while Willow and Amity finished up building their new prison there.

Luz had found the basement when she lingered bored in the house, while Willow filled the hole that Belos had made in the house with some strong roots. Luz had torn down a wallpaper that seemed to be peeling off from one wall to reveal a door that led to a basement. Once she and her friends noticed how spacious the basement was, they decided to build the new cage there.

The basement walls, floor, and the ceiling had a thick layer of the substance that Amity’s abominations were made of, and thick roots covered that substance. The new layers in the room made sure not to cover the lightbulb that hung on the ceiling.

“I’m not sure… if holding him with roots and abomination clay will work,” Amity said to the other two girls in the room. “He got out of it last time.”

“If we have Vee drain his magic, I think we should be fine holding him like we were doing before,” Luz said.

“That’s true, but the real question is, how are we going to make him tell us how we can go back to the Boiling Isles?” Willow asked.

“I’m guessing having Gus look into his mind is not on the table,” Amity said with a frown as she remembered how terrified Gus was after looking into Belos’ mind earlier that day.

Luz’s lips pressed into a thin line, fingers drumming on her knees as she did her best to think how they could make Belos talk.

“Asking him nicely isn’t going to work either since, well, he hates us witches,” Amity sighed. “And he’s obviously one of the most stubborn beings in the universe if he carried out his plans for 400 years to kill all witches… so I doubt we can change his mind in helping us…”

“So… looks like we’re stuck at the moment,” Willow said, making Luz shut her eyes hard, placing her fisted palms on her eyes as she remembered the sad look King had before he let go of her hand. Before he had forced her to go through the magic portal, leaving him and Eda behind…

“Girls!” The three girls in the basement snapped out of their deep thoughts when they heard Camila called out from the first floor. “They’re back!”

Quickly, the three ran upstairs and were ready to storm outside to help their friends with forcing Belos into his new cage, but they stopped in their tracks with utter confusion as they saw Hunter and Gus helping an almost human Belos into the room.

Vee walked in after transforming back from a giant wolf; she had to carry Belos the rest of the way back so the boys could fly on their staff. She looked slightly gray to Luz and had slight dark circles under her eyes, still feeling terrible from draining Belos’ magic earlier.

Camila gasped in shock at Vee’s state and rushed to her side.

“What happened, mija?” she asked with complete worry.

Hunter and Gus released Philip when his legs gave out, falling to his knees. His arms were wrapped around his stomach, as his breathing was rough and fast. With eyes shut tight, gritted teeth, and a face pale, he leaned forward, forehead against the wooden floor. His body shook with violent tremors as it slightly destabilized for a second, his body almost turning into black and green sludge.

Amity and Willow pointed their staffs at him to bind him, but Gus quickly jumped in front of a struggling Philip.

“Wait, don’t!” he yelled. “He’s trying not to lose control!”

The three girls in front of him gave him puzzled looks.

Philip managed to keep control of his unstable body, but was left panting, drops of sweat dripping down off his forehead.

He ground his teeth in pain as he forced himself back on his knees only, glaring weakly past Gus, directly at Luz, where she stood across the room from him, glaring back at him.

“We have a serious problem.” Gus was the one to speak up in the silence hanging in the room. “And please listen before you guys try to kill each other, cause you’re going to want to listen to this,” he said in a serious tone.

Luz hands clenched into fists, fighting down the urge of having her friends attack Belos.

From Gus’ intense face, he really wanted them to listen to him, so she stood her ground and hoped with all her might that whatever the problem was, it would not keep her from going back to the Boiling Isles and save Eda and King.

Chapter Text

The road, surrounded by a dense forest, was wrecked. Lying in the center of the pavement was a pulsating green/greyish blob. Rafael, a man with a suit as black as his short hair, eyed the foreign substance as a group of forensic technicians were collecting samples from it.

Rafael stood on the road that was locked from the public by other officers within a mile radius from the sight. There were many uniformed men taking pictures of everything that they spotted in their surroundings, including the blob, the one patrol car that was crushed from the top as if something heavy landed on it from the sky, and a freight truck that was lying on its side like a wounded animal.

“Rafael, you’re going to want to listen to this,” Rafael’s partner, Mason, a slightly younger man, said while munching on a granola bar. He too wore a black suit, but it seemed like it was a looser fit and he didn’t have it buttoned up.

Mason led Rafael to where two police officers were sitting at the back of a patrol car with a blonde-haired detective was questioning them.

One cop, Arnold, was dead silent, just staring ahead in shock, while the other just ran his shaky hands down his pale face a few times.

“It was huge…” Arnold said, his voice quavered as he spoke, his words barely audible above the pounding of his own heart. “Like some sort of skeleton monster. Maybe 15 feet tall, with big horns. Looked like…” he shut his eyes hard, shaking his head. “I don’t know… like a demon…” he threw his face down to his hands now. “And Audrey…” he stammered, as the dreadful memory of her body crashing down onto the pavement with a sickening thud replayed in his head. “He attacked her… Oh god… she just…”

Rafael said nothing, taking in the man’s words.

He had been notified that two people were sent to the hospital. One of them was Audrey, a cop. Both victims were in critical condition, and from the way Arnold was shaking like a leaf meant the situation was one to be handled with a serious hand.

“Big horns… a demon,” Mason hummed before shoving the last bite of his bar. His eyes widened with a glow to them. “Like a wendigo?!”

Rafael shot his partner a frown for his outburst.

“But… demons aren’t real…”

The men in suits looked at Jason, the other police officer, who had supposedly been dead silent since the ambulance took Audrey away.

“Demons… witches… monsters…” Jason let out a nervous laugh, grabbing a big chunk of his brown hair with both hands before tugging it down hard. “We all thought my cousin was crazy, but… what if…” his eyes slowly grew wide with terror. His eyes flicked back to the car that looked like a crushed can before looking up at the group that stared at him. “What if he was right? What if these demons have always been hiding among us?”

“What is he talking about?” Mason asked Arnold with curiosity.

“He has a cousin who lives in Gravesfield, and the guy is known to be a total nut job to the entire community,” Arnold said quietly, letting go of his face. “He’s always talking about witches and demons, trying to prove to us they are real. Supposedly, he caught a real demon months ago, but said that some woman set the demon free and destroyed all the evidence.”

“Caught one… you say?” Mason asked with a smile of excitement on his face.

“We thought he was crazy,” Jason mumbled, shaking his head, still tugging down his hair. “He’s always saying crazy things. But… I know what we saw was real… It was a real monster…” His voice shook in the next words. “I’m not crazy… you… have to believe me.”

“And that’s not all,” the blonde detective said calmly to Rafael and Mason. “Supposedly, they also witnessed children flying around on some sort of staffs and-”

“Did magic,” Arnold cut in, his voice louder now. He looked at Rafael now with a serious look. “It was all real…”

Rafael eyed the two cops with a stony expression. He quietly was deciding what the next steps he and his partner had to take soon.

“I want to talk to this cousin of yours,” he finally spoke, in his rough voice, to Jason. “And I want you to come with us as well.”

Jason said nothing, staring at Rafael with wide eyes.

Something deep in the pit of his stomach was screaming at him not to go with the two detectives. He internally begged so badly he was in some sort of horrible nightmare and would wake up any time soon.

Oh, how he hoped what he had seen was a lie…

“Please let us know if you’re feeling terrible again. And I mean it, Vee,” Camila said to Vee while she sat on the side of the girl’s bed as she tucked her in.

The female creature gave her a tired smile.

“I promise, Camila,” Vee said.

Camila sighed, placing a comforting hand on Vee’s cheek, and caressed it.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?” she said, quietly, with a soft smile. “You’re almost as stubborn as Luz.”

Vee blushed slightly and pulled her comforter over half of her face.

“Sorry… mama,” she whispered.

Camila chuckled and got off the bed.

“Buenas noches, mija,” Camila said, walking out of the room right after she turned off the lights.

She shut the bedroom door behind her. She took a deep slow breath, as if to keep her composure before she walked to the kitchen where the rest of the teenagers were sitting around the dining table in silence.

Gus, Hunter, and Vee had told their friends almost everything that had gone down when they found Belos before Vee had to excuse herself.

Well… almost everything.

Everyone looked at Camila with concern all written on their young, tired faces.

“She’s doing better,” Camila said as she sat down next to her daughter. “She’s just exhausted.”

“Hopefully she’s back to her usual self when she wakes up,” Luz said quietly, before looking at her friends with eyebrows furrowed. “Now… What should we do with… him…”

“I don’t think leaving him in the basement alone is a good idea,” Camila brought up.

“Don’t worry, Luz’s mom,” Willow said with a confident smile. “I made sure to use the right spores on him. He should be asleep for a while.”

“And then what?” Luz asked, slightly annoyed as the group was facing an enormous problem. “What are we going to do when he wakes up? How are we going to make him tell us how to get back to the Boiling Isles?”

“Mija…”

“I’m serious, mama,” Luz shot up to her feet. “I’m sorry, but we’re really in a terrible spot right now. Cause apparently, Belos may lose complete control if Gus somehow triggers him while trying to read his mind. If he loses control, Gus can’t read his mind. If we can’t get the information we need from him, then we’re never going to be able to go back.”

“He’s not giving us anything if we just threaten him,” Hunter said, crossing his arms on his chest, glaring down at the table. Flapjack looked up from his lap, tilting its head to the side. “And we can’t beat it out of him.”

“And he’s probably not going to talk unless we give him a reason to,” Amity added in.

“Maybe… we can make a deal with him…?” Gus asked, instantly bracing himself on his chair with the reactions he expected from everyone else.

“Oh, heck no!” Luz said right away. “We can’t trust him!”

“Luz is right,” Hunter said, his fingers digging into his arms. “A deal with him is the worst thing you can do. He will…” he shut his eyes hard, feeling his heart tighten as the dark cold smile of his ‘uncle’ flashed in his mind. “Belos is good at manipulating people,” he mumbled. “He knows how to play with your emotions… knows how to use your weakness against you. He’s always many steps ahead of others and gets what he wants in the end…”

Amity and Willow exchanged worried glances while Gus looked down at his lap, knowing his friend had endured too much under Belo’s grasp.

“But it may be our only option,” Gus pointed out to them. “We need that information, and he’s the only one who has it.”

Everyone fell silent, dreading at the fact that Gus was right.

“He will somehow… screw us over if we make a deal with him,” Hunter said with persistence.

“Unless,” Luz said as an idea popped into her head. “Unless we end up screwing him over at the end after we get what we want.”

“What do you mean?”

“Give me one second,” Luz said as she ran out of the room and after a minute, she came back with her backpack. “We trick him,” Luz said. “We’ll tell him we’re making a deal with him. Tell him if he helps return to the Boiling Isles, then I’ll give him this,” she pulled out her palisman egg, making everyone confused except Hunter, who frowned. “He’s going to want this to have more control over whatever is happening to him,” Luz said. “Obviously, I’m not going to give it to him, but he may be desperate enough to want it if we ‘offer’ it to him.”

“He’s going to know you’re tricking him,” Hunter said, shaking his head. “He’s too smart… he’ll know you’re lying.”

“He’ll probably won’t trust you since, well… the last time you made a ‘deal’ with him, you tricked him,” Willow pointed out, making Luz slowly fall back on her chair, looking down to her palisman egg with a frown. “And even if he agrees to the ‘deal’, he might try to betray us.”

Everyone fell deep in thought.

Amity’s eyes brightened up, standing up with a bright smile.

“I have an idea,” she said. “But I’m going to need Gus’ help to make sure we trick him.”

“Oh?” Willow asked, curiously.

“We can make him believe we’re making an everlasting oath with him,” Amity said with an amused smile. “So, he thinks we won’t betray him.”

“That’s… actually a good idea,” Willow pointed out.

“Sorry, what’s an everlasting oath?” Camila asked, with confusion.

“It’s when two individuals make an oath and agree to certain negative conditions. The one who breaks it well then will suffer the negative conditions,” Amity explained. “And only Gus here can make sure the ‘everlasting oath’ looks real,” Amity said.

“That… might work…” Hunter admitted, unsure if they could pull things off, unsure if they could outsmart his ‘uncle’. “But we still have to figure out what to do with him once we go back to the Boiling Isles.” He then turned to Gus who sat next to him as he thought about something that was bothering him since they brought Belos back to his prison. “You said you were going to talk to me about, you know…” he said to his friend, who glanced for a second at the others in the room, who had their attention now, before looking back at him with hesitation. “It’s alright,” Hunter said to him, giving him a reassuring smile. “We’re in all in this together.”

“What’s going on?” Luz asked the boys, completely lost in the change of topic.

“Well, remember how we said we had to use illusions to kind of help Belos come back to himself while Vee was absorbing his magic?” Gus asked. Once everyone gave him a nod of confirmation, he continued. “Well, one of the illusions I used… well… the last one I used was… of his older brother.”

“Brother…?” Hunter let out, confused. “But… he looked just like me…”

“Yeah, he did,” Gus said. “I saw him in Belo’s memories. His name was Caleb.”

Hunter looked down at Flapjack who was staring up at him quietly. So many questions ran through Hunter’s head. Did Flapjack know who Caleb was? Is that why the palisman had suggested the name when Willow and Gus had asked him what his name was when they first met?

“They used to live together, in that old, abandoned house,” Gus revealed more. “They looked like they were orphans. Caleb took care of Belos.”

“Am I… Caleb’s clone…?” Hunter whispered as things were slowly making sense in his head. “Were… all of those golden guards… his clones…?” he looked up, eyes slowly widening in dismay. “I don’t understand. If Caleb was Belo’s brother, then… why….?”

“Belos killed his brother,” Gus revealed quietly, looking down at his lap while he heard everyone let out gasps of shock. “I saw it, in his memories, when we were fighting him back in the Boiling Isles.” Everyone at the table just stared at him in stunned silence, trying to process what Gus was saying. “I didn’t see how it happened, but Belos was mad at Caleb. Caleb tried calming him down, but…”

“How can… someone… kill their own brother…?” Amity felt sick in her stomach, as she thought about her brother and sister. Even though they had annoyed her for many years, she would never think about killing either of them.

Hunter let out a sad chuckle, eyes slightly moistening up, leaning back in his seat.

“The Collector was right. Belos really just made me, just like the rest of them… to just…” he closed his eyes hard, his lips pressed into a thin line as he tried suppressing the tears from coming out.

‘You make those things just to destroy them.’ The Collector’s voice replayed in Hunter’s mind.

“He’s evil,” Luz said with fists shaking on the table, while Camila was sitting there, stunned. “The guy has committed genocide. He has killed witches and others from the Boiling Isles… And even killed his own brother… He’s nothing but a monster.”

Camila already had terrible opinions of Belos, and now hearing that he had killed his own flesh and blood made her blood run cold.

She shouldn’t be so shocked to hear her daughter listing all the terrible things Belos has done. If someone could commit genocide, hurting someone who was family was probably not off the table.

Her daughter was right.

Belos was a monster.

“He should be locked up,” Camila said.

Amity’s head shot up at Camila’s words.

“Or we should seal him up,” she said. “I think Belos can’t die. So, what if we somehow find a way to seal him away for good once we are back in the Boiling Isles?”

“How would we be able to do that?” Luz asked.

“I’m not sure, but… maybe someone in the Boiling Isles may have an idea,” Amity rested her arms on the wood surface of the table to rest her chin on her hands as he hummed in deep thought. “Of course, we would have to hold him down when we go back to the Boiling Isles while we save everyone from the Collector before we figure out how to seal him…”

“Yeah…” Hunter mumbled, ignoring how his stomach twisted with dread at the thought of locking his ‘uncle’ up for good. “We should do it. It would be better if he was sealed away forever, so he doesn’t hurt anyone ever again…” He said out loud, as if trying to reassure what they were planning was what he wanted.

Gus said nothing. He listened for a moment to the group discuss how they were going to make sure their plan on tricking Belos worked flawlessly. He said nothing as he couldn’t help but imagine a young Philip, locked in a tiny room, alone, crying as he curled into himself.

Locked many times…

And now they were planning to seal him forever…

He wanted to tell the group what he had seen in Philip’s mind, the innocent child who loved his brother, who wanted to be accepted by the town’s people. Wanted to make friends so badly, just like… just like him… before he met Willow.

Gus thought about how Belos was surrounded by others who feared and hated witches, making him an obsessed witch hunter due to the terrible influences around him.

Gus wondered if it was possible that if Belos didn’t have such terrible influences, he would have probably been like Luz… Curious about witches and demons, instead of trying to murder them all.

Was it possible then… to change his mind about them…?

Gus kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting his friends to think Philip was somehow manipulating him by trying to win him over with pity, since Philip was the type of guy to use pity to manipulate others.

He didn’t want his friends to think he was the same naïve boy before Willow befriended him.

Yes, years ago, he would have fallen for anyone’s tricks and lies, but now Gus wasn’t so easily won over.

He has changed…

Just like his friend, Mattholomule. The boy used to be a total jerk the first time they met, but after time passed and by getting to know him more, the boy was an alright guy. He was just acting out from the way his prior school had bullied him.

Even Amity wasn’t that great of a person because of her mother having so much influence over her life. But now, she has become a dependable friend, loyal to them no matter what.

He had seen Willow, who used to be an insecure teen, become confident and independent.

Hunter, used to be distrusting of others, other than to his ‘uncle’. But now he was more open and protective of them.

His friends have changed for the better.

They all changed due to being surrounded by supportive and good people.

He wondered if maybe Belos could change by being around them. If he could see that witches weren’t as terrible as he was raised up to believe.

Then again…

Gus looked at Luz who was glaring down at the table, the dark look in her eyes that everyone has been noticing these past months back.

Luz had also changed…

And that was because of Belo’s terrible actions…

Gus' hands turned into fists on his lap.

He disliked Belos for everything he has done. He couldn’t forgive what he had done to his friend Hunter, and to many others. The man had to be punished for all his terrible deeds. But… those memories… they were glued in his head… and he just couldn’t stop them from making his heart tug down.

The boy bit his lower lip as guilt washed through him at feeling bad for Belos.

“I don’t want any of you niños alone with him,” Camila spoke with a serious tone.

“Don’t worry, mama, with the oath, he will not dare to hurt us,” Luz said.

“We got this, Luz’s mom,” Willow said, bringing an arm up, flexing one of her muscles. “We know what we’re doing.”

“Camila is right, though,” Hunter said, eyes narrowed at the table. “None of us should be alone with him. Trust me… Even with the oath, he may manipulate us in other ways and I just… don’t… trust him…”

“Yeah…. You’re right,” Luz said, also unable to shake off the feeling of unease and anger at the thought of her friends in a room alone with Belos.

But for now, as she caressed her palisman egg lovingly, she told herself that all that mattered was executing their plan and hopefully get back to the Boiling Isles.

As consciousness slowly creeped back into his mind, Philip struggled to open his heavy eyelids, groggily taking in his surroundings.

He found himself in a dimly lit room, the walls and ceilings covered in gnarled branches and thick roots that seem to writhe and twist of their own accord with the purple substance in between. He couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed at being imprisoned again inside a hand-crafted box made by the disgusting witch girls.

At least the room was large compared to the other cage…

Philip tried to move, but his limbs were heavy and sluggish, still under the influence of whatever drug or magic spell he was put under.

It took all his effort to prop himself up on his elbows, and even then, the world seemed to spin around him, making him fall back to the ground.

He raised both of his arms up to find them ugly green and slightly brown, shackled with sturdy roots.

He reached to his head and felt the horns sticking out.

So… he was in his cursed form… well… halfway there…

He shut his eyes with irritation, dropping his arms by his sides, and tried to remember the last thing he could recall before he was drugged.

Gradually, bits of scenes came together like a puzzle in his head, before a sense of fear crept up on him when he came face to face to an unsettling realization.

He had indeed completely lost control of his body.

The curse had taken over him like a mindless beast, attacking like a rabid dog for a moment.

He used to lose control at times in the past, but only when he was angered, and it was only for a few seconds. Now, it seemed like the curse was more powerful in the human world.

‘You’re worse than them…’ A dark voice hissed in his mind, threatening to suffocate him.

He shut his eyes hard and did his best to take deep and slow breaths. Hands turned into fists, fingers dug into his flesh, to cause himself some pain to distract his mind from the voice.

‘And not only that… you were so pathetic like a baby back there…’

Philip felt the heavy weight of disgust come crashing into his soul as the voice reminded him how he had one of those terrible moments in front of Hunter and two of the other kids back at the road. The way he had let his mind get consumed with thoughts and how weak and pitiful he must have appeared in front of his enemies made his heart clench hard.

He hadn’t had one of those weak moments in a very long time…

Philip’s mind snapped back to reality and his eyes shot open when his ears picked up faint sounds coming from beyond the door. He could hear the muffled footsteps of a group of people and by knowing full well who they belonged to made his blue eyes glow brighter and heart twist with hatred.

The door creaked open before the group of people he wanted to burn alive on multiple stakes walked down the stairs.

His body tensed up, preparing to defend himself if he had to. He turned his head to the left to glare with exhaustion at Luz and her disgusting friends.

“Let’s make a deal,” Luz said to him without greeting him. “You help us make the portal back to the Boiling Isles, help us get back there, then once we are back there,” she pulled out a green-looking egg from her backpack. “We will give you this, which might help you with your predicament, and then we will go our separate ways.”

“It’s a palisman egg,” Gus explained in case Philip didn’t know what Luz was offering to him.

“Also, you will hurt none of us,” Amity added in quick.

“Nor will you manipulate us, especially Hunter,” Willow said.

Philip stared at them coldly, slowly taking in what was happening now instead of glaring daggers at Hunter who was looking down at him coldly.

Philip hated to admit it, but he was caught off guard. From the scenarios he would have come up with what they were going to do with him, making a deal for his cooperation in getting back to the Boiling Isles and then letting him go free was not something that would have crossed his mind.

“You… think…” he struggled to form words, glaring at Luz with intensity as the memory of her tricking him when she placed a mark on him taunted him. “I’ll fall for your tricks… again…?”

“Amity will be making an everlasting oath with you,” Luz said, eyes narrowed at him. “So, we don’t have to worry about betraying one another.”

“If we break the everlasting oath, then I’ll become your servant,” Amity said.

“But if you break the everlasting oath, then you’ll become Amity’s servant,” Luz added quickly.

Belos continued to glare at her. An everlasting oath… he had never made such a pact with anyone like that before, but he had seen others do so and when they failed…

The gears turned quickly in his head.

He wanted to go back to the Boiling Isles.

He had to make sure humanity was safe, no matter what.

All he had to do was to comply with them for a while… but the thought of being around witches in the human world disgusted him. And the thought of them possibly corrupting the humans around them made him want to kill them in the room now, but…

The curse was eating him up. He had to slow down his curse from taking over his existence till he could finish his mission before it was too late.

He looked into their eyes, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off. He couldn’t believe they would just let him free once they were back in the Boiling Isles, unless, of course, they were desperate. Which would make sense… Since only he knew how they could go back to the Boiling Isles …

He closed his eyes, doing his best to keep his head cool. His hands twitched, his fingers aching to snag the egg palisman now and drain its magic.

But he knew he shouldn’t try to steal the egg and try to kill them now. He hated to admit it, but the children were strong… And he didn’t want to risk the curse from taking over his mind again if they fought.

‘You’re going to fail them…’ the voice hissed in his head. ‘You won’t be saving any souls…’

Philip struggled to his feet to stand before Amity with determination to prove the voice wrong. Eventually he and the girl were locked in a fierce and cold stare.

Amity could feel the hatred vibrating from Belos’s glowing blue eyes, especially as he wore a look of disdain as he extended his hand to her. She kept her stance firm and reached out to take the proffered hand, ignoring the way her friends had gotten into a fighting stance behind her in case he tried attacking her.

Amity didn’t waste any time as she began to say the terms of the everlasting oath out loud. She waved a finger around their clasped hands before a ring appeared around them.

The terms were just like they told him. He will help them build the portal to go back to the Boiling Isles. He will help them return there safely. He will not harm them nor manipulate them. Once they were back to the Boiling Isles, then Amity would give him the palisman egg that Luz was holding, and Amity would make sure they let him go with no issues.

If either of them ended up breaking the deal, then the perpetrator will become the other person’s servant forever.

Philip was for sure going to go along with their pathetic oath. Once they were back in the Boiling Isles and he drained the magic out of that palisman egg, he would have the chance to leave and plan out another way to eliminate Luz and the rest of the witches.

He had to save his people before it was too late…

Little did he know the magical light relating to the eternal oath was an illusion crafted by the youngest one of the group, waving a finger behind his back.

Chapter Text

Two days have passed, but Philip hardly noticed as he scribbled furiously in a notepad. He sat in the basement of his forgotten childhood home. Darker circles hung under his eyes while a sea of paper surrounded him. The majority of the left side of his face was covered in the green substance.

On his left, stacks of paper lay on top of one another, holding correct calculations for the portal he had agreed to make for Luz and her disgusting friends. But far off from him lay a pile of crumpled papers he deemed incorrect after hours of reviewing every equation.

He picked up one of the closest papers by him with the details he had written and, after scanning through it, his face twisted in anger. With a frustrated growl, he ripped the page he was at the present working on and crumpled it up before throwing it with the discarded group.

He leaned against the wall behind him, closing his eyes with an annoyed sigh as his head ached from lack of sleep and stress.

Creating the new portal was going to be difficult, especially as he couldn’t remember every exact detail, and finding alternate ways in making it - since they wouldn’t be able to find all the necessary materials in the human world - was going to be a challenge.

Yes, he had invented the portal, but that was many years ago… And yes… he had within the year fixed it up after Luz had destroyed it, so the logic behind creating it was fresh in his head but fixing something was a far easier task than creating something from scratch. At least, for him it was…

Creating such a portal was dangerous, especially if he didn’t do it with complete precision.

What made him worry to a degree as well was the fact the portal required titan blood, and coming across that in the Boiling Isles was almost impossible, so finding it in the human world now may be unattainable as well…

What if… they couldn’t find the titan blood…?

What if… everything he was doing right now was pointless?

Philip mentally told himself not to waste his time doubting things. He had to build a portal to get them back to the Boiling Isles so he could complete his life mission. And his body deforming was a constant reminder that he was risking losing control again.

Knowing he may lose control like a mindless beast only added to the heavy pressure he was dealing with.

After a few minutes, he found himself almost lose consciousness, which made him force his eyes open and himself to sit up, determined to stay awake.

Philip couldn’t let himself sleep now, not when he believed he was close to getting the logic behind creating the portal down.

With the weight of exhaustion, he looked at the stairwell across from him as he tried to run numbers in his head before he saw the room shift to how it used to be before the witches covered it with walls of green and purple and saw a man walking downstairs with an enraged face, dragging a small, wailing child along.

Dread filled his chest before he glanced away from the stairwell and turned back down to the notepad on his lap. His mutated hand clutched the pen and proceeded to write down anything to keep his mind from seeing things he didn’t want to see…

He wasn’t entirely sure who the man was, but something was telling him he had to do with why he had a terrible feeling about the basement…

“He doesn’t eat?” Gus asked Hunter while both were making themselves their favorite human sandwich for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly ones.

“Nope,” Hunter responded, passing Gus the knife after he finished spreading the peanut butter on one of his slices of bread. Gus, in return, handed Hunter the knife for the strawberry jelly. “He doesn’t eat anything. Well… except… palisman…” the boy mumbled with annoyance.

“Right…” Gus let out a shudder at imagining Belos devouring a palisman.

Two days ago, they tricked Belos into believing they had made an everlasting oath with him. He had told them he needed things to write with so he could figure out how they would make the portal to the Boiling Isles.

They gave him notepads and pens to work with for now.

Two days, he had said he would take to have everything written for them, so they could start collecting items they need to build the portal.

“Do you think we’ll be able to create a portal with, well, human stuff?” the young boy asked Hunter, who was twisting the lids to seal the jars.

“He’s a terrible man, but… he’s a genius,” Hunter said, even though he hated to admit it.

“But the human world has changed a lot,” Gus pointed out; he had found out the time frame Belos had left the human world based on the memories Belos had. “He’s been gone for… centuries. I wonder if the new technology that humans have made can be taken into consideration by what Belos can use to create the portal.”

“That’s a good point,” Hunter said before taking a bite of his sandwich.

“And don’t forget, niños,” Camila came into the kitchen before pacing between the room and the living room, stuffing things she needed into her bag. “No talking to Belos till I’m back home,” she pointed at everyone to emphasize she was serious, making the boys nod right away.

“Si, mamá…” Luz sighed as she and Vee walked down the stairs and out of the entrance door with their own backpacks. Both looked up as they heard a honk from a grey car.

“Oh, sorry Luz, I forgot to tell you,” Vee said with an apologetic look. “Masha said they will give us a ride.”

“Well, that’s sweet of them,” Camila said before walking to her own car. She gave Luz a stern look. “I’m serious Luz. Do not talk to him before I get back.”

Luz looked down at the ground, hands tightening around her bag’s straps.

“I won’t mamá… I promise,” she did her best not to groan at repeating herself.

“Good,” Camila’s shoulders relaxed. Though, internally, she was freaking out about leaving the kids in the house alone. Well, she didn’t trust Luz. She knew her very well… Especially since her daughter was desperate to do the right thing for everyone. But, unfortunately, she couldn’t continue to skip work. “I’ll see you niños later,” she gave Luz a comforting smile, then went into her car.

Luz watched without saying a word as her mother pulled out of the driveway before driving off down the road. Then, almost dragging her feet to Masha’s car, she eventually got inside at the back of the car while Vee got into the passenger’s seat with a hint of a blush across her cheeks.

Vee smiled at Masha. “Thanks, Masha,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Masha said with their usual relaxed smile. “Why wouldn’t I give my friend, who I made friends with during summer thinking to be Luz and who ended up being the mysterious long-lost twin sister that just popped out of the earth, a ride to school?” they asked with amusement, making Vee let out a nervous laugh as she tried melting into the seat.

Luz tuned the two out as she looked through the window as the car drove away from her house.

Amity watched her girlfriend leave with Vee through Luz’s room window. She turned to Willow, who was doing some push-ups.

Even if they were stuck on earth, Willow would not let herself go easy. She told Amity that she sometimes felt guilty if she skipped a day of working out. Amity could relate what she meant by that, as she also sometimes felt guilty when she wasn’t reading a new book every week herself.

“I wish we could go to school with them,” Amity sighed, laying down on one mattress on the ground. “But I guess we can continue watching that anime Luz wants us to finish.”

“Just 211 episodes left,” Willow remarked with amusement as she stood up.

Amity raised a fist while her eyes narrowed with determination.

“I will watch them all no matter what…” she said before she let her arm drop. Both girls glanced at the door as they heard someone knock on it. “Come in,” Amity called out.

Hunter and Gus walked in; the four usually hung together in a room when Luz and Vee left for school, unless the boys were too busy watching some sort of space nerdy show in the basement.

“How much do you want to bet he will somehow find a loophole to our ‘oath’.” Amity began as she sat up. The boys sat crossed legged on the carpeted floor.

“Well, if he tries anything, then we will just beat him down,” Willow said, punching a fist to her other open palm.

“He’s still stronger than us,” Hunted said with a frown. “But I guess as long as he thinks the everlasting oath was real, he will play along with us.”

“I think he also wants to go back to the Boiling Isles though,” Gus said, making everyone look at him in confusion.

“If you think about it, he agreed to work with us a bit too… fast,” Gus said. “I expected him to, I don’t know, say no since we’re witches, cause, you know, he hates witches… I know he probably is doing it mostly for Luz’s palisman egg, but we’re gaining more from him with this oath.”

“Yeah, I guess I also expected him to slash Luz’s face when she proposed the deal at first,” Amity admitted. “Well, if Belos is slowly losing control of his cursed form, then I guess he’s going to want to return to the Boiling Isles for a cure, for sure.”

“What if… he loses control before we finish the portal?” Gus hesitantly asked.

Everyone was silent at Gus’ concern; the boy brought up a completely valid point.

Vee draining Belos’ tainted magic was one way to keep Belos stable, but it was pretty risky for Vee. They didn’t want to find out how what so much drained tainted magic could do to the girl.

Also, Belos devouring one of their palisman was also out of the question.

So… yeah, Belos losing control of his mind would ruin their chances of getting back home forever… and was something they should probably worry about.

“Well, let’s hope he figures out how to make the portal and we finish making it before he loses control,” Willow said.

“So… should we like… check on him, then?” Gus asked.

Hunter frowned.

“Camila said not to till she was back,” the older boy said.

“I know she said that, but what if he lost control and ran off?” Gus asked. “We should probably make sure he’s not losing it.”

“He’s fine.” Hunter said stubbornly. “And if he’s busy figuring out how to make the portal here, he’s going to not want us bothering him. He doesn’t enjoy being interrupted when he’s inventing something or figuring something out.” His gaze glazed over as he looked away from his friends as he recalled certain things.

In the past, he had found Belos tinkering with devices, or drawing out sketches for future inventions in his laboratory countless times. Most of those times, Belos would ask the boy to leave, since he was too ‘busy’ to be distracted by anyone.

He wasn’t lying to Gus when he told him Belos was a genius. And to be honest, Hunter wanted to be like his ‘uncle’. To have the ability to invent things. To create technology that could interact with magic so well.

There were very rare moments when Belos let him join, but just to hand him certain tools while he worked silently on a machine.

But with either scenario, Belos just always acted like what mattered was his machines in that room. Hunter didn’t exist there to Belos, even if he was… physically there.

‘Cause you’re just a grimwalker,’ Hunter mentally told himself. ‘You’re just one of his inventions… a failed one at that… why would he have wanted to pay attention to you?’

Willow walked over to sit next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She could tell from his expression he was remembering something probably traumatic relating to Belos. So, she tried to comfort him as best as she could while Gus observed him without saying a word, feeling bad for triggering certain memories in Hunter.

Eventually, everyone seemed to agree not to check on Belos.

The group spent time together for about an hour before they split in two. Amity and Willow watched some anime while Gus and Hunter went on to watch some episodes of their favorite human show for a few hours. Eventually it was the afternoon. Willow was watching some videos online about the national parks in America. Amity was with Hunter -- who was showing off his stitching that had gotten better. He had picked up the hobby a few months ago, though he barely practiced since he would feel too depressed to do anything.

Gus had told everyone he was going to sit in the living room and read a book he had found in Camila’s closet. Well, to the naked eye, Gus looked like he was sitting on the couch reading like he said he would, with his palisman napping next to him. But of course, the boy sneaked out of the back of the house, leaving an illusion in the living room of himself behind.

“It’s official. Luz has been too much of an influence for me,” he told himself as he ran through the forest before finding himself in front of the old worn-out house.

“Just check if he’s okay and then leave… that’s all you have to do,” he said out loud, trying not to feel terrible about disobeying Camila. Gus couldn’t help but feel slightly worried that Philip had lost control again and was long gone. Especially since he wanted to see his dad again, which required Philip to not go crazy.

He looked over his shoulder, making sure none of his friends had followed him before pushing the door open, the sound of it creaking echoing through the empty house.

The boy sighed to himself. So much for trying to sneak in. Most likely, Philip heard the door open.

He took a moment to focus before his body turned invisible in case Philip had lost control of himself and was in the house ready to jump him.

Gus shut the door behind him and made his way through the house silently, keeping his eyes wide open, checking his surroundings.

The house was cold and quiet…

He didn’t check the second floor, and instead decided to check the basement first since it was the last place he saw the man. As he descended the stairs, he heard the scratching of what he presumed was a pen on paper and eventually found himself facing the older man, who was sitting on the other side of the room.

Gus relaxed to see Philip looked almost the same as the day Amity made the ‘oath’ with him, except for the fact his long hair was disheveled, hanging in greasy strands around a face that looked slightly pale.

Though… the left side of the face was covered in the green curse…. Facial hair has somewhat grown now on his face.

And the bags under his eyes looked darker, too…

Gus also noticed the crumpled paper balls near his feet. There were so many scattered around. His eyes flicked to the notepad in the old man’s lap and noticed the way the man’s left hand would shake a bit.

“Well… you’re already here so…” Gus whispered to himself with a sigh, pushing himself to do something about the scene before him.

He dropped the invisibility illusion over himself and approached Philip.

“You haven’t slept these past two days, have you?” the boy dared to ask.

Philip continued jotting down on his notepad, completely ignoring the boy.

Gus stepped closer, but still made sure he had a suitable distance in case he had to dodge for an attack.

“Hunter said you don’t really eat anything, but I’ve seen you sleep,” he said. “You know, people usually have a better chance of solving things after having a good night’s rest.” the boy pointed out as he could tell Philip was having a hard time with making the detailed plans for the portal based on the clutter in the room.

Philip stopped writing on the notepad. He looked up and fixed his gaze on Gus, his eyes narrowed into a piercing glare.

Gus tried not to shrink, as he remembered Hunter telling them how Philip did not like being interrupted while he was working on something.

“I’ve lived for centuries… you stupid witch…” Philip said coldly. The wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen as his expression turned to one of disdain. “I’ve invented and created things that would leave your petty brain in the dust. Do you really think you should be giving me advice…?” he sneered.

Gus stood his ground, undeterred by the old man’s rude demeanor.

Though the man’s words stung.

The boy took a moment to respond in a way that could show Belos he wasn’t just a stupid ‘witch’.

“Well… I think it’s safe for me to assume you never experienced the challenge of upholding your humanity while simultaneously attempting to construct a complex structure such as a magical portal, all while your physical, super old, state is wracked by exhaustion due to lack of sleep?” Gus asked evenly.

Philip continued to glare at the boy, saying nothing as a response.

Gus stood tall, trying his best not to gloat with amusement at Philip’s silence.

He bet the old man wasn’t expecting such an articulate point coming from him.

There was a reason the boy had skipped grades in school.

He was far from stupid.

Maybe naïve at times…

But not stupid.

“Well?” Gus prodded, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Philip’s glare darkened, but he still said nothing, his lips tightly pressed together.

“You know I’m right,” Gus said, before deciding not to mock the man more. “But really, man, you should probably sleep a bit.”

“I’m not weak like the rest of you,” He hissed, making Gus confused. “I’ve gone through longer periods of time without sleep and was able to finish what I had to do.”

One of Philip’s memories that Gus had seen raced through his head. A young Philip, exhausted from lack of sleep, knelt on the hard wooden floor, his knees sunk into the grain of rice that blanketed the surface. Despite the discomfort, he had remained motionless, his eyes closed in prayer and his hands folded in front of him. The room was silent, save for the soft whisper of his lips as he recited his prayers while someone behind him was observing him, as if making sure he didn’t stop.

“I’m sure you have,” Gus said in a more understanding tone after the memory had stopped playing in his head. “But just cause you’ve endured terrible things in the past doesn’t mean you should continue doing it. You can only handle so much, and honestly, man, I’m surprised you still have so much fight in you after… so much has happened to you, especially when you were younger...”

Philip furrowed his eyebrows as if he was confused, replaying the boy’s words in his head to make sure he had heard correctly. Slowly, he stiffened.

His eyes narrowed at the boy.

“What do you mean… especially when I was younger…?” Philip’s voice was low and dangerous. His mind pieced things together, now realizing why the memories he had long shoved away from his terrible upbringing were lingering in his head as if they’ve happened recently.

The boy had been in his head…

The boy had yanked the memories back to the surface.

Realizing his mistake, Gus mentally kicked himself for slipping up and let out a nervous smile as he stepped back a bit, rubbing the back of his head a bit.

“Well… I…” he stammered, and his mind raced as Belos got on his feet, his eyes flashing with a dark and dangerous blue. The notepad and pen were forgotten on the ground.

“How… dare you…?” Philip hissed through his sharp teeth. His fingertips turned into sharp like claws.

“Look, let me explain,” Gus quickly said with wide eyes, getting into a defensive stance.

The boy was beginning to think coming alone was a terrible mistake.

He should have brought Willow with him, at least.

“You are the reason why my memories have been -” Philip cut himself from revealing more. Revealing why he was seeing things more than usual, why he couldn’t stop the memories from haunting him.

“I didn’t mean to look.” Gus raised both his hands up to show he was harmless as Philip’s shoulders were shaking with what he assumed was rage. “I swear, I was only trying to-”

“I don’t want to hear it, you disgusting, filthy witch!” Philip cut in with a roar before one of his arms shot out at Gus from afar.

Gus quickly threw himself to the side and quickly turned himself invisible again.

Philip pulled his arm back and was about to jump in the direction where he last seen the boy, but then he stopped dead in his tracks, as he saw a shadow of a tall man looming over him. The room was as cold and dark as it used to be centuries ago.

‘You are no child of mine,’ the dark, familiar, voice hissed. ‘You stupid, vile child!’ the shadow raised a hand as if to lash at him.

Philip stepped abruptly back, slamming against the wall as he threw his hands over his head.

“It’s not real,” he told himself with desperation to snap the hallucination as his eyes shut in pain. His heart began to pound painfully against his chest as he tried to stay calm.

Screams of a child screeched from the walls.

‘Please, daddy!’ Philip heard a child plead. ‘I didn’t mean to!’

“It’s not real,” he told himself again as the screams seemed to get louder just as his body began to convulse.

No…

The green substance that already claimed much of his left side was now expanding, seeking to take over his entire left side.

This couldn’t be happening…

He was losing control again!

He desperately tried fighting against the inevitable spread of the curse. The veins in his neck bulged underneath his collar, and his body shook to maintain control of his own body as he fell to his knees.

‘Just give in,’ the dark voice in his head hissed, his heart pounding painfully hard against his chest as he tried to stay calm.

‘Go back to hell, you evil child!’ the voice from the man roared as darkness was suffocating him.

‘Dad, stop!’ another voice of a different child screamed.

“Philip!”

The old man barely heard his name called through the screaming that filled in his head.

“Philip, you have to fight it,” Gus said, kneeled next to the old man who’s breathing was ragged.

The boy had rushed forward, without a care for his safety.

Philip’s eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to keep the noises out of his head, to keep the curse at bay.

“Come on, man, breathe,” Gus instructed. “You got to breathe.”

‘Stop hurting him!’

Philip groaned, his body convulsing as he tried to resist the curse’s pull and at the same time tried getting air into his tight lungs.

“I can’t...” he gasped out, his voice barely audible.

In Gus’ mind, the memory of Hunter, having one of the panic attacks of his own back at Luz’s house, replayed in his mind.

‘You’re okay, Hunter, just breathe,’ Gus whispered to his friend as Willow had her arms wrapped around the blonde, who was shaking and gasping for air.

‘I… can’t…’ the blond sobbed to Willow’s chest.

‘Yes,’ Gus had said firmly in the memory as well as in person next to Philip. “Yes, you can. You’ve done it before.”

Philip continued to struggle to stop his heart from hammering against his chest. He tried to focus on his breathing as his clawed hands grabbed on to his head hard.

“That’s it, breathe” Gus encouraged. His hands hovered a bit on the old man, not sure if he should touch him or not. “Listen to my voice and just breathe with me,” Gus instructed in a calming tone, his own breathing even and slow. “Inhale, hold it for a few seconds, then exhale. Do it with me.”

Philip, despite his initial resistance, followed the witch’s breathing pattern, trying to find comfort in the familiar and controlled rhythm, distracted enough to ignore the dark voice in his head that tried to grasp him, enough to not let the screaming suffocate him.

He gritted his teeth, summoning every ounce of willpower he had to push the curse back as well once the air was getting into his lungs without causing him too much pain.

The screaming in the basement and the pain in his body began to fade away. The convulsing coming to a halt. His clawed hands retreated to how they were before his outburst.

After a while of just focusing on his breathing, Philip found himself completely drained, but at least his heartbeat was once again steady, and the curse wasn’t spreading.

Besides his ragged breathing, the room was finally silent.

“Man… that was close.” Philip heard the boy say.

His eyes opened slowly. Through his long strands of messy hair, he saw the roots and the purple layers were back up on the walls. He then met Gus’ small smile.

“You got me nervous there,” The boy emitted a small chuckle, relieved Philip was able to keep in control.

To be honest, Gus was terrified that things would have probably ended bad for him if the cruse took over completely.

He decided he had to be more careful what he does around Philip.

And probably he should start with…

“Sorry for making you mad,” the boy let out, still resting on his knees by the old man. “And I’m sorry for… well… I swear I wasn’t trying to snoop into your past. I was just trying to find out how we could create the portal ourselves…” the boy admitted.

Philip just stared, with eyes that felt too tired to keep open, at the boy, completely lost at the words that were coming out of the boy’s mouth.

“But yah, just wanted to say sorry,” Gus continued, with sincerity in his voice.

Sorry…

The only times Philip has heard an apology from a witch were from those who feared him or from those that were trying to desperately trying to gain his approval for their own benefit.

And never has he heard an apology when he was at his weakest points…

Back when he was fresh in the Boiling Isles, he had been thrown around and mocked by countless witches for being so weak. Not once did anyone apologize for antagonizing him.

And here he was now, completely exhausted, his limbs too heavy to move, vulnerable to lose control if the curse decided to act out again and instead of the boy mocking him, he was apologizing for looking at his memories.

Philip looked away, trying to ignore the desperate need to know why the boy felt the need to be sorry. Witches weren’t empathic creatures… He also tried to ignore the shame that he felt for once again looking like a pathetic mess in front of the child.

After fighting off the curse and enduring one of his terrible ‘attacks’, all he wanted to do now was sleep…

But…

Philip saw a brief image of the same man… lying on the ground. A leg was lying on a bad angle, a pool of blood surrounded the brown-haired head. Familiar blue dull eyes stared at him.

Right…

Philip remembered who the man was.

Remembered what happened in the basement…

“I… can’t sleep here…” Philip muttered, hating to admit it. He closed his eyes, trying to block the image of the last memory he had of the man he had long forgotten about…

He tried to forget the reason Caleb hid the door to the basement from Philip when they were kids.

Gus observed Philip, feeling a bit bad at his current state. He recalled how Philip’s expression had shifted from anger to terror before the curse’s outburst, as if he had seen something that haunted him to the core.

The boy wondered if Philip suffered from hallucinations.

Or if the curse was also messing with the man’s head.

He wanted to ask Philip what he had seen in the room to cause him so much distress, but… he decided he shouldn’t push the older man right now.

Gus looked around at their surroundings. The house was from Philip’s childhood. Even if the room was covered in roots and purple substance, he wondered if being inside the house was causing Philip problems.

Which, of course, wasn’t going to cause anyone any good if Philip continues the way he is…

Gus was silent, deep in thought, before he thought of something.

Something that he wasn’t sure who was going to hate more, Philip or his friends, but… they honestly didn’t have any options right now.

Oh, how the boy was going to have to mentally prepare himself for what he had to do next in order to return home and see his father again…

Chapter Text

With the pile of papers Philip had stacked by him, Gus sneaked back into Luz’s house - through the back door - and into the living room without coming across any of his friends.

After spending about an hour with Philip, he knew it was time to return home before anyone discovered that his presence in the living room was nothing more than an illusion. He didn’t want anyone to find out he was with Philip for the past hour just yet.

He placed the papers on the coffee table before he extinguished the illusion of himself. He then started picking up some of the clutter that had accumulated on the couch, on the coffee table, and on the floor.

If Philip was going to be sleeping in the house, the best logical option would be in the living room, since the basement was out of the question, and the females in the house occupied the two bedrooms. And even if having Philip staying in the living room was going to be awkward for everyone and possibly cause so much tension, it was, unfortunately, the only place as of now that made sense for him to be in.

After giving the room a thorough cleaning, Gus sat on the couch, leaned back on it, and closed his eyes with a sigh.

The boy felt torn as he asked himself if he was doing the right thing to bring Philip into the house.

Was he betraying his friends by bringing in the enemy? Was feeling bad for the witch hunter a terrible thing?

He knew Hunter was for sure going to have tons of issues with Philip staying with them. Which, of course, he couldn’t blame his friend for how he felt. Every single one of them wanted to keep Hunter away from Philip, and the last thing Gus wanted was to cause Hunter any more turmoil by having his abuser near him.

But…

He couldn’t shake the image of Philip, overwhelmed, struggling with the curse and whatever else that was going through that disturbed head of his.

“You are the reason why my memories have been-” Gus tried to think what Philip was going to say before he had stopped himself.

‘I… can’t sleep here…’ Philip’s vulnerable admission, as Gus remembered, had made his stomach drop when he heard it. The boy had to confess; he was surprised that Philip had opened to him like that.

Then again, if one had a major panic attack, fought off a curse from taking over one’s body within addition of now having a good night sleep all while working non-stop to figure out a complex invention was surely going to make someone’s defenses drop, even for just a moment.

Gus wondered what might have happened in that old house to make Philip freak out the way he did in the basement.

All he could remember from the bit he had seen of Philip, while the man lived in that house, was how happy Philip was living with Caleb, before Caleb left.

Before the Minister forced Philip to stay with him at his place.

When things got ugly…

After some time, Luz and Vee returned home. Luz and Amity decided to prepare dinner for everyone so when Camila arrived, she didn’t have to worry about feeding everyone so they could face Philip as soon as they could. Meanwhile, Gus was lost in his own thoughts, dreading everyone’s potential hostile reactions when he brought up about bringing Philip to stay with them.

“I’m back!” Camila announced once she stepped into the house, putting her bag on a nearby stand. “Please tell me everyone is here and breathing.” She attempted to lighten the mood with a joke, though there was a hint of genuine concern in her voice.

“Don’t worry, mama, we’re all here,” Luz reassured her as she emerged from the Kitchen with Amity in tow. “And I just put some potatoes and pizza bagels in the oven. They should be ready in just a few minutes.”

“I made some lemonade,” Amity added with a proud grin.

Camila smiled, grateful for the kids’ efforts to help.

As Hunter, Vee, and Willow descended the stairs, Gus felt his anxiety skyrocket. But he swallowed down the tension built in his throat as he got up from the couch. He gathered the stack of paper and approached the group that had gathered in the kitchen.

It was now or never; he told himself.

“Hum… guys…?” Gus let out, avoiding eye contact the moment they looked at him with confusion. “So… well…” he rubbed the back of his neck before he hesitantly handed the stacks of paper to Hunter.

Hunter looked down at them with confusion before seeing the complex equations and recognizing the familiar handwriting on the pages.

He looked at Gus with an unreadable expression.

“How did you get these…?” he asked cautiously.

Gus admitted without hesitation, “I went to see… him.”

The group’s eyes widened with shock, stunned.

“You did… what?!” Hunted exclaimed in disbelief.

“What the heck, Gus?!” Luz joined in.

“Should have known one of them wasn’t going to listen to me,” Camila sighed to herself, placing a hand on her head. Though she had expected Luz to be the one to disobey her, not the youngest of the group.

“And… we need to bring him here,” Gus said as he ignored their outbursts and continued to be firm. He forced himself to look at their shocked expressions, determined to show them he was serious. “He can’t stay in that house…”

“I knew he found a way to brainwash you!” Hunter said with a bit of panic in his voice.

“He hasn’t brainwashed me!” Gus tried to explain. “Something about that house has been affecting Philip. He’s been working nonstop on the new portal without rest and staying in that house has taken a toll on him. When I visited, I saw the curse had already spread halfway across his face. I accidentally made him mad, and he almost lost full control again.”

“Did he hurt you?” Hunter asked right away with concern, fingers digging into the sheets of paper at the thought of Belos hurting his friend.

“No, he didn’t,” Gus assured everyone, who were now looking at him with worried looks. He decided not to tell them how Philip did try attacking him. “He had another major panic attack, and I kind of… helped him through it, but seriously, I’m afraid he’s seeing things in that house and it’s just making the curse unstable.”

“He… has always seen things,” Hunter revealed, making everyone turn to him with confusion. “Back at the castle, it was very rare, but sometimes I or others caught him speaking to someone or… I don’t know, stare at something that wasn’t in the room with us for a minute before I could get his attention again. So, that’s normal.”

Camila frowned at the boy’s words.

Seeing things that were not there was far from normal…

“Gus, you have to understand,” Hunter said in a serious tone. “I told you before. He uses the pity to manipulate anyone around him.”

“Hunter is right, Gus,” Luz mumbled, with a bit of shame and anger. “He tricked me with helping him by making me feel bad for him.”

“I know, I know,” Gus’ hands turned into fists, trying to have patience for his friends. “Look, guys, I’m not the same naïve boy…” he said, annoyed. “I’m not stupid…”

“No one is calling you that, Gus,” Willow spoke softly.

“All we’re saying is Belos that he’s-” Amity began before Gus cut her off.

“A manipulative genius, I know,” Gus sighed, shaking his head. “But you guys didn’t see what I saw when I was in his head.”

“You did tell us, Gus,” Vee reminded him. “You told us how he burned a witch, how he killed his brother.”

“Okay, yeah, I told you guys some stuff, but… I didn’t tell you everything.” Gus scrubbed his face with hands, feeling exhausted. “That night, when I looked into his head, I was having trouble accessing his memories. They seemed locked and forgotten, so I kind of forced them out. I saw memories play out slowly, before… they just came crashing down at me. I saw so much guys, so much that…'' The Guy looked away; his eyes shut. “Trust me, I feel terrible for feeling bad for him. Honestly, I know I shouldn’t, but… you didn’t see what he went through. What made him think witches are evil, how he whole-heartedly believes he’s doing the right thing…”

“Gus…” Willow looked at him with compassion.

“I accidentally admitted to him I saw some of the bad things he had gone through. He got so mad… like, he was really mad, like he literally lost control, and I think whatever I did in his head, so I could see his memories, well… I think it’s messing with his head now. And if he continues the way he is now, he’s going to lose control and if he does, we’re never going to see our families or friends again!”

“Gus, mi niño, shhh, it’s okay,” Camila had gone over to him and pulled him into a hug. “Shh, relax, breathe,”

Gus leaned against her chest, not realizing that tears had been streaming down his face. The guilt and worry he’s been holding was suffocating him.

He focused on his breathing, the way he had told Philip earlier on how to do it, and eventually he felt himself relax.

Camila released him as he brushed the tears away with his sleeved arm.

“Listen, mijo, don’t you ever, ever, feel guilty for feeling bad for someone who has gone through something terrible, alright?” Camila grabbed his face softly, making him look up to meet her soft gaze. “Even if they are using it to trick you in some way, don’t you feel guilty about what you’re feeling. You have a good heart, Gus. Don’t let anyone change that.”

Gus bit his lower lip and looked down.

“But…”

“No, Gus, Camila is right,” Willow said, going over to him and hugged him from the side. “Don’t you ever change. We’re sorry for making you feel bad for being you.”

“Yea, we’re sorry…” Hunter admitted quietly, rubbing his right arm with shame. “I know you’re not trying to help Belos to spite me… I just don’t want him using and hurting anyone else, especially those who I care for…”

“I know, Hunter…” Gus said, quietly. “I guess, I also want to prove to him that… we witches aren’t evil…”

“Gus, it’s not your job to change his mind,” Luz said in a serious tone.

“I know it’s not, but…” Gus just couldn’t help it. At least, that’s what he wanted to tell his friends. But he felt too tired to continue to defend himself and didn’t want to anger them much further.

“So, let’s say Gus is right, the house is making Belos unstable,” Amity spoke up, trying to divert everyone to what possibly may be a problem they had to deal with. “Obviously, we don’t have anywhere else that Belos can stay, except… here…”

“But... do we really want him in the living room…?” Vee asked with hesitation.

“We can put him in a closet,” Luz said simply.

“No, no closets,” Gus jumped in, making everyone turn to him again with confusion. Gus looked down, with a sigh. “He doesn’t do well in a closet… trust me…”

“But… having him in the living room, just like that… is dangerous…” Vee said.

“Probably not while he still thinks the eternal oath was real,” Amity commented thoughtfully. “Remember, one of the terms was he shouldn’t hurt us.”

“I guess, you’re right…”

The oven’s timer went off, making Luz quickly go over to the oven. She took the pizza bagels out and left the potatoes to continue baking.

“Well… I guess we should probably go get him soon… before he gets worse?” Willow suggested as Luz couldn’t help but feel the anger inside her chest, rise, but unfortunately, she knew they didn’t have another choice, but to bring that monster into their safe home…

In and out…

He repeated to himself as he focused on the sensation of the air moving in and out of his lungs.

In and out…

The voices haven’t returned.

With eyes closed tight, he avoided looking into the room and kept his mind anchored on his breathing. It was what the boy had told him to do until he returned, and strangely, Philip obeyed.

Especially since the boy promised him a better place to sleep; a place that will prevent him from potentially having another outburst.

For a moment, he hoped he had fallen into a peaceful slumber without realizing it, but alas, he was not so lucky.

Philip continued to sit against the wall, hands on his head as he inhaled and exhaled.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there with a body longing to sleep. But again, he tried only focusing on the rhythm of his breathing as he was too afraid of the walls of the house dragging him towards the realm of his memories…

He heard a noise, or was it a voice?

Quickly, he returned to his breathing, as it was the only thing that seemed to be keeping him stable.

Keeping him sane…

But then, his body tensed up badly as he felt something touch his shoulder, breaking his focus.

“Hey, it’s okay,” a voice, that sounded like a woman, spoke up.

Philip tried yanking away from whoever dared to touch him, his breathing picking up speed.

“Guys, no, stop,” the voice that sounded like the young witch boy said.

“This isn’t a good idea, Gus!” another voice exclaimed. “Just look at him.”

“Shh, come on, you’re okay,” the voice said and what he felt directed to him. “Come on, let me help you up. Is it okay if I touch you?”

Philip wanted to open his eyes, but he just couldn’t trust himself to possibly see things that were not real.

He began to question if the voices were real. Especially the feminine voice that seemed to be concerned for him.

He clenched his sharp teeth as he felt something soft and warm on his right arm. He didn’t pull away, nor did he fight when they were helping him stand on his wobbly legs. He slowly released his head but continued to keep his eyes closed.

“Just, continue on your breathing, Philip,” the boy reminded him.

And the man did as he was told, letting the voices guide him. He was careful when he was told to watch his step, especially when he was led upstairs. He ignored the shiver that ran through his body when he felt the cool breeze of air hit him and just continued to breathe.

Though, he did notice when felt his body relax when he felt warm.

Oh… he felt his mind drift as he heard someone say, “We didn’t really think things through. He’s… too tall for the couch…”

Oh… he felt so tired…

“He can sleep on the ground?” he barely heard someone suggest before he let himself collapse.

The impact didn’t hurt.

Instead, he felt his body ease as he disregarded the sounds around him, continuing to concentrate on his breathing.

In and out…

Just as he was told to do…

Hunter said nothing as he stared down at his ‘uncle’, sleeping. Never in his life had he witness such a thing.

His ‘uncle’ looked so… peaceful as he rested, even if half of his face was covered with the curse and horns were sticking out.

When the group had followed Gus to the basement at Belos’ old childhood home, Hunter was shocked to find Belos shaking like a leaf, clutching his head as if his life depended on it.

Gus was right.

The curse had spread, and Belos wasn’t looking too good.

He had done nothing as he stared at the way Camila helped Belos up on his feet, as the man refused to open his eyes.

In the past, the boy had seen his uncle in pain, filled with rage, but never had he seen him look in such a pitiful state…

But… the boy told himself that Belos might be tricking them now.

Belos was a great actor after all…

‘But this time… it felt so… different…’ the boy told himself.

Honestly, the boy could imagine Belos completely ashamed to look like a lost, frightened child in front of anyone. Especially now as he lay, his face slick with sweat, strands of his greasy hair adorning his features, in the living room, out cold.

The old man’s current state was very out of character of him, since he would never let his guard down, especially not in front of those he deemed as enemies.

‘He might be desperate,’ Hunter told himself. ‘He’s trying to trick us…’

But… the boy asked himself, what was the reason Belos would be desperate to trick them for…?

Hunter looked away, trying his best as well to ignore the twist he was feeling in his chest by looking at Belos right now… and from the image he had of Belos when they retrieved him from the basement…

“Uh… I guess this should be okay for tonight at least,” Camila said as she was walking back into the room with a blanket. She threw it over at Belos. “I’m going to make him take a shower tomorrow. He’s starting to smell bad… almost like a rotten egg.” She tried to lighten the mood in the room with her statement, but the majority of the kids looked like they were troubled with their enemy sleeping in the house still. “Right…” she sighed and eventually she got everyone to join her in the kitchen so they could eat dinner.

Everyone did not utter a word as they ate. Some couldn’t stop the feeling that Belos was awake and was trying to eavesdrop on their conversations.

Once dinner was over and the dishes were washed, the kids drifted to their rooms, except for Luz, who was glaring down at Belos, who was still dead asleep.

“Come on, mija,” Camila gently nudged her daughter to go upstairs. “Your girlfriend promised the oath would keep him from hurting us,” she reminded her. “Also, I don’t think he’s going to be waking up any time soon.”

Luz looked down at the ground with a mouth twisting on the side as they walked upstairs. She did her best to enjoy the rest of her evening with her friends, but unfortunately, Belos plagued everyone’s thoughts, especially in their sleep.

“What’s wrong, my boy?” The minister, with his dark blue eyes, looked up at 18-year-old Philip, who had some facial hair growing on his face.

Philip was standing by the doorway and was eyeing the minister – stoic as a rock in a raging sea - for a few minutes now, without uttering a word. The house was completely dark, for the exception of the lighted candle on the desk in front of the Minister.

“That girl…” Philip began calmly. “Susan… she’s not a witch.”

The minister raised an eyebrow at the young man’s words.

“I believe Elizabeth has fallen envious of Susan throughout the past years. And simply started the rumors that Susan is a witch so she could gain Thomas’ eyes for marriage,” Philip explained simply. “Susan hasn’t shown any signs that she is a witch after…” his eyes shifted to the side, not wanting to go into more detail knowing now that he had interrogated an innocent woman all along.

“Is that so?” The minister hummed, leaning against his chair, placing the book he had been reading down on the desk.

Philip gave the man a curt nod, his hands grasping one another behind his back.

“Then, I guess we will execute Elizabeth first thing tomorrow morning,” The minister decided without a second thought.

Philip said nothing for a moment and continued standing by the doorway. His eyes shifted back to the minister without emotion.

“I don’t think Elizabeth is a witch either,” Philip eventually said.

“Not yet, but she’s already deviating from God’s path,” The minister explained. “Eventually she will be lured by the devil so she can get rid of Susan. After all, she was already okay with framing Susan as a witch. I, as one of God’s selective people for salvation, can tell Elizabeth will not come back to God’s path. She will continue to try and ruin Susan and we cannot risk the community by keeping her alive.”

Philip didn’t argue with the Minister.

“You know very well the whole community will suffer a collective punishment if we don’t punish or execute those who have chosen to be with the Devil,” The Minister reminded the young man.

“Yes, sir. I know.”

“And unfortunately, the Devil is going to want to brainwash you just like it has with your family. I’m not sure why your souls are susceptible to his influences, but we must make sure we continue to cleanse the town to keep everyone safe and keep you from… falling more from grace.”

“Yes, sir…”

“But of course… the souls of everyone in the community is already at risk of being condemned thanks to that brother of yours,” The Minister sighed, shaking his head. “Thankfully, you will find him one day and… execute him.”

Philip’s hands tightened one another behind him, eyes avoiding the Minister now, as he did his best not to show any sort of emotion that The Minister may not approve of.

“Your brother has deviated from God’s path for far too long, my boy,” The Minister said carefully as he watched Philip like a hawk. “He isn’t going to want to return and repent. All he’s doing is cursing us all for damnation,” The Minister pulled himself to his feet and walked over to Philip before grabbing the young man’s chin and forcing him to look at him. “You have grown to be a great man, my boy, even though it took… a lot to straighten you out,” he said calmly, with a cool smile. “Even if your soul is most likely damned… you must remember that you must continue to save the rest of us from hell, no matter what... You have a mission, Philip. You must get rid of them all no matter what…”

“Yes, sir,” Philip said automatically, as if he was trained to do so, feeling nothing but a black void in his chest.

“Don’t worry, you’re still getting used to it. You will soon not be tricked by then… soon you won’t feel a thing for those wretched beings one day,” The Minister patted Philip’s cheek with amusement before he walked back to his desk. “Now, go get some rest,” The Minister said. “We have a disgusting witch to hang soon…”

As Philip slowly opened his eyes, he was met with a white ceiling and sunlight filtering through the curtains.

He felt disoriented when he saw a couch on his right side. As he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, he realized he was not in his basement. He was in someone else’s living room.

Then he remembered why he was there…

The witch boy had told him the night before he would take him somewhere so he could sleep.

He vaguely remembered someone guiding him out of the basement…

Philip moved, so he was sitting on the couch, trying to understand why Luz and her friends would be so foolish to have their enemy staying under the same roof as them…

Then again, the oath probably was their safeguard, and they knew he wouldn’t think of breaking it any time soon.

Philip looked around and he saw the stacks of paper and writing materials on the coffee table.

Right…

He had a job to do…

He looked through the stack of paper, reviewing what he had written before he picked up a notepad and wrote something down.

Philip tried not to imagine the witch boy giving him a ‘told you so’ look due to having an easier time to think things through now that he had some rest.

He hated admitting that a witch had bested him in anything.

Though…

The sound of Philip’s pen came to a halt as he relieved the traumatic moment of almost losing control over his curse the day before. The memory of his hysteria and the witch boy’s intervention was fresh in his mind.

His eyebrows furrowed, trying to understand why the boy helped him.

Well… the kids needed him to make the portal, he told himself, so obviously they wouldn’t want him losing control.

But… the witch seemed so… especially when he…. apologized for…

‘He’s manipulating you…’ the sinister voice hissed with amusement. ‘He’s pretty good at it since you actually believe a witch would want to help you…’

Philip’s hand gripped the pen tightly, trying to ignore the voice in his head.

The shame hit him harder, especially for letting the curse and his head get out of control. For looking so pathetic in front of others…

He clenched his teeth as he shoved all those weak feelings deep into the back of his mind, doing his best to feel nothing, just like he had learned to do so many years ago.

As he felt the presence of another in the room, he didn’t turn around.

“Good… morning.” He recognized the voice as Luz’s mother.

Despite her efforts at a polite greeting, Philip remained silent, preferring to focus on writing in his notepad than engaging with her.

Just because he was staying in her house didn’t mean he was going to play nice with the enemy.

Camila sighed. Here she was, trying to be respectful, but then again, what did she expect from basically a supervillain?

She also assumed that maybe he felt slightly weird around her due to how... she handled him the day before. 

Then again, she wondered if he actually remembered it was her who helped him into the house since he was mentally messed up when they moved him.

She then noticed he was already working on whatever he had to get done to get the portal made.

Well… she had to admit, he was at least doing his best to keep his end of the deal.

She made her way to the kitchen and retrieved the batter she had prepared the previous evening. She then pulled out a handful of eggs and started to make pancakes and scrambled eggs.

The house was eerily quiet as she focused on her task. In no time, she had cooked four pancakes, arranging two of them on a plate and serving scrambled eggs on the side. She set the table with both plates positioned across from each other, and added glasses of orange juice, a jar of jelly, some maple syrup, and butter near Belos’ plate, in case he desired a sweet addition to his pancakes.

Camila carefully placed the knife and fork on each side of the plates and gave herself a nod of approval, satisfied with the presentation of the table

“Well… there’s no going back now,” Camila said to herself with a sigh. She had planned to talk to him, one to one, to make sure he understood what she expected from him while he stayed at her house. Without delaying the inevitable, she mustered up the courage she needed. She then entered the room where Belos was located, who appeared to stiffen at her presence.

In one swift motion, Camila gathered all the papers and notepads on the coffee table and from his hands, causing Belos to look up at her, which she could see an annoyed expression through the long strands of hair on his face.

“I’ll give these back to you, but first, you’re going to have breakfast with me,” Camila declared.

Belos stared at her with his cold blue eyes, the left one glowing from the curse.

“I do not eat,” he replied in a bitter tone.

“Well, today you do, so come to the kitchen,” Camila said, firmly.

Belos continued to stare at her, now with an unreadable expression.

He knew if Camila was stubborn as Luz, he would not win this fight.

He forced himself off the couch and headed straight to the kitchen, making Camila blink.

Well… that was easier than she thought. She actually thought she was going to have to do more to convince him to join her.

She put everything back on the coffee table and joined Belos in the kitchen.

He was standing there, facing the table, while Camila sat down in one seat. “I made pancakes and scrambled eggs,” she said, motioning for him to take the other seat.

Belos said nothing and sat down across from her. He barely blinked as he gazed at her with half lidded bored eyes, which made a shiver run up her spine for a second, especially since he looked creepy with the gray strands lingering on his face and the dark circles that were still deeply pronounced under his eyes.

Though… he did look better now compared to the other day.

She wondered if he wanted to talk about what he went through back at the basement but decided maybe bringing it up first wasn’t a wise decision.

“I wasn’t sure what you like on your pancakes, jelly or maple syrup, so feel free to try either,” Camila decided to say.

Belos looked at the condiments before staring down at the pancakes.

“Or would you prefer something saltier?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Belos replied.

Camila blinked in confusion.

“I never had… pancakes before,” Belos said in a bored tone.

“Oh… um… Well, you can try a little bit of both?”

“I rather not,” Belos responded simply.

Camila frowned at him.

She wanted to ask him if his parents taught him any manners, but then she recalled at that second Gus had told them Belos and his brother were orphans…

“You realize… that by keeping those witches in this house… you’re putting both your and your daughter’s souls at risk,” Belos began. His eyes narrowed in her direction with the most judgmental gaze she ever received in her life.

Which was impressive for Camila since many people have given her judgmental looks in the past.

Camila frowned, ready to defend the children she learned to love in the past months, and maybe put the witch hunter in his place.

She would rather punch him right now, especially for everything he has done to her daughter, but she would rather not agitate the man to avoid the curse from growing unstable.

“For one, they are children,” she began.

“They are-” Belos tried to say, but Camila raised her voice to keep him from interrupting her.

“Good children who are struggling with being away from home and miss their families and friends,” she added sternly. “And honestly, the only one in this house that has made me feel threatened in any way, shape and form, is you,” she said, making Belos clench his jaw. “Look, Belos, I’m-”

“Philip,” Belos said through his gritted teeth.

Camila wanted to tell the man she didn’t care how he would rather be called, but… if she wanted him to behave, she had to be respectful.

“Alright… Philip,” she corrected herself. “While you’re staying in this house, I don’t want you calling the kids witches unless you aren’t using it as a condescending term. Got it?”

Philip stared at her for an entire minute, before he stiffly responded, “Yes, ma’am.”

“And, honestly, I’m not entirely sure how things were back on earth during your time, but I get it, sometimes things that are different can be frightening, but these kids are not what you think,” she tried to explain.

“They are beings from hell,” Philip said coldly. “And as long as they are alive, every human soul is in danger…”

Camila stared at him, taking in the seriousness of his voice.

Philip took this chance to continue.

“Humans are in danger...” he repeated himself.  “Every single human will be condemned to suffer forever if I don’t eliminate the witches and demons once and for all. It is a mission I was given, one I must complete soon, even if my own soul is destroyed I have to do it for you all.”

“Um…” Camila was trying to understand what he was saying. “Who… gave you… this mission…?” She decided to start with.

Philip straightened himself up.

“The minister,” Philip responded with a hint of pride in his voice before his eyes turned deadly serious. “He was chosen by God to be one of the saviors of humanity and has made sure I can save all of you before it’s too late. Yes, I’ve taken so long to do it, but I can still save everyone. I just have to go back to that cursed place and finish what I started years ago. Your daughter has been brainwashed, tainted by those sinful creatures, but she can still be saved. You, as a mother, should try to help me bring your daughter back to God’s path. Do not let those witches make you fall for their lies…”

Camila couldn’t believe what was coming out of his mouth. She thought Philip hated witches because of envy and was just a power-hungry villain, but now, she starting to see he thought himself he was some sort of hero, trying to save humanity from ‘hell’. It was reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials, where people justified the killing of innocent individuals as they believed they were doing the right thing.

She realized that sitting across from her was not just a very dangerous, but disturbed as well...

For centuries, Philip seemed to have lived by beliefs that drove him to do what he believed was best for humanity. Despite the challenges, struggles, and even the curses - a curse that was proof that he was willing to risk even his soul to do what he believed was right - he faced along the way, he persisted in his mission.

To be honest, she kind of felt bad for him as well by the way he was molded by the culture and beliefs of his time, especially since they were so… wrong…

She wondered whoever this minister was responsible into making Philip believe that what he was doing was truly good. Like heck, Philip was currently suffering from a terrible curse and is still trying hard to complete his mission like a perfect soldier.

Camila felt sick to her stomach, knowing that Philip truly saw himself as a hero. How he probably believed that every terrible deed he has done to anyone, and everything he had to endure was for the greater good.

She didn’t know what to say to him.

It was hard enough to tell humans, in their current time, who were hateful towards others who were different, they were wrong about their ignorant hateful views.

How could she try to make someone who has lived for so long understand that everything he has believed in up to now was wrong?

He clearly didn’t know what was right and wrong…

And the possible chance that Philip may be mentally ill based on him seeing things that weren’t there just… made this more complicated as well.

Camila feared for her daughter and her friends’ safety if Philip found out that the oath was a fluke.

“You should eat your breakfast before it gets cold,” Camila forced the words out as she grabbed her fork and knife, doing her best to change the subject.

She needed a lot of time to think of the appropriate approach to deal with the man’s twisted beliefs.

Philip frowned at the fact he didn’t get through to her.

Of course, she wouldn’t believe him.

She had fallen by the witches’ influences, just like his brother had.

Feeling awkward, he picked up his own fork and knife, instruments he hadn’t used in centuries. As he gazed down at his plate, not wanting to take a bite, but of course he had no choice…

He cut off a piece of the pancake and took a bite of it, which made him wince at the foul taste.

He struggled to keep his expression neutral as he continued to eat.

Camila, who had turned her gaze back to him, noticed his discomfort, which confused her.

She was known to make amazing pancakes…

“Are they… really that bad?” Camila asked, trying not to sound like his reaction bothered her.

Philip remained silent, quickly chewing, and swallowing before giving the eggs a chance.

His jaw was still tense as he ate the eggs.

Great, Camila mentally thought, she already had a hard time trying to decide what she can feed Luz’s friends so they wouldn’t miss home too much. Now she had to figure out what Belos could eat, so he doesn’t starve to death.

“I can make you something else if you prefer,” Camila offered.

Philip’s eyebrows furrowed in response.

“No,” he responded coldly. “This is fine.”

“No, it’s not,” Camila said with a sigh. “What do you prefer to eat?” she hoped he wouldn’t say blood.

“I do not eat,” Philip stated firmly.

“Are you like… allergic to many things…?”

Philip fought the urge to roll his eyes and kept his gaze fixed on his plate.

“Everything tastes like ash to me.”

“Um… what…?” Camila blinked at his revelation.

“When… I was cursed, everything ended up tasting like ash,” Philip revealed. “So, I simply stopped eating.”

Camila stared at him in shock.

“Why didn’t you tell me…?” she asked.

“I told you. I don’t eat.”

“Well, you could at least tell me why. I thought you were being stubborn…” Now Camila felt a little guilty.

Philip said nothing, staring down at his plate before he took another bite of his pancakes, which made Camila gawk at him.

“You don’t have to eat it now!” she exclaimed.

“If I don’t, then you won’t return the notes to me.”

“Oh my God, Philip… I don’t torture people…” she tried to reason with him. She rose from her seat and went over to him. “Look, you’re not eating that. I’ll just throw it away,” she tried removing the plate from him, but Philip kept the plate firm on the table with the end of his fork.

“Alright… now you’re being stubborn,” Camila exaggerated.

“You shouldn’t let food go to waste,” Philip responded automatically, which made Camila sigh.

“Mom?”

Both adults turned to Luz, who was standing now in the kitchen, glaring daggers at Philip with Willow and Amity with their staffs in hand.

“What’s going on here…?” Luz was hesitant to ask.

“Oh, Luz, I’m sorry. Did I wake you girls up?” Camila asked, feeling bad since Luz didn’t have to wake up for another half hour to go to school.

“We couldn’t go sleep well,” Willow admitted, and Camila realized she was telling the truth based on the bags under the girls’ eyes.

“Oh,” Camila felt bad for them. It was natural the kids wouldn’t be able to sleep because of Philip’s presence. At least the first night was going to be hard.

She noticed Philip wasn’t holding down the plate as hard, so she took the chance to yank it away from him, without making a mess with the leftover food.

Philip looked up at her with annoyance.

“Don’t worry, I’m not throwing it away,” she assured him. “I’ll just eat it before I go to work, alright? But I do need you to take a shower cause, I’m sorry to say this, but you smell terrible.”

Camila expected Philip to respond with anger, but instead, he looked confused for a second, before a shade of red crossed his cheeks with what she believed was from shame.

He looked away, teeth clenched, embarrassed.

He didn’t dare smell himself since it was only logical he would smell bad since he hadn’t had a wash for a while…

And Now Camila was feeling bad as well for calling him out like that in front of the girls, especially since Luz let out a snicker.

‘But… he has hurt your daughter many times…’ Camila reminded herself.

Eventually, Camila had Philip follow her upstairs, after reassuring the girls she was fine and that Philip was heaving.

Philip stopped halfway in the hallway and stared at the countless pictures of Luz hanging on the wall.

Camila could see he looked like he had just seen a ghost.

“Hum… something wrong…?” Camila asked him.

Philip turned to her with an unreadable expression.

He asked himself, how could… a mother risk the soul of their daughter by… taking so many pictures…?

Philip didn’t respond to Camile, completely disturbed.

She decided to not push him any further and led him to the bathroom.

Philip looked at the showerhead with confusion.

“I guess the Boiling Isles didn’t have anything like this?” Camila guessed as she showed him how to use it the showerhead. “Humans have invented a lot of things since you last been here,” she said. “Gravesfield has changed a lot, too.”

“Gravesfield is still standing…?” Philip asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, well… we refer to the Gravesfield that you knew as the old Gravesfield,” Camila explained. “You can use this shampoo and the conditioner for your hair. Also, you can use this towel over here.” She motioned to a white towel hanging on a wall. “And, I don’t have much clothes, but, I guess you can use these for now.” She showed him the clothes that were folded on the toilet lid. “They’re probably too wide for you. You can leave your current clothes in the basket there on the side so I can wash them later.” She felt Philip tensed up near her. “Or… not…”

“I can do it myself,” Philip stated, a bit defensively.

“Alright, alright,” Camila sighed as she stepped around Philip, so she was outside of the bathroom.

“I go to work at 7 a.m. and come back at 5 p.m., so while I’m gone, I want you to be in your best behavior with the children,” she told him. “I don’t want you antagonizing them in any way. It’s bad enough they didn’t sleep last night. Remember what I said about calling the children… witches,” she reminded him with a firm tone.

Philip had the nerve to look at her with half-lidded eyes, as if bored with her.

“I may just be a human, Philip, with no magic or powers, but I’m a mother, and trust me, you don’t want to make a mother mad,” she warned him.

“Understood, ma’am,” Philip simply responded.

Camila sighed. She knew Philip wasn’t taking her seriously.

“Well, I’ll be gone when you finish, so… I’ll see you later today,” she said as she closed the door for him.

Philip locked the door and stood before the mirror. He glared at his reflection, at the way the left side of his face was consumed by the curse and how the horns were sticking out.

The left eye just looked so… expressionless as it just glowed blue.

He pulled himself away from his terrible form and in no time, he took off his clothes and went into the tub after turning on the showerhead.

He shut his eyes as he felt the hot water strike down on his cold body. He ignored the way half of his flesh was deformed by the green substance of the curse.

After letting his body warm up and relax from the hot water for a while, he finally began to lather his hair with the shampoo that Camila instructed him to use as he wondered how much Gravesfield had changed.

Then, all the sudden, he froze as he realized something.

If Gravesfield was still standing, then… the Titan’s blood he had concealed in a flash and hid beneath the floorboards in the Minister’s home may still be there…

He quickly washed off the shampoo on his hair and washed off the dirt and grime that had accumulated on his body before he rinsed off.

He twisted the faucets to stop the water from coming out and dried himself off. He didn’t spend a second as he put on the simple large black shirt and sweatpants that Camila lent him as he walked out, finding all the kids gathered in the hallway, as if they were waiting for him.

“Oh titan, what are you wearing…?” Amity let out in pure shock at the way Belos was dressed and how his hair was soaking wet. Luz recognized the black shirt Belos was swimming in as one of the bigger shirts her mom loved using since it was very comfortable. She also recognized the navy sweatpants, that were a bit too short for him.

Belos ignored them as he walked over to the youngest of them all.

“I want you to accompany me to town,” Philip said simply, making the boy blink with confusion.

Gus wasn’t going to lie. He expected Philip to avoid him for a while, at least look embarrassed by how things went down the day before, by how the panic attack messed him up. But by Philip’s cold expression, he seemed as if… nothing happened between them.

Which seemed very strange to the boy…

He could see why his friends believed Philip was faking things to get closer to them so he could manipulate them…

But Gus knew Philip was most likely trying to just forget it just like he had tried to with many past traumas.

Hunter stepped in front of him right away.

“He’s not going anywhere with you,” Hunter declared, defensive towards Philip.

“This doesn’t concern you, boy,” Philip said with a sneer. “Now, move aside. I have business with Gus.”

“It does concern us,” Luz added too with anger. “What do you want from him?” She tried to interrogate him.

Philip looked at all the children with half lid eyes.

He really didn’t have time for them and was growing tired of their attitudes.

“I had hidden titan’s blood somewhere in Gravesfield before I left for the Boiling Isles,” he said. He was met with a mixture of surprise and skepticism by the group before he continued. “And I can’t go looking for it the way I am. I need the boy to use his magic to alter my appearance.”

“Oh, now you’re okay with someone using magic on you?” Hunter scoffed.

Philip let out a growl of annoyance at the boy’s direction.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go out,” Gus spoke up before adding in due to Philip narrowing his eyes at him. “At least, not yet…”

“And let’s be honest, it has been many years since you hid it. I doubt it will still be there,” Amity said.

“But what if it is?” Willow pointed out. “And what if it’s the only titan’s blood we can get?”

Luz felt anxiety grip her chest at the thought of there not being any titan’s blood on planet earth.

“Take him with you guys,” Luz decided, making her friends look at her with confusion that she was okay with them going with him. “I wish I could go, but Vee and I have school and we can’t skip any more classes.”

“I’m not sure if Cami- I mean, mom is going to want them outside with him…” Vee let out.

“But we have no other choice,” Luz argued before glaring at Philip. “You better not be pulling a fast one on us or else.”

Philip rolled his eyes.

“You guys should probably go in the afternoon, when there aren't so many people out and about,” Luz suggested to her friends.

“I guess we should take the bus,” Amity said as Philip decided to walk back to the bathroom to wash his old garments, since he decided he didn’t want to be around the kids more than it was necessary.

“I got a bad feeling about this,” Gus admitted to Hunter as he watched Philip shut the door and heard the running water again.

“Yeah, me too,” Hunter agreed. “We can’t trust him…”

Gus didn’t say anything more, as he didn’t want to tell Hunter that he was more worried that Philip may lose control again when he sees how much the human world has changed since he left centuries ago…

Chapter Text

“There you go. You’re so brave, little one,” Camila said as she cradled a small dog in her arms as she administered a vaccine. The dog slightly tensed up at the sharp jab but relaxed by Camila’s gentle touch.

The dog’s owner couldn’t help but smile at the way Camila handled her beloved pet with such tender care.

Work was moving slower than usual for Luz’s mother. With only a few visits on the schedule for the day, she found herself wishing for a distraction from the conversation she had with Philip earlier in the morning.

As she settled in for lunch, she pulled her meal out of the microwave and sat at the table set up in their makeshift break room.

“Breakfast for lunch, huh?” Jimmy, her coworker, chuckled as he sat across from her. He pulled out a chicken salad wrap, and a container filled with grapes. “Though I guess someone couldn’t hold themselves back.” He noticed the half-eaten pancake on the plate.

“It’s a long story,” Camila sighed as she began eating Philip’s leftovers.

She was planning to eat it before heading to work and make herself something else for lunch, but she didn’t want to eat too much for breakfast before drinking enough coffee for the day.

Both ate quietly for a moment before Camila decided she had to talk to someone about Philip.

“I need your advice on something, Jimmy,” Camila began, making Jimmy look up with curiosity.

“Hmm?” he asked as he was munching on grapes.

“I have a friend who has an uncle,” she began. “He’s very old… and… is currently staying with my friend and her family. My friend has an adopted teenager, who is biracial. And… well…” She sighed as she didn’t know how to sugarcoat the next part, so she just decided to be direct with her words. “He’s racist towards her.”

“Damn, I can already imagine what that teen has to go through by having to put up with someone like him,” Jimmy said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“He grew up in a very… old… terrible way of thinking, surrounded by people who hated, well, different races unless it’s their own,” Camila went on to explain the situation. “He’s set in his ways and genuinely believes he’s right, that he thinks she’s like evil somehow.”

“And I’m assuming your friend doesn’t want to kick him… out…?” Jimmy asked.

“It’s… complicated…” Camila went with. “And my friend is trying to figure out to… I don’t know…”

“Make him not racist?”

Camila nodded. “Is it foolish for my friend to think she might change him?” Camila asked. “To have hope he can realize he is wrong and at least not look at the girl as…” she couldn’t say the next part, but the words played in her head.

‘As someone he believes he must destroy…’

“Well, I have so many questions about the whole situation, but I probably won’t get them unless I’m talking to your friend,” Jimmy said, as he leaned back and crossed his arms, deep in thought. “But I guess for now… I guess I can start with this. You know the saying about old dogs can’t learn new tricks?”

“Yeah?” Camila asked, confused.

“Well, it’s bullshit,” Jimmy declared. “Some old dogs can learn new tricks, and that applies to humans too, no matter how old they are.”

Camila said nothing, letting Jimmy go on.

“You said he grew up surrounded by people that thought other races were evil? So, I guess my first question for your friend would be if he ever was around other people from different racial backgrounds.”

“He has… For a long time,” Camila revealed.

Jimmy eyed her while he took a bite of his chicken wrap, as if studying her. “Well, let me be more specific. Has he actually spent time with them? Like actually getting to know them? Just because you’re around different sorts of people doesn’t mean you’re actually around them. You get me?”

“Hum…”

"Let me use myself as an example," Jimmy said. "I used to hang out with people from my hometown who had similar backgrounds as me, until I went to college. In my first year there, I had classes with students from different countries. However, we only communicated for class assignments or study groups. We never made an effort to get to know each other. I had no idea what they liked or disliked, what their aspirations were, and I wasn't interested in learning about their cultures or trying their home-cooked meals during study sessions."

“I would have totally wanted to try their home-cooked meals…” Camila mumbled.

Jimmy chuckled at Camila's response. "Yeah, I know you would," he said. "But I was content with what I was familiar with and I was afraid to step out of my comfort zone. I used to think that foods with a lot of spices were gross. But then, my second year of college came. One girl from Japan was very social and she would drag me along to various clubs and parties. She introduced me to Japanese food and Anime, and before I knew it, I was trying different ethnic foods and exploring new countries with her. I made amazing friends from all over the world, and I still keep in touch with them. Now, I love to travel and immerse myself in different cultures. It took just one person who took the time to get to know me and show me the beauty of the world. She taught me that just because something or someone is different, it doesn't mean I should be afraid of it or them."

Camila was left to ponder if Philip had ever had a friend in the Boiling Isles or was he entirely alone all those 400 years… Constantly alone with his disturbed thoughts.

“That’s why I always tell people to try to have different sorts of friends, from different backgrounds, different mindsets. They keep you open minded. Maybe your friend’s uncle will change his opinions if he spends some good quality time with the family, and of course, by getting to know your friend’s kid. Or maybe not… if he’s not a good man,” Jimmy shrugged.

Not a good man…

Or, in better terms, evil…

But… was Philip actually evil… or just misguided…?

Camila looked down at her pancakes and recalled how Philip didn’t want her wasting the food away. He seemed to have preferred to eat it, even though it tasted like ash to him.

At that moment, he did look like there was some sort of good side in him… for not wanting to waste food like that.

But… Camila didn’t like the idea of having the kids spending time with him alone, especially after everything he has done to them and their race…

“Honestly, if I were your friend, I would be extremely careful having her kid around her uncle,” Jimmy said in a serious tone, making Camila look up. “Just like I said, some people can change, but others… can’t. People who have hatred towards others because they are different can be very dangerous… Especially those who refuse to admit they are wrong…”

As Hunter lay on his sleeping bag, he couldn’t help turning to his friend Gus, who was engrossed in a book, and asked, “What was he like…?”

Gus looked at Hunter with confusion before he guessed who Hunter was referring to. He put his book down on his lap and met Hunter’s gaze.

“Well,” the younger boy said. “I don’t know… I only saw pieces of him. He seemed nice, I guess. Looked like he was a very great brother, like he was very protective and patient.”

Hunter hummed, wishing he could know more about Caleb, even though…

'Out of all the Grimwalkers, you look the most like him,’ Belos’ words echoed in his mind, making Hunter feel a twinge in his chest.

‘Why do you care?’ Hunter mentally asked himself. ‘You’re just some… copy of someone who was probably better than you…’

“But I still think you’re more of a badass,” Gus admitted with amusement. “Cause I don’t think Caleb could fight as awesome as you.”

Hunter felt a small flush make its way across his cheeks at the compliment. He looked away, which made Gus smile at the boy’s humility.

Gus had to admit, he was noticing that Hunter was more talkative the past two days, which… was confusing in some way after the recent events. The boy would have thought his friend would close off himself more, especially now that Philip was staying with them.

Maybe Hunter felt he had to stay vigilant now that their enemy was so close…

“We should probably start getting ready.” Gus heard Hunter say and he agreed as he got up from the couch.

While the boys began to prepare for their ‘mission’, the girls upstairs were finishing up with their hair.

“Ready to spend time with Mr. Grouchy Pants?” Willow asked Amity with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Amity chuckled at the nickname Willow decided to give Belos, but still sighed after she finished brushing her own hair.

“I wish Luz was here, but then again… I have a feeling she and Belos would just antagonize each other the whole time.”

“Yeah, I can see that happen,” Willow agreed.

“It’s just bizarre that he’s even staying here, to be honest with you,” Amity added, furrowing her brows.

“Believe me, we’re all feeling that way,” Willow said, securing the end of her braided hair.

“What with everything that’s happened and now he’s just here… last night was just… I don’t even know what to think of it,” Amity turned to Willow. “Do you think he was just putting on a show like Luz said? Luz and Hunter mentioned that he was really good at playing the victim.”

“I’m not really sure,” Willow admitted. “What do you think?”

“I used to look up to him and then the truth about his intentions came out, and then last night happened,” Amity shook her head in disbelief. “It’s a lot. I just don’t know what to believe in anymore when it comes to him, especially since this morning he acted like nothing happened.”

“I don’t blame you for feeling that way,” Willow said in understanding.

“I will say this, I for sure have no respect towards him anymore,” Amity scoffed. “Well, let’s hope everything goes smoothly today and find that Titan’s blood,” she said as both girls made their way out of the room. They noticed the bathroom door down the hall was open, and Belos’ wet clothes were hanging from the curtain rod.

“Those clothes aren’t going to dry any time soon,” Amity noted to Willow. “And yes, I very much hate him, but I refuse to be around him if he’s going to wear… those terrible drags that Camila lent him,” she shuddered at the image of Belos wearing the wrongly fitted attire Camila lent him.

“Well, I got an idea,” Willow said with an amused smile.

In the living room, Philip finally finished calculating everything, designing the portal, and writing a list of the materials they needed to make it. The only issue was that almost half the materials were native to the Boiling Isles, and he needed to find human alternatives….

“Here.” Belos heard a voice say nearby.

He tried to hold back a sigh of annoyance as he looked up to see the two witch girls standing by him. Then he realized the stack of clothes the purple-haired one was holding.

Belos scowled, got up, and snatched the clothes from her grasp.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he sneered.

Amity rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “If you’re going to be going out, you could at least look presentable,” she retorted as Belos noticed his clothes were dry. “I’m not a big fan of your fashion choices, but it’s better than what you’re wearing right now. Now, please go change,” she waved him off.

Belos shot her a disdainful look. He held back from saying anything since he couldn’t trust himself. He had agreed to Camila’s request not to antagonize the witches, and even though he was pretty good at not keeping his promises with witches, he did want to respect Camila a bit since she was human.

“Now, hurry, we have to leave soon,” Willow said.

Belos kept his jaw clenched as he marched upstairs to change.

Amity and Willow looked at one another with amusement before heading to the kitchen to gather some snacks for the afternoon.

When Belos returned - dressed up with the same clothes he had left to the Boiling Isles with and back - the girls were out waiting in the living room. Willow noticed that his long hair may get in the way of his face.

“Let me help you with that,” Willow said. She closed one eye as she honed her focus, reaching out with a finger and magically pulled Belo’s hair back before tying it with a scrunchy - she had in her pocket - to hold it together.

Belos stepped back, as if that would do anything to keep the girls from using more magic on him.

“Alright, enough,” He growled, lips pulled back to reveal the sharp teeth. “I’m not some doll for you to toy with.”

“Hey, we’re only trying to help,” Amity scoffed.

“I didn’t request for your assistance,” Belos stated coldly.

“What’s going on here?” Hunter asked right away when he burst into the room with Gus in tow. The blond immediately shot daggers at the man.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Willow assured the boy. “Just that, Mr. Grouchy pants here doesn’t know how to say thank you when someone does something nice for him,” she said, making Amity cover her own mouth as she tried to stifle her laughter.

Belos eyed the girls with half-lidded eyes, deciding it was better not to continue with their childish play. He could tell they didn't look at him as the emperor any longer. Nor were they taking him seriously, which was a mistake for them...

No matter. They had a mission to accomplish. So, for now, he was going to play nice…

He went over to the coffee table and picked up the stacks of paper before handing them over to Hunter. Unlike the others, the boy would kind of understand what he had written.

“I finished calculating everything,” Belos revealed. “It’s all written down, especially the list of materials we need to build the portal.”

Hunter skimmed through the pages till he found the list that Belos was referring to.

“We’re going to need to find human alternatives for some,” Belos informed them.

“Hopefully we can,” Gus said.

“We will,” Belos simply said with a hint of confidence.

“Well, come on guys, let’s go before we miss the bus,” Willow said after she checked the time on the watch on her wrist, one that Camila had given her.

“Wait, guys, ears,” Gus said as he and Hunter pulled down their beanies to cover their ears. Amity and Willow made sure their own hid behind their hair.

“And of course, let’s not forget this,” Gus said and with a flick of his wrist, Gus cast a spell illuminated Belos for a moment and hid the traces of the curse to the naked eye. His ears also looked rounded.

Belos gazed down at his hands, still feeling the weight of the green substance from the curse, but for now, they looked normal.

Despite the great skill required to maintain an illusion of someone else for a long period, Belos remained unimpressed as he continued to have his bored expression on his face.

Gus tried not to let the lack of reaction from Belos get to him.

“I can only hold the illusion for 2 hours, so let’s try not to be out too long,” Gus said.

The group walked out of the house and immediately Belos was struck by the changes in the neighborhood surrounding them.

Right… this was the first time he was going to see the human world after being gone for so long…

He noticed right away the homes looked like the ones back in the 1600s, yet slightly different.

Truth be told, he was looking forward to seeing Gravesfield again. Despite the passage of centuries, it was a place where he felt like he belonged among his fellow humans. But… there was a nagging feeling that told him he didn’t deserve to be back… since he didn’t complete his mission yet.

He hoped the feeling would vanish, especially since he still had the chance to complete his mission.

He trailed behind the children as they walked down the sidewalk, but he abruptly came to a halt when something large passed by.

Belos stared in disbelief as his mind tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

Gus, noticing Belos had stopped walking, also noted Belo’s bewilderment.

“That’s a car,” Gus said, making Belos look at him with complete confusion written on his face. “It’s like a carriage, but it uses a spark-ignited combustion engine to run,” Gus said with enthusiasm, especially at the fact he was teaching Belos something new. “It uses fuel. I learned that on the internet.”

Belos’ brow furrowed. “Not run by magic?” he asked.

“Nope. Humans invented so many things since you were gone,” Gus said with a grin. “And just wait until you ride the bus. It’s amazing.”

They continued to walk down until they arrived at the corner of the street.

A bigger carriage pulled up and stopped beside them. The door swung open.

Amity walked in first so she could pay the bus driver for the five of them.

“Come on, Philip,” Gus encouraged as he walked into the carriage.

Philip hesitantly followed, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over him. He had always avoided using any sort of carriages in the Boiling Isles, but since humans made this ‘bus’ and no magic was being used, he kind of felt better about going in.

Hunter and Willow entered after him, finding only one passenger was sitting there, with their eyes closed, as if resting.

“Let’s sit back there,” Amity suggested, gesturing to the end of the bus where it had five seats in the row. Philip sat at the far-left end, with Gus plopping down on his right.

The bus jolted into motion, which made Philip’s body stiffen in response, but soon relaxed as he saw how smoothly it glided along the road.

As he watched through the window to see how the scenery changed, he grew more curious about how these carriages worked. He had the urge to take one, pull it apart, and put it back together, to see how it functioned.

The group sat on the bus quietly for a while. The teenagers didn’t know what to say, especially since Belos was sitting by them.

“You mentioned you learned about how this… car works… from the internet?” Philip was the one to break the ice, as he asked Gus, unable to resist his fascination with human technology.

Gus blinked up at him before eyes light up with excitement. “Yeah, it’s kind of like what we have back home, only it’s way cooler since it has so much information,” he explained. “I don’t know how humans came up with it, but it’s amazing. People can upload information, videos, even books. It took so many people and technology to invent it and it took over several decades.”

“Several decades?” Philip raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Yeah, it’s still ‘new’ I guess, but we for sure haven’t made something that amazing back at home, which would be so cool to have. We only have our ‘internet’ to send messages and for our Penstagram.”

“I think you can find all the books humans have ever invented on the internet,” Amity said with a sigh of awe. “Though, I guess I still prefer going in person to the library, but still, it’s cool there are endless of books I can read if I want online.”

“There are so many documentaries about many things there as well,” Willow added with a smile. “And many movies as well.”

“And instructional videos on how to do things!” Hunter chimed in, eager to share his enthusiasm. But as soon as Hunter remembered who he was speaking to, his excitement faded, and his smile disappeared.

As if… his ‘uncle’ would care what he had to say…

The kids felt the shift in Hunter and joined in his silence while Philip observed the kids before casting his gaze back to the window, feigning indifference to the exuberant excitement the young ones had. And ignoring the fact he had engaged with them as well.

To be honest, though, he felt some sense of pride that the witches were in complete awe of what his fellow humans had created.

Of course, humans would be far superior to witches when it came to inventing things.

Heck… many of the things back at home that dealt with technology that used magic were invented by him, after all.

But yeah, he was truly fascinated by the fact humans have created something like the internet without magic.

“Is it possible to learn how they invented the internet on… this internet?” Philip couldn’t help but ask.

“I think so.” Gus took a moment to respond. He was debating if he should offer to show Philip the world of the internet when he was cut off by Amity’s voice.

“This is our stop,” Amity said when the bus stopped.

Philip stood up after the kids walked up to the exit. He followed them, ignoring the strange pit of his stomach that hit him before he finally stepped out of the bus.

“Well, here we are, in town square,” Amity said.

Philip surveyed his surroundings. He couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of detachment from the unfamiliar buildings that surrounded him.

He read a sign that pointed the direction to Old Gravesfield.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Gus asked, noticing Philip’s silence. The boy wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that Philip was back ‘home’.

Philip didn’t respond as his attention was drawn to a familiar statue in the center of the square. He approached it, hands clasped behind his back, and gazed at it in silence.

‘You were supposed to bring him back…’ the voice hissed.

Right…

He was supposed to bring his brother back so he could have seen the statue he had requested for their honor…

Yet…

The kids observed Philip. They had previously seen the statue a while ago and Luz pointed out the names carved in the bottom, revealing one of them to be Belos. Everyone was confused who Caleb was and simply imagined, based on Caleb’s last name, he was some sort of relative. Though now they knew the morbid truth… Reminding them to not get too comfortable with while they were out in their mission.

Then, they saw Philip pull away from his statue and walked towards another one of a man with a weird looking hat.

Philip’s eyes narrowed up at it, as if he wasn’t happy to see it.

Gus approached the statue that looked familiar to him…

He looked down at the name that was carved at the bottom.

Alexander Baxter…

The Alexander that Philip used to look up to as a child, but then was one of the…

Gus noticed Philip’s right hand tightened around his left wrist.

A 16-year-old Philip was struggling to write a story he was making up one late evening, outside behind a tree, with his right hand. He was writing about himself, on a faraway journey to find some lost treasure.

He always wrote some sort of short stories about himself, far away from Gravesfield, having an adventure, or… looking for his lost brother that was taken away by some evil witch.

Even though he should probably be heading back home for dinner with the Minister soon, he couldn’t help himself as he just wanted to feel, for a moment, having a different life than he had now. A better life at that…

Philip stopped writing as his right hand was cramping up and ignoring the reminder in his head not to give in a certain urge, yet… he disobeyed and took the penknife on his left hand and continued to write, far faster and the words now were more legible.

He was swept away in his own adventure that he was writing that he didn’t hear the footsteps coming close to him.

“How many times, boy, did I tell you not to use that wretched hand!” Philip’s body grew cold as he froze, and violently flinched when his left wrist was grabbed and yanked up. “We warned you, didn’t we?!”

Young Philip tried to pull away from the bigger man, already tears forming in his eyes as he cried out.

“Please, no! I promise I won’t use it again!” he begged as he was forced to the ground on his stomach. Alexander kept him there by digging a knee to his back, while having a good grip on the boy’s wrist. “Please, no, I promise! I promise!” Philip sobbed to the ground but stopped physically struggling since there was no way he could fight the large man.

“Don’t worry boy, I’ll make sure you won’t be tempted by that sinful behavior again,” the man hissed before he snapped Philip’s wrist, making the young man let out a blood-curdling scream.

Philip shut his eyes and took a deep breath, as he stopped the memory from going further.

Even now, he still felt as though his left wrist throbbed from the multiple fractures it had dealt with…

Philip felt the powerful urge to kick down the statue and shatter it into pieces.

“So, where did you hide the Titan’s blood?” Philip heard Amity ask.

Philip pulled away from the statue and immediately caught the sight of a familiar building, and the one he was seeking for.

“There,” Philip simply responded.

The teens glanced at the building Philip was staring at.

“The Gravesfield Historical Society Museum?” Gus asked with confusion.

“That’s where… that jerk works,” Willow reminded others with a hint of bitterness.

“Good thing Vee isn’t here,” Amity said. “I wouldn’t want to make her go inside after what he did to her.”

“Alright… what’s the plan?” Hunter asked, looking around the group for answers, only to see Philip pull away and walk into the building without a word to them.

“He really needs to improve his communication skills,” Amity grunted out.

Philip entered the building.

After so many years, now he was back at the place that made him into a man, a man of God.

He expected to feel comfort that he was back, yet… he felt…

Empty…

The lack of emotions confused him. Wasn’t he supposed to feel glad he was back?

‘Why would you be glad?’ the voice hissed. ‘You failed your mission.’

Philip was jolted out of his thoughts by a man’s groaning as he stepped out of a room.

“Damn it, I forgot to put the closed sign,” the man complained before he blinked when he spotted Philip. He glanced at the older man from head to toe. “Whoa…” he let out before he quickly made his way to Philip. “You made a really cool outfit. Looks almost like it’s from the 1600s, though the ones I’ve made are way better,” Jacob boasted with arrogance.

Philip stared at him, slowly processing what Jacob said.

He wasn’t expecting to talk to another human male just yet and already he felt there was a huge disconnect between one another.

“But aren’t you like too old to be cosplaying?” Jacob asked with a hint of skepticism, making Philip raise an eyebrow, not understanding the reference. “And, hmm, so weird…” He leaned a bit too close for Philip’s comfort. “You look awfully familiar…”

Philip narrowed his eyes at him, fighting the urge to just shove him aside for invading his personal space, but relaxed when Jacob leaned back.

Before Philip began to sweet talk the man to get what he wanted from the house, the door behind him opened and in came the four teenagers.

“No, no!” Jacob pulled away from Philip and waved his hands at the kids. “The museum is currently closed.”

“Oh, we’re sorry,” Amity began as she tried to think of something on the spot before she smoothly shifted to a role of a concerned relative. “We were looking for our great uncle…” she lingered as she spotted a bunch of artifacts from possibly the days of Philip was from. “He’s obsessed with things relating to… witch hunters?”

Philip frowned at the girl referring to him as their great uncle.

“Great uncle?” Jacob raised an eyebrow, taking a closer look at the teens, who looked nothing alike. Though one boy bore a slight resemblance to the old man. “Eww kid, you need to learn how to make look scars more realistic,” Jacob pointed at Hunter’s face. “I’ve seen better make up skills from youtube videos,” he scoffed.

Hunter quickly hid his cheek, slightly ashamed of his scar.

Willow glared at the man.

“Hey, take that back!” she began. “And for your information, that’s a real scar.”

“Pshh, as if,” Jacob grunted, crossing his arms on his chest with amusement. “You can’t trick me. I’m a professional when it comes to spotting the truth!”

Philip took the growing scuffle as his cue to slip away and delve deeper into the museum, with Gus following him.

Philip came to a stop in front of various artifacts displayed in the room and published works/information hanging on the walls. He thought it was strange to see old weapons behind glass for display for all to see.

The room, once used for town meetings, was now a historical exhibit…

The emptiness once again returned to his chest, and he wasn’t sure why he was feeling it right now.

He saw Gus was reading an article from one of the walls but then ignored him as he turned to a hallway, then to a door. He opened it to find the room filled with boxes and other random stuff.

The room looked like nothing when he stayed there… and he felt nothing for it, which was again, strange.

Without hesitation, he pushed aside a pile of boxes and made his way to the left corner. He knelt and, with a sharp punch, he broke through the floor.

Gus flipped on the light switch, illuminating the small room, recognizing the room as Philip’s form back in the day. He was quiet when he watched Philip tearing at the floorboards, flinging them aside, as he searched what he’d come for.

But…

All Philip could see was… dirt …

He began to dig.

“What the heck are you guys doing?!” Jacob’s voice rang out, filled with annoyance.

“I-” Gus tried to explain but was shoved aside.

“Nope, I don’t want to hear it. I’m calling the cops!” Jacob announced before he yelped when Philip had come at him and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close.

“There was a box underneath those floorboards,” Philip said coldly. “Where is it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, man,” Jacob stammered as he tried pulling away from Philip but realized quickly the old man was unnaturally strong. “I don’t own this place. I just work here!”

Philip glared at him before he looked down at the wooden floor.

It had been 400 years… and the floorboards looked maybe about 10 years old…

Philip let out an annoyed growl before throwing Jacob to the side and then just walked out of the room.

“You’re crazy, old man!” Jacob cried out in anger. “And I take it back. That is the worst costume I’ve ever seen in my life!”

As Philip made his way out of the museum, he tried to assure himself that maybe there might be some Titan’s blood left deep in the forest. All he had to do was look for it.

“We should probably leave in case he was serious about calling the cops,” Gus pointed out to the group as they were now standing outside of the building.

“So, I guess we’re going to have to find Titan’s blood somewhere else,” Willow said.

“Maybe we’ll have some luck somewhere outside of the village?” Hunter suggested.

Philip pulled away from the group before his eyes widened to two young women who passed by him, dressed in minimal clothing. Both had very tiny shorts and bra looking tops.

The two girls noticed his stunned expression and giggled, especially when he quickly found himself flushing and looking away.

The kids looked at Philip with confusion, not entirely sure what they had just witnessed.

Did they actually see… Belos look flustered?

“I need some of that coffee to think. Let’s go to the cafe over there and sit down for a bit,” Amity decided before they headed to the cafe across from the town square.

But Philip’s attention was drawn elsewhere. He took in the sights of the people around him and was shocked by what he saw. Women wearing pants, some so revealing, and men in strange garments as well. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw two men kissing on a bench, out in the open!

No…

‘You’re too late…’ the voice hissed.

Philip felt his heart racing. He felt sick as he saw the people with unnatural colored hair. How there were many different skin tones blended in the community, and not just white skinned. The clothes everyone wore were nothing to what his people used to wear.

He realized the surrounding humans looked like… the witches in the Boiling Isles.

Philip glanced back with wide eyes at the two men who were sharing a kiss, who hadn’t realized they had an audience.

‘The witches and demons have tainted them all…’ the voice echoed in his mind.

No…

There was no way he was late.

But then again, he had been gone for 400 years…

‘400 years too late…’

“Hum, Philip, are you okay?” Gus asked, approaching him cautiously. The kids noticed Philip was just standing there with a completely lost expression.

Then something snapped inside Philip as he made his way to the two men, eyes locked on them as anger flared within him. He stopped right in front of them.

“You disgusting creatures!” he snapped. “You should be burned to death!”

“Oh… no,” Gus let out with wide eyes. His friends were frozen in shock as well at the words that came out from Philip.

One of the men, John, pulled away from his partner and looked up at Philip with confusion.

“Excuse me?” the man asked.

Philip pointed a finger at them. “You’re an affront to the Lord and stain upon this world!” he continued like a madman.

Gus finally found the strength to try and intervene, but Philip’s outburst had already drawn the attention of the others in the square. A young woman approached them, her face filled with annoyance.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” she asked, ready to defend the two men.

Gus and Amity jumped in, each grabbing one of Philip’s arms, trying to yank him back.

“We’re sooooo sorry!” Gus began quickly. “My great uncle, he’s just very confused!”

“Yeah, he’s been watching too many documentaries about witch hunters, and loves playing like some of those characters. He gets a little too into them sometimes,” Amity tried explaining with a nervous laugh, still trying to steer the man away from the growing group around them.

Willow joined in and grasped the back of Philip’s jacket and was pulling with all her might too.

“Come on, Uncle, let’s go get you that hot cocoa you love so much,” she said, trying to diffuse the situation with a friendly smile. “With lots of mint, just the way you like it.”

Together, the three teens managed to lead Philip away, even though he was still in a daze, trying to make sense of the strange scene before him. People who had joined in the scene were casting judgmental glances his way, instead of towards the two abominations.

“What a jerk.” He heard a woman say to one of the guys. She didn’t believe the kids when they told them what they had just witnessed was just an act. “Who would want to play out one of those terrible witch hunters?”

Terrible…. witch hunters…?

“Okay, you’re going to sit right there, and not act crazy,” Amity instructed, forcing Philip to sit in one seat beside one table that was set up outside of the Cafe.

“That was bad…” Willow said in a hush voice.

“Philip, you can’t say that stuff,” Gus lectured in a serious tone.

Philip glared at him.

“I know humans had different opinions about certain things, but that changed,” Gus added. “And, over all, what you just did was not cool.”

“Yeah, you really don’t want to be a jerk like that,” Willow suggested.

“A jerk?” Philip scoffed.

“Yeah, Belos, hating on people who love each other is being a jerk,” Amity said with a firm tone.

“It’s Philip, and that’s not love,” Philip sneered. “That is a perversion of the natural order, a corruption of the holy union between a man and a woman.”

“Holy…?” Amity blinked, confused.

“Let’s get something to drink,” Willow suggested to change the subject, since she had a feeling they would not get through with Belos at the moment. “What do you want, Mr. Grouchy Pants, coffee or tea?”

“I don’t drink.” Philip growled at her.

“There isn’t alcohol in any of the drinks.” Amity rolled her eyes, misinterpreting his words.

Philip gave her a sharp look as a response.

“Alright, be that way, nothing for you,” Amity said before she asked Gus and Hunter if they wanted anything from the cafeteria. The boys didn’t want anything, so Amity and Willow just walked in, leaving the boys alone with Philip.

“They’re still looking at us…” Gus muttered to Hunter.

Philip looked up. The boy was right, there were still people from a far looking in their direction, with judgmental looks.

‘See…? They’ve all been brainwashed now,’ the voice chuckled in Philip’s mind. ‘You were too late…’

Philip’s hands turned into fists on the table, doing his best to ignore the heartbeat that once again was racing against his chest.

He couldn’t comprehend how people were okay with two men kissing. Did humans really give in to the witches’ terrible influences?

Were there not any witch hunters around to stop the sinful spread?

‘Your mission was to save us from sin,’ the voice hissed.

Philip closed his eyes, trying to stop the voice from pounding in his head.

‘You failed us…’

Philip tried to steady his breathing.

“This is why I didn’t think it was a good idea to bring him out here…” Gus whispered to Hunter while they watched Philip quietly struggle before them. “I don’t think… well… things are too different from how it was back in the day, and it was going to be too much for him.”

“But I don’t get it,” Hunter said. “It’s different, yet the place reminds me of the Boiling Isles.”

“I think that’s the problem…” Gus said.

Hunter fell silent at Gus’ words before he turned back to Belos, who seemed to have finally calmed down his breathing.

The girls returned with their drinks, and the group settled in a hushed silence, waiting for the humans to lose interest in them, which eventually they did. People went back to their own journeys, leaving the five of them alone.

With the silence, Philip finally opened his eyes as he tried to gather his scattered thoughts. He straightened himself up before he caught sight of a familiar tall structure behind one building from the corner of his eye. He rose to his feet, and without a second thought, he set off from the kids.

“Wait, you’re not going anywhere!” Amity cried out, but Philip paid her no mind as he crossed the street without looking either side. Luckily for him, no car was coming down the road. “He’s worse than a child!” Amity groaned. Both girls finished their drinks and threw the cups away so the group could run after Philip. Eventually, they caught up to him as he was standing right in front of a building.

The doors were wide open, and there was a young pastor at the end of the aisle, talking to an elderly woman.

Philip stared at the church, as it looked almost the same as before. 

He expected to finally feel some comfort that he was near something familiar, yet he felt extremely nauseous for some reason the longer he spent looking at the building.

“What is that?” Willow wondered out loud, looking up at the stunning architecture of the church.

“I’m not really sure,” Gus said, though he recognized it based on some of Philip’s memories.

Amity tried to enter the building, but someone abruptly yanked her back.

“Hey, don’t touch her!” Hunter snapped at Belos, making Amity realize who had pulled her back by her arm.

Belos instantly released her.

“You can’t go inside.” His words were as steady as his cold look he was giving her.

“Oh?” Amity crossed her arms over her chest. “Why not?”

Belos said nothing to them for a moment before he answered.

“You’ll burn to death if you do,” he said, making the kids stare at him, with total confusion and slightly disturbed by his words.

“Wait, what?” Willow let out.

“But… there’s people inside,” Amity pointed out, gesturing to the handful of individuals she could see inside the church, sitting on the benches.

“Yes, but that’s because they are not witches…” Belos stated, trying to ignore the fact that he could have just let the kids go inside and die. He wasn’t sure why he had just stopped the girl from going in. “If you vile creatures go inside, you will burn to death.”

“That… I’m so confused,” Amity said, shaking her head as if she was trying to understand the logic of the situation. “I’ll burn cause… I’m a witch?”

“Yeah… I have a hard time believing that,” Willow said as she approached the entrance. “This building looks like an ordinary building to me.”

Amity joined her. “If it’s really going to burn us, then why would you stop us from going inside? You hate witches, so wouldn’t you be happy if we died?” she pointed out.

Belos narrowed his eyes on her.

“If one of you were to die, the rest of you would want my head,” he stated coldly.

“He has a point…” Gus said.

Amity rolled her eyes and without a word, she walked into the building, leaving Philip frozen.

He felt his heart stop, and then his mind went blank when he saw the Blight girl walk down the aisle before she stopped halfway before looking around the interior of the building with curious eyes.

“Not gonna lie. I was worried for a moment there.” Hunter let out a nervous laugh before he and Willow walked in together, and just like Amity, nothing happened to them. Even the pastor looked up at them and gave them a welcoming smile.

“Do you want to go in…?” Gus asked Philip, with hesitation as he saw the way Philip just stared at the others who were inside.

Philip couldn’t… how were those witches able to just… walk… like that… how?

The voice in his head was dead silent for a moment, as he continued to stare.

Even many years have passed and so much have changed, the church was still a sacred place. No witch nor demon should be able to enter the holy grounds.

At least, that’s what the Minister and other people chosen by God told him for years.

He saw Amity approach one of the paintings on the side of the walls while Gus decided to walk in as well. He too was not lit up on fire.

He took one step without realizing it.

‘You’ll burn if you step one foot in,’ the voice hissed now, making him stop for a moment.

But then he took another, hesitant, step.

‘You can’t go inside…’

Tension mounted in his throat as he took another step and then another.

‘You’re not welcomed!’ the voice screamed now. ‘You’re a monster that has failed to save us!’

Then the voice stopped in his head.

“Philip…?”

He wasn’t sure who called him as he just stood there, firmly rooted in the entrance of the church. He slowly looked down at his hands.

There were no flames burning his flesh away…

He was…

Fine…

He wasn’t…

Burning…

‘Philip, you have to listen to me. Everything they told you is a lie,’ a voice from an unwanted memory replayed in his mind.

He heard someone say something nearby, but he couldn’t make out the words…

‘They aren’t what you think they are!’

All the noise around him sounded so muffled…

‘Please, Philip, I know it’s hard to understand, but you have to believe me.’

Everything around him seemed so smudged together…

‘Trust me, please…’

Everything felt so far…

‘You know deep inside they’re wrong!’

Philip didn’t know what was happening…

‘This isn’t you! I know you!’

Especially as he couldn’t hear or see anything.

‘Why?!’ Another voice screamed in pure agony. ‘He was your brother!’

He just felt himself drifting away…

His body wasn't feeling so good...

“Philip!” The shout jolted him back to reality, to find himself out on the street, and a carriage hurtling towards him.

He froze, imagining the vehicle larger than it was.

Then all the sudden something dashed and yanked his arm hard along with them, sending them both flying across the street. Philip shut his eyes in pain when his shoulder made contact on the hard pavement.

“Oh, my Titan, Hunter!” Willow cried out in alarm. “Are you guys, okay?”

Philip’s eyes shot open and looked up to find Hunter lying beside him, and the others running over to them, all with concerned eyes.

Hunter was panting, overwhelmed with adrenaline from what had just happened. He glanced at Belos who was looking at him, like a lost child. He felt his chest clench badly, even though he didn’t want it to.

“What happened?” Amity asked right away as she had been so busy looking at the artwork painted on the walls of the church before she saw Gus had run out with Hunter.

“I don’t know, he just ran off, and stopped,” Gus tried to explain frantically.

“What the hell!” they heard the driver scream as he walked out of his car. “You guys have a death wish or something?!”

“Caleb…” Hunter froze when he heard Belos let out with hesitation. Then Belos grabbed one of his arms tightly, with a shaky grip. “I… I don’t know what’s… happening…” Belos’ voice was silent, his eyes wide, but glazed over. “I don’t… understand…why…” he trailed off as his eyes now had a faraway look to them.

Hunter felt his chest twist hard to see the state his ‘uncle’ was in and for a moment, forgot about his resentment towards him. All he thought right now was to take action to protect.

“Don’t… don’t worry, you’re going to be okay,” Hunter assured him, resting a hand on Belos’ arm to comfort him before looking at the others. “We need to get him out of here,” he said. “Help me get him up.”

Willow helped Hunter pull Belos up to his feet from the other side. Amity and Gus apologized to the guy in the SUV and assured others who approached the scene that everything was fine. Both Willow and Hunter held onto Belos’ arms as they led him away.

Hunter tried to ignore the struggle he was having in his mind.

A part of him was telling him not to trust Belos, that he was just pulling an act, but… he could see that maybe there was something wrong with his ‘uncle’. Far worse than the curse that was eating him up and it was just getting worse from what he could see.

The image of Philip just walking to the road and just standing there was just so hard to ignore. It made him question why the man would do such a thing.

Obviously, there was no way the car would have killed Belos, but just the thought of him getting hurt, especially by the way he is right now made him feel sick.

So, the group did their best to pull Belos away from the prying eyes, hoping they could go back home soon before things just got worse.

Little did they know, there were some who were watching them, even though they were not physically there themselves…

Chapter Text

Philip continued to be enveloped in a muffled stillness, struggling to comprehend what was happening as everything seemed to move slowly.

The memory of Amity entering the church building continued to replay in his mind, and despite his attempts to convince himself what he had seen was a lie, the image was crystal clear.

She didn’t burn, nor did any of the other witches.

And nor did he…

‘That’s because they corrupted the sacred places as well,’ the dark voice whispered in his head. ‘They have taken over…’

The notion made a twisted sort of sense to him that the sinful had found a way to defile the churches.

Yet…

‘You know deep inside they’re wrong!’

With a deep breath, Philip tried to snap back to reality, as he could vaguely recognize the familiar voices in the room.

But… everything continued to be so far away still…

“This isn’t good, not good at all,” Gus said in a panicked voice. He and Hunter were cleaning the mess on the ground near Philip. He had thrown up before they finally had him sit on the couch.

“Well, at least the curse doesn’t look like it got worse,” Hunter pointed out, trying to hide the anxiety he was feeling by the way Belos just continued to have a faraway stare.

“Alright, let’s just try to stay calm,” Willow said as Amity was pacing in the room. “We’re back home, and nothing bad really happened.”

“Except, we’re going to have to explain to the others why Philip is literally just sitting there like a zombie,” Amity groaned, but she got an idea and grabbed the remote by the tv. “Maybe we can put one of those ASMR videos Luz showed us to ‘wake’ him up.”

“Wait, don’t!” Gus yelled, but it was too late.

Philip’s eyes shot open, his chest heaving as he stared with wide eyes to find his left fist buried deep into an electrical machine. The kids were wide-eyed as well, with Amity slowly dropping the remote.

What… just happened…?

Did he… blank out again…?

Philip slowly retrieved his hand, clutching it to his chest as he tried to catch his breath, to keep his mind from racing at the thought he had blanked out again.

“Camila is going to kill us,” Amity let out.

“I told you not to turn it on!” Gus told her, annoyed.

“I was just trying to help,” Amity shocked back, her annoyance matching Gus’. “How was I supposed to know he’d react like that?”

Meanwhile, Hunter approached Belos with caution, taking in the sight of Belos just staring at the shattered tv before he abruptly got up, making the kids tense up and glance at him.

Philip didn’t spare anyone a glance as he pulled away from them and headed up the stairs before the kids heard the bathroom door slam shut.

“Should we… do something…?” Willow asked with a hint of uncertainty.

“I think… we should let him be right now,” Gus replied in a hushed tone after thinking about the events they had just gone through with Philip in the Town Square. “I think he needs some time away from… well, everything.”

Hunter was inclined to go check on Belos.

The broken look Belos had back at town just couldn’t leave his head. His heart ached at the thought of Belos suffering, but Gus had a point.

It was probably a good idea to wait for the others just in case…

“Foes vanquished, he trod the shores of his fatherland, family by his side, finally at peace.” Luz heard her English teacher read the last sentence of a book before shutting it closed with a sigh of satisfaction. “This epic ends with the homecoming of not just a man, but a hero,” he continued to say, which made Luz glared down at her desk.

“Hero?” she grunted out loud, her chest tightening as she recalled certain events that had taken place in the Boiling Isles thanks to her. “Everywhere he went, people ended up suffering…”

“It does get bleak, but no one said his mission would be easy.” The teacher raised a finger to make a point with a confident smile, happy as well that someone decided to engage with him by giving their opinions over the story. “And when you take into account the ripple effects of his actions…”

“Who cares about the ripple effects!?” Luz had made a fist and slammed it on her desk, making everyone in the classroom jolt from their thoughts and glanced at her with shocked confusion. “He was just a pawn in someone else’s game.” Luz continued to say as she climbed on her chair before was standing on her desk. “And he was never smart enough to realize it. If his friends and family knew about his mission,” she shut her eyes as she imagined her friends and her mom, their shocked faces when she had told them how she had helped Belos accidentally meet The Collector.

She felt so ashamed even though her friends and mom reassured her it wasn’t her fault.

And knowing Belos could now try to manipulate them and feeling for certain she would be the one falling for his traps again, cause she was a fool, made her so angry at herself.

“They’d know that their lives would never have been in danger if it weren’t for him.” She opened her eyes with sadness. “They should hate his guts, and it would be better if he literally never existed!” she yelled out as she moved her hands dramatically, before she finally noticed everyone was just staring at her, slightly disturbed.

The bell rang through the school and after awkwardly stepping down from her desk, everyone made their way out of the classroom.

“Freak,” one girl, with blonde and a streak of pink hair, coughed into her fist, making two girls alongside her laugh when they walked past Luz as she stopped by her locker.

Luz avoided eye contact, completely embarrassed at letting her emotions get the best of her, and for once again finding ways to make people laugh at her.

She took out her lunch bag before she made her way outside to settle on a lunch table. Eventually, Vee arrived and took a seat across from her. Vee couldn’t wait to share with Luz a fascinating discovery from class, but her excitement faded as she noticed Luz was staring down at her sandwich without taking a bite.

The whole day, Luz was feeling anxious and was filled with guilt. She regretted telling her friends and girlfriend to take Belos with them to search for the Titan’s blood. She should have gone along to protect them from any potential danger posed by Belos.

She also wished Belos wasn’t staying at her house. Even the thought of it made her so mad. She truly believed he was playing the victim to gain sympathy, and it seemed to have worked on Gus and now on her mom.

When she saw Belos and her mom having breakfast together in the kitchen that morning, God… she didn’t know what to say or do. The idea of Belos manipulating her mom made Luz’s anger reach a boiling point.

And of course, none of them would have been stuck in the situation they were currently in with Belos if it weren’t for her…

She was so good at putting her friends in danger because of her reckless decisions.

Her hands turned into fists as she desperately tried to find ways how she could fix things for everyone.

“You okay, Luz?” Vee asked, interrupting Luz’s thoughts.

“I’m… very worried,” Luz admitted. “I should have never told the others to go with Belos into town. What if he does something to them?”

“I think they’ll be fine,” Vee assured her. “We have the oath to keep us safe.”

“But that doesn’t mean he won’t try to manipulate them,” Luz insisted.

Vee was deep in thought, searching for words to comfort Luz, then decided to tell Luz what had been on her mind for a while, to hopefully distract her for a bit.

“You know how our mom adopted me?” she asked Luz, making Luz nod with confusion at the change of subject. “And how Hunter doesn’t really have… a mom or dad…? Even though I guess… since Belos is created by Belos, Belos in a way is technically his dad, since you know, Belos created him…”

Luz frowned at the thought of Belos being Hunter’s dad.

“I mean, yeah, Belos I guess is Hunter’s ‘dad’ and I guess that’s why Belos thinks he can do whatever he wants with him and did whatever he wanted to the other clones,” Luz scrunched up her face as she recalled the countless broken Golden Guard masks scattered back in Belos’ mind. “But a real dad would never kill his children.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but I just brought it up cause…” Vee trailed off for a moment, feeling a bit nervous to continue. “I was thinking since… Camila adopted me… do you think… she would want to adopt… Hunter too…?”

Luz was silent, taking Vee’s words in before her eyes lit up.  

“I think that’s a great idea,” Luz said as a smile spread across her face at the thought of having an older brother.

She always wanted to have an older brother.

“I mean, Hunter does act like an older brother already, doesn’t he?” Luz said with amusement.

“And we act like the annoying younger sisters,” she added with a giggle.

“Yeah, we do,” Luz grinned.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I didn’t know if I was being dumb,” Vee said, feeling embarrassed.

“Don’t say that. You’re not being dumb,” Luz reassured her. “We already act like family, so why not make it official, right?”

“You really think he’ll be happy to become our brother?”

“Heck, yeah!” Luz grinned, which made Vee smile, especially now as she saw how Luz was in much happier spirits.

They then discussed how they would talk to their mom on making Hunter their official brother.

The rest of the day went by quickly. Luz and Vee walked out of the school building with Masha, chatting with Vee before Luz’s phone rang. She picked it up. It was her mom.

“Guess who was able to get out of work early?” her mom said with amusement.

Luz’s heart sank.

Did her friends have enough time to find the Titan’s blood in Gravesfield? Were they finally back home?

The two sisters said goodbye to Masha and hopped into their mother’s van.

“How was school today?” Camila asked Luz, who got in the passenger seat while Vee sat at the back.

Luz answered with a shrug, silently wishing her friends had phones so she could tell them to be home now. Vee, on the other hand, began chatting with Camila about everything she learned from class, like she always did, as she just loved to learn.

Eventually, the conversation died down and the trio rode in silence, surrounded by the lush forest.

“Why were you eating breakfast with… him?” Luz, out of nowhere, asked.

Vee was confused since she didn’t understand who Luz was referring to; she did not know that Camila had been eating breakfast with Belos earlier in the morning.

Camila kept her gaze on the road before she spoke.

“I wanted to have some time to talk to him alone,” she said. “And I thought having him join me for breakfast would help him loosen up.”

“Mama…” Luz was frowning at her mom. “I don’t want you talking to him.”

“Mija,” Camila sighed, knowing her daughter was going to make the scene a bigger deal than it was.

“I don’t know what he told you, but you can’t trust him,” Luz said with a sense of desperation. “Anything he says to make you feel bad for him, don’t believe him. Especially when he compliments you. He’s just playing with your mind.”

Camila took in Luz’s words and recalled how tense Philip looked around her. Philip didn’t seem to try and make her feel bad for him. Instead, he was too busy trying to make her believe in his extreme beliefs.

Alright… maybe she did kind of feel bad for him to see how delusional he was and how he couldn’t enjoy a simple breakfast without it tasting like ash.

Camila understood her daughter’s concerns, but she didn’t want her daughter getting too worried about her.

“I know you’re worried, but have faith in your mother,” she said. “I didn’t get where I am by being so naïve,” she said with a reassuring smile.

“But mom, he isn’t like others,” Luz argued.

“Of course not, and most likely there won’t ever be anyone like him,” she said, and she meant it. There was no way another man from the 1600s would ever walk among them, other than Philip. “Don’t worry, mija. I can handle myself. And also, I’m sorry that he’s currently staying at the house. But I think maybe…” she wanted to tell Luz to give Belos a chance, but no… there was no way she would ask that from her daughter or anyone from the house. Philip has done nothing to the kids to gain their trust, even though he was a product of his environment. “Nevermind,” she said, and the conversation came to an end as they arrived back at home.

The tension in Luz’s chest returned as she hoped everyone was back safely. She took a deep breath and walked out of the van before the trio walked inside the house.

Luz felt her shoulders drop with a sigh of relief to see Amity pop out of the living room after her mother announced they were back home.

“Oh, hi, welcome back,” Amity greeted with a nervous smile that immediately made Camila suspicious and nervous.

“What’s wrong?” Camila hesitantly asked.

“Um… you should see for yourselves…” Amity trailed off as Camila, Vee, and Luz walked into the living room, only to make them wide eyed by the sight of the giant hole in the tv lying on the floor.

The other three teenagers were seated on the couch, looking sheepish.

“What happened?!” Camila explained.

“Did he do this?!” Luz asked with annoyance, scanning around, only to not find Belos anywhere in the room.

“He did, but he didn’t mean to,” Gus responded, defending Belos, which only further irritated Luz.

“We should probably start from the beginning,” Hunter suggested quietly. “Don’t worry, he’s upstairs in the bathroom,” he added, knowing that the others wanted to know about Belos’ whereabouts.

The teens got off the couch so Camila could sit down with a tired sigh. She was getting a feeling more than ever that leaving Belos with the kids alone was a terrible idea.

Luz felt a bit relieved as she listened to her friends recount the events that took place before the television was broken, glad that no one was hurt. But… Now her mom knew her friends went out with Belos, and it disappointed her that they didn’t find the Titan’s blood at the museum…

“And then we came back, and he was still out of it,” Gus said. “He threw up, and Amity tried to help by turning on the TV, but…”

“He freaked out and punched it,” Willow added.

“This really sucks…” Vee sighed, staring down at the broken TV sadly.

She really loved that TV.

“And then he just got up and locked himself in the bathroom,” Hunter said.

“And that’s about it with our story…” Willow trailed off with a nervous grin as she was watching Camila just stare at them silently before she sighed again and rubbed her temples.

Yep, not the best idea to leave Belos with the kids…

“What were you kids thinking?!” Camila exclaimed in shock, making everyone jump.

“Mom, it wasn’t their fault. I asked them to go with them to find the Titan’s blood,” Luz interjected.

Camila groaned. She should have known her daughter had so much to do with the mess.

“I don’t care whose idea it was. You kids shouldn’t have gone out there with him. Not only did you put yourselves in anger, but you put others at risk, too. Imagine if he lost control and hurt that couple. God forbid he did. I can’t imagine what he would have done to them.” Camila shuddered at the thought. “You’re lucky he just went into shock instead of lashing out,” she said, feeling guilty for even saying it since Philip was probably not having a good time with things right now. “Now, I want to make this clear. No one is going to be pulling anything like this again. Understood?”

The kids looked down at the ground and nodded quietly, but Luz remained still, her fists clenched.

“Alright, I’ll clean up this mess, then I’m going to check on Philip,” Camila said as she got up, but Luz quickly stood in front of her.

“No way,” her daughter exclaimed. “You’re not going near him.”

“Luz…”

“And what’s with calling him ‘Philip’?” Luz asked, annoyed.

“Well, it is his name,” Amity pointed out, which made Luz turn to her in shock.

“Amity, no… please not you too…” she let out.

“What?” Amity asked with utter confusion.

“He’s doing it. He’s making you guys all fall for his tricks,” Luz said.

“Luz…” Gus tried to intervene.

“No, Gus, this is what he does. Why can’t anyone listen to us?” she turned to Hunter since he was the other person who completely agreed with her about Belos the whole time.

“Yeah, that’s what he does…” Hunter mumbled. “He… tricks people…”

“See?” Luz turned to the others. “He’s tricking you guys slowly.”

“But...” Hunter said with hesitation, making Luz turn to him with confusion. “This time… I… I don’t think he’s acting,” he admitted. “You should have been there, Luz. I have never seen him like that in my life.”

Luz stared at him with shock before she forced herself to gather her thoughts.

“We both saw what he did,” she said. “Remember what we saw in one of his memories? How he ‘cursed’ a bunch of witches and left them to die in the freezing snow?”

Luz’s words made Hunter look away.

Camila observed everyone, especially Hunter. The other days, he was so opposed to being near Philip and seemed so mad at him, but now…

She could see that Philip, being around Hunter, was messing with the boy.

Then she recalled Jimmy’s advice.

“I don’t want any of you, and I’m being serious, being alone with Philip without me,” she said, making everyone look at her. “Especially you, mijo,” she said when she glanced at Hunter.

“But…” the boy mumbled.

“Mira, mijo, you have a history with him,” Camila explained. “Even if you want to help him, I can’t help but feel he may want to take advantage of your pure intentions.”

Hunter said nothing. He just looked down with his lips pressing into a thin line before his head shot up when he heard the bathroom door upstairs open.

Everyone in the living room was silent when they heard the heavy footsteps making its way down the stairs. They only saw a glimpse of Philip in the entryway before he disappeared down the hallway.

Camila quickly made her way to the hallway.

“Wait, Philip,” she called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. She noticed he was missing his signature blue jacket, and the grey vest, only leaving him a long sleeve white shirt and his trousers. “Are you alright?” she asked with hesitation.

Philip said nothing, which Camila shouldn’t be too surprised since she figured men from the 1600’s wouldn’t have responded to such a question with honesty anyways.

“Where are you going?” she asked this time, noticing he had seemed to be heading to the door located at the back of the house.

“To find Titan’s blood,” he replied nonchalantly, his back still facing her.

Again, she took note that he was acting as if nothing - that the kids had told her about - happened to him. That he hadn’t recently gone through shock.

Or… he was still in shock…

The teens walked out to join Camila, with Hunter stepping towards Philip.

“I’ll help you,” he offered right away, since he doubted Belos was currently in the right state of mind to look for the Titan’s Blood alone. “Two is better than one, right?” he tried to say awkwardly to hide his urge to help his ‘uncle’.

Camila was about to tell both, Philip, and Hunter, that no one was going anywhere till she saw Philip slowly pivoted towards the group, his piercing blue eyes fixated on Hunter with disdain, making the boy take a step back with confusion.

Philip stared at the boy for a whole minute, before he let out a sigh of annoyance.

“Oh, Hunter… Hunter,” Philip said with a condescending air, making everyone silent. “Even now… you’re so eager to do my bidding, just as you were made to. Yet, you fail to realize that I have no more use for you.”

Hunter’s eyes widened with anguish at his words, while everyone else was rooted in their spots, completely in shock.

“So,” Philip said, coldly, before he continued. “Do me one last favor, so I don’t have to lift a finger, and go kill yours-”

Philip didn’t get to finish his last sentence as he was met with a deafening slap from Camila’s hand.

Even though it barely hurt, he was stunned, caught off guard, too focused on Hunter to have noticed Camila had made her way to him.

The teens gasped in shock as Camila glared daggers at him. The intensity of her eyes was one Luz had never seen her mom have ever given to anyone in her life.

“Do not dare finish that sentence,” she warned, her voice frigid. She was doing her best to control the rage that kept growing in her. “How… dare you… you…” she seethed as she stepped closer to Philip, who took a step back, still caught off guard. “How dare you say such… horrible things to a child? Just because you made him, doesn’t give you the right to mistreat him in any way. I don’t care what you think Philip, I don’t care if you think witches are terrible or sinful, or that you think you have some sort of heroic mission to accomplish.  YOU WILL NOT say anything terrible to these kids AGAIN!”

Philip’s jaw clenched hard, glaring at Camila now too.

“That ‘child’ is just a-”

“No!” Camila yelled at him, cutting him off. “I told you I don’t care what you think, especially what you think of him. Hunter is a loving boy, who loves his friends, who is very loyal, who laughs and cries just like everyone else, and he is so desperate to gain your approval and affection yet, you… you awful, terrible, foolish of a man is so completely brainwashed by other madmen to even realize how lucky you are to have such a wonderful boy wanting to help you!”

Philip’s eyes now flashed blue with rage at her words.

Foolish?!

She was the foolish one for putting her daughter’s and her souls at risk!

‘Kill her…’ the voice hissed in his head.

Philip felt a sharp pain run through his body while he felt the sickening rage inside him trying to eat him up. He quickly turned his back to Camila, doing his best to keep himself calm, to keep the curse from acting out due to his rage.

He did his best to forget the way the couple back at town were kissing and how everyone in town glared at him for calling out the sinful behavior.

He tried to forget how none of the witches burned inside the church building.

Right now, he couldn’t afford to let his emotions run loose.

He had to get away from everyone.

He had to focus on the mission.

Philip forced down all his emotions down before he headed to the door. Even though he hated walking away as he felt he was running away like a coward, he had to...

“Do not show your face here till you are ready to apologize to Hunter,” Camila called after him with annoyance. “And I’m being serious, Philip!”

Philip clenched his teeth as he just walked out of the house before slamming the door behind him, leaving the teenagers to stare at Camila in awe.

“Wow, Luz, your mom has guts,” Gus couldn’t help, but compliment his friend who nodded silently.

Though, Luz was completely anxious during the whole scene.

What if Belos had snapped and attacked her mom?

Camila turned to Hunter quietly after she did her best to calm herself down.

Hunter quickly looked down.

“Camila… I…” Hunter muttered quietly, as he rubbed his left arm, avoiding eye contact with everyone. “You didn’t have to do th-” he was cut off with Camila pulling him into a tight hug, making the boy’s eyes tear up immediately.

Oh, how he felt so terrible right now…

“You guys must think I’m so stupid,” Hunter’s stuttered before he shut his eyes hard, his arms wrapping around Camila. “I know I shouldn’t feel like this for him, but I can’t help myself.  I want to stay mad at him, but I can’t help but want him to love me as… a son... And sometimes I ask myself, if I’m just so desperate to be by his side cause he made me to be like that…” his voice broke, burying his face against her chest. “Please don’t hate me for wanting him to love me…”

“No, mijo, you wanting his love is understandable,” Camila quickly assured him quietly. “It has nothing to do with him making you be like that. If that were true, you wouldn't show resentment towards him at times. You would be completely devoted to him, but you are acting like a normal teenager would when a parent doesn't love them back, even though you want them to. You have nothing to feel ashamed about, you hear me? No one here hates you. You have a good heart, Hunter. He doesn't deserve you.”

Hunter tightened his hold around her.

“I just don’t understand why he…” The boy's body shook as he tried so hard to hold his tears back. “I did almost everything he wanted me to do, yet…” The boy broke now into a sob. “It's just not fair…”

Oh, how he had worked so hard to gain Belos’ affection, his approval during training, during missions. How there were instances that Belos did seem to care for him, when he would give him one of those lazy smiles or talk to him about the human world.

Were the years they spent together really just a lie?

The boy couldn't help but feel his chest twist painfully at the image of Philip just looking at him as if he was nothing but a tool to dispose of.

Hunter felt he was dying inside; he couldn’t stop the pain from his chest from eating him up.

“Just let it out, mijo, just let it out,” Camila whispered to him, her cheek resting on top of his head as she continued to hold him close to her.

For months, she watched him suffer silently, struggling to maintain a brave face in front of others, even though he had depressive episodes and tried so hard to hold back tears.  

Now, she wanted him to let it all out, to cry from all the bottled-up emotions that were probably eating him up for years.

She felt her own eyes tear up, and her chest twist in anger at Philip.

She didn't want to spare a single thought for the man who caused so much pain on Hunter at the moment. For now, she had to be there for Hunter.

The other teens watched on with heavy hearts, their own emotions raw and unspoken.

Without a word, Willow and Gus joined them, wrapping their arms around Camila and Hunter. They said nothing to their friend.

The warmth of their embrace finally made him start crying sadly, and with each passing moment, his sobs grew louder and more painful.

Luz and Vee looked at one another sadly before looking down at the ground.

Luz started to feel so guilty for being annoyed at Hunter earlier.

It wasn’t Hunter’s fault that he still wanted to help Belos in any way he could.

Her hands turned into shaky fists, as she felt her own chest twist with anger at the monster that was Belos.

She hoped though, if her mother would be alright with it, they could make Hunter a part of their family, and she hoped that would lessen Hunter’s pain, even if it was just a little bit.

Even though he wouldn’t have a dad that loved him, he would have a mother and two sisters who did.

And a place to finally call home…

As the boy continued to cry sadly, behind the closed door at the back of the house, Philip stood silently, listening. His long hair hung in front of his face, blocking his expression as he hung his head low.

‘Pathetic, isn’t it?’ the dark voice jeered. ‘He truly thinks he’s real like you…’ the voice mocked the boy.

But Philip was too tired to listen to the voice.

He just wanted it to…

"Stop..." Philip murmured, barely above a breath. "Please... just stop..." 

He stood there silently for a moment, before he pulled away from the door, vanishing into the shadowy forest, alone, his footsteps muffled by the rustling of leaves.

“What an annoying day…” Jacob grumbled as he drove down the deserted street by the forest. The sight of multiple police cars signaling him to take a detour only added to his annoyance. “Great, just what I needed,” he groaned as he reluctantly veered onto the darker, longer road back to his home.

Unbeknownst to Jacob, two ominous black cars had appeared behind him, shadowing his every move.

“Stupid old man, getting me in trouble with my boss,” Jacob muttered before he blinked with confusion when he saw a bunch of black cars parked ahead of him.

He slowed to a stop.

“What the heck…?” he parked his car and saw people in black suits slowly stepping out of their cars, making Jacob widen his eyes, especially when he finally took notice of the cars parked behind him.

He wasn’t sure what was going on, though. His mind raced to a bunch of theories.

Oh, no… were the uniformed men aliens who were going to take him away to eat his brains?!

Or were they the demons who finally found out he knew about their plans about collecting human teeth?!

Nope, he wasn’t going to let them get his teeth or his brains.

Jacob frantically tried to turn his car on. He stomped on the accelerator pad, but the moment he did, the car immediately turned off.

“No, no, no, come on, don’t do this to me right now,” Jacob pleaded to his car to work as he tried to twist the key back and forth to get the engine running, but nothing worked.

A sharp knock on his window made Jacob yelp with fright and flinch away from the door.

He hesitantly looked up to see a tanned man with jet black hair beckoning him to lower the glass.

Jacob shook his head as a response.

The man just gave him a stern look with his dark brown eyes, which made Jacob comply right away out of fear to make the man angry.

“Jacob Hopkins, I presume,” the man, Rafael, said calmly.

“How… Do you know my name…?” Jacob asked warily.

“We need you to come with us,” Rafael said, pulling out a green emblem.

Jacob stared at it with confusion before a bunch of little looking glyphs glowed brightly on the stone. Before Jacob knew it, he was suddenly met with darkness.

Chapter Text

With a groan, Jacob slowly woke up, his eyes tiredly opened before he quickly remembered what happened to him. Panic set in and he tried to sit up, but realized he was tied to a chair in a dimly lit room. In front of him was a long table, with a few shadowy figures in suits sitting at the opposite end of the table with computers. They noticed he was awake and one of them pulled out a device to speak into it.

“He’s awake,” the man said.

“Please, I promise, I won’t say anything if you let me go,” Jacob pleaded, his arms struggling against the bounds. “Please, I’ll do anything!”

Then the door opened, and three more men walked in. Jacob was going to continue begging for his life, but then he froze when he caught the sight of one newcomer.

He blinked, his mouth hanging open for a moment.

“Jason!?” he called out in shock. “You were an alien this whole time?!”

Jason scowled at him, wearing simple black clothing instead of his police uniform.

“I should have known why I didn’t like you,” Jacob exclaimed, now struggling more than ever to break free.

“Oh, shut up, Jacob,” Jason said with annoyance.

“Boys, boys, settle down. We have business to attend to after all,” a woman with short blonde hair and eyes as blue as the sky said with amusement. She walked down the room, her heels clicking on the floor.  She wore a tight-fitting black dress that hugged her curves and accentuated her long legs. She smiled down to Jacob. She looked like she was in her late 20s. “Hello Jacob. I’m sorry for the rope, but I’m just making sure you won’t freak out and end up hurting someone,” she said.

Jason rolled his eyes. As if Jacob could hurt anyone…

Jacob, naïve as always, chuckled with arrogance.

“Yeah, they’re lucky I didn’t kill one of them!” Jacob announced out lout. He didn’t notice no one was taking him seriously. He turned to the woman with hesitation, though, based on how confident she carried herself. “So… who are you guys…?” he asked wearily.

“Hm… let’s say we work for the government,” she responded and motioned to Rafael to come over, which he did with a tablet and folders in hand. He placed the tablet in front of Jacob. “And our mission is to protect humanity from monsters,” the woman revealed.

Jacob had told himself he would believe no one ever again if they told him they worked for the government, not after that one woman tricked him and took his demon. So, right away, he wanted to scoff at the blonde woman for trying to trick him as well, but then again… based on how the men in the room were giving him a very serious vibe… and how Jason looked slightly nervous, made him hold his tongue back.

The woman played a video for Jacob and his eyes instantly widened as he saw an enormous creature with horns roaring before a boy appeared on a flying stick and fought the creature. Then he saw police shooting bullets at the creature before it seemed to jump up before the video faded to black. Jacob assumed the camera was set up in the police car.

“What… the heck?” Jacob let out, not sure what he had just seen. A large demon and... a child flying around?!

“Lovely, isn’t it?” the woman chuckled with amusement, referring to the demon. “We were told you caught a demon-like creature that could turn into a child,” the woman said calmly. “Is that true?”

“Yeah, I totally did, but it looked nothing like that,” Jacob responded right away.

“I see… well… Do any of these kids look familiar to you?” she asked as she played another video, wondering if one of the teens in the second video was possibly the demon Jacob had caught.

The second video showed the large demon turning into an old man before three teenagers ran by him.

“Wait, stop!” Jacob said right away. The woman paused the video. Jacob leaned as best as he could while being tight up and squinted at the frozen image of the old man.

“That’s… the old man,” Jacob gasped, his heart racing at finding out the old man from earlier was actually a demon this whole time. “He came to the museum I work at, and those teenagers... that blonde and that smaller one was also with him as well! And wait a minute... that girl in the video... is the one I caught the other day!”

“Oh?” the woman asked curiously.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s her. I remember her very well,” Jacob said in a serious tone. “She was disgusting, and that woman… totally stole her from me and left me locked inside a cage as if I was some wild animal,” he grunted with annoyance. “She’s crazy. Like, how can you have a demon creature living with you at your house?”

“You know where the demon child is?” Rafael asked based on what Jacob just said.

“Oh yeah, I know where she is,” Jacob said. “Wait… what if… that larger demon also lives with her?” His eyes widened at the thought.

“They’re most likely sticking together, and those other magical children may be as well,” the woman said before she lifted herself on the table, crossed one leg over the other, the hem of her dress riding up just enough to reveal a sliver of her thigh. “Well, I must say, Jacob, you seem to attract demons a lot, don’t you?”

“Probably that’s because they know I’m on to them with their evil plans,” Jacob scoffed with pride.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re going to help us locate these creatures, aren’t you?” The woman asked with amusement, making Jacob blink. “To make sure we protect humanity from them.”

“Wait… are you going to fight that big one?” he let out in shock. “Like, are you insane? I just saw he got shot by some bullets and it didn’t stop him.”

“Oh, my dear Jacob. We have our own ways to fight demons,” she said with amusement, making Jacob stare at her with confusion as Rafael handed the folder he had on him to the woman before she opened it and revealed countless pictures of other demon-like creatures. “You’re going to love what we have to show you soon… and what we’re capable of,” she said as Jacob couldn’t help but smile in awe at the pictures presented to him, and at the fact he wasn’t so alone when it came to believing in monsters.

It had been several nights since Philip had left the house. The young witches would take turns checking Belos every four hours, always finding him knee-deep in dirt by the riverbank. Hair was now loose again and now his facial hair showed more. From dawn until dusk, he relentlessly dug hole after hole, searching for the Titan’s blood. Each time he reached a depth that was impossible to find the Titan’s blood in, he would refill the hole and start anew, barely resting. He had lost track after digging 14 holes and didn’t care how long he had to continue as he had a mission to accomplish.

Philip would just dig.

‘You can’t stop,’ the dark voice would remind him, urging him to continue despite his aching body and weary mind. His limbs would tremble with exhaustion, but he kept pushing. ‘You can’t let them win…’

He also kept trying to distract himself from the memory of the kids inside the church, trying to forget how he didn’t burn.

‘Philip, you have to listen to me. Everything they told you is a lie,’

What if… Caleb was right…?

The sudden thought made him feel almost heave, and he quickly shut the possibility aside.

‘They aren’t what you think they are!’

He felt anger rise within him this time, but that led him to wrap his arms around his torso, his teeth clenched in pain as his body, for a second, contorted out of control while he fought hard to stay in control.

He pushed his emotions aside.

He had to stay calm…

‘Keep digging…’

But… he felt so tired… so cold…

‘Keep digging…’

But… what if he couldn’t find the Titan’s blood…?

What if… it was long gone, just like it was in the Boiling Isles?

No… he couldn’t think that way.

He had to continue.

After all…

‘You have to complete your mission…’

Philip closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths to steady himself before he forced himself to dig again into the earth with all his might. He wasn’t sure how long he had been going at it, but it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if he didn’t find anything at that moment, since he would just move to the next spot along the river. And he would keep going and going…

And going…

From above, Hunter watched him one evening, with Willow by his side while both were perched atop their staffs. They said nothing as they watched him dig. He was covered from head to toe in dirt and mud. They weren’t entirely sure how long he would take breaks if he did, but they imagined he was sleeping at times since they once found him asleep in one hole one morning. Hunter, still aching from the horrible things Belos told him the other day, still couldn’t help but also hate seeing how tirelessly the man worked and how he once found him sleeping in the cold hard ground. Not once did Belos try coming returning to Luz’s home, probably taking Camila’s words seriously that if he wanted to come back, he had to apologize, which… there was no way Belos would apologize to anyone… Especially to him.

As the dark clouds loomed overhead, Hunter and Willow reluctantly left Belos to his task and made their way back to the back of the house.

“I guess it is going to rain soon,” Willow said.

“Yah…” Hunter looked back to the dark forest. They had seen on the weather channel they were going to be hit with a bad thunderstorm that night. Both walked into the house and made their way to the living room to find the other teens were watching a music video in the living room. Camila came over to them.

“Still digging holes,” Willow told Camila who sighed.

Camila was still furious with the man, especially at the way he refused to apologize to Hunter. But she couldn’t ignore the other part of her that was feeling bad for letting the man out there alone with his obsession with ‘completing’ his ‘mission.’

Yes, that’s what she thought. Philip was obsessed with his ‘mission’. Have been consumed with it for probably the past 400 years and leaving him alone with his disturbed mind was kind of torturous.

“He’s not going to say sorry, is he?” Camila asked Hunter, who shook his head dejectedly.

“Maybe we should just let him back in…” Hunter muttered.

Camila’s expression hardened. “No, mijo, we can’t give in,” she said firmly. “Just wait. I don’t think he’s going to stay out there when it rains.” Everyone in the room turned to her and gave her a skeptical glance. Camila could tell she wasn’t the only one who thought Belos was stubborn as a mule...

“I don’t want him coming back without learning a lesson,” Camila continued, her voice cold. “What he said to you was cruel, and he can’t get away with that kind of behavior.”

“He’s never going to apologize,” Hunter said with a sigh.

“Well, he should,” Amity interjected while her head was resting on Luz’s shoulder as both were sitting on the couch together. “I know what it’s like to have a terrible ‘parental’ figure. My mom has done some awful things and never once apologized. But if people like that don’t learn that what they did was wrong, then they’ll never change.”

“Belos is never going to change,” Luz added simply.

“And besides, if he does come back and apologize, how can we be so sure he means it…?” Amity pointed out. “He’s really good at lying, after all.”

“Yeah. Good point. We won’t know if he’s manipulating us,” Willow chimed in, agreeing with Amity’s concern.

Camila was growing increasingly tired of the constant worries they had to deal with Philip.

“I… have an idea,” Gus spoke up, making everyone turn to him. “Instead of Belos apologizing, maybe Hunter can pick, I don’t know, some way to ‘punish’ him, but I don’t mean like, really punish him. Maybe, I don’t know, something that he can do for Hunter?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Vee let out.

“It’s a terrible idea,” Luz also said, as she sat up from her slouching position. “We can’t let him get close to Hunter again. He literally told him to kill himself the other day,” she said while Hunter winced at the memory. “You’re better off without him. You don’t need him,” she told the boy.

Hunter looked away from everyone for a moment. Luz was right. He didn’t need him, and probably was better off without him, but… Hunter couldn’t help but press his lips into a thin line before he glanced back at them.

“Shouldn’t all of this be my choice?” he asked.

“Hunter…” Willow said, quietly.

“He’s the one who has hurt me,” Hunter said firmly. “I should be the one to decide if I’m done with him or not.”

Camila wanted to argue with Hunter, knowing the dangers of letting Philip get too close. But at the same time, she couldn’t take the boy’s choice away, even though… he probably wasn’t sure what really was the best thing for him.

“I’m not stupid enough to fall for his lies again,” Hunter said. “And if he stays out there, it’s not good for any of us, either. He’s not resting well. Willow and I just saw him struggle with the curse for a moment too, so if he loses control again, well, that’s just going to cause us problems. So yeah, I want him to come back, and maybe having him do something I want can be a compromise in a way.”

“Well, what do you want him to do?” Willow asked curiously.

“Um… I don’t know…” Hunter let out, as he wasn’t prepared for such a question. “I kind of want him to do something with me. Maybe… weld some stuff in the garage? He’s really good at inventing things. I always enjoyed watching him make stuff.”

“No, no, maybe think of something where both of you are engaging,” Willow said.

“Like… sparring…?” Hunter asked lamely.

Camila sighed. That poor boy… Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised by his response. Hunter didn’t have any sort of hobbies when he arrived on Earth. And she doubted Philip would knit with Hunter, even though picturing him engaging in such activity was pretty funny. Then Camila had an idea.

“What about a jigsaw puzzle?” she suggested, making the witch children look at her with confusion.

“What’s that?” Amity asked.

“Oh, let me show you guys!” Vee said with excitement and eagerly went upstairs.

Luz wanted to continue arguing with Hunter about letting Belos back into the house, but… she knew she shouldn’t. Just like she couldn’t tell Amity what to do with her relationship with her mother. She could give her girlfriend advice, but she couldn’t demand anything. Though… she could think of something to make sure Belos doesn’t try to manipulate Hunter…

“Don’t worry, mija, they won’t be alone,” Camila told her daughter. She had seen Luz’s troubled expression. “I’ll be there.”

Luz sighed.

“Mama…”

“Mija, I told you to have more faith in your mom.”

Vee returned with a puzzle depicting a starry night, glued on a thin wooden board. All the teen witches gathered around it.

“Whoa,” Gus let out, amazed.

“So, you take pieces of different shapes and images and put them together to create a beautiful picture,” Vee explained.

“That’s cool,” Hunter said, though he couldn’t imagine Belos doing a puzzle with him. It just seemed out of character for the old man. However… the boy didn’t have any better ideas, so he guessed he could try to do this activity with him.

Camila suggested to Hunter they should go to the store to buy a puzzle for him. She also said she had to pick some stuff up from the store. So, Gus, Camila, and Hunter went together to the store, leaving the rest behind at the house.

Camila stopped at the men’s clothing aisle when they first arrived at the store.

“Should probably pick a few things for him,” she said as she grabbed some sweatpants and long sleeve shirts. She had somewhat estimated the man’s size based on the jacket and help from Hunter.

“You know, it’s so weird to see him wear stuff like these,” Hunter said as he held up one of the long sleeve black shirts.

“Yeah, but I can’t really imagine him wearing anything else by the way he carries himself,” Camila said and grabbed a hoodie too before she went to a different aisle to pick up some scrunchies for Philip’s hair. She imagined he didn’t want to cut it off based on how long it was, so he probably would like it tied up more often. She even picked up some socks and some boxers. Did… men like Philip wear… underwear…?

They finally arrived at the toy aisle, where Hunter and Gus would spend some time looking through toys in awe. She had offered to buy them some in the past, but they would always be so quick to refuse. They always seemed like they felt bad at having her spend money on them.

“Oh!” Gus let out as he found the perfect puzzle for Hunter, but quickly kept it hidden behind his back when he approached the other two, who looked at him with confusion. “We should keep it a secret what the picture is till you finish putting it together,” the boy suggested.

“Hmm… sure, why not?” Hunter offered him an amused smile, now excited to work on the puzzle more than ever.

Camila paid for everything, and she couldn’t help but also smile at the puzzle that Gus had chosen. She knew the boy was going to love it.

When they walked out, they were met with heavy rain. They quickly ran into the van so they wouldn’t get too wet. As they drove back, the rain just got worse. Camila noticed Hunter, who sat in the passenger’s seat, quietly petting his palisman softly. He looked deep in thought. Flapjack just stared at him, giving him a worried look.

“I’m coming with you,” she said to Hunter.

“It’s okay. Willow said she’ll come with me,” Hunter said, not looking at her.

“You know, you can change your mind if you want,” she said. “You don’t owe him anything.”

“Yeah, I know,” Hunter responded, his gaze fixed on the window as raindrops pelted against it. “But… something is telling me to do this…”

The body should be ready…

Philip approached a green-looking hand sticking out of the red soil inside a dimly lit room. His tired blue eyes eyed the limb.

“I don’t know why you keep making them,” the shadow of the collector whined as it appeared on a wall beside Philip before moving around the room’s walls. “They’re all just going to betray you in the end.”

Philip ignored him and used the stone of his staff to cast an enchantment on the hand. Bit by bit, the hand gained an ivory color as he continued to send energy into it. The fingers twitched, which made Philip stop his spell and go over to the soil and dig through it before pulling out a body, but to his shock… it was…

A small one…

“Awww, he’s soooo cute,” the collector cooed at the small child that was curled up on Philip’s lap.

Philip stared down at the child, who looked like he was around 6 years of age.

But… How did this happen?

He followed through the steps he had always taken to make the clones, and they always came out as young adults. They never were… this small. Philip expected to be furious at the turn of events, especially as others would start asking questions as to what happened to his ‘right hand’ man, yet…

He felt calm.

“Can I please name him? Pretty please?” The collector begged as he ‘flew’ around the walls and ceiling.

Philip wrapped the child in his cloak before he carried him close to his chest as he made his way out of the room. He had to step out of the place before the boy woke up.

“I’ll be back for you later,” Philip told the shadow as he walked out of the area, leaving the Collector to whine about how he hated being left there since he was alone and had no one to talk to.

Philip walked through the dense forest, carrying the boy bundled in his robe, while he tried to plan his next moves. He felt the boy stir in his arms, which made Philip halt on his steps and look down to meet pink eyes groggily opening before they gazed up at him, dazed and confused.

“Wh…” the little boy had a difficult time speaking his first words.

Usually, Philip was ready to just tell the clones what he was, and what their mission was, but… Things were different now, since the clone was so young. The boy might, accidentally, tell someone without realizing it. So, he decided to handle this clone differently.

“Are you alright, Hunter?” he asked, bestowing a name upon the child. With a sigh of ‘relief’ he continued. “I was so worried you wouldn’t wake up.”

The little boy blinked at him with confusion, completely lost.

“Who… are you?” he asked quietly. “And… who’s Hunter…?”

Philip feigned a somber expression. “What’s the last thing you remember, my boy?”

“I… don’t remember anything,” the child replied in a hushed voice. “I… everything is… blank…”

“My poor boy… Your name is Hunter. I’m so sorry I was too late. I tried saving your parents, and I’m afraid whatever those wild witches did to you erased your memories,” Philip explained.

“Wild… witches…?” The boy tried to make sense of things, especially as he didn’t remember a thing.

“Don’t worry, Hunter, I’m here,” Philip said, adopting a solemn tone. “I’m your uncle, Belos, and I’ll protect you no matter what from now on,” he said, giving the boy a gentle smile. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you while I’m alive.”

Hunter regarded him before letting out a small smile, before he snuggled his head against Philip’s chest, his tiny hands gripping the man’s shirt, as if his life depended on it. The closeness made Philip freeze.

No clone… has ever gotten that physically close to him before.

“Okie…” the boy murmured as he closed his eyes, trusting the man completely, before drifting off to sleep once more.

Philip stood motionless, holding Hunter in his arms, and felt an emotion he hadn’t experienced in ages in his chest. It felt so....

Warm…

For so many years, he had thought he had imagined such a feeling a long time ago…

Yet now…

‘He isn’t real…’ the dark voice hissed in his head. ‘Don’t be so pathetic to believe one second he is…’

Philip closed his eyes, ignoring the voice in his head, and pulled the bundle closer to his chest before placing his chin on top of the boy’s head, letting himself, for once, to feel something more than just hatred… and emptiness… even though he also felt… sad…

The boy’s tiny form reminded him how small he was himself when his older brother became in charge of him as kids…

When he felt safe… and loved…

Thunder rumbling in the distance pulled Philip from his dreams. His eyes flickered open, tiredly, feeling empty… and so cold… For once, he wished he was back in his memories, even though he knew he shouldn’t waste his time remembering such moments from the past. He wasn’t sure why he remembered when Hunter was ‘born’. He figured he dreamt it because of digging so many holes and from the things he had said to Hunter the other day.

As he slowly set up, he realized he had once again slept in one hole he had dug and found himself this time with a small puddle of mud beneath him. He looked up to see that it was pouring rain, and he was drenched from head to toe, making his whole body feel like ice and ache. He raised a hand, feeling the cold droplets of water landing on it. It had been so long since he had felt human rain… Slowly, he climbed out of the hole, with a bit of difficulty due to the wet soil. Once he was out, he walked over to the river, the same one he had last seen his brother before he left for the Boiling Isles.

‘Wrong,’ the voice hissed.

Right…

His brother didn’t leave, he was taken away…

He looked away from the river and tried not to get irritated by the storm that kept him from digging further.

He began to walk alongside the river, silent, listening to the lighting strike the earth, making him recall when he was a young boy, he was so terrified of them. He wondered if Hunter would have been as well if he had heard thunderstorms on earth back in the day…

‘Pathetic,’ the voice hissed.

Philip agreed with the voice and tried to shove any thoughts of Hunter aside and tried to just focus on the sound his boots made when he stepped on wet ground.

He hoped the storm would end soon, since he didn’t want to feel so cold.

Sleeping in terrible weather wasn’t new to him. Back in the Boiling Isles, especially when he first arrived there, he had to get used to the terrible weather all by himself. He would desperately try to find cover, like a cave or under a tree, to hide from the acid rain.

‘Look at that pathetic human,’ a memory replayed in his mind, as he recalled how witches laughed at him when he first experienced their rain. He recalled how cold he felt those days…. how weak he felt… And how he felt so…

Philip clenched his teeth to ignore the last bit and tried to focus on something else, which led him to something that has been trying to crawl on his mind.

Once he fulfilled destroying all magic at the Boiling Isles, what… would he do when he returned to Earth?

Would humans go back to being normal?

He imagined humans were tainted by some magic reaching to Earth, and once that was gone…

Philip shook his head, to shake the exhaustion that was plaguing his mind, as the thoughts began to not make sense to him.

After a while, he stopped walking, not entirely sure where he was going or how far he was now from Luz’s home.

He was about to turn around, but then something caught his eye and before he knew it, he was struck from behind, sending him tumbling to the wet ground hard. His heart racing, he ignored how the impact had rattled his bones and scrambled to his feet. He found himself surrounded by four figures wearing black attire and helmets, each of them armed with weapons that had fiery auras.

The one that had tackled him loomed over him, his bulky frame was larger than the other three and it was encased in a gleaming suit of metal. Another of the figures raised their hands, a pair of metallic gloves blazing with the fire glyph Philip knew all too well. Philip’s mind raced to the first thought.

Witches.

Sharp claws formed at the ends of his fingers before he sprang aside just in time to avoid the fireballs the figure hurled his way, then narrowly dodged a savage blow from the wielder of a fiery blade.

He countered with his mutated mud-like arms, lashing out with vicious blows, but his foe was too quick, dodging each attack. The sword-wielder swung their blade down, and this time Philip caught it with his left hand, a searing pain radiating through it. Philip lashed out with his other arm, razor-sharp claws slicing into the attacker’s head. His foe narrowly evaded the attack, but their helmet went flying off of them before it hit the ground with a wet, loud clang, revealing the attacker’s round ears.

Philip’s eyes widened in shock. Time seemed to stand still for him as he stared at the human in front of him.

“You’re… human,” Philip let out in disbelief, but a brutal punch that slammed into his face interrupted his shock, sending him crashing to the ground once more. The metal suit man towered over him, landing another blow to Philip’s head, making it spun in agony. The man was ready to deliver another bone-shattering blow, but Philip caught the incoming arm with his mud-like arm out of pure instinct.

He used the strength of his cursed body to haul himself up with the metal man’s arm and to jump over the group of men surrounding him. He landed a few feet away from them and turned to face them, chest heaving for breath. He grabbed on to his head in pain as green ooze dribbled down his nose and mouth, body aching as well.

So many questions were racing through Philip’s head. He honestly believed his attackers were witches, but somehow, they were humans that wield magic.

Were these humans corrupted by witches or were they attacking him because they believed he was a demon himself, especially since he did kind of recall attacking humans that one night when he lost control… They probably thought he was a threat.

But were all of them using magic? And if so, how was that possible?

The attackers surged forward, forcing Philip to step back, unconsciously trying to put some distance between himself and the humans. He quickly forced his claws away before he raised his mutated hands.

“Wait,” he rasped, his voice rough with exhaustion. “I’m not your enemy. I’m human. My name is Philip Wittebane,” he tried to explain himself as he quickly added, “I’m not here to harm anyone.”

But the man that was missing his helmet sneered at him, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“As if we’re going to believe a monster,” he spat, gripping the handle tighter of their fiery sword before lunging at him again. Philip jumped far off from them again before dodging a few fireballs coming his direction.

The human’s hostility towards him confirmed one of his suspicions.

“Listen to me. I’m not what you think I am. I’m not a monster. I’m also a witch hunter,” Philip tried to explain, ignoring the frustration growing in him as the sword wielder closed on him. “I’m on your side!” He blocked the swing of the fiery blade. The flames on it grew blue, and it tore through Philp’s right arm. He ignored the agony radiating through his body and took this chance to lash out with his left hand, striking the person’s sword arm and knocking the weapon out of their grasp. The sword clattered to the ground just as Philip knocked the man back by landing a front kick to the man’s stomach.

“Just listen!” Philip snapped at them with desperation before suddenly feeling a sharp pain shoot through his left leg. He looked down and saw a metallic wire coiled around his ankle before it sent electric bolts shooting through him. He gasped as excruciating agony made his body tremble and convulse just as another metallic wire shot at him, but this time around his one arm and torso, sending more bolts through him; the rain falling on him made the pain worse.

Philip hit the ground, writhing in pain as he tried to struggle against his restraints, but the shock coursing through his body was too much for him to bear. He could feel his muscles seizing up and his limbs going numb as the wires tightened around him. His vision became a blur and his head spun more than it was already. He could barely see through the haze of pain as he saw the figure who was attached to the wires got closer to him. Philip closed his eyes hard as he also felt his body contort again, his skin morphing to the green substance.

No, no, no… he couldn’t lose control right now. But if he did nothing soon, he was going to lose consciousness soon and who knows what these men were going to do to him.

“They’re corrupted,” the dark voice hissed. “Fight back!”

But he couldn’t harm his fellow humans. He was supposed to be protecting them!

Maybe if he was able to break free, he should run off, so he doesn’t end up hurting them.

The pain grew, and for a moment, his mind became foggy.

‘Kill them!’ the dark voice screamed at him.

Rage and desperation consumed Philip as his eyes shot open with a blue flash. He roared as he let the curse surge a bit, breaking free from the wire restraints around his upper body and tore through the wire around his leg. He leapt at the man closest to him. The man tried to shoot another wire at him, but Philip jumped to the side fast, then lunged at him, claws piercing through the man’s chest.

Philip didn’t think twice as he flung the man’s limp body to the side. He tackled the sword-wielding man down to the ground and smashed through his skull with a sickening crunch with his fist, blood spurted on him. With one fluid motion, his arm shot out to seize the fiery sword lying on the ground and hurled it with all his might. It sliced through the air with a fierce, blazing trail before it impaled into the fireball shooter’s chest, killing him instantly.

“I told you… I didn’t want to hurt any of you,” Philip’s voice growled darkly before he looked up with his blue glowing eyes full of rage at the last man standing. “Why didn’t you listen to me?!” he roared with anger as the green substance spread over his whole face.

The armor man stood tall, his hands crackling with energy. He aimed and sound waves slammed at Philip hard. Philip’s whole body screamed in agony, but he pushed against it, his rage growing worse and with a monstrous roar, Philip let the curse flow more as his arm shot forward, tearing the metal arms off one by one from the armored man as if they were made of paper.

The man stumbled back as Philip charged, slamming him to the ground before Philip ripped the metal armor off him piece by piece and without realizing it, Philip was ripping flesh and bones, blood splattering everywhere. Philip’s furious roars and the thunder from the storm drowned the man’s screams, leaving nothing of the man’s chest except torn flesh…

Chapter Text

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What… has he done…?

Philip was sitting on top of the torn mess of a body for what he felt like an eternity, his breathing ragged; he didn’t realize his head was ringing painfully from the assaults it had endured. His body slightly trembled from shock and pain. The curse was still spread all over his face as he slowly turned to the scene surrounding him with wide, glowing eyes. Bodies were lying on the ground, blood pooling around them and mixing with the rainwater that was pouring down from the sky. The water turned dark red as it washed over the wrecked bodies, carrying away the blood in rivulets that flowed over the ground. The metallic stench of blood burned his nostrils.

He looked back down and shakingly pulled his left clawed hand from the shredded flesh. Blood stained his arm, the rain barely washing off what he had done. Philip felt his eyes sting, and he quickly closed them as he tried to hold back the flood of emotions that were suffocating him. He felt sick and filled with shame.

He told himself that he tried stopping the humans, but they didn’t listen. The last thing he wanted was to kill them, and the only reason he did so was to defend himself, yet… did he really have to kill them?

Something deep whispered to him he could have handled everything differently. He could have disarmed them and ran off if he didn’t panic.

‘But they were corrupted…’ the voice told him, trying to assure he didn’t do anything wrong.

But… were they really corrupted…?

‘Of course, they were... They were using magic.’

But… from what Philip saw, the humans believed he was a monster. They probably were using magic to fight back, just like he had done against witches.

The voice said nothing to Philip’s thoughts this time, leaving him to feel guilt from the possibility that he killed innocent humans. His chest clenched painfully as he kept replaying how he crushed each human, how he didn’t hold back, taking them down one by one without hesitation, just like a monster would do. A demon…

“Well… from what I see and everything you have done according to the children, are you even a man?” Camila’s voice, from a memory, played in his mind, questioning what he was.

The way his had hand went through the first man’s chest flashed in his mind.

‘Are you even a man?’

The way he had crushed the second’s head before impaling the third’s chest flickered in his head.

‘Are you even a man?’

So much blood, bone, tissue… the last man had stopped screaming, but he had kept clawing through him like a ravaged beast.

‘Are you even a man?’

Philip’s shoulders trembled worse. His teeth clenched hard.

He wasn’t a demon.

He didn’t want to kill any of them!

‘It had to be done,’ the dark voice coldly said.

Philip did his best to shove what he had done in the back of his mind and try to force himself to feel nothing so he could gather his thoughts, to build the walls back around his mind, to convince himself he did nothing wrong. If he had more time to himself, he would have stopped feeling guilty, but…

“Oh, my titan…”

Philip’s body went rigid as a faint, yet familiar, voice whispered above him. His eyes were wide as he slowly looked up, and through his messy of wet hair, he saw Hunter, Amity, and Willow flying on their staffs, their eyes locked in shock at the massacre below.

Guilt crashed onto him just when a thunder struck the lands. He desperately wished to tell them he didn’t mean to harm the humans, but his mouth refused to move, and instead he turned his head back down to the lifeless corpse beneath him, as he tried his best to keep his heart from racing.

Hunter was completely frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Belos has hurt and killed too many people for centuries.” Words he had told his friends played in his mind as he looked at one mangled body after the other. “He’s a terrible man who doesn’t care who he hurts. He’s a monster, and… he’s never going to stop hurting others.” His lips trembled as he stared at the blood staining the earth. “So… we have to stop him for good, no matter what.”

He had warned his friends. He knew Belos was dangerous, yet he was a fool to think for one moment anything else. He was so naïve to have thought that maybe, Belos had a heart somewhere deep inside.

The lives lost were on him now, for letting his feelings blind him from the truth. He let these humans die by letting Belos free.

Luz was right.

Philip would never change.

Philip was a monster.

“Hunter…?” Willow managed to let out after struggling to gather her thoughts after being stricken by the horror underneath them. The three had been dead silent for a dreadful moment and the only things they could hear were the droplets hitting their raincoats.

Hunter found both girls looking at him with petrified looks, but also waiting for him to make a call on what they should do.

“We need to throw him back into the basement and keep him there,” Hunter said coldly. “Imprison him like Luz had planned before.”

“We should get the others, then. We can’t fight him by ourselves,” Amity whispered, barely able to keep her voice from sounding nervous, especially as she was afraid Belos might hear them and attack.

Hunter’s shoulders quivered as he looked back down at Belo’s form.

‘He’s a monster, and… he’s never going to stop hurting others.”

“We don’t have time to get the others.” Hunter’s hands clenched on his staff tightly. His eyes narrowed down at Belos. “He looks tired, so this is our chance. We can’t risk him having him escape and hurting more innocent people.”

Willow and Amity looked at one another, as if trying to read each other’s minds, before they glanced back at Hunter and gave him a curt nod, doing their best to gain some courage.

“Let’s do it,” Willow said.

Hunter stopped clutching his staff and took a firm grip on girls’ shoulders. He teleported them behind Belos.

Willow and Amity acted in sync. Both jumped off their staffs before Willow ensnared Belos with roots while Amity created purple ooze that hardened around the restraints, trapping his torso.

Philp hadn’t moved at the slightest, especially when they restrained him. His head bowed and his teeth clenched tight, trying to suppress his emotions that kept wanting to drag him down.

“Well, that was easier than I thought,” Amity breathed a sigh of relief after a couple of minutes of her and Willow on guard before realizing Philip wasn’t going to do anything.

Once she relaxed, she looked around the scene. She couldn’t help but also notice the sword sticking out from someone’s chest and metal wires that lay on the ground. Something seemed off to her. The humans didn’t look ordinary based on what they were wearing. She also noticed scorched marks on certain tree trunks. “What should we do about… you know…?” She motioned the other two to the scene.

“We can’t do anything for them,” Hunter said, still on his staff before he began to float up. “Let’s not waste any time. We need to leave now before someone sees us.”

“Alright,” Amity said as she attached some of her sticky goop to latch on one end of Philip while Willow secured the other end with a sturdy root, allowing them to transport Philip while they flew on their staffs. Hunter remained quiet as he trailed behind, holding back tears of frustration.

None of them spoke a word as they reached the old house. As Philip’s eyes landed on the house, he jolted back to reality and began to writhe in an attempt to break free from the goop and root restraints.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Willow said, her eyes glowed bright green as she rose a hand up. A barrage of pulsating green roots shot out of the front door of the house, wrapping around Philip and dragging him inside at a breakneck speed.

“Now I’ll get the others,” Hunter told the other two. “I’m counting on you two to keep him from escaping.”

“Yeah, we got this,” Willow gave him a confident smile before Hunter flew back to Luz’s house.

“Belos killed four humans,” Hunter didn’t waste a second to say with coldness to the group in the living room after barging into the house.

“He did what?” Camila’s eyes went wide with shock.

“We found him, on top of someone he tore apart. It was terrible.” Hunter felt his eyes burn, and he again tried not to tear up. He was avoiding looking at anyone who were looking at him with disbelief. “Three other bodies were there, too.”

“Damn it,” Luz slammed a fist on the couch’s armrest that she was next to. “I knew something like this was going to happen.”

“Where’s the others?” Gus asked with worry when he didn’t see Amity or Willow walking in at any moment.

“They’re holding Belos back in the basement at the other house,” Hunter said, before turning to Luz. “We should… probably go with what you planned the other day,” he let out, ignoring how tight his throat got as he spoke.

“What about the portal?” Vee asked, quietly.

“We got almost everything to make it,” Hunter said. “We don’t need him anymore…”

Luz got off the couch and gave Hunter a curt nod.

Camila followed the kids out of the house. Her mind was racing. More than ever now did she want to keep the kids away from Philip. Especially since Hunter just told them Philip had torn someone apart.

But why would he kill random humans so suddenly? Did he just snap from everything that has happened till now?

She didn’t bother taking an umbrella as they ran through the forest and to the old, abandoned house.

Once inside the basement, they all found Philip trapped in a writhing mass of roots, ensnared from every direction, forced on his knees.

“You stupid witches, release me now!” Philip barked in a raspy voice, thrashing wildly against the restraints, his hair was plastered to his skull, drenched, and disheveled. Despite his fury, he was weakened from the electric shock of the bolts that had hit him. The ringing in his head was bothering him, too. He saw Luz and the rest of the group walking downstairs.

His eyes met Luz’s, who was watching him with a dark expression, her eyes smoldering with anger.

“We had a deal!” he spat out, his rage mounting. “We made an eternal oath!”

“The oath never said anything about not keeping you imprisoned,” Amity clarified.

“And the oath was a lie!” Luz yelled back at Belos with a satisfaction, especially when she saw Philip stopped fighting against his restraints and stared at Luz, in shock. “It was all an illusion, and you fell for it.”

She… tricked him… again?!

And he fell for her deception, again?!

“Luz!” Amity was in disbelief her girlfriend would reveal their trick like that.

“It’s okay. Hunter said we have what we need from him,” she said, her words measured, cold. “He gave us the instructions and the list. All we need is the Titan’s blood. We don’t need him anymore.”

Philip glared daggers at Luz.

“You… insolent… brat,” he seethed before the curse started to act up again with him as he felt anger boil in his soul. His glare shifted to Hunter. “You are just like the rest of those worthless backstabbing clones! I should have gotten rid of you ages ago!”

“Since he can’t really die, I guess we shouldn’t worry about cutting off his breathing,” Luz said to the group.

Everyone was taken aback at Luz’s words.  

“You mean… we should just…” Gus hesitantly asked before turning to Hunter who firmly had his eyes set up at Philip, his eyes shaking slightly.

“Yeah, do it,” Hunter said, trying his best to maintain a strong front. Even though his heart was clenching.

Amity felt a twinge of unease. The sword sticking out of someone’s body and the burns on some of the trees were flashing in her mind like alarms, warning her that something didn’t seem right. Humans, from what she had seen out in public and from ‘realistic’ movies, didn’t carry swords, and where did the burn marks come from? The gruesome scene that had greeted them when they arrived in the forest was still fresh in her mind, and now, as she watched Philip trash around in his restraints, she couldn’t help but wonder if they were making a mistake.

“Wait, hold up, maybe let’s think things through first,” Gus stepped in, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over the group. Amity mentally agreed with him. They need to make sure they had all the facts before they did anything rash, even though Philip was their enemy.

But the vicious blue glow from Philip’s eyes made Amity’s fear flare up and get to work alongside Willow.  Amity had the purple goop pull away from the walls and travel along the roots before it began to spread over Philip’s form.

Philip felt the purple substance covering him and slowly hardening before more layers were added to one another. Panic gripped Philip as he realized what the kids were planning to do with him. His eyes shot up at Hunter with desperation.

“You can’t do this!” he shouted, mixed with rage and desperation, still trying to use the curse to burst out of there, but it was futile. His body was too exhausted to handle the curse. The throbbing pain in his head grew worse.

Hunter maintained a cold, steady gaze at Philip, saying nothing to him. Willow also started to feel a pang of sympathy for the trapped man, but she believed that what they were doing was for the best of all of them.

Philip was losing mobility now in his body as each second passed. Terror now grasped Philip as his heart raced terribly against his chest at the fact he was basically being buried alive.

“I didn’t want to kill them,” he now stumbled on his words, his eyes darting to each of Luz’s friends before landing on Hunter. “I tried stopping them, but they wouldn’t listen to me. They thought I was some monster!”

“Hmm, that sounds familiar…” Luz mumbled to him. “Just like you wouldn’t listen to the innocent people who you killed after you accused them of being witches,” Luz said lowly, making Philip glare back at her.

“They were witches!” Philip snapped back.

“No, they weren’t. They were human,” Luz retorted. “Cause if they were actually witches, Belos, they would have never let terrible humans like you guys kill them. They would have fought back with their magic!”

For a moment, everything seemed to halt for Philip, his eyes slowly widened as Luz’s words slammed into him, hard.

The memories he had buried deep within him started resurfacing, the memories of the innocent people pleading for mercy before they were hanged or burned alive. Doubts he had long forgotten started clawing their way back into his mind.

Now, the question that he never once thought of was echoing in his head. If those people were witches, why didn’t they use their magic to fight back or escape?

No… there was no way…

But…

The minister had said…

The only other human he had killed was his brother. There was no way he had killed other humans before that.

But…

Philip hoped the dark voice would say something to argue back to Luz’s statement, but it remained silent, leaving him alone with his dread and panic that he was having as the belief he had killed innocent humans was crashing into him.

“And even if they were witches, killing them was wrong,” Luz stated coldly. “You’re nothing but a monster, Belos.”

Hunter looked away this time, unable to witness the scene unfolding before him.

The purple goo and the roots pressed against Philip’s chest now, making it hard for him to breathe. It felt like a boulder was crushing him.

No… no, no, no, he couldn’t let this happen.

“Hunter, you have to listen to me,” Philip pleaded, desperation clear in his voice to the boy.

‘Philip, you have to listen to me.”

Philip ignored the memory of his brother begging to him to hear him out many decades ago as he felt himself almost hyperventilate. He knew if he lost consciousness, he would stay like that forever, unless they decide to release him, which he doubted they would do. They would leave him in this basement, imprisoned, forever.

Hunter’s hands turned into shaky fists, as he told himself he was making the right decision. Even though his chest was twisting and turning painfully, even though his eyes stung with hot tears, even though he knew how cruel it was to do what they were doing to Belos, they had to do it. They were going to seal him up somehow anyway in the Boiling Isles once they arrived back, so why not keep him locked up for now?

Since Hunter was not meeting his eyes, Philip desperately glanced at Gus, who was staring at the scene with wide eyes. “They attacked me out of nowhere and used magic on me! I didn’t want to kill those humans. I lost control!” he said, hoping the youngest member of the group would help him like he had been doing in the past days.

Gus noticed the horns on Philip’s head were shrinking, and the green curse was fading away. He furrowed his eyebrows, unsure why the curse vanishing.

“Look at my memories!” Philip now let out to Gus. “You’ll see they attacked first!”

“Don’t do it, Gus,” Luz said to the boy, as she knew there was a potential risk of Gus triggering Philip’s curse even more.

But Philip was beyond desperate. “Please, just look at my memories!” he pleaded before roots wrapped around Philip’s neck. “I didn’t want to kill them!” The purple ooze was now encasing over his mouth before a blue flash hit his mind making Philip imagine he was small again, with massive hands around his tiny neck, cutting off the air from him.

Oh, how he wanted to scream for his brother, oh how he wanted desperately for the pain and the terror to stop, as his tiny hands clawed at the man’s hands and wrists.

Dark spots clouded his sight, but he could still see the silhouette of his brother running downstairs with something long and heavy.

Philip needed him.

He needed his brother.

He needed-

Suddenly, the memory shifted to others in a quick flash before it played how he tried to stop the humans from attacking him, how they deemed him a monster before struck him. They beat him down, cut off his arm, electrocuted him before he just let the curse take over out of desperation to save himself. Then the memory stopped abruptly.

“He’s telling the truth! He’s telling the truth! Let him go now!” Gus yelled at everyone fast once his eyes stopped glowing blue. He ran past everyone and dashed over to where the purple ooze was pulling away from Philip’s head and neck.

Philip found himself coughing and gasping to get air into his lungs, his vision was black spotted. The purple substance and the roots pulled away from his chest, helping him take in air better, but the ringing in his head was worse and he tried to make sense of things, especially after he had relived countless memories in an instant.

The restraints around Philip pulled away, allowing him to collapse on the ground. He rolled to his side, wheezing as his left hand clutched his chest.

“You’re going to be okay,” Gus comforted Philip as he kneeled next to him, his hands hesitantly hovering over the shaking form of the man. “Just breathe,” he said softly.

Philip didn’t realize Luz was arguing with the group as he struggled to breathe.

“Luz, no one can trick Gus when he looks into their memories,” Willow said to Luz, who was trying to convince them that Belos was tricking them somehow.

“But he’s still dangerous,” Luz argued. “Even if the other humans attacked him, he didn’t have to kill them.”

“What if he didn’t have a choice?” Amity hesitantly asked. “I saw some things at the scene that didn’t make sense to me,” she said. “I saw a sword, and some trees had burn marks, as if someone used fireballs at them.”

“But, humans can’t use magic…” Vee said silently.

“Well, either way, he now knows the oath was a lie,” Luz said stubbornly. “He has no reason to hold back from hurting us now, so we have to lock him up now.”

“We’re not locking him up cause you messed up and told him about the oath,” Hunter said quietly, making Luz look at him with confusion. He was avoiding eye contact with her, as guilt was hitting him like a ton of bricks as he saw Philip struggling to sit up with the only arm he had as the right one was completely cut off from underneath the elbow.

Hunter had messed up big time. He was too busy focusing how Philip killed humans back at the forest that he didn’t bother to notice what Amity had seen. He hadn’t noticed how badly injured Belos was. He didn’t take one moment to see someone was out after the man.

Hunter wanted to run over to Philip, beg for forgiveness, but instead he clenched his teeth hard, angry at the people who had attacked Belos and at himself for rushing to pass judgement, and ran upstairs.

“Hunter, wait!” Willow called before she ran after the boy.

“Wait, Willow!” Luz yelled after her too. “We can’t let him-” she was cut off by her mom grabbing her by the shoulder and gently squeezed it, making Luz look up at her with confusion.

“Mija, go back to the house,” Camila said her before she pulled away to approach where Gus was.

“Wait, mama,” Luz grabbed her by the back of her sweater. “Por favor, don’t believe his lies!”

“Mija, remember, I told you have to trust me more,” Camila reminded her. “I don’t think he’s really a danger to us right now. If there were people who sought him out and attacked him for being a monster, then that means there are people out there after him. He’s going to need our help, so he knows it’s in his best interest to play nice with us for now. Vee, could you take Luz back to the house, please?” she asked her second daughter who gave her a nod.

“Pero, mama.”

“I’ll be here in case,” Amity assured Luz. She could see her girlfriend was not handling the situation well right now.

Luz pressed her lips into a thin line and at first struggled from Vee pulling her upstairs with her. She turned to where Philip was, finally sitting up, his left hand clutching the end of the right one that was cut off halfway, green substance oozed out of it as if it was blood. Philip’s shoulders shook as she could hear him roughly breathing while he stared down at the ground, looking greyish and sickly.

She had just realized the curse had almost hidden away from him completely, which made him look so vulnerable. Luz felt something in her chest tighten at the sight of him, a feeling she didn’t want to have associated with him, but she shoved it away as she turned to walk upstairs with Vee.

Camila sighed in relief that her daughter left the scene and both she and Amity went over to Philip.

“He’s having trouble breathing,” Gus said to Camila with worry.

Camila got down to her knees and reached out to him, but quickly Philip flinched away from her, as if he expected her to strike him again.

She pulled back, feeling bad that she frightened him, at the moment.

“Don’t... touch me…” he struggled to say as he growled after he gathered his bearings.

Camila sighed, slightly in relief to see he was his usual self instead of the traumatic mess, as she didn’t want to feel so conflicted with her opinions for him right now. She was terrified of him, especially with the blood stains hanging on his shirt. She felt safe though with Amity standing right beside them, some of the purple ooze lingering around her arms in case she had to defend them from Philip.

Though, she was wondering why the curse was now barely showing on his body…

“Can you stand?” Camila asked Philip who took a deep shaky breath before he tried pushing himself up with his good arm before he collapsed back to his knees. He grabbed his head, face pinching in pure agony.

“Some armored guy punched him a couple of times,” Gus mumbled to Camila.

“He may have a concussion then,” she said, and expected the man’s pain was going to be worse after the stress and panic he had just gone through. She saw through his wet locks he had some bruising and swelling making its way on his human skin, making her heart twist. “Come on, let’s get you out of here,” she said to Philip gently, and this time, he let her pull him up by her throwing an arm around his waist and his left arm over her shoulders.  

Rain poured down on Hunter’s face as he flew through the forest with Willow following him. Hunter was determined to go back to the scene they had found Belos in and get as much information they could get on whoever had attacked him, to make up for screwing things up.

“Hunter, wait,” Willow called out as she continued to fly after him, trying to keep up with his speed.

Hunter came to a sudden stop, his eyes closed as he shook his head in disbelief. “Why do I keep messing up?” Hunter asked with frustration and sadness, tears now streamed down his cheeks, mixed with the rain.

“Hunter, we all make mistakes,” Willow quietly, trying to comfort him as she hovered near him and gently squeezed his left arm. “We all assumed he killed those humans for no reason.”

Hunter took a deep breath and wiped away his tears even though it didn’t do much. “But I was trained to be a soldier, a great one at that, and I just let my emotions get in the way instead of analyzing things.”

“Hunter, for one, you’re still a teenager,” Willow said. “We teens are still growing so we’re going to end up making a lot of mistakes either way, but in general, everyone, even adults, make mistakes. Like heck, look at Belos, even now he’s making so many and he’s super old.”

“But I should be better,” Hunter mumbled quietly, he gently pulled away from Willow’s grasp.

“Where are you going?” Willow decided to ask instead.

“I need to see who these humans were and why they decided to go after Belos,” he said. “From how badly injured he was, they are dangerous, and they may be bad news for us too. Because no human, at least from what Luz had told us in the past, is able to do actual magic here,” he said before he continued to fly. Willow followed him closely.

Hunter frowned as he was looking around, expecting to have come across the bodies again, but they were nowhere to be seen.

“Did we…. somehow missed them?” Willow called out to him.

 Hunter turned around and lowered himself to the ground, scanning the area as he flew between the trees. Finally, he spotted a scorched mark on one of the trees. He stopped flying and stepped off his staff.  He kneeled to the ground and studied it, finding evidence of the fight.  

“It was here,” Hunter said to Willow when she landed next to him. “The bodies should have been here.”

“But they’re all gone…” Willow said quietly, completely confused how each of the brutalized body was removed from the scene.

“There is no sight of Belo’s arm either…” Hunter said as he was walked, scanning the area. “I think… we weren’t alone when we found Belos…” he said to Willow as she stared at him before both jumped, their backs against one another s they glanced around while they were on defensive positions.

They heard nothing but rain fall and saw nothing but darkness between the trees.

Suddenly, Hunter grabbed her arm and zipped them away from the area a bit, as they realized whoever attacked Belos wasn’t done yet.

Philip sat in the bathroom, his body was completely dried after Camila asked Amity if she could dry him off with her magic, which she did, but he was still coated with dirt and dry blood. His long hair was a matted mess.

Camila turned off the faucets once she was finished filling the tub with warm water.

She went over to him. He hadn’t said a word since they left the old house.

His eyes were somewhat glazed over, spacing out.

She couldn’t blame him being so out of it. He had been attacked by humans that somehow used magic on him, well… supposedly, and then later Philip had almost been ‘buried’ alive, so it was most likely Philip was shaken up of the whole ordeal.

She hoped helping him wash up and let him get some rest would help him, even though bathing him wasn’t something she was looking forward to doing, but it was the least she could do after what the kids had put him through.

Yeah, just because he had done terrible things to the kids, didn’t give them the right to do anything terrible back. Two wrongs didn’t make a right, after all.

“Come on, let’s get you in,” she said as she was pulling his boots off.  Philip didn’t respond till she tried to undo one of his buttons from his shirt, which made Philip stiffen and pull away from her, his left-hand clutching to it. Even though he looked like a tired kicked puppy, he managed to give her a mix look of bewilderment and hostility.

“What… are you doing?” he let out with a slurred voice.

“I’m helping you wash up. You’re not in the state to do it by yourself and I’m for sure not leaving you alone while you have a concussion.”

Philip’s eyebrows furrowed with confusion and from frustration when he asked, “What’s… a concussion…?”

“It’s a type of traumatic injury to the brain,” Camila explained to him patiently. “And you’re showing signs that you’re suffering from one, especially by how you kept losing your balance on the way back here.”

Philip slowly took in her explanation, the ringing still pounding in his head.

“I’m…assuming the… ringing in my… head is also… a symptom…?” he took his time to get each word out as coherent as he could, even though he just felt exhausted.

“I’m afraid so,” Camila said, and kind of feeling bad for the man as she doubted he would take any medicine she offered. She wondered if anything would help him since his body was just on a different level to the rest of them. Yet… maybe he wasn’t so different by the fact he was suffering from a head injury like any other human being would if their head connected to the ground after getting punched to the face with metallic fists. “Now, come on, let me just undo this,” she said as pried off his hand gently so she could unbutton his shirt for him. If Philip’s head wasn’t pounding on him or if he didn’t feel utterly exhausted, he would never have let anyone undress him. The only other person who had seen him naked was his brother when they were kids, when Philip used to bathe him as a child. She pulled him up to his feet, and he had to hold on to her shoulder as the world seemed to spin on him. “You’re alright,” she assured him, holding on to his waist, to keep him grounded.  

“I can… wash myself,” he said stubbornly, his eyes were closed, and his breathing had become slightly rough from moving.

“No, you can’t,” Camila argued, patiently, pulling his shirt off, which made him shy away from her. She tried not to look at him as she could tell he looked very uncomfortable showing too much skin.

He was grateful she didn’t make him take off his trousers before he was helped sit in the tub full of warm water. He was avoiding eye contact with her, especially when he noticed she had a shock look to her eyes.

Camila didn’t say anything. His body was lean, with well-defined muscles, but she couldn’t help but stare at what looked like a canvas of scars with some of the green curse hugging his body. Some scars were thin and white, barely visible against his pale skin, while others were deep and pronounced. The ones on his back were the ones that caught her attention, a web of crisscrossing lines, the green curse laying there. She couldn’t help but imagine they had come from a brutal whipping, which made her feel sick at whoever had done such a thing to Philip, unless she guessed it was probably from a well-deserved punishment like for killing someone, but something told her that wasn’t the case, which made her stomach drop. Majority of the scars looked old, the skin around them puckered and discolored with age.

She continued to study the scars and her gaze drifted down to his arms, especially the left one since the right was half gone. There were a series of symbols etched into his skin, as if they were carved into his flesh with a knife. She couldn’t help but pull his left arm to look at it closer before she realized the symbols weren’t just any random symbols, but where the glyphs her daughter had been teaching in the past months.

Philip did his best to pull away his arm, pressing it against his chest as if to hide it from her like an injured dog; to hide one of the biggest mistakes he had done in his life.

The bathroom fell silent, while Camila held herself back from asking him why he had the glyphs carved onto his skin? Did he do it to himself? If he did, then why would he do something so… horrifically dangerous?

Even if she still didn’t know everything about the glyphs, just the thought of carving them permanently into one’s skin was something she wouldn’t have dared to do.

And by the way Philip was holding his arm from her sight, she could tell he didn’t seem so proud of having them on his arms either now.

She also couldn’t help but feel her stomach drop at what had made him so desperate to had taken a knife to his own flesh, carving himself up almost as if he was a Halloween pumpkin instead of just using ink.  Now, that she thought about it, she looked to his ears, and yes… she had been wondering for a while how he had pointy ears as like a witch if he was human, but when she got a closer look, she saw the ends of each ear were tapered to a sharp point, evidence he had probably sliced them off himself.

Camila slightly pulled away from him, kind of uneasy that he had cut himself up, confirming her opinion more than ever the man was very disturbed.

‘Come on, Camila, pull yourself together,’ she told herself when she noticed how tensed Philip’s back was to her. She wanted to apologize to him for staring, and for making him feel so uncomfortable, but… she was afraid to make him feel worse by making him know she was judging his self-mutilation. He had already gone through too much that day.

She grabbed a bowl that she had placed by the side of the tub and scoop up some water before pouring it over Philip’s head.

Philip’s muscles continued to be tense, especially as he felt so exposed. He hadn’t been bathed by anyone but his brother and that was when he was little. He tried to focus on the ringing in his head, as he pressed his forehead against his knees, though, he slowly began to relax as Camila, carefully, scrubbed shampoo over his head. The warm water and her soothing touch felt like a balm to his weary body, and he couldn’t help, but close his eyes, remembering when his brother would leather the shampoo on his head gently, before he had grown and told Caleb he was old enough to wash himself alone and did so for the first time when he was six.

He recalled Caleb smiling at him proudly before he said, ‘Look at you, so grown up.’

Now Philip had wished he wasn’t in such a rush, when he was a child, to grow up…

Philip felt a wave of emotions wash over him, as Camila poured warm water over his head, to wash away the shampoo. The warmness brought a sense of nostalgia, comforting him, helping him for a moment soothe away the dread he was still feeling from getting trapped underneath Willow’s roots and Amity’s purple ooze.

Philip curled up a bit as he couldn’t help but do his best to keep the tears from escaping, as his desire to be back in his young years was crashing down on him, but… he was just so… tired… to hold it together.

So… so… tired…

‘You’re so pathetic…’

One tear finally trailed down his cheeks, and he quickly wiped it away with his arm with frustration, which didn’t go unnoticed by Camila.

Despite all the terrible things he had done to her daughter and to others, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of empathy for him.  Camila looked away, stopping from washing him as she wasn’t sure what to do now.

To tell the truth, she felt she was betraying her daughter by being kind to the man, she felt he didn’t deserve anyone helping him, especially since he was so stubborn to realize how wrong he was about so much, but as she saw the quiver in Philip’s shoulders, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness.

She wasn’t sure what exactly was making him want to cry, but she guessed he wasn’t handling events in the past days so well and she could see he was trying to bottle up his emotions, just like she had seen him do a lot.

Yes, she had realized that was what he did. He would just shove down his emotions and act as if he didn’t have some sort of panic attack or traumatic episode.

She asked herself, if he held back from feeling since he was a child, since he did come from an era that possibly didn’t let boys think it was okay to be vulnerable. And thinking that he had done it for the past 400 years, and continued to do so, made her believe he probably felt so alone and suffocated, as he possibly felt there was no one he could turn to.

Camila wanted to let Philip know it was okay to let the tears out and show emotions, but she had a strong hunch he would just lash out at her for even suggesting such a thing.

Learned behaviors wasn’t something someone could just change in a blink of an eye. Especially if the habit was… done for centuries.

She noticed his body had stopped shaking, and he was just sitting there, head against his knees. She guessed he had, somehow, with how terrible his head was feeling, was able to go back to feeling nothing like aways.

Camila sighed, not okay with him cutting off his feelings like that, but she just didn’t know what to so or do except scrub his back.

Philip had tensed up again when he felt her hands on him. Eventually, he took whatever she was using to scrub his back and used it on his front and his right limb. Camila noticed the green oozing had stopped and looked like his right arm grew two inches past his elbow now.

Camila persuaded him to let her wash his left arm for him, even though he was reluctant to let her do so at first but was too tired to argue with her.

He hoped he was done soon so he could just sleep and hopefully get rid of the incessant sound buzzing in his head.

Jacob stared in complete shock at the video of the old man with horns on one of the monitors from countless others on a wall. Jacob kept rewinding the video, playing it again and again as he held on to the headphones against his ears tighter to hear, “My name is Philip Wittebane.”

“Impossible,” Jacob muttered, rewinding it again. “How is he still alive?”

"I'm not your enemy. I'm human," the old man's voice echoed in Jacob’s ears. "My name is Philip Wittebane."

Jacob’s cousin, Jason, sat next to him, staring at the monitors with confusion. They were surrounded by other agents, all replaying scenes and analyzing data they had gathered from scanning Philip when he fought the men they had sent out to fight him.

"Listen to me," the old man's voice said again in Jacob’s headphones. "I'm not what you think I am. I'm not a monster. I'm also a witch hunter."

Jacob’s head spun with realization. “That’s why he looked so familiar,” he said to himself, pulling the blonde woman’s attention from another monitor.

“What are you talking about?” Jason asked, completely lost.

“Jason, you really don’t know your history,” Jacob scoffed at his cousin. “Philip Wittebane was a famous witch hunter from Old Gravesfield. He was the younger brother that ran off looking for his older brother who got taken by a witch. Both never were seen again.”

“Till now,” the woman said with amusement, glancing at the monitor Jacob was looking at before. “Interesting,” she said. Jason could sense something dark beneath her words.

“Was he a demon this whole time?” Jacob asked out loud in wonder.

“Or he turned into one and somehow was able to live for centuries,” the woman said, her tone calm and collected. “I mean, he does show similarities to certain monsters my people have come across in the past.”

“Oh?” Jacob looked at her right away. “Like in the pictures you showed me, a wendigo,” he said, remembering the images she had shown him before.

“Yeah, and we have tried capturing them, but unfortunately we had ended up killing them instead,” she sighed with disappointment, making Jason confused. Wouldn’t they rather kill monsters? Why would she want to capture one and keep it alive instead…?

Jacob scoffed. “Pshh, are you sure they killed them? Cause your men got totally wrecked there,” he waved at the other monitors showing how Philip was killing the four agents.

“Oh, please Jacob, don’t be silly. They were sent for something else,” the woman chuckled.

“What?” Jacob blinked with confusion.

The woman grabbed her phone and showed him a picture of Philip’s right arm, the one that was slashed off him now stored in some sort of metal container.

“We want to make sure we know exactly what we’re dealing with,” she said now with dark amusement.

Jason was shocked at the details. “You guys… sent your men on a suicide mission?”

“It’s alright, they weren’t our best anyway,” she dismissed Jason’s disbelief aside as it was a mere fly. “They did their job.”

“I… don’t get it,” Jacob said, his confusion growing. “Didn’t you say you wanted to capture him? He didn’t look so strong to me, so didn’t you guys go all out right away?”

“This demon was holding back,” the woman began to explain with patience. “And holding him without killing them is tricky, so I just want to make sure I know what makes him tick. Because he’s made from magic, but… it seems from our readings it’s not like ordinary magic. It seems… darker…” she said as she looked back at the monitor displaying the scans that they had gathered from Philip’s arm. “Oh, I’ll have you soon, my witch hunter,” she whispered to herself with a chilling tone that sent a shiver down Jason’s spine.

Chapter Text

Another awesome art piece from a reader : ). Thank you so much Reverny for the lovely art <3!

You can check their tumblr at: https://www.tumblr.com/reverny

Philip drifted in and out of consciousness, his face, and head ached so much that he found solace in a dreamless sleep. As instructed by Camila, everyone in the house was going to take turns to watch over him as he slept on the couch - his horns were not as long as they were before so now, he finally could lay there if he curled up, a pillow under his head now - before they had to wake him up every three hours. They were told by Camila they had to wake the man up just to make sure his concussion wasn’t getting worse.

Camila took the first two shifts, setting up thicker curtains to block out the rising sun later and placing curtains by the entrance of the living room to keep the room dark for Philip. She had even thrown a recently washed blanket over him.

When she woke him up twice during her shift, he was too exhausted to say much. Despite offering him water, he simply turned his back to her, struggling as he moved as his head slightly spun for a few seconds before he settled back down. Camila stayed awake for the six hours, and she was okay with that knowing there was too much on her mind to fall asleep.

She was worried about the people that had attacked Philip since they could use magic and advanced technology. Her thoughts immediately went to the government after Gus had described to her what he had seen in Philip’s memories. She wondered if the government found out about Philip after the police were attacked a week ago, the scene possibly captured by dash cams. If the government was behind attacking Philip, then they were for sure hunting him down which meant the kids were in huge trouble. Camila’s concern grew for the safety of the children since some of them were present during the fight against Philip, so their faces may have been captured as well. She couldn’t bear the thought of letting the kids out of her sight now, or let Luz and Vee go to school, especially if the government could match Vee’s face to Luz’s. Then again, keeping them from school might raise red flags as well.

She threw her face in her hands, trying to stay calm and hoped she will have a better sense on what to do the following day once she had enough sleep. She was glad they finally reached the weekend so she could stay at home with the kids; gives them enough time to plan things.

Camila was also worried how Philip was going to react with them once he felt better. She was probably being naïve, but she didn’t think he would try to hurt any of the children in her house even though he knew about the oath being a fluke. Since he was great at ignoring his feelings relating to the terrible things that had happened to him in a way, she didn’t think he would hold the kids’ actions towards him in the basement against them that much. He most likely will act like nothing happened. And even if he did want to hold the kids accountable for messing up, he had no right to demand anything from them since he has done far worse to them in the past.

After her shift, Camila let Hunter and Willow take over. They sat together, watching videos to distract themselves, but Hunter’s mind was elsewhere. He couldn’t stop thinking about the man in the room and the bodies that were removed from the forest.

Hunter continued to feel guilty for assuming Belos had killed innocent people. And he hated himself for looking away when Belos was asking for basically his help back at the basement, to believe him. But at the same time… Hunter was asking himself why would he feel bad if Belos did worse things to him in the past. Philip didn’t care for his feelings and wanted him dead.

‘Because you do care for him,’ he told himself mentally. ‘That’s why you wanted him back in the house even if he wasn’t going to apologize to you. You also wanted to work on a puzzle together as if you’re family…’

Hunter shook his head with frustration, trying his best not to dwell now on how still wants to be in Belos’ good side and instead tried to focus on the potential dangers that were now lurking outside for them. After all, he was raised as a soldier, so he was accustomed to being vigilant for problems. Now, looking for Titan’s blood was going to be difficult if there was someone outside looking for Belos.

He wondered if maybe… someone knew Belos was in the house… and if they did, then was it a matter of time others came attacking them?

“I don’t think we’re safe here,” Hunter whispered to Willow, who met his gaze with concern.

“Yeah. Amity said the same thing earlier,” Willow replied. “But where else can we go? We also have to find Titan’s blood here because I don’t think there might be any outside of Gravesfield.”

Hunter sighed, the weight of their situation heavy on his shoulders. “I hate saying this, but if there is no Titan’s blood outside of Gravesfield, then we may have to wait to get back to the Boiling Isles till it’s safe to return here.”

Willow’s heart sank at the thought of being separated from her dads for even longer. Not knowing if her dads were alive or safe was eating her up, but she forced a smile for Hunter’s sake, to mask her feelings from him.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Hunter nodded, but avoided looking back at Belos, who continued to sleep soundly on the couch.

As their time watching Belos drew to a close, Willow reached out to poke him, but Hunter stopped her with a gentle grip on her arm and a shake of his head. He whispered to her that Gus wanted to wake him while he and Amity took over the shift, so Willow went with Hunter to find their friends. In no time, Amity and Gus approached him. Amity used the end of an umbrella to poke him awake.

Philip groggily opened his eyes, letting out a low growl of frustration from the constant sleep disturbance, though this time he was more alert than before, despite the buzzing in his head. The right arm had grown up to his wrist now.

He slowly turned on his back, eyes side glaring at Amity and Gus, who were standing a few feet away from him. The sight of them reminded him of what happened in the basement, which made him look up at the ceiling, ignoring the urge to disappear into the shadows; he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he felt so humiliated about how the kids had tricked him, almost ‘sealed’ him up and how they had witnessed him look so pathetic begging them to listen to him. He also hated himself for allowed Camila to bathe him as if he was some weak infant. He couldn’t believe he had also let his emotions get the best of him at that time too.

‘You’re weak…’

That he was. He had always lacked the strength that the Minister had.

He tried to shove all the emotions back into his mind, but it was harder to do this time around as he still felt… exhausted.

“Sorry to wake you up again, but it’s been three hours, so yeah, had to wake you up,” Gus said, trying to make conversation. “How are you feeling?”

Philip continued staring at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his head. He tried not to think about certain things that were plaguing his mind relating to what Luz had said about the people he had killed in the past in Gravesfield and tried to hold himself back from wanting to ask Gus a certain question now that he was in his presence.

“We’re sorry for, well, what happened at the basement,” Amity said, which made Philip’s eyebrows furrowed from confusion at the apology.

A second witch, apologizing to him, and sounded sincere…

He clenched his teeth hard as he did his best to not look at her and not think about the apology much while the question, he had for Gus, was clawing at him again.

But, he gave up fighting the urge as his mind was too weak to deny the answers he was seeking.

“I wish to speak to Gus alone,” Philip said in a rough voice. His eyes squinted as pain shoot through his face when he spoke.

Gus blinked with confusion as Amity frowned.

“Nope, not going to let that happen,” she said, crossing her arms on her chest.

“Wait, Amity,” Gus said. “Just give us fifteen. I’ll be fine,” he assured her with a smile.

Amity frowned. She wanted to stand her ground, but the way the boy’s eyes looked at her pleadingly made her sigh in defeat.

“I’m giving you guys ten minutes, and not more. Everyone will freak if they find out I let you by yourself with him,” she said before she disappeared into the kitchen, pulling a curtain closed behind her.

Gus perched himself on the edge of the coffee table, hands pressing on his knees as he eyed Philip before he looked down before sighing.

“I didn’t mean to look at the other memories,” he mumbled, his voice laced with guilt. He thought Philip was furious, that more of his memories were seen instead of just the one with the humans using magic. The new ones Gus had witnessed were disturbing like the others, but this time it didn’t make him scared of Philip like the first ones he had seen, and instead it made him feel worse for him.

One of the memories, the boy couldn’t help but wonder if the man that was choking Philip as a kid was his dad…

The boy wanted to ask Philip about that memory but was pretty sure Philip would probably slash his face off if he tried.

“Why… did you do it…?” Philip continued to avoid eye contact with the boy as he asked his question.

Gus looked up with hesitation.

“I mean… I still don’t have full control over this power of mine to look at people’s memories,” Gus tried to explain.

“I don’t mean that,” Philip said with annoyance before his blue eyes bore into the boy. Even though they looked duller, they still looked fierce. When all Gus did was stare with confusion, Philip forced the nagging question out of his mouth. “Why did you help me…?” Philip did his best to keep his voice low and dangerous, to hide the frustration that was growing in him at the fact a witch had helped him. “You could have just let them do what they were going to do.”

Gus furrowed his eyebrows. “Why would I do that?” he asked.

“You guys don’t need me anymore,” Philip admitted begrudgingly.

“But what happened wasn’t really your fault,” Gus replied. “Look, man, I know you hate witches and you’ve done terrible things to my kind which, honestly isn’t cool at all, but…. locking you up like that at that moment wasn’t right. Especially if some of us weren’t completely sure what had happened back in the forest.”

Philip growled with annoyance. So, the boy was going to act like he was good? Well, Philip was ready to tear that act apart as he forced himself to sit up to face the boy. “You guys lied to me about the oath,” he accused.

“Well, you weren’t really going to help us make the portal unless we made you, and we were also making sure we felt safe around you,” Gus defended. “Don’t forget you were going to kill us back at the cave before the Collector stopped you.”

Philip’s expression hardened, hating that the boy was right, but still. “Well, now that I know there is no oath, what makes you think you’re safe from me now? Once I grow stronger, I can destroy you all and take your palisman. Then I’ll find the Titan’s blood and go back to the Boiling Isles and finally complete my mission.”

Gus watched in silence as Philip’s voice sounded frustrated. The man was clearly agitated, but Gus couldn’t understand why. Shouldn’t Philip be relieved that he was no longer bound by the oath? And the boy couldn’t help but notice he didn’t feel that scared of him as well.

“None of you stand a chance against me once I’m fully healed,” Philip continued. “You know that, right?”

Gus recalled how much he and his friends struggled during their fight against Philip at the Titan’s skull and how they basically lost. “Yeah… we know,” the boy admitted quietly.

The boy’s response made Philip’s eyes blaze with frustration as he glared at the boy now, who met him with a calm glance. Philip wanted nothing more than to shake the boy violently and demand an explanation for why he had helped him. The boy gained nothing to keep him here in the house with them. No one in the house gained anything by keeping him free.

“I just know is in that moment… it was the right thing to do,” Gus said.

“You’re a fool,” Philip hissed.

“Man, I don’t understand you…” the boy muttered. “You asked me for your help, so I helped. Shouldn’t you be happy now that you have the upper hand?”

“I have nothing holding me back from snapping your neck now,” Philip snarled, ignoring the boy’s question.

Despite Philip’s threatening words, Gus stood his ground and met his gaze without fear.

“Why did you save me?” Philip demanded.

Gus held his stare, his eyes unblinking before he repeated himself. “Because it was the right thing to do.”

Philip’s eyes flashed blue as he grabbed Gus by the shirt and pulled him close. “You’re a witch,” he spat at him, the curse slightly trembling as if it wanted to expand on his face. “You’re incapable of doing the right thing!”

Gus grabbed Philip’s wrist, holding it firmly in place, but didn’t struggle as he tried not to look into the dark bruises around Philip’s face or the dark circles that were more prominent under his eyes. Amity rushed into the room, creating a protective barrier of purple ooze around her arms.

“Let him go,” Amity said, annoyed, as she had been standing right on the other side of the curtain, listening in their conversation, ready to step in case things got ugly.

“I’m alright, Amity,” Gus said calmly, never breaking eye contact with Philip, who was glaring at the boy with undisguised hatred.

Amity looked at him as if he was crazy. “That doesn’t look like it’s okay,” she waved her arms in Philip’s direction.

“He’s not going to hurt me,” Gus said, his voice unwavering.

‘Kill him…’

Philip’s hand trembled with rage. He imagined himself bashing the boy’s head against the coffee table, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It felt wrong somehow. He pushed the boy away from him, not too harshly, but enough to make him stumble and fall on the coffee table with a thud. Philip laid back on the couch and turned his back to the boy, not even bothering with the blanket that just laid there on the ground. He desperately wanted to leave the house, but the possibility that there were other witch hunters outside for him was an enormous risk. So, instead, he stayed there and tried to fall back to sleep and ignore what just happened in the room, even though the pain in his head was worse for getting himself worked up.

After Gus assured Amity that he was fine, she hesitated and went back to the kitchen.

“Is that why you’re mad at me?” Gus dared to ask. “Because I did something good?”

The air around them grew tense as Philip’s hand twitched, his fingers itching to tear the couch apart, but he fought the urge and instead hissed through his gritted teeth. “No one in the Boiling Isles does anything without wanting something in return.”

Gus frowned at the man. “What about Hunter?” he asked. “He used to do things for you without really wanting something in return…”

“Hunter was built by my two hands to do what he’s told,” Philip sneered. “So, of course, he listened to me without wanting anything back at first. But doesn’t matter now, just like the rest of the other clones, he has grown defective.”

Gus shook his head in disbelief. “Hunter is not some mindless machine,” the boy said. “Yes, you made him, but he’s a person with feelings and a conscience. And honestly, I don’t get you, man. You dismiss Hunter as nothing but a brainless thing when he follows your orders or worries for your well-being. Yet, if he disobeys you and acts like a real person, you just want to get rid of him?”

Philip remained silent, refusing to acknowledge Gus’s words, but the boy pressed on. “But of course, you don’t believe me, since you don’t believe any witch is capable of doing good or being honest,” the boy said, slightly irritated, but then he tried to imagine if Luz didn’t meet Eda when she first arrived in the Boiling Isles. He wondered how she would have been treated by the rest of the witches and demons before she met him and Willow. Honestly, the boy could see the witches and demons would have probably taken advantage of Luz’s curiosity and optimism. He wondered how things were in the past when Philip first walked among the witches and demons. “Has… any other witch… ever did anything good when you arrived at the Boiling Isles…?”

Philip glared at the couch, his left hand gripping his right arm before digging his fingers into his flesh.

“Well, I guess I don’t blame you for thinking that everyone in the Boiling Isles is selfish,” the boy sighed, hating to admit it. “After all, witches there aren’t exactly known for their kindness. Majority of them are more concerned with their own interests and desires and they’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want.”

He paused, his mind wandering back to the time he had a hard time himself with his own people. “I know what’s it’s like to be used and taken advantage of by others,” the boy said. “For a while, people made me think I was worthless and that no one wanted to be my friend unless they found some use of me. Like, other kids used to act like my ‘friend’ so they could get good grades in projects or have me do their homework since I was the smart kid. Yet… I was probably the dumbest one for falling for their lies,” the boy sighed before his face brightened as he remembered how Willow had come into his life. “But then Willow reached out when I needed help,” he said with a smile. “I didn’t trust her at first, but she pushed herself into my life. She saw me for who I really was, and she didn’t use me or make fun of me. She helped me when I needed it most, and we became good friends.”

The boy leaned back on the table, lost in thought. “If it weren’t for Willow, I might have given up on trusting people altogether. But now I know that there are good witches and demons out there.”

Good witches…

Philip didn’t meet any good witches when he arrived in the Boiling Isles. They all were liars, though, he was silent as a forgotten memory creeped into his mind.

Philip had been staying at the Boiling Isles for five months now. As he trudged through the darkened streets of the Boiling Isles, Philip felt the weight of his exhaustion and hunger bearing down on him like a heavy cloak. His once-clean clothes were now stained and torn, and his beard and moustache had grown a few inches.

As he passed by one of the many homes that dotted the town, a young witch caught his eye. She was sweeping the front stoop, her broom swishing back and forth in a rhythmic pattern. As Philip walked past, he felt her gaze settle on him, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding.

“Hey, are you okay?” she called out, her voice tinged with concern.

At first, Philip didn’t react. His shoulders tensed, his mind flashing back to all the times he had been tricked and humiliated by witches and demons before.

He had stopped walking before his cold eyes looked over his shoulder, glaring at her with such detest and hostility that it made her take a step back, her eyes widened from what Philip saw was fear before he turned away from her and just continued walking, reminding himself he would never ever fall for a witch’s lies again.

“So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that we aren’t all terrible. People in the Boiling Isles are improving, just like humans on Earth are slowly becoming open minded and caring as well,” Gus said, pulling Philip from his memory of a person who had seemed to have wanting to reach out to him like Willow did with Gus, but unlike Willow, the witch had been too scared from his hostility to push further. “I’m serious, Philip. I understand why you don’t trust us, since, well, I was mistreated by others as well. But it doesn’t give you the right to be such a jerk to those who aren’t trying to harm you in any way. Hunter honestly does care for you and you should get to know him, give him a chance.”

Philip tried not to imagine the magenta eyes that would look up to him with what looked like adoration in the past.

“I know it’s hard to let people in. Heck, when Willow was befriending me, the voices in my head were telling me not to trust her.”

Philip’s heart had skipped a beat. “Voices…?” he asked, with a bit of hesitation to ask. His mind had gone blank for a moment too.

Gus rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Yeah… I had voices in my head that wouldn’t leave me alone. Well, it’s my own voice I guess in a way. I mean, there are still times I still hear them, trying to make me feel awful or reminding me not to trust anyone.”

Philip felt a lump in his throat as Gus continued to describe his experience, which was utterly similar to what he would hear himself.

“But Willow taught me how to shut them out,” Gus said.

Philip was stunned as he had never met anyone who admitted to hearing… voices in their heads. For a long time, he thought he was the only one… Thinking he was cursed. He remembered when the voices were that bad at first, barely audible whispers when he was a child, but they grew louder and darker as he got older, especially when he was failing on his mission.

“She told me to take few deep breaths and focus on that.” Philip heard the boy explain.

“What if that doesn’t work…?” Philip was hesitant to ask, which caught the boy off guard to hear the confusion coming from the man.

“I guess, it can be hard at times, but it eventually works.”

Philip clenched his teeth in frustration. “What if it never works for… others?” he let out.

Gus stared at Philip, slowly realizing what he meant.

So… Philip also heard voices.

“What… do the voices say to you?” the boy asked, quietly.

‘You really… asking for that wretched creature’s help again…?’ the voice hissed, which made Philip clutch his shirt before he shut his eyes, feeling shame and disgust at himself for seeking the boy’s advice.

Gus waited for Philip’s response, but as the main remained unresponsive, a sense of worry washed over the boy.

“Philip?” he tried again, but to no avail. The silence only made Gus more uneasy, especially since Philip seemed to have been asking how to stop the voices since the breathing technique didn’t help him…

The boy decided not to push the man further and ask him another time about the voices, especially since Camila had warned them to let him rest, since his head injury was going to continue giving him some issues for a bit.

“You should get some rest now,” he gently suggested. “But if you ever want to talk about the voices, I’m all ears. I won’t judge. And if you want me to show you the internet later, I can do that too when you feel better.”

As Gus spoke, Amity emerged from the kitchen and joined them in the living room, taking a seat in the same corner where Willow and Hunter had sat earlier. She and Gus huddled around the laptop and watched some shows in low tones for a while until Amity leaned in to speak softly to Gus.

As Gus searched for a new video to watch, Amity broke the silence.

“Whoever attacked him, they weren’t alone,” she said. “If they can use magic, then do you think we’re in danger?” she turned to Gus.

“I told Camila what I saw in Philip’s head, described to her the humans and how they used magic and some advanced weapons. She said she wasn’t sure who they might me, but since they can use magic and were going at Philip, well, it might now be good news for us,” the boy said.

“And the way their bodies were just removed after we left with Philip, seems like they know what they’re doing,” Amity added.

Philip laid there, eyeing the fabric of the couch as he listened to the children’s conversation.

So… the bodies after they left were removed from the scene. He guessed that whoever attacked him belonged to a bigger group and were possibly well trained on witch/demon hunting and most likely they were still looking for him…

The room was filled with silence for a moment, with a light music video playing before Amity spoke up again.

“He has a point, you know,” she said, her voice barely audible, but Philip could hear her well. “If he fully recovers, he could kill us.”

Gus paused, considering his words. “But he won’t,” he replied, his voice confident.

Amity raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

Gus turned to face her. “Philip was one of the most powerful beings in the Boiling Isles,” he said. “He could have killed Luz and Eda at any time after she helped him find the Collector, but he didn’t. He didn’t even try killing Lilith later.”

“Well, he announced to the public he was letting them free.”

“But he could have still killed them without anyone noticing,” Gus said calmly. “Especially since Eda and Lilith were so weakened by their own curses, they wouldn’t have been able to defend themselves against him.”

“I mean, he was still going to kill everyone in the end so, why does it matter if he didn’t do it earlier than later?”

Gus shrugged. “I don’t know… but I think it might mean something… Don’t you think?”

Amity turned to look at Philip, who they believed was asleep again. She leaned against the wall, crossing her legs.

“Is it weird that I also don’t feel like he’s going to hurt us?” she asked the boy, who blinked at her. He was surprised she was feeling the same way as him. “I also think it’s weird how the curse seemed to pull away for the most part. I wonder why that happened…”

“Yeah, that is weird,” Gus agreed, though he had a theory of why the curse acts out or hides away.

“He obviously hates us, and he almost killed everyone in the Boiling Isles, yet, Willow and I, we aren’t afraid of him killing us while we sleep. Though I am still hesitant to really make him mad.”

“Yeah, he does have some anger issues,” he said with amusement, making Amity chuckle. “But in all honesty, I feel we should be fine,” he said, eyeing back at Philip. “Cause… I think deep inside… he may not actually like killing others.”

Amity raised an eyebrow at the boy.

“Okay, now I feel you’re making things up.”

“I’m serious,” Gus said. “Yes, he killed all those clones, but that’s cause he thinks they are like mindless machines in a way. And yes, he has killed others as well, but…” the boy sighed as he tapped the back of his head against the wall where he was leaning on, as one memory in his head was in his mind, one that he had seen in just a flash and felt Philip’s emotions.

"Hang the witch, hang the witch!” there was a chant of people from town as a four year old Philip was following his father and Caleb as they were walking past a crowd of people where a young woman had a noose around her neck, high on a platform. In one moment she was in tears and in another she was just hanging there, eyes greyed out, face pale as a ghost.

Little Philip was staring at the body with wide eyes, completely frozen at the way the lifeless body just hang there. He could not process what had occurred before his dad yanked him away harshly by his arm to keep moving. Then the scene had moved to Caleb hugging little Philip, who was crying on his chest, clearly traumatized from the entire ordeal.

“It’s okay Philip,” Caleb comforted him soothingly. “That woman, she was an evil witch,” he said. “So, don’t cry anymore. You’re okay.”

“It’s just complicated…” Gus sighed as he stopped thinking about the memory when Philip was so scared to see death in front of his eyes.

Now the boy was wondering what they were going to do with Philip once they could return to the Boiling Isles. Would they still seal him up for everything he has done? Should they let the people in the Boiling Isles to decide his fate?

Then again, letting people from the Boiling Isles to decide on a punishment was probably not the best idea. He couldn’t help but remember how the people in Gravesfield acted when they thought a person had caused terrible deeds with magic. Now, if someone did do something terrible the public may want more than a simple death… and since Philip seem to be basically immortal, the boy was too afraid to imagine what people in the Boiling Isles was capable of doing with someone like him.

Gus felt he was out of his element to think of what they could do with Philip as a punishment, especially since he kept wanting to prove to Philip the people from the Boiling Isles weren’t all bad and that he should give them a chance…

The boy sighed.

Why did life had to be so complicated?

While the two settled back into silence, Philip didn’t know what to think about what they had said. They really thought he would not hurt them?

He felt he should be glad they trusted him so he could easily betray them later, but it was strange… as he thought about Gus at the moment.

At first, he couldn’t stand the boy, especially since he had intruded on his memories and because he was a witch, but now… that hatred he felt towards other witches wasn’t so strong towards Gus.

‘That’s because he’s brainwashing you…’ the dark voice hissed before what Gus said rang in his head about the voices in his own head.

“Reminding me not to trust anyone.”

'You’re a fool to listen to him,’ the dark voice insisted.

‘Trying to make me feel awful.’

Philip shut his eyes hard, trying to stop the voices and memories in his head and he couldn’t help but slowly trace his face with his fingers as he also wondered, just like the kids, why the curse had pulled away a lot, since… he hadn’t had any palisman in a while…

He let his arm drop to his side before curling up more, his mind getting dragged to sleep again as the weight of exhaustion was too much to ignore.

He just hoped he wasn’t so tired soon so he could plan his next steps relating to his situation and his mission.

Chapter Text

Another amazing art piece, but this time shadonis-dobya, aka our lovely reader Evaneska28 in archive of our own : ):

Thank you so much Evaneska28 : ), i love your art so much <3! Their instagram is tagged on the art piece : ). Also Check out their tumblr : ) - https://www.tumblr.com/shadonis-dobya

Philip slept soundly on the rest of the time just as his right arm had fully healed and the bruises on his face had faded. Camila couldn’t help but feel envious of how quickly his body mended itself, and at the same time, feel a bit worried about that as well. Strangely though, like a few of the kids in the house, she wasn’t concerned that Philip posed any harm to them for now.

To keep the kids occupied, Camila ordered a round of pizza on Saturday evening and set up a movie on the television in the basement. However, Luz sat slumped on the end of the couch, her cheek resting against her hand and a look of frustration etched across her face.

Camila eyed her daughter and took a mental note to talk to her privately alone later, especially later once the group had a serious conversation about their current situations; Philip possibly fully healed and the threat that they now had outside of their walls.

The group had decided to keep Philip in the house for now and she assumed Luz wasn’t so happy about the decision.

She rose from her seat to refill the water pitcher and made her way upstairs. Passing through the living room, Camila was surprised to find Philip sitting upright, his half-lidded eyes staring blankly ahead to where the other television used to be.

The man still looked tired, even though he had been getting longer hours of sleep. She wondered he wanted to shave off the the beard and moustache that was growing on his face since it made him look more exhausted.

She felt slightly nervous seeing him awake, but still approached him.

“How are you feeling?” she asked as she stood a good distance from him on an angle.

Philip’s body tensed up from either her question or presence. Camila wasn’t entirely sure, but she took notice of how he was not looking at her.

“Is your head still buzzing?” she asked, wearily at his strange behavior.

“No,” he responded curtly, his tone devoid of any warmth.

“I see your bruises are gone now too,” she commented, which made him turn his face away from her, his brows furrowing in frustration.

Camila sighed. It seemed to her she would never have a simple interaction with the man.

She moved so she could stand across from him, on the other side of the coffee table, which made Philip straightened up, but still avoided meeting her gaze.

“Philip,” she began, her voice gentle, but firm. “I know you’re not the best at being honest with anyone, but… could you try to be with me, just for now?” she asked as she studied Philip’s eyes slightly narrow to a random spot in the room. “Should I be concerned about you hurting us?”

There was still no response from Philip, and Camila felt a knot form in her stomach, but she still pressed on, determined to protect the children.

“Look, I know you’re angry about what happened in the basement,” she said. “And we’re all sorry for it. But you can’t hold it against us so much since… well…” she didn’t want to really finish the sentence as she had a feeling it would make the man defensive, especially as she noticed how his jaw clenched. So, instead, she tried to talk to him in a different approach. “I know you don’t trust me, but you can talk to me if you want to, about what happened,” she said, since the details about Gus about what happened in the forest could traumatize many people, and she doubted Philip came out of it mentally fine. “It must have been scary to have been attacked suddenly like that.”

“I wasn’t afraid,” Philip sneered with annoyance, clearly not liking the implication that he could be mentally vulnerable.

Camila tried not to roll her eyes. Of course, God forbid she believed he could feel anything else other than anger.

"Alright, but I don’t think you appreciated being put in that position, were you?” she asked, and this time he didn’t respond. “Philip,” Camila said, calmly. “Could you look at me?”

Philip seemed hesitant, but slowly turned his face towards her, but his eyes still looked to the side. Camila slowly realized he kind of looked uncomfortable. Then she saw a shade of pink crossed his cheeks and he quickly turned away in frustration.

“I could have taken care of myself,” Philip muttered, his tone sharp. “I didn’t need your help.”

Camila blinked at his words. And then it hit her - he was embarrassed. She mentally slapped herself for not realizing sooner why he was avoiding eye contact with her. The memory of the previous night flooded her mind, and she felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

It made sense; she thought to herself. He was so extreme when it came to pleasing God and following the ‘righteous’ path in a way - even though the way he was going about it was wrong and messed up - that it was possible an unmarried man letting any woman see so much skin was not appropriate in his eyes. He possibly never even had a woman tenderly touch him that way too since Philip was only focused on his ‘mission’.

She didn’t think he had anything to be embarrassed about, especially since she saw nothing below his waist.

“No, you couldn’t have,” she spoke up softly, hoping to ease his discomfort. Others would have for sure teased him for acting like such a prude, but Camila was not so cruel. “You shouldn’t feel embarrassed about needing help like that, Philip. Nurses in hospitals help their patients with that kind of thing all the time. And I’m a doctor, too - well, an animal doctor, but still a doctor. So, just see what I did as a doctor helping a patient.”

Her explanation made his shoulders ease up a bit, but he continued to avoid looking at her. Which made Camila sigh, wondering now if he was going to be avoiding her like the plague.

“Okay, well, I also wanted to talk to you about something else,” she said, bracing herself for some negative reactions from him. “Now that you seem to be looking better, I wanted to talk to you about Hunter.” Philip frowned, but Camila continued. “I did say you could only come back to the house if you apologized to him. Wait, let me finish,” she said when Philip opened his mouth to probably argue with her. “And since you’re never really going to actually give him an honest apology, we decided as a group you should work on a puzzle with Hunter.”

Philip finally looked at her as if she had grown a second head.

“A puzzle?” he repeated incredulously.

Camila nodded. “Yes, a jigsaw puzzle. It’s a fun activity. It’s pretty simple, really. You have a bunch of pieces, and you have to figure out how to connect them and once you do, you end up having an art piece of some sort. And who knows, maybe you’ll even enjoy it too.”

Philip stared at her with no emotion before his nose scrunched up.

“What… makes you think… I’m going to work on a puzzle with that thing…?” he spat out the last word, his disgust clear.

Camila glared at him. “Philip… don’t start with me,” she warned. “Remember, this is my house, and I want you to respect the boy. So, yes, I’m adding a second rule. I want you to respect the boy as you would with a human child,” she hoped badly that he actually respected human children, even though he clearly disliked Luz. “It’s just a puzzle Philip...”

Philip looked away; his jaw clenched in anger.

“No.”

Camila took a deep breath, trying to suppress her frustration, knowing changing Philip’s mind about Hunter was not an easy process. And she couldn’t help but feel the anger she had before with him when he was cruel to Hunter the other day.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that?” Camila remarked, her voice tight with irritation. "I’m not asking you to move the moon for us, Philip.”

Again, no response.

Fine, if he was going to be that way, then she would do the same thing later.

“Also, you should not leave the house for a few days,” she said. “Since we’re not sure what or who we’re dealing with. We don’t want whoever was behind the attack to know where we are living. So, no looking for Titan’s blood for now.”

Philip let out an annoyed sigh, but strangely, prohibited from looking for Titan’s blood didn’t anger him as much. He didn’t have the energy still to go digging up more holes. He craved to sleep more.

Camila eyed him before she continued. “Yeah, I know, not the news you were hoping to hear, but we need to be cautious. We aren’t sure how dangerous these people can be.”

“Next time, I won’t be caught off guard,” Philip said coldly.

“Philip…” Camila attempted to adopt a grave demeanor so he could take her seriously. “If the public finds out about you and the kids, there is no telling what will happen to you guys. Humans are dangerous, especially when they’re afraid of the uncertain,” she said. “But I think you probably know that, since you, alone, almost managed to annihilate an entire race…”

Philip gave her an annoyed side glance.

“And I’m not sure if you realized it by now, but to others, you’re not human anymore,” she said calmly. “They won’t care what you have done for them or for ‘God’. So, you should probably be afraid of how humans may react when they find out about you…”

Philip glared at her for a moment before looking away again.

“Pues, that’s all I have to say to you,” Camila sighed. “And if you change your mind about working on that puzzle with Hunter, let me know, but if you don’t, then I’ll leave you be.” She walked away simply to fill the water pitcher in the kitchen.

Philip leaned back on the couch, glaring up at the ceiling while he heard the water running before it stopped. He then heard Camila walk past the living room before leaving him alone.

She said he was unbelievable, yet here she had tried to make him sit down in the same room as Hunter and work on some sort of puzzle as if they were a family.

Philip also couldn’t help but dislike the nerve of her to say he wasn’t human anymore.

‘But you’re not,’ the dark voice hissed, which made Philip shut his eyes, hands curling into fists on his sides.

“What do you mean, they’re coming over?” Philip heard Luz ask someone in the hallway after he heard countless footsteps coming up from the basement.

“They want to talk to me about something,” Vee said as she went over to the front door. “I told them we could talk on the phone, but they said nope, they really wanted to do it in person and something about how it can’t wait,” she was tugging on her jacket and shoes.

“Pero, mija, you can’t leave the house right now,” Camila said. “Everyone’s supposed to stay in for at least the next few days.”

“But we can’t have them come over,” Vee said as her eyes flicked to the blanket that was locking the view to the living room.

“Masha is human,” Gus reassured Vee. “Philip won’t harm them.”

“But they’re not like what Philip is used to,” Luz pointed out with a frown.

“Just take them upstairs to your room,” Camila suggested as she assumed Philip wouldn’t leave the living room.

“I guess…” Vee said just as she heard a knock on the door.

Vee’s stomach fluttered with excitement and nerves as she exhaled the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She had no clue what Masha wanted to talk to her about, but it must be crucial if they couldn’t wait until Monday.

“Could you guys… hum…” Vee asked, gesturing to them as they were crowding the hallway.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Willow chuckled before everyone dispersed to the basement. Though Camila and Luz leaned against the door to the hallway, to kind of spy on Vee because of curiosity.

Vee opened the door to find Masha giving her the usual casual smile they usually wore.

“Hey Vee,” they said. “I know this is last minute, but this cannot wait for even a second more. It’s been nagging in my mind for so long.”

“Oh, yeah?” Vee let out as her cheeks blushed, wondering what could have been bothering Masha that would lead them to talk to her. She stepped aside to let them come in.

“Should I take my shoes off?” Masha asked.

“Yeah, please.”

With a swift motion, Masha freed themselves from her boots before their eyes fixated on the looming blanket that served as a gateway to another room. As they peered at the makeshift entrance, they noticed how haphazardly the black tape had been used to secure it in place, with each strip at a different angle. Masha felt an irresistible urge to grab a chair and straighten the tape, so it looked aligned. They also wondered why Vee and her family had a blanket up to block the living room.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Vee said.

“Oh, is your mom home?” Masha asked.

“Yeah, she’s in the basement with Luz and our, hum, cousins,” Vee quickly went with.

“I should probably say hello, so I don’t seem rude,” Masha said.

“Oh, hum, sure,” Vee rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, let me go get her then.” She was about to walk down to the door to the basement before her body froze as Philip emerged from the other side of the blanket.

Masha looked up at the towering older man with long messy white hair, transfixed by his piercing blue eyes, when they met Masha’s gaze. What truly captivated them was the strange green substance that laid on his left cheek across his nose, as if it was a wound, and the tiny green horns protruded from his head.

Masha stood, staring, but their friend Vee sprang into action, interposing herself between Masha and Philip.

“Mom!” she shouted urgently, and just at that second Camila ran out of the door with a worried look before her eyes widened to see Philip standing there, eyes locked on Masha.

“Philip, what are you doing?” Camila demanded as Philip narrowed his eyes at her this time.

“I will not stand by and watch this disgusting demon taint a human,” he said coldly.

Vee frantically waved her arms as if trying to shield Masha from what they had just witnessed and heard.

“My great uncle, he is so funny,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Oh, dios mio, ayudame,” Camila sighed to the heavens before she quickly went to Philip and shoved him back into the room - she was actually surprised she was able to push him back.

“Unhand me!” Vee and Masha heard the man say sternly to Camila on the other side.

“Philip, I don’t want to hear a single word from your mouth at this moment,” Camila fired back and in that moment, Vee took the opportunity to grab Masha’s hand and quickly lead them up the stairs and into her room. She didn’t realize Masha had looked at their clasped hands with a warm smile along the way.

After not taking a no from his friends, Gus quickly grabbed the laptop and ran upstairs when he was hearing the commotion upstairs. He stepped into the living room to see Philip glaring at Camila a distance from one another. Little did the boy know it was Philip maintaining the distance from Camila and not the other way around.

“Philip, they’re good friends,” Camila said to him, her tone laced with irritation. “Just leave them alone.”

“I’m not going to let her get brainwashed like the rest of you,” Philip coldly stated.

“Not her, they,” Gus pointed out, making Philip drift his glance towards him. “Masha’s pronouns are they/them,” the boy explained.

Philip’s eyebrows knotted together, not understanding what the boy was talking about.

Camila grabbed the boy’s shoulder and shook her head quickly.

“Yeah, no, I don’t think you really want to go there with him,” she said. They were already having trouble making Philip understand witches and demons from the Boiling Isles were not all evil and that Hunter wasn’t just a mindless machine. Bringing up gender identity to him right now would just frustrate him further. Or short circuit his brain for a moment, though they weren’t that lucky.

Gus was confused how Philip didn’t understand what they meant about the they/them pronouns, since it was a widely accepted identity on the Boiling Isles. The man’s confusion for sure proved to the boy Philip didn’t really interact with anyone on the island unless it was about the mission. It was as if Philip had lived under a rock for the past 400 years…

Deciding to let the matter go, the boy opened the laptop before showing Philip the lit-up screen to him.

“Behold! This is a laptop,” the boy declared with a grin. “A human invention that allows you to do all sorts of amazing things, including browsing the internet.”

Philip’s interest was immediately piqued as he gazed at the glowing screen, marveling at the text and images of what looked like an animal appearing before him. The scene made Camila relax and mentally thanked Gus for the distraction they needed.

Masha sat on the desk chair, looking at Vee curiously as the girl was sitting on one mattress, her hands tapping on her knees nervously.

“Your great uncle has really nice hair,” Masha pointed out with amusement. “I should ask him how he keeps it that long.”

“I don’t think that’s a great idea,” Vee let out. “He’s a very cranky man. Doesn’t enjoy talking to others much.”

Masha chuckled. “Old people are that way, I guess. Though sometimes I think they’re just tired and confused.”

“Yeah… but he’s… not like…” Vee honestly didn’t know how to explain things to Masha, so she decided to move away from it.

“Like other humans?” Masha asked, making Vee’s mind go blank for a second before looking up with confusion. “Your great uncle, he’s not like other humans,” they said again calmly, their calm smile still pronounced on their face.

Vee opened her mouth, doing her best to gather her thoughts fast to respond before she just laughed nervously and said, “Yeah, he’s super weird.”

“Vee,” Masha said as they rolled herself towards the girl to get closer to her before they gave them a knowing look. “I know you’re not like other humans either.” Vee stared at them, completely confused, which made Masha continue. “You aren’t really good at making sure the coast is clear when you’re shifting into others at school. I totally saw you transform when you pulled that prank on that one girl after she had said something mean about Luz a month ago. You should really work on keeping your powers hidden,” they said with amusement.

Vee was completely stunned by Masha’s observations, frozen in disbelief.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Vee said quietly. Masha continued to have their smile. Vee quickly got up and walked to the corner of the room, her back to Masha. This time, Masha’s expression fell and was now looking at Vee with concern, feeling they probably shouldn’t have brought what had been in their mind for a while.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Vee,” Masha said as they got up from the desk chair, taking a few steps towards Vee before they stopped, unsure if they should get closer. “Maybe… I shouldn’t have brought anything up. I just couldn’t help myself.” Vee continued to stand there, not looking at them. “I’ve just, honestly, been so confused for months, especially when I saw you use your powers.”

Vee slightly turned to her with confusion.

“When ‘Luz’ came to summer camp, she was acting like a completely different person and ‘we’ became friends, but when school started, she just walked past me as if I was nobody and here you came along and introduced yourself as her lost twin sister and acted just like the ‘Luz’ I met at summer camp,” Masha explained. “I was trying to make sense of things and tried telling myself, well, maybe Vee took Luz’s spot in the summer camp and used her name and for some reason she doesn’t want to say anything, which makes sense in a way… But then a month ago I saw you run behind one of the trees during gym class and saw you transform into someone else.” When Vee gave them a confused look, Masha quickly said, “I was playing hooky and was hanging on one of the tree branches,” they said with amusement. “But yeah, I’m sorry if I was being so pushy and made you uncomfortable. I guess I grew worried that you were just going to disappear when you texted me earlier today that you may not come to school for a while. That’s why I wanted to talk to you badly before you, I don’t know, vanished.”

Vee looked down. Right… she did text Masha, saying she and Luz may not go to school for a bit since Camila had brought up that maybe they should stay behind in case the men in black suits were lurking around in the school grounds.

“I got scared that I may not see you ever again,” Masha admitted.

“Scared?” Vee blinked, looking up at them.

“Well yeah,” Masha said, giving her a small smile. “I know we haven’t known each other for so long, but honestly, you’ve become one of my closest friends now.”

Vee felt her heart flutter at her friend’s words, a blush making its way across her cheeks, but then it vanished as she looked away, rubbing her arm a bit sadly, which made Masha worried again that they messed up again somehow.

“I’m not… really what you think I am…” Vee said. “I’m not really… human…”

Masha eyed her, then remembered what the old man said earlier.

“Vee, I don’t care if you’re some demon or big foot,” Masha said calmly. “Unless you’re a fairy, then that’s a different story,” they joked before they quickly added, “I’m kidding, by the way. Even if you were a fairy, that’s okay, too.”

Vee looked up again at her friend with some hesitation and saw Masha’s determination as they stared at her. She didn’t know what to really say to them, but she guessed there was only one way to see if Masha was serious, that they didn’t care what she was, even though it may get her painful reactions…

Vee closed her eyes, hating herself about what she’s going to do, but still did it; she released the human form she had and revealed her true form to Masha.

The room fell silent, making Vee’s heart ache, quickly mentally yelling to herself she had screwed up before she heard Masha let out in awe, “Wow… when your great uncle said demon, I expected something entirely different.”

Vee opened her eyes with confusion and was surprised to find Masha stare at her in complete wonder.

“You’re like… the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Masha admitted, quickly making Vee blush again before she transformed back to her human disguise.

“You don’t have to lie…” Vee said as she rubbed her left arm again.

“I’m not lying,” Masha said before walking over to her and grabbed both of her hands tightly. “I think you’re incredible,” they smiled, making Vee’s whole face turn red from their hands holding one another. She looked at Masha in the eyes. “And a badass to be able to transform like that,” Masha added. “So, can you transform into anyone you want?”

“I can, yeah, but I have to be careful, so I don’t run out of magic,” Vee explained, making Masha’s eyebrows raised with curiosity.

“Magic?” they asked.

Vee smiled and got excited as she pulled Masha with her to sit on a mattress and explained to them who she was and where she was from. After a while of Vee explaining things and Masha asking a bunch of questions, Masha was mind blown about everything. They had always been interested in magic and learning about the Boiling isles made them want to visit there someday so badly now. They were so jealous that Luz went there instead of summer camp, though they were lucky for sure to have met Vee there. Masha was disheartened as well to hear the terrible things that happened in the Boiling Isles and how the witch teens ended up living in the house. Living together with their enemy…

“That’s crazy that Belos guy is staying with you guys,” Masha said. “But I guess there’s not much you guys can do about it.”

“Don’t worry about him,” Vee assured them. “You’re human and he won’t hurt humans unless, I guess, you try to kill him?”

“I’m a pacifist, so I won’t try anything,” Masha chuckled. “Though, I’m confused. I heard your mom call him Philip.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s his real name, Philip,” Vee said. “He’s actually a witch hunter from the human world, from the 1600’s and traveled to the Boiling Isles to kill all witches and demons.”

Masha stared at her for a moment before their eyes widened.

“Hold on… Philip, as in… Philip Wittebane?” they asked in shock.

Vee blinked before slowly nodding.

“The Philip Wittebane, one of the most notorious witch hunters that Gravesfield has ever had, is alive and is staying in this house?” Masha tried to clarify.

“Is he really that well known?” Vee asked.

“I’m obsessed with witch history, so yeah, I read about him a lot. Philip Wittebane is brought up in the witch trials history of Gravesfield and Pastor Jonathan Ward wrote about him a lot in his journal. You said Philip is cursed, right? I guess that explains why he has lived for so long,” Masha hummed as they tapped their chin before their eyes lit up. “Can I talk to him? I have so much to ask him.”

Vee’s eyes widened, taken aback by her friend’s request.

“You said he won’t hurt humans,” Masha reminded her before Vee could reply.

“Yeah, but he’s really unpredictable,” Vee said.

“Oh?”

“And well…” Vee tried to choose from the countless reasons that letting Masha talk to Philip was a terrible idea, but she could see from Masha’s intense gaze that they really wanted to speak to the man. Her heart curled to give Masha what they wanted. “Okay, fine, you can talk to him,” she said, making them surprised she agreed. “But just for a little bit, and try not to make him so angry, okay?”

“Of course,” Masha said as they gave her the usual lazy smile. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

Gus was sitting on the couch next to Philip, whose hair was tied up in a low ponytail with one of the hairs scrunchies that Camila got for him. Gus had a cushion underneath the laptop so it would be slightly elevated enough for Philip to watch the countless videos the boy had played. The room wasn’t dark anymore with the lights turned on.

At first, Philip was maintaining a gap between the boy and himself on the couch while the boy was showing how the keyboard was used and how to navigate on the laptop. Without realizing it, Philip was just an inch away from the boy as they watched short videos on how cars are currently made and how they work.

“It would be cool if Camila would let us borrow her car so we could look at the engine,” the boy said.

Philip wanted to agree with him but said nothing. They were then watching a brief clip about the Wright Brothers and the first successful airplane.

“That’s cool how they figured out how to fly without magic or hot air,” the boy said when the video finished, before looking up at Philip. “Do you think you can make something like that?”

Philip almost let out a snort, but held it back as he calmly responded, “Shouldn’t be too hard,” he said, since he could see the logic behind how the first airplane functioned. Replicating it would not be as hard as him creating artificial staffs that could use magic.

Both heard footsteps echoing from the stairs before Vee and her ‘friend’ appeared in the room.

Gus stared at them with complete confusion while Philip straightened himself in his sitting position before sliding on the end of the couch away from Gus. Philip glared at Vee, which Masha noticed while they were studying the man’s face.

“Yep, you’re Philip Wittebane alright,” Masha said with amusement. Even though the man was old, they could still see some similarities he had from the sculpture that depicted him and his brother.

Philip glanced at them with eyebrows furrowed, realizing they may know who he was.

“So, you ended up in a magical world,” Masha said calmly. “That’s pretty crazy.” Masha had to admit, it felt so strange to be in the room of someone from the past. Well, from a man they had read many times before. A man who had taken innocent lives and still wants to, which was pretty messed up. But they couldn’t help but feel so curious to talk to a man from the past and see what makes them tick.

“Vee, what’s going on here?” Camila asked when she stepped out into the living room, shocked to find Masha there.

“Sorry, mama. Masha pretty much figured out my secret," Vee responded sheepishly. "And I might have told them everything too..."

Camila sighed. She shouldn't be surprised that Vee spilled the beans since Vee had an obvious crush on Masha.

"They also really wanted to talk to Philip," Vee added. "They apparently learned a lot about him from some history texts and wanted to meet him."

“History texts?” Gus asked with curiosity.

“Yeah, the museum of Gravesfield has a bunch of written documentation about its history, especially the dark ages,” Masha explained.

“The dark ages?” the boy raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, the infamous Gravesfield witch trials,” Masha revealed before glancing back at Philip. “Philip Wittebane, one of the most dangerous witch hunters.”

Philip narrowed his eyes at them when they used the word dangerous to describe him.

“You were talked a lot in the documents,” Masha told him. “Right next to The Minister, Samuel Hale, and the most notorious witch hunter, Alexander Baxter, though, I guess since you almost destroyed everyone from the Boiling Isles, you pretty much beat Alexander by now, which I have to be honest, that’s pretty bad...”

Hearing the Minister’s name after so many years made Philip feel nauseous, which he wasn’t sure why it would. Probably due to him not completing the mission given to him…

“Samuel Hale…” Gus repeated the name under his breath as he finally had a name for the terrible man in Philip’s memories.

“And you also came up in Pastor Jonathan Ward’s journal,” Masha said to Philip.

Jonathan Ward…

Philip felt his teeth clench at the name as he slightly averted his gaze from Masha as in the moment, he felt himself grow cold.

“I’m sorry, I’m being rude,” Masha said, pondering whether to extend their hand for a handshake. They assumed the others in the room wouldn’t like them doing that, so they held back. “My name is Masha Wright, and I’m one of Samuel Hale’s descendants.”

The revelation made Philip’s head snapped back in their direction.

“Which, it’s not something I’m proud of admitting,” Masha added, with a hint of shame in their voice. They had thought it was crazy when they find out about their blood line after doing some blood test done while they were making a family tree some years ago. Ever since then, they had become so obsessed with witches, which was ironic since her ancestor had despised them so much.

“No way,” Gus let out, not expecting that.

“Why wouldn’t you be proud of being one of Samuel Hale’s descendants?” Philip finally spoke in his calm voice since he was talking to Masha. He had to respect The Minister’s descendants after all. “He was a great leader, respected by all, one of God's chosen saviors. He did everything he could to save his people.”

Gus looked at Philip with confusion. Based on the memories he had seen; the Minister was far from being a great leader. It looked to Gus the Minister was more manipulative than Philip himself.

On the other hand, Masha wasn’t surprised to hear Philip’s glowing appraisal of their ancestor. Masha, after doing their own research about Samuel, learned a lot about the type of man Samuel was. They knew very well, based on some entries from Jonathan’s journal, that Philip was groomed from an early age to become the Minister’s next top witch executer. Well, the Minister for sure did a good job pushing the mass hysteria to get out of control in Gravesfield, thus why so many innocent people ended up dead.

“God’s chosen saviors…” Camila spoke up, recalling how Philip had explained to her the other day about the Minister being chosen by God. She wanted to learn more about who this man was, and it seemed like Masha may be the key to get more information about him.

“Yeah, Samuel really thought he was some sort of savior chosen by God,” Masha explained before looking at Philip. “Which of course, Jonathan later admitted Samuel was an arrogant evil man and possibly lied about being one of God’s saviors so he could continue to hold power over everyone.”

At this, Philip’s face darkened, and he stared at Masha with intensity.

Vee quickly stepped in front of Masha, glaring at him.

“Pastor Ward would never say such foul things about The Minister,” Philip said coldly, believing Vee had started to warp Masha’s mind now.

Masha leaned forward, peeking over Vee’s shoulder. “I have a copy of Jonathan’s journal,” they said. “If you want it, I can bring it to you later this evening.”

Philip’s face contorted with anger. “I don’t want to read false accusations,” he sneered.

Camila shot him a warning look, not liking his defensive attitude towards Masha. “Philip…”

“It’s okay, Vee’s mom,” Masha assured her. “I don’t expect him to believe me right away. But there is one thing I’ve been dying to know since it always felt like a cliffhanger.” They turned to Philip with a curious smile. “So, did you end up finding your brother? The stories say you went looking for him to bring him back home. So, did you find him?”

Gus’ eyes widened at Masha’s question. Philip stared at them, with no emotion crossing his face. Before anyone else could say anything, a cold voice interrupted.

“Yes, he found him, alright,” Luz declared as she stepped into the room, revealing that she had been eavesdropping. She had left the basement ever since she heard Vee and Masha walking down the stairs. Her brown eyes glared at Philip. “Then he killed him.”

The room fell deadly silent, as Masha stared at Luz in actual shock, eyes wide before glancing back at Philip who had looked away from everyone, eyes shut closed, teeth clenching hard.

“That… doesn’t sound right…” Masha said carefully, trying to make sense of Luz’s accusation. “He loved his brother. Jonathan wrote on how Philip would do anything to see him again and was even going to go against the Minister’s wishes by bringing Caleb back home.”

“Well, clearly, Jonathan didn’t know Philip was a monster who hated his brother,” Luz retorted, causing Philip to slowly rise to his feet, glaring at her, having enough with her presence.

“Get… out…” Philip growled, his voice shaking.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Luz said annoyed, before fiery rage fueled her words. “This is my house!”

Camila gasped, stunned by her daughter’s outburst. Luz would get frustrated, and sometimes a little mad, but she had never heard such anger come out of her mouth. “Luz!” Camila exclaimed. “Dios mio, Luz. What has gotten to you?”

Luz felt irritated to see her mom, once again, not taking her side in things. And from the looks of Gus and Vee, who seemed to look at her as if she lost her mind, also added to her frustration.

“Perdon, mama, pero, I have to do this,” Luz said before glaring back at Philip.

She had been planning on her own about what to do with him, especially since her mom and the others decided to keep him from leaving the house for the next few days. Luz didn’t want him any second longer around them. The way everyone didn’t seem to be afraid of him much now, and the way some of her friends seemed to get worried about him, was just wrong and clearly, he had something to do with lowering their guard down. The man knew how to trick people before murdering them after all.

Philip was dangerous. He despised everyone in that house. It was a matter of time before he would kill them and run back to the Boiling Isles before committing mass genocide.

Her mother was too kind to mistreat anyone, even if they were terrible men like Philip. And her friends were too forgiving, too trusting, which of course Luz couldn’t judge them for since she used to be like them. She had trusted people too many times before they took advantage. And even if some people did change into better people after she befriended them, it didn’t mean everyone was capable of change. Some were just a lost cause, some were just plain evil like Philip. Luz believed that she alone could make the tough decisions, even if they were perceived as morally questionable.

So, she decided she had to get Philip out of the house, no matter what. And it didn’t matter if there were people out there hunting him down.

She went over to stand in front of him, but still kept a good distance while Gus clutched the laptop tightly to his chest, backing away from the confrontation.

“I don’t know how you did it, but I know you’ve been manipulating my mom and my friends into believing you’re some sad, abused dog. But I know you, Belos, I know you’re only using them, so you can’t fool me!”

Philip’s face twisted with contempt. “Of course, you would think that since you and your mom have been brainwashed by these foul monsters,” he sneered, his green curse pulsing with energy as he said those words.

“Don’t you dare speak about my friends that way!” Luz shouted, her voice rising with indignation.

“I can call them whoever I want to, you stupid, vile, child!” Philip snapped back.

“Alright, enough you two,” Camila raised her voice with frustration, but was ignored as Luz jabbed a finger towards his direction.

“The only one vile here is you!” Luz snapped at the man. “You’re the real monster here, Belos. All you do is destroy anything you touch!”

“My name, is Philip,” Philip spat at her, growing sick and tired of her not using his real name. “And you don’t know anything about me.”

“I know enough,” Luz replied, her voice low and cold. “I know you never loved your brother, and you couldn’t care less about humanity. All you care about is yourself, you selfish, heartless bastard!”

Philip’s eyes blazed with a furious blue light at her words. He felt all the years of frustration and rage clenching his chest. Countless unwanted memories slammed into his head, making his body tremble before he just snapped.

“Do you really think I wanted to spend four centuries among these foul creatures in a disgusting pile of a corpse of a land?” He hissed at her, making Vee pull Masha behind her, to protect them in case, while Masha was staring at Philip with wide eyes as they saw the horns growing on his head, the green substance expanding through his arms and feet as he took a step forward towards Luz, his fists shook as he tried to hold back from ripping her apart. “You really believe I wanted to dedicate all these years planning and suffering every step of the way? You think I wanted my soul to be tarnished forever?!”

Despite the curse getting out of control and his voice rising, Luz stood her ground, her eyes fixed on him with unwavering determination.

“You have no idea what I’ve gone through to save your pathetic souls!” he snapped now. “You have no idea how tired I am trying to save humanity from forever damnation. If I was doing things for my sake, I would have abandoned the mission and come back to Earth many decades ago. I would have given up after so many times growing sick and tired of it all, but instead I picked myself up and kept on going. I kept going because this has nothing to do with me. All I’ve been doing is for all of you!” Philip’s hands motioned to her and her mom with frustration.

“And I loved my brother!” Philip screamed on top of his lungs, tears gathering in his eyes now. “I never wanted to kill him! All I wanted was to bring him back home after he was taken from me! But he was too far gone, and I had no choice but to kill him. I had to sacrifice my brother to save humanity!”

“You know that’s bullshit!” Luz snapped. “Heroes don’t go killing people who haven’t done anything wrong! You’re evil, Belos. You try to make yourself seem like the good guy when in reality you just want to hide who you really are. That’s why you killed your brother, cause he saw the real you!” Luz snapped as she recalled a small glimpse of the frames depicting some of Philip’s memories when she was in his head with Hunter. She had quickly taken notice of how happy Caleb had looked while Philip was holding a knife behind his back. At that time when she saw those portraits, she didn’t think much of them till Gus brought up who the man was and how Philip killed him. She put the two together and assumed what may have happened at that moment. “You never loved your brother. And he never loved you. That’s why he left you, cause he didn't want anything more to do with a monster like you!”

“Luz!” Gus this time yelled at her in shock from her cruel words and at that time Philip froze as he remembered when he had spotted his brother with the witch by the river. He recalled how Caleb looked so excited as he talked to the witch, but then when Caleb heard Philip scream for the witch to get away from his brother, Caleb had turned around, fear etched in his wide blown eyes. Instead of his brother looking relieved that Philip had come to save him from the witch, he was panic-stricken. And in that moment, the hard realization slammed into Philip, hard.

Caleb had been afraid of him.

Caleb wasn’t dragged into the river by the witch.

Caleb had turned away from him and ran into the river before he vanished.

His brother left him behind…

The next thing Philip knew, he found himself sitting on the couch, his head on his hands, his head buzzing as he was shakingly taking deep, slow breaths.

What… just happened…?

His last memory was of him and Luz screaming at each other, hurling insults and accusations back and forth. And then… nothing… a void of blackness swallowed him whole. He could hardly make the quiet voices in the room as the buzzing quieted down.

Slowly, he straightened himself up, eyebrows furrowed with confusion when he spotted Gus sitting in the corner with Hunter, Willow, and Amity. All three stopped talking when they noticed him staring at them, looking lost.

“Are you okay?” Gus was the first to ask, concern etched on his face as he got up.

Philip stared at him before his gaze flickered around the room. He saw the room was intact, nothing destroyed from a possible outburst from him. He realized that Camila and the others were nowhere to be seen as well.

He stayed there sitting on the couch, looking dazed, which made the three mentally debate on what to do now. Should they try to talk to him again? Or should they leave him alone?

After Luz and Philip had gotten into a screaming match, Philip had just stopped and just stood there, unresponsive, like a statue, just as Willow, Hunter, and Amity came into the room in shock as they had run upstairs when they heard the commotion. Before Luz could throw any crueler words, Camila successfully pulled her away from the room while Vee took Masha upstairs.

The three witches and Hunter stayed behind in the living room as they had seen Philip struggle to breathe. Without a second thought, Hunter rushed over to him and led him to sit down on the couch before Philip just slumped forward on his hands and stayed there for a while. The boy had asked Gus what exactly happened, and Gus eventually told them in a hush voice everything, making everyone shocked at Luz’s actions, yet… they could understand her… And they felt bad as they imagined Luz was probably feeling so stressed with having Philip in the house, especially since she had no powers to protect herself nor her mother.

They told one another after things settled down a bit, to visit Luz and comfort her. Amity, especially, wanted to be there for her girlfriend. She felt terrible for not noticing the warning signs earlier that Luz was holding so much frustration in her. She should have known better, since she knew how Luz would get so anxious about doing the right thing, about protecting the people she loves.

They had stayed in the room, watching over Philip as they were making sure the curse didn’t get out of control. They were worried he would decide to attack Luz out of spite, especially since the green substance had spread on his arms and his horns once again were large and imposing.

All four jolted from their thoughts when they saw Philip get up abruptly before he walked out of the living room.

“Wait, Philip!” Gus called out, fearing the worst as everyone got their palisman to turn into staffs and ran to the hallway, ready to hold Philip back if he was going upstairs, but instead he walked down the hallway before he stepped out of the house.

“What is he doing?” Amity asked the others with confusion. Hunter ran after his ‘uncle’.

“You’re not supposed to leave the house,” Hunter quickly told the man who stopped halfway across the backyard. The sky was painted with warm hues of orange and red. “It’s too dangerous out there,” the boy said.

Philip didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the forest before he walked towards it, the grass rustling under his green demon-like feet.

Hunter gritted his teeth, debating whether to chase after him or stay at the house.

He turned to see his friends at the doorway, looking at him with a mixture of fear and concern.

The boy was worried for his ‘uncle’, but… he had to make sure his friends were safe as well…

So, the boy gripped his staff and made the tough decision to return to the house, letting Belos go. Not realizing that Luz got what she wanted.

Philip wasn’t sure how long he waited after the sun had finally rested as he stayed hidden behind some trees, his piercing blue eyes fixed at Gravesfield as it grew quiet. He made sure the streets were vacant as he walked quickly between buildings and slipped behind the cars to avoid detection before he made his way on the side of the church building. He found a side door and with a forceful shove, he broke the hinges and slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. As he walked down the hallway, he passed numerous doors and rooms, finally turning onto another hallway that led him to his desired destination.

Philip stood alone in the middle of the dimly lit aisle of the church as it was empty, and the only light came from the flickering candles that illuminated the statues of saints on either side of the aisle.

As he approached the altar, his gaze was drawn to the huge cross hanging on the wall before him. It loomed large and imposing, casting a shadow over the entire sanctuary, as if judging him. The intricate carvings and ornate decorations that adorned the cross seemed to dance in the flickering candlelight, lending an eerie quality to the scene.

He stood motionless there for a moment.

Philip had decided to come to the building since he didn’t know what else to do. He felt completely lost, and the only place he felt that could help him get his mind straight back to the mission was inside a church.

He also felt he was losing his mind as once again; he had blacked out for who knows how long.

Dark memories from the familiar walls made his heart race slightly. He clenched his teeth as he tried to keep his composure before he slowly knelt before the altar, his claws digging into the wooden boards, head bowed. The position was painfully yet comforting familiar.

As he opened his mouth to pray, he felt a tightness in his throat, a fear that he would burn if he tried to talk to God or ask for forgiveness for failing so much or for becoming a monster. He gritted his teeth and pushed down the fear, but as he tried to utter the words, his mind drew blank. He couldn’t remember a single prayer.

Frustration welled up against him, tears threatened to spill.

He hadn’t prayed since he became cursed. Did he really stray away from God’s path that much? Was he too late to seek guidance?

'You are a dissapointment...' the dark voice hissed in his head.

He then heard a sharp gasp in the room.

Philip stood in a blur of motion, his claws ready to attack. But standing in the room now with him was nothing like the men who had attacked him in the forest. Instead, there was a young woman in a white sleeping gown and the same man Philip believed was the pastor, the same pastor – well priest as Philip realized based on the nun standing by him and the statues of saints in the building - who was in the building the other day when he, Amity and her friends came the other day.

The priest’s and the nuns’ eyes were wide as they took in the sight before him, frozen in place as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing.

Was the figure a demon?!

But how was he inside?!

Slowly though, the priest began to realize that the creature standing in the middle of the aisle was strangely familiar…

Then the memories flooded from the other day, recognizing who the man might be.

“You’re… that man…” he let out in a stammer, slowly taking in the human features of the creature. The light blond mixed with grey hair was long, very unusual for any old man to have at their age. “You’re the one with those kids. The one who almost got run over.”

The nun looked at the priest with complete confusion.

The priest, days ago, had seen Philip just standing by the entrance as if he was terrified, which confused the priest. Then he saw Philip run out, followed by the kids, who seemed worried.

The priest had been concerned as well, had felt something was wrong, and ran out outside just in time to see one of the boys yank the old man out of the way before a car had the chance to run him over. Before the priest could go over and ask if everyone was okay, the old man was whisked away by the children. The events had left the priest with so many questions for the past days and didn’t know what to think of it all. He had wondered who the old man and the kids were since he had never seen them before, and where they had come from. And for a moment he thought he won’t ever see them again, but now, standing in the room was the old man, but now with claws and horns, and eyes that glinted in the dim light.

The priest’s mind reeled as he tried to make sense of things. Was he dreaming? Or was he face to face with a real, live demon that walked among humans?

“I… need help,” the creature let out quietly, the blue glowing eyes looking down as if looking ashamed. “I’m… I need… I need guidance.” He continued to say before he dropped to his knees again and he pressed his forehead against the ground. “Please… I mean you no harm,” his voice choked out before his shoulders shook a bit. “I really need help…”

The priest and the nun stood uncertainly, unsure of what to do in the face of this strange being. But as the priest watched him, just kneeling before them, looking completely vulnerable, he felt a pull in his heart to help. Without a second thought, the priest approached the man and knelt by his side. He placed a gentle hand on his back and didn’t pull away when he felt the body shake underneath his touch.

With the nun’s help, they encouraged the creature to uncurl from his tensed position and eased him to his feet before they led him to sit on a bench with them, ready to listen and provide guidance to the lost soul that landed in their sanctuary.

Chapter Text

The following amazing fanart is made by asherisawkward aka our reader: I named myself Philip because of this man

Thank you so much asherisawkward, i love the drawing so much and thank you so much as well for being so kind to me in tumblr :'c (especially since I sometimes feel like I can be a cold person) and reminding me to drink water :')

Check out their tumblr : ) - https://asherisawkward.tumblr.com/post/711242259996295168/fanart

Father Francis Etrergo was a fairly tall man compared to the others in town. His hair was light brown, short, but soft. His eyes were brown as the acorns that hang off the forest trees surrounding Gravesfield. He was on the thin side, since he usually forgot to eat dinner, but those who knew him respected him as he was a man that practiced what he preached.

For the past nine years, Father Francis had devoted his life as the priest of the catholic church in the small town of Gravesfield. From the moment he first watched his uncle helping others who sought help, who had dedicated his own life to the service of God, Father Francis knew that he, too, wanted to follow in his footsteps. As a young boy in Gravesfield, Francis had enjoyed watching the selfless joy that radiated from his uncle as he aided those in need. Francis truly believed the world needed more people that cared, that were willing to listen, especially if people hoped the world to change for the better.

It was only two years ago that Father Francis was finally assigned to his hometown of Gravesfield, the very place where he had first felt the call of God, the need to help others. From the moment he arrived, he reveled in the chance to serve the people he had grown up with, to offer them guidance and comfort in their times of need. People from all ages would come to him, though, usually it was the older generation that would come, seeking for God’s forgiveness for their past sins, or comfort for their last moments on Earth.

Through it all, Francis strove to be a compassionate listener, never judging the people who came to him for help, no matter how great or small their transgressions were. Never did he turn anyone away who had stepped foot into the house of God, though, he had to admit, he never thought he would have a demon-like creature of a man sitting on one of the benches, seeking his help.

At first, he sure thought he was in some sort of dream…

Or was God testing him at this moment?

He tried not to question if the situation he was in was real as he hurriedly made his way to his closet to retrieve a thick blanket. The creature felt like ice when he had placed a hand on the creature’s back. Which didn’t surprise him since the creature was bare foot and was only wearing sweatpants and a thin long sleeve shirt while it was November.

Father Francis emerged from his room to find himself face-to-face with two other nuns, Sister Luna and head nun Margaret, who had been staying for the past week for certain affairs.

“What’s going on?” Sister Luna, a middle-aged woman, asked as she and Sister Margaret had found the side door of the building broken.

“We have a guest,” Father Francis responded calmly.

Sister Margaret said nothing, eyeing him with her unyielding stare of a hawk, sharp and unblinking. Her skin was like the velvety night sky while Sister Luna’s was like fresh cream, unblemished. Both had hair darker than his.

“We should call the authorities,” Sister Luna said sternly, with a frown, especially when she saw the blanket in his hands. “They broke into the building. Who knows if they’re under the influence of something and can be a threat to us.”

“We’re not doing that,” Father Francis said, this time though in a hush voice. “He came to us, seeking help, and we cannot push away someone who needs us. Also… you should probably see for yourselves why we shouldn’t get the authorities involved…”

Sister Luna gave him a confused look, while Sister Margaret maintained her stern expression, one that he had tried several times in the past few days to ease, but he imagined she may have had experienced a lifetime of hardships and challenges that prevented her from relaxing or she was just extremely strict about almost everything, particularly how the church should be run, so she was always so uptight…

He was curious how Sister Margaret was going to react when she lay eyes on their guest. Without another word to them, he led them down the darkened corridors of the church, their footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls. As they reached the main room, he motioned for them to be quiet, and they stepped forward into the large room.

What the two women saw made them stop dead in their tracks, staring in shock at a creature straight from what they had imagined would be from the pits of hell, with horns protruding from its head, and sharp clawed green hands looking like they could tear them apart effortlessly. He sat slumped on one of the front benches, glowing blue eyes looking down at the hardwood floor, looking exhausted. Sister Lilian, a hand on his back, offered him what comfort she could. Her olive skin contrasted from his pale one.

Margaret’s face quickly pulled away from the shock and gathered her thoughts. She was the first to speak. “Who is he?” she asked, her voice steady.

“I’m not sure,” Father Francis replied, his eyes fixed on the figure before them. “But I’m going to find out.”

He approached the creature and gently draped the thick blanket over his shoulders. The creature lifted his head and gazed at the additional nuns in the room with a mixture of confusion and growing desperation, his eyes flickering with an otherworldly intensity.

“Do you… have a name, my son?” Father Francis decided to start with as he settled beside the creature.

Philip dropped his gaze to the floor, unsure if he should answer, trying to decide if coming into the building and seeking their help was the right move or not.

But what other choice did he have?

He had been growing tired throughout his time on Earth, and a strange ache in his chest had been spreading to the point that it was making things hard for him to focus on.

He blamed the witches and Luz for messing with his head, for trying to corrupt him.

“That’s why he left you, cause he didn’t want anything more to do with a monster like you!” Luz’s words radiated in his head.

“Philip… Wittebane,” the man finally murmured, his words barely audible, making Father’s Francis look at him with confusion.

The name was… there was no way…

Father Francis had studied the mass hysteria that had plagued Gravesfield many years ago, when innocent people were accused of witchcraft and put to death, deaths that were pushed by no other than a minister who was later deemed incompetent.

Philip Wittebane was a name that Father Francis came across from certain articles published in the history books of Gravesfield, a renowned witch hunter who had supposedly journeyed to a world filled with magic to save his brother who had been whisked away by a witch; a good number of people knew of Philip Wittebane, especially since he had his own statue in town.

A tale of how Philip Wittebane vanished was one that Father Francis found interesting, but believed it was nothing more than a fanciful myth, a product of the hysteria that had gripped his hometown. He had never believed in the existence of a magical world, yet… here he was, face to face with a creature with razor-sharp claws, horns, and glowing blue eyes that claimed to be Philip Wittebane, who should have been dead centuries ago.

Father Francis' first thoughts were to believe the creature was lying, using Philip’s name to deceive them, but the way Philip’s dark circles sagged with exhaustion, and eyes that looked dull, even though they were glowing, pulled the man’s heart again to help.

He decided for now, he would play along, to do his best to believe the creature was who he claimed to be.

“And you’ve been alive all this time?” Father Francis asked him. “How is that possible?”

Philip winced at the question, his gaze filled with shame and regret. He clutched the blanket tightly, as if seeking comfort from it.

“Father Francis,” Sister Margaret said calmly, her eyes looking straight at the priest. “Do you know this man?” she asked based on the question he had just asked Philip.

“Not exactly,” Father Francis replied. “I read about a Philip Wittebane from some old Gravesfield history books. He was one of the witch hunters from here. It was said that he had traveled to another world over 300 years ago, looking to save his older brother, who had been taken by a witch.”

“But that’s impossible…” Sister Lilian let out, looking at Philip. “That would make you… almost 400 years old?”

“I…” Philip struggled to speak, swallowing the emotions that were building in his throat. He didn’t want to admit to the people of God what he had done to himself; on what extremes he had to take to fulfill his mission. Especially since he knew he had messed up big time with magic, to the point his body grew corrupted and unstable. But… he hoped they would probably understand that his actions were necessary in order to save humanity. “I did things… to myself… to keep myself alive…” he admitted, his voice low, quiet.

Father Francis had a bad feeling, already assuming what Philip had done might have been terrible based on the demon-like features.

“What… certain things…?” Father Francis asked, gently, doing his best not to make Philip feel comfortable to open up with anything.

Philip hesitated, unsure if he should say anything about his curse. He flicked his glowing eyes from the priest to the other nuns, who observed him. Only Father Francis and Sister Lilian looked at him with softness, while Sister Luna had a look of fear and Sister Margaret held one of judgment.

“I had to do it,” Philip said, his tone slightly defensive, especially at the way Sister Margaret was looking at him. “I had to do it to fulfill my mission.”

“What mission?” Father Francis asked, his forehead creasing with confusion.

“To save humanity,” Philip proclaimed, his voice full of conviction. His eyes then bore into Father Francis before he continued. “From witches and demons.”

For a moment, there was a silence that hung heavy in the air, before Lilian asked softly, her light brown eyes eying him, “Witches… and demons?”

Philip glanced away; his gaze fixed on a flickering candle across from him. He could feel the weight of their stares on him, waiting for him to explain. He knew he had to tell them a portion of his journey, of the Boiling Isles, of the disgusting creatures who resided there, the actions he had taken, the danger he was trying to prevent for humanity, to have them understand how important his mission was so they could help him. He needed their strength, blessing, and approval, which he desperately sought to relieve the ache in his chest and help him not feel so alone. He hoped they could get rid of the doubts that had started to grow in his head after being manipulated by Luz’s disgusting friends.

Yes… he needed help so he could pick himself back up and finish what he had started, so, he opened his mouth and began to tell them when his brother was taken by a witch, ignoring the recent realization that he had earlier that his brother might have left with the witch on his own free will.

Philip recounted how he had been taken under the wing of the Minister and trained to become a formidable witch hunter, to keep the town safe from witches and demons. They were almost successful in keeping their town safe, by killing the majority of the witches who were in hiding, but they still had to get rid of the witch who had taken his brother, to keep humans from being condemned by God forever. Though the Minister had also said Caleb had to die, since he had strayed away from God’s path too much, Philip wanted to save his brother instead. So, after many years of searching, he found a way to travel to the wicked world full of magic, where his brother had been taken to, where terrible creatures lived on a huge corpse. Philip had found witches and demons disguised as civilized beings there. He painted a picture of witches and demons masquerading as if they were people, which explained how they were able to blend well on Earth if they traveled there.

Everyone in the room was taking in his words as he spoke, unable to believe what they were hearing. A completely different world was out there. A few of them believed maybe Philip had traveled to hell, but the way Philip described the creatures living in homes and ‘acting’ civilized made a couple of them think maybe… this was a different dimension of some sort? But how was that possible? The idea of a different world like that was just in fictional stories, right?

The only one who wasn’t dwelling too much at the possibilities of a different dimension was Sister Margaret, who simply listened to Philip’s tale. She may be a woman of God, but she also kept her mind open for certain subjects that weren’t brought up in the Bible.

No one dared to interrupt Philip as he spoke, especially when he got into how he got cursed.

Philip told them he had learned about symbols that let him use magic through the years he was stuck in the Boiling Isles and that combining them would produce a different sort of magical reaction.

“I thought maybe, if I added the glyphs on my body, I would be able to wield magic like the rest of them,” he explained quietly. “I first used ink on one of my arms, and it seemed to work… I was able to conjure different elements at will… So, I decided to permanently mark myself,” he waved to his arms, which of course they couldn’t see any of them since they were covered with the green substance and the long sleeve shirt. “But… my body didn’t react well when I did that…” Philip admitted with irritation at himself. “Yes, I could use magic at first just fine, but later I felt… as if I was starving, dying of thirst, and no matter what I ate or drank, I couldn’t control the desperation that overcame me. I also felt I was losing my mind. I was falling apart.” He shut his eyes hard, quietly remembering how badly he had panicked when he realized he had screwed up big time with carving the glyphs on himself. How he spent days curled up on the ground, screaming in agony at times when the hunger and desperation was too much to bear.

“Then… when I lost control… is when I found my brother…” he stopped talking for a moment, as he could hardly recall what had happened when he was losing himself to the mistake he had made. He remembered so much darkness, the hunger devouring him. He surely thought he was going to meet his end there, but then he felt a warm embrace. A familiar voice soothed him back from the darkness that was clinging to him.

‘I’m sorry, Philip.’ Philip had found Caleb whispering to him, tears falling on his cheeks as his arms strongly held Philip, who began to tremble. ‘I’m sorry for leaving you. Don’t worry, little brother, I’m here… We’ll fix this. I promise we’ll fix this…’  Philip had quickly thrown his arms around Caleb, desperately wanting to hold on to him, to make sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. He remembered he sobbed against his brother’s shoulder, wanting to scream at him for letting the witch take him away. For leaving him alone for so many years… Philip had clung to his older brother, not wanting to let him go, terrified if he did, Caleb would once again disappear. He had desperately hoped he wasn’t dreaming, afraid that he would wake up back in the Minister’s house, back in such a suffocating terrible life. In that moment, after so many dreadful years, in his brother’s embrace, Philip felt safe and happy.

Philip pulled away from the memory, realizing that a tear trailed down his cheek, which he quickly scrubbed away with his arm, before he continued to tell the others in the room how after finding his brother, he was led to the house Caleb had been staying at. It was at that moment Philip realized his brother was staying with a witch, and had slowly pulled out a knife, keeping it hidden behind his back, ready to strike when he needed to. But he had found himself shocked to find that the witch was impregnated by Caleb. His brother, who looked so happy, had been completely brainwashed by a witch.

It was at that moment Philip knew he had to free his brother from whatever magic spell he was under.

Later that night, Philip set the house on fire, to lure the witch out. He had tried stabbing her, but… his brother had fought him, protecting the witch, and without realizing it, his knife was deep in his brother’s chest…

Philip stopped talking, lost in the memory of that fateful moment. He recalled the sight of his brother’s lifeless body, the light gone from his eyes, and the pool of blood that had formed underneath him. The witch had cried over Caleb’s body, but Philip had been consumed with shock and anger. His hands shook as he glared at the witch, who had dared to scream at him.

‘Why?!’ the witch had yelled in pure agony. ‘He was your brother!’

“What else did you do…?” Sister Margaret finally spoke, with a voice as ice as a winter storm.

Philip looked up in confusion when he met her vicious stare as she took a step closer to him.

“Sister Margaret,” Father Francis found his voice after being stunned at what Philip had just told them. It was a lot to take in, especially now that Philip admitted to killing his brother, after he had gone out looking for him to ‘save’ him… He felt Sister Margaret was ready to lash out at Philip, which he didn’t think was a wise idea.

“Father Francis, please. I’m talking to Philip here,” Sister Margaret said in a stern voice, her green eyes coldly gazing at the creature. “What else did you do?” she asked because she imagined there was so much more that took place after Philip killed his brother. After all, Philip had lived for almost four centuries…

Philip shifted his gaze back to the candle, ignoring how nauseous he was feeling more than ever before and how the ache in his chest grew worse.

He continued by telling them that his body once again would go through uncontrollable urges and once found himself devouring the essence of a palisman, the only thing that had provided him with some sense of control for a moment. But the magic of that palisman was like a double-edged sword… It had given him comfort for a while, but then the palisman’s magic seemed to want out, and the only way to calm it down was to keep draining them, one after the other.

While he struggled with keeping his body in control, he remembered how the Minister wanted him to get rid of all witches, because they were a threat to human’s souls. So, he realized he had to kill all witches and demons in the Boiling Isles somehow. During his time there, he heard about an ancient creature that might know how to help him with his mission. He did end up finding the ancient creature who told him the only way to make sure he could get rid of the magical world was to absorb so much magic from the magical creatures there and use that power to disintegrate the world.

To aid him, he used his brother’s bones and created clones. However, the clones became corrupted just like his brother by the tainted land, and Philip had no choice but to get rid of them before creating them again and again. It took decades for Philip to slowly adapt to his situation, inventing the necessary devices he needed to control his magic better. It took him many attempts to figure out how to absorb the magic from the lifeforms there, and after so many trials and errors, he succeeded. He had executed his grand master plan during a solar eclipse and was so close to finishing his mission, but… a human girl who had arrived on the Boiling isles, who was corrupted by witches, had ruined everything…

After everything fell apart, and his body almost ended up destroyed, he had found himself back on Earth. He was currently staying with the human child, her mom, and some of the foul creatures the human girl considered as friends. Of course, he was trying to get back to the Boiling Isles so he could fulfill his mission, since he wasn’t going to give up, but…

“Those witches, who act as if they are humans, have been slowly messing with my mind,” Philip said with disgust in his voice. “They’ve been trying to manipulate me into believing they are not monsters, trying to corrupt me as they have done with the human girl and her mother, and…” Philip grabbed on to his head, teeth clenched hard. “I just don’t know what to do… I’m losing control.  I black out sometimes, and I can feel them messing with my thoughts… with my memories…  They’re trying to stop me from saving humanity, and I just need help… I need your blessing. I need the strength to keep pushing forward. I need God more than ever to finish this before it’s too late…” he muttered before he looked at Father Francis who was staring at him, looking a little bit on the pale side.

“Do you… seriously believe God would be on your side on this?” Philip was confused as he turned to Sister Margaret as her voice sounded colder, with so much contempt. Philip said nothing, his blue glowing eyes staring at her before she continued. “Do you really believe God would have wanted you to kill your own brother?” she asked evenly. “To take the lives of thousands of people?”

Philip was taken aback by her words. Had she not been listening to everything he had just said? The ache in his chest grew worse and he couldn’t help but feel irritated at her for seemingly getting mad for the deaths of disgusting vile creatures.

“Those people were witches and demons,” Philip retorted with annoyance. “They were-”

“From what you have been telling us, it sounds like they were living beings from a different sort of dimension,” the woman said sternly, cutting Philip off. “You traveled to their world to commit mass genocide.”

Father Francis spoke before Philip had a chance to defend himself. “The ones who were with you the other day, those were witches?” Father Francis asked as he eyed Philp with no expression on his face. He recalled how the children had entered the church, looking around with a curious light in their eyes as they took in the interior design of the building. He remembered how the blond child had seemed to be comforting Philip after he had saved him from getting run over on the street. He witnessed two of the children holding on to Philip’s arms as they helped him up to his feet before they led him away from the scene. “But… they were just children…” he trailed off.

Philip clenched his teeth, growing frustrated that Father Francis and Sister Margaret were taking things in the wrong way. Seemingly taking the side of the witches.

“Thou shalt not murder, Philip. If you are a man of God, you would remember the fifth of the ten commandments,” Sister Margaret stated.

Philip was feeling a rage grip at his heart now as he glared at her.

“But those who I killed in the Boiling Isles were witches and demons,” Philip retorted. “They were not human.”

“But they’re still living beings,” Sister Margaret responded back, annoyed, unable to believe Philip could not understand the importance of preserving respect to other living beings.

“Why does it matter if these witches and demons are living beings? They used magic, they were sinful creatures,” Philip said, annoyed. “Their existence was a threat to all humans.”

“Philip, how were these witches and ‘demons’ a threat to us?” she asked him. “If these creatures were so dangerous as you claim they are, then how come they never invaded Earth and destroyed us?”

Philip fell silent at this, his mind racing for a response. “They didn’t have a way to come to Earth,” he responded. “I had made a portal, but I thought it got destroyed during the house fire.”

“So, you managed to create a portal to Earth, yet no one else made one?” she asked. “Was it because they didn’t know how to make one or because they didn’t bother to make one?”

Philip said nothing, his mind growing blank there, but then he went with what the Minister would say in this situation. “God would want us to get rid of them,” he said.

Sister Margaret frowned. “Do I really have to repeat myself again, Philip? Thou shalt not murder.  Also, you said a witch took your brother. It seems to me that the witch was able to travel back and forth. So, couldn’t they have brought an entire army against Earth? It is kind of strange that they only took your brother, and not the whole town of Gravesfield if they were really that dangerous,” she said before continuing.

Philip clenched his teeth hard, hating every word that came out of her mouth, but he couldn’t help but ask himself how come such things didn’t cross his mind before.

She had a point…

‘No, she doesn’t…’

Philip did his best to ignore the dark voice, as he thought about the witches and demons in the Boiling Isles, how they were powerful compared to the humans due to their magic, yet they never seemed to have tried to go to Earth…

Other than of course the witch that took his brother…

“I also can’t believe you decided to play God by cloning your brother,” Sister Margaret scolded.

“I wasn’t playing God,” Philip argued, offended she would say such a thing.

“You created lives,” Sister Margaret said. “Living copies of your brother. That’s playing God and the worst part is you ended up killing them. How many clones did you make…?”

“They were mindless creatures with no souls,” Philip sneered, not answering her question, ignoring the memory when he held a six-year-old Hunter close to his chest. Ignored the countless clones who cried and looked at him with complete horror-stricken faces before he took their lives.

“Are you one hundred percent sure they were mindless, Philip?” Sister Margaret asked. “You said you killed them cause they were corrupted by the Boiling Isles like your brother. In what way were they corrupted? Were they corrupted because they didn’t want you killing the people in the Boiling Isles just as your brother was trying to stop you from killing the woman who carried his child? It seems to me they were trying to stop you from committing murder.”

Gus' words from a memory played in Philip’s head.

“Hunter is not some mindless machine,” Gus said. “Yes, you made him, but he’s a person with feelings and a conscience. And honestly, I don’t get you, man. You dismiss Hunter as nothing but a brainless thing when he follows your orders or worries for your well-being. Yet, if he disobeys you and acts like a real person, you just want to get rid of him?”

“Or do you tell yourself they are mindless to justify killing them in cold blood?” Margaret stated.

Hunter’s broken voice from days ago echoed in his mind when he was standing outside of Luz’s home, as he had listened on the other side of the door.

“You guys must think I’m so stupid,” Philip heard Hunter stutter. “I know I shouldn’t feel like this for him, but I can’t help myself.  I want to stay mad at him, but I can’t help but want him to love me as… a son... And sometimes I ask myself, if I’m just so desperate to be by his side cause he made me to be like that…” the boy’s voice broke. “Please don’t hate me for wanting him to love me…”

‘Don’t listen to her!’ the dark voice snapped in his head. “Kill her!”

Philip’s body trembled with anger as he rose from the bench, allowing the blanket to slip off his shoulders.

“What… is wrong with you…?” Philip's voice shook with anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. His shoulders also vibrated from the anger, which made Sister Lilian and Father Francis slowly pull away from him, as they were seeing things were taking a bad turn.

“Are you really seriously asking me that?” Sister Margaret scoffed, placing a hand on her chest. “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?”

“Mother Superior!” Sister Luna exclaimed at Sister Margaret for not holding back from angering the creature further.

Philip’s claws shook violently at her accusations as his mind jumped to the most logical conclusion he could come up with as to why the people in the room were attacking him.

“You are not men of God…” he let out in a shaky voice. “If you were… you wouldn’t be defending those witches and demons as if they were people. You wouldn’t be against what I’ve done and my mission to save humanity!” his face contorted as the green curse spread across his skin, his eyes flashing a furious blue. “I should have realized this place is corrupted by witches! That’s why those disgusting witches were able to step foot here. That’s why I was able to come in without burning as well!” he screamed, his cheeks splitting to reveal sharp, exposed teeth. Sister Lilian quickly backed away from Philip, her heart painfully racing, while Father Francis stared with wide eyes as the creature’s transformation escalated.

Sister Luna watched in horror as the creature’s face was completely encased with the green curse now. Blue orbs just glared at them within the black holes on his face. She pulled out her rosary, her eyes shut closed as she began to pray desperately for God to help them at this moment, while trying to fight the urge from running off like a coward.

“That’s why everyone outside of these walls is tarnished as well! Witches have already corrupted you all!” She heard Philip yell at them with a monstrosity roar.

Sister Margaret was the only one in the room who didn’t seem afraid of him as her gaze bore into him. If anything, she looked more annoyed than ever before.

“Blame the witches, blame the witches. That’s what the people in Gravesfield did years ago to blame for every misfortune that befall to them instead of just accepting that life could just be unfair or to avoid accepting responsibility for their terrible actions,” her voice was hard as steel, her words slicing through the air like a razor. “How very convenient for you all… to lay blame on someone else.”

Philip fell silent at her words, frozen on the spot, his chest twisting painfully while her eyes locked on his.

“Blaming someone else always makes anyone feel better. And it helps you sleep at night to accuse someone of manipulating you when the guilt starts to eat away at you, doesn’t it?” She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “I know that you feel guilty about what happened to your brother but blaming the witches won’t make the pain and guilt go away. You came here looking for someone to tell you that what you have been doing is justified, to tell you haven’t done anything wrong, but you know deep inside the truth, don’t you? There was no good reason that your brother had to die. He seemed happy you said. He had a baby coming, but you took that life away from him. Your brother’s death is on you. You’re the one to blame for what happened to him, not the witches or the devil or anyone else. What happened to him was you messing up and instead of taking responsibility for it, you became a coward and ran off to kill more innocent people to further live under the lie that the Minister had fed you since it was less painful for you.”

‘Kill her…’ The dark voice hissed in Philip’s head.

“I’m sorry to burst your bubble, Philip. But if you truly believe in God, you would know he would never have wanted you to hunt down people and slaughter them in his name,” Sister Margaret scolded. “What he wants you to do is face up to what you’ve done and make things right. He wants you to stop running away from the guilt, to stop burying it under a mountain of lies and excuses. God wouldn’t have wanted you to become this monster that you are now. I’m sorry, Philip, but you’re not a hero. You’re a murderer.”

“Heroes don’t go killing people who haven’t done anything wrong! You’re evil, Belos. You try to make yourself seem like the good guy when in reality you just want to hide who you really are. That’s why you killed your brother, cause he saw the real you!”  Luz’s words lashed at him after Margaret’s.

‘Kill her!’

“Shut up!” Philip finally snapped at her. He stomped towards Sister Margaret and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her to his face. “Stop talking, you corrupted witch!”

Sister Lilian gasped in worry; her legs frozen to even move. Sister Luna was just standing there in complete shock, hands gripping to her rosary as if her life depended on it. Father Francis, though, snapped from his own stunned state and was able to jump in and yank Sister Margaret from Philip’s grasp somehow before he put himself between them.

“Philip, stop,” Father Francis commanded in a stern and authoritative tone.

Philip’s rage boiled over, and he backhanded the priest with a blow to the face. Father Francis fell to the ground hard.

“Father Francis!” Sister Lilian screamed, now finding the strength to rush over to his side and cradled his head.

Sister Margaret stood her ground, glaring at Philip with steely determination.

“Is hurting and killing all you know, Philip?” she demanded, her voice cold and cutting, gesturing to where Father Francis was struggling to sit up in pain. “Is that really what a man that is supposed to save us would do?”

‘Kill her!’

“Stop talking!” Philip roared at her, the claws on his hands growing in size.

“You’re a coward!” Sister Margaret shouted back now. “Instead of owning up to your mistakes that you have made, you keep pushing yourself further into this madness of yours. Forcing yourself to believe in the lies that have been fed to you, that you have fed to yourself just because you want to avoid the guilt that is eating you up. Look at you, Philip, look at what you’ve become due to everything you have done! People are dying and suffering because of you!”

Philip grabbed his head this time, shaking it violently as he struggled with a torrent of emotions, each one vying for dominance within him. Frustration boiled in his chest as he fought to keep himself from lashing out at Sister Margaret since he knew if he did, he would end up killing her. He could feel the anger building inside him, threatening to burst the fort like a damn breaking under pressure.

But there was something else there, too. Something he had been feeling so much recently. Fear… But why Fear? Was it the fear that Sister Margaret might be right? That he was wrong? That he had killed innocent people all along? No, he wouldn’t have killed so many innocent people due to lies. He wouldn’t have tried killing a whole race if he didn’t think it was for the better good.

But memories from the past days started to invade his mind, memories of Camila and the witches slamming into him.

“Good children who are struggling with being away from home and miss their families and friends.” Camila stern voice played in his head before another memory took over.

“But of course, you don’t believe me, since you don’t believe any witch is capable of doing good or being honest,” Gus had said with frustration.

Gus’ face vanished from Phillip and then he remembered how Amity and Willow had dried his clothes before Willow later tied his hair in a ponytail.

“Alright, enough,” He growled, lips pulled back to reveal the sharp teeth. “I’m not some doll for you to toy with.”

“Hey, we’re only trying to help,” Amity scoffed.

“I didn’t request for your assistance,” Belos stated coldly.

“What’s going on here?” Hunter asked right away when he burst into the room with Gus in tow. The blond immediately shot daggers at the man.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Willow assured the boy. “Just that, Mr. Grouchy pants here doesn’t know how to say thank you when someone does something nice for him,” she said, making Amity cover her own mouth as she tried to stifle her laughter.

The nickname had been harmless… Amity’s giggle seemed playful now that he played the memory. Both girls were just teasing…

“You mentioned you learned about how this… car works… from the internet?” Philip was the one to break the ice, as he asked Gus, unable to resist his fascination with human technology.

Gus blinked up at him before eyes light up with excitement. “Yeah, it’s kind of like what we have back home, only it’s way cooler since it has so much information,” he explained. “I don’t know how humans came up with it, but it’s amazing. People can upload information, videos, even books. It took so many people and technology to invent it and it took over several decades.”

“Several decades?” Philip raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Yeah, it’s still ‘new’ I guess, but we for sure haven’t made something that amazing back at home, which would be so cool to have. We only have our ‘internet’ to send messages and for our Penstagram.”

“I think you can find all the books humans have ever invented on the internet,” Amity said with a sigh of awe. “Though, I guess I still prefer going in person to the library, but still, it’s cool there are endless books I can read if I want online.”

“There are so many documentaries about many things there as well,” Willow added with a smile. “And many movies as well.”

“And instructional videos on how to do things!” Hunter chimed in, eager to share his enthusiasm

That moment at the bus, he felt… he felt a little bit of the same excitement that the children had when they talked about the internet. They seemed like they had something in common…

No…

Philip had to stop the memories from manipulating him. He had to try to block Sister’s Margaret’s words, to push away the doubts that were clawing into his mind, into his heart. But the harder he tried, the louder they became, the more the curse felt it was overwhelming him.

‘Philip, you have to listen to me. Everything they told you is a lie,’

Trembling with emotion, Philip fought to regain control of himself.

‘Please, Philip, I know it’s hard to understand, but you have to believe me.’

Sister Margaret’s accusations continued to ring in his ears.

‘Trust me, please…’

He had to stop the voices. He couldn’t breathe!

You know deep inside they’re wrong!’  

He mentally screamed for it all to stop!

'This isn’t you! I know you!’

“Philip, calm down,” Philip’s eyes shot open to see Father Francis back on his feet, his face slowly swelling up from the strike he had endured. He stood again between him and Sister Margaret, his eyes held on a fierce yet calm determination. “Just take a few breaths, and calm down, please.”

“That’s it, breathe,” Gus’ voice from a memory ran in his head. “Listen to my voice and just breathe with me. Inhale, hold it for a few seconds, then exhale. Do it with me.”

Philip had just realized he was heaving, having a hard time breathing as if his heart and lungs were getting crushed.

“Hey, it’s okay, just take in deep long breaths.”

Philip tried to listen to Gus’ words from his memories as he tried taking deep breaths, while he saw the blood trickle down from the priest’s mouth, how the two other nuns were frozen where they were, eyes blown wide with fear, while Sister Margaret still stood tall, her eyes meeting his gaze.

“Just, continue on your breathing, Philip.”

“Philip, listen to me, please,” Father Francis said gently, trying to take control of the situation, to calm the creature down. “I can see that you truly believe witches are evil and that you were just trying to save us. But you must understand that you’ve been misled. The Minister who told you to hunt down witches was lying to you. He didn’t have your best interests at heart. He had no one’s best interests at heart. He preyed on everyone’s fears and anger to manipulate you all into doing his bidding.”

“You’re lying…” Philip let out, his voice choking as he spoke, still gasping for air as he slowly backed away from Father Francis.

“I know that you feel guilty about what happened to your brother. I know it hurts so badly but blaming the witches won’t make the guilt go away. It won’t make the pain go away.” Father Francis stepped closer to Philip. “And it’s not too late to change, Philip. You hear me? You don’t have to keep running away from the truth because you think it’s too late for you. You can change, you can find redemption. It won’t be easy, but it is possible. We all make mistakes, Philip. It’s what we do afterward that defines us; do you hear me? Don’t believe the path you have been these past years is the only one for you. You don’t have to keep hurting and killing others. You can be better.”

Philip stared at him with wide eyes, hot tears slowly trailing down his cheeks. "I did it to help you all,” he said as the ache in his chest constricted badly, fear gripping him tightly on his heart. “For the past centuries, I did it to save you all…”

“I know, Philip,” Father Francis said, but this time his eyes had a shine to them, as if holding back tears. His voice was soft as he spoke to him now. “I know.”

“The Minister, he said your souls were in danger. He said God wanted me to save you all. I had to get rid of the witches and demons. The Minister said they were evil. You must believe me,” Philip now begged desperately.

“Jonathan later admitted Samuel was an arrogant evil man,” Masha’s words vibrated in his mind.

“I know, Philip.”

Philip felt Father Francis’ words were crushing his heart more.

“I… I didn’t want to kill my brother,” Philip stuttered out, his shoulders shaking, the green substance on his face shrinking away, exposing his flesh.

“I know you didn’t.”

Philip let out a choked sob as more tears kept streaming down his cheeks.

“I loved my brother,” he let out. “I really loved him. All I wanted to do was to save him, to bring him back home. I didn’t want to kill him. I didn’t want to hurt him.”

“I believe you.”

“I… I…” Philip grabbed on to himself, the claws digging into his arms as he felt he was falling apart, as if the world was falling underneath his feet. “Please…” He choked out desperately. “Please tell me I’ve been doing good. That my mission is real, that those witches are evil. Please tell me I must keep pushing.”

“I’m sorry, Philip,” Father Francis whispered. “You know I can’t…”

“Please, tell me to keep going. Please stop lying. I… I…” Philip looked up at anyone in the room, eyes pleading, hoping any of them would assure him he was doing what God wanted him to do. That he was saving humanity. He needed someone, at least, just one person, to agree with him. He didn’t want to believe he had killed so many due to a lie, due to his own guilt and fears. But no one said anything.

Father Francis just continued to look at him now with a pained expression.

“Please, please, I was doing it for you all. You have to believe me. I didn’t do it for my sake. I was doing it for you all,” Philip cried sadly as his mind raced for comfort. He felt he was clinging on an edge of a cliff, his grip slipping away, and the only thing that was waiting for him was a big void of darkness ready to swallow him whole.

“I know, Philip,” Father Francis said as he stepped closer to him, still looking at him with a mournful expression. “I know you believed you were doing the right thing.”

The man’s words made Philip’s world fall apart. Everything he had done, all the torture he had inflicted on the people, the deaths he had caused… no… he had to continue to believe he was doing the right thing. That he still had to save humanity, but as his mind raced, he couldn’t stop the memories flashing before his eyes. He couldn’t stop remembering how at first when he inflicted pain to others, he had doubts and felt so guilty, especially when he had stabbed the first clone through the neck.

“Don’t worry, you’re still getting used to it. You will soon not be tricked by then… soon you won’t feel a thing for those wretched beings one day,” The Minister patted Philip’s cheek with amusement.

And just like the Minister said, he had gotten used to things. He had taught himself not to let the pain of others bother him… Living for so long he had forgotten so many things, on how he had felt before with his mission, but now he was painfully remembering so much.

“You awful, terrible, foolish of a man is so completely brainwashed by other madmen,” Camila was right, he was awful, terrible, foolish…

“And even if they were witches, killing them was wrong,” Luz had stated to him coldly, the words hitting him hard. “You’re nothing but a monster, Belos.”

Philip collapsed on his knees. His clawed hands gripping his chest as it heaved with the weight of his guilt as it was unbearable. His heart felt it was splitting into two. The faces of all those he had killed continuously slammed into his mind.

Father Francis rushed over to him, placing a hand on his back, and trying to soothe him with words, but they fell on deaf ears. All Philip could hear were the screams of his victims. He tried to block them out, to shove away the guilt and the words from everyone that were tearing him apart, but it was no use.

Philip tried to believe he had been filled with lies by everyone recently, but the more he struggled, the more he understood as to why he was obsessed with his mission. He couldn’t handle that his brother had abandoned him. He couldn’t accept that he had killed his brother due to a mistake. Sister Margaret was right; he was a coward. All those years, he had pushed and pushed. Philip didn’t want to believe he had endured and had committed so many terrible deeds. He couldn’t bear the thought that he had killed his own brother due to a mistake, that he had killed so many innocent people.

Reality slammed into him, and the weight of his guilt felt suffocating. The walls of the church seemed to close in on him, as he struggled to breathe as tears streamed down his face.

“Cal-eb,” he managed to let out, curling on the floor, his body convulsing into sobs. The face of his beloved brother, in their younger days, looking at him with a soft loving smile flashed in his mind. “Why… Why didn’t I… listen to you? I should have believed you,” he cried sadly, his head pressing against the wooden floor just when the horns on his head completely shrank away.

He wanted his brother back so badly right now. He wanted to apologize to Caleb for taking his life.  Philip desperately wanted to go back in time and avoid everything he had done.

He wanted to scream until his throat went raw, but his lungs had trouble taking in the air he needed to breathe, the weight of his guilt was tearing him apart piece by agonizing piece.

He had believed he was saving everyone. He thought he was doing the right thing, but instead he had planned and manipulated, hurt, and killed, turning a deaf ear to those who begged for mercy, but the truth was staring back at him with cold, unfeeling eyes.

“The only one vile here is you!” Luz snapped at the man. “You’re the real monster here, Belos. All you do is destroy anything you touch!”

As the tears burned his flesh, he finally realized Sister Margaret was right, that Luz was right…  that he was not the hero he had believed himself to be… But instead… he was a monster, and not just any monster…

He had become the monster of the Boiling Isles.

Chapter Text

FanArt <3

1.

Thank you Ratollo for this piece of art, a scene of chapter 15 :'). I totally love Gus and Philip, hahaha, and love how you drew them. Their tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ratollo

2.

Thank you cutiepam for drawing this angsty scene :). Poor Philip, the minister for sure had his eyes on him the whole time o.O. their tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/dannyatnightfall

With a heavy sigh, Camila got out of bed as the morning light spilled into her bedroom, painting everything in a warm, golden glow. She paused at her door and turned to look for any signs of movement from her daughter, who had slept in her bed the whole night.

After Luz and Philip had a screaming match, Camila had pulled Luz into the sanctuary of her bedroom the moment Philip became unresponsive. But even there, her daughter hadn't calmed down from her rage, which had turned into trembling and gasping for air, her body wracked with a panic attack. Camila had quickly led her to her bed and had held onto her, stroking her hair and murmuring words of comfort.

Luz had let out a sad apology, crying into her chest and gripping her mother's shirt. "Por favor, entiéndame, mama, I don't want to lose you too," Luz had choked out while hot tears trailed down her tender cheeks. "I don't want to lose anyone ever again."

Tears had instantly gathered in Camila's eyes when she thought of Manny, her late husband, and she started to understand the deeper reason why Luz didn't want Philip staying at their house.

Her arms had tightened around her daughter, and she had whispered to her that she wouldn't let anything bad happen to anyone in that house as long as she was breathing. Luz had continued to sob in her embrace, and after a while, her breathing had evened out, and she had drifted off to sleep.

Camila had gently laid her daughter down on the bed, tucking her in with a soft blanket. It was then that she had heard a commotion downstairs before it had traveled outside of the house. She had quickly made her way to the window to find Philip striding away into the forest.

She had watched him go and had thought for a second to stop him, but one look at her daughter resting peacefully in her bed made her decide it was probably better for Philip to be out of the picture for now.

Camila shook her head to get out of her thoughts and made her way downstairs to the living room to find Hunter sitting on the couch, with Philip nowhere in sight.

"Oh, good morning, mijo," she said, offering the boy a smile. Hunter turned his head towards her, with dark circles greyer than usual under his eyes, evidence that he had not slept well, or at all.

"Good morning, Camila," Hunter muttered.

"I guess Philip hasn't come back yet?" she dared to ask.

"No, he hasn't," Hunter said, looking down at his lap, disappointed and worried at the same time, which made Camila's heart break. Of course, the boy was worried for Philip, but sadly, the man didn't care about him at all.

"I'm going to make us some banana pancakes," Camila said to the boy, trying to cheer him up. "Something different today."

“I can help you if you want,” the boy offered as he got up.

“Oh, no, it’s okay, mijo,” Camila said to him gently, but the desperate look in the boy’s eyes made her give in slightly. She assumed he wanted something to do to get his mind off Philip. “Could you help me set up the table instead?”

Hunter's shoulders relaxed, and he nodded. In no time, both were in the kitchen, with Camila making pancake batter, and Hunter finishing up putting plates and utensils for everyone on the table.

“How’s Luz…?” Hunter hesitantly asked her as he sat down on one of the chairs.

Camila was busy pouring batter onto a frying pan before she answered. “She’s resting right now, but honestly, I don’t know what to do. I knew she didn’t agree with having Philip in the house, but I didn’t think she was stressing out so much from it…” She looked down at the pan, feeling a bit of shame. “I should have noticed how bad she was handling things.”

“You shouldn’t feel so guilty,” Willow said as she entered the kitchen with Amity and Vee.

“Yeah, you do so much for us,” Amity said. “As her girlfriend, I should have also paid more attention. I knew she was upset, but I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“I think once we finish breakfast, we should probably talk to her as a group,” Willow suggested. “To make sure she’s doing okay and to let her know we’re there for her.”

“And finally decide what we should do with Belos, since we don’t have that oath on our side,” Vee added.

Hunter looked down at the table at the mention of his ‘uncle,’ and he couldn’t help but feel nauseous at the thought of the discussion they would have about him since he had a feeling it wasn’t going to go well for the man. Once again, Hunter mentally yelled at himself for caring about the man instead of hating him.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Camila smiled at Willow. She was so glad Luz had such wonderful friends who were thinking about her well-being.

As Camila continued preparing the pancakes, Gus joined them in the kitchen, silently taking a seat. Everyone agreed they would let Luz sleep in while they ate breakfast. While Amity and Willow poured milk or orange juice for everyone, their palisman roamed around the kitchen, relieved to finally have some time out of their hiding spots now that Philip was gone. Gus kept a gentle hand on his palisman’s head as he side-glanced at Hunter, who was gazing at his plate, trying not to draw attention to himself.

After Belos left, Hunter had stayed up all night, waiting for him to come back home, but he never did. He hoped Philip was digging up more holes safely. Hunter wanted to go check on the man, but he didn’t want to leave the house vulnerable to potential danger while everyone slept.

Flapjack poked his head out from under Hunter's collar before landing on the table and tilting his head up at the boy with a worried look in his eye. The boy gave his partner a small smile before petting his head with a finger. Well, the silver lining to the whole situation was that Flapjack didn't have to hide at the moment.

Little Luz sat in the waiting room of the hospital, her small frame barely filling the chair she was perched upon. The fluorescent lights buzzed above her as the clock on the wall ticked away the minutes. She anxiously watched the hands move. They were supposed to see her father an hour ago, but her mother had told her they had to wait because her dad was still sleeping. But Luz could see the red-rimmed, glossy eyes her mother was trying to hide, and she knew something was wrong.

Little Luz had been in and out of the hospital corridors for a while now, and she had seen others crying in the hallways at times, which made her feel slightly sick and worried too. She had watched her father grow thinner and paler with each passing day. She may be young, but she wasn't naive. Still, she tried her best to hide the fear that was growing in her chest as time continued to pass by.

Suddenly, a nurse approached them, and Luz's mother got up to talk to her. Luz's heart raced as she watched her mother and the nurse talk in hushed voices. Then her mother covered her mouth with her hand, stepped back, and tears began rolling down her cheeks.

Little Luz felt her throat clench as she stared her mother slowly fall apart.

"No... no... please, Manny... Oh Dios..." her mother's muffled sobs filled the room, and Luz's terror intensified. Without a second thought, little Luz sprang from her seat and ran in the direction of her father's room, ignoring her mother's calls. She ran as fast as she could, her mind racing. Her daddy needed her, and she had to be by his side right now, to hold his hand, to tell him everything was going to be okay. Ignoring the nurses who tried to stop her, she pushed past them and burst into the room where her father used to stay.

But this time, there was no one in the room, not even the bed was there. "Dad?" Luz let out, her wide eyes glancing around the vacant room. A nurse came into the room right away.

"Where's my dad?" Luz demanded right away as she turned to look up at the nurse. The nurse hesitated, unsure how to respond. She knew the little girl since she had seen her visit the man who was assigned to the room. She didn't want to be the one to break the news to her, so she knelt down to her, giving her a soft smile.

"Your father has been moved to another room," she finally said, hoping to buy some time until the girl's mother came into the room.

"What room?" Luz's voice became desperate. "Take me to him!"

"Let's go find your mother first," the nurse said quietly.

"No, I want to see my dad!" Little Luz stepped away from the nurse, her eyes shaking as they glazed with unshed tears. "Please take me to see my dad! He needs me!"

"Mija," Little Luz glanced at her mother stepping into the room, tears still flowing down her face.

"Mami, where’s dad?" Little Luz asked her mom right away.

Her mom looked away for a moment, wiping her eyes, even though the tears wouldn't stop coming out. She then went over to her daughter, went down to her knees, and grabbed her daughter's shoulders softly.

“Luz…” her mother said quietly, searching for the right words to deliver the devastating news to her young daughter while also shielding her from unnecessary pain. “Luz, mija, there's something I need to tell you,” she said softly, barely above a whisper.

Little Luz shook her head rapidly, covering her ears with her tiny hands.

“Your dad, he’s not…” her mother began, but little Luz kept shaking her head with increasing desperation.  

"Take me to my dad, mami," Little Luz begged with a whimper. "Please, he needs me!"

Her mother pulled her daughter into a tight hug. “Oh Luz…” she choked as she began to cry again. “I’m so sorry, mija, I'm so sorry.”

Luz struggled in her mom’s embrace, tears finally making their way to her eyes as she yelled, “This isn’t funny! I know dad is messing with us! I know he’s pulling one of his pranks again!”

Camila held on to her daughter tighter, her face buried in the little girl’s hair.

“No, mi amor, your daddy, he’s… he’s gone,” her mom finally said, her voice heavy with sadness. “He’s gone, mija…”

“No, he’s not!” Little Luz cried, still struggling to break free. “He promised he wouldn’t leave us. He promised he would get better," she choked as her body began to shake with grief and pain, and she felt like she couldn’t catch her breath. “Please, please let me see him, mami, please…”

“I can’t, mija,” her mother said quietly. “I can’t…”

Little Luz felt her world crashing down around her. Her little heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces as she tried to process what was happening at that moment. Tears streamed down her face, and her sobs seemed to come from deep within her chest as she kept begging her mother to take her to her dad.

She had seen her dad the day before, after he had told her he had left her a present in the trunk of the car inside a box. How could he be gone when he was alive not so long ago? There was no way her dad was gone.

She desperately wanted to feel her dad's warm embrace, hear his kind voice, and have them all back at home, laughing and smiling on the couch. But her mother just continued to hold her, whispering words of comfort that did nothing to ease the pain in her heart.

As little Luz mentally screamed for her dad to come into the room with a grin and tell them they fell for another of his pranks, he never showed up. Little Luz never got to feel her father’s warm embrace ever again.

Luz brushed away the few tears that made their way out of her eyes as she was laying on the side of her mother’s bed, while she tried to push away the memory she wished had never happened. Losing her father was the worst thing she had ever experienced, and even now, it made her heart clench painfully, making her want to scream in anger at the world for taking him away from her. She knew he was gone, and that he was never going to come back, no matter what she did... There was nothing she could do to see him again...

Life had taken her father from her… and now it seemed it was trying to take others she loved from her as well.

Adrenaline slammed into her as she remembered her argument with Belos the night before. She jumped out of bed and dashed downstairs, and in no time was in the living room, only to find it empty.

“Luz?” Amity stepped into the living room with a look of confusion, followed by everyone else emerging from the kitchen with concerned expressions as they heard her run. “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Belos?” Luz asked urgently, her eyes wide and frantic, struggling to catch her breath with a hand on her chest.

“He’s not here,” Amity said. “He left the house yesterday and hasn't come back.”

Luz's eyebrows furrowed at the news, suspicious of what Belos was up to. Why would he leave the house? She assumed he was looking for Titan’s blood, which shouldn’t surprise her given his obsession with returning to the Boiling Isles to complete his terrible mission.

Once Camila saw Luz calm down, she got her to join them at the dining table to have something to eat. Everyone was almost done with their breakfast when Luz sat down with them. Well, Hunter barely touched his serving and was mostly just staring at his pancakes with a faraway look, which Camila did take notice of and worried her.

“Pancakes are delicious as always, Camila,” Gus complimented Luz’s mother before taking out another bite of his pancakes that were smothered in maple syrup.

“I wish I had chocolate chips to have mixed with the pancakes,” Camila said. “They taste so much better with chocolate.”

“What about ketchup?” Amity asked, which made Camila’s face scrunch up and her nose wrinkle.

“I don’t recommend that,” she said with a small amusement.

Luz let out a long sigh at the way everyone was doing their best to act like there was nothing they should be worried about, as if what happened between her and Belos was just a dream. But she couldn’t pretend like nothing was wrong. Not while Eda and King needed her to save them, not while her friends’ families were in danger as well…

She felt like everyone was trying so hard to look strong. They did their best to hide their worries and fears, probably to not worry her and her mother, but she couldn’t stand her friends lie to themselves like that. She couldn’t stand that they had to share the same house as well with a man that had basically taken almost everything from them. With a man that wanted them dead…

And while Belos wasn’t at the house, she decided to take a certain action to protect her family and friends.  

She pushed her plate away from her and glanced up at everyone. “We can’t let Belos come back into the house,” she began to say, her voice low and serious. The room fell silent as everyone stopped what they were doing, and all eyes turned to her.

They knew the conversation was going to be brought up, but they honestly wanted to have it after breakfast. Though, they imagined talking about it now was probably better to just get it over with early in the day.

Gus spoke up, his voice hesitant. “But we can’t just leave him out there. There are dangerous people that are targeting him.”

“So?” Luz shook her head, her eyes hardening. “Why should we care if he’s in trouble? He’s killed people, and it’s only a matter of time before he kills us.”

Gus fell silent, his palisman looking up at him with concern. “What if he can change...?” he finally asked, the very question that has been plaguing his mind for a while, which made everyone glance at the boy with mix expressions. Hunter had a hopeful look in his eyes while Luz’s darkened.

She felt Belos had really manipulated Gus the most at that moment, taking advantage of his kindness. It angered her how much Belos would stoop so low to mess with people at her age and younger.

“He’s had 400 years to change his mind,” she said firmly. “He’s had every opportunity to feel remorse for what he’s done, but he’s chosen not to. If the Collector hadn’t stopped him in time, Belos would have wiped out everyone in the Boiling Isles. And he would have simply come back to Earth and not once felt bothered by the thousands of people he had killed.”

“Luz has a point there…” Amity said calmly, which made Gus look down at his lap. Luz also saw Hunter’s expression become pained at her words, which made her feel bad. She didn’t want to hurt Hunter in any way, but...

“Look, guys, I’m sorry for… being difficult ...” Luz’s voice softened, trying not to be so aggressive towards her friends. It wasn’t their fault that Belos had found a way to manipulate them into caring about him. She understood so well how one could fall for the man’s tricks, since she had been played so well by him in the past. “It’s just that... I don’t want...” She looked down at the table as she remembered the last time she had seen her dad, lying in a coffin, eyes closed, motionless. “I don’t want Belos hurting any of you...”

“Luz, we understand you’re worried for us,” Gus said. “But...”

“No, you don’t understand.” Luz’s hands turned into fists on her lap as the memory that had freshly played in her mind earlier crawled back into her head. The same pain, when she remembered her father, clawed at her heart. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep her emotions in control. “You don’t understand that I can’t...” she struggled to say, which got Amity to quickly place a hand gently on one of her clenched fists.

“Can’t what, Luz?” Amity asked with concern.

“No, mi amor, your daddy, he’s... he’s gone....”   Her mother’s words from the memory replayed in her head, reminding Luz how powerless she was to help her dad, but now there was a lot she could do to protect those she loved. After all, she wasn’t a little girl anymore, and the pain of losing her father was one she would not want to endure again anytime soon...

Luz looked up at her girlfriend, with eyes glazed. “I can’t lose you guys either,” she said quietly. “I lost my dad, and that was the most painful moment in my life. Losing any of you guys as well would be too much for me to handle...”

Amity watched her girlfriend with a heavy heart, remembering when Luz had told her about her dad's passing on the Boiling Isles.

At that moment, she and her friends could see where Luz was coming from, why she was so anxious and scared, especially since Belos was capable of killing them and had already shown the urge to do so. Everyone in the room, except for Luz and Camila, had never experienced the loss of a loved one, particularly a family member, and the thought of it was too overwhelming for them. They had heard others say that losing someone they loved would leave a permanent mark on their hearts.

Luz's friends had learned about her dad's passing from Camila and felt deep sympathy for their friend. They knew that Luz had been affected by the loss, but they didn't realize that Luz was afraid of losing them too.

Hunter felt bad for Luz but… if his "uncle" died, it would probably devastate him as well. He stayed silent, ignoring how heavy his heart felt thinking about losing his ‘uncle’.

No one said anything to Luz as she glanced at everyone, her eyes still not shedding a tear since she was holding them back.

"I'm sorry again that I've been so difficult," she said quietly. "I'm just trying to protect you guys... You guys are my family, and I can't lose you guys..."

Hunter looked up with surprise when Luz called him her family. "So, please, I need you guys to understand that we can't have him around," Luz pressed on. "We don't need him anymore."

"Well, we kind of do," Gus whispered. "Not all the materials from the list he gave us to make the portal exist in the human world. We would need to find substitutes, and Philip will probably know what we can use instead."

"I think we can figure that out without him," Luz replied.

“Yeah, I think we can,” Amity agreed with a smile to her girlfriend.

Gus didn't say anything this time, knowing that he wouldn't be able to change Luz's mind anytime soon. She was so stubborn… just like Philip…

"People like him don't change," Luz continued, especially to Gus, holding Amity's hand tightly. "They don't want to change. They think of themselves above everyone else and don't care who they hurt as long as they think they are right."

Camila listened to her daughter’s words before the words from her coworker replayed in her head.

"Honestly, if I were your friend, I would be extremely careful having her kid around her uncle," Jimmy had said in a serious tone, making Camila look up. "Just like I said, some people can change, but others can't. People who have hatred towards others because they are different can be very dangerous. Especially those who refuse to admit they are wrong..."

Her colleague had spoken of the possibility of change in people, but only if they truly wanted to. But it seemed like Philip had no interest in changing. He saw the kids as nothing more than "vile" creatures and treated Hunter like a disposable item. He warned her to be careful, that some people could never change. Those who held onto their hatred and refused to admit they were wrong were the most dangerous. The fact that Philip had killed his brother showed how far he was willing to go to hold onto his beliefs. He claimed that he had sacrificed his brother to save humanity. The lengths he went to hold onto his beliefs were proof enough that maybe Philip was the one too far gone to change.

"I think we should vote on whether to keep Belos out of the house or bring him back here," Willow suggested after a moment of silence. “It’s only fair we make this decision together.”

"Well, I'm voting to keep him out," Vee said with determination to keep her new family safe.

"I think I will too," Willow said, though, she couldn’t help but feel her chest clench when she saw Hunter look away from her, with a sad look in his eyes.

"I vote to keep him out," Amity said, feeling she had to be on her girlfriend's side, especially after seeing how badly Luz was affected by her growing worry of losing them.

"I of course want him as far from us as possible," Luz said, her tone strong.

Gus bit his lower lip and glanced at Hunter, who was looking down again, holding Flapjack tightly against his stomach. Luz understood why Hunter wasn't saying a word and did her best not to judge him.

"It's okay if you want to bring him back," Luz said, being understanding about Hunter. She couldn't blame the boy for his loyalty towards Belos now. The way he broke down the other day after Philip's mistreatment made her realize there were things she would probably never understand about the relationship between Philip and Hunter since she had loving parents.

"Well, my vote is to bring him back, but I guess it doesn't matter anyway," Gus said. "Since the majority already voted against bringing him back."

"Then, I guess it's decided," Camila said, ignoring the fact she wasn't sure on which side she would have voted. The memory of Philip sitting there in the bathtub, cradling his left arm against his chest, was printed in her mind. But seeing her daughter breaking down due to fear of Philip killing anyone in the room also gripped her heart. For now, she had to ignore her caring side she had for the man. She had to be realistic right now. The man posed a threat to the kids. Even if she tried to stop Philip from hurting them, there was possibly no way for her to protect them since he was far too powerful compared to her. If anything terrible happened to any of the kids, she would never forgive herself.

She had a duty as a mother, as the adult of the house, to protect the children as best as she could.

She heard a chair move against the floor. She turned to see Gus getting up and walking away. The memory of Gus sitting next to Philip, as the boy showed him the internet and the way Philip looked at the laptop with curiosity and listened to what the boy was saying instead of offending him, crawled back into her mind. And it made her ask herself… Was Philip truly too far gone to change…?

It was evening when Vee opened the door to let Masha into the house. Both had stayed up in the girls' room after the entire argument between Luz and Philip the day before. Later that night, Vee and Masha had finally left the bedroom and were told by the others that Philip had left the house. After Vee introduced Masha to all her friends, they had apologized to them for causing them problems, but everyone assured them they had nothing to apologize for. They were told that they had done nothing wrong.

"So, that's the journal?" Vee asked, noticing the paperback book that Masha was holding in one hand. Before they left the day before, Gus had asked them if they could bring it since they had mentioned it during their discussion with Philip. Masha agreed they would do so the following day.

"Yep," Masha said with a smile before both teens walked down to the basement where Gus was lying on the couch and Hunter seemed to be sleeping soundly on the floor, a blanket completely covering him. Flapjack was settled on top of where Hunter's head would be, watching Masha curiously.

"Hiya, Gus," Masha said with a lazy smile, going over to Gus and hovering the book over his head.

Guy's eyes lit up with excitement as Masha handed him the book.

"Awesome, thanks Masha," the boy said as he sat up.

"It's the least I can do after the chaos I caused yesterday," they said.

"Hey, what happened wasn't your fault," Gus told her.

“So, why is that book famous?” Vee asked curiously as she and Masha sat beside Gus on the couch while he opened it.

“Well, it was written by Pastor Jonathan Ward who used to be like an apprentice for Samuel Hale, the Minister of Gravesfield back in the day,” Masha began to explain. “Jonathan was devoted to ‘cleansing’ the town of witches. He even approved some of the executions, but then one day someone in town accused his wife of being a witch herself. It was at that moment that he changed his view on things since he claimed there was no way his wife was a witch. He said she was a devoted woman of God, which is the reason why he married her because they had a powerful drive to follow God’s word. Anyway, he realized that people were being accused of being witches without actual physical evidence to back the accusations up and rebelled against the Minister who continued to push his agenda. Eventually, the people of Gravesfield believed in the pastor’s words more since he had gone to a prestigious school and people deemed him as the more ‘educated’ one compared to the minister.”

“I see…” Gus said as he began flipping through the pages where a light blue tag was sticking out from.

“I always thought it was strange how everyone just forgave Jonathan after he admitted he was wrong,” Masha brought up. “After all, he had led ‘witches’ to their deaths as well.”

“I think it’s crazy how he only changed his mind because the whole thing almost led to his wife’s death,” Vee commented.

“Yeah, unfortunately that happens a lot,” Masha said. “Many people only care about a situation when it happens in their own backyard.” They looked at Gus before pointing at the blue tag. “I marked where Philip was brought up.”

Without their knowledge, Hunter was listening in, especially when he heard his ‘uncle’s’ name.

“But I recommend that you guys read the whole thing,” Masha suggested. “It does a great job of showing you how things were back in the day during the whole ‘kill the witches’ era.”

Gus found the first section that Masha had highlighted - it was in the middle of the book - before reading the passage out loud. “As I’ve already stated, I am filled with remorse and shame for allowing things to spiral out of control. It’s especially troubling that some men saw witch hunting as a source of game instead of a duty to God. Looking back, one of my other regrets is allowing the young boy, Philip Wittebane, to be taken in by that madman. I also participated in his punishments to cleanse him, to make him pure, to help him become, as the Minister viewed him, our savior, and I’m deeply ashamed of my terrible actions. The boy had lost his only remaining family and was not yet a man when this happened. I sometimes wonder if the minister’s decision to take him in was an act of mercy, given that everyone in town had come to believe he was a witch himself after his mother’s suicide and his father’s abandonment, or a damnation to his soul. Though, if the minister didn’t take him in, he would have probably been imprisoned and then executed, since again, he was believed to be a witch by the townsfolk.”

“Wait,” Vee said when Gus was done reading the first portion of the passage that was marked by Masha. “They would kill kids too?”

“Oh yeah, children were not excluded in these witch hunts,” Masha revealed, which made Gus and Vee look at them with disbelief. “The youngest child who was imprisoned after being accused as a witch was a four-year-old girl.”

“A four-year-old girl?” Gus let out in shock and hoped so badly that Philip didn’t end up killing a child at such a young age.

“Yeah, it’s messed up,” Masha said. “I think when I read about the children who were taken into custody and killed, those were the sadder events for me in the whole dark time of Gravesfield.”

“Keep reading,” Vee encouraged Gus, who found the spot where he had stopped and began to read again.

“The people in town had grown to fear Philip. Everyone had kept their distance from him, not even a lady had dared to engage with him, even though the Minister held power over others. I had brought up to the Minister that we could choose young Mary, a quiet young lady for Philip, a woman of God, to keep him company, but the minister had dismissed my idea. He had said Philip had no time to waste in such things since he had insisted Philip had to go to the magical world and kill his brother and the witch to save our souls.”

“I’m really starting to hate this minister,” Vee grumbled.

“It’s clear that Philip was brainwashed into believing that he had to carry out this mission to save everyone,” Masha said, which confirmed their thoughts by the way Philip had frantically spouted out how he had to save their souls by killing witches the day before. “He was just a kid when he was taken in by the minister. He was vulnerable and the minister took advantage of that.”

Vee said nothing at that time, as she could see why Philip had his mind set on the mission so much. Why he was so obsessed. The mission was particularly what Philip was trained to live for, it seemed.

And for Gus, it made him think that Philip probably had no social skills since people in town avoided him.

Gus continued reading from that same passage. "Philip had turned out to be cold and collected, nothing like the sensitive, scared child that wore his emotions on his sleeve. I had grown guilty that I had also engaged in ruining that innocent soul, just like I had encouraged the rest of the children to believe and hate on ‘witches’. I had prayed to God for him to forgive me for ruining his children.”

No one said anything while Gus turned the page. During this time, Hunter imagined his 'uncle's' calm and collected face back in the Boiling Isles. For a while, Hunter had looked up at how Belos always seemed in control of his emotions. But seeing him lose control of his emotions on Earth multiple times was a glimpse of the sensitive, scared boy that Jonathan described him as a child.

"Philip had become increasingly silent and observant as time went on," Gus read, making Hunter stop his thoughts and listen. "After his fifth execution of a young man, I could tell from his distant eyes that the screams of the dying did not reach his ears. It was as if he wasn't truly present among us. Now as I write this, I begin to fear that he had lost his soul, and if others lost theirs too, along with this nightmare."

Hunter recalled how his ‘uncle’ would act like turning witches into stone didn’t bother him. He had simply watched while it happened, as if nothing had happened…

"I hope that he has found a better life after leaving us," Gus continued to read. "The minister had claimed that he had gone to that magical world Philip truly believed existed. But I had wondered if that was merely a fabrication so he could escape the terrible role bestowed upon him here. I do pray that he has found a better life to finally be happy."

Vee took in the words from the passage silently. She couldn't forget how Belos had kept her chained up in a cage and had others test on her for years, but for some reason, she couldn't help but imagine that he too had been stuck in a cage in Gravesfield and trained like some sort of animal to do someone else's bidding...

"I wonder now how Jonathan would react when he finds out everything Philip has done after leaving Gravesfield," Masha said.

"I hope he feels terrible." All three teens turned to Hunter, who was sitting up from where he had been lying the whole time while Flapjack jumped off to stand on the floor nearby. Hunter was glaring down at his lap. "Cause everything Belos did is also on him," he said coldly. "It's on that minister too. This Jonathan guy who just got forgiven, I bet he had a wonderful, a peaceful life later while the monster he created was hurting and killing innocent lives."

The others said nothing, watching the boy vent out his frustrations, his hands turning into shaky fists on his lap.

The boy remembered the first time Belos laid a hand on him. It happened weeks after he became the Golden guard at just 12 years old, and the boy had sneaked into his 'uncle's' invention room without permission one night. Hunter was reading through some documents that his 'uncle' had written up about his staff when Belos found him there.

"Hunter, how many times have I told you that you cannot be in this room without my permission?" Belos asked him coldly as he approached the boy who quickly placed the stacks of paper on the ground next to him.

"Sorry, uncle, I just really wanted to know how my staff works," the boy began to explain himself.

His uncle stared at him with his blue cold eyes before saying, "Get out."

"But, uncle, I really want to make things like you do," Hunter said.

"Hunter..." Belos' voice became low, and his eyes began to glow a dangerous blue.

"Why can’t you that I want to be like you," Hunter said now with some frustration. “Give me a chance to prove myse-"  

Before Hunter could finish his sentence, Belos' cursed hand shot out without warning, slicing through the air and tearing a chunk of flesh from the boy's ear. Hunter stood frozen in shock for a moment before the searing pain set in, causing him to wince and clutch at his bleeding ear. Belos towered over him, his eyes ablaze with unfamiliar rage. Hunter looked up at him with a mixture of fear and confusion.

"Leave," Belos snarled, his jaw clenched tightly as if he was doing his best to control himself.

Hunter scrambled to his feet, casting one last glance at his uncle before darting out of the room, his ear throbbing with pain.

The boy shook his head out of the memory.

When the boy had read about domestic abuse online, he wasn't sure how to feel about the few times Belos had physically hurt him. Physical pain was something the boy had grown used to after undergoing so much training to become a Golden Guard. And he had believed he deserved getting hit by Belos for making him angry. Later, the boy did grow angry at his 'uncle' for the scars that were visible for others to see. But now, that anger was also directed at Jonathan and the minister - they were at fault, indirectly, for how Belos turned out, for making him into a dangerous, violent man.

Punishments to make Belos pure, that’s what Jonathan had wrote on his journal. Hunter didn’t even know what that meant and honestly, he wanted to know more.

“Philip said the minister was a great leader, respected by all,” Gus broke the silence as he turned to Masha, as he thought of how Hunter used to look up to Philip so much. Well, even now he kind of does. “But from the little bit we just read, he was a terrible man. I also noticed… the relationship he had with Philip seemed like…” he bit his lower lip before looking at Hunter. “It seemed like… a little bit like the relationship you and Belos have…”

Hunter looked away, at first mentally denying Gus’ observation, but… the way Belos had kept him away from having any friends, and only to focus on their ‘mission’ was indeed similar to what the minister had done to Belos…

“History sometimes repeats themselves,” Masha said, looking at Gus, looking at them with sympathy. “Sometimes, those who were abused by family members do the same to those that care for them.”

"He needs to come back to this house," Hunter said in a serious tone, trying to have them stop comparing Belos to the minister. "We can't just turn him away, not while he is a danger to himself and others."

"But... everyone else voted to keep him out," Gus said, which made Masha confused.

"Voted?" they asked.

"The group decided to vote if we should let Philip come back to the house or keep him out," Gus said.

Masha stared at him as their eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "So... let me get this straight," they said a slow, measured tone. "The majority thought it was a good idea to let a religious extremist who is completely out of touch with modern ways of life and the people who inhabit this planet, and who also happens to lose control and transform into a deadly monster, be out in the streets... or to possibly let some group of people capture him and who knows do what they want with the power that is running through that body of his?"

The room fell deadly silent for a moment.

Vee rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably after she processed Masha’s words. "When you put it that way..."

"I'm going to find him," Hunter said in a serious tone as he got up. He had been worried about leaving his friends vulnerable to a potential attack from the people who had fought Belos, but he just couldn't let his 'uncle' out there anymore, not after listening to some of those journal entries.

He extended his hand, and Flapjack quickly turned into a staff so he could hold him.

Vee didn't argue and watched the boy walk upstairs.

“Hunter, wait,” Gus said as he set the book on the couch. “I’ll come with you.” He ran after Hunter.

Masha and Vee were left in the basement alone. Vee picked up the journal, turning to the first page curiously.

"You're not going to stop them?" Masha asked her, making Vee blink at them with confusion. "You voted against him coming back, after all,” Masha pointed out.

"How do you know that?" Vee asked, surprised they would know that.

Was Masha some sort of… mind reader…?

"I don't blame you if you don't want to be near him, especially since what his people put you through," Masha said. "It's just logical you would vote against him from coming back. So, why aren't you stopping them?"

They brought up a great question…

Why wasn’t she running after them and keeping them from bringing back Belos?

The man was dangerous, just like Luz had said…

Vee sighed as she leaned back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling for a moment before she answered, "I honestly don't know..." she admitted, completely confused as to why she didn’t argue with Hunter when he stated he was bringing that tyrant back.

Masha observed her for a moment. Then, they smiled and gently grabbed one of Vee's hands, which made Vee look at them with confusion.

“Don’t worry, Vee,” Masha said as they scooted closer to her, tightening their grip on her hand. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you anymore.”

Vee found herself staring at Masha, feeling a blush creeping up her cheeks. Masha’s words sounded so silly at first. Vee asked herself how Masha would be able to protect her from Belos since they had no powers. But there was something in the way Masha was looking at her, something in the warm, reassuring grip of their hand, that made Vee believe their words. This actually surprised her, since she technically had more physical strength than Masha as long as she had magic stored in her. But there was something about Masha’s unwavering determination that made her feel safe.

Vee squeezed Masha’s hand back and nodded with a smile, telling herself too that she would for sure do her best to protect her new mother and new sister, protect all her friends. Maybe, Vee wasn’t so afraid of Belos like the others, since she could – which probably wasn’t a good idea – drain the cursed magic of his if he lost control.

“Okay…” she said, mentally changing her vote to letting Philip come back to the house and hoping she wouldn’t end up regretting it.

Chapter Text

The dark fog of depression suffocated him.

Time had no meaning, so he wasn’t sure how long he had laid there, unmoving, curled up, his eyes closed from everything.

There were moments he would stir, his eyes flickering halfway open, only to be met by the oppressive darkness that seeped into his very soul.

When the light of day did filter in, it was a harsh reminder that he was still among the living. Memories of the atrocities he had committed came crashing in. He would tremble, the tears spilling unbidden from his eyes, trailing down his sore cheeks.

Everything seemed pointless. He wouldn’t move much. His limbs felt heavy, as though invisible chains weighed them down. All he wanted to do was sleep for the rest of his life, and waste away. It took all his effort to wipe the tears that would escape, then his eyelids would grow too heavy, and he would close them, before his mind would haunt him with moments in his life that he wanted to undo.

He would recall the sickening crunch of the palismans’ bodies as they crumbled beneath his merciless grip, their cries of agony failing on deaf ears as he feasted on their very souls like a ravenous parasite. The memories of how he callously manipulated others into aiding him on his ‘missions’, promising wealth, and glory, only to abandon them to their gruesome fates at the claws of savage beasts or other cruel circumstances. The faces of countless Grimwalkers would flood his thoughts, each one etched in his memory with a clarity that now made his stomach churn with regret. He could still hear their last gasps of air, the way their eyes would lose their light, before he cast their shattered remains into the black abyss of the Titan’s skull.

He had killed thousands. Hurt countless more. And the fact he almost took out an entire race made him want to run a dagger into his chest multiple times, but instead he was left gasping for air, the guilt and shame of it all suffocating him.

Sobs would wrack his body, the grief and despair of it all too much to bear, and he continued to be consumed by guilt as days passed. The darkness of his own mind engulfed him as exhaustion took hold, and he fell deeper into the abyss of his guilt-ridden conscience.

But the memory that haunted him the most was the brutal death of his own brother. The image of the dagger piercing Caleb’s stomach was etched in his mind, haunting him every second. He could still see the look of shock in his brother’s brown eyes, and the tears that flowed from them. Philip had pulled out the blade and simply watched as his brother fell to the ground, his sobs of sadness filling the air. And yet, even in the last moments, Caleb managed to utter his final words as blood pooled underneath him.

‘I’m sorry… Philip…’

Philip gritted his teeth as he dug his nails into his arms, the pain in his flesh a small punishment to himself. He dragged his nails down his arms, tearing through the protective gauze that had been wrapped around his similar wounds. Green substance seeped through the reopened cuts, staining his skin green. He welcomed the sensation of pain, though it was still not enough to calm the emotional turmoil that consumed him.

How could he have been so stupid for all these years? How could he have been so blind…?

He desperately wished he could go back and fix everything. He would even go back and kill his younger self if he had to in order to spare the lives of many others.

Mistakes were… inevitable blunders while one lived, especially while navigating through life. Regrettably, a single misstep could trouble some, inflict lasting damage, a blemish that could fester and poison the lives of others forever.

As a child, a heartfelt apology could often mend the trouble he had caused. At least, that was enough for his brother, Caleb. For many others, a grievous error or a terrible deed could only be corrected through punitive measures. And in some cases, even the ultimate of death…

Death…

Oh, how he longed for it to claim him and drag him down into the fiery pits of hell where he belonged, his very soul consumed by eternal flames and his anguished cries relished by the damned souls. Such a fate rightfully deserved, yet death was out of his reach…

How ironic… that innocent people, who were just going on with their lives, have lost their lives by crossing paths with a monster like him. Yet, the monster continued to breathe after so many horrendous acts, and potentially would continue to destroy everything it touches.

After all,… that was what he was good at.

Destroying everything…

‘You don’t deserve to live,’ the dark voice hissed in his mind, making Philip clench his teeth to hold back the sobs that he had trouble holding back. His body curled up more while he was on a small bed in a dark room. Hot tears trailed down his now reddened cheeks.

He knew he didn’t deserve to continue living, but his body was immortal. At least, that’s what he had found out after many close deaths in the past. He did age, but very slowly, and sometimes he had wondered that maybe he would eventually die from old age. Yet… who knew how long that would take…

Though… maybe… humans have some sort of technology that could help him meet his end.

‘Coward…’

Yes… he was… a coward indeed…

Philip barely heard the sigh as someone had walked into the room one evening, noticing the bloody mess on his arms as the gauze was just bunched up by his wrists.

Sister Lilian walked out of the room for a moment before she came back, with the first aid kit. She pulled the chair – one that was in front of a desk - by Philip’s bedside and gently pulled one arm towards her before she tended to his new wounds.

She hadn’t said anything to him the prior few times when she found him with self-inflicted wounds, and probably wouldn’t know what to say anyway, especially since his eyes, almost gray and unresponsive, conveyed a sense of disconnection, and it seemed like there was no way to reach him.

The first couple of days, she had tried having him drink water or have a bite to eat, but he just laid on his left side, unresponsive. She did manage to have him change shirts at least.

She was worried for a while that he was starving himself to death, but then wondered if the curse was indeed keeping him alive without the need to fuel, since he didn’t look like he was wasting away, per say.

After she wiped some of the ‘blood’ off, she then sanitized his cuts that lingered on top of the symbols he had carved on his flesh like he said he had done centuries ago.

“We should have you shower soon,” she said quietly to him, brushing some of the greasy strands of his hair off his exhausted face, revealing he had a scruff now of blonde mix with gray hair around his face. She imagined she could maybe help him shave if he wanted to look a bit cleaner.

Philip heard her voice and felt her fingers on him. He shut his eyes hard, his lips pressed together into a thin line as more tears made their way out of his eyes.

He had the urge to scream at the woman, to demand her to leave him alone. He didn’t deserve anyone by his side ever again, tending to his wounds, worrying about him in any way.

But he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t do anything except cry like the pathetic, worthless monster that he was.

Sister Lilian pulled her hand away from him when he curled up, his body shaking.

She said nothing for a moment, and just observed him, but then slowly she grabbed one of his hands and pulled it towards her. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his cold hand and began to pray quietly. More tears would make their way out from Philip, but her soft voice eased him for a moment, and once again dragged him back to sleep.

The next time he managed to open his eyes, the room was pitch black, and a blanket covered the majority of his body.

He stared at the empty chair that sat across the room, wishing that Sister Lilian would still be there with him so she could continue to pray, to make the agony in his chest less painful…

‘You don’t deserve anyone to pray for you,’ the dark voice hissed.

The voice was right… he didn’t deserve Sister Lilian’s soothing voice, nor any sort of kind words towards him. The ones who he had wronged did deserve a prayer, though. They deserved many to help them rest in peace.

Philip brushed away some of the tears that had gathered his eyes, as he thought about maybe praying for those he had killed, but… he couldn’t remember any of the ones he had learned during his time with the Minister.

Then again… he wanted to avoid anything that the Minister had taught him, after everything that has happened…

Maybe he could… do his own sort of prayers at the Chapel, but… he asked himself if maybe his victims wouldn’t want him to do such a thing. They most likely wouldn’t want to do anything with him after he sent them to their doom.

‘Coward…’

Philip bit the inside of his cheek hard, drawing out ‘blood’, hating himself for trying to make excuses at this moment. Yes, he could barely feel any strength in him to leave the room, but he too didn’t want to leave it no matter what.

But, after a while of telling himself to move, belittling himself for being so pathetic, he eventually, slowly, forced himself to sit up in bed, his muscles aching and utterly exhausted. His head spun for a moment with dizziness, which led him to stare at the floor with a weak gaze, trying to find the strength to move. Eventually, he managed to swing his legs out of bed and tried to stand, but his knees buckled under him, and he stumbled, catching himself on the edge of the bed. He stood there, his shoulders shaking as he let out a sob, leaning on the bed, taking deep breaths, trying to steady himself, especially to calm his mind.

‘Pathetic…’

His mind was consumed again with the reminders of the deaths of all those he had killed, and he couldn’t help but feel the guilt claw at his insides, almost making him heave.

‘Get up, you worthless piece of shit…’

Finally, he mustered up the strength to stand, even though his limbs felt like lead and his head throbbed with pain. He weakly gazed at the door before he struggled to put one foot in front of the other. His footsteps were slow and heavy as he walked out of the door, met by a dark hallway. He kept his red-rimmed eyes on his bare feet, a hand leaning on the wall to help him move down the hallway. Before he got half way down to his destination, but he stopped when he noticed some light filter out underneath one of the doors that was shut.

He felt the irresistible impulse to flee back to his room and barricade himself inside, to avoid potentially hurting anyone in any way, but he remained frozen in place, petrified of making any sound. Suddenly, he picked up on the voices emanating from within the room…

“Go on, my child, speak your mind,” he recognized the voice of Sister Margaret, strict and a bit impatient.

Seated around a dining table, Sister Margaret, Father Francis, and the other nuns were having a belated supper. Sister Luna had been glancing over at Father Francis and then at Sister Margaret, her brow furrowed with what looked like she was bothered by something. Tired of the unspoken tension, Sister Margaret decided to urge Sister Luna to speak her thoughts.

Setting down her silverware, Sister Luna fixed her gaze on Father Francis. “He’s been staying with us for a week now. So… are you going to continue sheltering this demon until he decides to just leave?” she asked. “Especially after everything he has done?”

“His name is Philip,” chided Sister Lilian.

“And we help those who are in need,” added Father Francis. “I’m not going to make Philip leave, especially the state he is right now.”

“He does nothing but mope around and sleep for days,” Sister Luna retorted icily, causing Philip’s heart to ache with guilt beyond the door.

“He’s in pain…” Sister Lilian defended him, her tone defensive. “It’s traumatizing to discover that everything you were taught to believe in was a lie. He’s suffering from the realization that he’s hurt so many innocent lives.”

“It’s those who he’s hurt and who are still suffering that we should be concerned about,” interjected Sister Margaret, her sharp eyes scanning the group. “Sister Luna is right. He’s only wallowing in self-pity. If he truly regretted his actions, he would try to make amends or at least face those whom he has wronged instead of hiding away.”

Father Francis frowned at Sister Margaret’s blunt remarks.

“Don’t be like that, Sister Margaret,” he said. “We must consider the pain Philip has endured, and his remorse for his actions.”

“Remorse doesn’t erase the harm he’s caused,” Sister Margaret shot back. “He can’t hide away forever. It’s time for him to face the consequences of his actions and make amends. You aren’t being fair to his victims.”

As Philip listened to their conversation from behind closed doors, he felt a knot form in his throat. He knew he was being a coward. For years, he couldn’t accept the truth, and now he was indeed avoiding taking responsibility for his actions.

Sister Lilian spoke up, her voice gentle. “I can’t help but feel that it’s unfair to him. Philip is also a victim of all of this. He has suffered too. Where is his justice for what he had to endure? Where is the compassion for him?”

“Ah, since he was a victim, we should just brush off the pain he has caused?” Sister Luna asked with a scoffed, which made Philip’s guilt almost palpable, but also something else gripped his heart.

He retreated back into his room, as self-loathing began to grow into a dark cloud within him.

“That’s… not what I’m trying to say,” Sister Lilian quickly defended herself.

“Philip went through something that nobody else in the world can ever relate to,” Father Francis cut in. “For almost 400 years, he has lived in a lie, and yes, he committed unspeakable acts, but he’s at a turning point now. He’s finally realized the error of his ways and is plagued by intense remorse for his past sins. It’s not the time to be harsh towards him, but rather a time to show understanding, patience, and compassion. He’s in a vulnerable state right now, and it wouldn’t take much for him to slide down a darker path than he was before, especially with that curse of his that we know nothing about,” he reminisced about the night Philip was going through a horrific transformation when confronted by Sister Margaret a week ago. To Father Francis, it looked like the transformation took affect when Philip was enraged. “In time, his guilt will guide him towards making the right choices, provided he receives the right guidance and support.”

Sister Luna cut in, her face creased with a frown. “But how long do we allow him to stay here with us and let him ‘deal’ with his guilt?”

“Let’s give him a few more days,” Father Francis replied calmly. “After that, I’ll talk to him and then we will see from there what the next steps he should take.”

Sister Margaret couldn’t resist voicing her opinion. “You’re too soft, Father Francis.”

Father Francis merely went back to sipping his chicken soup in silence, unwilling to engage in a pointless argument with her and Sister Luna.

“You’re nothing but a monster, Belos.”

Philip was having a hard time breathing, a hand clutching his heaving chest as his heart pounded against it painfully, tears scorching his face, as he curled up on his bed.

‘You’re nothing but a monster…’

He gasped in pain as he felt the curse spreading to his face and arms, the gauze splitting apart, his eyes closed tightly as he screamed at himself for being such a coward.

Why was he born?!

Why didn’t his mom kill him instead of taking her life?!

Why didn’t his dad press on his tiny neck longer?!

‘You’re nothing but a monster!’

Philip sobbed, mentally screaming at himself as the memories of all his past sins crashed against one another. He felt rage burn in his very soul just when his skull burst in agony when horns shot out of his head.

“You.. pathetic monster,” he stumbled on his words, disgust in his voice as he dug the now grown claws into his arms. “You don’t deserve anyone to feel bad for you. Stop being a fucking coward.” He snapped at himself, voice dripping with malice, having the urge to just rip himself apart. “Why can’t you just do something right for once in your pathetic life?!” he roared now as his eyes flashed blue with rage.

Then the next he knew, he was on his feet, panting with exhaustion, the chair and desk broken into countless pieces across the floor, the bed ripped into shreds.

His eyes were wide, filled with tears, as his heartbeat against his chest painfully at what he had done.

Philip froze when his ears caught the countless footsteps coming down the hallway before he heard Father Francis calling out to him on the other side of the door, “Philip? Are you alright?”

Philip remained frozen, not wanting to utter a word.

“I’m coming in, Philip,” Father Francis said, and when Philip heard the doorknob twist, he slammed his body against his door, keeping anyone from coming in.

There was dead silence from either side of the door for a dreadful moment.

“Philip…?” Sister Lilian hesitantly called to him.

Philip kept his mouth shut, but continued to breathe heavily, his chest throbbing in pain as he leaned against the door, desperately trying to keep anyone from coming inside, especially since he had blacked out again and destroyed the room.

He didn’t want to harm Father Francis or the others, so he shut his eyes, blocking out the voices that came out from Sister Lilian and Father Francis, as they tried to encourage him to let them in, to talk to them.

They meant well, he knew, but he didn’t deserve their kindness, their compassion. No monster did…

He stood motionless against the door for what felt like an eternity as he tried to stay calm, terrified to lose control again.

As he drifted in and out of sleep for a long time, he finally realized there was nothing but silence on the other side of the door. He relaxed that the others eventually left him be, but now he couldn’t help but replay Sister’s Margaret’s words like a haunting melody in his mind.

If he truly regretted what he had done… he would be trying to make amends for what he had done. He had to face the consequences for his actions.

But… how could he make things right? The dead could not be brought back, and it was too late to do the right thing for them. Then again, there were still those who lived like Luz and her friends that he has hurt, just like Sister Margaret had said.

And especially… Hunter…

His chest clenched at the thought of the boy, at the times he had laid a hand on him, how he played with his emotions without a sense of care.

And he recalled how he told the boy to… take his own life…

Philip thumped his head hard against the door due to the tears that once again made their way out of his glowing blue eyes.

He scrubbed his face with the shirt he wore before he began to force certain emotions he had away, focusing only on the guilt he held for what he has done, the anger he had for himself, focusing his mind on the things that should matter at this moment from now on, which was making things right for those kids.

The pain he felt didn’t matter anymore.

So, he tried to clear his mind up, so he could try to think in ways to make amends with Luz and her friends.

Honestly, he wasn’t even sure how he could start, especially since an apology was worthless coming out of his mouth, since Camila had made it clear they wouldn’t believe it to be an honest one if he tried. They would think he was just manipulating them, which he couldn’t blame them for feeling that way.

He had conned people for far too long that anything he said would be taken in as lies…

He truly wished they could just end himself then and there, but death, again, was almost an impossible option for him and would be a coward’s way out, a way to escape the punishment he deserved.

No, he had to find the strength and make things right no matter how long it took, no matter how hard it was to do so.

‘Tell me how we can build a portal back to the demon realm.’ Luz’s demand echoed in his mind which reminded him what he had taken from Luz’s friends. He had taken away their families… their friends… their homes…

He clenched his teeth.

He had used so much of his will to try to eliminate an entire race for centuries, it was only fair he found that same strength and used it to help those children return to the Boiling Isles and save their world, no matter how tired he was now, no matter how he longed to just sleep. Getting them back to their prior lives was probably a good start and the least he could do at this moment.

But… they weren’t going to trust him into helping them. How could he have them understand that he has learned the errors of his ways? How could he prove to Luz and her friends that he truly regretted what he had done?

Then again…if he told them how terribly he felt about the things he had done, he could imagine a few of them feeling bad for him, which, he wanted to avoid. He didn’t deserve such sympathy or pity from anyone.

He deserved to suffer and keep his emotions locked tightly with a lock and key forever.

After sitting there, against the door, for a while, he eventually decided not to waste any more time by just keeping himself locked in that room. He had to face the consequences to his actions. And without saying a word to Father Francis or to any of the nuns residing in that church, he slipped away in the middle of the night and eventually was standing outside in Luz’s backyard.

His glowing blue eyes stared, with half lid-tired eyes, at the house, doing his best not to shiver from the cold air brushing past him.

For a moment, he had the urge to run back to the Church and lock himself in the room, afraid he might harm the children and Camila, but… again… that would make him a coward.

He took a moment to take slow deep breaths, shoving all his emotions down before he forced his exhausted body to move to the door. He tried to open it, but found it locked.

He closed his eyes, taking more slow deep breaths as he felt fear creep into his mind, the guilt trying to eat him away again, but he internally screamed at himself to stop making everything about himself so he could find the strength to knock on the door hard.

Philip stood there for a long time and then eventually his ears picked up movement inside the house. The door finally did open, revealing Camila on the other side of the door looking at him with what looked like surprise yet hesitation.

“Philip…” she said quietly, taking notice how terrible he looked. His hair was a complete mess, knotted, and greasy, most likely he hadn’t taken a wash since he left. He wore a completely different shirt, white, short-sleeved, but he didn’t look like he had been staying out in the forest since there were no smudges of dirt, but there were green ones that told her he had been injured.

The horns and the way the curse covered half of his body, while the glowing blue eyes stared at her, reminding how scary he looked after not seeing him for over a week. How terrifying he could be…

“Where… have you been…?” she finally asked.

Philip said nothing, keeping his tired gaze on her, expecting her to just let him in like the other times and let him be, but she remained blocking the entrance, not making a move of the slightest to let him in, which was… strange…

“Look… Philip…” Camila began to say, which made Philip narrow his eyes at her, noticing the hesitation in her voice. Philip noticed the girls had run downstairs and were standing in the hallway, some staring at him weary while Luz glared daggers at him. Eventually, Hunter and Gus stepped out of the basement. Hunter’s eyes were wide and had some relief in his eyes.

Even now…

‘I want to stay mad at him, but I can’t help but want him to love me as… a son...’ Hunter’s words replayed in Philip’s mind from a while ago, making his chest painfully twist.

‘You don’t deserve that boy’s love…’

Camila noticed the kids had gathered behind her but took a deep breath before she settled a firm gaze on Philip. “I’m sorry, Philip, but I can’t let you stay in this house. I can’t let you near these children,” she said, making Philip grow cold, making Hunter look pained at her words. “I know you hate these children,” Camila continued as Philip’s mind began to race as well as his heart.

No… no, no, no…

If he wasn’t allowed to stay at the house, how could he help them return to the Boiling Isles? How could he do the right thing if he was going to be banned from interacting with those he had wronged?

“And no matter what I say or do, you won’t ever change your mind, but –”

“I’ll accept to do an eternal oath,” Philip cut Camila off with a cold, calm tone, even though he was panicking inside. “I will help the children create the portal, bring them back to the Boiling Isles…” Now everyone was staring at him, slowly processing the things that were coming out of his mouth.

Philip then fixed a firm gaze at Luz, who stared at him with a mix of shock and anger?

“Once you guys return to the Boiling Isles, you can do whatever you want with me,” Philip said, deciding on that moment the best course of action he could take to get his way to helping them. “I can even show you guys how you can seal me away just like the Collector was…”

Everyone’s eyes widened at him, baffled.

“What…?” Hunter let out quietly as Luz was now completely caught off guard, just like everyone else.

She was trying to make sense and at the same time her mind was screaming at her that they should attack him right now. She was telling herself he was plotting something far worse than she could ever imagine. That there was no way he would be such a fool to make an eternal oath with such conditions. He had to have something terrible under his sleeve.

While Luz glared at him with complete hatred, Philip continued to keep himself numb from majority of the emotions that dared to swallow him, only letting the hate he had for himself to push him forward to do the right thing, to let guilt keep him from harming anyone else ever again.

Locked…

Sealed, possibly forever…

He decided it was the perfect punishment for a monster like him…

Chapter Text

We have another fan art made by asherisawkward : ). Featuring the Minister and Philip~ Thank you asherisawkward!

Hunter and Willow walked through the forest as the sun continued to hover up in the sky.

Occasionally, Hunter would pause, stoop down to examine the ground, or take in their surroundings before continuing their trek. Flapjack perched silently on his left shoulder, the boy’s numerous yawns and tired eye-rubs filled the bird with concern but would say nothing about it. On the other hand, Willow’s hand found a gentle resting place on the boy’s opposite shoulder.

When Hunter turned to her, perplexed, she gave him a soft smile. “Perhaps we should rest,” she suggested, gesturing towards a nearby tree.

Although Hunter was inclined to object, Flapjack took the initiative and flew to the tree that Willow had indicated. “Come on,” Willow encouraged, and soon they were both settled against the red maple tree’s trunk.

Hunter didn’t realize he had dozed off until a gust of wind jolted him awake, wrapping his arms around himself. He whipped his head around to realize that the sun was waning, and Willow was watching him with amusement, but with a hint of concern.

“Good evening, sleepy head,” she teased.

“I’m sorry,” Hunter muttered, brushing his eyes that still felt too heavy to keep open. “I didn’t mean to sleep.” He attempted to get back on his feet, but Willow held onto his arm, preventing him from standing.

“Hunter,” she addressed him in a firm tone. “You’ve been searching for Belos for over a week, barely sleeping. You won’t find him if you’re exhausted, especially if you haven’t noticed you’ve been leading us in circles earlier.”

Hunter’s brows furrowed and Flapjack chirped in agreement as he rested on one of his knees, confirming that they had indeed been retracing their steps.

Hunter sighed and leaned back against the tree, tapping the back of his head against its rough bark. “Damn it,” he murmured, mostly to himself, as he couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness settle over him. For the past nine days, he had been leaving the house to search around the forest for his uncle, Belos. Even with the help of his friends Gus and Willow, they hadn’t been able to find a single trace of him. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

“I can’t just sit here and…” he brought his knees against his chest before wrapping his arms around his legs. “What if something bad happened to him?” he pressed his forehead against his knees, his voice growing heavy with worry. “What if those people took him away or…”

Though, Hunter had a strong sense that Belos was still safe somewhere. The man was powerful and wouldn’t be taken down by anyone that easily, but the boy still couldn’t help but worry a bit.

Flapjack nuzzled his head against Hunter’s, his eye filled with concern.

Hunter managed a small, humorless laugh. “Sorry, I know you don’t care about Belos, and you probably want him dead,” he paused. “And I can’t blame you for it, but…”

“Hunter, you don’t have to apologize for what you feel,” Willow said, keeping a comforting hand on his arm. “We may not understand your situation to a certain extent, but we’re here for you. We’re not judging you for caring about him. Even though he doesn’t deserve you losing sleep over him, and especially doesn’t deserve your love.”

“You know… there were times that he made me think he cared about me…” Hunter admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “Especially when I was younger… and honestly, maybe he just pretended to so he could manipulate me.”

Willow wasn’t sure what to say. She wanted to comfort him, make him feel better by saying that maybe Belos did care for him, but… she believed Belos in fact did only try to play with the boy’s feelings by acting like a caring guardian.

After all, Belos did need some sort of loyal minion by his side to do his bidding.

“When I was nine years old, Belos gave me my first staff,” Hunter began as he slowly sat up. “I remember how excited I was, even though he didn’t seem happy. He told me with the staff he made, I could use magic.”

Willow listened as Hunter recounted the memory, his eyes fixed on the darkening sky.

“But… then I was kind of sad when I held it in my hands the first time around and my uncle asked me what was wrong.” Hunter remembered the way Belos raised an eyebrow when he noticed Hunter’s huge grin had slowly dropped. “I asked him if I was cheating by using the staff cause everyone else didn’t need one to use magic.”

Willow imagined Belos just rolling his eyes and probably lectured Hunter for wasting his time by asking such questions, but Hunter had a soft smile on his face instead of the usual pained one when he brought Belos up.

“What did he say?” Willow asked, curiously.

Hunter smiled more. “He didn’t say anything for a moment, and just observed me,” he responded, recalling how Belos kneeled to meet me at eye level. His blue eyes didn’t hold any coldness to it like it sometimes did, they seemed calm. “But then, he told me, that using the staff isn’t such a simple task, and it’s not like a palisman’s staff. Instead of a palisman helping me to wield magic, I have only myself to figure it out and it’s going to take a lot of time to learn how to use it properly. He told me it took him a while to use it without blowing things up. He assured me that using the staff wasn’t cheating since I had to put tons of mental effort into mastering it.”

Willow was surprised that Belos took the time to, in his own way, to soothe Hunter with his concern of taking the easy way of using magic.

“Then I tried using the staff, and I blew up the door to the room,” Hunter chuckled, causing Willow to blink. “But Belos just looked at me with a smile and said, see? I told you it’s not a simple task.”

Willow let go of his arm, but got scooted closer to him, as she took in every word of his.

“And after that, I practiced and practiced for hours every day,” Hunter said. “Trying to prove to him and to myself that I can become a proper witch. Become the next golden guard, especially since the coven heads would look down at me as some weak ‘prince’,” he grumbled at the countless of times that certain coven heads just dismissed him, though he couldn’t help but not hold much of a grudge against a certain coven head since he had treated him with affection after standing up to him. Hunter hoped Darius was okay at the Boiling Isles…  He hoped to one day show Darius how much he has improved with his sewing, “I guess after I started to focus so much to become amazing at using magic, Belos and I rarely interacted till I became the golden guard, but by then… he was different…” he said, his voice trailing off. “And I can’t help but wonder that maybe he didn’t want me to learn magic. Maybe that’s why he didn’t seem so happy when I asked him when I could use a staff like he did, and why we drifted apart when I started practicing magic.”

“It’s not your fault he treated you differently,” Willow pointed out.

“I know it’s not,” Hunter said. “But it’s just… Luz says he’s a monster, and she said he doesn’t care for anyone other than himself, but… I feel like he did care about me before… well before I got into magic…” he mumbled. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t care about magic so my uncle would still care for me, but then again… a huge part of me loves making spells.”

“You know, Hunter, you have many people who love you. You don’t need Belos to care for you.” Willow said quietly, making him turn to her with confusion. “Gus, Vee, Luz, Amity, Camila, Flapjack, they all care deeply about you. I especially care about you,” she smiled at him, and Hunter stared at her before he felt a bit warm when he just realized how close they were sitting side by side. He quickly glanced away, pressing his legs against his chest, while his heart was now beating faster than usual.

Hunter’s heart swelled as he took in her words. He knew his friends back at Luz’s house did care for him. They showed him kindness and loyalty he had never experienced before. They spent time with him, talked to him with the same respect he gave to them, and would worry about his wellbeing so much that they would defend him against Belos if they had to in order to protect him. Even now he couldn’t believe Camila had slapped Belos that one day for his sake…

And then he just recalled that Camila wanted to talk to him after he had done his run to find Belos that day.

He wondered what she wanted to tell him.

He sensed Willow’s eyes were on him, which made him feel nervous again.

“Thank you, Willow, I… I also care about you,” he let out quietly, though he couldn’t make eye contact with her since he was blushing again and didn’t want her to see it.

Willow felt a warm flutter in her chest to hear Hunter’s confession, and she couldn’t help but smile.

The girl was worried for Hunter, especially how much he spent caring about others, especially for Belos, over himself. He truly was such a caring boy. She didn’t want anyone to take advantage of his selflessness. 

“I also wish I was as strong as you,” the boy muttered, making Willow blink with confusion. Hunter noticed her expression. “You don’t let terrible things get to you, like, well… like me,” the boy said. “I know you’re worried about your dads, but I wish I could stay calm and collected like you more.”

Willow didn’t say anything to his words this time, feeling an ache in her chest when she thought about her dads.

She quickly shoved her sadness to the side and offered Hunter a soft smile, as she didn’t want him to worry about her since he was already dealing with so much himself.

Before the sun rested for the day, the two returned to Luz’s home. Camila asked Hunter if she could talk to him privately down in the basement, which he agreed, and soon both were sitting on the couch. The boy had noticed she had a binder of some sort on her lap. 

She asked him how the search went, and Hunter somberly told her, just like the other days, he found no trace of his uncle.

Camila assured him that he probably was fine, but soon after, both sat there in the room in silence for a while. Hunter was petting Flapjack’s head softly before Camila opened the binder to reveal photos of Hunter and his friends on the pages.

Hunter blinked in confusion. “Why do you have our pictures in that binder?” he asked her.

“It’s a photo album,” she explained to him. “It’s a way for people to preserve our most cherished memories.” 

“I don’t get it,” Hunter said. “What’s the point of preserving pictures?”

Camila smiled at him before she explained, “Well, it’s a way for us to relive those moments we enjoyed so much and also it's fun to share them with others.” 

Hunter stared at her before looking down at one of the pictures that had him and all his friends trying to fit all in on the couch. They were all squeezed together on a couch, making silly faces. The memory brought a smile to his face. 

“The only picture of me back in the Boiling Isles, other than the one Willow took of us in our first derby game, was taken to recruit others into Belos’ coven…” he admitted. “I mean, I looked cool, especially since I had the mask on. They put the posters up across the towns on the island.

Camila’s heart ached for Hunter. Belos honestly didn’t take a picture of the boy even when he was younger?

Hunter flipped the pages and found one of just Camila, Vee, and Luz, all three wearing the same pajama outfits that Vee had asked Camila to buy for them once to match, since they were family.

The boy’s eyes glazed over for a moment. 

Family… 

“Hunter,” Camila said softly. “Do you… have anyone to come back to in the Boiling Isles?” she was hesitant to ask. 

Hunter’s confusion was evident. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you have anyone to look after you?” she clarified. “Like a guardian.”

At first, Darius came into the boy’s mind as someone that he may be able to stay with, but… Hunter didn’t really know the man as much as he wanted to. And the rest of the adults in the coven didn’t really care about him. At least, that’s what Hunter thought. Those who ‘respected’ him were due to duty since he was ‘related’ to Belos.

“No…” the boy responded quietly before he quickly added. “But that’s okay. I can take care of myself.” he straightened up with a proud grin. “I wasn’t one of the top of the coven for no reason.” Of course, as he said that, he ignored the memories of how he had struggled to feed himself and find a place to sleep after he had run away from the emperor’s coven.

“Mijo, you’re still a kid,” Camila spoke softly, her eyes filled with concern. Imagining Hunter alone without a home was like Luz being out in the streets by herself. Teenagers still needed someone to look after them, as they were still growing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Life can be cruel, especially to younger people who were not fully ready to face it by themselves. “You can’t be out there on your own.”

Hunter waved his hand dismissively. “It’s honestly not a big deal,” Hunter said, hoping to ease her worries.

Camila hesitated for a moment before finally asking him what she had been wanting to ask for the past week. “Well… I was bringing it up because, well, you know how I took Vee in as my daughter and now she’s part of my family?” she asked with a gentle smile, making Hunter stare at her, and slowly nodded. “Pues… I was wondering since you have no one back in the Boiling Isles…” Hunter, at first, felt warmth in his chest, as he felt he knew where the conversation was going, but then he felt dread when Camila continued. “If… you would like to be part of my -”

Hunter jumped up to his feet, and clutched Flapjack to his chest so he wouldn’t fall.

“I totally forgot to check that old house today,” Hunter stammered loudly, his voice shaking with nervous energy as he pulled away from the couch.

At first, the boy was confused about what Camila was trying to say, but immediately the boy panicked when the realization dawned on him that she was close to asking him.

“Sorry Camila, I really have to finish my usual rounds, just in case Belos is there,” the boy insisted before he rushed upstairs, leaving her alone in the room.

Camila sighed to herself, the boy had been clearly spooked from her question. She couldn’t help but wonder if he knew what she was going to ask of him. Though, now she asked herself if he didn’t want to be part of her family. Did he run away because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings if he said no?

She couldn’t help but feel that maybe he believed he couldn’t be part of anyone’s family because he had to stay loyal to Philip, which added more fuel to her as to why the man shouldn’t come back to the house.

Of course, there was still some hesitation in her heart not to abandon the man, but… the kids came first… and she had to stand firm with keeping them safe, even if it meant Philip’s life was in danger.

She had hoped that she wouldn’t see the man ever again, making her life easier, but later in the middle of the night, as she slept peacefully, her eyes shot open when she heard a pounding at the door downstairs.

No…

Her heart raced as she pulled herself out of the bed and took a peek through the curtains to look down through the window and saw the familiar green horns sticking out of one that was standing outside of the house, in front of the back door.

Why did it have to be now…?

She mentally wasn’t ready to see him again. She wasn’t ready to make the decision she had kept telling herself to make the past few days, but she found herself rushing out of her room and made her way downstairs.

Camila stopped in front of the door for a moment, telling herself she had to do what was best for the kids. Especially for Hunter, who really needs more time away from his presence so he could heal from all the manipulation and abuse he had endured by Philip. So, Hunter could know exactly what he truly needed in life and not feel guilty or fear for leaving behind his abuser…

So, after a moment to gather her thoughts, she took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

The terms for the eternal oath were as follows: Philip could only stay in the house until the portal to the Boiling Isles was complete. He would help in its creation and will not cause any physical harm on Luz, Amity, Vee, Hunter, Willow, Gus, Camila, and none of the palisman. Once finished, he must return to the Boiling Isles, tell them how the Collector was sealed, and he will allow them to seal him in the same manner. If they could not replicate the sealing spell, then he would let them imprison him in any way they wanted forever.

Everyone would be lying if they didn’t think it was suspicious that Philip agreed to such terms since it was in their favor.

The witches had made their palisman, who seemed so hesitant, turn into staves, before they poised to strike if Belos made any move to harm Amity as she went over to him with a hand stretched out, ready to cast the spell, doing her best to ignore a foul smell emitting from the man. She noticed that she didn’t feel the hatred that once vibrated from him like the first time they had done the ‘eternal’ oath. He didn’t wear the disdain look when he extended his monstrous hand before she hesitantly took it. He didn’t meet her gaze as he kept his glowing blue eyes, which she noticed were slightly dull, downcast, as she cast the spell.

To her, in a way, he looked so resigned…

He let his hand drop to his side once she released it and she couldn’t help but feel in the pit of her stomach something was extremely wrong, even though they were all safe from him now.

Amity may not feel the hostility from him, but she sensed something dark and dangerous from him still.

She tried not to think too much about it for the rest of the night as she was doing her best to focus on Luz who didn’t want them to do the eternal oath to begin with, since she thought he was planning something terrible by staying at the house. After a while of calming her down, Amity, Vee, and Willow took Luz back to their room. They told her they should talk about the situation after they had some good night's rest and had a clear mind.

Hunter and Gus were the last ones in the hallway with Camila and Philip. Both couldn’t comprehend why Philip would have agreed to such terms, and better yet, propose to them such things.

“Well… I guess the living room is still open for you,” Camila broke the silence. Philip said nothing, and simply gave her a curt nod before trudging past them and just made a direct line to the living room.

Hunter had the urge to run after him, but the man’s sickly state made him hesitate. Did no one notice how the dark circles hung worse than ever before under Belos’ eyes as if he hadn’t slept for so long? The man’s appearance was more haggard than ever based on his greasy unkempt hair, the growing facial hair looked so uneven, the clothes he wore had stains on them, and he even smelled bad when he walked past them…

Hunter couldn’t shake his worry but felt letting him rest was the best decision he could make at that moment, so, he returned to his room, with Gus following suit, and eventually everyone in the house were either in a peaceful or restless sleep. 

Philip lay curled up on the ground, a thin blanket draped over his body as he slept the rest of the night and for the majority of Monday. Despite his efforts to rouse himself, his heavy-lidded eyes kept slipping shut, and he would sink back into a deep sleep. 

He didn’t mean to stay asleep for that long, but he was exhausted, and he couldn’t resist the soothing comfort of rest. The heavy weight of fatigue lay heavy on his chest, and the hours would drift along as he slept on.

He was just so tired…

Amity walked past the living room with a bowl of chips during the afternoon. Of course, not without taking a sneak peek of Philip still out cold. Even while he slept, he looked drained.

“I feel like something happened to Philip,” Amity said once she was back in the girls’ bedroom. She passed Willow the bowl of chips so it could be set between her and Luz, while the two sat on Luz’s bed. Luz was caressing her palisman egg silently.

“Is he still asleep?” Willow asked Amity.

“Yeah, which is why I think something happened,” Amity responded. “I’m not sure what, but he doesn’t seem injured. So why would he be sleeping so much?”

“Maybe he couldn’t sleep well out in the cold,” Vee suggested from her perch on the bunk bed, while looking at her phone screen.

“Well, he is very old,” Willow added. “You know how much old people sleep.”

“I don’t know…” Amity murmured, unable to shake off the discomfort she had after casting the eternal oath spell. She walked over to one of the cupboards in the room and pulled it open to reveal Ghost and Clover hiding beneath some of Luz’s clothing. When she pulled one of the garments up, she was met with wide eyes staring up at her.

“Hey, it’s okay,” she reassured them. “He can’t harm you.”

The palisman looked at one another before backing away deeper into the cabinet, saying nothing to her, leaving Amity confused. She decided not to push the two and shut the cabinet.

“They’ve been acting so weird since Belos came back into the house,” Willow noted, which puzzled them all. The last time Belos was in the house, they had hidden the palisman, who acted like everything was fine and wanted to sneak out a lot in the open, but now… even with the eternal oath in place, the palisman seemed terrified.

“Belos is up to something…” Luz muttered, holding her palisman egg closer to her belly. “The palisman wouldn’t react like that if nothing was wrong.”

“But what can Philip do to us with the eternal oath in place?” Amity asked her girlfriend.

“Everything about this confuses me,” Willow said. “He even agreed to let himself seal away. Like, what’s up with that?”

“Maybe we should have Gus look into his mind and see if he’s planning anything…” Luz grumbled, feeling anxiety grip her heart, wanting to go downstairs and confront Belos. Force him to tell her what his intentions were, but of course she would be a fool if she thought he would admit to be planning anything.

“I mean… it is an option,” Amity said.

“Unless Belos doesn’t let us,” Willow pointed out.

Luz sighed with annoyance before lying on her bed, keeping both hands on her palisman egg as she closed her eyes.

“Is anyone else in the living room with Belos?” she asked.

“Nope,” Amity replied. “Hunter and Gus, I think, are still in the basement. Your mom hasn’t returned yet from work.”

Luz said nothing, relieved the boys weren’t near Belos. But she couldn’t help but worry that they didn’t do a great job at adding more conditions into the eternal oath to insure they weren’t going to be betrayed by Belos. She did her best not to worry and tried to think what she could to have some control over the situation more. She had to think of something to make sure no one in the house would try to ‘befriend’ him like last time or feel bad for him.

While Luz’s mind was racing, Vee was texting Masha with a smile.

Masha: You know, sometimes I wonder if deep inside, Philip knows he’s been wrong the whole time. Or probably he doesn’t since he does seem to view himself as some sort of hero

Masha: If he truly thinks he’s right then… how does one make someone like that realize they’ve been wrong the whole time? He would probably continue to be in denial forever since no one likes to be wrong… You know, many people usually continue to do terrible things, even though they know they are wrong since admitting they had fucked up is scary or humiliating to them

Masha: I suppose I’m not surprised. People can sometimes be so prideful or are just scaredy cats

Vee: Yeah… I think Belos would be too prideful to admit he was wrong.

Vee: Talking about Belos, he’s back at the house.

Masha: O.O!!!!

Vee: Lol.

Masha: He came back just now?!

Vee: Nope. He came back like in the middle of the night.

Masha: I wonder where he was the whole time… Hunter couldn’t find any traces of him last time I talked to him

Vee: Yeah, idk.

Vee: But honestly, he looked terrible. He looked like he barely slept, which would explain why he’s been sleeping since he arrived.

Masha: Hmm… I wonder if this whole time he was just wandering around. Last time we saw him, he did look like he was in shock

Vee: Maybe.

Vee proceeded to tell Masha about the eternal oath that Philip had requested in order to stay at her house, which gave them all a peace in mind that they would be safe from him.

Masha: Okay… THAT’s weird…

Vee: Yeah.

Vee: All of us think that, too.

Vee: Luz thinks he’s planning something.

Masha: I have so many theories myself… Anyways, please do stay safe

Vee: I will : ).

Masha: Sigh…. I wish I wasn’t in school right now : c 

Vee: I wish I was in school :’(.

Masha: Hehehe, I know you do ;3

Masha: I also wished you were here :c…

Vee couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach at the two last emojis Masha sent to her.

She smiled while Masha began to tell her how their day was going at school. 

Hunter struggled to focus on the Cosmic Frontier episode that Gus had inserted into the DVD player, but his frustration got the better of him, and let out an exasperated sigh.

“I don’t get it,” he said finally, causing Gus to look at him with concern. Hunter got up from the couch and started pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair. He was relieved that his uncle was safe and back at the house, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss. “Why would Belos ask for those conditions? Why would he even suggest we seal him away?” Hunter shook his head in disbelief. “There’s something off about this, Gus. I can feel it in my gut.” He turned to his friend with a serious look. “Belos wouldn’t offer such conditions unless he wants us to lower our guard.”

“I don’t know, man,” Gus replied, rubbing the back of his head as he recalled Philip’s tired appearance. He recalled how Philip avoided their gaze after the eternal oath spell was cast. “I agree. It is weird that he asked for the eternal oath with those terms.” Gus tapped his fingers on his knee for a moment, thinking things through. “And it is worrying me that Emmiline and Flapjack are still hiding under the couch.”

“I tried asking Flapjack why he’s so scared, but he seems too shaken up to tell me anything,” Hunter said, falling back onto the couch, scrubbing his face with his hands.

Gus observed his friend, who was clearly in turmoil, struggling with his emotions. Instead of Hunter feeling happy and at ease that Philip was back, the boy seemed to be going through anxiety still, but now possibly from guilt for having the man back under their roof.

“Last week, when we were voting at the dining table,” Hunter began quietly, as he leaned back on the couch, looking at Gus. “You asked Luz what if Belos can change. Do you… think… he can?” His voice sounded hopeful, which made Gus’s heart drop.

“Maybe…?” Gus muttered quietly. Hunter sighed, taking the boy’s response as he wasn’t sure what to believe which made Gus continue with a decisive tone. “I think anyone can change, but it depends on them if they want to.”

“I don’t think Belos wants to change, to tell you the truth,” Hunter mumbled. “Just like Luz said, he had 400 years to change, but he didn’t.” The boy turned to Gus with a grim look. “When Luz and I were inside of his head, months ago, I asked him what he did to the other grimwalkers, and he just brushed off my question as something so insignificant. As if… he didn’t care what I found out. He says he loved his brother, but I think he’s lying… I think he hated him… that’s why the collector told Belos he had fun destroying his clones…”

“I don’t really know how Philip felt about his brother’s clones, but I do think he was telling us the truth the other day when he said he loved his brother,” Gus said. Hunter gave him a look of uncertainty. “Remember when we were fighting Philip back in the Titan’s skull?” he asked and continued when Hunter gave him a nod. “I used one of my spells on him, the one that makes people remember the worst experiences in their lives.”

“Where you can also see them as well, right?” Hunter asked.

“Yeah.”

“So… what did you see?” Hunter kind of assumed one of Belos’ worst experiences is stuck in the Boiling Isles and not able to complete his mission faster than he had hoped.

“I saw his brother introducing him to someone,” Gus said as he couldn’t tell who the person in the red robe was in Philip’s memories. “I saw his… brother’s motionless body lying in front of him… and I think… the first attempt of him making a grimwalker.”

Hunter said nothing, processing everything Gus was saying.

“If one of the worst memories is his brother lying dead, then I think it proves that he did love his brother,” Gus said. “Just like… Philip thought the Boiling Isles was a terrible, evil place, yet he found the courage to go after Caleb, to ‘save’ him. If he didn’t love his brother, he probably would have stayed in Gravesfield.”

The revelation brought Hunter some hope that there was a chance Belos could change, but then he was confused as to why Belos’ first attempt of making a grimwalker would be traumatizing.

“I think I’m going to check up on him,” Gus said, getting up from the couch. He had been worried about the man since he left the house, especially after the break down he had in front of them while he argued with Luz.

Philip had said so many disturbing things that evening…

Hunter looked at him with wide eyes. 

“You don’t have to come with me,” Gus assured his friend, imagining Hunter was too nervous to be around Philip since the last time they actually interacted - while Philip wasn’t in a state of shock - ended horribly for Hunter. “I’ll be okay. Got that eternal oath keeping me safe after all,” the boy said with amusement.

Hunter frowned and looked down at his lap, wanting to go along with the younger boy, but couldn’t gather the courage to do so. He convinced himself that he shouldn’t bother Belos yet and it was better that Gus talked to the man, though… Hunter couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy that Belos did seem to tolerate Gus more than him….

“I’ll be right back,” Gus said with a smile to his friend before he made his way upstairs and then was in the living room. He approached Philip, who was still fast asleep, but his face looked pinched as if in pain – Gus covered his nose from how badly Philip smelled.

Gus looked up at the clock that was hanging above the entranceway to the kitchen. It was almost 4 pm. He walked over to where Philip was lying, considering poking him with one of the umbrellas from the hallway, but then Philip’s eyes snapped open, glowing an intense blue.

Gus stumbled backward, his heart racing, and for a second he thought there was where he was going to meet his end.

He regretted right away coming alone and wished he had his palisman or any of his friends with him. He didn’t realize he was breathing fast until he found himself backed against the wall where the TV used to be, his arms raised to shield his head.

Gradually, his thoughts began to coalesce, and he lowered his arms to find Philip sitting up, his face lacking any sort of facial expression and his eyes glowing a bright blue as he stared directly at Gus.

Gus swallowed hard, trying to steady his racing heart. He felt that Philip wasn’t fully present since the man didn’t seem to blink as they stared at one another for a long moment.

“Philip…?” Gus let out softly, which seemed to do the trick as the man winced, shutting his eyes, and grabbing his head for a moment.

Philip’s head ached so badly that it felt like his skull was being crushed from the inside out, and in some way, the pain was also in his arms. But the pain in his was so intense that he struggled to even make sense of things. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, he felt a strange sensation was pulling him at the edges of his mind, preventing him from forming a coherent thought.

It was then he felt fear grip his entire being, his breathing becoming fast and ragged as he fought back at what was taking a hold of him, robbing him of his ability to think clearly. It was as if a thick fog had settled over his thoughts, obscuring everything, leaving him lost and confused in darkness, devoid of any light.

“Philip, can you hear me?” Philip heard a familiar voice and from that, the pain began to lessen.

Philip slowly opened his eyes, Gus noticing how unfocused and distant Philip’s eyes were, but the glow wasn’t so intense this time around.

“Remember, to take deep long breaths,” the boy said. The familiar directions brought awareness on the man after he focused on the boy’s voice, doing what he was told.

Philip’s brows furrowed as his senses slowly returned to him, realizing where he was and who was in front of him. He tried to speak, but his tongue felt heavy, his throat tight.

Gus continued to watch Philip come back to himself, his eyes completely losing the eerie glow now.

“Are you okay?” Gus asked, his voice soft and gentle, no longer backed up against the wall, but instead on his feet, on the other side of the small table in the living room.

Philip didn’t respond. He closed his eyes and pressed his palm against his forehead, taking deep breaths to regain full control of his mind. The curse had unexpectedly flared up while he was asleep, and he couldn’t fathom why. From the few times he had lost control, anger seemed to trigger the curse, so he wasn’t sure why it would act out while he was asleep with no dreams to provoke it.

He lowered his hand and looked up at Gus, still feeling utterly exhausted, but noticed how Gus was gazing at him with concern.

It was strange… Philip felt… grateful that Gus was there in the room with him, but at the same time, the boy’s expression made the man feel ashamed as well.

‘You don’t deserve his sympathy,’ the dark voice hissed, making Philip look away, brows furrowed in anger at himself for making a child, like Gus, worry over him.

He didn’t deserve sympathy.

Gus took the man’s frustration directed to him for being in the man’s presence.

“Sorry,” Gus said, making Philip clench his teeth hard. “I wanted to check up on you, since you didn’t look so good last night.”

The man kept looking away from him and an awkward silence settled into the room.

Gus thought that maybe he shouldn’t bother Philip just yet. Maybe he was being too pushy… He considered retreating to the basement when he heard the front door of the house open.

“Ya llegue!” The boy heard Camila call out and in no time, she walked into the living room and frowned to find Gus there.

Again… she shouldn’t be surprised, yet… she was.

“Welcome back, Camila,” Gus said, sheepishly.

“Thank you, mijo,” Camila acknowledged him with a sigh, unable to be annoyed at the boy. She finally turned to Philip who looked frustrated, and still worn out. His blue eyes weren’t glowing anymore, but the horns were sticking out of his head and the green substance was still covering half of his face and his feet and arms. She had hoped he looked more human after he had a good rest.

Her nose kind of scrunched up when she walked closer to the two as she could smell the terrible stench in the room, indicating to her he hadn’t showered yet.

“Alright, Philip, it’s time for you to take a shower,” she said. “So, let’s get you upstairs, and I’ll get you some clean clothes from my room.”

For a moment, Camila thought the man didn’t hear what she said - he mentally asked himself what the point was of being clean… he didn’t feel like washing himself - but then he got up to his feet, but very slowly she noticed, as if something was weighing him down.

He followed her upstairs. He ignored the girls stepping out of the bedroom, especially Luz who was glaring at him.

“What’s going on?” the girl demanded, clearly unhappy about Philip near her mother.

“Everything is fine, mija,” Camila assured her. “I’m just having Philip take a shower.”

Without waiting for Camila, Philip passed by the girls and entered the bathroom.

Camila leaned towards the girls and whispered with amusement. “He was really sticking up in the living room.”

“Yeah… I’m not surprised,” Amity said, recalling how bad he smelled when she had to stand close to him the night before to do the spell on them.

Camila saw her daughter still glaring daggers at Philip who had his back to her as he stood in the middle of the bathroom.

She wanted to tell her something, but she wasn’t sure what exactly. She was afraid that Luz would again get so worked up with Philip in the house.

But, a knowing smile from Amity and Willow eased her concerns, especially when both grabbed Luz’s arms and kind of pulled her back into the room before they closed the door.

Camila felt a deep sense of gratitude towards the other girls for watching over Luz. She desperately needed their assistance now that Philip was back. After making her way to the bedroom, she collected a towel and a change of clothes that she had purchased for Philip over a week ago. Placing the items on the sink, she closed the door without exchanging a word with him.

Camila felt a strange awkwardness around Philip, possibly due to her initial refusal to allow him back into the house before he proposed the eternal oath. Although she felt guilty for denying him entry at first, she remained steadfast in her decision to keep the children safe from him.

Though…

She sighed as she couldn’t ignore the strong sense of worry that she had for him too.

Life could never be so simple…

As she heard the sound of water running, Camila walked away from the bathroom door and began to plan what to make for dinner.

Philip undressed himself and stepped into the bathtub, closing his eyes as the hot water enveloped him. He sighed in relief as his muscles relaxed for the time being. He massaged his scalp with shampoo, feeling the itchiness disappear. After scrubbing his body with soap, he stood still, longing to stay under the hot water for hours. Maybe even sleep there.

‘You have a mission to accomplish,’ the dark voice hissed.

He turned off the water and began to dry his hair with the towel before running it over the rest of himself, ignoring the curse that was half way to wrapping around his whole body.

He put on the sweatpants and t-shirt Camila had left for him on the sink, then wiped the steam off the mirror, to stare at his reflection with exhaustion, taking in his haggard-looking face. The dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced than ever before, even though he has been sleeping so much. He ran a hand over his stubble, feeling more than an inch of growth that had accumulated since he last shaved, adding to the beaten look.

As he gazed at his reflection, a wave of contempt washed over him, but not for his appearance. Well... the horns protruding from his head and the green substance coating the left side of his face did represent a constant reminder of the terrible deeds he had committed.

The curse covering his trembling hands, were a physical reminder of what he was….

Tears welled up in his eyes, but he wiped them away with his arm.

‘Stop wasting time and complete the mission.’

Philip took in slow deep breaths, stripping himself from the self-pity that dared to consume him as he glared at his reflection with a growing contempt.  

“Pathetic…” he let out to himself with a rough voice, having the urge to just grow claws and shred his face apart.

Without wasting any more time, he made his way out of the bathroom and was back in the living room. The blue blanket he had been sleeping on was gone, but another one, with cat looking images, was folded on the couch. He also noticed something else was folded next to it.

His brother’s coat…

Camila entered the room, intending to reassure him that she had taken care of his coat in his absence, but then she noticed his hair.

“Wasn’t there a brush in the bathroom?” she asked.

Philip didn’t recall seeing a brush in the bathroom, nor did he care to search for one. Managing his hair would take too much time since it was a tangled mess for the past week. He didn’t want to deal with it…

“It looks pretty bad,” Camila commented, taking note of the unruliness of his hair. “When was the last time you brushed it?”

There was no response from the man.

Part of her wanted to leave him alone and go back to the kitchen, as he seemed to be giving her the cold shoulder, which she did not appreciate, especially by how he avoided eye contact with her.

Well, maybe he had a good reason to ignore her since she didn’t let him into the house without the oath made, but still…

Or maybe he still felt awkward around her too from the time she washed him…

Either way, the thought of leaving him be with his neglected hair like that seemed so wrong for her, since he always seemed to have his hair taken care of and tied in a low ponytail. He didn’t have to say anything about it, but she had seen he took pride in it, more than other people she had encountered.

Even she was kind of jealous how much volume and softness his long hair had.

“I can help you detangle your hair if you need it,” she said, offering him a smile as she recalled the times her husband would help her daughter when she was so little when she used to have long hair. Luz didn’t let her brush her hair since supposedly she yanked down too much, which was unfortunate since Camila loved brushing long hair. “Let me go get the brush,” she added, but Philip moved first, but not towards the stairs. Instead, he walked into the kitchen.

Puzzled, she followed him, as he had no business in the kitchen.

Philip went straight to the knife block on the counter and grabbed one of the knives. He then took a handful of his hair, causing Camila’s eyes to widen in horror.

Adrenaline surged through her as she saw what he was about to do.

“Stop!” she shouted, and oh she thanked God or whatever deity that made the man halt his movements, if they had some power over him that is. He had thrust the knife, but stopped before the blade came into contact with a single strand of his hair. “What are you doing?!” She rushed over to him, but didn’t reach for the knife, slightly afraid the man would plunge it into her even though the oath prevented him from doing it. “Philip, drop the knife, right now,” she instructed sternly, through her heart racing.

Philip dropped the knife, letting it fall to the floor by his feet.

Camila kicked it away from them, letting it slide across the kitchen floor and to make her relax, she pulled the block of knives away from him and set them on the dinner table.

She placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her heart that was still pounding. She then turned to face Philip who was just standing there, his blue eyes finally making contact with her, but they were empty and lifeless, even though they still held the same coldness he would have at times.

Her mind was racing with so many questions.

What… just happened? Did he seriously not want to deal with his hair anymore? Did he really intend to hack it all off now? Growing hair that long and maintaining it nice like he did took a lot of effort. The idea of running a blade through his long locks seemed drastic to her. To just want to cut it off suddenly didn’t make sense to her.

There was something seriously wrong here.

Even though she barely knew him, she had a strong sense he wouldn’t really want to get rid of his hair.

“What were you thinking?” she decided to ask, still reeling from the shock of what she had just witnessed. She needed to know what was going on inside his head to make him do something so extreme.

Philip simply continued to stare at her, his eyes narrowing before averting his gaze. “I need… the laptop Gus uses and the list of portal materials I made for you,” he finally spoke since the night before, his voice rough.

“What?” Camila let out, not following him from the sudden change of topic.

Why would he want the laptop for?

“Have you guys figured out which materials will be used as substitutes for the portal?” he asked, his tone betraying a hint of impatience.

Camila recalled the children complaining about their inability to find suitable alternatives for the materials required for the portal a few days ago. She remembered suggesting the kids to take a break and since then, she had left the list and instructions on top of the refrigerator.

As she was about to retrieve the papers, the sight of Philip’s tangled hair reminded her of what he had almost done. He was an expert at changing the topic and just avoiding her questions.

She thought about making him answer her on why he was going to cut off his hair, but the dark circles in his eyes made her think that maybe telling him to first get some rest was a better idea. He still looked drained.

Maybe she would tell him that after dinner, when she and the children had finished eating, she would give him the items he needed, and of course, she would instead talk to him as her instincts were telling her to do so.

However…

“We’ll give you the laptop and the papers, but only if you work on that puzzle you were supposed to do with Hunter,” Luz declared, striding into the kitchen with a cold stare fixed on Philip.  

Camila stared at her daughter, caught off guard from her daughter’s sudden appearance and the words that came out of her mouth. After all, Luz had initially been against the idea of Hunter working with Philip on the puzzle.

And the thought of Hunter being near Philip, after she decided the other day that the boy should have more distance from him, made her nervous.

But if Hunter was okay with working on the puzzle with Philip, then she couldn’t do much about it without hurting the boy’s feelings. And of course that was if the man agreed to do what Luz said which she doubt he would.

Meanwhile, Philip’s heart sank. The mention of the puzzle and how he was supposed to work on it with Hunter brought back a wave of guilt that suffocated him.

Philip’s frustration was evident as a frown creased his features, but towards himself as he didn’t want the boy near someone like him. Not after everything he has done to him.

He felt an urge to walk out of the house and search the forest for Titan’s blood, but then the memory of Hunter’s heartbroken face resurfaced in his mind. He couldn’t forget how he had cruelly told Hunter that he had no use for him and even suggested that he take his own life.

‘Coward…’ the dark voice echoed in his head, fueling the self-loathing that throbbed in his chest.

“My mom said you couldn’t come back till you apologized to him, right?” Luz challenged as Philip’s jaw clenched. “Well, I’m making sure you are held accountable for your actions. And I’m not taking a ‘no’ for an answer.”

“He’s only wallowing in self-pity. If he truly regretted his actions, he would try to make amends or at least face those whom he has wronged instead of hiding away.” Philip remembered Sister’s Margaret’s honest words.

‘It’s the least you can do, for everything you have done to him. You monster…’

Philip’s hands turned into shaking fists as he struggled to control the emotions that plagued him. He knew he had to face Hunter sooner or later, especially if he wanted to right the wrongs that he had done, but the thought of being near the boy filled him with dread. Especially as he felt all he would bring to Hunter was pain…

But, after a moment of silence, he made his decision.

“Fine.” Philip forced the words out through his gritted teeth, making Camila shocked that he agreed.

Luz smirked in response, a sight that was rare to see for her mother to see.

Camila mentally took note that she had to observe her daughter more and Philip, just in case.

“After dinner though,” Camila interjected quickly, trying to make sense of Philip’s actions right now. First, he was close to cutting off his hair and now he was agreeing to doing the puzzle with Hunter after he had shown to hate the idea of it before. What was going on…? “I’m almost finished making the beef casserole. Mija, could you please get the others to come downstairs to help me set up the table?” she asked, doing her best to look calm.

Luz didn’t bother looking at her mom, her eyes locked on Philip, as she nodded.

Philip seemed to be glaring at her, but there was something strange about it. It didn’t look like his anger was directed at her, even though he was looking right at her.

No matter, Luz left the kitchen and went upstairs to fetch the girls from her room so they could help her mom. She mentally patted herself in the back, pleased that the first step of her new plan was set in motion now that Philip agreed to work on the puzzle with Hunter…

Chapter Text

1. Thank you Reverny for another awesome fanart : ), well, mini ones that is, hahaha, they are soooo cute. I love Philip's grumpy expressions. The one with the pancakes is so funny and his :o for the laptop <3. Of course him brushing his hair makes me </3 since recently he doesn't care anymore for it :'c.  Reverny also made an animation for the fanfic :), sadly I can't post it here cause I can't figure out how to... so if anyone wants to look at it jump to their tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/reverny

2. Thank you so much lesliehope71, I love the angst so much here, makes me want to give him a hug :'(. And basically this is how he looks like for sure as he struggles with his guilt :c...

You guys can follow them and look at their art on their tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/lesliehope72 . 

3. A cute doodle from asherisawkward : ), Belos hyperfixated on Catra from She-Ra, hahaha. The art potrays Gus listening to him ramble, hahaha. Thank you for drawing cuteness.

4. By Akisa_acl in instagram, you can follow them there : ). A representation of Belos curse manifesting like it usually does in the fanfic : ). Thank you for drawing this <3

There was another one made by evelit-art, but they haven't finished yet : ). Probably will post it up in the next chapter~

“You did what?!” Hunter exclaimed in shock, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at Luz. They were standing in the middle of the dimly lit basement. Gus stood next to him, his mouth agape, unable to find the right words to respond after Luz gave them unexpected news.

Luz shifted her weight, feeling the tension in the room rise. The boys’ reactions were far from what she was honestly expecting.

“Why would you do that?!” Hunter threw his hands out, his frustration evident.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” she asked, confused as to why Hunter was reacting the way he was.

“I mean, yeah, but…” Hunter let out a frustrated groan and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm himself down. He felt a pang of fear and anxiety gnawing at his insides now. “I’m not ready to just… sit with him and work on a puzzle right now,” he admitted before he went over to the couch and collapsed there, a hand on his stomach as he felt sick. Oh, great… he felt he wanted to throw up now.

“Luz…” Gus said, shooting Luz a disapproving look. “You should have asked Hunter first, just to make sure he was okay with it.”

“I wasn’t like trying to go behind his back or something. I was just trying to help him get what he wanted with Belos,” Luz defended herself, though mentally she kicked herself for half lying…

“I know you just want to help, but you have to stop doing things without running it with us first,” Gus lectured. “Especially if it’s going to affect others. You have to stop being reckless.”

At first, Luz wanted to argue with Gus, but then she felt slightly guilty as the memories of the countless times she had acted without consulting with her friends first back in the Boiling Isles came crawling into her mind.

She had gotten them into tons of trouble, and not just them, she also got Amity in certain messes and even put her own life at risk.

She wasn’t going to lie to herself. She was rather reckless, especially when she let her fears and anxieties make her take certain actions, especially when she wanted to do the right thing.

“Okay, yeah, I’m sorry, I know I can be reckless, but I’ve got good news,” she turned to Hunter, putting up a smile for him. “Belos agreed to work on the puzzle with you.”

Hunter slowly glanced at her, his mind slowly processing the words she had just said.

“What…?” he let out, imagining he heard Luz wrong.

“Belos agreed to work on the puzzle with you,” Luz said again. “But mom wants you guys to do it after we eat dinner.”

Hunter stared at her with a mix of confusion and suspicion. “Belos…agreed to work on the puzzle…. with me…?” he repeated, as if trying to make sense of it.

Luz nodded.

“But… why…?” Hunter asked.

“What do you mean, why?” Luz blinked.

“Why did he agree…?” Hunter clarified. His eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out the situation. “Camila told me before he had outrightly refused when she told him he had to work on the puzzle with me. So why would he agree this time?”

Luz shrugged, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. “I have my way of words, I guess,” she said with amusement, trying to reassure Hunter.

But Hunter wasn’t convinced. His gut was telling him that Belos was for sure planning something. Meanwhile, Gus was giving Philip the benefit of doubt and wondered why Philip changed his mind.

“Well, dinner is almost ready, so we should probably head up and join the others,” Luz suggested, eager to change the subject.

Hunter bit his lower lip for a moment before finding a grocery bag offered to him by Gus. The bag contained the puzzle pieces. Gus had stuffed them there so his friend wouldn’t see the package that contained the picture that the puzzle was supposed to look like; Gus was determined to surprise his friend with how the puzzle would turn out to be.

“You don’t have to do it if you aren’t ready yet,” Gus told him, sensing Hunter’s apprehension.

“I know, but…” Hunter took the bag before standing up. “Luz is right. I wanted this. I shouldn’t let a chance like this go either, in case Belos changes his mind,” he mumbled, still unsure of the situation. “And like humans say, choosers can't be…”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Luz corrected, trying to lighten the mood.

“Right…” Hunter clutched the bag tightly against his chest, a sense of unease settling over him. “I should just go for it.”

Luz watched him closely, feeling guilty for putting him in this position. She knew that Hunter had been looking forward to spending time with Belos and been wanting to have a good time with the puzzle, but unfortunately for the boy, she expected Belos to ruin the moment.

She mentally told herself she was doing all this for Hunter’s future well-being. The boy was constantly on the fence to either push Belos away or cling to him. Right now, Belos was too exhausted to possibly play his manipulating games with anyone and most likely would lose his temper with Hunter, which would hopefully have Hunter start to realize that Belos wasn’t worth fighting for. She was willing to do anything to help the boy see reason, even if it meant putting him in a rough position.

Without another word, she went ahead of them upstairs.

Hunter stopped before taking the first step up the stairs, his magenta eyes fixed on the door with hesitation.

“Am I the only one who thinks nothing is making sense right now?” he asked Gus, his voice barely above a whisper, when Luz was out the door. “Or am I being paranoid?”

“You aren’t being paranoid. There is something definitely off with Philip,” Gus admitted, his tone serious. “I told you how he was when he woke up earlier today.”

“Maybe it’s the curse messing with his head,” Hunter mumbles, recalling what Gus had told him after visiting the man earlier that day. He couldn’t understand why the curse would be acting out if the man was asleep. He felt more nervous that if Belos was losing control randomly now. Cause even if Belos was under an eternal oath to not hurt them, nothing could really stop him if he lost control and attacked them, even if he didn’t want to.

He sighed, feeling the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders. He had been hoping to work on the puzzle with Belos when they first thought of it over a week ago, but now…

Gus playfully jabbed his friend’s shoulder, snapping him from his thoughts. “Don’t worry, man. Maybe we’re just overthinking things. And if the curse is in fact messing with him, then we’ll figure out how to handle that later,” he said. “For now, just do your best to enjoy yourself, okay?”

Hunter swallowed his nerves and nodded, agreeing with Gus. Telling himself for now, he would hold on to the hope that dared slip back into his heart. The same hope that he had held on for so many years to have one of those rare, pleasant moments with his ‘uncle’ again. Just like the ones he had in his earlier years of life.

Philip lay on his usual spot in front of the couch, his eyes shut, but his mind was far from being at ease. His heart pounded in his chest, his thoughts racing. He kept telling himself all he had to do was work on a puzzle with the boy. That was it. Piece it together with him, nothing more. It sounded simple enough, but the task felt more daunting than when he had made the portal between dimensions.

He struggled to calm his breathing, fighting to keep his racing heart under control. The heavy, dark feeling tugged at the edges of his mind, threatening to pull him under. Time seemed to drag on endlessly as he waited, wishing desperately for sleep to take him and make the waiting bearable.

He wished Camila had just given him the laptop and the list so he could be doing his research instead being in a panicked state.

Finally, he heard footsteps approaching, and he opened his eyes to see Gus motioning for him to follow.

He could just stay there… but… he couldn’t help but feel anger towards himself more for avoiding Hunter.

After a whole minute, he finally pulled himself from the floor, his nerves still jangling.

“You doing okay?” Gus decided to ask, noticing how Philip didn’t seem angry, but instead looked just hesitant.

Philip didn’t respond to him, keeping his eyes on anywhere else in the room rather than on the boy.

Gus sighed, feeling the man was in a way completely shut off from him.

Something for sure must have happened to the man while he was out from the house all those days… Though, Gus couldn’t fandom what might have happened.

He was thinking to maybe try and talk to Philip the next day since he didn’t want to push him more at the moment and risk making him mad.

After all, the man had a puzzle to work on with Hunter and Gus was going to make sure things went well with that.

The boy walked to the kitchen and Philip followed.

Before the two walked in, everyone was finishing things up in the kitchen.

The table was clean and bare; the dishes washed and put away by the kids. Luz couldn’t help but look at her mother with concern when she stored the block of knives inside of the cabinets. Vee and Hunter spread the puzzle pieces on the table, laying a light plywood board in the middle, where the boy would be putting the puzzle together so he and Belos could preserve their progress if they needed to move it.

“Good luck,” Willow murmured to Hunter, who gave her a brief nod before focusing on the plywood. He was too nervous to say anything as he sat down on one of the chairs.

The girls walked out of the kitchen, except Luz, who was giving her mother a stubborn look.

“Mija… we talked about this,” Camila reminded her as they had talked during dinner, who would stay in the room while Hunter worked on the puzzle with Philip. Luz was determined to stay, but unfortunately for her, her mom wasn’t going to budge.

Camila didn’t want Luz triggering Philip in any way while he and Hunter worked on the puzzle. From the few interactions that Luz had with Philip, Luz was the one to annoy him the most, which was ironic since he claimed to want to save humans, so Camila had to keep her daugther away.

Gus entered the room, followed by Philip. The man’s tired blue eyes surveyed the puzzle pieces scattered on the plywood.

“You can sit here, Philip,” Camila said as she pulled out a chair, one across from Hunter.

“You better not pull anything, Belos,” Luz said coldly, using the name he had used for so long, the one he didn’t like her using on him. To Camila’s surprise, Philip didn’t react like he usually did with her attempt to anger him with the way she called him. Instead, he clenched his teeth and walked past Luz to take the seat Camila had designated for him.

That lack of reaction from the man was weird for Camila, and she wasn’t the only one to notice since Gus was staring at Philip with confusion.

Luz didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary and simply sent him a glare before she left the room.

Gus took a seat on the left side of the table, Camila on the right.

“I’m so excited to see a jigsaw puzzle come together for the first time,” the boy said, genuinely excited to witness a human game in the works, and also trying to lighten up the mood since Hunter was sitting looking uncertain while Philip sat stiffly. Both were staring down at the table with mixed emotions.

Camila clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention, ready to get started. “Alright,” she said. “What I usually do to start things off is find the edges and put them together on the plywood first. And work from there.”

Hunter hesitated, glancing over at Belos for the first time since he arrived back home.

The first thing he noticed right away was how terrible the man’s hair was. It was so tangled, so out of place. He could tell Belos had taken a shower from the looks of the clean clothes that he was wearing and the fact he didn’t smell so bad anymore, but… why did the man’s hair look like such a mess?

His ‘uncle’ always took care of his hair… and also kept himself clean shaved but the growing beard and mustache made Hunter question what was in his uncle's mind.

He pulled his attention away from the man’s tangled locks before he couldn’t help but notice the way Belos was glaring at the puzzle pieces with frustration.

Of course… why would the boy think Belos wanted to be sitting here and work on a human puzzle with him?

He wondered how Luz managed to have the man sit across from him at least, though, the man’s annoyed expression made him feel nauseous again, and of course, depressed…

The constant reminder that Belos didn’t want to be near him was rather painful…

Hunter began to tell himself the whole thing was a terrible idea. He didn’t understand why he kept putting himself in such situations if he knew how things were going to end up.

Well… this time around it wasn’t really his fault he was there, but it was Luz’s.

Titan… the boy really wished Luz had asked him first…

He was tempted to leave, to end his and Belos’ misery, but Camila’s encouraging smile and Gus’s infectious enthusiasm made him feel bad to just leave like that. He told himself that at least Camila and Gus would enjoy watching him build the puzzle… and he was for sure curious what image Gus had picked for him.

Alright… he told himself it was okay if Belos didn’t participate at all. He would just work on the puzzle by himself, and do his best to have fun. He would just act like this was some sort of challenge…

After a few more minutes, he eventually gathered the courage he needed to start collecting the edge pieces and placing them on the plywood.

As the boy began to figure out how to connect all the edge pieces, Philip, from the corner of his eye, could see Camila occasionally give him a stern look, but it wasn’t enough to ignite him to join the boy.

He couldn’t move a muscle, not while his heart was beating fast against his chest.

And he knew why he was feeling completely anxious.

For years, he had manipulated the boy, hurt him in countless ways, causing the child endless pain. Philip had no idea how to interact with the child without feeling he was going to mess it up.

It was pathetic, really… how terrified he was that he would somehow end up harming the boy if he moved one of his limbs. His fear was justified, though. The green substance was wrapped around half of his body, and the dark presence in his chest and mind still lingered, taunting him as it pulled and pulled.

What if he lost control of the curse and indeed harmed the boy?

‘Coward…’ the dark voice mocked. ‘Always making excuses..’

Claws grew at the ends of his hands before he slowly dug them into his legs, penetrating through the fabric and into his flesh, drawing out blood, using the pain to ground himself as the voice triggered the dark feeling in his chest.

Of course, he had to admit the voice was right. He was just making excuses. The urge to go back to the church and just hide inside that room was a constant thought in his mind, especially now.  But avoiding Hunter, avoiding facing the people he has hurt was something he didn’t want to do either.

He forced himself to glance at the boy, who looked focused on his task, quickly having the whole edge of the puzzle connected. Hunter was now trying to gather pieces that had a similar color scheme to them, though it was pretty difficult since some pieces had black, blue tones, grey tones, and brown tones mixed.

Without the boy’s knowledge, Philip noticed a difference in the boy’s appearance. It wasn’t just the slightly longer hair, cut neatly around the edges. The boy looked like he had aged a bit, but how was that possible? It only has been over a week since the man had seen the boy.

Well… the real question was… did he ever actually took the time to look at the boy during their time on Earth…? Then again, it has only been several months since they left the Boiling Isles, so there was no way the boy would age that much even then.

Wait… the more Philip looked, the more he realized what had changed in Hunter.

The teen didn’t look so pale, so sickly anymore. His face didn’t look so thin, and his arms weren’t like twigs anymore. There was more meat to him, probably Camila made sure he was fed enough. The dark circles were still present, but not as pronounced as before.

Yes… that was it… the boy looked healthier. Looked more his age than a malnourished child.

‘No thanks to you…’ the dark voice hissed, making his chest twist painfully. ‘Unlike you, Caleb made sure you ate and slept enough…’

Guilt clawed at his chest, making him dig his claws deeper into his legs.

He was painfully aware of how he had neglected Hunter for years, allowing the boy to bear the burden of proving himself without giving him the necessary support. He let the boy continue to push himself so much and, like the terrible monster Philip was, he had simply taken pleasure in the obedience Hunter had shown him.

Philip’s gaze drifted to one of the puzzle pieces and he forced himself to relax his tense claws. He told himself he could do this. If the boy was able to endure years of struggling to prove himself to him, then he can make the boy happy by helping him complete the puzzle. Just like he had decided earlier that day.

He wiped the green blood off his pants discreetly while the claws vanished from his fingers and then reached for a nearby puzzle piece. He noticed Hunter tensing up, causing him to hesitate.

Did he just scare the boy just now…?

‘You can’t trick him…’ the dark voice hissed. ‘You’re doing this to manipulate him, aren’t you…?’ Philip grew cold at the voice’s accusation. ‘You want to gain his sympathy by showing him how much you ‘changed’ and how ‘guilty’ you feel for everything you have done just so you can avoid being sealed away. But we know the truth… you are still the same manipulative heartless monster… Always planning… always wanting to destroy…’

No… that… wasn’t what he was doing… Philip had no intention of playing with the boy’s emotions like that ever again.

But… what if he was indeed manipulating the situation… without even realizing it? After all, he had been manipulating people for so long that it had become a habit, something that was so natural to him.

Philip pulled his arm back, trying not to meet the boy’s eyes, knowing they probably looked hurt since he was failing to meet the boy’s hopes. The hopes that Philip could love him, care for him immensely like a guardian would.

But…

Was it the boy’s best interest to have that love from the man…?

Philip didn’t deserve Hunter’s love, that was for certain, not after everything he has done to him. But if he tried making the boy even slightly happy, it would probably only cause the boy’s dedication to him to grow strong again and then lead the boy to suffer in the end when he was later sealed forever.

And the worst part was, Philip could even imagine Hunter doing everything in his power to desperately prevent his ‘uncle’ from getting taken away from him. Even sacrifice his own life.

‘And of course, that’s what you want,’ the voice said.

No… that’s not what he wanted at all… He didn’t want Hunter to waste any efforts to help him in any way anymore.

‘Then prove it…’

Prove it, the voice said…

Do the right thing….

Do the right thing for Hunter.

Philip had two choices at this moment, and unfortunately both would end up causing Hunter some grief, but… there was one that would cause him less pain in the long run.

A feeling of disgust with himself washed over him as he thought of what his next move would be.

He didn’t want to but…

“This… whole thing… is pathetic…” Philip spoke out in a low voice, making everyone turn to him in confusion.

He had to do this…

He had to do it even though he didn’t want to.

He forced his eyes to coldly stare at Hunter down through half-lidded eyes. Philip did his best to ignore the pain that was eating him up in his chest, how the guilt threatened to suffocate him.

‘Do it!’

With practiced ease, Philip continued to deliver the act he decided to put on, to stick with doing the right thing. “You may look the most like him… but from all the grimwalkers that I’ve made, you’re the most foolish one of them all,” he said, managing to sound as cold as he could. “I’ve always questioned myself why I’ve kept you for so long, but I guess this is why… Because you are just so good at wanting my approval like a pathetic mutt…”

Camila and Gus gaped at him, their eyes blown wide with disbelief while Hunter’s eyes stared at him in shock, his arms slowly pulling away from the table and landed limply on his lap.

The room had fallen deadly silent.

Outside, the wind continued to howl, but it seemed distant and irrelevant compared to the overwhelming silence that had taken hold of the kitchen. For Hunter, every sound, the wind, the ticking of the clock from the living room, have faded away into nothingness.

Camila struggled to pull her thoughts together as the tension of the room grew thicker and more suffocating. She was unable to believe what came out of Philip’s mouth. Her heart was boiling with rage, especially towards herself since she was at fault for letting the man, once again, find a way to hurt the boy, for letting him back into the house when she had told herself before she would keep him out.

She has failed as the responsible adult to provide Hunter a safe space again…

She was ready to stand on her feet and tear the man apart as a mama bear would, but then Hunter spoke.

“You’re right…” Hunter said quietly. “I am the most foolish one of them all.”

Camila and Gus turned to him; eyes wide that he would agree with Belos.

“Mijo, don’t listen to him,” Camila told him right away, but Hunter looked up at her, giving her a sad smile.

“It’s okay, Camila. He’s just being honest,” he said before glancing up at Belos. “You know, I was going out every morning and every evening either with Gus or Willow, looking for you to bring you back here. I didn’t dare miss a day and everyone else would try to keep me from doing my rounds. Majority of the group voted to keep you out of the house, but I didn’t care. I didn’t listen to them. I wanted to bring you back no matter what, so I kept going and going, looking for you.”

Philip listened, his expression remained unchanged, but inside he felt sick that he had let the boy waste his time searching for him while he wallowed in self-pity in a room for all those days.

‘You are so selfish…’

“But you don’t care, do you?” the boy asked before his eyes narrowed as he spoke. “You don’t care how much I’ve worried about you, how afraid I was for you. You see me as nothing more than a tool to be used, to discard at your whim… You used to be different, you used to care about me… You made sure my tutors treated me well, you made sure I slept and ate enough, you would let me read to you from your library, and you looked at me with pride. But then everything changed when you gave me the staff you made me. You started to strike me when you were angry. You stopped caring about my well-being, you ignored me, and manipulated me. You didn’t care how I felt, what I wanted, what I needed… You couldn’t stand to listen to me unless it was about some mission….”

Tears welled up in Hunter’s eyes as he spoke. The memories of the good memories he had held so dear in his heart slowly overwhelmed by the terrible ones. “You were my hero, my mentor, my father figure. I looked up to you and I wanted to make you proud… but I should have realized sooner how terrible of a man you were. I should have seen the signs, just like the other grimwalkers did, but like you said, I was the most foolish one of them all for expecting better from you.”

Hunter brushed his tears away viciously that had dared to escape before he stood up and then, with a sudden burst of fury, he slammed his hands on the table, causing Gus to jump in surprise. “But, I’m done with you, Belos,” he hissed, glaring at the man. “I’m done being your mindless, loyal servant. I’m done risking the safety of my friends because of my foolishness for wanting your approval. You killed your own brother and countless others like me. The grimwalkers were basically your children, and you murdered them as if they were nothing!” He snapped with rage. “And the worst part of it all, is that you don’t care. You don’t care who you’ve hurt, who you’ve killed. You’re literally a heartless monster… and I realize that now. I’m done holding on to the memories of the two years you were good to me, especially since now that I think about it, they were all probably just a ploy to make sure I became your obedient soldier.”

Hunter took a moment to try to calm himself down, doing his best not to break down more from the fact that the first two years of his life were a complete lie. “I’m done feeling sorry for you… I’m done putting you before me and others.”

Philip stared at the boy, with no emotion showing across his face, he looked like was just disinterested in what the boy was saying, which made the boy's emotions rile up more, but in reality, he was taking every word in, as they were slowly leaving a mark in his tainted heart.

“I hate you,” the boy said, his words heavy with pain and anger, a few tears making their way down his face even though he didn’t want them to. “I hate you for making me care about you, for hurting me for so many years, for making me feel like I was nothing, that I was never good enough. You made me think that the only thing that mattered was your approval. But I’m learning now, learning that I do matter, that I don’t need your approval to be happy, that there are people that actually care about me.”

Camila stared at Hunter sadly, her heart breaking for him. She could see the pain etched on his face, the hurt and anger he had bottled up for so long finally pouring out. “Hunter…” she whispered.

The boy pushed his chair back, turning his back to everyone. “I can’t wait to see you sealed away in the Boiling Isles, so I never have to see your face again. I’ll make sure you can’t hurt anyone ever again. I will protect the people who actually matter in my life and this time, I mean it. I’m done with you,” he spat, and with one last scathing look at Belos, Hunter stormed out of the kitchen.

The room was quiet again before Gus quietly got up from his seat, pausing a moment to let Hunter’s emotional words echo in his mind. Without sparing a glance at Philip, he walked away in silence, leaving Camila and Philip alone in the kitchen.

Camila took a bit longer to rise from her chair compared to Gus, but once she did, she deftly packed the puzzle pieces into the bag. She picked up the plywood too and assumed that Hunter might not want to look at it for a while, so she retreated to her bedroom with the puzzle to store it there. She then returned with her fully charged tablet and a notepad before placing them on the table while Philip was still there, looking as if nothing mattered, his eyes looking bored.

Camila had the urge to slap him. She wanted to kick him out of the house, to never see him again.

How could a man like him exist? How could he not care, even the slightest for how the boy poured his heart out to him.

Though she knew they needed him to get that portal running.  And honestly, there was no point in lecturing him or striking him. The man clearly was never going to learn nor did care to be better. Then she thought that maybe what just happened was a good thing for Hunter.

Yes, the boy was hurting, but now Hunter could move on now after realizing Belos wasn’t going to change. Hunter could finally be free to do what he wanted, to stop worrying about someone who didn’t matter. He was finally going to stop being dragged down by his abuser.

Belos was never going to change.

“People like him don’t change,” Luz’s words played in her head before Jimmy’s as well, “Just like I said, some people can change, but others can’t.”

Camila did feel hesitated to give up on the man, but he had just displayed that he honestly was just a lost cause.

“This is a tablet,” she said without emotion in her voice. “Kind of like a laptop, but simpler. I don’t think I have to spend time showing you how to use it since you’re a ‘smart’ guy.” She retrieved Philip’s documentation from the fridge and set it on the table. “I’m going to let you be, but I suggest that you go back to the living room. I don’t want you bothering the kids if they want something from the kitchen,” she said, before turning to leave.

Before she could make her exit, she stopped and sighed, shaking her head. “You couldn’t just have done one nice thing for Hunter, could you?” she muttered. “But I guess I shouldn’t expect anything good from someone like you. After everything you have done… especially after killing so many of your own children…  You really are the worst, aren’t you?“ With those words, she left Philip alone in the kitchen.

He lingered in the kitchen for a while, his chest aching and his mind numb.

He stared at the spot that Hunter was sitting on before he finally stood up to himself and left.

In some way, the boy finally fighting back, put some warmth in his chest. Hunter was better than he ever was, since he never found the courage to do the same against the Minister.

Eventually, Philip gathered everything and slowly made his way to the living room couch, doing his best to not let the emotions distract him.

As he tried to use the tablet, his fingers fumbled at first, but he recognized the familiar Google Chrome icon that the laptop had used to access the internet. Despite the advanced technology of the tablet and the sleek design, he couldn’t muster any excitement, weighed down as he was by the heavy guilt and sadness he felt.

Nevertheless, he forced himself to focus on the task at hand, searching for materials that could replace those needed for the portal. But as the hours dragged on, it grew increasingly difficult to keep the faces of the grimwalkers out of his mind, to stop replaying Hunter’s words that dug deep. He especially felt his chest twist as he remembered the days when a small Hunter would struggle to pull himself up on a couch with a giant book he had picked from the library. He, himself, would be sitting next to the boy as the boy began to read out loud with such enthusiasm.

Those days… Philip would sit back against the couch and close his eyes, enjoy the moment, enjoy how familiar it was to his own life with Caleb… When he used to read to his older brother by the fireplace.

His teeth clenched, and he fought back tears, unwilling to shed them right now, especially in the house.

He didn’t deserve to let his emotions out. He didn’t deserve to waste time remembering the days he missed so much, especially since he was the one who murdered the one person who he shared those good memories with.

Philip forced himself to focus, to scroll through the internet, to write down everything he could find in order to complete the portal.

He ignored the agony that was growing in his chest, the pulling in his mind, and the moments he would just blank out as if he ceased to exist in the world…

Chapter Text

Fanarts :D

1. Shadow Philip if he gets sealed :c. Drawn by asherisawkward. You guys can follow them here: https://www.tumblr.com/asherisawkward. Thank you for drawing this <3

2. The following two pieces are done by odysseusthesailor, full of my favorite thing, angst :'3, don't you guys feel bad for Philip here? hahaha. Thank you for drawing thiece pieces odysseusthesailor, and you guys can follow them here: https://www.tumblr.com/odysseusthesailor/714526891669848064/more-belos-fanart

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3. The following piece made me laugh, hahaha, especially the top one. Thank you so much for drawing this piece, it's great :D, vitanzhuravlik. You guys can follow them here: https://www.tumblr.com/vitanzhuravlik

Luz couldn’t help but feel a tinge of satisfaction as her plan to turn everyone against Belos seemed to have worked. Though she had expected it to take longer, within a day, everyone in the house was avoiding him like the plague. Her mother had informed the others that Belos had messed up badly during the puzzle activity, and Hunter had finally had enough. All the pent-up anger and sadness the boy had held through his life had burst out before throwing in the towel; he was done with Belos.

Luz and the rest of the girls didn’t catch Hunter’s outburst as they were engrossed in Vee’s K-pop obsession. But from what Luz could tell, Hunter was serious and actually seemed to be doing better the past three days after he gave up with the man. He was spending more time with Gus, watching their favorite TV show with a light in his eyes, and even was talking to Willow more than usual, who Luz couldn’t help but notice how the two started sitting together in the backyard a lot. Luz and Amity would often spy on them through the window in her mother’s room, wondering if there was something more going on between the two. The thought of them possibly having a romantic interested in one another made both girls giddy. They thought the two looked perfect together. Then again, they were probably just assuming too much since Willow and Hunter just seemed to be having serious conversations together. Well, it was mostly Hunter talking and Willow listening to him.

But either way, since Hunter decided to cut ties with Belos, Gus was also avoiding the man without explanation. Luz didn’t press him for details, but she could tell Gus was disappointed in him. Even her mother refused to acknowledge Belos’ existence, and no one in the house would spare him a glance as they walked past the living room where he often sat with the tablet, focused on the task of creating the portal.

Luz couldn’t deny that she felt relieved that no one was trying to defend Belos or convince the rest of the house that he wasn’t a monster. However, she still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was up to something evil, especially now that he didn’t have anyone’s attention.

At times, he would leave the house without a word, often at night. Hunter and Amity had gone out to make sure he wasn’t doing something terrible, but found him back by the river, digging holes again. They all assumed he was trying to find Titan’s blood, which was alright she supposes…

Other than that, everything seemed so quiet… maybe too quiet, which caused her to feel unease, especially by the way the palisman continued to hide in fear, as if they could sense a danger they couldn’t. Though, she wasn’t sure why the palisman would be afraid, since she had noticed Belos wasn’t losing control of the curse. Yes, half of his body was consumed by the green substance and his horns still were sticking out of his skull, but… he hadn’t had any of his random anger outbursts.

Now that she thought about it as she was washing dishes with Amity, she couldn’t help but think about the way Belos was eerily silent… The way he seemed to avoid everyone in a way, and of course the fact he was fine with being sealed…

She asked herself, what if… Belos actually wanted everyone to stop talking to him…?

The fact he had agreed with her to do the puzzle with Hunter was already strange, even though she wanted to believe she had done a good job of forcing him to do it against his will. But what if he wanted to anger everyone so he could be left alone so he could scheme properly…

Luz turned off the faucet of the water faucet after handing Amity the last plate for her to dry off with a towel. Both walked out of the kitchen and couldn’t help but glance for a moment at Belos, who was writing something down on a piece of paper, the tablet on the side.

As the two girls walked upstairs, Luz tried to fight the urge to confront Belos. Her thoughts were interrupted when she came face to face with everyone, except for her mother, gathered in the room, looking at her and Amity as they walked in.

“We need to talk,” Hunter said, his voice serious and stern.

Luz and Amity exchanged a quick glance to one another before joining the rest of the group, gathered in a circle. Vee, who was still lingering on the top bunk, was texting Masha, letting them know they were about to have the conversation that Hunter wanted the group to have.

Masha: Is this about Philip?

Vee: Yep.

Masha: I see…

Vee: Don’t worry, I’ll let you know everything we say : ).

Masha: Yessss

Masha: Tell me everything!

“Flapjack finally spoke to me,” Hunter revealed, making everyone stare at him in anticipation.

“Well?” Luz asked, her eyebrows furrowing together.

Hunter’s eyes darkened for a moment before he spoke, “He says the power inside Belos, the ‘curse’, is getting stronger… more… vile…”

“How?” Luz asked. “He looks the same since he came back. He doesn’t seem like he’s losing control.”

“He’s probably holding it back somehow,” Willow suggested.

“But why would it be losing control?” Amity questioned. “We haven’t angered him in any way.”

“The day after he came back, he did seem to have lost some his senses,” Gus admitted. “He was sleeping when I woke him up, and his eyes were glowing completely blue and he was just staring at me before I called out to him. Eventually, he slowly came back to himself… even though he seemed to have struggled to do so.”

The group looked at each other with confused and worried expressions at the thought of Belos losing control and attacking them while they slept. “But it hasn’t happened again, I think,” Hunter said, though he wasn’t convinced in his own words since he hasn’t paid attention to Belos at all.

“Do you guys think that maybe he learned to handle the curse?” Luz asked, wondering about the possibility. “Back at the Titan’s skull, before we left the Boiling Isles, he seemed to have control over it.”

“Maybe… and somehow he found a way to grow stronger with it?” Willow suggested. “Maybe that’s why Flapjack said it’s getting stronger?”

“I don’t think… that’s it,” Gus admitted, feeling uneasy about his friends’ assumptions.

“Let’s be honest here,” Amity spoke up. “Philip has been completely off since he came back.”

“Well, yeah, that I agree with you, but-” Gus started, but Luz cut him off.

“Maybe once he’s finished with giving us the new list for those materials we have to use, we should finish what we started in the basement of his house,” Luz said coldly.

Gus felt sick to his stomach as he vividly remembered that night, the desperation Philip had.

“Oh, right,” Vee waved to the group, a stack of papers in her hands. “I think he’s done,” she said. Hunter got up and quickly grabbed them and looked through them. There were the updated instructions on how to make the portal, showing what human items they could use instead of the ones they originally would have needed. “I think he left the instructions at the dining table this morning,” Vee said, which confused Luz since she saw him writing things down still before coming to her room.

Hunter handed Luz the stack of papers and saw how Belos had also listed instructions on the possible ways they could retrieve some of the human materials.

“This is good,” Luz said, flipping through the pages, considering her next move. “Then, I guess we should do ‘it’ tomorrow morning then,” she said, her tone firm.

“You really just… want to do that…?” Gus asked, looking at her skeptically.

“Why not?” Luz looked up at him with a frown.

“It just doesn’t feel right,” Amity was the one to say this time, which shocked Luz.

“What’s the difference to keep him ‘sealed’ here in our own way till we go back to the Boiling Isles?” she asked.

Hunter nodded in agreement. “I think we should do it, so we don’t have to worry about him until we go back to the Boiling Isles. We can definitely find the Titan’s blood without him.”

“Well… guys, we do have a problem with that idea,” Willow spoke up. “The eternal oath we agreed to stated Belos could stay in the house until the portal to the Boiling Isles was completed,” she reminded them.

Luz frowned, mentally slapping herself for forgetting about that condition. She swore under her breath, convinced Philip had purposely added that term for a reason…

“And even if that was not one of the terms, I don’t think we should just bury him like that,” Gus said, making everyone turn to him. “Like Amity says, it feels wrong.”

Luz couldn’t help but let out a sigh. She should have known that Gus still somewhat felt sympathetic to that monster.

Meanwhile, Vee sat quietly, her fingers flying over her phone as she texted Masha about the ongoing argument between her sister and friends. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease about the whole situation. She was hoping her friends didn’t end up mad at one another.

Masha: I would ask if you guys have tried talking to him, but I guess that’s a dumb question to ask, lol

Masha: I mean, I don’t blame everyone for thinking he’s planning something, but… the man basically handed you guys his life in a way, to do anything with it once you guys were back. Do you guys really think he’s trying to kill you guys right now since, well, he can’t?

Vee: Honestly, Idk what to think about the whole situation. I just want to watch a movie with everyone, eat some snacks, and call it a day x.x

Masha: lolol, you aren’t so worried like the others, huh?

Vee: Nah. I can handle myself : ).

Vee: And I know we can take him down if work together as well.

Masha: I believe it too!

Masha: So, he just works on perfecting the portal’s instructions then he goes off at night to look for titan’s blood?

Vee: Pretty much.

Masha: so weird…

Masha: Where does he go to look for that?

Vee: By the river. Last time I heard he was by the devil’s waterfall that you showed me once a few months ago.

Masha: I see…

Masha continued to talk to Vee and couldn’t help but also not like the idea that Luz and Hunter wanted to really seal the man up after he was helping them make the portal. The idea of him being buried alive was dark to Masha. From what Vee had told them, Philip appeared to be keeping to himself, and wasn’t causing any issues with anyone in the past days, so imprisoning him right now just felt unfair.

The way Philip had changed around them was pretty strange and Masha couldn’t help but think about it a lot in the past few days. Even during school, they couldn’t stray away from the countless theories they have thought of which now made Masha have the urge to investigate things themselves.

Now that they thought about it… Philip was alone in that forest…

With a mischievous smile, Masha made a last minute decision.

They spent the evening packing everything they needed in their backpack, after, of course, making dinner for themselves, put on a winter jacket, and then headed out late that night.

Yes, others might call them crazy for leaving their house and getting inside their car to drive down the road as they headed to the forest, alone - it was a good thing their guardians were out of town - but they still went for it. Masha drove down the path that would take them close enough to walk along the trail to their desired destination.

Eventually, they parked their car, off the side of the road, by the forest. They stepped out of their car and immediately turned on their flashlight, finding the trail that led them deep into the woods.

If someone were to ask if they were afraid to walk alone on the trail, they would say no. They had done it plenty of times, though… they usually did it with at least one friend. But they had no choice that night but to go alone. They couldn’t tell Vee, as she would probably just ruin their attempts to talk to Philip. They also couldn’t tell their own close friends since they would have to explain everything about Vee and how magic is real, and Masha didn’t want to out Vee like that. The fewer people knew about Vee and everyone else, the better.

Also, they felt they could handle themselves just fine in the forest. They had a flashlight; they were warm enough with their winter coat, wore nice boots, had pepper spray, and had a taser - a gift from one of their older friends. Masha had also brought along other miscellaneous items that could come in handy in the event of an emergency.

Masha had checked their phone and noticed that it was close to 10 degrees Celsius, leading them to believe that it was unlikely for people to be out and about at such a late hour in the freezing cold.

Though, they couldn’t help but wonder how Vee would react if she found out they were out looking for Philip at the moment.

Oh well, Masha just continued to walk down the path, trusting their sixth sense - they liked to imagine they had one - to lead them to what mission they had given themselves.

The mission was to talk to Philip, since no one wanted to right now.

Masha believed that they were the best candidate for the job since they were not directly connected to any of Philip’s previous misdeeds, and therefore, assured him that they didn’t have such hostility towards him. Of course, being an atypical individual, to Philip’s old view standards, might make it a challenge for Masha to talk to him. But, they hoped since they were Samuel’s descendant maybe would put them on Philip’s tolerant side. At least, the last time they interacted, Philip did seem he was okay with them…

Masha followed the familiar trail of about a mile until they finally arrived at the clearing within the forest, their flashlight illuminating the dark terrain. They were met with the air biting at their nose as they breathed in the chilly winter night since there were less trees to block the cold, dry wind that whipped at their hair, which made them pull their coat tighter around their body. The usual small waterfall was now reduced to a mere trickle, the water slightly frozen and motionless. The river also stood still and the rocks surrounding the falls and river were slick with ice. Despite the frigid temperatures, Masha couldn’t help but be drawn in by the mesmerizing sight.

When they turned to their right, they couldn’t help but notice countless covered-up holes in the terrain, none of which had been there before.

Leave it to Philip to change the landscape.

After scanning through the area, they found a mountain of dirt next to a hole that was still open. They could hear someone digging inside that hole and assumed it was Philip.

With their heart pounded with anticipation, they made their way towards the hole. The soft crunch of ice beneath their boots seemed to be loud, especially when the sounds coming from the hole fell dead silent.

They froze as the air immediately grew thick. Their stomach dropped and their instincts were telling them to run. But Masha wasn’t stupid. They knew better than to turn and flee, as they would only provoke an attack.

Instead, they mustered up the courage to call out to Philip, hoping they didn’t catch him when he wasn’t in control of his curse.

“It’s just me, Masha!” they said with a slightly nervous smile. “You know, the hum… Vee’s friend, the descendant of Samuel Hale?”

Their words seemed to have worked as immediately the tension dissipated from the air, making Masha relax.

“I’m here alone,” they said loudly. “I’m going to come up, so please don’t attack me, okay?” They took a deep breath and started to approach the hole, but then stopped. “Actually, throw some dirt out if you’re about to lose control and attack,” they added as a precaution.

The light from their flashlight hovered by the hole, and they saw no dirt being thrown out. They waited for a reasonable amount of time just in case too.

“I will take the lack of dirt throwing as an okay for me,” they said with amusement before continuing till they stopped by the edge of the hole. They flashed their light down but quickly diverted it away when they saw Philip flinch at the sudden brightness. “Oops, my bad,” they said, trying to lighten the mood. They crouched down to get a better look at Philip, who had dug up a very deep hole. It looked like it was about 9 feet down. The man was on his knees, covered in dirt.

They noticed that his left eye was a glowing blue orb with no emotion, while his right eye was staring at them with complete confusion. Both of his arms were slightly longer with claws at the end of his fingers, completely green, and his feet were bare and cursed as well. His beard and mustache have grown more too. But what stood out the most to Masha was the mess of hair around his horns.

“Your hair!” Masha exclaimed in dismay. “What happened to your beautiful hair?!”

Philip, at first, was completely caught off guard when he saw the teenager approaching. He didn’t believe them when they said they were alone, but as he stared at them, no one else showed their faces.

That’s when he realized the child was indeed alone…

Were they… crazy…?

It was the middle of the night…

He continued to stare at Masha, puzzled. Though, when they heard their question, he couldn’t help but glance away, so he could go back to digging. His claws tearing away the ground.

Masha blinked to see Philip had just brushed them off.

“You know, it’s pretty rude to ignore someone when they’re asking you a question,” they teased.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Philip said, his voice cold, as he continued digging.

“Oh? Why not?” Masha asked with amusement.

Philip didn’t respond this time.

“I take it you haven’t found the Titan’s blood yet,” they said, and again, no response.

Well… things weren’t going as they hoped, but Masha kind of expected it to start up a bit difficult at first, so they didn’t mind.

“How long have you been at this?” They asked and waited for a moment of his silence to continue. “I think it’s about time you take a break. Why don’t you come up here and sit by the river with me for a bit? I even brought some tasty chocolate bars that you should definitely try.”

Philip ignored Masha.

The man was indeed stubborn… which made Masha decide to let their ‘mean’ side out.

They rarely liked using that part of them unless they had to, and they had a feeling with Philip, they had to for sure be more assertive.

“If you don’t come up, I’ll throw the pile of dirt back into the hole,” they threatened, but with some playfulness in their tone. Philip still didn’t react to them, still focused on loosening the dirt on a certain area of the ground, which was no big deal for Masha.

They went over to the mountain of dirt, and, with one swift motion of their boot, they slid a half of bucket size of dirt down. It landed on Philip’s back, which made him finally look up at them with annoyance.

Masha couldn’t help but give him their usual casual smile, crossing their arms on their chest, proving to him they were serious with their threat.

Philip would be lying if he didn’t admit he was annoyed, but… he was just too exhausted to argue… He had barely slept or rested, so maybe taking a small break was okay… even though he felt guilty about taking one…

He scrubbed his face, not caring that he was getting some dirt and mud on it, before climbing out of the hole with a little bit of struggle. His muscles ached so much… from the cold and from lack of rest.

Masha smiled wider and motioned for him to follow them to some rocks by the river. They were grateful that their boots were waterproof as they submerged in the ice-cold water to sit properly. Philip sat next to Masha on their left side. He didn’t want them sitting on his cursed side. He also made sure to leave some space between them, as he didn’t feel comfortable sitting too close to them. Masha respected his personal space and resisted the urge to scoot closer.

The two sat in silence, with only the occasional icy breeze brushing past them. Masha barely felt the chill through their winter jacket, but they could tell Philip was tense from it. He was wearing only a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. Masha regretted not bringing their blanket from the trunk of their car to offer him some warmth.

They wondered if anyone in Luz’s house had offered Philip a jacket or something warmer to wear while he was out there digging holes. If no one had bothered, well, it annoyed them..

“How come you agreed to be sealed when you guys go back to the Boiling Isles?” they asked, cutting straight to the point which actually caught Philip off guard, causing his shoulders to tense up and his jaw to clench. “Yeah, sorry, Vee told me everything,” they said sheepishly. “She also told me that you’ve been acting differently since you came back.”

Philip did not respond, nor did he show any hint he was about to, which left Masha to stare at him, taking in the state of his hair, which was tangled and covered with mud and dirt. They remembered the first time they saw him. He looked battered, but his hair wasn’t so bad, and he still had a menacing look about him, as if he was ready to attack anyone who angered him. But now, he looked utterly exhausted and defeated, especially with that facial hair of his. Though, Masha kind of liked the facial hair on him.

They couldn’t help but wonder about the plausible reasons for Philip’s change in behavior. Vee had explained to them how Philip hadn’t antagonized anyone since he had angered Hunter, but other than that, he seemed to have isolated himself. He was like a drifting ghost in their house, at least that’s how Vee described him.

Before he left, over a week ago, he had a huge screaming match with Luz, and Luz had said certain things that may have affected him. Luz had told him that his brother never loved him, and perhaps Philip believed her words and was now in severe depression.

Masha pondered these thoughts for a moment. But even then, why would he be acting differently towards the rest of them? Maybe Luz’s other words, the ones that basically were calling him out for being evil, had struck a chord in Philip, and maybe he finally realized he was wrong this whole time? Well… that thought seemed super unlikely… Or maybe he realized he couldn’t beat the witches and finally gave up on killing them.

Masha decided to test one of their theories.

What was the worst thing that could happen?

Okay… there were many things that could go wrong, but… Masha just chose to ignore them.

“So, want to talk to me about how great my ancestor was?” they dared to ask. Instantly, they saw the look on Philip’s face. He had a look of guilt and anguish, a complete contrast to the pride he had shown when talking about the minister a while ago.

Masha felt something in their chest, something twisted painfully as they saw Philip’s human eye glaze over, looking more tired than before.

They waited for a while before speaking again, listening to the branches of the trees that rattle in the gust of wind, as they started to realize that maybe, just maybe, one of their theories was probably not so far fetched after all…

“Philip…?” they finally said, their voice gentle, hoping with all their might his change of demeanor was what they hoped for in recent days. “Do you… still want to kill all witches…?”

Philip closed his eyes and pressed a palm against his human eye. He tried to hold back the emotions that were stirring with him again, to hold back the tears that wished to escape.

He said nothing, not even responding with a nod. Instead, he just focused on his breathing, trying to grow numb.

Meanwhile… Masha now felt guilty, assuming he was holding back from crying. They hoped he would cry since holding back such emotions was not healthy. They decided to continue, keeping their kind tone.

“You can talk to me,” they said. “No one is here. It’s just the two of us.”

Masha didn’t expect Philip to answer, but when he did, they assumed the man’s exhaustion had a lot to do with him finally giving in to talking to them.

“I’m a monster,” Philip confessed, his voice barely above a whisper, his arm falling limply into his lap. His gaze fixed on the river, which reflected the half-moon above them. “There were moments when I felt something was wrong. When we gathered those accused of being witches, especially those with good reputations… many of them denied practicing witchcraft until their last breath.” He scrubbed his face, his eyes squeezed shut as he relived the horror of his days in Gravesfield. “There was a woman named Susan. She was popular among the men in town. She was beautiful, and kind,” he said as he remembered how her face had looked so gentle and tender compared to the rest. “I was tasked with getting a confession out of her after she was accused by another girl named Elizabeth. And… I did certain things to her…”

He shook his head with regret, feeling so angry at himself for ruining her so badly that she was not the same even after a few years had passed. “At first, I didn’t care when she screamed or begged. I told myself she was a witch and that she’d eventually admit to it, just like the Minister said she would. But the more I pushed, the more uncertain I became that she was one…”

“What happened to her?” Masha asked when Philip went silent for a moment.

“I went to the minister and told him that I didn’t believe she was a witch,” Philip said. “There was word in town that Elizabeth was just envious of Susan and wanted her gone, especially since Susan had attracted the one man that Elizabeth wanted. The minister decided we would just release Susan and just execute Elizabeth instead because the minister declared Elizabeth had strayed away from God’s path too much. Just like that… he decided who would die… No hesitation… He didn’t even take a day or two to think about it. For him, people’s lives were disposable as livestock.”

Masha mentally shuddered, grateful they didn’t live in the time of old Gravesfield.

“I remember feeling dread when he decided to execute Elizabeth,” Philip said, his fists clenching in anger. “The minister told me that I would grow used to it. I still felt sick when the rest of the hangings took place during my time in Gravesfield. But I pushed those feelings away, thinking that maybe a witch was trying to brainwash me with a spell or something, and just forced a smile on my face. I told myself what we were doing was for the good of humanity. There were times I did feel like I was some sort of hero, even though I could see the fear that people held in their eyes when they looked at me. Almost everyone avoided me…”

Then a young man’s face appeared in his head, one who used to sit against a tree, drawing, before he would look up at him with a kind smile. But Philip quickly shoved that memory aside.

“I took so many lives, and with each one, I felt a piece of myself slip away. At first, I tried to ignore it, but as time went on, I became consumed by the mission. Killing became easier for me, especially on the Boiling Isles. I remember feeling a twinge of guilt when I first took the lives of those witches on the island, but eventually, I learned to bury those feelings deep down. I made countless clones of my brother, just to dispose of them as easily as the Minister did with others. And every time I did it, I felt a sense of satisfaction wash over me. I thought that by suppressing that dread I felt, I had become stronger. But now, looking back, I realize that those feelings were the last bit of humanity I had left…” he said with a sad smile on his face.

“I should have listened to the doubts I had when I hurt Susan and the others. I should have realized those that the lives in the Boiling Isles were also living beings that mattered… Especially as many of them looked as terrified as Susan did when I hurt them or before I killed them. I shouldn’t have believed that I was under some sort of spell. I shouldn’t have let the Minister’s lies cloud my judgment. But I was weak, a coward. I was afraid of disappointing him, afraid of the consequences. Even when I left for the Boiling Isles, I clung to his words because it was easier to blame the witches because it was just convenient for me. It was easier to just blame them for everything that I went through. I was such a fool…”

Masha sat there in silence. Everything Philip had said was a lot to take in, though there was a portion that they had the urge to tackle.

“Philip… what the minister did to you… is not your fault…” Masha said in a serious tone. “You were not a coward by listening to him, you were just a kid.”

“I was just slightly younger than you,” he said as if that made a huge difference.

“Yeah, and I’m still a kid!” Masha argued. “Heck, my brain is still developing. Do you know how many dumb things or mistakes my friends and I do sometimes? I’m still growing and learning. But, yeah, the things you did later, is not really all on you, well, let me make it clear, I’m not trying to excuse what you have done," they quickly added. "But… What I’m trying to say is… what you have done is also the Minister’s fault as well… and the people from Gravesfield for installing such terrible beliefs into you. And yes, you could have realized during your time in the Boiling Isles what you were doing was wrong, but… sometimes it’s not as simple as that. People don’t just change so easily.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Philip said quietly. “I still took the lives of so many. And… even now I’m still a danger to others.”

“Is that why you agreed to be sealed…?” Masha’s voice became quieter. “Because you think you're still going to hurt people?”

“I cannot die, so the only option there is for me to protect the rest of the world and to pay for what I have done is to lock me up forever.”

“Forever… sounds… very harsh…” Masha said, and at the same time was afraid to know how Philip knew he couldn’t die…

“I deserve far worse…” Philip said, with some bitterness in his tone. He dug into his pants pocket and pulled out a paper that was folded up. He handed it to Masha.

Masha was confused, but due to their curiosity, they unfolded it to see there was a list.

Masha blinked and read the following: Malefic, Mass murder, Attempted genocide, Fratricide, Assault, Fearmongering, Terrorism, Abuse of power, Grand theft animarum, Animal cruelty, Arson, Conspiracy, Sacrifice (implied), Unethical experimentation, Execution, Psychological and physical abuse, Child abuse, Torture, Murder, Attempted murder, Fraud, Child Endangerment, Destruction of Property, Artificial creation of sentient beings, First degree battery, Destruction of knowledge/art, Manipulation, Grave robbery, Hunting of endangered species, Corruption, Genocide, Forgery of historical documents, Possession, Bone hoarding, Treating sentient beings as possessions, Various acts of colonization (branding, alteration of history, cultural genocide, etc.).

“I’m not finished with it yet…” Philip admitted quietly.

Masha stared at the list.

The man had actually taken the time to… write what he had done and what would be considered as a crime in their country…

“Yeah… this… is not healthy…” they mumbled before folding the paper and stuffing it into their own pants pocket, not planning to give it back to Philip any time soon. Especially if the man was using it to remind himself how terrible he was.

Honestly though… the man for sure had the most extensive criminal ‘record’ probably known to man in human history.

It was pretty horrific that he was worse than even certain human beings responsible for many atrocities done on earth.

But… from the looks of it, he clearly seemed to regret what he has done…

Masha asked themselves, when was it too late for someone to have another chance to turn into a new leaf…?

Masha was wracked with uncertainty about how to proceed at the moment. Their once-optimistic belief that Philip could redeem himself, akin to their favorite villains in their favorite shows, had faded into something like dread.

They were not in a fictional story… This was the real world and Philip had committed unspeakable acts against many lives…

But of course, like they had told him, he wasn’t solely at fault for everything he has done. At least, that’s what they believed. Masha always hated that someone would corrupt someone else, especially someone so young, and that young person would grow up, act upon what they learned while the one that corrupted them was not held responsible for ‘staining’ their soul. Philip had been corrupted since he was young, and the minister played a significant role in shaping his life up to this point. Now, Philip was facing the consequences and guilt alone after realizing what he was taught to believe was a lie, while the minister just wiped his hands off from responsibility. The minister had created a monster, and in a way, he had the last laugh, especially if Philip was successful with destroying all of Boiling Isles. Despite the overwhelming situation, Masha was determined to find a way to handle it. A way to end the minister’s evil legacy once and for all, so he couldn’t continue to laugh in his grave.

“I take it that the others don’t know that you feel guilty for everything you’ve done, huh?” they asked.

“Why would it matter if they knew…?” Philip asked, tiredly. “It wouldn’t change anything what I’ve done.”

“Well, yeah, it wouldn’t change anything in the past,” Masha said. “But it would change some things in the present. Of course, I’m not exactly sure what that would be, but… I don’t know… I just feel it does matter. I do think they should know.”

“I don’t want them to know,” Philip said, his tone now growing stern.

“Why not…?” Masha asked, completely lost, why the man didn’t want Luz and her friends to know that Philip felt guilty. They wondered if maybe Philip was probably too prideful to admit he was wrong…?

“Everything would just be easier, if they see me for what I truly am…” Philip said coldly. “A monster…”

“But Philip… you’re human…” Masha dared to say.

Philip’s expression turned fierce as he got up to his feet, towering over them. “Does this look like a human to you?!” He extended his arms to them, showing off the claws that extended at the ends of his fingertips. “No human has horns sticking out of their skulls, no humans have devoured the souls of others like I have. I stopped being a human a long time ago, especially… when…” He shut his eyes hard, his voice struggling to form the rest of his words. “When… I killed my brother…”

Masha stared at him with pity, and quickly Philip felt bad for raising his voice at the child and turned away from them, his face scrunching up with guilt.

“I think… the others have the right to know that you don’t see them as a threat anymore,” Masha said, breaking the tense silence. “I think they deserve at least an apology.”

“An apology would be meaningless to them,” Philip said quietly. “I’ve manipulated others too much for anyone to believe what I have to say.”

Masha crossed their arms. “So, you’re just going to manipulate them into believing you’re the same old evil tyrant?”

Philip felt sick at the thought of him still manipulating others, and… he realized that’s exactly what he was doing even now. And it was exactly what he had done the other day with Hunter, when he manipulated the boy into lashing out at him.

“I…” he struggled to say, his voice shaking as he couldn’t help but want to bash his head against a rock for the fact, he was still trying to move things according to what he wanted.

“Philip, do you think you can’t change…?”

“It’s too late for me to change,” Philip replied, defeated.

Masha’s furrowed their brows in concern. “Is that really what you believe? Or are you just giving up because it’s just easier that way?”

Philip pulled away from the river and walked back to the hole.

He was done with the conversation.

Masha trailed after him, frowning that he was ‘running’ away.

“Philip,” they began, trying to get through to him, especially when he just jumped back into the hole. “There’s still good in you, even if you can’t see it…”

Philip’s teeth clenched as he began to dig his claws into the dirt. But Masha refused to let him retreat into himself, keeping the flashlight directed slightly off to the side of him.

“You feel terrible for what you’ve done,” they continued, their voice louder now. “That shows empathy, Philip. You’re not a lost cause. A truly evil person wouldn’t care about the harm they caused, but you do. An evil person wouldn’t desperately seek to be locked up forever. You strongly believe you don’t deserve another chance and that’s why you want everyone else to think you’re still a terrible person, right? So, it is easier for everyone to not feel bad when they lock you up. Philip… that just shows you’re not a lost cause…”

Philip’s claws dug deep into the ground before he pressed his forehead against the dirt wall. Still trying to hold back the anguish that was tearing through his chest.

“Please… just… leave me alone,” he pleaded, his voice breaking, which made Masha’s own eyes begin to water as they watched Philip’s distress.

“Philip…” they said softly. “Do you want to be a better person?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” Philip let out, quietly.

“Do you or do you not want to be a better person?” Masha pushed on, even though Philip’s shoulders began to shake.

Philip didn’t respond right away.

“I…” he struggled to say, as he couldn’t help but recall the way he knifed some of the grimwalkers, just like he did to his brother. “I’m not capable of being a better person…”

Masha felt their heart clench.

“Everyone is capable of it, if they put effort into it,” they said, softly. “You know… someone I loved said those exact words you just said, years ago.” Masha took this time to sit down on the edge of the hole. “I’m a foster kid, which, of course you probably don’t know what that is. Hum… so, basically a foster kid is a child placed in a temporary care of adults who are not their biological parents due to various reasons, in order to provide a ‘safe’ and ‘stable’ home for them, till of course they hit the age of 18 then they’re kicked out in the streets,” they explained. “Anyways, I never met my parents. They died from a drug overdose together, and I ended up with my grandmother ‘till she died when I was six..”

They stopped for a moment, and noticed Philip’s shoulders weren’t shaking any longer and assumed they were listening to them, so they continued. “I was placed with these foster parents, the same ones I’m currently with. They’re… alright I guess… they’re barely home though. Anyways, when I was taken in, there was another boy, named Alan under their care, and I guess that was his eleventh placement ever since he was taken away from his parents. He was seven years older than me. He was… a very angry boy, prone to break things, but I guess he was like that because his parents were terrible people…” Masha said as they remembered some of the stuff Alan had admitted to them that they endured under his parents. “He couldn’t control his anger, and he tended to think everyone was against him even though some people did seem like they wanted to help him, though… majority of them did think he was a lost cause… People would just say ‘that Alan kid, is just like his mom, just like his dad, he’s never going to change,’ as if… it was his fault he was the way he was…”

“But Alan loved me,” they said with a smile. “He said I was his only family. He loved to boost my ego up when I got good grades. He would say, ‘Masha, you’re going to become a doctor someday with those grades, or a lawyer. You better go to college, cause you got the brains for that, unlike me’. And he was always so supportive, especially when I hesitantly told him how I just didn’t feel like a girl nor like a boy. I remember how I thought he would just push me away and call me a freak when I admitted to him how I didn’t like being called a she or a he, but he just stared at me and told me ‘That’s alright. You are you, and you’re still going to make someone of yourself. You’re going to be better than the rest of us useless people. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise’. And yeah… for me, he was the only family I had too during those years, while we stayed under the same roof,” they slightly thumped the flashlight against their knee, reminiscing the good old days when they had a brother.

“He did his best to behave, he would say, cause he didn’t want to be separated from me, but… as he was getting close to turning 18, he was acting out again,” they said. “He would steal from stores, do certain drugs with some adults behind some buildings, would assault some people, and I would beg him to try not to those things so he wouldn’t be taken from me, but… he would tell me… he was not capable of being a better person, that he couldn’t be good like me…” Masha felt tears trail down their face as they remembered Alan’s face when he looked at them sadly, as he also had shed tears. “He would tell me, he was just so angry… and how he didn’t want to turn 18 cause he couldn’t make it out in the world by himself… that he was just not good…”

They brushed their tears away with their sleeved arm.

“Before he turned 18… he was found… dead… in some warehouse overdosed,” Masha shook their head at the memory when they were delivered the news of Alan’s death. How devastated they felt, how angry and sad they felt. “And even now… I hate how no one did enough to help him believe he could be great, to show him to be better, to show him he had so much to offer. He was smart, even though he didn’t believe it. I even feel like I didn’t do enough to help him see that he wasn’t a lost cause…”

“You were just… a child…” Philip let out, quietly.

Masha smiled at him, feeling warm in their chest at the fact Philip felt he had to comfort them. It was proof that he could be better…

“I didn’t bring that story up to make you feel bad for me,” Masha said. “I brought it up cause, like Alan, you think you can’t be better, but in reality, you can.”

Philip had a feeling where Masha was going with things.

“Your brother didn’t commit mass murder or do everything else I’ve done…” Philip said, a bit coldly.

“Philip, can you look at me?” Masha asked.

Philip clenched his teeth, determined not to do what they wanted, but… after a moment he eventually glanced up at them, silently.

“Philip, do you want to be better?” they asked, which made Philip look away, now looking like a sad kicked puppy.

“No, don’t look away,” Masha said, a bit desperate, debating about jumping down into the hole and hold on to one of his hands, but wasn’t sure if that would be too much for him. “Do you want to be a better person?” they asked again. “And please be honest with me, Philip. I can tell if you’re lying.”

“You think by helping me… you’re helping your brother…” he mumbled.

Masha shook their head. “No, that’s not why I’m helping you. What happened to my brother made me realize nothing is black and white. People aren’t born evil or good. Nothing is that simple, and if I see someone who wants to be better and is willing to put in the effort, then I can’t help but feel like I need to help them. My ancestor did terrible things, especially to you. It’s partly thanks to him that you took the path to become what you became. And yeah, I know, the sins of his are not my sins and I’m not responsible to fix them, but… I can’t help but want to do something about it. Maybe we’re destined to meet, maybe I’m destined to fix what he has done. Then again, nothing is really written in stone, but… I’ll decide to believe that this is what I’m supposed to do, that I’m supposed to be here, helping you. Helping you see that it’s not too late for you. You have so much to offer, Philip. Of course, you have so much to fix as well and it’s going to be tough to be better, but you’re not just someone who is just a monster… you didn’t destroy all your humanity yet.”

Philip stayed silent, which made Masha believe he didn’t believe their words.

“You created Hunter, right? You created life… and I have to say, Hunter is pretty cool and such a nice guy,” Masha said with a smile. “You also made it possible for Vee and her kind to come back after they were extinct. Vee told me you invented so many things in the Boiling Isles. See? You’re capable of creating, even though… yeah you made them for an evil purpose, but you still made something beautiful. You didn’t just destroy. You don’t have to be the monster you’ve been if you don’t want to,” Masha said. “You have to talk to Luz and the others. You have to tell them how you feel, that you realized you were wrong, that you want to do whatever you can to fix what you’ve done. Don’t play the villain anymore. Don’t make them hate you on purpose. Doing that is just terrible for everyone… Let them help you to be better.”

“I… I don’t deserve another chance…” Philip managed to say, barely above a whisper.

“What if they do want to give you another chance…?” Masha challenged. “Are you really going to take that decision away from them?”

“I’ll just mess up somehow…”

“Well, maybe,” Masha admitted. “But… of course, learning to be a better person is not easy for anyone. Sometimes you will take two steps forward and sometimes a step backward, but you won’t be alone in this. You are capable of being better, and yes, it’s going to take tons of work. But as long as you try to put effort, I’ll be there and others as well to help you cause of course you won’t be able to do it alone. Accept our help. Please… don’t just give up. At least… Give yourself a chance, okay?”

“Why… do you care so much…?” he dared to ask, completely lost at their determination.

“Because…” Masha smiled at him. “Helping anyone, especially those who are lost and seek help, is the right thing to do…”

Philip looked up to stare at them, as if Masha was… more than just a mere human, as if… they were… something so pure that shouldn’t even exist. Someone who shouldn’t be wasting their time with a monster like him, yet… here they were, trying so hard to help him be someone he knew he couldn’t be…

Philip wanted to claw at his insides, but…

Was that the right thing to do?

Philip didn’t believe he could be better… he wanted to just be sealed away, and was planning on doing so, but… what if…

‘You don’t deserve another chance…’

Philip felt desperate to run from Masha, or better yet, figure out how to bury himself in that hole, suffocate there till he passed out, forgotten by anyone…

But then his racing thoughts stopped when the light from the flashlight vanished from the hole suddenly, and Philip glanced up with confusion when he saw Masha directing the light into the forest.

Masha had heard something hitting the branches a bit too roughly. They moved the light around before they ended up staring at a flying machine between a couple of trees across the river.

They felt their body freeze as they stared at it.

Their expression immediately got Philip to sprang out of the hole and quickly caught the sight of the machine that attempted to flee. He lunged into the forest without a moment’s hesitation, his arm shooting out towards the machine that attempted to escape at that instant. He seized it in his grip, slamming it down to the ground hard before he landed beside it.

Masha stood frozen in astonishment at what they had witnessed. However, they quickly regained their senses, chasing after Philip by hopping across the scattered rocks that bridged the river, making sure they didn’t slip since it was a bit slippery. Eventually, they stumbled upon Philip clutching a shattered obsidian drone. Judging from its intricate design, it was undoubtedly a state-of-the-art piece of technology.

Suddenly, Masha remembered Vee’s warning about Philip’s run-in with a dangerous group of individuals who might be affiliated with the government.

Their heart sank.

They had completely forgotten about those people…

Philip proceeded to destroy the innards of the drone before rising to scan their surroundings with his glowing blue eyes, his demeanor drastically shifting to someone who was ready to strike. This transformation was in stark contrast to the defeated and hopeless individual Masha had been trying to console, somehow making them feel safe…

“I don’t think we’re safe here,” Masha whispered. “We need to leave. My car is parked near the entrance,” they grabbed and tugged at Philip’s arm, coaxing him to follow them. Philip slightly tensed up from their touch, and was hesitant to follow them, but… he couldn’t just let them go back to their car alone…

Philip wasn’t sure if whoever was in the forest could pose a threat to Masha and he rather not let them out of their sight just in case…

After doing a quick glance around their surroundings, and seeing nothing, he gave in and followed Masha across the river. They then broke into a run along the trail.

Masha wasn’t sure if returning to the car was the right decision, but it was the only option they had.

Philip’s blue glowing eyes remained fixated on their surroundings, poised to attack anyone who dared to approach. Though he still couldn’t sense any imminent danger, but of course he refused to let his guard down.

The two eventually arrived at Masha’s car.

“Um, I guess get in,” Masha offered as they opened the door for Philip. He stared at them for a moment before speaking.

“You should go,” he said firmly.

Masha blinked. “I’m not leaving you behind,” they replied with a frown. “Especially after I literally just told you I was going to be there for you, to help you to be a better person. I don’t go back on my word. And, just so you know, I’m also in danger now too, since, if it is the government going after you, they probably already know who I am by watching us through that drone and will make sure I ‘disappear’ since they won’t want any witnesses alive.”

Philip looked at them with a mixture of concern and guilt. He couldn’t help but blame himself for putting them in a dangerous situation, even though they didn’t ask them to come looking for them at night.

“This isn’t your fault,” Masha assured him, hoping to stop him from spiraling back to his self-loathing state of mind. “Let’s get in the car and figure out our next move.”

With reluctance, Philip climbed into the car. Masha shut the door and quickly got into the driver’s seat, starting the engine, and driving back towards Gravesfield.

“Alright… I’m not sure if they’re tracking us, so we can’t really go to Luz’s house right now since I don’t want to lead them there,” Masha said, breaking the silence. “Now, I’ve seen many movies, and one of the first things we should do is to go into a more populated area near us, which sadly… I guess it is Gravesfield. I really wish we lived near a huge city…”

Philip’s eyes scanned the area as they drove past, as he waited for any sign of danger. Masha grabbed their phone and swiftly turned it off for now, paranoid that they were tracked by their phone. Though, now they wondered if they should have contacted Vee. What if the government had tracked their messages to Vee? Luz and the others could be in trouble!

“We need to find somewhere to hide,” Masha said, debating whether to contact Vee or not now.

“The church,” Philip said, making Masha look at them with confusion. “We can hide there, inside the church, the one with the single tower and bell.”

“I think we need to find somewhere vacant,” they said. “We don’t want anyone calling the police on two people just breaking into a building.”

“They will keep us hidden,” Philip assured them, though he still looked hesitant as he spoke. “Especially if they see you with me...”

The way Philip said those words made Masha think that… Philip knew the people in the church building. But… how…?

Masha didn’t waste any time questioning things as they continued their focus on the road, hoping no random cars came out of nowhere and slammed into them because they would definitely lose control of the steering wheel and crash into the forest. They had just got their driver license less than a year ago, there was no way they could avoid some sort of chase down.

They felt relieved when they arrived in town. They parked their car by the side of a coffee shop that was closed since it was late at night, since they had to make sure they weren’t completely tracked down in case.

No one seemed to be wandering outside, which made things easier for the two to get out of the car and dash down the street and between buildings, not really worrying that someone would spot Philip.

Philip led the two to the side door of the church, but then just stopped there, looking hesitant.

“What’s wrong?” Masha asked.

Philip didn’t say anything. He felt guilty for wrecking the room Father Francis had offered him to stay in and for leaving without saying a word…

He felt he was probably just going to bring problems to them, but… when he looked at Masha, seeing them looking at their surroundings with a bit of nervousness, made him put the safety of the teenager before his own feelings. So, without a word, he tried to open the door without breaking it like last time. Of course, the doorknob wouldn’t budge…

He was about to slam his body against it when Masha grabbed his arm. "I got this," they said, pulling two hairpins from their backpack. Well, they were both bent in certain ways that made Philip see them as some sort of tools, especially as they started to pick the lock of the door. “My brother Alan taught me how to do this,” they said with amusement. “He said it would come in handy one day.” And without ease, they were able to unlock the door. “And I guess he was right,” they said, feeling proud that they used one of the skills that Alan had taught them. They also hoped Alan could see how, even now, he was helping Masha.

Philip opened the door and quickly nudged Masha inside before he shut the door behind them.

The building was completely silent. Philip assumed everyone was asleep.

Philip grabbed on to Masha’s shoulder and led them down the hallway, so they could walk into the chapel, but then he froze to see someone attending to the candles that were lit up on the side of the room. The last person he wanted to see right away from the church, especially when they turned around to look slightly in shock at first before glaring at him with annoyance and judgment.

Sister Margaret…

“You shouldn’t have come back,” Sister Margaret said with a steely, cold tone as she approached the two before looking at Masha with confusion then looked worried before glaring at Philip, assuming the worst of him. “And who’s this child? I swear, Philip, you better not have harmed them in anyway or I swear to God that-”

Sister Margaret was cut off by a loud clunk that echoed through the walls. The three turned towards the main doors, as the heavy wooden doors creaked open. Two men stepped into the room, with bulky weapons at the ready.

The guns they carried were like nothing Masha had ever seen before – they seemed to hum with an ominous energy, and their glowing red barrels made them take one step back. The men were dressed in dark armor, their faces hidden behind full face helmets, which made them look like faceless automatons.

As sister Margaret narrowed her eyes on them, a blonde-haired woman stepped through the door, her high-heeled boots clicking on the wooden floor as she positioned herself between the two-armed men. She was wearing a massive black fur coat that seemed to swallow her up, kind of looking out of place compared to the other two men. Her blue eyes were dark and piercing, and a sly smile played at the corner of her lips.

Masha’s whole body tensed as the woman’s gaze settled on Philip, not liking the way her eyes lightened up, as if he was her target.

As the woman spoke, her voice was silky yet filled with a chill that sent shivers down Philip’s spine, a feeling he had never felt in his life before.

“Finally, we meet at long last, my lovely beast…”

Chapter Text

1.    By https://evelit-art.tumblr.com/ Was totally worth the wait : ), and I just love casual Philip/Belos, hahaha

2.  By : https://reverny.tumblr.com/ , this looks so sad and i love it :')

3.  By https://www.tumblr.com/vitanzhuravlik , I just love the way you take serious scenes and make them funny, hahaha

4. the two following are by https://www.tumblr.com/asherisawkward , the first one is so cute, ahhh, and the second one, the angst <3, you know I love angst : )

5. By:  https://www.tumblr.com/oxblooddraws , I am soooo impressed you drew this so fast after I published the chapter, and damn, i love the suspense here : )

Thank you thank you every single one of you who drew these amazing art pieces, I love them so much <3! They totally mean a lot for me :' ). I'm slowly making a folder with all of them cause I just love them, hahaha

Gus sat in the dimly lit kitchen, the soft yellow light from the overhead bulb casting a warm glow on the room. The instructions that Philip had written were strewn across the table in front of him, each one detailed and organized. Despite the late hour, sleep eluded him, and Gus studied each written instruction carefully. There was too much going on in his head that prevented him from getting some rest, too many questions to ignore. And, of course, Philip was on his mind the majority of the night.

He absentmindedly patted his palisman, who was out of her hiding place, and finally relaxed now that Philip was currently out of the house. She was nestled comfortably on his lap, her presence comforting him a bit. But he couldn’t shake off the worry from the warning that his palisman had given him about Philip earlier. The same one that Flapjack had given Hunter about Philip’s curse getting worse and stronger.

He had tried getting his palisman to give him more details, but she had a hard time explaining herself to him, so for now, he let her be. At the moment, he was trying to decide if he should talk to Philip when he returned, to see if something was troubling him, even though he was still upset about the way the man had mistreated Hunter the other day…

Nothing made sense to the boy regarding the man, at least, not since he came back to the house.

He didn’t think Philip was planning anything terrible, unlike some of his friends who believed he was somehow growing in power to kill them. After all, they had the eternal oath keeping them safe from him. And from the instructions that laid in front of him, had given him the impression that the man was truly trying to help them get back to the Boiling Isles.

But… Why was Philp trying to help them if he wanted to destroy them? Why let them decide his fate when they returned to their world?

It was then that he heard footsteps, and he turned to see Luz walking into the kitchen, holding her palisman egg. She looked tired, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

“So, you couldn’t sleep either?” she asked, a tired smile on her face.

Gus shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “Nope. Just too much in my mind.”

Luz nodded sympathetically before she sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound coming from the rustling of paper as Gus began to stack the instructions on top of one another.

“Things have been weird,” Gus said. “And I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something…”

She looked at him with confusion, which made him press his lips into a thin line. He knew that she wanted more elaboration from him, but she was not exactly the person he wanted to share his concerns with regarding the man, but…

“It’s about Philip,” he said, his voice trailing off.

Luz’s expression immediately shifted at the mention of Philip’s name, her eyebrows furrowing. “What about him?” she asked, her tone dropping slightly.

Yep, he shouldn’t have brought the man up. “Nevermind,” he mumbled.

“No, Gus, what is it?” she pressed.

“Forget I said anything.”

“Gus…”

“I’m serious Luz, just forget it,” the boy said with some irritation in his tone now.

Luz could feel the tension coming from him.

“Are you mad at me or something?” Luz couldn’t help but ask, ignoring the anxiety that would grow in her chest whenever her friends would get mad at her.

“It’s just that… ever since Philip came into the house, you’ve been a different person,” Gus finally admitted, avoiding her eyes. Luz said nothing, which prompted the boy to continue. “You’ve been so angry…”

Luz took in his words, and she had to admit, she had been angry a lot these past days, but she couldn’t help it, at least not with Belos’ presence in her house while he schemed in the background.

“I know I’ve been angry a lot, and I’m sorry,” she said, quickly shifting away from her anger as she felt bad for possibly making her friends uncomfortable. “It’s just that, I’ve been worried.”

“And I get it, the others and I talked about it, but man, Luz… you’re not the only one who’s worried, who’s scared, who feels stressed out,” Gus said, his tone growing frustrated. “The majority of us have family members that we aren’t even sure if they’re still alive or if we will ever see them again, and I know that’s because of Philip. I know he has done many terrible things; I’ve seen some of the stuff he has done with my own eyes while I was in his head. I’m not naïve.”

Luz felt her stomach twist with discomfort at what Gus was saying to her. She didn’t mean to make Gus feel like he was being naïve. And she couldn’t help but feel she had been selfish the past few days. Yes, she was worrying about her friends’ lives, about wanting to take them back home, but there were times, she had to admit, that she was focusing on her own fears about losing any of them too much instead of thinking about how the others actually felt being away from home, away from their families.

Her friends were good at putting a smile in front of her, acting like they were doing just fine since they were enjoying their time on Earth, but… of course they were just putting on a front. And most likely they were doing it, so they didn’t make her more worried than she already was…

But what confused her was the fact Gus admitted that Philip was responsible for the situation they were in, of the possibility that their families and homes were long gone, yet…

“Then why don’t you hate him?” Luz asked, frustrated. “If you’ve seen some of the terrible things he has done, then why are you trying so hard to be his friend… Why do you seem to feel bad for him at times?”

“Because I’ve also seen the terrible things that have been done to him, Luz,” Gus argued, but in a soft tone.

“Whatever he’s been through doesn’t excuse what he has done.”

“I know that,” Gus groaned. “You don’t have to keep reminding me every single time. You don’t have to keep making me feel guilty for feeling bad for him.”

“I don’t…”

“Well, the way you look at me tells me otherwise,” Gus said, his tone growing more exasperated.

Luz took a moment to keep from feeling defensive, doing her best not to get into a heated argument with her friend. She didn’t like fighting with anyone that she cared about so much. She was the type of person who loved to make others smile and laugh. At least, she tried to be because, for some reason, when others were happy, she was happy.

She couldn’t help but blame Belos for causing so much trouble for them.

“Belos brings the worst out of everyone,” she said.

“What… are you talking about…?” Gus frowned, now meeting her serious gaze. “Are you seriously blaming what’s happening right now with us on him…?”

She did not respond, and simply stared at him with the same expression, which made the boy get up from his seat. He clutched his palisman tightly against his chest as she woke up with confusion, and he took a few steps away from Luz. He was annoyed. It was evident by the way he shook his head.

“Luz,” he said, turning back to her. “Other than him being a massive jerk to Hunter, has he done anything to you or the rest of us while he’s been in this house? Has he even remotely tried to manipulate you into doing anything?”

Luz took a deep breath before responding. “He’s been trying to make us feel bad,” she tried her best to explain. “Just like when I first met him, he acted like he was hurt after getting ‘bullied’ by two others.”

“Luz, he’s not faking it,” Gus said, his voice firm. “Do you really think he’s been acting all vulnerable this whole time so he could manipulate us?”

The girl held Gus’ gaze, her expression serious, which made Gus stare at her with disbelief.

“Luz,” he began uncertainty. “Philip hasn’t been faking at all. He… he isn’t some evil tyrant like in those old Disney movies you have shown us. He’s more complex than that. Like, when I entered his mind, while we were about to bury him in the basement, he was remembering a man trying to kill him when he was a child,” Gus revealed, making Luz look at him with confusion. “And… I think that man…was his dad.”

His friend's eyes widened. “What?”

“I wanted to ask him about it, but he doesn’t like to talk about anything that makes him feel, well, anything, I guess,” Gus explained, struggling to find the right words. “But I do think that was his dad trying to kill him in their basement. And I’ve seen other terrible things that he has been through which kind of led him to try to hide his emotions and do his best to focus on his mission to kill all witches. But these days he has been with us, he hasn’t had much control with his emotions, and honestly… maybe that’s what is affecting his curse to lose control,” he said as he finally realized that maybe… the curse was growing vile within Philip cause something was extremely wrong with Philip’s emotional state. And of course, Philip was trying to fight things off by just holding his emotions in.

Something happened to Philip while he was gone that struck him so bad emotionally, that he was…

It was at that moment, things started into place in the boy’s mind.

He thought about the way the man didn’t care how unkempt his hair was the past few days. The way he looked so… defeated… simply giving them all the instructions to make the portal and now looking for the Titan’s blood for them without much rest. The way Philip had agreed to be sealed, locked up forever… as if he didn’t care about killing the witches anymore…

Gus felt his heart skip a bit as the realization dawned on him.

There was no way that… But…. it all made sense, by the way Philip carried himself these days, resigned.

“I think… Philip has given up on his mission,” the boy let out quietly, in a daze at his theory.

“What?” Luz asked, not catching what he said at first.

“I think Philip has given up on his mission,” the boy repeated himself, and at the same time trying to think of why Philip would give up the very thing that he worked so hard for so many years.

“Why do you think that…?”

“Have you not noticed how different he’s been?”

“By different do you mean trying to make us feel bad…?”

“Damn it, Luz, you’re honestly as stubborn as Philip!” Gus threw a hand up in frustration. And honestly, Gus came across another realization that yes… Luz was as stubborn as Philip.

“I’m not like him,” Luz argued right away, offended.

“He’s paranoid about us witches being bad,” Gus said. “He thinks we’re just trying to manipulate him while he’s staying with us. And you’re paranoid that he’s been bad, trying to manipulate us…. when neither side has been trying to do anything of the sorts these past weeks…”

Luz wanted to keep arguing with her friend. There was no way she was like the man.

Okay, fine, she was kind of paranoid that he was planning something to hurt them, but who could blame her? The man had manipulated so many for centuries.

‘But… you’ve also manipulated me to get what you wanted…’ she couldn’t help but hear a voice in her head.

No… she has never manipulated anyone… She has tricked people instead. Though… back when Philip was turning her into stone, she did call him by his real name to win him over so she could sabotage his plans.

By using his real name… was that her manipulating him…?

No…

Then again…

She had also planned for Belos to ruin the puzzle activity, so Hunter and everyone else in the house would grow angry at him, push him away. But… she manipulated the situation for the right reasons. She was doing it for everyone’s own good.

Luz felt a lump form in her throat as a realization came down at her.

For everyone’s… own good…

‘All I’ve been doing is for all of you!’ Belo’s angry words ran through her mind.

She looked down at her palisman egg, shocked at the fact that Gus may be right.

Ever since Belos was moved from the abandoned house to hers, she was worried that he may be planning something. She had been so paranoid, and probably as paranoid as him. She was for sure stubborn… and probably like him, and in a way that both were desperately trying to do what they believed was… the right thing for others, even if it meant manipulating people or situations.

But… What if he was just lying when he said he was doing things for the rest of humanity? What if he really just wanted to kill others because he was evil?

‘Come on Luz, stop thinking you’re the main heroine of a story and stop trying to make Belos as the evil antagonist that you have to defeat to save the world like the stories you love…’ she told herself with annoyance as the image of Belos, with tears trailing down his eyes as he screamed at her about how he loved his brother dropped in her mind, showing her that he wasn’t some emotionless man.

She had always tried her best to be a good person, but… somehow, she was letting her own worries and fears lead her to be governed by anger and maybe be blind to what Gus and others were seeing when it came to Belos the past weeks.

As Luz recalled her time on the Boiling Isles, she remembers how composed Belos tended to appear to her during their confrontations, even when they fought one another. Of course, when he turned into his cursed form at that second fight, he became a raging monster at the end, but other than that he was calm in comparison to her, who displayed more emotions. However, during their time on Earth, Belos seemed to struggle with maintain that mask of calmness. He was prone to fits of rage and emotional breakdowns, as if he had lost any sense of control of his emotions. And in these past few days, since he had returned after ‘disappearing’ he had looked as though he was…

Before she had a chance to continue with her thoughts, a flashing blue light blinded her. She quickly covered her eyes.

She was completely confused and looked up to see Gus having the same expression as her. Then suddenly, she felt her body become heavy, her eyes drooping as if they were made of lead. Her brows furrowed tiredly.

“What was that?” Gus let out as he had seen some sort of light just pass the room like a wave. He grew concerned when he saw Luz collapsing to the floor. He quickly lunged to her, catching her and her palisman egg.

“What’s happening…?” Luz let out, her voice weak, feeling a sense of fear rise in her chest, but that also quickly died out when she just passed out.

“Luz!” Gus called out to her, panic rising in his voice. “Luz, what’s wrong?”

Luz didn’t respond, her body completely limp in his arms. Her breathing was quiet but even, as if she was in a peaceful sleep.

Gus’ palisman was also panicking, nudging Gus to try and help Luz. Outside of the house, more bright blue waves were shot from the forest, passing through each house one by one. The entire neighborhood was affected without anyone noticing. And within the depths of the forest, a couple of dark tall figures stood motionless, their breathing heavy and malicious.

The chapel was quiet, the candles casting shadows along the walls. Philip, Masha, and Sister Margaret stood by the altar while two armed men had their weapons trained on Philip.

Philip stared at them with what looked like a look of disinterest, but his mind was racing as he tried to assess the situation. He knew that they were in danger, knew these people worked with the same men that had attacked him over a week ago. They were most likely well-versed in the ways of magic based on that one fight, so they had to be dangerous, but he refused to let these people know they unsettled him.

The way the blonde carried herself, standing between the two men with confidence and her piercing blue eyes observing him with a predatory gleam, indicated to him she was in charge of the two, and she was the one they should be worried about the most, even though she looked rather young.

He shifted his weight slightly, ready to attack if needed, and his hand unconsciously moved in front of Masha.

Masha’s eyes darted between the ‘intruders’. They could hear their own heartbeat pounding in their ears as they mentally kicked themselves for not dragging Philip to a better hiding place.

Meanwhile, sister Margaret had a disapproving gaze, especially towards the woman as well. She had no idea who these people were and didn’t like the fact they had brought weapons inside the house of God.

“My, my, aren’t you cute,” the blonde spoke up to Philip, breaking the silence that had fallen in the room. “I’ve been looking for someone like you for quite some time now. Though, I must say, your face is littered with too many wrinkles and your hair is too long for my taste. I guess we’re going to have to change that soon.”

Philip narrowed his eyes at her, though he was utterly confused by what she was implying to him.

In that instant, Masha took a hold of Philip’s shirt, having the urge to protect him as they didn’t want the woman near him at all after what she had just said. The way the blonde spoke and looked at Philip as if he was some sort of prize she wanted to own didn’t settle well for Masha.

“Who are you?” Philip finally asked, his voice cold.

“I guess I’m being rather rude here, aren’t I?” the blonde said with amusement. “My name is Elizabeth Hartman, and I’m a demon hunter,” she revealed, her eyes locking onto Philip who couldn’t help but feel shocked.

She couldn’t be serious…

And if she was what she claimed she was… then the world really enjoyed mocking him, didn’t it?

“A… demon hunter?” Masa asked with confusion. “The government has demon hunters?”

The woman scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. “Please, we have no affiliation with your pitiful government,” she retorted. “While we do collaborate with them in some capacity, we are our own autonomous organization. But I digress…” she trailed off, turning to Sister Margaret. “Consider yourself fortunate that we uphold our agreement with the Catholic Church by not laying a hand on you or the child,” she continued, speaking in a way that left sister Margaret perplexed. “Even though I do want to turn you two into dust.”

Of course, the Catholic Church knew who these people were and had some sort of agreement with them that kept their people safe, even though sister Margaret had known nothing about. Though, in a way she was thankful that Masha was for now safe thanks to the church.

“The Catholic Church…?” Philip questioned. “One of the most powerful churches knows you guys use magic and are making deals with you…?”

“Oh, don’t be so surprised. Some of their own people mess around with magic as well,” Elizabeth revealed. She expected Sister Margaret to look shocked at the news, but the older woman simply stared at her like a hawk, probably not surprised with anything that the Catholic Church does behind closed doors. “But anyways, they aren’t allowed to meddle with our affairs, especially when we’re taking care of the ‘dangerous’ monsters that roam in this world,” she said.

“So… are you like… the men in black?” Masha blinked.

Elizabeth’s eyebrow twitched at the teen’s comparison. “Not quite, my dear,” she forced the words out, trying not to let the child annoy her more than they already were.

“If you’re not a threat to us, then I ask you to take those guns out of our church,” Sister Margaret said with annoyance, not liking that the guns were pointing at them, especially at Masha.

“Oh no, Sister. I can’t do that. We need these in case anyone decides to get frisky,” she quipped, glancing for a second at Philip. “We’ve got to look out for ourselves, especially when we’re dealing with someone as… unstable and hazardous as…. you know…”

Philip’s expression darkened, the woman’s words slicing through him like a knife.

“And since this has nothing to do with you, why don’t you take your leave,” the woman sneered at Sister Margaret, her lip curling in disgust. “And while you’re at it, take that brat with you. I can’t stand it when grubby little hands touch what belongs to me.” She had an inexplicable urge to wrench Masha’s hand away from Philip.

“What do you want?” Philip asked, his voice icy and devoid of emotion.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with Philip’s bravado. “For someone who can create a portal to a magical realm, you’re pretty dense,” she taunted.

Philip’s frown deepened at her words.

“How do you know about the portal?” Masha asked with confusion.

The woman’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “Let’s just say we’ve been keeping tabs on you,” she replied, her eyes glittering with malice.

“You’ve been spying on us,” Philip deduced.

“I must admit, what I learned the past two weeks have truly taken my breath away,” Elizabeth confessed. “Children who can use magic… a shapeshifting demon, an even more powerful demon that used to be human centuries ago, and a world of magic, existing in a parallel dimension… It’s almost too fantastical to believe. Oh, how I would love to get my hands on every one of you… especially a portal to that magical world…”

Philip immediately knew he had to make sure this woman didn’t get her hands on the portal, no matter what and keep the kids safe from her.

“But of course, the magical world can wait for now as I should focus on one thing at a time,” Elizabeth said, her attention landing on Philip. “Anyways… You’re going to be interested in what I have to tell you.”

Philip’s brows furrowed, letting her go on.

“I’m here to give you exactly what you want, my dear Philip…” the woman said.

Masha instantly didn’t like the sound of that.

“And that is?” Sister Margaret was the one to ask, while Philip didn’t say a thing, waiting for Elizabeth’s response.

“Confinement,” Elizabeth replied, her tone matter-of-fact. “For all the crimes that you have committed, and to keep you from hurting anyone else ever again.”

Philip felt as though the world had frozen around him.

What…?

“That’s what you yearn for, isn’t it?” Elizabeth asked. “To be locked up, never to see the light of day again?”

Sister Margaret was caught off guard at Elizabeth’s words this time and turned to Philip in complete confusion.

What did she mean about… what he yearned for…?

Elizabeth’s lips curved into a predatory smile to see Philip drop the hostility he had towards her. His eyes now were reflecting the inner turmoil he felt. She knew very well Philip had been grappling with guilt and remorse for some past actions he had committed, whatever that was, and the idea of confinement had been circling in his mind for the past few days after spying on him, listening to the conversations he had with others, especially the one earlier with Masha.

For a moment, there was silence in the room as Philip’s mind was having trouble gathering his thoughts together and keeping the pain inside his chest from growing.

“We both know how dangerous you are,” Elizabeth said. “How easily you can lose… control… You really did a number on some of my men the other day. I could hardly recognize them when we retrieved their mangled bodies.”

“He was defending himself,” Masha argued, knowing full well what Elizabeth was talking about since Vee had informed them how Philip was attacked late in the forest by some men.

“And that one civilian and a police officer that are still in critical condition,” Elizabeth brought up, ignoring Masha’s comment. “They are most likely not going to make it, and all because they had the unfortunate luck to come across your path, huh?”

Philip’s gaze dropped to the ground, feeling guilt take a painful hold of his heart as the patchy memories of the way he had lost control and hurt the two humans that night before Vee absorbed some of his magic came crashing in his head.

“But don’t worry, my dear, this is why we’re here for,” Elizabeth said with a fake soothing voice. “We make sure monsters like yourself don’t continue to hurt others.”

“Stop calling him a monster,” Masha said in a stern tone. “Philip is a human, just like everyone in this room.”

“Oh, please, he’s far from human now,” Elizabeth chuckled at the girl’s comments. “It’s interesting, really. I was even surprised when my people tested that arm of yours,” she said as Philip slowly raised his head to meet her gaze with confusion. “I have never seen anything like it. Magical matter… that’s what you are, magic but taken a physical shape. You are your own unique species now in a way. But…” Elizabeth paused for a moment, as Philip slowly was taking in her words. “…there is something missing. Like a piece of a puzzle. You’re incomplete, and you’re falling apart. And the problem is, if the instability continues, it will be rather disastrous for the rest of us.”

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, there was silence as everyone processed the gravity of what she was saying. Even Masha glanced over at the man with complete concern.

He had theorized something similar along the lines of what Elizabeth was saying about the composition of his body after he continued to ‘live’ after… that one witch had ‘killed’ him years ago… And how his body would just regrow itself when anything happened to it… But he had pushed the matter aside a long time ago since the thought of him becoming something resembling the power that was used by the race he had despised so much disgusted him… The thought that maybe his soul was also nothing but magic… scared him…

Yet…

Here someone confirmed his worst fears.

Oh… how he wanted to scream his lungs out at that moment for another reason to despise himself for what he had done… but this time to what he had done to himself.

“But the good news is, we found a way to stabilize it,” Elizabeth had taken an amused tone this time. “Well, keep it from getting worse. But that’s good news for you, isn’t it?” she asked Philip who just stared at her, still looking miserable. “That we found a way to keep you from losing control? To also give you what you deserve?” As the woman spoke, the heaviness that he felt for a while now came back tenfold. “We both know what you’re capable of, and I’m just trying to help you here, trying to stop any more innocent people from getting hurt,” Elizabeth pressed on with a soft tone. “That’s what I do, what my people do. You want to do the right thing, don’t you, Philip? You want to keep the world safe?”

Yes… that’s what he wanted… He always wanted to do the right thing his whole life… What he thought he had been doing for so many years, yet…

‘Monster…’ the dark voice hissed in his head. ‘That’s what you are…’

“Come with us, Philip,” Elizabeth said, her voice smooth as silk, before she raised a hand out to him. “You can trust me…”

Philip stared blankly ahead; his mind consumed by a dark void. He felt nothing except the heavy guilt that weighed in his soul. Everything seemed to be fading out, the colors muted, and the sounds muffled. He felt as if he was drifting away, lost in an endless sea of nothingness.

He deserved to pay for everything he had done, to be punished for the crimes he had committed for so many innocent lives. There was no way he could continue living without suffering for what he had done. That’s why he had decided days ago he should be sealed away like the Collector had been for years. He had thought he would be ready for it when the day came when he would be imprisoned forever, to never again breath in the fresh air the world had to offer, to never see the sunlight again… but now that someone was offering to imprison him suddenly brought a sense of fear in him. Though, he couldn’t help but also feel almost relieved to think that he wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else ever again if he turned himself in to her.

He was a monster, even though Masha would disagree, even if she wanted to believe he wasn’t. He had committed unspeakable acts that could never be forgiven.

What the teenager wanted was for him to find some way to redeem himself, but there was no way he could do that, even now that the blonde had confirmed he was indeed losing control and could hurt others. And, he had centuries to have been better, but he had pushed all those chances away countless times due to his stubbornness, selfishness, and cowardliness.

Philip didn’t know what was happening around him anymore. It was a strange and frightening sensation, to feel so utterly detached from the world and from himself. Yet, even now, he could feel it, the darkness that lurked within him, the rotten magic that was apparently him all along, desperate to crush anything and anyone in his way…

She was right. He would eventually lose control completely. He could feel himself slipping further and further from the fragile grip he had on his own consciousness. There were moments already that he had lost control of the curse, well… of himself…

Even now he continued to try to deny it, just like he had tried for the past years.

There was no curse…

He was the problem…

He was always the problem…

Philip wanted to scream, to lash out at the world that had made him this way, but he knew there was no one to blame but himself as he was the one who had chosen to carve the glyphs into his arm, to devour the souls of others. He had led himself to become the darkness that he could no longer control.

He was dangerous.

‘Go to her…’ the dark voice said to him in a quiet tone.

He was a monster…

‘This is the right thing to do. She can keep the world safe from you. You know you are only capable of just destroying everything and everyone…’

He stood there, feeling his grip on reality slipping away as he took a step forward towards the one who could help him keep others from dying by his hands, to punish him for everything he had done.

And maybe… letting her imprison him would be better, since it would relieve Hunter from suffering if he still had some sort of attachment towards him.

But as he took another step forward, he stumbled and felt a tug on his shirt. He turned to his left, his mind still foggy with overwhelming emotions, to find Masha holding him back, their hands gripping tightly on his shirt.

They were gazing at him with an even expression before they slowly shook their head, which made him stare at them with confusion.

“Don’t listen to her, Philip,” Masha said, her voice quiet. “Don’t you remember what we talked about earlier today?” they asked him. “I was serious when I told you that you’re not a lost cause…”

Philip looked away from them, feeling his eyes glaze over with tears that he would hold back no matter what they said. He didn’t want to cause Masha to pity him more, to cause their kindness to keep pushing to save him.

“Oh, child, you really are over your head here if you think you can ‘help’ him be a good person,” Elizabeth chuckled. “You truly are so naïve, aren’t you? People have taken so many lives don’t change. Oh, and especially him, who is nothing but ‘tainted’ magic pretty much now.”

“Philip, please look at me,” Masha tugged at his shirt, ignoring the blonde’s taunts. They were desperate to pull him from the woman’s influence.

“Masha…” Philip let out, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked down at them with his mismatched eyes. “I get what you’re trying to do here, and I appreciate it, I truly do, but you got to understand, I am not your brother.”

Masha did their best to ignore the hurt in their chest. “I know you’re not,” they said. “But-”

“I had plenty of chances to change my ways, to listen to reason, but I chose not to,” he said, cutting off Masha. His left blue eye glowed without any emotion while the other looked extremely defeated. “I’ve done, so many terrible things… and yes, I feel terrible now that I realized I’ve been wrong for hurting innocent people, by killing my brother and others, but… there’s still a part of me that wishes these past weeks were just some bad dream, that I was still in the right.”

Masha now looked at him with confusion from his confession.

“When I returned to Luz’s place, I couldn’t even bring myself to talk to Luz’s friends or to Hunter,” he admitted, his frustration evident in his voice. “I hate myself for what I did to them, so I couldn’t talk to them out of guilt, but I also couldn’t talk to them because, deep down, I think I still don’t see them as human. I think a part of me still wants to think they’re the monsters, you know?” He paused, letting out a bitter laugh. “Looks like I’ll never shake off what I am, how I think. I guess… it’s true… one can’t reason with crazy…”

“Philip…” Masha began, her expression serious. “You’ve carried a hatred for witches and demons for almost 400 years. Changing your mind about them in an instant is impossible. In order to change your perspective, you must spend time with them, get to know them. It may take time to let go of old prejudices, but making the effort to connect with them will show you a different side of them. If you refuse to talk to them, your view will never completely change. Especially if you allow yourself to be locked away forever.”

Philip took in their words. Despite this, the expression of defeat remained etched on his face, unconvinced.

“And honestly, Philip,” Masha spoke with regret. “I’m sorry to say this, but neither you nor that Cruella De Vil over there should have a say in how you should be punished,” Masha stated firmly, their gaze locked with Philip’s confusion. They ignored the way Elizabeth scoffed at the comparison they had made with her. “The ones who should decide how you pay for your crimes are the ones you’ve hurt. It’s not up to you …”

Philip said nothing, and tried to pull away from them, but they did not let go.

“Don’t go to her, Philip,” Masha pressed on. “Don’t give up. And whatever she means of you losing control, we’ll find a way to prevent it from getting worse. I don’t know how, but I think with the others, we can totally help you…”

Philip closed his eyes for a moment, trying to find an ounce of hope that may linger in his heart, or in his mind that he can truly be good, and figure out how to control himself before he causes any more harm… But…

‘You don’t deserve another chance…’ the dark voice whispered to him.

He placed his hands over Masha’s, his hands huge compared to theirs.

“Let me go, Masha...” Philip said quietly, trying to pry their fingers off his shirt, but they maintained a good grip which made it difficult for him to pull away.

“No…” Masha narrowed their eyes on them. They refused to back down, to let him walk to someone who was obviously terrible. They were going to stay firm in what they believed in, and for sure they were going to be as stubborn as he was at this moment.

Philip clenched his teeth; he didn’t want to hurt them. He almost went with growing sharp claws and cutting off his shirt, but then felt someone grab his left arm tightly.

Philip found himself staring at Sister Margaret, who was holding on to his arm, her eyes boring into him.

Guilt immediately clawed at him, recalling everything she had said to him and behind his back. He desperately wanted to crawl into a hole and just rot there at this moment.

He averted his eyes away from her, bracing himself for, what he imagined, her reminding him how terrible he was of a human being.

At least, that’s what he thought she would do…

Sister Margaret was a devout woman of God, upholding all the tenets of her faith except one – granting forgiveness to those she deemed irremediable. This belief had been ingrained in her by her mother, a bitter and abusive woman who had always blamed her and her sisters for her misfortunes. Her mother would apologize for her terrible acts and would promise she would never harm them again, but then she would continue to hurt them afterwards. Her mother’s controlling ways had even extended to trying to almost force Sister Margaret into a marriage at a young age with a wealthy suitor. Sister Margaret of course fought off the arrangement which resulting in constant physical and emotional abuse from her mother until she finally ran away at 16.

With nowhere else to go, Sister Margaret found refuge in a convent thanks to a compassionate older nun who showed her kindness and offered her a chance at a meaningful future.

She never went back home, even when her mother begged for forgiveness… Because she had known her mother truly never meant to change…

Over time, Sister Margaret grew to love helping those in need, particularly children, whom she felt a strong desire to protect. Their innocent and curious natures touched her deeply, and she could not bear to see them suffer in any way.

However, when members of her church were revealed to have committed unspeakable crimes, especially to children and were somehow “forgiven,” Sister Margaret was disgusted and enraged, almost to the point she had abandoned the church. She simply couldn’t fathom how anyone could forgive such evil deeds, especially forgive those who weren’t truly sorry for what they have done. She became convinced over time, after seeing more people ask for forgiveness and then continue to cause harm that there was no hope for true redemption or second chances. For Sister Margaret, the sins of the past could never be erased, there was no way to make things right with certain sins/crimes. And the majority of the people only apologize because they were caught and want to escape any sort of consequences.

Yet…

Philip was seeking to be locked away…

He wasn’t groveling for forgiveness, for a second chance like the majority of people would do if they were in his situation. He wasn’t making excuses for what he had done, he wasn’t just crying, curled up in a bed, seeking others to pity him. He believed he couldn’t change, he believed he was a danger.

‘He’s in pain…’ the words from Sister Lilian replayed in her mind from days ago. ‘It’s traumatizing to discover that everything you were taught to believe in was a lie. He’s suffering from the realization that he’s hurt so many innocent lives.’

Sister Margaret had responded to Lilian that Philip was only wallowing in self-pity, which in a way he was still at it, but… he was seeking to be punished, to be locked away. He was so desperate for it that he was willing to turn himself in to some woman who clearly had no good intentions with him. He was too blind to see the dangers that waited for him if he let himself be imprisoned by Elizabeth…

‘He’s finally realized the error of his ways and is plagued by intense remorse for his past sins. It’s not the time to be harsh towards him, but rather a time to show understanding, patience, and compassion. He’s in a vulnerable state right now, and it wouldn’t take much for him to slide down a darker path than he was before, especially with that curse of his that we know nothing about.’ Father Francis’ voice crossed her mind.

A darker path…

And from the looks of it, it was more of a self-destructive path… especially by how roughed up he looked in appearance.

And just like Father Francis said, he was in a vulnerable state right now, and probably was when that Minister guy had got his hands on him and started him in the path to where he was now, and now Elizabeth was the next ‘devil’ in disguise to possibly pull him to a terrible fate, whatever that was. To possibly use him for something destructive too.

‘In time, his guilt will guide him towards making the right choices, provided he receives the right guidance and support.’

The right guidance…

The right support…

Sister Margaret longed for Father Francis to be present in the room with them. He was the merciful and empathic man. The one who believed in Philip’s potential for redemption. He was the one who could rescue Philip from falling into the ‘darker’ path that he had foreseen.

Despite her desire for Father Francis to be by Philip’s side, she was the one who was there. It was she who had reached out without a second thought, who held onto him, keeping him from trying to destroy himself even further, even though she was the one who had deemed him unredeemable.

Her hand tightened around his arm, unable to understand why she held on to him, why she felt pain in her chest when she saw the way Philip looked so resigned.

Then again… who was she trying to fool…?

She knew very well why she was right there, holding on to him, even though a part of her didn’t want to believe it. She had to be honest with herself and do what her heart was telling her to do. And it was time for her to fulfill her duty as a woman of God, and… do what a compassionate person would do in such a situation.

“The child is right,” Sister Margaret said to Philip with a stern voice. “You don’t have the right to choose how you should face the consequences for your actions, nor that woman.”

Philip’s gaze lowered to the ground, feeling shame at her words…

Sister Margaret turned to the blonde this time. “Philip has a lot to answer for, and if you lock him away, then he won’t be able to make amends for what he did.”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes on her.

“Letting you lock him up is a cowardly way out for him, and Philip here, is not a coward,” she said, which had Philip’s spiraling thoughts halt as he took in what she had just said and what she continued to say. “He’s a man who was misguided. Has made many terrible mistakes and clearly feels remorse for hurting so many, more so, he thinks he doesn’t deserve another chance, desperate to keep others safe. He admits he was wrong with what he has done, isn’t making excuses, and is desperate to do the right thing that he is willing to give himself in to be imprisoned, and that to me shows me that he isn’t a coward.”

She turned to Philip whose eyes were glazed over again with unshed tears.

“Your friend is right, change won’t come instantly, Philip, but if you truly want it, then you have to work for it,” she said before her eyes softened to a warm chocolate color. “And someone like you who spent centuries on a mission isn’t the type to just give up, am I right?”

Masha grinned at Sister Margaret, especially when Philip took a step back, placed a palm over his human eye, doing his best to hold back the tears that were desperate to come out.

He wasn’t sure what to think at this moment with Sister Margaret’s words. Nothing was making sense to him right now. After all, she was the last person he expected to want him to believe he could change…

But here she was, still hard on him, but at the same time trying to give him hope that he didn’t think he could have.

He wanted to pull away from Sister Margaret, from Masha, yet… at the same time he didn’t want them to let him go even for a second, which made him feel guilty as well…

He didn’t notice how Elizabeth was fuming at this moment.

She felt that Philip didn’t seem like he had any intentions of going to her at this moment.

She was so close to having her hands on him without exchanging blows, but of course some old hag had to ruin things for her…

She could try to talk her way into persuading him again, but… she felt Sister Margaret would just ruin her efforts. And Elizabeth was far from being a patient woman…

“I really do hate when people get in the way with things…” Elizabeth grunted out.

No matter…

This was exactly why she had come herself in case things diverted according to plans…

She tore off her coat to reveal herself wearing an armor suit as well, but it was slender compared to the other two men’s. It suddenly began to emit some sort of blue glow before she pointed a hand to their direction.

Immediately Philip, as if out of instinct, was in front of Sister Margaret and Masha, his eyes flashing blue with hostility as Masha glared at Elizabeth, poking their head out from Philip’s right side.

“Wait, didn’t you say you had some agreement with the Catholic Church not hurting us?” they asked with annoyance, doing their best to hide the dread they felt that their lives were in danger now. Sister Margaret quickly pulled them behind her as well, trying to shield them more.

“What can I say? Rules are meant to be broken,” Elizabeth said with a shrug of amusement. “And they won’t care so much if they think this place had simply burned down from an untended candle.”

Multiple tiny fire glyphs appeared at the palm of her palmed glove. Philip glared at her and was about to lunge at her before she had a chance to do anything, but suddenly, a huge light of yellow shot through the room, engulfing Elizabeth and the two armored men before they seemed to zap away without a trace.

Philip was left bewildered as he, Masha, and Sister Margaret stared at where Elizabeth had been once standing before they turned to face the source of the sudden ray of light. There, standing by the entrance of the hallway, was Sister Lilian, a determined expression etched onto her face, a wooden wand tightly clenched tightly in her extended hand, with a mouth gaping Father Francis right behind her.

Chapter Text

 1. Thank you https://www.tumblr.com/vitanzhuravlik for this amazing art piece! It's so amazing, and I legit going to use it soon ;3

2. Thank you https://www.tumblr.com/odysseusthesailor for this angsty, amazing drawing, you and I love our angst so much <3. Just love the details @.@

3. Thank you so much https://www.tumblr.com/oxblooddraws for drawing this amazing piece, like i just love the angst, and of course our bearded Philip ;3. And that background figure, oh man, you for sure gave me an idea for the future, hahaha...

Elizabeth stood in the middle of the desolate road, surrounded by the dense forest. The rustling of the branches of the trees was the only sound that broke the silence. The trees loomed overhead, casting ominous shadows on the road. Her blue eyes blazed with an intense rage before she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

She had been teleported to a different location, and her two armored men looked around in bewilderment. Their devices showed that they were far away from the church, and one of them muttered, “A teleportation spell? But how? That’s a powerful spell.”

Elizabeth gritted her teeth, having an idea of who could have executed such a powerful spell.

“Of course, they would have someone in that church,” she muttered under her breath with annoyance. “Someone who probably has one of those wands…”

She wanted to go back to the church and try to attack again, but if someone from the Catholic Church, from that certain group, was indeed present there, it made her hesitant. They couldn’t risk breaking the agreement their organization had with the church. She considered her options, knowing that she could always hunt down her other prey for now.

The surrounding forest seemed to grow even darker as she decided to just speed things up with her plan.

She pressed a finger against the earpiece in her ear. “Did you guys finish casting the spell through the whole neighborhood?” she asked before she got an affirmative through her earpiece. “Then… send them out,” she said, a glimmer of wickedness in her eyes.

Sister Lilian’s gaze remained fixed on the spot where Elizabeth and her two henchmen had stood before she had made them disappear into thin air. She was so fixated on the spot that she didn’t notice the other people in the room staring at her with a mix of shock and confusion. It wasn’t until she felt their eyes on her that she finally snapped out of her trance and pulled back into herself.

“I swear, I didn’t kill them,” Sister Lilian blurted out, her words tumbling out in a rush, hoping that they wouldn’t assume that she had just murdered people inside a church. “I just teleported them about a mile away from us.”

Father Francis, who had been standing a few feet away, stepped closer to her, his eyes still wide. “Sister Lilian,” he said, slowly. “How…?”

Sister Lilian let out a deep breath before she turned to face him, looking guilty. “Yeah, I have a lot of explaining to do,” she admitted. “And I swear, Father, I didn’t want to keep so much from you. But I guess since, well… the secret is out, no use of me keeping you in the dark anymore.”

Sister Margaret, who had been watching the exchange, walked over to them. “So, there is indeed a section from the Catholic Church that handles magic,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.

Sister Lilian nodded. “They sent me here when Father Francis replaced Father Rick,” she explained. “We always have someone here monitoring the town due to the countless magical activities that had been documented for centuries.”

Sister Margaret hummed at the revelation, but then a thought came across her mind. “Do you really dislike me that much, Sister Lilian?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sister Lilian was taken aback by the question. “What do you mean?” she asked, genuinely confused.

“You didn’t try using magic of yours to defend us against Philip,” Sister Margaret continued, before a rare tiny smile made its way to her lips. “Were you just going to let him kill me?”

Sister Lilian’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh, heavens no, Sister Margaret,” she quickly replied. “I was just terrified because I had never seen anything like him before. And I was just so surprised to see you standing up to him just like that. I thought for sure you had magic yourself or something under your sleeve to defend yourself, but I guess… you didn’t… which makes it more impressive how you just stood up to him like that.” She stopped for a moment before blinking up at Sister Margaret with confusion. “Weren’t you… afraid he was going to kill you…?”

“Of course not,” Sister Margaret said simply. “I’ve already made my peace that my death will come soon or later. I’m rather old after all.”

“That… doesn’t surprise me…” Father Francis muttered under his breath at Sister Margaret’s lack of care about her safety before he looked at Sister Lilian. “We should leave before they come back.”

“Oh, we don’t have to worry about them as long as we’re inside here,” Sister Lilian said. “Well, now that they know I’m here, they won’t dare break the agreement they have with the Catholic Church.”

“That was so cool…” Masha finally spoke up in awe, gaining the attention from both nuns and the priest. They quickly joined them, their eyes sparkling at Sister Lilian. “A nun using magic. Now I’ve seen it all,” she said. “Are you a witch or?”

“Oh, no, not a witch,” Sister Lilian said. “Well… I wasn’t born with the ability to use magic. That was my adoptive mother that could use magic.”

Masha blinked, wanting to know more about Sister Lilian now.

“My partner here helps me cast spells,” she showed Masha the wooden wand she had used to teleport Elizabeth and the two armored men away.

Masha stared at the wand curiously, then suddenly it began to glow brightly, emitting a strange energy. Sister Lilian’s eyebrows rose in surprise as the wand started to transform in her hand. Its wooden body contorting and twisting until it took the form of a small bird in her palm. The bird had a black and white plumage, with a distinct black cap on its head that contrasted with its white cheeks. It chirped cheerfully as it perched on Sister Lilian’s outstretched hand.

Masha’s eyes widened in amazement and before they knew it, the bird had leaped off Sister Lilian’s hand and flown straight towards them. Surprised, Masha quickly caught the bird with their palms, fearing it would have fallen to the ground.

To their surprise, the bird chirped to them as they held it in their hand.

Masha blinked at the bird.

“Your name is Twig?” they asked before being taken aback. “Wait… did I just… understand you?” they asked with surprise before the bird chirped back with amusement.

“Wow, would you look at that?” Sister Lilian said, looking completely surprised at what had just happened.

Sister Margaret hummed while Father Francis was just in awe at the scene before them.

Father Francis turned to Sister Lilian then, having countless of questions now that he wanted to ask of her. He had thought, since he first met her, that she was just a shy woman, who was extremely eager to help him, though of course there was more to her than meets the eye.

Sister Lilian watched with a mix of joy and sadness the way Masha held Twig to their cheek. Twig rubbed its head gently against Masha’s skin, emanating a comforting warmth that enveloped them both.

“It seems like you and Twig have quite the connection,” she said, letting out a soft smile, making Masha smile at her as well before turning to Philip.

“Look, Philip, I think Twig is like the other palisman that Vee’s friends have,” they said, taking a step towards him. But their movement was halted as they saw Philip take a step back fast, his expression grim as he shook his head, as if he didn’t want them coming closer to him.

“What’s wrong?” Masha asked, their confusion mirrored on their face. Then they noticed Twig jumped onto their shoulder and had moved close to their neck, clearly uneasy around Philip. “It’s okay, Twig,” Masha said softly, bringing the bird closer to their cheek as they gently stroked its head. “Philip is a friend.”

Philip kept his distance from the group, especially with the new palisman in the room. He couldn’t help but recall all the creatures he had consumed in the past centuries. He wondered how Masha would react if they found out that his body was basically a living corpse of countless palismen…

“Are you alright, Philip?” Philip hesitantly glanced at Father Francis, who was looking at him with concern.

The priest had woken up around the same time as Sister Lilian and had heard most of the conversation, while they hid in the hallway, while Elizabeth had with the others. He was surprised to find Philip was back, and was honestly glad he was, but the things that Elizabeth had said to the man… and how close Philip was just going to go to her… 

“Who exactly was that woman?” he asked Sister Lilian.

Sister Lilian had been watching Masha and Twig before she heard Father Francis asking his question.

“She works for an organization that eliminates anything or anyone that has magic, or at least, that’s what they used to do…” she said with a frown. “But in the past years, they became more like ‘collectors’ and basically scientists in some way since they’ve been experimenting with magic… and we believe they have other ulterior motives as well by how much magical artifacts they’ve been collecting.”

“And for some reason they want Philip,” Father Francis said as Philip just stood there quietly, taking in all Sister Lilian was saying.

“She said Philip is something new, magical that has taken physical shape,” Sister Lilian said. “I can see why they would want him since we’ve gathered intel that they want to able to use magic like a natural witch can.”

Sister Margaret furrowed her brows in confusion. “Isn’t the bird magic taking physical shape as well?” she asked.

Masha shook their head. “Nope, well, a friend told me their palisman are made out of a magical wood from their world before it takes shape into a creature,” they explained, before Twig chirped with agreement. Masha turned to Sister Lilian. “How can those people use magic then if they haven’t been able to use it naturally?” they asked, their voice laced with confusion.

“Like I said, they have countless magical artifacts that help them use magic,” she replied. “But from the glyphs that appeared on Elizabeth’s gauntlet, she must have demon blood in that suit.”

“Demon blood?” Masha asked, blinking.

Sister Lilian reached under her collar and produced a tiny bottle, being held along with a chain, with a half of it containing a blue liquid inside.

Philip’s eyes lit up with recognition - it was titan’s blood!

“This liquid lets people, while you carry it, cast spells from certain symbols,” she explained, holding up the bottle for all to see. “But it’s extremely rare and unfortunately its used up the more magic one casts. I’ve been only given a tiny bit to be used in emergencies. We don’t want it falling into the wrong hands after all.”

Philip fought the urge to reach out and take the bottle from her. He had spent the past few weeks searching for titan’s blood to no avail, and now it was right in front of him. It honestly frustrated him that he had wasted his time looking for titan’s blood the past few weeks instead of looking for the other materials for the portal. He could have probably gotten the kids back home by now if he had made the door before…

Wait… a second…

‘I must admit, what I learned the past two weeks have truly taken my breath away,’ Elizabeth confessed. ‘Children who can use magic… a shapeshifting demon an even more powerful demon that used to be human centuries ago, and a world of magic, existing in a parallel dimension… It’s almost too fantastical to believe. Oh, how I would love to get my hands on every one of you… especially a portal to that magical world…”

Philip’s heart sank as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

“She knows where they are,” Philip let out, his voice filled with dread.

“What was that Philip?” Father Francis asked with confusion, not catching what the man said when he spoke up.

“That woman, she has been spying on me for the past two weeks,” Philip explained, looking paler by the second. “She knows where I was staying. She knows about Luz and her friends.”

“I need to contact Vee,” Masha said, their mind racing as they pulled out their phone from their pocket and turned it on.

“We need to go help them before it’s too late,” Sister Lilian said immediately. Twig quickly flew back to her before turning back into a wand. “But… if that woman is here… that means she has brought tons of her people along too,” she added, her voice laced with concern. “We won’t be enough to fight them…”

Philip felt anxiety grip his heart, just like it was with Sister Lilian. He also couldn’t help but feel extremely guilty that the kids were in trouble thanks to him.

It was always him… he thought to himself.

‘Only bringing destruction wherever you go…’ the dark voice hissed in his head.

Masha, who had been trying to contact Vee, couldn’t successfully get a call through.

“I’m not getting any signal,” they said, their voice slightly trembling from panic.

Philip saw the terror in their eyes when they looked up at him, making him feel sick, reminding him they were just a child… who was pulled into his mess, just like Luz and her friends.

‘This is all your fault…’

His hands turned into fists.

‘You know what to do…’

He forced himself to shove the exhaustion, the fear, and the guilt inside of him to the side. This wasn’t the time for him to panic, especially at the thought of men, like the ones who had attacked him weeks ago, going after the children now.

He knew if he didn’t act fast, terrible things would happen to Hunter and the rest of the children.

‘And it will all be on you…’

He moved without a second thought, going behind the altar, with his hands forming claws.

“Philip?” Father Francis let out before his eyes widened when Philip dipped down behind the altar and heard wood boards being torn away. “What are you doing?” Father Francis exclaimed before everyone ran over to the altar to see wood boards ripped away to reveal a dark hole in the ground that led to an unknown destination.

Father Francis gasped in shock at the hidden underground tunnel.

“Of course, there’s a hidden passageway in this church,” Sister Margaret mumbled in a monotone tone. Taking the discovery in a stride.

Philip glanced at Sister Lilian; his gaze intense.

“Give me the titan’s blood.” he said, making Sister Lilian grasp the bottle and took a step back.

“Why do you want it?” she asked, with some hesitation, suspicion etched on her face. Philip couldn’t blame her, though.

“This path leads to the forest and will allow me to reach the kids faster without anyone noticing,” he explained. “If there are any enemies like the ones I fought weeks ago, then I’ll need that blood to teleport the kids here.”

Sister Lilian was completely confused, not following the man’s plan, but then something dawned on her.

“You’re not going alone,” she declared, realizing that Philip was planning to go alone. She was determined to help in any way. “And if you need someone to help you transport the kids here, I can help you with that.”

“I’m going alone,” Philip replied sternly. “You’ll only get in my way.”

“Why don’t you take Twig with you and use the spell Sister Lilian used?” Masha asked him.

“She won’t want to come with me,” Philip muttered, knowing full well the palisman would be too terrified to tag along with him. He also didn’t know the exact spell that Sister Lilian used so he wasn’t sure if he could pull it off in his first attempt if she taught him how to use it. “And you’ll need her in case of trouble. It’s better if the others see the kids are teleported without the use of the wand anyway, so they don’t know where they went.”

Sister Lilian stared at him, still holding the flask tightly, but Sister Margaret placed a hand on top of hers.

“We have no other choice,” Sister Margaret said. “I think from everyone in the room, he knows what is best to do.”

“He won’t be able to take them all by himself,” Sister Lilian argued before glancing at Philip with her eyes darkening. “Those people… they’ve done terrible things to others. And most likely, they didn’t just send out ordinary people to attack those kids.”

“What do you mean by that…?” Masha hesitantly asked, feeling cold dread in the pit of their stomach.

“I said earlier that they’ve experimented with magic…” Sister Lilian pointed out. “And… let’s say they’ve created things that shouldn’t even exist…”

Philip held her gaze, not looking deterred from her words.

“Those people, they’re dangerous, Philip,” she pressed on.

“And I am too…” Philip’s voice turned cold as he stood up, both his eyes glowing blue as he stared down at her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand, remembering some of the things he had said to them the first night he had arrived in their church.

He was right…

He wasn’t some weakling.

He was probably as dangerous than Elizabeth and her organization…

Sister Lilian stared at Philip before she reluctantly handed the flask to Philip.

“I need paper and something to write with,” Philip told Father Francis, who quickly retrieved them. Once Philip had a marker, he went off to the side and drew glyphs on the wooden floor in a particular pattern, stopping occasionally to ensure everything was correct.

“What are you doing?” Sister Margaret asked, unsure of what she was seeing.

“Those are the symbols we use for magical spells,” Sister Lilian commented, as she got a closer look. Her brows raised in awe. “But I’ve never seen them used in such a complicated pattern before. Hold on a second… is this pattern a teleportation spell?” she asked, surprised there was a way to teleport with glyphs.

Philip didn’t respond to her, completely focused on his task. He eventually finished drawing the intricate pattern on the floor with effortless ease before going to the opposite corner of the church and repeated the pattern exactly as he had done before. With a firm grip on the bottle of Titan’s blood, he slammed his hand down on the second pattern, activating the spell.

In an instant, the glyphs glowed and the world around him twisted and turned, colors swirling together in a dizzying blur.

When it finally stopped, Philip found himself back at the first pattern, his feet firmly planted on the floor. He looked up to find the others staring at him with amazement.

“That… was so cool…” Masha let out; her eyes wide with wonder.

Philip noticed that there was only a small amount of Titan’s blood left in the bottle, just enough for one more teleportation spell.

He drew the glyphs again where he had first drawn on it on the floor since the whole thing vanished after he had activated the spell in his test run. Once he was done, he tied the chain with the bottle around his neck that contained the remaining blue liquid. Father Francis retrieved some tape and helped Philip secure the paper on the vial, not knowing what he had written, but understanding the importance of keeping it safe.

Philip then simply hid everything under his shirt.

Masha was gazing at him with concern as he returned to the hole.

“Philip, wait,” they said before going after him.

“I promise I’ll protect them,” Philip said, sounding calm, which Masha knew was just a mask he was wearing to hide the possible mix of emotions he was dealing with due to the situation they were in. And honestly, Masha was worried for him. The man had gone through too much emotionally the past days, especially the past two hours, was exhausted, and now he was going to fight some organization by himself?

He didn’t turn to look at them as he continued. “I’ll make sure that woman doesn’t get her hands on any of them.”

Masha was afraid for their friends. Elizabeth seemed like a very dangerous person and if the people who worked with her were as dangerous as her then… well, they just hoped Philip could for sure protect them. But they also hoped he could protect himself since he was Elizabeth’s main target.

They also couldn’t help but feel so proud of Philip.

Earlier that day, Philip thought he wasn’t capable of doing anything good, but here he was, taking action to save Luz and her friends without hesitation. Of course, he probably isn’t going to think much of it if he comes back with the others and probably would just blame himself that they were in trouble to begin with, but…  they were going to make sure to assure him that going out, risking his life to protect others was more than just nothing.

Masha stared at him before they threw themselves at Philip, hugging him tightly from behind. Philip tensed up, shocked by the sudden embrace.

At first, he wasn’t sure what was happening till he realized that Masha’s arms were around his waist.

The last time he was hugged was…

The image of his brother hugging him, pulling him from the darkness that was eating him up, flashed in his mind.

Masha’s voice brought him back to the present. “You better come back safely too, okay?” they said, their face buried against his back. “Don’t you dare go to that evil woman.”

Philip didn’t reply. His heart ached from their words, but at the same time… it was strange… he also felt… something else, and he couldn’t pinpoint what the feeling was. All he knew was that the pull in his head wasn’t as strong as before.

He had the urge to stay there, letting Masha just continue holding on to him, but instead, he gently pried Masha off him and turned to face them.

“I’ll be back,” he said quietly, doing his best to maintain eye contact, unsure why they felt the need to assure the child that he would be returning. “I promised I was going to return your friends to their world, and I’ll make sure that happens.”

Masha smiled at him, but still seemed uncertain to let him go by himself.

He hesitantly looked at Father Francis and the nuns, who were observing the two of them.

“Keep her safe,” Philip said, motioning to Masha, who didn’t bother correcting him about their pronouns since they were just too anxious about Vee and everyone else back in Luz’s house. They also couldn’t help but smile that Philip also worried about them while he was gone.

“Of course,” Sister Margaret said. “We won’t let the child out of our sight.”

“I still think it’s a bad idea that you’re going alone…” Sister Lilian mumbled.

“He’ll be okay,” Father Francis said, giving the man a knowing smile. “Like Sister Margaret said, he knows what he’s doing.”

Philip stared at Father Francis, slightly confused why the man had so much faith in him, but then again, even Sister Margaret seemed confident that he would protect Luz and her friends by not holding him back.

He wondered if Sister Margaret thought this was him trying to make amends for what he had done…

As Philip’s thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, he forcefully pushed them away. He knew he couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Without uttering a word, he leaped down into the hole, landing smoothly on the ground. In the darkness, his eyes glowed, illuminating the long tunnel ahead. He had only traversed this path a few times before, and he vaguely remembered a wooden staircase that led up to the chapel, but he didn’t bother to check if it was still there. Instead, he ran through the tunnel with determination, sprinting towards its end.

As he reached the end of the tunnel, Philip couldn’t help but notice that it was different from what he remembered. It appeared someone had attempted to conceal the exit by burying it by the tons of dirt mounted in a certain angle. But Philip didn’t let this deter him.

He scaled along the slope and began digging at the top of the ground fast before he made his way out to the open air in the forest.

His glowing blue eyes were scanning his surroundings. He currently couldn’t hear anything, at least, not with the current state of his ears were like…

As he stared at the dark forest, he imagined, based on what Sister Lilian had said earlier, that it was possible there were more people out there, seeking the children out, compared to the four that had attacked him.

Now he could see why Sister Lilian didn’t think he should go alone, at least… in his current state…

He gazed down at his clawed hands, a thought coming to mind, though… it was a bit risky… and he wasn’t sure if it would work, but…

Suddenly, he caught the sight of someone standing between some trees in front of him.

He was ready to attack whoever it was but froze as he found himself staring at his brother.

“Caleb…?” he let out, his throat clenching as a pale, sickly looking version of his brother, stared at him with a look of what looked like disappointment.

Philip had seen, what he imagined, his brother’s ghost countless of times in the past. It was rather strange he hadn’t seen him while he was on Earth till now, but…

Guilt gripped his chest like a knife twisting deep into his heart. He glanced away; his teeth clenched hard.

“I know… this is my fault…” he said, feeling so angry at himself that he wanted to just slam his head against a tree multiple times till it cracked. “But… I promise I’ll rescue them. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe.”

He hesitantly glanced back, hoping that his brother would for once, not look at him with the same expression he usually gave him, but instead, his brother bore eyes heavy with what looked like sorrow mixed with disappointment before he looked away and vanishing.

‘You’re always going to be a disappointment to him…’ the dark voice hissed in Philip’s mind. ‘You aren’t capable of doing anything right.’

His shut his eyes hard, stopping himself from spiraling down to self-pity. He shoved his thoughts about his brother aside, reminding himself he had a mission to accomplish.

He took a deep slow breath, letting the cold air fill in his lungs, returning to the idea he had in mind before his brother’s ghost had appeared.

Again… it was risky… but… he could do this; he could have control…

There was no curse…

The rotting magic was him…

He felt his heart race against his chest as he mentally told himself to not mess up with what he was about to do… He told himself this was the only way he could have a chance to protect the children, even though it scared him.

Come on… he mentally told himself. He had done it before, even though the circumstances were different, especially by how unstable he was now, but he had no choice…

No choice…

He shut his eyes, taking a moment to steady himself, mentally screaming at himself to just do it, reminding himself that the children were in trouble because of him. After a minute of pushing aside his nerves, he dived deep into himself, doing his best to find that heaviness that he had been feeling for the past weeks, that dark pull that he had been struggling to fight off and before he knew it, he grasped it firmly, and…

“Come on, Luz, wake up…” Amity gently patted her girlfriend’s cheek. Luz was settled beside Camila on her bed.

Hunter stood at the center of the room, lost in thought, his arms folded over his chest. Vee, beside Camila, held her hand with concern. The palismans of everyone in the room nudged Camila’s face, attempting to rouse her.

Gus and Willow arrived, carrying a bucket of water and a hand towel. They handed them to Amity, who dipped the towel in the water before pressing it to Luz’s face, hoping the cold water would jolt her awake. But as with their previous different attempts, Luz remained asleep.

“A blue light…” Hunter said under his breath. “Do you guys think that maybe it was some magic spell? And possibly from someone that had attacked Belos days ago?”

“But Philip killed them all,” Gus said.

“I think there are more than just those four if they work for the government,” Vee pointed out. “At least, in the movies, there are more who are just waiting for the right moment to attack.”

"But… that would mean they know we’re here, then?” Amity asked. “But… why put Luz and Camila to sleep and not the rest of us if they want to attack us?”

“I’m guessing maybe the spell only worked on humans,” Gus said.

“We should get ready in case of-” Hunter was cut off when he saw all the palisman completely freeze where they were before Flapjack quickly flew to him out of fear. The boy caught him in confusion as the bird chirped at him, his wings flapping frantically.

“What’s wrong?” Gus asked, looking concerned as the others quickly got their palisman and went over to Hunter.

“Flapjack says there is someone outside,” Hunter said with a frown and turned to the window that was currently shut by the curtain. The boy glanced at Willow. She nodded to him before both went over to the window and opened it to see through it.

The backyard was cloaked in darkness, the only light coming from the silver of the moon in the sky. Their eyes locked onto the figure standing in the middle of the yard, it’s back to them, its form twisted, like something out of a horror movie that Luz had shown them many times.

The creature was tall and lean, towering at seven feet. The creature’s flesh was bloodied and raw, with no trace of hair anywhere on its naked body. It slowly turned its head, revealing its twisted face, elongated and inhuman. Black empty sockets stared at them.

“What... is that…?” Willow slowly let out quietly. Her eyes wide as Hunter was staring at the creature with shock.

At first, he had thought they were looking at Belos that somehow had taken a different form, the creature was nothing like his uncle, nothing like he had seen before. Especially by how the creature’s body was smeared with blood and other unidentifiable fluids.

Then suddenly, the creature’s twisted mouth opened wide, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth that glinted menacingly in the moonlight. It let out a blood-curdling scream. The sound seemed to cut through their souls, causing both Willow and Hunter to paralyze them in place, their blood running cold.

In an instant, the creature began to move, running towards the house, its grotesque body contorting and writhing in each step as it moved with a terrifying speed. The creature smashed into the door with a deafening crash, making the walls tremble with its sheer force. The sound of splintering wood echoed through the hallway as the monster forced its way inside.

“What’s going on?!” Gus yelled out in fear as Hunter and Willow yanked away from the window, their palisman turning into staffs immediately as they heard heavy footsteps shuffling on the first floor before ascending the stairs towards them.

Hunter and Willow jumped in front of everyone, in defensive, shaky stances, their staffs glowing brightly as they heard the beast echoing through the hallway with a terrible resonance. Everyone’s wide eyes in the room were locked at the door, as the creature’s footsteps grew louder and louder.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Everyone was frozen on the spot, as they heard nothing but the silence of the hallway beyond the door.

They waited, their muscles and their nerves on edge, as time seemed to stretch out before them. The seconds ticked by like hours, and they could feel their hearts pounding in their chests, waiting for whatever was standing behind the door to burst in and attack them.

Then…

“Gu-guys.” Gus stammered, shattering the stillness of the room, his voice quivering as he struggled to speak. “There… is something behind the window…”

Hunter and Willow’s head whipped towards the window, where they saw, through the thin curtains, a dark silhouette of a figure perched up against the glass. Then the next thing the kids knew, there was nothing but chilling screams and horrifying creatures crashing into the room.

Chapter Text

Thank you tf1rocks12 for the following amazing art piece, i just love it so much. Masha hugging Philip, ahhh and omg... philip with short hair... ahhhh <3.  https://www.tumblr.com/tf2rocks12

Thank you witteaustim for drawing one of my fav scenes, Gus and Philip enjoying electronics together <3 https://www.tumblr.com/witteautism

The following is drawn by oxblooddraws and hahaha, i love each one, especially the way Philip in the first art piece is all confident then later bamn, depressed, hahaha. And him chomping on Elizabeth's arm is hillarious~  https://www.tumblr.com/oxblooddraws

thank you so much whatdoievensay for your beautiful drawings, philip is so cute in each one especially when he looks so confused in the middle one~ https://www.tumblr.com/whatdoievensay

The forest was almost pitch black, shrouded in an eerie silence, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves underfoot. Eleven armored men crept through the woods, their guns held out in front of them, ready for any potential danger. Their eyes darted back and forth, scanning the darkness through their infrared radiation mechanism installed in their helmets, letting them see the heat signatures of the trees, the brush, and each other.

The men were spread out in the woods to cover as much ground as possible; each one keeping a safe distance from the other. Their ears rung with the sound of their own breathing. It was close to winter, but the cold air didn’t bite on their skin due to their layered attire.

A crackle resounded in their earpieces, shattering the stillness of the forest. “They arrived at the location,” the voice said to each of them. “Start moving in, but keep your distance in case. You guys know how unpredictable those creatures can be.”

Their mission was clear. The children and their magical staffs were their targets. Elizabeth’s failure to retrieve their major target had set off the next phase of the plan. The men were to stay in the woods and strike any of the children that tried to hide from the monsters sent to attack them. But at the same time, they had to make sure to stay away from the creatures, since they didn’t have complete control over them when they were out in the open.

As they advanced in the direction of the target house, which they were far from, a faint rustling sound echoed behind them, making a few of them, the ones at the back of the group, pause in their tracks. They spun around, imagining it was some sort of animal that had made the noise, but still had to check in case it was something else.

At first, they saw nothing except for the trees and brush, but then the infrared display in their helmets suddenly flickered, picking up a heat signature in the distance, moving quickly through the forest.

Their eyes locked on the figure as it darted between trees. But then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the heat signature disappeared, as if the figure had hidden behind a tree.

The men were confused, unsure of what they had just seen. And then, just as suddenly as the heat signature disappeared, one of the men at the very back was gone.

Silence descended on the group as the voice from before alerted the remaining men. “Number 10 is down,” the voice said, a tone of hesitation ringing in his voice.

“What do you mean, number 10 is down?” demanded the man, number 1, at the forefront.

“His life signal has vanished from our system,” the voice responded, their words hung in the air.

As the group was scanning the area, something from the ground snatched one of the men and dragged him in a split second into the darkness, his screams barely registered by them before there was silence.

“Number 7 is down.” The group heard from their earpieces.

The men opened fire the second they spotted a heat signature moving between the shadows of the forest.

One man screamed as his leg was clutched before he was yanked down to the ground and dragged deep into the words, suffering the same fate as Number 7.

“Number 1 is down.”

Then another one was taken.

“Number 11 is down.”

“Fuck, fuck,” Number 2 let out, spotting an extended green arm made of goop, slithering towards her ankle. She immediately fired her weapon without hesitation. The bullet, illuminated by red light, struck the arm, causing it to recoil with a pained screech before retreating into the shadows.

The men stopped firing, making the forest fall into an uneasy silence again.

Then suddenly, emerging from the darkness, a mass of mud and bones began to pull from the ground. Before their eyes, the mass morphed into thin, horned creature, with black sockets, its gnarled teeth slowly opened, claws growing from its arms while it simply stood still for a bit. The creature’s form wasn’t the massive one the men had seen in pictures, but instead was a humanoid smaller frame sickly figure, but they recognized right away who they were dealing with by the horns.

“It’s him,” one of the men let out as dread fell on all of them at the same time.

And no one moved for a long time, not even the creature as it continued to stand there as if it was a statue. Dark holes staring at them.

“It’s who?” the voice asked through their earpieces with confusion.

Before any of them could respond, the creature lunged at one man, slashing at their neck with razor-sharp claws, blood spurted out from the gaping wound as they grabbed their neck in shock before they fell to the ground, choking on their own blood.

The creature’s horned head twisted to the rest of the group before it roared at them.

Everyone began shooting at it, but the creature contorted its form, dropping to the ground just as the bullets whizzed past where its body had been.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook violently, causing them to lose their balance. Then, two men were snatched away, yanked into the ground from the group, as if they were buried alive.

“Number 3 and Number 6 are down.”

Without a warning, the creature shot up from the ground in front of one man, tackling them. Its sharp claws tearing through flesh and jaws clamp down at the man’s head before doing the same with the woman closest to him.

Bullets landed on the creature, making it roar in agony, but the gaping wounds would take a few seconds seeping brown liquid before they rapidly closed up, as if they were never taking damage.

“What’s going on there?!” the voice demanded through the rest of the men’s earpieces, desperately seeking to understand who or what was attacking them while the creature vanished once again into the ground. “Number 9 and 8 are down!”

“It’s that creature Elizabeth wants!” Number 4 yelled as she was shooting where the creature had vanished before she and the others seized their fire.

The remaining men quickly grouped together, their backs to one another, and scanned their surroundings.

“Shoot it in the head,” Number 2 said under his breath to the other two.

They stood vigilant, their ears only picking up the stillness of the forest and their heartbeats hammering in their eardrums before Number 4 yelled, “He’s in front of me!” The other two moved and together they unleashed bullets at the same time, aiming for its head. The deafening sound of gunfire echoed through the air as bullets tore through the bone and ‘flesh’, leaving behind gaping holes in the creature’s skull.

“Hold your fire!” Number 2 told the other two before all three stopped shooting.

For a moment, the creature’s movements faltered. He staggered backward, his head lurching to the side as if trying to maintain balance before he fell to the side and curled up upon himself. Claws vanished from his fingers before his hands instinctively reached towards his ravaged head.

The creature was gasping for air, groaning in agony as his head was taking a while to heal from the bullet wounds it had endured, and at the same time…

‘You better come back safely too, okay?’

Come back… safely…

The creature didn’t know what those words meant at first, but they kept replaying within the darkness that consumed his mind.

Little by little though, a face began to emerge. A face of a teenager that looked so familiar…

He grappled to gather his thoughts, struggling to make sense of what was going on. But all he could think at the moment was the agonizing pain his head was enduring, feeling as though someone had carved gaping holes into it, which was not far from the truth.

The creature panted as his hands just held on to his severed head as it continued healing by the minute, ignorant of the three armored men having their guns trained on him while they were talking to someone through their communication line.

For a moment, he simply wanted to hide far away from anyone that could hurt him, to be back to that warm embrace that he had just received from…

The warm embrace…

‘You better come back safely too, okay?’

That’s right…

Someone was worried enough for him to tell him he had to come back safely as well, after he had assured them he would be saving their friends.

But… who exactly was he supposed to save…?

The face of a blonde woman, with a dark smile, flashed in his mind, which made his stomach churn then the face of Hunter’s sad stricken face and his friends made his chest tighten.

‘You can’t do anything right…’ the dark voice hissed in his mind.

The heavy dark weight threatened to pull his thoughts apart, and he could have sworn he was surrounded by countless blond figures looming over him, suffocating him for a moment…  

‘You better come back safely too, okay?’ Philip tried to cling to Masha’s words and to the memory of the warmth that came from their embrace, as if they somehow were helping him hold on to himself.

The children, he reminded himself, were in trouble.

They were in danger because of him…

He curled himself up more, teeth clenching hard as he tried to ignore the pain in his head that was dissipating into just a faint memory and at the same time to stop the darkness from overshadowing him completely.

Come on… he told himself.

He was able to be in control of himself before… He didn’t understand why it was so hard to just keep himself from losing it…

“Get ready to fire again.” Philip heard a voice spoken up nearby, making his heart race.

Elizabeth’s face resurfaced into his head before her voice crawled in his mind,‘Oh, how I would love to get my hands on every one of you...’

And for the second time, Hunter’s face and his friends rushed right after.

“He’s almost done healing.”

‘You won’t be able to save them…’ the dark voice hissed. ‘You are just a monster, after all.’

“Prepare to fire on my command.”

‘You better come back safely too, okay?’

“Fire!”

Then everything seemed to go still.

The three soldiers found themselves frozen in shock, finding their weapons rendered useless with Philip’s arm that had turned into a goopy form, wrapped around their weapons, restraining them, and forcing them to point up to the sky.

Then, before the armored men, Philip’s body had transformed. He slowly rose and they could see he had taken in a sturdier form. No longer was his body continuously oozing from his limbs. Instead, the green and brown substance had taken a more solidified state. His physique had shifted; lean muscles defined along his exposed arms, giving him a healthier and more stable appearance as multiple blue eyes gazed in different directions.

Despite his transformation, Philip’s appearance remained of a beast to the three armored men. His beard and mustache framed his exposed teeth, and his skull continued to bore protruding horns.

The luminescent blue orbs within his black eyes burned with an intensity that pierced through the dark forest.

Silently, Philip forcibly tore the weapons from the soldiers’ grasps, tossing them aside like discarded toys.

His gaze swept over the soldiers, his eyes locking onto each one with a penetrating intensity. While no malice lingered in his expression, a sudden burst of movement blurred the air. Philip lunged forward, his fists striking the soldiers’ abdomens. The impact was powerful enough to send shockwaves through their bodies, and one by one, they crumpled to the ground, unconscious and unaware of their surroundings.

Standing amidst the unconscious soldiers, Philip took a moment to gather himself from the confusion that filled his head.

He felt powerful, in control, but could still feel the heavy weight of that darkness threatening to consume him, so it was strange to him when he took notice of his new stable form. His torn shirt hung loosely on his torso, remnants of the barrage of bullets he had endured, making him tear it away so it wouldn’t get in the way in case another fight took place soon. He noticed the bloodstains that marred his body, making his stomach churn from knowing that the blood had come from the mangled bodies that were scattered in the forest.

He pushed guilt aside for now before noticing the little bottle still loosely hanging on his chest with the paper attached to it. He swiftly concealed it within the recesses of his chest, keeping it from prying eyes for now.

He counted himself lucky that none of the bullets had struck the bottle and that he didn’t lose it while his body was taking different forms.

For a moment, Philip thought he had possibly taken out the danger that was heading towards the kids, but… as he took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart, he felt his senses detect something foul coming from the direction from Luz’s house.

Something was extremely wrong…

His eyes flashed brightly before he ran, leaving behind only three men alive in the dark depths of the forest.

Luz felt she was floating in complete darkness, embraced by profound tranquility. Faint whispers tickled her ears, barely audible, and she resisted their pull, unwilling to relinquish the solace that enveloped her. After enduring endless months of overwhelming stress and anxiety… well, honestly, her memories now existed as fragmented blurs, making her unclear as to why she yearned to linger in the soothing darkness, detached from reality.

Abruptly, a brilliant blue light pierced through, eliciting a wince as a flood of memories crashed upon her. The images of her friends, her mother, and the chilling gaze of those icy blue eyes that had threatened her life came at her as well.

“Luz!” The familiar voice made her eyes fly open. Confusion etched across her face as she found Gus’s eyes glowing bright blue by her side, a hand of his extended on her head.

“Gus?” Luz uttered; her voice laced with bewilderment. She rubbed her eyes once Gus pulled away from her. Slowly attempting to sit up, her gaze fell upon Amity, whose widened eyes expressed relief.  

Luz immediately noticed a deep gash on Amity’s shoulder.

“Amity, you’re bleeding,” Luz let out with utter confusion and concern.

Luz extended a hand to touch her girlfriend’s marred skin once Amity took Gus’ spot next to her.

“What happened?” Luz asked, still disoriented.

Amity wrapped her arms around Luz tightly, sighing in relief that her girlfriend was awake.

“We’re not sure what happened, but some blue light put you and your mother to sleep,” Amity said. “We had a hard time waking you up.”

Luz’s confusion deepened as Gus moved to the other side of the bed where Camila was sleeping.

“I’ll try to wake up Camila now,” Gus declared before his eyes shimmered with a blue light again and extended a hand over the woman’s head.

Amity released Luz, who suddenly became aware of an icy chill seeping into her bones. Casting her gaze across the room, she took in the scene of disarray, a gaping hole torn in the wall leading to her mother’s room. “What happened?” she demanded after pulling away from her shock, then a thought struck her. “Did Philip attack us?” she blurted out, directing the question at her girlfriend.

Amity shook her head, taking Luz’s hand and guiding her to her feet. “No, it wasn’t Philip,” she replied while Luz realized Amity looked kind of pale. “Some monsters just came out of nowhere and attacked us. The others are fighting them right now outside.”

“Wait, what?” Luz asked, but then both girls heard someone let out a groan. They turned to see Camila slowly raising herself up and rubbing her temples.

Gus had woken her up.

Her eyes widened in shock as they took in the sight of the wrecked-up room.

“Qué pasó aquí?!” Luz’s mother exclaimed. Amity took this moment to explain to her the same thing she had told Luz.

Then, without sparing a second more, Amity snatched her staff and dashed toward the gaping hole in the wall.

“I’m going to help the others,” she said before flying off.

“Amity, wait!” Luz rushed forward, but it was too late. Her girlfriend had disappeared from sight, leaving her scanning the surroundings in vain. Yet, as the floor quaked beneath her, a cacophony of commotion echoed from behind.

Turning on her heels, Luz found Gus approaching her with his staff.

“They’re fighting on the street,” Gus said before he jumped on his staff. “I’m going to join them too. Please keep your mom safe, Luz.”

Luz swiftly seized his arm, preventing him from taking off like Amity.

“I’m going with you,” she said, her eyes filled with determination.

“Luz, we don’t have time for this,” Gus groaned, attempting to break free from her grip.

Carried hurried over to them, stepping in to prevent the two from arguing. However, her attention was diverted by a figure emerging from the forest.

“Philip?” she uttered in confusion, causing the children to follow her gaze to the backyard. They noticed a figure halfway there with a familiar green and brown color scheme, along with the horns they were used to seeing on the man that had been staying with them for some time. The messy long hair confirmed to them who the figure was right away.

Confusion washed over the trio inside the house as they took in Philip’s altered appearance, distinct from the usual forms they had witnessed before on him.

Luz released her hold on Gus and glared fiercely at Belos. Her mind raced, instantly blaming him for whatever was happening to them.

Meanwhile, Philip had the urge to go over the three in the house, but his senses were screaming at him about the danger that was coming from the other side of the house.

Without hesitation, he dashed around the building. Seizing the opportunity, Gus took flight, evading Luz’s attempts to grab his arm again. Luz, though slower, dashed out of the room through the broken door, swiftly navigating the hallway that was in shambles until she reached the grumbling staircase.

“Mija, esperate!” Camila called her daughter, tightly clutching Luz’s palisman egg against her chest as she ran out of her room.

“I need to help them, Mama,” Luz desperately pleaded before darting downstairs, carefully avoiding the cracked and hole-ridden steps. Finally, she burst through the front door, her eyes widening at the scene unfolding before her.

Two long limbed creatures, bearing a human resemblance but stripped of their hairs and some patches of skin, engaged in a frenzied brawl with her friends on the street. Hunter was single-handedly confronting one of the creatures while Amity, Willow, and Vee fought the second one.

The creature, fighting Hunter, lunged forward, its elongated nails slicing through the air like razor-sharp talons. Hunter teleported with lightning speed, evading the creature’s strikes. In an instant, he reappeared behind the creature, his staff crackling with energy. With a swift motion, he unleashed a powerful blast, aiming at the creature’s back.

The creature twisted its body midair, contorting in an unnatural manner to dodge the incoming blast. As it landed on the pavement floor, the impact sent shockwaves through the street, and the creature’s elongated nails scraped the surface, leaving deep gashes in its wake.

Hunter’s eyes narrowed, focused. With a surge of energy, he teleported again, this time appearing high above the creature. As he descended, his staff unleashed a barrage of rapid-yellow blasts, each one aimed precisely at the creature’s nimble form.

But the creature’s body shifted and twisted out of the way from the incoming attacks, anticipating Hunter’s every move. Yet Hunter persisted, continuing his onslaught, teleporting, and launching relentless volleys of energy blasts.

Meanwhile, Amity, Willow, and Vee fought the second creature together.

The creature, despite its emaciated frame, moved with an unsettling fluidity. He slashed through the air, trying to strike Amity who was gracefully soaring through the air, narrowly evading the creature’s attacks.

Meanwhile, Willow channeled her magic, causing roots and vines to erupt from the ground. They snaked and writhed, attempting to ensnare the creature’s limbs and restrict its movements. The creature, though, effortlessly weaved through the entangling vines, evading their grasp and with a click of its bony wrist, it sliced through the roots, severing them with ease.

Vee, who had taken the form of a large werewolf, had blood staining her grey coat, charged at the monster from the side. Her powerful grip caught hold of the creature’s long arms, preventing it from tearing her to shreds.

“Now!” Vee’s voice rang out, prompting Amity and Willow to swiftly fly on their staffs to soar through the air to get behind the creature. With practiced precision, they unleashed their unique abilities, entwining the creature in an intricate web of roots and oozing purple clay. Vee pulled away just in time, so she wasn’t encased with the creature. However, the vibrant colors of the purple matter and roots began to decay rapidly, withering away, until the creature finally burst free from its entanglement.

“It happened again!” Amity exclaimed, swiftly ascending into the sky to evade the creature’s vicious swipes. Vee tackled the creature, bringing it crashing to the ground.

Gus, observing the entire scene from the sky in front of the house, gradually descended to the front yard.

Camila, stepping outside and witnessing the fights, expressed her shock when she saw the two creatures. “Those are the things that destroyed my room!?” she exclaimed.

Concerned, Gus turned his attention towards Luz and Camila, who were now exposed.

“Luz, you and your mom shouldn’t be out here,” the boy said.

Luz, furrowing her brows, tried to argue with him, but…

“You should listen to the boy,” came the familiar voice that somehow managed to maintain a calm tone that irritated her to the core. Glaring at Belos as he approached them, his blue, glowing eyes fixed on her.

Instinctively, she took a step back, assuming a defensive stance with her fists raised, causing Belos to halt. However, something began to emerge from his chest - a glass bottle with something attached to it.

He yanked it off from his neck, extended his hand and offered it to her.

The sight of the cerulean blue liquid, though in a small amount, widened Luz’s eyes.

“Titan’s blood!” she exclaimed, swiftly taking it from his hand.

“You found titan’s blood?” Gus asked Philip, astonished.

Philip remained silent as Luz unfolded the piece of paper taped to the bottle with confusion. She saw it contained words drawn in a specific pattern. The words were…

“That’s the teleportation spell,” Philip answered before she could inquire about the pattern while he turned his gaze to watch the other teenagers continue to brawl with the monsters. “I need you to find a safe place with the others and activate it. It will transport you somewhere.”

Luz took a while to process what he was telling her. “What…?”

“Masha will be there to meet you and -”

“Wait, Masha?” Luz interjected, annoyance creeping into her voice, making Philip turn to her. “Why would Masha be out at this late hour? Wait, were you with them? Why were you with them? What are these creatures? What exactly is going on?”

“Luz, please calm down,” Gus said, a hint of irritation in his voice from Luz’s barrage of questions, even though he also wanted to know the answers to those questions.

“Listen,” Philip said in a stern voice to the girl. “That titan’s blood will let you use that teleportation spell. There is someone with Masha that can possibly help you get more titan’s blood, so don’t worry about using it –”

“Hunter!” Camila cried out, interrupting Philip, her eyes wide in horror.

Philip whipped his head to see the boy crumbling to the ground, landing on his back with a resounding thud, his staff falling far from his grasp. The creature had struck the boy off his staff harshly.

Time seemed to stand still as the scene unfolded before Camila. She saw the creature lung forward, aiming to drive its jagged nails directly into Hunter’s chest as the boy didn’t even have time to recover from the shock his body endured from the rough landing.

The boy’s eyes widened, but just as he thought he saw his last moments in his life, a blur of movement erupted before his eyes. Time snapped back into motion as a green figure had streaked across the scene and collided with the monster with all his strength. The creature, caught off guard by the unexpected strike, skidded helplessly across the pavement, its momentum abruptly halted.

Hunter’s breath hitched in his throat as overwhelming relief washed over him. He blinked, his gaze rising to meet the sight of the familiar horns sticking out of the figure’s head.

The realization of who had just saved him sank in, leaving his mind momentarily blank.

The creature regained its footing and lunged towards Philip, lashing at him. Claws shot out from Philip’s fingers to intercept each frenzied attack. The creature struck from multiple angles to try to overwhelm the man, but Philip blocked each blow. With swift precision, Philip seized the abomination’s wrists, his claws locking around the appendages. For a moment, time hung suspended, the creature’s empty dark sockets locked on Philip’s glowing blue eyes. Then Philip yanked the creature forward, its grotesque head colliding with a sickening thud against his own. The creature faltered, momentarily losing its balance.

Philip released one arm quickly. His left arm morphed into a dense, muddied matter and shot forward with all his strength. Like a battering ram, it crashed into the creature’s twisted chest, sending it flying across the air before it crashed into the nearest garage. The building groaned under the weight of the impact. Its structure quivering as the creature’s form imprinted itself upon the wall.

Philip withdrew his arm, the muddy mass retreating to its previous state.

His piercing gaze met Hunter’s, even though Philip could feel the guilt threaten to grasp his heart and threaten the control he had on his current form.

“Get up, Hunter,” he said to the boy. “Gather the others and join Luz. She’s going to teleport you all away from this mess.”

Hunter, who was still having a hard time processing what was happening.

“But…” the boy was cut off when his ears perked up as a chilling scream cut through the air, coming from the second creature that was caught in a web of thorns and relentless roots.

With beads of sweat forming on her brow, Willow stood with her trembling hands outstretched in front of the creature. Her body trembled with exertion as she pushed herself to continuously bring forth fresh thorns and roots to burst from the ground and ensnare around the creature, replacing the decaying counterparts.

Vee had launched herself onto the monster’s back. Her claws tore into its neck, and she pulled and yanked, desperate to tear the creature’s head from its body.

Amity flew forward on her staff, and, with a sharp purple spear, she struck the creature’s neck by the front. Both girls fought against the creature’s desperate resistance. Vee’s claws and Amity’s spear dug deeper into the creature’s flesh and bone. Then, with an anguished cry, Vee wrenched the creature’s head back, a cascade of blood and ichor spewing forth right at Amity.

Vee fell backwards, her body crashing against the pavement, the severed head rolling away from her grasp.

“Not going to lie… that was intense…” Vee muttered as she turned back to her human form and tiredly sat up.

The thorns and roots that were entangled around the creature ceased from withering. Willow, her energy spent and her knees buckling beneath her, sank to the ground. The green glow in her eyes dimmed, replaced by a profound relief. Her body trembled with exhaustion, sweat mingled with dirt streaked across her forehead.

“We did it!” she let out tiredly, but still managed to throw a punch of triumph up in the air with a grin.

Amity slowly flew to the ground, covered in brown looking blood. She groaned with disgust as she tried to wipe it off her face.

“Of course, this would happen to me,” she grumbled.

“You guys were awesome!” The three heard Luz’s voice. They turned to see her waving at them with a huge, proud wide smile.

Luz had imagined the worst when she saw her friends fighting the creature, but when she saw them take it down, she couldn’t help but be filled with so much joy and relief.

Hunter smiled as well at his friends for defeating one of the creatures, but then his attention was pulled away as the second creature emerged from the rubble. It staggered forward, but then stood there for a moment, its disheveled form quivering with a violent tremor.

In an instant, Philip sprang after the creature, who was sprinting towards where the girls were gathered.

Without hesitation, Hunter jumped to his feet and snatched his staff. In a brilliant flash of yellow, he teleported to where Willow was before whisking both of them away.

Amity swooped down to Vee’s side, who leaped onto the staff and shot out to the sky fast just when the creature slammed itself into roots and thorns that encased the second creature. The roots withered away fast in its presence.

Philip stopped in his tracks in shock as the creature began to merge with the lifeless husk of the second creature, their flesh knitted together. Bones cracked and reshaped to connect to one another, their legs melting together as it also reached out to the severed head on the ground, its elongated fingers wrapping around it.

A sickening squelch echoed through the road as the creature shoved the severed head to its putrid flesh on the abdomen area. The head fused just like the rest of the flesh from both creatures.

The air seemed to grow heavy and thick as the new mutated creature stood taller and thicker with four looking arms now protruding from it. Their movements were disjointed, like a marionette controlled by unseen hands. The two legs had merged with the other two withstand the weight.

If someone were to ask Philip when he first came to the Boiling Isles what the scariest and ugliest creature he had ever laid eyes on, he would probably say it was all the living beings in the island, but now… he questioned his younger self, judged himself for being so blind to believe anyone in the Boiling Isles was a monster when standing before him was a soulless husk of a being that stared at him with dark voids that looked like it came straight from a nightmare.

He was a fool to even think Luz’s friends were monsters…

The mutated creature turned to face Luz, where everyone had gathered. The mouth from the second creature’s flew wide open, before both heads let out a screech in their direction, making everyone freeze in the spot.

The creature tried rushing at them, but Philip’s arms shot forward, grasping two of the creature’s arms. His clawed feet had to dig into the pavement in desperation to hold the creature from moving, but his own limbs shook from the profound new strength of the mutated creature.

Philip’s blue eyes flashed towards Luz’s direction.

“Get everyone out of here!” He yelled at her before the creature’s other arms twisted back slashed down at the green matter that was holding it back.

Philip hissed in pain, retreating his arms back as the deep gashes he had just received on his flesh sizzled as if they were burned.

In a blink of an eye, the creature dashed at Philip. He quickly jumped to the side to avoid from getting lashed at its two left sharp hands, but one of the right hands gasped one of Philip’s ankles and threw him across the road.

Gus watched the man hit the pavement hard, but he jumped back to his feet before he did his best to evade the mutated creature’s frenzied attacks. The creature had grown faster, and now that the creature had four limbs attacking at the same time, it made things difficult for Philip. And even though he was dodging almost each slice, there were a few that landed, leaving cuts on his arms and torso.

But Philip didn’t react when he received a new injury, instead, his emotionless blue orbs stayed focused, trying to parry some of the long nails trying to shred him apart.

The boy turned to his group of friends who were still in shock at the mutated creature.

“We have to help him!” he exclaimed to them.

Luz pulled herself together and looked down at the glass bottle and the paper that contained the supposedly, teleportation spell to a safe place.

She had the urge to have her mom drive them away as far as they could, create the portal and use the little bit of titan’s blood in the bottle to go back to the Boiling Isles. Especially since she still had doubts that the pattern of glyphs was indeed a teleportation spell…

But the whole thing with Masha waiting for them in some safe place didn’t seem like something Philip would make up at the spot.

“Philip gave me the pattern to teleport us to somewhere that we may be safe,” Luz said, getting everyone’s attention.

“Wait, is that Titan’s blood?” Amity asked, finally taking notice on what she was holding on one of her hands.

“Why isn’t he taking his other form instead?” Hunter couldn’t help but ask himself out loud while he observed Philip unable to land any sort of attack on the creature due to the large creature having an advantage with four long limbs keeping him away. Philip would try to morph his own limbs, but he had to hold back on that to block another attack that was coming close to his face this time. “He’s faster with the other form. If he stays like that, he’s doing to be stuck playing defense.”

“Maybe he can’t?” Willow pointed out with confusion and then winced when the mutated creature was able to slash a deep gash across Philip’s exposed chest, drawing out green ooze.

“We should do what he said and teleport out of here,” Camila spoke up, getting everyone’s attention. “He’s distracting the monster, and as long as we stand here, we’re in danger and Philip won’t be able to escape himself.”

“But what if this pattern isn’t a teleportation spell?” Luz asked her mom with a frown. “What if it’s a one way to kill us?”

“If he was trying to kill us, then wouldn’t he just let the monster do it itself?” Vee asked with an eyebrow raised, making Luz fall silent.

‘I think Philip has given up on his mission,’ Gus’ words replayed in her mind.

Luz gripped the titan’s blood tightly. The teleportation spell, according to Belos, would use the titan’s blood when activated. He claimed someone could possibly get more of it for them for the portal to the Boiling Isles, but what if they couldn’t?

But…

Seeing Willow, Vee, and Amity looking drained and carrying a few bruises and cuts from fighting one of the creatures made her chest tightened up and make her come to a decision.

“Grab what we may need from the house,” Luz told the group quickly. “Like the instructions from the portal and, well, anything else that’s important. Then let’s meet up at the back of the house.”

Everyone nodded, except for Gus, who looked uncertain, and Hunter, who was staring at Belos finally land a massive blow to the creature’s chest, sending it flying to the ground a good distance on the street.

“Come on, guys,” Vee said, pulling on Hunter’s and Gus’s arms which prompted them to finally join the others who had gone inside the house.

Quickly, everyone spread out after grabbing a bag or backpack and filled it with anything they thought was important.

Gus and Vee were in the kitchen, stuffing black garbage bags with boxes of snacks, protein bars, and water bottles.

Luz retrieved the instructions that Philip had written for them from her room before joining Willow to gather a change of clothes for everyone.

Amity was quickly washing off the blood on her before putting on a fresh of clothes.

Camila grabbed the backup first aid kit, and other supplies for medical uses from her bedroom, but also stood for moment in the middle of her room and looked at her bed before going over it and reaching underneath it for a specific thing hidden there.

Hunter wasn’t sure what to grab. Well, he wasn’t even thinking about it much as his mind kept replaying how Belos had saved him from one of those monsters…

He didn’t understand why the man had done such a thing.

Didn’t he want him dead…?

He stood there by the doorway, feeling everything so far out of reach before his body unconsciously turned to witness just in time Belos somersaulting over the towering creature.

The man twisted his body midair, landing on the creature’s broad back, perched on its shoulder. Philip’s left arm morphed into a sharp appendage. He tried aiming to sever the abomination’s head from its form. But the creature twisted all four limbs with a sickening chorus of cracks, snatching Philip’s body and yanking him forward. The grip held him in an embrace, squeezing the life out of Philip as the creature’s head contorted with a sickening pop, its neck twisted to an unnatural angle, so its black empty sockets locked onto Philip’s face.

Philip struggled against the creature’s arms, but the creature’s sharp nails dug into his flesh to keep him in place. The creature’s jaws parted, revealing its blood-stained teeth before it tried tearing Philip’s face off.

Hunter’s instincts screamed at him. Energy crackled and surged through his veins thanks to his staff, and in an instant, he teleported by the two and unleashed a yellow blast that collided with the side of the creature’s twisted face, causing it to recoil.

Hunter teleported behind the two figures and sent out more sharp blasts at the creature’s arms, causing its grip on Philip to falter.

Philip seized this moment to use the creature’s own body to propel himself away. He contorted in mid-flight so he could land on the ground next to Hunter.

Without hesitation, Hunter grabbed his arm and teleported them to a safe distance from the creature, who was taking its time to twist its arms and head back into place.

The boy released Philip and glared up at him, as if challenging him for disobeying his order.

“You can’t fight it alone,” Hunter said in a stern voice. “So, I’m going to help you take it down and I’m not taking a no as an answer.”

Philip said nothing for a moment and simply stared at him with his glowing blue orbs. The boy was right; the monster was far too powerful for him to take it alone… Especially when he could feel his mind threatening to make him lose the hold he had on his current form.

“Very well,” he said, which made the boy look at him with surprise that he gave into him helping him.

They turned to look at the creature when it let out another screech from both heads.

“Hunter!” Hunter looked to the side at his friends who had gathered by the doorway when he heard Luz call out to him with concern.

“It’s fine!” he called out. “Belos and I can take care of it! You guys just gather everything we need so we can teleport all together!”

Luz and his friends looked at his direction with concern, and they were going to go and try to help him out, even though majority of them were worn out from their fight, but their intentions were swiftly halted by Hunter deftly teleported both himself and Belos atop the creature, while Hunter materialized farther back, allowing Belos to land upon the creature’s back. Belos dug his claws into the creature’s neck, just like Vee had done before. Before the creature could attack him with his arms again that twisted back, Hunter unleashed multiple blasts on them to keep them off Philip.

The creature flung itself to the ground, to try to crush Philip beneath its weight, but Hunter promptly teleported to Philip’s side, whisking them both away. As the creature crashed on the pavement, Hunter positioned Philip above it. Philip wasted no time and, with a swift motion with his claws, he sliced one of the creature’s limbs. Hunter teleported them away just as the creature’s other appendages aimed to impale them.

Discarding the severed limb aside, Philip maintained his glowing eyes on the creature as it rose back up.

“How many blasts can you unleash with your staff?” he asked the boy.

“Multiple,” Hunter replied.

“Then ascend to a higher altitude and unleash as many as you can upon it while I deal with the remaining arms.”

“But I won’t be able to avoid hitting you…”

“I’ll heal,” Philip said simply. “Now, go!” He dashed to the creature while the boy pursed his lips and quickly charged his staff. Once it bathed in a vibrant yellow radiance, he teleported high into the sky directly above the creature. As he began his descent, he unleashed a torrential downpour of yellow blasts, striking the creature and the surrounding road.

Philip evaded the creature’s strikes before both found themselves trying to avoid the barrage of blasts. But, seizing the distraction on the creature, Philip swiftly shot at it and swung his clawed arm, severing the creature’s lower left limb. Undeterred by a blast striking down on Philip’s right shoulder, he lashed out again at the creature, slicing off the upper left arm with a powerful stroke.

A blast struck Philip’s head, making him almost lose his footing, and made Hunter cease his attacks. At that moment the creature’s bottom head shot out like a snake, sinking its sharp teeth into Philip’s left bicep, causing him to gasp in pain before the creature forcefully slammed him into the ground. Green ooze spurted from the wound, splattering in all directions. The searing pain threatened to paralyze Philip momentarily.

Hunter teleported himself close to the creature and unleashed a piercing blast directly at the creature’s last arm, just as it aimed for Philip’s head. The creature stumbled to the side, emitting a piercing screech.

It desperately attempted to dislodge the second head from Philip’s arm, but Philip’s right claws pierced through the skull with all his strength, tearing out the decaying brain.

The creature staggered back once more, its shrieks filling the air. Ignoring Hunter’s attempt to teleport them away, Philip pushed his hand aside as he tore the severed head from his arm.

Despite his left arm hanging limply at his side, Philip propelled himself forward.

“Let’s finish this,” he said.

As if reading the man’s mind, Hunter teleported to the creature’s rear and blasted at the legs, throwing it off balance. It toppled backward onto the ground, and, at that instant, Philip extended his right-hand claws longer than before and ran at the creature. He jumped on its chest and pierced the creature’s head, seizing the brain with a powerful grip before yanking it out. And just like that, the creature’s body laid limp on the road, with Philip’s right claw drenched in the creature’s blood.

“Damn…” Vee was the one to break the silence that had fallen on everyone as they stared in awe at what they had just witnessed as their friend stood silently on the road, still in a stance as if ready to fight in case the creature pulled another trick on them.

His friends knew Hunter had trained at a very young age to be a formidable warrior but witnessing in person his quick thinking that helped Philip from getting hurt and aiding him to take the creature down amazed them.

Even Amity who had fought him once realized at that moment she was lucky that he was tired the day they had fought back at the cave in the Boiling Isles. At first, she thought she had truly fought him when he was at his best, but apparently, she had indeed engaged with him when he was probably in his weakest point.

What also left them speechless was the way Hunter and Philip had worked together as if they were one… as if they have been doing it for years.

The creature’s limp body began to slowly turn into a black liquid then it slowly began to sizzle into nothing but black smog into the air. Even the blood on Philip’s right hand turned into smoke. And within a few minutes, the body had complete disintegrated, which made Hunter finally relax in his stance with a sigh of relief and finally felt the weight of exhaustion hit him.

A smile almost made its way to his mouth, but he quickly remembered who he had fought alongside with….

He straightened himself and hesitantly looked up at Belos who stood across from him up on the road.

The blue orbs were trained on him, emotionless, which caused Hunter’s chest to feel nothing but emptiness.

The boy looked away before making his way to his friends.

“Luz, get that the teleportation spell ready,” the boy said like an order he would give to someone in the coven.

Luz went over to the road and began to use a blue chalk from a stack her mom had bought a few months ago for them to use on back of the house for fun.

She drew the pattern exactly how Belos had wrote down on the piece of paper he had given to her while everyone made their way over to her with everything they had gathered to leave since they have been compromised by whoever sent those creatures after them.

Truth be told, she had so many questions that she needed answers to, and she was still hesitant to activate the glyphs pattern once it was all drawn on the floor, but there was one way to assure her that the whole thing wasn’t some sort of way to kill them in one go.

She stood up, her cold eyes landing on Belos while everyone got on the glyphs pattern.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked him. “I’m not activating it till you’re on it.”

Philip met her gaze.

He wasn’t surprised that she refused to trust him at this moment. Especially since the whole situation was probably so confusing for her and her friends. But he was relieved that he had arrived in time, that none of them were –

“Vee, are you okay?” He heard Amity say with concern and he glanced at the direction to where Vee crumpled to her knees, her hands landing on the concrete ground to keep herself steady. Then her body shifted to her green serpentine body, revealing to everyone what she had been hiding underneath her magical disguise, a body marred by deep gashes, blood seeping from the wounds.

Philip’s stomach dropped at the sight while Camila acted swiftly, her voice urgent as she instructed Willow to help lay Vee down while she rummaged through her packed bag, retrieving the medical supplies she had decided to take with her. She knelt beside Vee, her hand steady despite her heart racing.

“Hay, mija…” Camila said sadly as she tended to Vee’s injuries, quickly cleaning them so they wouldn’t get infected. Amity was by the girl’s other side, doing exactly what Camila was doing, but on the girl’s left arm.

Willow held her friend’s head on her lap, hating herself for not realizing that the creature had been successful with harming Vee, especially since Vee was fighting it in close range.

The wounds appeared severe, but a weak smile graced Vee’s face.

“It’s… it’s nothing,” the girl insisted, her voice strained, but did her best to make everyone that had gathered around her not to look so worried. Despite her effort to do such a thing, her face grew pale.

“We need to get her out of here before anything else attacks us,” Amity told Luz whose eyes were wide, filled with worry at her sister’s state, asking herself why she didn’t do anything to protect her from the creatures.

“Luz,” Hunter grabbed her shoulder and gave it a shake to snap her out of her trance, which worked immediately.

“Alright, everyone, make sure you’re on the pattern,” she instructed before glancing over to Philip, who was standing frozen from a distance, eyes fixated on Vee’s battered form.

‘That is your fault…’ the dark voice hissed. ‘You let her get hurt…’

A whirlwind of emotions surged within him. Guilt began to consume him as a whole as the dark voice clawed at his mind. As much as he tried to, he could not tear his gaze away from the raw wounds that marred Vee’s body.

The dark heavy weight seemed to seize his weakened moment to suffocate him.

He finally pulled away from the sight, but he somewhat curled into himself as his grip on his current form began to loosen. His body began to warp and shift painfully.

‘Your… fault…’

He tried to calm himself down, to stop the voice from making him fall apart, not realizing someone was trying to catch his attention. Everything seemed to blur around him as his body was consumed with agonizing pain. He tried desperately to hold on to that warm light that he had felt inside thanks to Masha’s embrace, but it seemed so far out of reach now as self-hate took a powerful grip on him.

He had failed to protect Vee… a child that has suffered so much already due to his selfish actions.

He had failed Masha to protect her friend…

All he could imagine was Masha’s face looking at him with disappointment just like his brother does whenever he sees him…

As he struggled, something pulled him to gaze upon Amity’s staff, to stare at the radiant aura that only he could see at the moment. Then, his attention was drawn to the other staffs held by the children; they too held a radiant glow that his body yearned for, burned for…

Pure… untainted light…

In that moment, Hunter felt his stomach drop when Philip’s blue eyes landed on his staff and the boy could all sense the dreaded danger that his palisman was in. Multiple memories of how Belos had crushed the palismen in his grasp before sucking their life essence rushed in his mind.

Hunter immediately pulled his staff behind him, out of the man’s line of sight before he glared at him.

“Don’t you dare even think about it!” the boy snapped at him, feeling completely defensive to protect his best friend, no matter what.

The boy’s outburst made Luz and the others look at him with confusion and snapped Philip’s thoughts back together before his mind reeled with panic at the realization of what he was craving for.

‘And now you’re going to hurt them because you’re too pathetic to control yourself,’ the voice whispered. ‘Because you want to hurt them…’

No…

‘You want that light, don’t you…?’ the voice teased. ‘Then take it…’

No…

‘Suck them dry like the parasite you are!’

No!

He didn’t want to hurt any of the palisman… Never again… That was the last thing he wanted to do after everything he had done to the children.

“Philip,” Gus called out louder, after trying quite some time to get the man’s attention, but then his concern grew when Philip backed away from them with teeth clenched hard.

The man’s arms clutched around himself as the green and brown mass shifted more on his body as fear consumed him. Fear that he would end up harming them…

“Philip?” the boy began to make his way to the man. “Listen to my voice, Philip,” he tried to say, but Philip felt the powerful pull to rip the palisman from the boy’s hands. His body contorted again, violently this time, and when Philip felt the urge for the light more than ever before, he did what he thought was best…

He ran.

He dashed to the forest, but to the opposite direction from where the church was at.

“Philip, wait!” Gus called out, jumping on his staff, and flying after him.

“Gus, don’t!” Luz yelled after him while Hunter cursed under his breath and jumped on his staff too.

“Luz, teleport everyone out of here,” Hunter said. “I’m going after Gus.”

“But we can’t leave you two behind,” Luz said stubbornly. “We don’t even know where this teleportation spell is going to take us.”

“We have no choice,” the boy argued. “Don’t worry, I’ll get Gus and later find you guys somehow. Trust me, I wasn’t made into the Golden Guard at a young age just because I’m some clone of Belos’ brother.”

Luz pressed her lips into a thin line as she stared at Hunter, worried for Gus. But she knew the longer she kept Hunter from going after Gus, the more danger the boy would be in.

“Alright,” the girl said before she stepped closer to the middle of the drawn-out pattern, near the rest who were still tending to Vee’s wounds.

“Please be careful, Hunter,” Camila told the boy while Willow and Amity looked at him with concern.

The boy gave them a sharp nod before he began to ascend to the air.

Luz hated herself for feeling so useless… and she fought the urge to take one of her friends’ staffs and go with Hunter to find Gus, but… the way her sister laid there on the ground, still looking pale as her mother was strapping some gauze on her chest told her where she was needed the most right now.

With one last glance at the boy, Luz slammed her hand into the ground before the glyphs began to light up in different colors and the rest glowed in yellow.

Then they were gone.

And Hunter took this chance to fly as fast as he could into the dark and silent forest after his friend.

Philip's form after retaining some control ^

Chapter Text

By vitanzhuravlik : ), ohhhhhh man, love this so much, Philip looking like a bad ass in his somewhat controlled form, like, ahhh, he look so cool, thank you! Peeps can follow them through: https://www.tumblr.com/vitanzhuravlik

By Angstyhikka : ), and I love it, like, so much angst, the horror element to every facial expression from Philip, ahh, my heart! thank you! Peeps can follow them through: https://www.tumblr.com/angstyhikka

These following pieces are made by levshany : ), they are all amazing, ahhh, I legit was amazed how you took many different scenes of the story and drew them, like, damn. The Masha one with their flashlight for sure hit the feels and Philip's agnsty moment got to me due to those being from emotional scenes x.x, thank you! Peeps can follow them through:  https://www.tumblr.com/levshany

Hehehe, this one is so cute... Philip's lack of knowledge and just looks so confused here and Masha being all protective since they haven't really explained to Philip about their pronouns x.x. One step at a time for Philip :'). and hehehe, yahhh, grandad-grandchild dymanic !

By oxbloodraws : D, they drew Twig! Ahhh, thank you for drying the cute little birdy <3, she is so cuuute. Peeps can follow them through: https://www.tumblr.com/oxblooddraws

Masha was sitting on the front bench in the chapel, staring at the spot Philip had marked with an intricate pattern where their friends would show up. Well, supposedly would be teleported to when the spell was activated on their end. On phone clutched in their hand, countless unsent messages were punctuated by exclamation marks, texts that were meant for Vee but failed to go through for whatever reason.

They had been waiting for what felt like an eternity while the nuns and Father Francis conversed in a distant corner. Finally, Sister Lilian and Father Francis strolled down the hallway, while Sister Margaret approached and settled beside Masha.

“How are you holding up?” she inquired serenely. Her eyes maintained their sharpness yet conveyed a flicker of concern.

“I’m okay,” Masha replied, leaning against the bench. Their eyes rose to take in the angelic artwork in the round frames on the ceiling.

“We’ll figure out how to get a hold of your parents, so they know you’re okay,” Sister Margaret said.

“I don’t really think my foster parents would care honestly,” Masha responded. “I mean, they’re out of town for who knows how long, so yeah, don’t worry about it.”

Sister Margaret felt sympathy for the child.

“I’m just worried about my friends,” Masha said. “That woman, Elizabeth… I don’t like her at all.”

Sister Margaret observed her in silence, not wanting to comment yet, allowing Masha to continue.

“The way she looked at Philip… and spoke to him, as if he were some kind of… I don’t know… it really gave me the creeps,” Masha admitted, brows furrowing. “And the fact he was thinking of going to her… just made me so angry at her.”

Sister Margaret agreed with Masha. The way Elizabeth had played with Philip’s mind, with his insecurities about being a danger to others and managing to make him consider letting her ‘have’ him, also stirred some emotions in her. The whole situation, honestly, threw her off. She would have thought Philip, being the terror that he was in the Boiling Isles for centuries, would be the one playing mind games with Elizabeth, but instead, she had turned the tables on him and made him so compliant…

“I know Philip has done many terrible things, and usually people don’t just change, but… I truly believe he wants to change and can change,” Masha stated, turning their gaze to the older woman. “He went to help my friends out. He’s trying to do the right thing. And I know he has a long way to go to make amends, but… do you think I’m some naïve kid for trying to help him?”

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Sister Margaret asked. “That Elizabeth called you naïve?”

“What if… Philip truly gives up and surrenders himself to her?” Masha asked a bit quietly, their eyes falling to their lap.

“Do you think he would do that?”

“Well, he almost did, from what we saw earlier,” they mumbled. “He really feels guilty for what he did… He even made a deal with my friends to seal him up forever once he helped them go back to the Boiling Isles.”

‘That’s what you yearn for, isn’t it?’ Elizabeth’s words replayed in Sister Margaret’s head. ‘To be locked up, never to see the light of day again?’

Sister Margaret sighed.

So… Philip had truly had his mind set to be locked away somehow forever…

“You really care for Philip, don’t you?” Sister Margaret asked, which honestly confused her in a way. What was the child’s connection to him?

“Yeah, I do, even though I just met him,” Masha said with amusement, making Sister Margaret raise an eyebrow. “Let’s just say an ancestor of mine had a big influence on him, and I guess that just makes me feel like we have some connection from that.”

Sister Margaret was lost by Masha’s explanation.

“I guess maybe I am being naïve here,” Masha sighed to themselves. “I don’t believe in destinies, but I still like to believe me crossing paths with Philip has to mean something.”

“I think you have a good heart, my child,” Sister Margaret commented calmly. “But I do warn you just like I warn others who have pure hearts such as yours. Don’t let anyone deceive you nor let yourself be taken advantage of.”

“That’s what… my brother used to tell me back in the day,” Masha said. “But I don’t think Philip is trying to pull anything on me or others. He doesn’t even want to tell my friends how sorry he is because he thinks it wouldn’t make any difference; he says it won’t fix anything he has done to them.”

“Wait…” Sister Margaret frowned as their words dawned on her. “The kids he went out to go save, they have no knowledge of his remorse?”

Masha shook their head. “He doesn’t want them to know. He doesn’t believe he deserves a second chance.”

Sister Margaret let out a weary sigh.

Of course, that would be the situation Philip was putting himself in.

The man was so good at taking a self-destructive route.

“And honestly, I want to tell them how sorry he is when they arrive,” Masha said.

“I’m sorry, Masha, but we have to respect Philip’s decision not to tell them,” Sister Margaret responded.

“But…”

“I know you want to help him, but if your friends are going to find out that he feels regret for what he has done, it will be best that it comes from him.”

Masha longed to argue, but deep down, they knew Sister Margaret was right. As much as they desired to aid Philip by revealing his true feelings to Luz and the others, it should be his responsibility to address them. He had to gather the courage to face them or, at the very least, acknowledge that while an apology wouldn’t repair everything, it served as a promising start for a second chance if he decided he wanted it.

“We can’t get any service anywhere,” said Sister Lilian as she and Father Francis approached Masha and Sister Margaret. “Even the landline is unresponsive.”

“They probably have something to do with it,” Father Francis speculated.

Masha sighed, glancing down at their phone, still devoid of signal bars. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Twig perched on their phone, gazing up at them with vibrant gray eyes.

The presence of the bird brought a smile to Masha’s face. “Hey, Twig,” they greeted, gently stroking the bird’s head with their thumb. The bird leaned into the touch. Masha then turned their attention to Sister Lilian with curiosity. “So, if you’re not a witch, how did you come across Twig?”

“My adopted mother introduced us to one another,” Sister Lilian explained. “She was a descendant of a witch and Twig used to be her partner until she decided it was time for Twig and me to work together. In a way, we’re partners as well, I suppose, even though Twig never took in her true form until now.”

Masha blinked in confusion. “Her true form?”

“Currently, the form she is in is her true form. From what my mother had told me, Twig had taken the shape of a wand for many years,” Sister Lilian revealed. “Even my mother and her dad never saw her take any other form.”

Masha was surprised to hear such a thing and looked down at the bird. “Why didn’t you reveal yourself before?” they asked Twig.

The bird simply looked down, appearing sad. With a chirp, she told them she didn’t want to talk about it, causing Masha to feel remorseful for prying.

“Sorry, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Masha said to the bird.

“Do you truly understand her?” Sister Margaret inquired, her gaze fixed on Masha, who nodded in response.

“Can you?” Father Francis directed the question to Sister Lilian, who shook her head.

“Twig is rather interesting, isn’t she?” Sister Lilian remarked, a hint of amusement gracing her smile as she turned to Father Francis. “I heard palismen communicate only to certain people. Palismen are rare, but there are others who work with them, and they take various forms.”

“Really?” Masha asked in awe. “I guess that explains why the other palismen that I know can turn into staffs.”

“A staff you say?” Father Francis asked with curiosity.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool, and they can fly on them,” Masha said.

Twig chirped at Masha, telling them they can do that, too.

“You can?” Twig jumped off them before it morphed into a long staff. Masha quickly jumped to their feet and grabbed the staff with both hands so it wouldn’t fall to the ground. “Whoa!”

“You’re right.” Father Francis watched in amazement as Masha ran their hand along the wooden surface of the staff. “These palismen are fascinating,” he said to Sister Lilian.

“So, what’s the plan when the other children arrive with Philip?” Sister Margaret asked. “I don’t think they will be safe here while those ‘demon hunters’ are outside.”

“Well, I was trying to contact someone in New York City, since they’re the closest one that could help us but-” Sister Lilian’s words were cut short by a sudden burst of bright yellow light emanating from the corner of the room, where the pattern was drawn. In an instant, a group materialized out of thin air.

Masha was initially filled with joy, but as the light faded, their heart skipped a beat when they laid eyes on Vee lying on the ground, wrapped in gauze and bleeding from deep scratch marks.

“Vee!” Masha exclaimed, rushing over to their injured friend while Father Francis and the nuns stared in a mix of surprise and shock to see an entirely different sort of creature lying so severely injured.

Sister Margaret and Father Francis still couldn’t believe their eyes as were introduced to this new sort of world ever since they found Philip in the church building.

Luz, Willow, and Amity turned their bewildered gazes towards Masha and then surveyed their surroundings, recognizing the familiar church.

“This… is the church we visited last time,” Amity slowly pointed out as she recalled the day they had gone out with Philip. Her head was filled with so many questions ever since Philip had made a big deal about witches entering the building in the first place and even had a panic attack himself when he had taken a step inside. So… why would he send them there?

Masha knelt beside Vee, their face filled with worry.

“Hey, Masha,” Vee weakly addressed their friend. “It’s alright. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Masha grabbed Vee’s hand, tears welling up in their eyes.

“Let me help,” Masha heard Sister Lilian say. The woman stepped forward as Father Francis, and Sister Margaret maintained a respectful distance, avoiding overcrowding.

Luz was about to demand who she was, but then she saw the staff that Masha was holding turn into a wand and leap into Sister Lilian’s hand.

“A palisman?” Willow questioned, her confusion evident on her face as she and her friends stared at Sister Lilian as she waved the wand in the air, which emitted a radiant light. She then aimed it at one of Vee’s wounds, specifically the one on her chest that was somewhat bandaged up. The light enveloped the injury, gradually closing it up.

Everyone in the room looked surprised and Camila couldn’t help but experience an overwhelming sense of relief. Her gaze filled with gratitude as Sister Lilian continued to mend each injury without pausing even for a second.

“Thank you so much for saving my little girl,” Camila said, finally allowing herself to shed the tears she had withheld upon seeing how badly Vee had gotten injured from the fight against the terrible monster.

“No need to thank me,” Sister Lilian responded with a warm smile, unwavering in her task. Eventually, all the wounds disappeared. Vee still looked pale, but she now looked relaxed as she closed her eyes. “She’s going to be alright,” Sister Lilian reassured. “But we should probably let her rest somewhere in peace.”

Luz knelt next to Vee, gently placing a hand on her sister’s head. “Thank you,” Luz whispered to Sister Lilian, restraining herself from asking the countless questions she had for the woman, especially at the fact she had round ears but was able to use magic.

Masha wiped away the tears from their eyes and noticed there were a few people who did not teleport into the chapel.

Their brows furrowed in concern as they turned to Luz. “Where are Philip, Gus, and Hunter?”

Gus raced through the dense forest, going as fast as he could to keep up with Philip. But suddenly, he lost sight of the man. The boy came to an abrupt halt, scanning his surroundings for any sign of Philip.

“Philip?” Gus called out, receiving no response. The forest remained eerily still. “Philip!” he shouted again, this time louder than before. Just then, a sudden crackle resonated from behind. The boy swiftly turned just in time to see a burst of yellow light darting towards him, revealing Hunter.

“Are you crazy?” Hunter lectured his friend. “You can’t just fly after him like that.”

Gus was about to argue, but before he could utter a word, a swooshing sound emanated from between the trees nearby. In an instant, something hurtled towards them, but Hunter teleported them to a higher altitude, evading the attack.

From high up in the trees, they spotted Philip, now fully transformed into his beast form, the very same one that they had fought back on the Boiling Isles. The massive form collided with the earth as it landed with a thud. The creature’s gaze fixated on them before it unleashed a ferocious roar, its once-glowing blue eyes now somewhat dimmed.

“We need to get out of here,” Hunter said immediately to his friend, grabbing his arm.

“We can’t leave him like this,” Gus retorted, wrenching his arm free from Hunter’s grasp. “Especially as he is right now,” he added, observing as Philip leaped onto a tree and swiftly ascended to the top, ready to pounce on them.

Gus swiftly evaded Philip’s giant, beastly hands as they swiped in his direction, narrowly avoiding their reach.

“Philip, stop!” Gus called out as he descended into the forest. He then shot forward, Philip relentlessly pursuing him. The boy noticed, over his shoulder, Philip had a noticeable limp. Philip's left shoulder was bleeding profusely, compromising his speed.

Hunter teleported beside Gus, attempting to navigate through the forest, both teens skillfully avoiding collision with the trees. “Gus, he’s after our palismen,” Hunter informed Gus, his voice strained. “We need to get as far away from him as we can right now. The two of us aren’t a match for him.”

“I told you we can’t leave him like this,” Gus said, annoyed. “Especially after he came to help us with those monsters. If we don’t do anything to get through to him right now, then it may be impossible later.”

Hunter wrestled with conflicting emotions. Part of him had the urge to grab Gus and teleport them far away, leaving Belos behind. Yet, the vivid memory of Belos saving him just in time earlier and fighting alongside him resurfaced in the boy’s mind.

But damn it… he had told Belos he was done with him the other day… He didn’t want anything to do with him.

He contemplated expressing to Gus that if they were in Belos’ position, the man would have just taken advantage of and killed them. However, the fact that Belos fought against those monsters instead of allowing them to turn them into shreds made the boy change his tune.

“Last time, Vee absorbed some of that magic to help us calm him down,” Hunter recalled. “How can we stop him without her?”

Gus pressed his lips into a thin line as he tried to think of a plan while still flying from Philip.

“I’m not sure, but he’s still there, so I’m going to try to talk to him.”

“I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

“Well, it’s the only plan I’ve got,” Gus said, swiftly turning to face Philip as he barreled towards them. With a flash of intense blue light, Gus’s eyes emitted a radiant glow, shrouding Philip in complete darkness and freezing him in his tracks.

The beast frantically scanned the enveloping darkness, his dimmed blue eyes searching for the light it had been pursuing.

“Philip!” a voice called out from the void. “I know you can hear me. Please, try to calm down. You can fight that curse like you did before. I know you can.”

Growling, the beast lashed out, swiping at the impenetrable darkness, as if attempting to strike whoever dared to address him.

“Stop it, Philip!” echoed another voice, distinctly different from the previous one. It sounded so familiar to the beast that it made him stop. The intensity of the blue glow in Philip’s eyes surged a glimmer of recognition sparking within him.

“That’s it, Philip. Everything will be alright,” the voice reassured. "You just need to calm down.”

The creature slowly began to retreat, his chest heaving with tremors now.

“Ca…leb…?” the beast let out quietly, now looking confused.

“It’s okay,” the first voice said, and before him materialized a young teenager with dark skin. His hands were raised in a gesture of non-aggression - the staff nowhere in sight – and his eyes were radiant with the same blue glow. “It’s me, Gus,” he said gently. “You remember me, right?”

Philip stared at the boy, his mind struggling to piece together fragmented thoughts. Slowly, he clutched his head, emitting low growls that revealed the profound agony he was going through.

“You’re going to be okay,” Gus reassured, stepping closer to Philip before he slowly released the illusion he had over the man, bringing him back to the forest. Gus’s eyes went back to normal as well.

“Do… don’t get… clos-er…” Philip managed to utter, his voice strained, as if each word was difficult for him to let out. He continued to back away until a tree trunk met his back. He had the strong urge to lash out at the boy, but he did his best to hold back.

He still had a hard time making sense of his thoughts, but he kind of recognized the boy. And something deep inside desperately told him not to hurt him.

He tried fighting against the dark pull that had threatened to consume his thoughts.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Philip,” Gus said in a soft tone. “I’m just trying to help you.”

Help him, he said… but why…?

The image of the serpentine child, covered in countless injuries and bleeding, came to Philip’s mind, making his chest twist and turn.

‘Your fault…’

“My… fau..lt…” Philip’s fragmented words reached the boy’s ears, picking up the guilt and regret that came from the man’s tone. Gus exchanged a puzzled glance with Hunter, who held both of their staffs, maintaining a good distance in case Belos tried to go after the palismen.

“What’s your fault?” Gus asked Philip patiently.

“Vee… hurt…” the beast responded.

“Since when do you care if one of us gets hurt?” Hunter’s words carried a hint of defensiveness.

“Hunter….” Gus cast a frown at his friend. They were trying to help Philip come back to himself, not make him feel worse and possibly lose the battle to control the curse.

The boy turned his attention back to Philip.

“Hey, man, what happened to Vee wasn’t your fault,” Gus assured him. “Unless you sent those monsters to us, which I don’t think you did, right?”

Philip managed to shake his head quietly after contemplating the meaning of the boy’s words.

“And honestly, you saved us, Philip,” the boy pointed out. “If you hadn’t come to help us, we might all be dead by now.”

Philip didn’t respond, but slowly he released his grip on his throbbing head and turned his full attention to him. Even though the beast couldn’t show any sort of expressions on his face, Gus could sense he was looking at him with confusion.

“Camila is helping Vee out,” Gus said. “And from what I remember from your memories, you know how we can do some healing spells. Maybe you can teach me how to heal Vee?”

Philip stared at the boy, but then when he glanced at the staffs that Hunter was holding, he couldn’t help but curl into himself.

The urge to devour the palismen hit him hard. He desperately wanted some of that glow, especially after he had failed to hold on to the warm light that he had received from a certain young teenager.

But something told him not to eat them.

Philip grasped his head, overwhelmed by the desire that suffocated him.

“Pa…lismen…” he uttered, his voice filled with longing and shame. “I… want…”

Gus offered a reassuring smile. “I know that’s what you want, but you don’t want to harm them, right?” he asked, disregarding Hunter’s perplexed expression. “You don’t want to hurt any of us anymore.”

Hunter’s frown deepened. “What are you talking about?”

Ignoring Hunter’s question, Gus maintained his focus on Philip and cautiously approached him.

“Gus, don’t get close to him.” Hunter readied himself with his own palisman to teleport in case Belos attacked Gus.

Gus again ignored his friend. “That’s why you’ve been acting strangely lately, isn’t it?” he asked Philip. “Why you made that deal with us, to help us return to the Boiling Isles?”

Philip turned his gaze hesitantly toward Gus. His blue eyes were emotionlessly staring at the boy, but mentally he was completely confused by Gus’s words.

Then he realized Gus was standing remarkably close. The boy knelt and gently cupped Philip’s face, feeling the usually goopy green mass that now possessed a subtle firmness.

At first, Philip tensed up from the touch, but… he felt a familiar warmth from the boy’s touch, echoing the recent embrace he had mentally tried so hard to hold on to. Drawing nearer, the beast’s blue orbs briefly vanished as he leaned into the boy’s supportive hands. Within that moment, he felt the boy sooth away the pain that consumed him, pushing away the dark pull that threatened to break him apart.

And strangely, the urge to devour the palismen diminished into a faint memory.

“You see, you’re not going to harm us.” Gus grinned, his gaze meeting Philip’s reawakened blue eyes.

Observing the scene with utter confusion, Hunter couldn’t believe his eyes.

Gus was holding on to Belos’ face, and the man was allowing him to. Even though Belos had yet to show any signs of returning to his human form, he seemed in control. Well… somewhat… from what he could see, Belos was still out of it, acting more like a beast than a man, but at least he was calm as a cucumber for now.

Questions ran through the boy’s head, questions that demanded answers.

Answers he felt he had a right to have.

“Gus,” he said calmly.

The younger boy turned to his friend, meeting his serious gaze.

Gus assumed what was going through his friend’s mind, and he couldn’t blame him for wanting an explanation for what exactly was going on.

The thing was, Gus was only hypothesizing what might be happening to Philip. Well, he only assumed Philip didn’t want to hurt them anymore, but he wasn’t sure why… And the only way to get the answers to the sudden change in Philip’s actions was to ask the man himself.

And of course, that meant they had to help Philip first.

“Let’s talk about things further once we’re back with the others,” Gus suggested. “But for now, let’s get out of here. It’s not safe for any of us.” He encouraged Philip to get up.

Philip slowly rose on all four, staring at the boy silently as he released his face and took a step back, looking at him with a gentle smile.

But then the boy’s smile faltered as something whizzed past them, striking Philip’s chest before erupting into a devastating explosion.

The beast’s agonized screech filled the air as he staggered backward, colliding with a nearby tree before collapsing in a writhing heap of pain.

“Philip!” Gus rushed to the beast’s side, concern written on his face as he knelt beside him, his hands instinctively reaching for him.

He and Hunter turned in shock toward the source of the attack. A figure lurked amidst the trees, crouched low before rising to his full height.

“Mason here,” the young man said through his earpiece. “I got him.”

He confidently approached the boys. His black suit adorned metal pads, his brown gelled back. In his grip, he held a peculiar giant gun that emitted an ominous red aura.

Hunter’s instincts screamed at him to teleport Gus and Belos to safety. But at the last second, he threw Gus’s staff at his friend before he smoothly intercepted an incoming attack that came from Mason’s weapon by sending his own blast from his staff.

“Alrighty then,” Mason chuckled, a cunning glint in his eye as he unleashed a barrage of relentless shots. Hunter deftly twirled his staff, summoning counterblasts to neutralize each oncoming projectile.

As Mason advanced while firing his shots persistently, Hunter quickly planned what they should do. As the man got closer to them, the option to teleport himself and Gus away was out of the question. He couldn’t risk one of the blasts landing on his friend if he stopped blocking each blast.

He thought about getting closer to Gus to possibly teleport them away successfully, but since he wanted certain answers from Mason, Hunter had another idea in mind.

Hunter sprinted toward the man, his staff ablaze with yellow energy while he continued to counter every assault. A gleam of anticipation ignited in Mason’s eye as he watched the boy get closer. Then Hunter vanished in a blink of an eye, appearing right behind Mason as he swung his staff at the man’s back. Mason evaded by propelling himself forward, narrowly evading the strike as he anticipated the move. Reacting instantly, he rolled to the side, dodging a blow to his head, and used his gun as a makeshift shield to block another blow that was aimed at him. But then, with a decisive strike, Hunter swept his staff in an arc, dislodging the gun from Mason’s grasp. The weapon spiraled through the air, landing several feet away from its owner.

Then Hunter stomped on the man’s chest and shoved the end of his staff against his neck, keeping him in place.

“Damn kid… you’re not what I expected,” Mason grunted with amusement through his gritted teeth. His gaze fixated on Hunter’s piercing magenta eyes.

“What do you want from us?” Hunter asked coldly, ignoring the man’s comment.

Mason managed a smug smirk. “I suppose I could tell you,” he said with amusement. “After all, you’re going to die anyway.”

Hunter glared at him before adding more pressure to the man’s neck, causing Mason to cough a bit.

“We want that beast of yours,” Mason let out, making Hunter narrow his eyes. The man took this moment to activate the fire glyph embedded in the palm of his gauntlets. Flames erupted from them, and Hunter barely avoided them by back-flipping as searing fireballs soared through the air, leaving trails of scorching heat in their wake.

Mason sprang to his feet before he unleashed another volley of fireballs at the boy, who deflected each of them with his staff. The clash of the staff against the flames echoed through the air. Then, with a graceful twist, Hunter spun in mid-air, gaining momentum before delivering a powerful strike with his staff at the man’s head. Mason blocked it just in time, his arm absorbing the impact with a pained grunt. Mason countered with a right hook, aiming to catch Hunter off guard.

However, Hunter intercepted the punch with an outer block with his left arm and then swiftly used the man’s own momentum against him, pulling him forward while simultaneously propelling himself backward, before he brutally kicked the man straight in the chest.

The brutal impact sent shocks through the man’s body as he crashed back to the ground, gasping for air.

Hunter stood his ground, posing himself so he was ready to continue the fight without any issues.

Meanwhile, Philip attempted to sit up, only to crumple back to the ground, his hands clutching his injured chest that was currently a mess of torn flesh and searing burns. He was not healing as he should be, which was something that Gus took notice of, especially by the way his shoulder was still bleeding.

As pain coursed through Philip’s body, the beast instinctively distanced himself from Gus as his eyes flashed towards his staff.

“Hey, it’s okay, you’re going to be okay,” Gus said, putting a firm hand on the creature’s good shoulder. He was beginning to panic big time as he felt completely useless right now, unsure of what to do, especially with Philip wounded and completely lost. He glanced back when Hunter kicked the man to the ground.

“We need to get Philip out of here,” he called out to Hunter with a shaky voice, but suddenly countless thorn vines sprang from the ground, latching onto Philip’s limbs before they drove him down to the ground, hard.

Gus didn’t have time to react as a gust of wind slammed into his back, sending him hurtling through the air before his body collided with the bumpy terrain, stealing breath from his lungs.

Hunter swiftly teleported by the boy’s side, helping him sit up. Gus struggled to regain his breath, coughs wracked his body, and the sting of scraped skin on his face and arms accentuated the throbbing ache resonating through his entire body.

“This isn’t good.” Gus heard Hunter utter under his breath, which made him look up in confusion before he saw an assembly of armed men advancing towards them. The metallic glints of the weapons trained on them made both boys tense up. They were greatly outnumbered.

Gus subconsciously held on to Hunter’s arm tightly and felt his heart racing as he stared with wide eyes at their situation, completely ignoring the way Mason groaned as he sat up and hugged his chest in pain.

Two figures stood apart from the men that surrounded the boys. They saw a woman with short blond hair walking over, paying little heed to them, her gaze instead fixated on Philip. A mixture of amusement and a profound longing for the beast radiated from her eyes, leaving an unsettling feeling in both boys. What really got their attention was the strange suit that she was wearing: black yet radiating some sort of blue glow.

Beside her, a tanned skin man wielded a peculiar wand, like what both boys have seen witches use in movies, its surface adorned with cracks that emanated a dark green light. For some reason, the wand looked wrong, even though they weren’t sure why that would be the case.

The boys didn’t move, seeing as they were surrounded by countless men ready to shoot them. Hunter was contemplating teleporting himself and Gus out of there, but as he watched the woman make her way to Belos with those greedy eyes, Hunter stood still as he remembered what Mason had told him about them wanting Belos.

“Look at what they’ve done to you, my precious beast…” Elizabeth cooed, her words dripping with a chilling mix of delight and possessiveness. The beast’s eyes, lost in pain and confusion, stared into Elizabeth’s dark blue gaze.

A wicked gleam danced in Elizabeth’s eyes as she took her time to settle beside ‘her’ beast.

Oh… how she had been waiting for this moment since she had seen the footage from those cops… How she wanted to just firmly grip him and never let go.

Earlier she had the urge to wipe out the church with that child and nun in it for keeping what should be hers, but when she heard Philip was out taking down some of her men in the forest, oh she couldn’t help but be so delighted with the news.

Philip didn’t recognize her at the moment, but his instincts did scream at him to get away from her. He let out a feral growl that cut through the tense air and tried lashing out at her, but more vines sprouted from the earth, ensnaring his neck and forcing him into submission.

“No, none of that,” she playfully scolded him while she pressed her palm against the crown of the beast’s head. Her cold touch felt completely wrong to Philip, sending shivers down his spine as her fingers trailed possessively through the tangled strands of the beast’s long, grey hair.

Hunter couldn’t contain the defensive surge within him, the one he didn’t think he had left for Belos, as he stared at the scene before him.

“Don’t you dare touch him!” he snapped at her.

Elizabeth’s eyes flickered with irritation, her hand gripping a fist full of Philip’s hair. Her disdainful gaze turned to Rafael.

“Get rid of them,” Elizabeth commanded coldly. She didn’t want anyone else bothering her as she spent her time with her beast, especially after her interaction with Masha and the nun earlier.

Rafael raised the crackling wand, channeling the energy within it. With a wave of his wand, thorny vines erupted from the ground, shooting toward the children.

Hunter moved, using his staff to shoot at the vines that came at them, but countless more took their place, overwhelming the boy.

“Damn it,” the boy let out, seeing the other men around them charge their guns. And even though he didn’t want to, he grabbed his injured friend.

“Wait, Hunter, don’t!” Gus cried, but it was too late. Hunter whisked the two of them away multiple times, teleporting them far away from the scene. Leaving a vulnerable Philip behind with Elizabeth, who chuckled darkly and glanced back at him.

“Finally…” she said with a dark, sweet voice. She forcefully tugged on the strands of Philip’s hair, her other hand gripping his bearded chin, forcing his face to meet her gaze. “Ah, yes, my dear… Where were we?”

A drawing I did of Masha, how they currently look like, with Twig as a staff, didn't want to post it above since staff is spoilers hahaha~

Chapter Text

1. The following art piece is made by potluckfandoms : ), Love it, especially the way Philip is caught like that, hahaha, angsttt, and Masha, ahh, always so adorable. Thank you so much for drawing this! Peeps can follow them through: https://www.tumblr.com/potluckfandoms

2. The following meme is referring to chapter 11, drawn by kami-calypso : ). It's referring to when Philip tells Gus to end his life, angst~ Thank you for drawing this, it's funny : ), and peeps can follow them through: https://www.tumblr.com/kami-calypso

3.   The following meme is drawn by tartsinarat , hahaha, i loved it, made me laugh. Camila is the best. Thank you so much tartsinarat for drawing a funny meme : ). Peeps can follow them through: https://www.tumblr.com/tartsinarat

“Yes, they did it!” Jacob exclaimed, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. He and his cousin, Jason, have been watching intently on the live monitor that was coming from one of the men’s helmets. The armored men had closed in on Philip and the two children, but then, in an instant, the kids vanished into thin air.

Although the group had failed to kill any of the children and seize one of their staffs, they got their hands on their primary target - exactly what Elizabeth wanted.

Jacob and Jason sat side by side inside a concealed van, joined by a third person, who relayed instructions to their comrades via a microphone. The van was discreetly parked on a forested road, blending within the shadows, while other vans remained hidden across the area.

While Jacob reveled in their apparent victory, Jason couldn’t shake off a nagging sense of unease about their situation.

Like… what was the reason they were brought along on such a mission…?

Elizabeth had made it abundantly clear that she was desperate to lay her hands on this Philip creature, who was powerful, so she needed all the most trained men to help her out.  Including him and Jacob, who possessed no valuable skills to offer to the organization, seemed strange. Jason had witnessed firsthand how the organization had callously sent trained fighters to their deaths just to test the creature out. So… if the organization didn’t hesitate to sacrifice skilled henchmen who could have contributed to other missions significantly, why would they keep Jason and Jacob around…?

“Jacob, I need to talk to you privately, outside,” Jason said, rising from his seat. Jacob paused mid-cheer, furrowing his brow as he turned to face his cousin.

“What?”

“I said I want to have a private conversation with you outside,” Jason reiterated firmly.

“No way!” Jacob protested. “I’m not missing out on what’s about to happen!” He glued his eyes to the monitor with unwavering eagerness.

Growing impatient, Jason gripped Jacob’s arm tightly. “I’m dead serious, Jacob,” he said, with annoyance seeping into his voice. Ignoring Jacob’s futile attempts to break free, Jason began dragging his cousin towards the van’s exit.

The third person inside the van ignored them, remaining focused on their own task as Jason and Jacob stepped out and closed the van doors behind them.

Immediately, a chill breeze swept through the air, but Jason paid it no mind as he pulled his cousin a short distance away from the van, venturing deeper into the forest.

“What’s your problem!?” Jacob snapped irritably once Jason released his grip.

“Jacob, please tell me you aren’t this stupid,” Jason responded with exasperation.

“Hey! I’m not stupid!” Jacob argued defensively, clearly offended by shooting a glare at his cousin.

“Well, you could have fooled me,” Jason retorted, crossing his arms on his chest. “Honestly, do you not see how fucked up everything is right now?”

“What do you mean?” Jacob inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Jason ran a hand down his face, feeling as though he were speaking to a child. “This organization, they’re hunting children-”

“Witches,” Jacob grunted, interrupting with a condescending voice filled with pride. “And you call me stupid? Ha, can’t even tell the difference between children and witches”.”

“They’re children, Jacob,” Jason said with his tone growing serious. “Magical children, and these people literally just tried blasting them to death.”

“And…?” Jacob’s nonchalant response caught Jason off guard.

Jason narrowed his eyes at his cousin. “Seriously…?”

“What?” Jacob shrugged, oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

Jason heaved a frustrated sigh. Clearly, either Jacob lacked any sense of empathy towards children, or the man was too much of an idiot to think things through. Which prompted Jason to take a different approach if he wanted them to get as far as they could from the organization.

“Look, don’t you find it strange that we’re here without actually contributing to their mission?” Jason asked.

“Says you. Unlike you, my dear cousin, I’m actually important,” Jacob scoffed, which received him a deadpan stare from Jacob. “I’m serious, I’m very important,” he insisted. “I possess extensive knowledge about demons and witches, and I’m here to help them if they require my expertise on how to eliminate them.”

Jason rubbed the corner of his eyes, sensing that reasoning with Jacob might be an uphill battle.

“Jacob... I hate to break it to you, but you’re nothing more than a laughingstock to them,” Jason stated bluntly.

“Of course, you would say that. You’ve always been jealous of me.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jason scoffed. “Why on earth would I be jealous of you?”

“Because I’m the smart one, unlike you and all our cousins,” Jacob boasted arrogantly.

“You’re nowhere near as intelligent as you think, Jacob. You’re literally a joke to the family.”

“Excuse me, who turned out to be right about demons and witches being real?” Jacob challenged.

Jason opened his mouth to respond, but paused, his words caught in his throat. A smug grin crept across Jacob’s face.

“That’s what I thought,” Jacob hummed triumphantly. “All of you thought I was crazy, and yet here we are, assisting those who hunt these monsters to protect humanity. And you can’t handle the fact these amazing people have accepted me as part of their group.”

“Part of the group, you say. Then you must know what those armored vans carried, right?”

Jacob blinked in confusion. “What armored vans?”

“The grey ones, Jacob… the ones that violently shook before we were forced into our own van,” Jason clarified, growing increasingly frustrated.

Jacob rubbed his chin, as if struggling to recall the details. “Oh… right… Hm… maybe they had bears inside, ready to battle the witches!”

Jason stared at Jacob in disbelief. “Oh, my god… you’re going to get us killed,” he whispered in shock. He knew his cousin was very naïve, but he didn’t think he was that dangerously oblivious. “I need to get out of here,” Jason began to pace, feeling trapped. He couldn’t just leave, could he? He knew too much now. The moment he had encountered that creature on the road, he had become a liability to the organization.

Now he thought about his fellow partners. He hadn’t been able to contact them since the organization confiscated his phone. He got the urge to hijack one of the vans and check on his partners at their homes, but… unfortunately, he was merely an average cop, not a super-agent like those he was stuck with.

“Can I leave now?” Jacob asked with an air of boredom. “I really don’t want to miss anything in case something happens.”

This was precisely why everyone in the family couldn’t stand Jacob. He was naïve, desperate for attention, and didn’t seem to care about putting himself or anyone else in danger, especially if it was for the sake of gaining fame.

Jason was on the verge of snapping at Jacob and tempted to run off and leave him behind, but he couldn’t just leave Jacob behind. He was family, after all, even though he was so annoying…

Also, after thinking things through, Jason knew they couldn’t just escape. The organization had their identities on record, and no matter where they went, they would be found. Getting a new identity, moving to a different country, starting a whole new life seemed like the only way out.

But… It was easier said than done.

Jacob, growing impatient, decided to return to the van without waiting any longer for his cousin. Jason stood alone in the forest, lost in his own thoughts, and slowly getting the daunting feeling that, honestly, there was no way out for the two of them…

Hunter sank to his knees the moment he stopped teleporting himself and Gus as far away from the danger as possible. Both boys were trying to catch their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Gus’s racing heart was due to a mixture of relief for narrowly escaping death and panic over leaving Belos in the clutches of those unknown people. Meanwhile, Hunter’s mind raced, contemplating their next move.

Hunter was debating if he should continue escaping with Gus and get out of Gravesfield. Or should he go back and try to rescue Belos?

Hunter’s teeth clenched as the mental image of Elizabeth petting Belos as if he were a mere pet burned in his mind. He tried to convince himself that he shouldn’t care, since he was done with him, yet…

‘My precious beast,’ the woman’s words echoed in Hunter’s mind. Disgust swelled in him at the way she spoke to Belos as if he were a mindless creature. As if… he belonged to her.

And for a moment, the boy asked himself how dare she speak to Belos in such a demeaning manner? Who did she think she was to treat him as some sort of possession?

And that’s what that group viewed Philip as. As something they can own…

The boy turned to Gus, noticing how the boy was trembling a bit, which prompted him to grasp his shoulders gently.

“Are you okay?” Hunter asked, genuine concern lacing his voice. His gaze was fixed on Gus’s face, marked with cuts and smudges of dirt.

Gus took slow, deep breaths in an attempt to steady himself before meeting Hunter’s worried gaze. “We have to go back,” he let out, his mind flooded with the memory of that woman and her behavior towards Philip.

“I know,” Hunter replied, surprising Gus. He had expected to argue with his friend about saving Philp, but he should have known Hunter wasn’t the type to abandon someone in need.

Gus rose to his feet alongside Hunter once he got his bearings down, but his friend kept a firm grip on his shoulders and gave him a serious look.

“You stay here,” Hunter instructed, causing Gus to look at him with confusion. “I’m going back for him.”

Gus’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy?” he exclaimed, shocked that his friend would even entertain such idea. Hunter couldn’t just teleport Philip away since the man was currently held captive with magic. Hunter would need to fight off Philip’s captors while simultaneously trying to liberate him. “You can’t take all of them alone! I know you’re strong, Hunter, but there are too many of them, and their weapons somehow prevented Philip from healing. Who knows what would happen if you got shot by one of them. And that guy with that magical wand… I’m pretty sure he knows how to use magic very well with it.”

“We don’t have any other choice,” Hunter argued. “We have no clue where the others are, so we can’t get their help, and I refuse to put you in any more danger.”

Gus couldn’t deny his fear in their current situation. Philip was in his beast form, which would make it difficult to extract him without possible resistance. After all, he was very unpredictable in that form. Furthermore, if they reappeared at the scene, they would most likely be met with immediate gunfire if they didn’t vanish in seconds.

The woman also posed a threat, especially as they didn’t know what she could do…

But Gus was adamant. He wouldn’t allow Hunter to face this alone.

Then, a spark of an idea ignited him. “There might be a way I can help,” Gus said to his friend, his voice tinged with uncertainty though. “But… I’m not entirely sure if I can pull it off.”

“What is it?” Hunter asked.

“Do you remember when Adrian, the head of the illusion coven, tried to brand me with a sigil at school, and I lost control of my magic, placing the whole school in an illusion?” Hunter nodded in recollection. “Well, maybe I can try to do something similar,” Gus suggested, reaching into his shirt to pull out the magic amplifier that he used as a necklace. “Or… I can put them all under their worst nightmares, like I did with that head coven and his goons.”

“Both… are complex spells to pull off, though, aren’t they?” Hunter replied quietly. He had seen Gus pull them off, but he seemed to have only been able to do that if he was pushed into an emotional state.

Gus nodded. “Yes, they are, but maybe I can do it.”

“What if you can’t?” Hunter challenged. “Gus, I’m sorry, but we can’t risk it. I can’t let you get hurt or worse. These people want us dead. You’ve seen it.”

Gus clenched his hand tightly around the magic amplifier, contemplating his next move.

He had only been able to utilize the powerful illusion spells back at school and hadn’t attempted to use them since then. Well, he did use weaker versions of it on Philip, but… something within him stirred – a pull or a feeling that was telling him that he could do it…

He ignored Hunter’s frown. Probably his friend could tell that he wasn’t going to change his mind.

And he was right.

He wasn’t going to just stand around and do nothing. Especially as he recalled how the woman gripped Philip’s hair harshly.

Oh… how that image made anger rise within him, and a sense of determination surge.

Gus lifted his gaze to meet Hunter’s eyes. “I can do it.”

“Gus…” Hunter began, his voice laced with hesitation.

“You guys fought and defeated those monsters,” Gus interjected. “I didn’t do anything, so let me help right now.”

Hunter’s gaze fell to the ground as he felt torn between his desire to protect Gus, whom he considered as a younger brother, and his willingness to risk himself for Belos, despite not fully understanding why. He couldn’t bear the thought of dragging someone else’s life into danger.

“Hunter, please,” Gus pleaded, his tone serious as he stepped closer to his friend. “I can do this. I know I can. I can’t let you go alone.” Gus grasped Hunter’s arm, ensuring that Hunter wouldn’t teleport without him. “Let me help…”

Hunter had the urge to pull away from the younger boy’s grip, but Gus’s determined eyes held him down, making him reconsider his plan to get Belos back.

6-year-old Elizabeth found herself being scolded by her nanny in a room after being discovered dissecting a dead bird in the backyard.

“A young lady should not be doing something so disgusting, Elizabeth,” her nanny said, exasperated. “How many times do I have to tell you cannot do something like that?”

“I don’t understand why it’s an issue,” Elizabeth grumbled, unimpressed by the nanny’s reprimand. “I just want to see what’s inside it. And I didn’t kill it this time, I swear. It was already dead.”

The nanny pinched the corner of her eyes and shook her head, expressing her concern about the consequences she might face if Elizabeth’s parents were to find out. “And look at your beautiful dress, it’s such a mess and your parents are going to be here any minute.”

Elizabeth glanced down at her light-yellow frizzled dress, attempting to wipe off the dirt and smudges.

Her nanny turned her attention to a young teenager who was standing silently in the doorway. “And you, Rafael, you’re supposed to be keeping her out of trouble,” the nanny scolded him.

Rafael, uninterested, simply crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, offering no response.

“Don’t you think you can get away with anything just because you’re my son, Rafael.”

Suddenly, a commotion arose, catching Elizabeth’s attention. Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly jumped off the chair and managed to evade her nanny’s grasp. Rafael merely stepped aside to let her pass. Elizabeth dashed out of the room and down the hallway.

Her heart quickened with anticipation as she pushed open the ornately carved double doors and stepped into the grand hall. The hall, bathed in the soft glow of candelabras suspended from high ceilings, illuminated the intricate paintings of countless angels on the walls. Her gaze swept the room. She beheld a group of men, distinguished and grave, and clad in somber black cassocks with white clerical collars. Standing in the center, they talked among themselves.

Elizabeth ignored them before rushing to a large window, peering out to see a grand carriage being pulled by four horses. Many men surrounded the carriage, brandishing certain weapons.

“Oh, my dear, what have you gotten yourself into?” a woman with long blonde hair approached Elizabeth with a sigh, disapproving of her daughter’s disheveled dress.

Her mother donned a burgundy dress, the color accentuating her porcelain complexion. Her auburn hair cascaded in loose waves, held back by an intricately braided headdress adorned with glistening gemstones.

Elizabeth, unable to contain her excitement, asked eagerly, “Is that the monster? Can I see it now?”

Her mother frowned.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Elizabeth, that is not how you greet your mother,” the woman scolded the girl.

Meanwhile, her father walked over with a grin, embracing Elizabeth in a hug.

“There you are, my little angel,” he said playfully.

Elizabeth allowed her father to hold her, oblivious to her mother’s disapproving gaze at her lack of reciprocation.

“Dad, I want to see it now,” Elizabeth insisted, ignoring her mother’s expression.

“Not yet, my little angel,” her father responded, gently pulling her away. “We need to ensure it’s secure, so it doesn’t escape.”

Elizabeth pouted, then with dread, she noticed a man with dark brown hair approaching them, accompanied by a younger man wearing glasses and a woman in a hooded cloak. The woman lowered her hood, revealing pointy ears, and a black ferret-like creature with green eyes that stared at Elizabeth. The man with dark brown hair wore a white cross on his chest, but unlike the others in the room, he didn’t don a robe; he wore a dark navy tailcoat adorned with golden buttons, accentuated his broad shoulders and elongated his emasculated frame.

“Elizabeth,” the man addressed her calmly. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“I want to see the monster,” Elizabeth stubbornly insisted, which caused a frown to appear on the man’s face. He turned to her father.

“I promised her she could see it,” her father replied with a chuckle.

“I don’t think that’s wise,” the man responded.

“Why not?” Elizabeth retorted, annoyed by his objection.

The man looked down at her. “Because it’s for your own good.”

Elizabeth’s mouth twisted in disapproval at his explanation. “I’m not going to be scared…”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” the man said, fixing her with a knowing gaze she couldn’t decipher, “especially since you own such… exotic pets, yourself. But this is adult business, my child, and children should not involve themselves in adult matters.”

Elizabeth glared at him, her annoyance palpable.

“I’m sorry, my little angel,” her father apologized, realizing he wouldn’t be able to argue against other man’s decision, which only further aggravated Elizabeth. “Maybe next time when you’re older and when we catch another one.”

Elizabeth felt the urge to kick her father’s knee in frustration.

“Silas, perhaps we can make an exception here,” the young man with glasses interjected, attempting to persuade Silas, the man with dark brown hair. “Kids these days are built differently, after all.”

“The answer is no,” Silas firmly declared as he turned and walked away, putting an end to the discussion.

The woman with pointy ears offered Elizabeth an apologetic smile before she followed Silas, and the young man with glasses rolled his eyes before joining them. Elizabeth continued to glare after Silas. She then shifted her gaze toward her father.

“You promised,” she said dryly.

“I’m sorry, I truly am, Elizabeth, but I can’t go against Silas’ decision, you know that,” her father explained, attempting to justify his failure to keep his word to her. As the others left, Elizabeth found herself alone with Rafael in the hallway.

Of course, Silas would get in the way. But unlike her father, she wasn’t going to do what he says…

She waited for everyone to leave the hall before she and Rafael made their way to her father’s study room, which housed a secret door leading to a hidden passage. They traversed the passageway until it led them to a small door.

Rafael opened it before both crawled out of the hidden passage, finding themselves in a large, dark room. A room that had once been used for hosting illegal fights, where people would come to place bets and indulge in alcohol-fueled revelry, or so she had heard. Her father had hosted such events for years before she was born and got into a new sort of hobby after he had come across ‘interesting’ people that could use magic.

Numerous seats were scattered around the room, but the men in the group had gathered towards the center, where something huge was chained down, surrounded by a circle made up of candles and crosses.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened, not out of fear, but out of fascination the moment her eyes caught of what everyone was surrounding. Slowly, she approached, using the chairs as cover to remain hidden, even though no one in the group was looking in her direction. Rafael positioned himself near the door, ready in case they had to escape. But at the moment, he stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the sight that captivated Elizabeth.

Finally, Elizabeth settled behind a chair that provided concealment while allowing her to observe the massive creature struggling against its restraints. It was enormous and eerily thin, with a human-like appearance and some animal attributes: half of its body was covered in fur, horns resembling antlers protruded from its head, and its face was a grotesque combination of flesh and bone. The creature also looked like it was decaying by the way blood oozed in certain places from its body.

The creature screeched at the men surrounded it, causing fear to ripple through their souls.

Yet, the fear from the men only made Elizabeth draw closer. As she stared at it, she couldn’t help but feel the power it had to cause people around it to be so afraid and the floor to crack from its struggle.

Oh… she yearned to possess it, to make it her own.

The tiger and the bear her father had gifted her were nothing compared to what lay before her. She relished in the fear displayed by the men from the church, savoring the tense atmosphere as the beast continued to fight to break free.

To her… it was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on…

It was so… so…

“Beautiful…” Elizabeth cooed, her eyes glimmered with a greedy light as she continued to gaze at Philip, her desire evident. “But, we definitely need to get rid of this mess,” she said as she yanked his beard. “But other than that, I do like you exactly how you are,” she said with amusement. “You look so… adorable.”

Philips thoughts were hard to grasp at first, but recognition slowly dawned on him. Then memories of Masha and her embrace flooded his mind.

Desperation surged within Philip as he longed to escape Elizabeth’s piercing stare and return to Masha. He struggled to pull away, longing to break free. For some reason he couldn’t get his body to contort itself so he could escape. The tendrils of vines seemed to tighten their grip when he moved. He emitted a growl of frustration, but it only seemed to amuse Elizabeth further.

“I guess we also need to make some adjustments with that attitude of yours,” she said. “I am not fond of disobedience from anyone…”

Tilting her head to the side, she studied his eyes, the blue orbs floating in his black sockets.

“You remember my name, don't you?” she asked the creature, making his ears twitch. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to have something like you…” Her voice resonated with an air of longing. With a grip released from his chin, Elizabeth began running her fingers along his face, exerting gentle pressure against his ‘skin’ to explore its texture, making Philip slightly shiver. “Ever since my father brought a demon sort of monster to our home when I was a child, I wanted one of my own.”

Her touch grew bolder; her fingers explored his cheek before tracing the unnatural contours of his horns and the areas around the multiple eyes that glowed across his body, sending more waves of discomfort and revulsion coursing through Philip. He couldn’t help but feel violated by the way her fingers seemed to leave a lingering mark, as if branding him, her eyes shining with demented adoration.

The pull in his head came back, threatening to shatter the control he had over his thoughts again.

“I’ve waited decades to come to this point…” Her gaze shifted momentarily to his injured left shoulder, which oozed a dark substance. “You poor thing,” she said as she caressed his face. “Don’t you worry, I’ll make it feel all better.” She finally withdrew her hands from him, slid on one of her gauntlets she’d been carrying on her person, and placed it gently on his injured shoulder. He tensed at her touch. “Shh, it’s okay, I got you,” she assured soothingly. Countless glyphs materialized around her gauntlet, emitting a soft glow as they worked their healing magic on his wounded shoulder. Philip felt momentary relaxation wash over him.

“See?” she said with amusement. “I’m here to make sure not only you don’t hurt anyone, but also to not let anything bad happen to you.” Her hand reached underneath his body to press on his chest, remembering the damage that Mason had dealt him in that area.

For a moment, Philip lowered his guard, even though his instincts urged him to flee, reminding him of the danger he was in.

But…

The wounds were gone, he didn’t hurt as much anymore, and for some reason… her hands running through his hair didn’t seem so bad now… though it seemed he was having a harder time processing a coherent thought…

“There, there, all better now,” she whispered, her fingers now massaging his scalp. “I can make all the pain go away; you don’t have to worry about anything else ever again… No more hurt, no more letting that guilt eat you up. I can liberate you from all those intrusive thoughts, I can promise you that.  I can give you what you want…”

His blue orbs vanished for a moment, and he let himself completely relax under her touch.

Her promises sounded so…

Suddenly, there was a big flash of yellow, making Philip’s blue orbs come back to spot Hunter and Gus teleporting back to the area. The younger boy’s eyes flashed blue and before anyone could blast at them, a big wave shot from him, entrancing the men in their worst nightmares. Their eyes glowed blue and widened in horror, and they grabbed on to their heads before they screamed.

Rafael stumbled back and shut his eyes, trying to take deep breaths, he clutched his head as he tried to stop the terrible visions that plagued his mind just like Mason.

“You did it,” Hunter let out in awe as he watched many fall to their knees and others panic.

Gus held on to his amplifier tightly and slowly he made his right eye turn back to normal so he could continue to keep everyone under his torturous spell while observing what was happening around him.

“These children are becoming a thorn in my side....” The two boys froze when they heard the woman mumble under her breath. She slowly rose to her feet and turned to face them with a cold look to her eyes. There was no trace of the blue glow, indicating that she’d been put under Gus’s spell.

“What the heck…?” Hunter let out.

Gus stared at her in shock. He had made sure everyone was hit by his spell except for Philip. There was no way the woman had resisted his spell, unless she had some sort of spell on her that prevented her from getting affected by it.

Or… it was something else…

Hunter immediately stepped in front of Gus, glaring at the woman who somehow was able to avoid getting flooded by her own nightmares.

Elizabeth surveyed the scene around them, taking in how everyone seemed to be stuck in their own heads. She imagined they were seeing things that haunted them due to their horrified expressions painted on their faces.

She noticed Rafael was now on his knees too, teeth clenched hard, hands pressed on his head, as if trying to break free from the spell. She redirected her attention back to the boys before letting out a chuckle.

“I guess I underestimated you, witch children,” she said with an utter calmness to her voice.

“Who are you guys?” Hunter demanded while Gus gripped his staff tighter, his eyes lingering briefly at Philip who met his gaze. The boy noticed his eyes had a faint blue glow to them compared to when he was able to get through to him earlier.

The vines around Philip did loosen up, but he continued to lay there as if he was in some sort of trance.

“What a rude boy,” Elizabeth commented. “Is that how you talk to a beautiful lady such as myself?”

The end of Hunter’s staff glowed yellow as he continued to glare at her, pointing it at her threateningly, but then powerful gusts of wind struck the boys’ hands painfully, causing them to lose their grip on their staffs. With a mix of shock and disbelief, both watched as their staffs soared across the field, landing far out of their reach before vines manifested around them and wrapped around their bodies tightly, immobilizing them.

Their staff quickly turned back into their true forms, but they were also ensnared by vines before they could try to get back to Hunter and Gus.

The boys whipped their heads in Rafael’s direction, who was still on his knees, but now held a fierce gaze, and the wand in his hand was glowing a bright dark green. His eyes were glowing only slightly blue, indicating that he wasn’t completely under the spell anymore.

“H-How is that possible?” Gus stuttered.

“I take it back,” Elizabeth said, amused to the boys’ shocked reactions. “I didn’t underestimate you two after all…” She then made the gauntlet glow with multiple fire glyphs. 

Hunter and Gus panicked and began to struggle against her holds.

Hunter was filled with self-loathing for letting them get caught off guard so easily. He had to get them out of this situation now!

“Wait!” Gus let out, wincing in pain as the vines just tightened around his body. “Hold on, let’s first talk about this!”

“Sorry, I don’t enjoy talking to brats,” Elizabeth murmured as she approached them. The thought of gripping Hunter’s face and just frying it slipped into her mind.

Hunter struggled violently, his heart pounded frantically in his chest, and his muscles strained against the grip that dug into his flesh, causing sharp stabs of pain. Panic surged through his veins from the sadistic look that Elizabeth was giving him. His wide, desperate eyes landed on Gus, who was struggling to keep the spell active while at the same time trying not to hyperventilate.

Although the younger boy’s emotional toll was helping his spell grow stronger, it didn’t help their situation as long as the woman and the guy with the wand were not affected, especially now that Rafael’s eyes were no longer glowing.

Hunter writhed and twisted, but each movement only seemed to tighten the vine’s grip, constricting his chest, and limiting his breaths.

Stupid! He should have never endangered Gus like this. He should have thought of a better plan. Or better yet, he shouldn’t have thought about coming back for Belos.

But damn it… How could he have let his guard down like that? He was so foolishly overconfident. Tears gathered in his eyes from frustration as his heart pounded louder in his ears, his breaths coming in ragged gasps, his fear drowning out the desperation calls from Gus.

This had to be a nightmare… He begged it all to be a nightmare and for him to wake up soon. He then shut his eyes, a mix of anger and sadness welling up within him when Elizabeth reached her hand towards his face.

Why was he so stupid?!

A resounding thud suddenly echoed in his ears, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground with a sickening thump.

He stood there, trying to control his frantic heart, waiting for the agonizing pain that would come from being burned alive, but he felt no pain other than the pressure from the vines. Confusion etched across Hunter’s face as he opened his eyes, finding Belos standing before him in his cursed form, his blue orbs glowing brightly as he stared down at him.

Time seemed to freeze as Hunter took in the sight of the creature. Then his ears picked up a groan of pain, making him slowly look to the side to see Elizabeth lying on the ground, struggling to roll on her back.

“Philip!” Hunter heard Gus yell with overwhelming relief. Philip grew claws from his fingertips and slashed both boys free from their restraints. Hunter then glanced at Rafael, who had run to check on Elizabeth.

Rafael knelt next to her with an unreadable expression, noticing the blood seeping from the side of her head. While they were preoccupied, Philip took this moment to quickly free the palismen as well.

“Hunter, we need to get out of here now!” Gus shook his friend, who was just standing there, staring at Philip in shock. “Hunter!”

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was doing her best to heal the wound of her head. Her eyes squinted at Rafael; her vision blotted with black dots.

“Don’t let them get away,” she hissed.

Rafael gave her a curt nod and stood up. He then began to wave the wand around, making the ground under Philip and the boys’ feet quiver and groan.

“Hunter, snap out of it!” Gus yelled at his friend and at the same time Flapjack chirped at him loudly in his face too, wings flapping frantically. Philip slowly approaching him as if not to scare him.

The moment Hunter caught sight of his partner, he came back to himself and gripped Flapjack, who turned into a staff. He then grabbed Gus, who had taken hold of Belos, before teleporting them out of the area just when the ground rose in jagged spires around them and had tried to ensnare and bury them alive within its clutches.

“NO!” Elizabeth screamed as her ‘beast’ vanished before her.

Just as before, Hunter teleported the three of them away from their previous location, travelling miles in an instant. This left him slightly winded, though not solely from the strain of the teleportation itself, but rather what was plaguing his mind. He released Gus, deliberately avoiding the gaze of the beast that stood by them.

Belos had done it again. Just when he felt he was going to die, Belos had come just in time to save him.

But why….?

Why would the man do such a thing, especially twice in a single day?

While Hunter was trying to make sense of the man’s inconsistent actions, Gus’s left eye continued to glow blue as he kept the spell active for as long as he could.

Philip, on the other hand, felt the urge to grab one of the palismans. He began to back away from the boys, his hands on his head as he grappled with himself. Sensing the man’s struggle, Gus focused on him.

“It’s okay, Philip, we’re okay,” he said in a hushed tone, hesitantly reaching out to place a comforting hand on Philip’s arm and gently pat him. Unlike Elizabeth’s touch, his didn’t feel so wrong. Gradually, Gus felt the man relax.  “See?” the boy smiled up at the man. “We’re safe.”

In Philip’s eyes, the boy appeared unharmed, yet he couldn’t ignore the subtle tremor coursing through Gus’s hand, a sign that the boy was still shaken up from what he had just gone through.

Overwhelmed with guilt, Philip’s chest tightened as he blamed himself for the boys putting themselves in danger to come back to rescue him.

Philip felt pain as his body began to contort a bit, but Gus kept his hand on him, not daring to let him go.

"Just take deep breaths, Philip," Gus said to him just like he had done before. Philip could still feel the guilt, but at the same time the boy's presence was like an anchor he needed to slowly gather himself, and bit by bit, his body began to shrink, the green and brown substance began to pull away from view.

Eventually, he found himself on his knees, hands still gripping his head while his body changed. But his body stopped morphing, leaving him with the horns he usually had, the left side of his face and both of his arms covered with the "cursed" substance. This time though, the right eye of his matched the left one, both now blue orbs glowing within the black sockets and fangs that stick out along his teeth.

At least the other eyes on his body were gone.

Gus waited for Philip to continue to change back completely to his human form, but he saw the green, brown mud like ooze stabilize.

As he saw Philip finally release his head and look down at himself with an unreadable expression, Gus couldn't help but feel a bit worried that there was a possibility in the future Philip wouldn't be able to change back from his beast form…

The boy also couldn’t help but notice countless of scars on the man’s naked torso. The ‘curse’ slightly covering half of it.

Philip would have wished he was back to his human looking self, but he didn't want to waste any more time on himself as he had to think about getting the kids to safety.

When the boys had returned to him, he honestly couldn’t believe it.

In some strange way, his mind came back to himself, and at first, he panicked, but the fact they put themselves in that situation for him was… Well, he wasn’t sure how to describe the feeling he had.  It was a strange warm feeling that blossomed within him, but at the same time, there was a profound sadness… In some way though, both feelings made him come back to himself, prompting him to save the boys just in time.

When he witnessed Elizabeth’s menacing advance toward them, restrained and defenseless, an intense surge of protective fury coursed through his core.

The terrified expressions on Hunter and Gus’s faces as they struggled against the vines that held them in place made him utterly sick.

‘But you have caused many to feel the same way before you took their lives…’ the dark voice hissed, making guilt slither its way to his core again.

His gaze fell on Hunter, at the boy who he hurt so much. The boy was avoiding eye contact with him, looking frustrated.

“Okay, Philip, I really need you to try your best to answer something for me,” Gus said to the man whose gaze remained fixed on Hunter. “Where is Luz and the others? Where did you send them?”

Philip shifted his attention momentarily towards Gus, processing the boy’s words before managing to form a response. “The… church…” he struggled to articulate, his focus drawn back to Hunter, who steadfastly refused to meet his gaze.

Gus was confused by Philip’s response at first, but then he recalled the one time they went to old Gravesfield with Philip.

“The one you didn’t want us going in?” the boy asked.

Philip nodded.

Hunter set aside the conflicts that ate him up, knowing they couldn’t waste any time while they were still in danger, and got on his staff. He flew up past the tall trees and tried to pinpoint the town’s location.

In the Boiling Isles, Hunter would have easily discerned his location and charted a direct course. However, his limited excursions in Gravesfield had left him unfamiliar with the land around them. That was for sure a grave mistake on his part.

He teleported sporadically, navigating the area until he finally caught sight of the river. After a few more teleports, he spotted the familiar road that Camila had driven several times with them – the very path leading to Luz’s house. He returned to Gus and Belos, who patiently awaited his return.

“Come on,” Hunter urged, grasping Gus’s arm firmly. His aversion to touching Belos remained, prompting Gus to take a hold on the man’s arm. In an instant, they were whisked away, emerging on the outskirts of the forest, their eyes fixated on the sight of old Gravesfield.

“Teleport… inside,” Philip said to Hunter, as he didn’t want Elizabeth nor anyone that worked for her to spot them running inside the church. He wanted to take the boys back to the tunnel, but he didn’t want to leave any traces behind or risk of encountering anyone else in the forest. “We… must stay hidden…”

“Can you teleport us inside the church?” Gus asked Hunter, as he had never seen the boy teleport to a location without a clear visual.

“I… am not sure, to be honest,” Hunter admitted with a frown, debating if he should try. Maybe he could do it based on the vague memory he had of the chapel… “But I’ll try,” he decided.

Drawing a deep breath, Hunter tightened his grip on his staff, the uppermost portion emitting a yellow glow. He closed his eyes, doing his best to focus as he recalled the way the church looked inside so he could take them there. Gus held onto his shoulder while maintaining contact with Philip’s arm.

The younger boy hoped Hunter could pull off getting them inside the church so they could reunite with their friends. He desperately hoped Vee was okay and that they could get her the help that she needed while they were all safe from those armored men and the blonde woman…

“Here goes nothing…” Hunter said to himself before he activated the spell.

Gus’s grip on Hunter and Philip tightened up, as if his life depended on it, as everything flashed yellow before their surroundings cleared up and…

“Oh, my Titan, I’m so glad you guys are okay!” the boys heard Willow say with the most relieved tone they ever heard in their lives. They realized they had teleported in the middle of the aisles of the chapel. Willow ran over to them with a grin, grabbing both the boys’ hands tightly, making sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. Hunter, still dazed from everything that had happened, still couldn’t help but feel a small blush run across his cheeks until she let them go.

“I’m going to tell the others,” said a relieved Amity, who was standing by two other adults that the boys had never seen before, before she ran down the hallway.

“You guys really had me worried there,” Willow said to them.

Gus rubbed the back of his head. His left eye finally stopped glowing blue, ceasing the control on his spell.

“Sorry, Willow,” he said. "We would have come back sooner if we could.:

Father Francis and Sister Margaret were staring at Philip with mixed expressions. The man had moved his face to the side after catching sight of them.

“Hunter, Gus!” Luz ran to them, with Camila, Masha, and Amity right behind her.

Masha stopped midway, noticing Philip’s current state. Like Father Francis and Sister Lilian, they couldn’t help but take in the scars that littered his torso. They approached Philip with caution, not wanting to overwhelm him as they also noticed both of his eyes were now glowing blue orbs.

Camila pulled the two boys into a tight hug.

“You two better never run off like that ever again, do you hear me?” she said with tears welling up in her eyes. “Nunca más. I can’t even imagine what I would do if anything bad happened to you two. I don’t think I could live with myself if you guys got hurt, or even worse.” She pulled away from them as she scolded them like she was their mother, a mother both boys didn’t have, one that they wished they had. Seeing how worried she was for them made their heart swell and their eyes tear up as the emotions they were holding back, especially from their traumatic encounter with Elizabeth and her men, came flooding back to them.

“Oh Dios, que te pasó, Gus?” Camila gasped as she grabbed the younger boy’s face, noticing the scraps he had gotten from being attacked by Rafael. “Please don’t tell me it was Philip who-”

“Some humans attacked us out of nowhere,” Hunter said.

Luz frowned at the news, wondering if the humans Hunter was referring to were the same ones that Masha had told them about that had tried attacking them in the church earlier.

“Sorry for worrying you guys, but I couldn’t just leave Philip behind like that,” Gus said with a sad smile.

Camila wiped her eyes before looking at Philip, who was standing few feet from the boys, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.

She had the urge to yell at him for having run off like that, since that led the boys to chase after him, but the fact that he had helped them against those two monsters kept her from throwing her frustrations on him, especially now that the boys were back safe.

“Vee, where is she?” Hunter asked after noticing their friend was no where in sight. “Is she okay?”

“She’s okay,” Luz said, offering them a small smile. “Sister Lilian healed her. Right now, she’s just resting in one of the rooms.” Little did anyone know that Philip was relieved to hear of Vee’s state.

“Sister Lilian?” Hunter repeated in confusion.

“She’s a nun with a palisman,” Luz revealed with excitement. “Supposedly, there are humans that also use palismen on Earth, but Sister Lilian’s palisman takes the shape of a wand.”

Hunter and Gus wondered if the wand that they were attacked with back in the forest was a palisman…

“We were attacked by a group of humans that can use magic,” Hunter revealed to the rest of the group. “Gus had placed majority of them under a spell, so we have some time before they gather themselves and come looking for us here. So, we need to leave Gravesfield before it’s too late.”

“Or we can tend to your wounds first,” the boys heard a woman say as she approached them with a smile. She was younger than the other adults in the room.

“We don’t have time for that,” Hunter argued. “We need to get out of Gravesfield and hide somewhere safe before those men find us here.”

“It’s okay, Hunter,” Willow said. “Sister Lilian, here, told us as long as she’s inside here with us, the others can’t attack us.”

Hunter’s brows knotted together in befuddlement. “Why won’t they attack us here…?”

“I can answer all your questions while I heal you,” she said, motioning the boys to follow her.

Hunter looked at her with suspicion, but noticing how his friends seemed so calm made him kind of drop his hostility he had towards the stranger while Gus glanced at Philip for a moment, noticing Masha gazing at the man.

They hadn’t said anything yet to Philip since he had made his blue orbs vanish. They imagined he was trying to gather himself, so they didn’t want to disturb him.

But they were glad to see him back with Gus and Hunter.

They were extremely worried when Amity told them how he had lost control and had run off before Gus and Hunter chased after him.

Truth be told, they had the urge to go after him too, but… they knew that would have been foolish since there were dangerous men out there and they had no way to defend themselves against them.

Also, they were worried for Vee and were in the room with Camila and Luz, watching over her resting form. She did look better, especially when Sister Lilian had given her some magic to absorb from a magical artifact she had when Vee had woken up for a moment.  

“I’ll be back,” Gus told Masha before he followed Sister Lilian. They imagined they were going to talk to them about what had happened with Philip to end up looking more like a beast. “Come on, Hunter.”

The older boy scanned the room, the same one that Philip didn’t want them coming in that other day because they were witches. He had so many questions for Sister Lilian. At the same time, he had so many for Belos, but there was no way he was going to ask him anything. He refused to talk to him.

Yes, he risked his life to save him from those other humans, but, again, it really meant nothing.

He had only saved him because it was the right thing to do.

That was all it was…

He took a deep breath, getting his mind to focus on what was currently more important, making a mental list of questions he was going to ask Sister Lilian and at the same time plan how they could get out of Gravesfield without being detected.

“Hunter…” The boy felt his body grow cold when he heard the voice, the one he didn’t want to hear ever again, suddenly say behind him.

No…

There was nothing the man had to say to him that Hunter wanted to hear.

But clearly, the man wanted his attention since he used the same tone he would back in the Boiling Isles after he had hurt him...

He panicked, prompting his legs began to move, to follow Sister Lilian, to get as far away as he could from him…but life loved to torture him, for in that moment, the man uttered words the boy never imagined would escape from his mouth.

“I’m sorry…”

Chapter Text

1. The following piece are made by tf2rocks12, and i must say, you make me have certain feels with the art pieces, hahaha, like, Gah, look at Philip in all three, it's like a rollercoaster of emotions x.x. Like all three are so well done from scenes I love so much. The first one, makes my stomach churn for more, second one, philip looks so... good looking... and cool... hahaha, and third one, ahhh, the feels, yesss. Thank you tf2rocks12 for drawing such wonderful works :'). Peeps can follow them through https://www.tumblr.com/tf2rocks12

2. The following memes and art pieces are drawn by dannyatnightfall and I must say, you draw little Elizabeth and Rafael so cuuuute. Ahhhhhh, like, look at them, man, so, so cute, and love how their interaction as well, totally on point on how their relationships is like. Thank you for drawing these little trouble makers : ). Peeps can follow them through https://www.tumblr.com/dannyatnightfall

3. The following are made by oxblooddraws : ), the first one, ahhh, yesss, a full drawn Belos full of angsty feeling, love it so much. The other pieces are a characters drawn owl house style and I honestly think they came out so well, especially Elizabeth since she is an oc. She looks like legit x.x. Thank you for drawing them :'). Peeps can follow them through https://www.tumblr.com/oxblooddraws

The following piece is drawn by asherisawkward and hehehe, it's a joke on how Elizabeth wants Philip : ), and I have to admit.. Elizabeth came out beautiful here , like omg...

Thank you for drawing it : )., Peeps can follow them through https://www.tumblr.com/asherisawkward

Philip was glad to hear Willow call out to Hunter and Gus the moment Hunter transported them into the church building successfully. The relief he felt was one he hadn’t felt in so long.

However, when Philip’s blue glowing orbs met the mixed expressions painted on Father Francis and Sister Margaret’s faces, he couldn’t bear to hold their gaze. A wave of guilt washed over him, especially at how roughed up the boys must look. They were hurt thanks to him.

He had gone out to save the children, to keep them safe, but, instead, they ended up hurt.

Then he realized how monstrous he must appear to them too, even though it was a fitting reflection of who he was… But he definitely couldn’t help but feel shame for being so exposed above his waistline. He had to suppress the urge to pathetically cover himself when Luz, Camila, Amity, and Masha came rushing into the room.

Unsettlingly, he sensed additional eyes upon him, he wasn’t sure from who though.

He felt someone approach him a little too close for comfort, causing him to instinctively take a few steps back. His gaze briefly shifted towards Camila, who pulled the boys into a tight embrace, expressing the intense relief a mother would have to have her children safely returned. He noticed Hunter wiping his eyes, most likely tears, showing emotions that in the past, Philip didn’t want to believe he used to have, or at least would fake them.

The boy was most likely going through overwhelming feelings of joy by the fact someone like Camila was genuinely worried for him, and most likely loved him.

‘Instead of manipulating and hurting him…’ the dark voice hissed in Philip’s mind.

“Oh Dios, qué te pasó, Gus?” Philip heard Camila gasp, her hands cradling the younger boy’s face as she noticed the wounds he had sustained in the fight with Elizabeth and her people. “Please don’t tell me it was Philip who-”

“Some humans attacked us out of nowhere,” Hunter interjected.

Philip couldn’t get annoyed at Camila for instinctively blaming him for the kids’ injuries.

Honestly, it was indeed his fault the kids got hurt…

‘And you have no idea how long I’ve waited to possess something like you...’ Elizabeth’s voice resonated in his mind.

Forcing his eyes to shut, he did his best to fight off the sickening sensation that churned in the pit of his stomach from the phantom touch of Elizabeth’s fingers caressing his hair, his face, his body.

‘It’s still nothing to what you have done to others...’ the voice reminded him.

Right…

He had inflicted far greater harm upon others, especially Hunter, who had the scars to prove it.

He forced down his emotions in connection to Elizabeth and drifted his thoughts to Hunter. Even now, he couldn’t comprehend why Hunter had come back for him. The boy had declared he was done with him. Truth be told, Philip wouldn’t have harbored any resentment if Hunter had abandoned him. Not after all the pain he had put the boy through.

He didn’t deserve the boy’s compassion. And that was why Hunter had returned to him. Hunter was kind, much like… Caleb… Unlike Philip, who seemed to bring destruction to everything he touched.

‘Or simply wallow in self-pity…’ the dark voice scoffed.

Guilt tightened Philip’s chest as he recognized his tendency to dwell on his own sorrows, as always.

As…

Always…

His hands clenched into fists, a twisted part of him yearning for Hunter to have left him behind with Elizabeth, to forget about everything and eventually feel nothing in her grasp. It would have made things easier for everyone.

But it would have rendered him a complete coward.

He recalled how Sister Margaret had told Elizabeth that he wasn’t a coward, but…

‘You are one… You can’t even apologize to anyone for what you’ve done,’ the dark voice hissed.

No… he hasn’t apologized to anyone not because he was a coward, but because he didn’t believe it would serve any purpose. He didn’t desire a second chance, nor did he seek forgiveness from anyone because what he has done was unforgivable. So, what was the point of uttering apologies?

‘I believe they deserve at least an apology,’ Masha’s voice played in his head.

But… they wouldn’t believe he was being sincere…

‘Excuses…’

They would assume he was manipulating them.

‘You can’t admit to them you were wrong…’

He didn’t deserve to be forgiven.

‘That’s not the point of apologizing…’

“Come on, Hunter,” Gus’s voice reached Philip’s pointy ears. Philip turned his gaze towards Hunter, while Gus followed Sister Lilian.

Philip felt the urge to say something, but…

It was best for the children to continue thinking he was still their enemy.

‘Coward,’ the dark voice whispered.

No…

His playing the bad guy was definitely the best decision he could make, especially for Hunter. The boy no longer deserved to endure his presence. His existence should burden no one in the room. It was imperative for him to focus on creating the portal and ensuring the children’s safe return to the Boiling Isles, far away from Elizabeth and her men.

There was no point in him doing anything else; it would be so selfish of him otherwise. “Hunter…” The name escaped his lips without him realizing it, even shocking him to his core. He saw the boy tense up, making him feel sick from his reaction. The boy probably expected him to say something cruel again…

Then he watched as Hunter briskly walked away, causing panic to surge within him. Internally, he screamed at himself to let the boy go, to remain silent, but something inside drove him to voice the words he had yearned to say to Hunter in recent days, even if it was so selfish of him.

“I’m sorry…”

Hunter froze in his tracks.

The entire room fell dead silent. Philip’s gaze remained fixed on the boy, ignoring the mixed expressions plastered across everyone’s faces. Most wore looks of utter astonishment, while others, like Luz and Amity, appeared shocked - everyone caught off guard.

For a fleeting moment, the minds of those present went blank, unable to respond, their attention fixated on Hunter, still motionless, his back to Philip, his eyes wide with what seemed like shock.

At first, the boy thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but gradually when it dawned on him that he heard the man clearly, a wave of rage began to run through him, causing him to close his eyes tightly and clench his fists.

The boy dared not face the man - no; he refused to do so.

Truth be told, Hunter had never expected his uncle to ever utter an apology in his whole life. For so long, the boy had always believed he was at fault for Belos’s outbursts, for defying him, for failing to meet his expectations, for failing to uphold the Golden Guard’s mantle.

Even the scars he had on his body caused by Belos, he thought he deserved them…

So yes, an apology from Belos had never crossed his mind. The only time he had thought about it was when Camila demanded the man to give him one, after he had commanded him to end his own life in front of others.

And even then… even when the others wanted Belos to give him an apology, he still didn’t believe he deserved it, thus why he had been okay with the notion of the puzzle…

Of course, days ago, he realized that he didn’t deserve what Belos had done to him. He didn’t deserve every cruel word or lash he got from the man.

All Hunter wanted was his love, his approval, and from what he had been experiencing with Camila, who had done nothing but been supportive and caring, it had taught him that Belos was just a monster.

So, with Belos apologizing to him now, something he had never expected to happen, he couldn’t help but feel frustration suffocate him.

He felt the urge to cry, to yell at him. Like seriously, what kind of sick joke was this?

Belos had always been adept at manipulating his emotions, knowing precisely when to do so. Hell, he was a genius at it. So, Hunter mentally questioned if Belos was attempting to reclaim his most prized tool, to use him. Hunter had proven his usefulness to Belos, fighting alongside him against those creatures and rescuing him from some woman who sought to possess him like some sort of pet.

Maybe now that the man was in danger, he needed him back by his side like the loyal guard he used to be, to protect him. Because that’s all he ever was to Belos, what all the grimwalkers were meant to be: mere tools for his utilization, discarded once their purpose had been served, to be replaced.

For a moment, he despised himself for going back to Belos. But then Hunter reminded himself he had done so because he wasn’t like him. He wasn’t someone who would casually dismiss someone’s life as if it were nothing. Frankly, Hunter had never taken a life before. It had never settled well with him.

That’s why when he had been ordered to kill that sea monster back in the Boiling Isles, he had made Luz do it to keep his conscious clean.

After a moment of dealing with his racing throughs, he noticed the weight of the room’s silence and felt the gazes on him, most likely anticipating his response.

He imagined Belos expecting him to forgive him, to kneel before him and return by his side like a desperate child yearning for a mere scrap of affection.

He imagined the others waiting for him to lash out at him, just as he had done at Luz’s house.

However, his heart couldn’t bear either scenario; his chest was already squeezing so tightly due to the conflicting feelings that threatened to suffocate him more than ever.

The exhaustion from the recent fights he endured also were taking a toll on his body and mind, overwhelming him.

No…

He had to be better than this.

He was not his to do as he pleased anymore, constantly hurting him in any way he could.

He was done with the manipulation, the control, and the endless cycle of abuse.

Hunter did his best to gather the little bit of strength he had left to force all his emotions down to the pit of his being so he could feel nothing for now, at least not in front of that monster.

After he was successful in calming himself down, his gaze fixed on the path ahead before he continued to walk away, doing his best to view Belos as just a nightmare he wished to leave behind.

Philip couldn’t help but feel the chilling cold that gripped his core like the icy grasp of a winter night by how the boy strode away, vanishing down the corridor.

He, too, became frozen in place when he uttered the apology. In that moment, he pleaded with himself to say more, to continue to offer a heartfelt apology for the years of manipulation, the emotional and physical pain he inflicted upon the boy. He yearned to express remorse for cruelly telling him to take his own life, for the lives of the other grimwalkers he had taken. He wanted to tell Hunter he was wrong for what he did, that he finally saw reason. He desperately wanted to apologize to everyone present in the room, yet his throat constricted. The pain from the guilt that clawed at him was too much to bear, threatening to make him lose control of himself.

But he said nothing as the boy left. The words seized in his throat.

Philip stood there, his gaze falling to the ground with an air of defeat and also he couldn’t help but realize how exhausted he was now.

The room remained hushed. The weight of everyone’s eyes on him made him feel overwhelming shame for not having the strength to do the right thing for the boy.

He wanted someone to just scream at him, to punish him somehow for being such a coward, for being the monster that he was.

‘And again… you let yourself drown in self-pity…’ the voice hissed.

Philip’s chest clenched painfully and just like Hunter, without the knowledge that the boy did so, forced his feelings aside and gathered the bit of strength he had left to do what he had to do. His face looked bored, devoid of other emotions as he straightened himself out.

The blue orbs of his settled on Sister Lilian.

“There is a high chance they don’t know we’re here, since we teleported without leaving any traces,” Philip said with an eerie calmness to his tone, as if nothing happened between him and Hunter a moment ago. “In case they do figure out we are hiding in this building, you said they will not attack us while you’re here with us. Are you certain they will try not break the oath they have with the Catholic Church again like they did earlier?”

Sister Lilian took a moment to respond. “Not if I send a message to certain people,” she said. “I’ve been trying to contact someone else, someone closer, but they haven’t responded.”

“Then contact whoever you have to contact,” Sister Margaret spoke up with a frown. “We need to get these children somewhere safe as soon as we can.”

Sister Lilian was silent for a moment, glancing at Philip.

She was honestly hesitant to contact the people that would help the children for they could also endanger Philip. However, one look at the lost expressions of the kids, and her decision was made.

“Alright, I’ll send one now,” Sister Lilian said, looking at Philip. “For now, I guess, try to keep everyone safe while I send the message and heal the boys.”

Philip gave her a curt nod before he pulled away from the group. He walked down the aisles before he sat at the very end, his back against the bench, as if trying to hide from view, but at the same time his glowing orbs fixed at the large wooden doors of the building, keeping watch and ready to attack if needed.

Though, a few people in the room felt Philip needed to rest before he threw himself back into another fight.

Even if he wouldn’t ever admit it, the man looked too worn out to keep watch.

Without a moment to spare, Sister Lilian asked Willow and Amity to come with her to help with the boys while she sent the message. Gus had the urge to go over to Philip, but decided to follow them, after exchanging a glance with Masha, Sister Margaret went with them as well. Like always, sister Margaret had to prioritize the children over anyone else. Camila did spare a glance at Philip for a moment, as she had so many questions for him, and was thankful that he had come at the right time to save them, but she decided to talk to him later and quickly went back to check on Vee. Father Francis was now left in the chapel with Masha who was observing Philip, giving him a moment to himself before they talked to him, and Luz who stood there in complete silence, her eyes also focused on Philip was.

Like Masha, she was caught off guard with Philip apologizing to Hunter in front of them like that. But, unlike Masha, she was completely left dumbfounded from the scene.

Luz instantly thought that Philip was trying to manipulate Hunter, but then her mind shifted to what Gus had said – yes, she did recall what they had talked about before she was magically put to sleep somehow – about Philip giving up on his mission, the way he had been acting in the recent days. She also thought about how Philip helped them out with those two monsters back at her street.

And to add more to the confusion, the nuns and the priest were somehow acquainted with Philip.

Nothing was making sense…

Her hands turned into fists before she began marching down the aisles.

Masha saw her making her way to Philip and quickly sped up to her.

“Luz, whatever you going to do or to say to him, maybe wait till he gets some sleep,” they told Luz.

“Sorry, Masha, but I can’t wait,” Luz said with brows knitted with determination. Before she knew it, she found herself standing right in front of Belos, blocking his view to the door.

Belos visibly tensed up, his clawed hands tightly clutching his knees as he remained seated. His gaze slowly rose, meeting her piercing glare.

Standing beside Philip, Masha wore a concerned frown, casting a disapproving glance at Luz. They didn’t want her triggering Belos in any way, which could potentially get her hurt and wished Luz would confront him about what was bothering her once they all figured out their next course of action.

“Is it true?” Luz asked Belos in a cold, steady voice. “Is it true that you don’t want to kill witches anymore?”

Luz expected Belos to glare at her for such an accusation, to spat insults at her for thinking such a thing, but instead, Belos’s guarded expression crumbled. A mix of what looked like guilt and shame flashed across his face.

At first, her instincts kicked in, telling her it was all an act, just like the other times when he, supposedly, was having a mental break down in front of her and her friends. But as she scrutinized his face, she couldn’t help but feel something shift in her as Belos seemed to struggle to gather his thought and find his voice. He averted his gaze to a distant point on the floor, instead of finding a well thought response to play her like a fool. The lines of his face deepened by the second, looking completely miserable.

At that moment, Luz remembered when she met him when he was younger, how his act to gain sympathy from others looked practiced, so artificial compared to the way he had been responding to things while on Earth and to how he was reacting now. And it was now that she realized that maybe Gus was right; he hadn’t been manipulating them the whole time he was with them. His break downs were genuine, and he was most likely too tired and overwhelmed with so much to be as clever as he was back in the Boiling Isles.

“I swear Philip, I didn’t tell her anything,” Luz heard Masha tell Belos.

Luz quickly glanced at them.

Masha knew of this?!

“So, it’s true?” she asked, her wavering skepticism now, replaced with shock knowing that Belos have given up on his mission, which she still couldn’t believe it. “And you knew?”

Masha crossed their arms calmly.

“Honestly, I just found out a few hours ago after finding him digging holes back at the Devil’s Waterfall,” they said. “Well… actually, I figured it out myself. I’m a pretty good detective I guess.”

No…

Luz’s jaw tensed up, a big part of her believing the whole thing had to be some ploy that Belos was orchestrating for a huge evil plan he had cooped up for days.

But the fact he had agreed to an eternal oath with them, agreed to be sealed up by them, was a huge sign that screamed at her for how stupid she was for still leaning on the idea he had something up his sleeve. Especially when he fought monsters for them and got them safely from any further potential danger.

“But why?” Luz asked Belos in frustration. “Is it because you know you can’t beat us? And you finally gave up?”

Belos’ lips remained sealed, not daring to answer any of her questions. He placed a palm on his forehead and shut his eyes, taking slow, deep, shaky breaths as he tried to keep his emotions in check, but it was getting harder by the minute as he mentally yelled at himself to just tell Luz the truth. The lack of sleep and physical exhaustion was pushing him past his limits, and all the guilt he was carrying threatened to tear him apart.

Meanwhile, Luz’s irritation was escalated more by Belos’ silence, and the confusion he was causing her felt suffocating.

"Damn it, Belos, just answer me!” she finally snapped at him.

Masha froze, expecting Philip to yell back at Luz, further escalating the scene, but instead, his hand trembled slightly against his forehead. His eyes flickered open, revealing tears that had gathered before they finally trailed down his face, even catching Luz off guard.

“I…” he let out, his voice barely above a whisper. But the weight of the things he had done proved too heavy for him to continue speaking, his voice caught in his throat.

The turmoil etched on Belo’s face morphed Luz’s frustration into guilt. After all, she was expecting anger and hostility from him. She had seen him shed tears before, but they were coming out of anger in some way, but this time around… 

“Take your time, Philip.” Luz glanced up when she heard Father Francis’s encouraging voice, not realizing he had made his way to them. “You can do this,” he said gently to the man whose shoulders were now trembling, tears continuing to fall.

Luz stared at the priest before glancing back down at Belos.

“I…” Belos’s voice trembled. He forced his eyes to meet Luz’s, which no longer held anger just confusion. “I truly thought… I was doing the right thing. I honestly believed they were evil creatures, and I was saving humanity.”

‘No, you didn’t,’ the dark voice hissed.

“I swear, I thought I did!” Philip raised his voice in desperation, arguing with the voice in his head. “But, I realized I was wrong, that I was a complete, ignorant, utter fool to have believed such terrible thoughts, to ignore the signs that I was wrong because I was too prideful, too cowardly to accept the truth. I was so stupid to have kept going and going on my mission.” His gaze fell to his legs, tears now feeling as though they were burning his flesh. He grabbed his head as the faces of all those he had tortured and killed flashed before his eyes. “I’ve hurt… have taken so many innocent lives.” His voice broke into a sob. “And… I’m truly sorry for that, I’m truly am.” He shut his eyes hard. “I’m sorry for hurting your friends, Luz, I’m sorry for manipulating you, for almost turning you into stone, for almost killing you.”

‘Now you’re indeed trying to trick her...’

“I… swear I’m not trying to manipulate you all anymore. I…” His throat now constricted on him.

‘Liar…’

No… he wasn’t lying.

‘Just admit you haven’t changed. That you can’t change.’

He knew he couldn’t change, that he forever would be a monster, but he didn’t want to hurt or kill innocent people anymore. He wanted to do the right thing for once.

‘Liar…’

He felt the dark pull threatening to grasp his whole being, to yank him down to the dark abyss of his mind, forever.

‘Murderer!’

He desperately wanted someone to stop the voice in his head.

‘Pathetic…’

But he couldn’t. Why was he so weak? Why couldn’t he just face Hunter, Luz, and others he has harmed without breaking apart?

‘Monster!’

And that was what he was and will forever be.

But suddenly, the voices, the dark pull, the memories abruptly stopped, and for some reason, he felt the warmth of a small light grazing him out of nowhere.

“Philip, just, take a deep breath.” He heard Luz’s voice.

His eyes flew open, wide as he stared at her, kneeling in front of him. His gaze met her eyes, which were now filled with understanding. He had also noticed she had a hand on one of his knees, as if trying to calm him down.

“That’s all I want you to focus on at the moment, okay?” she said to him. “Just clear your mind. Don’t think about anything else except taking a few more deep breaths. Can you do that for me?”

Confusion etched across Philip’s face as he registered the tenderness in Luz’s touch and the soft tone off her voice.

He expected her to accuse him of lying, throw cruel words back at him like the other times, which honestly, he couldn’t blame her for, but instead, she was comforting him.

He took a shuddering breath, doing his best to do as she instructed, not realizing how much he needed it. He didn’t take notice of the green substance that had previously covered his body pull away a bit.

Luz had seen it though. Saw the ‘curse’ acting up as he looked like he was falling apart.

It had taken her a moment to react as she was completely caught off guard by his confession.

She had originally believed that if Belos indeed didn’t want to continue killing witches, that he had just given up.

Instead, he admitted to feeling guilty for what he did, realizing the errors of his ways and she had not seen that coming, not even in her dreams.

She didn’t know what to do at this point, didn’t know how to react.

He was meant to be a cold-blooded villain…

And there was no way he believed he had been doing the right thing this whole time, right…?

“Do you really think I wanted to spend four centuries among these foul creatures in a disgusting pile of a corpse of a land?” He hissed at her, making Vee pull Masha behind her, to protect them in case, while Masha was staring at Philip with wide eyes as they saw the horns growing on his head, the green substance expanding through his arms and feet as he took a step forward towards Luz, his fists shook as he tried to hold back from ripping her apart. “You really believe I wanted to dedicate all these years planning and suffering every step of the way? You think I wanted my soul to be tarnished forever?!”

Despite the curse getting out of control and his voice rising, Luz stood her ground, her eyes fixed on him with unwavering determination.

“You have no idea what I’ve gone through to save your pathetic souls!” he snapped now. “You have no idea how tired I am trying to save humanity from forever damnation. If I was doing things for my sake, I would have abandoned the mission and come back to Earth many decades ago. I would have given up after so many times growing sick and tired of it all, but instead I picked myself up and kept on going. I kept going because this has nothing to do with me. All I’ve been doing is for all of you!” Philip’s hands motioned to her and her mom with frustration.

“And I loved my brother!” Philip screamed on top of his lungs, tears gathering in his eyes now. “I never wanted to kill him! All I wanted was to bring him back home after he was taken from me! But he was too far gone, and I had no choice but to kill him. I had to sacrifice my brother to save humanity!”

The memories of their confrontation replayed in her mind while Philip drowned in his emotions. The words he had told her that night made her realize that, maybe, he had truly believed witches were monsters, that he had believed he was some sort of savior for humanity.

After centuries, it seemed that he had finally recognized how wrong he was.

The more she thought about it, the more she remembered how he could have easily killed her during their confrontations back in the Boiling Isles. He had even offered to take her back to the human world, as if he was trying to ‘save’ her from what he thought was an evil place. Well, he at least tried before he deemed her crazy and tried turning her into stone.

Mixed emotions swirled within Luz, a blend of anger and…empathy. On one hand, she resented the fact that it had taken him so long to shed his misguided beliefs. The arrogance and stubbornness that had clung to him for centuries infuriated her. On the other hand, she couldn’t help but feel bad that he whole heartedly believed the disgusting Puritan’s prejudiced views. In a way, she pitied Belos for falling victim to such toxic beliefs.

Luz made a conscious effort to quiet her racing thoughts and put other questions she had aside for the moment to focus on the immediate task at hand – the curse that threatened to consume Belos. Summoning the courage to step forward and do what Gus would do in a similar situation like this, she reached out, her hand finding its place on his knee, and called him by his real name.

Truth be told, she didn’t think her gesture would work, considering the enmity that had defined their relationship since their first encounter. Yet an overwhelming wave of relief washed over her as the man took deep breaths, just like she told him to do, and saw the way the ‘curse’ pulled back bit by bit.

The relief came because no one was going to get hurt from one of his outbursts.

If he ended up hurting Masha or Father Francis, she would have blamed herself for not listening to Masha about confronting the man later, for acting out of impulse and not thinking things through like always, especially since the man was clearly so mentally drained to have broken down in front of her like that. She really was good at catching people at their worst, wasn’t she?

She fought the urge to ask him if he truly felt remorseful for what he did or if was just playing them with the best acting, she had ever seen in her life.

Honestly, who could blame her for her doubts? After all… “People like him don’t change,” the words she had once said played in her mind.

When she saw the man finally calm his breathing, he looked more exhausted than before, if that was possible. He brushed the tears from his face, looking paler than before and the dark circles under his eyes were more prominent.

She didn’t recall him sleeping back at the house, since he was out at night digging holes and up in the living room when the sun was out. And after what had taken place with those monsters, well… no wonder he looked out of it.

Luz still disliked the man for everything he had done, but if he was telling the truth, that he truly felt guilty and was sorry, that his apology to Hunter was genuine, then she couldn’t keep the same hostility she had for him. She didn’t have the heart to do so.

Of course, he had to be held accountable for everything he had done, but antagonizing him was off the table now, especially with the mess they were in with magic users on Earth trying to kill them. Unless, of course, he was lying to her about feeling remorse for what he had done…

But at this moment, they had to work together with him in order to get back to the Boiling Isles.

She tried to ignore the hesitation and fear she had of him, tried to gain the courage she was going to need to trust him while reminding herself to stay vigilant in in case he tried backstabbing them.

She hoped things would get better for her friends and her mother now if he wasn’t their enemy, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that now things would be more complicated with a more unstable man in their presence.

Man… how come life was never so simple…?

Chapter Text

1. Thank you whiteboyincorporated : ), it is a cute art piece, hahaha, philip looking goofy here, hahaha, though he looks angsty at the same time, hahaha. Peeps can follow them through: https://www.tumblr.com/whiteboyincorportated

2. Hello xxlemon-chanxx : ), the following is so cute, hahaha. Philip is beautiful and wow, you did the over all drawing amazing. Thank you for drawing this piece! Peeps can follow them through: https://www.tumblr.com/xxlemon-chanxx

Sister Lilian managed to heal Gus and Hunter with the help of Twig’s magic. The boys ended, exhausted, though, after their wounds were gone.

Hunter reclined on the bed farthest from everyone, lying on his side with his back turned to the room. A sense of emptiness enveloped him. He withdrew from any conversation. His friends respected his need to be alone, but the red cardinal whom he loved dearly nestled against his chest and offered comfort that helped lessen the dark void trying to consume him.

Gus occupied the neighboring bed, also resting, while Amity and Willow stood beside Sister Margaret. They fixated their attention on Sister Lilian, who sat at a desk, diligently penning her fourth letter. As she finished writing, she gracefully waved her wand in a certain motion. In an instant, the letter burst into blue flames, turning to ash, and dissipating into thin air.

“Now, let’s hope we receive a response from at least one of them,” Sister Lilian remarked, hesitation lingered in her tone. “And hopefully, it’s good news for us.”

“I’ve warmed up some biscuits,” Sister Luna announced, entering the room with a plate of freshly baked treats. The delicious aroma wafted through the room. She approached the girls, who eagerly took one each and expressed their gratitude to the nun.

“What a night,” Sister Luna sighed, her weariness evident.

Thanks to a sleep spell from Sister Lilian, she had been blissfully unaware when Elizabeth barged into the church. It was only from Sister Margaret’s demand that Sister Lilian lifted the spell from Sister Luna, waking her up. The events that had taken place left Sister Lilian feeling disoriented and shocked when they recounted them to her. Truth be told, she wished she was still back under the spell, especially when she heard news that Philip was back under the house of God.

Oh, how she wishes they had never encountered the troublesome demon, Philip. Though, she had to remind herself that there were children that needed their help, which kept her from running out of the building.

“Is that it?” Amity asked as a white light materialized before Sister Lilian. This time, the ashes formed into a written letter, but with a purple hue. Sister’s Lilian’s expression lacked relief as she unfolded it.

The response was from the third letter she had reluctantly sent out. She read through its contents before setting it aside and preparing to draft a follow-up to what they had received.

“Well?” Sister Margaret inquired.

“They want to know more about where the children came from and Philip’s condition,” Sister Lilian replied, pausing her writing. “They want to know if he’s an immediate danger to us or others. I must choose my words carefully to avoid having them deem him as an enormous threat to the public because if they do… they will just let Elizabeth and her people handle him since dangerous monsters fall under the terms they have.”

“Seriously?” Amity frowned. “Aren’t these people we’re contacting supposed to help us?”

“They are, but… they are just trying to protect the public,” Sister Lilian explained.

Sister Margaret let out an annoyed sigh. “Of course, they are,” she said with a lace of sarcasm in her tone. “I shouldn’t be surprised if they just decide not to get involved.”

Sister Lilian didn’t comment, deep in thought, before resuming her writing. She diligently wrote her message down and set it out, just as she had done before, holding onto hope things would turn out well for everyone, especially for the children.

Masha knelt beside Philip. The tears had long since dried on his cheeks, and the human portion of his face was slightly pink from scrubbing the tears away.

He looked drained, appearing to everyone in the room he was on the verge of falling asleep. His half-lidded eyes seemed slightly dulled instead of vibrant blue.

Masha couldn’t blame him for looking so burned out. A torrent of events had taken place within a few brief hours, and it had taken an emotional and physical toll on him.

Masha noticed Philip hesitantly withdrawing his knee from Luz’s hand, averting his gaze from her, an expression of shame etched upon his face. They assumed he was feeling ashamed to have broken down in front of all three in the room the way he did. Back at the Devil’s Waterfall, he looked like he tried to hold back his emotions as best as he could. He didn’t want to gather pity from anyone, but he probably felt like he failed based on how Luz dropped her hostility towards him while he expressed the guilt that has been eating its way at him.

And their assessment was accurate.

Philip wished he could have mustered a more composed apology to Luz, rather than appearing like a pitiful child. Why did he have trouble holding himself together? Why did he succumb to tears so easily…? Why did he have to look so pathetic these days…?

He also, in some way, couldn’t shake the feeling that he had appeared so weak to her.

‘Because you are weak…’ the dark voice hissed at him. ‘A weak, pathetic, monster.’

“I should have listened to you,” Luz confessed to Masha, giving them an apologetic look. “I put us all in danger. I’m sorry for not listening…”

Masha studied her for a moment before offering a casual smile. “It’s alright,” they said. “We’re all here, safe and breathing. That’s what truly matters.”

And they genuinely meant it.

They held genuine concern for Luz’s well-being. While they believed that Luz and the others deserved to confront Philip for his past actions and receive a heartfelt apology, they were concerned that catching him in his current unstable, exhausted state could end up in him losing control and causing them even greater harm.

They had no desire to have their friends endure any kind of pain or suffering anymore. Also, if Philip were to harm them again, they feared he would completely lose himself and who knows what he was capable of if that happened. Even contemplating such a scenario filled them with dread.

“I…” Both teenagers turned their attention back to Philip, who finally broke his silence. His brows furrowed as he struggled to gather the strength to apologize to Luz once more. “I didn’t mean to…”

“I think you shouldn’t push yourself too hard right now, Philip,” Father Francis interjected, lowering himself to be on eye level with him. “You took a huge step just now, and we are all proud of you. But there’s no need to rush things.”

Philip gazed up at the priest, his expression reminiscent of a lost, confused child from the man’s words.

“You should take some time to rest before saying any more,” Father Francis suggested. “It’s important to have a clear mind in these situations, don’t you agree?”

Philip stared at him for a moment before glancing away, a frustrated frown forming on his face. He fixed his eyes on the nearby door, just a few feet away from the priest.

Father Francis, momentarily puzzled about Philip’s reaction, followed his line of sight before he recalled why Philip had sat there in the first place.

“Things seem quiet outside at the moment, so I don’t believe we should worry too much right now,” Father Francis reassured him. “Rest, Philip. If anything happens, I promise I’ll wake you up.”

Philip’s jaw clenched, Elizabeth’s face seeping back into his mind. The threat she posed to the children was too immense for him to simply brush aside or let his guard down.

However, he found himself having an increasingly difficult time keeping his eyes opened… and at the same time, he sensed a certain gaze upon him, doubling the weight of shame that was pressing down on him already.

Truth be told, Luz was mentally tired. Most likely from the countless questions that were racing in her mind. And of course, they all concerned Philip.

Like, what caused his shift in perspective regarding witches and demons? When did this change take place? Was he actually sorry for everything he did?

Luz rose to her feet, her brown eyes on the man, feeling some of her hesitation she had of him return and then a moment of anxiety rushed through her, accompanied by a linger chill in her fingertips and toes from his attempt of turning her into stone back in the Boiling Isles.

But she calmed herself down when her mind replayed the way he had broken down on her, apologizing with what looked like the most genuine reaction he had ever given to her, other than his anger after Lilith broke his nose.

She was trying to decide if she should tell her friends what had just happened between her and Philip, to get their opinion about it all. Then she noticed him curling up, hugging his legs tightly against his bare chest. Everyone there could see the defined muscles on his torso and arms if they looked and could also notice how uncomfortable he appeared.

She wondered if maybe he felt uneasy since he was a man from the 1600s and felt completely exposed without a shirt on.

Luz couldn’t help but ponder whether she would have teased him about his insecurities or whatever the reason that he felt uncomfortable before his heartfelt apology. However, deep down, she knew such mockery would have been unnecessarily cruel.

Then again, she poked at his attire back in the Boiling Isles, which he clearly didn’t appreciate.

Anyway… seeing him so visibly uncomfortable didn’t sit right in her at the moment.

“Maybe a blanket will change his mind,” Luz suggested with a smile as she turned to Masha.

The girl’s suggestion surprised Masha, but they soon rose from the ground, releasing a calm chuckle.

“I like the way you think,” they said. “And maybe we can get him a shirt, too?”

Philip seemed to tense up, his gaze remaining fixed on the door, not daring to divert his attention from it.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Luz remarked playfully, attempting to lighten the mood in the room after the emotional exchange between her and Philip.

Eventually, the two teenagers departed from the chapel, leaving Father Francis to keep a watchful eye over Philip, who stubbornly persisted in his struggle to stay awake. Father Francis informed the pair that there should be a blanket in his room, along with an extra shirt. However, he was uncertain if the shirt would fit Philip’s frame. After all, Father Francis was rather on the thin side.

Luz imagined, though, that her mother would have brought along a spare shirt before they abandoned their home.

“You’re really kind, Luz,” Masha commented as they strolled down the hallway together.

Luz glanced at them with confusion when they stopped right in front of the door to Father Francis’s room, unsure where their comment was coming from.

“I don’t know if you’re going to forgive him, which is okay. I understand. But the way you handled things just now with him was really admirable,” Masha continued, their usual casual smile adorning their face. “Actually… I didn’t phrase that well. I don’t mean to imply that you’re not nice if you chose to walk away from him. Well…”

Luz maintained her gaze on them while Masha struggled to find the words they wanted to say.

Truth be told, Luz was uncertain about her feelings towards Masha. They hadn’t interacted with each other much, except when Vee was around to talk to them. Prior to Vee’s arrival, Luz hadn’t paid much attention to Masha, despite sharing some classes together. Perhaps it was because they always seemed preoccupied with their other friends. Luz reluctantly admitted that teenagers at her school often intimidated her, particularly when they gathered in groups. It wasn’t that she didn’t desire friendship with them; it simply appeared that many regarded her as too weird from the start. Luz always felt like an outsider among her peers on Earth. Which was one of the big reasons she loved the Boiling Isles, because there she had people who liked her.

Yet, at this moment, the way Masha conversed with her kindly, actually interacting with her without Vee’s presence, brought a sense of warmth to Luz.

Now that she thought about it…. When was the last time she had an actual human friend?

And now she wondered, based on Masha’s kindness, if there was another reason as to why she may not have any human friends…

Maybe she didn’t try enough to reach out to the right people…?

“I don’t think I’m that nice, to be honest,” Luz admitted. Well, she was nice, but not in the way in which Masha may be referring. Did Masha not remember how she had lashed out at Philip in their presence the other day, even when he hadn’t provoked her?

Yeah, now she could see how the drama that evening was her fault.

Honestly, many of the interactions between her and Philip were just a mess…

Though, who could blame her…? Philip was a manipulative murderer who was just… hateful to an entire race and oh she could add more to the list of why anyone would be super hostile towards him if she could.

“Well, you are,” Masha simply stated. “And honestly, the whole situation must have been, well, hard for you, but you still did what you did, and I admire you for that.”

Luz blinked, taken aback by the compliment. “Well, I still have my doubts,” she replied, honest with them. “I won’t lie to you. I think I’m just really confused and did what I believed was right at the moment.”

“I can’t blame you for being suspicious,” Masha said, pulling out a folded paper on which Philip had listed his crimes. They handed it to Luz. “After everything he did, it seems almost impossible that he would change.”

Luz unfolded the paper and skimmed through its contents, her eyes slowly looking shocked.

Well… it looks like Philip had done the list himself…

“Philip wrote it up,” Masha explained. “While confessing to me how guilty he felt at Devil’s Waterfall.”

Luz stared at the words on the page, her mind gradually processing the information she was reading. Initially, she had thought that perhaps he had documented his crimes as a means of gloating, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

She returned the list to Masha, feeling a sense of unease holding onto it.

“Let’s discuss this later,” she suggested, as she wanted to find out why Philip had written the list up. Then she opened the door to the room. Vee was resting on Father Francis’ bed, her mother at her sister’s beside.

“Hey, Mom, did you bring one of your t-shirts with you?” Luz asked.

Camila turned to Luz, a look of confusion on her face.

“It’s for Philip,” Luz clarified.

“Ah, sí, mija, I brought a couple,” Camila responded, opening the bag that was idling beside her on the ground. She pulled a few items from the top before retrieving a plain navy t-shirt. Luz couldn’t help but notice a transparent grocery bag with puzzle pieces inside. She chose not to comment on it as her mom handed her the shirt, while Masha fetched a blanket from the drawer as Father Francis had instructed.

“Is everything okay?” Camila asked her daughter, a mix of concern and confusion in her eyes as she observed Luz.

Luz stared down at the T-shirt and paused for a moment, allowing Masha to exit the room and give her some privacy with her mother.

Was everything okay…?

That was the question she was now going to be asking herself more than before, while deciding if Philip was to be trusted or not.

“Maybe…?” Luz let out with uncertainty, making her mother’s expression grow more perplexed. “I’ll explain after I give this to Be-Philip,” Luz said, correcting herself at the last second, which Camila couldn’t help but notice as well. “And maybe can we gather everyone in a room together? I think it’s important for everyone to know what just happened with me and Philip…”

“What happened?” Camila straight away looked mad, with a frown and eyes narrowing.

“Don’t worry, mama, nothing bad happened, I promise. It’s nothing bad. Well, at least I think is not bad…” she reassured as best as she could before joining Masha in the hallway. They soon reunited with Father Francis and Philip.

Philip struggled to put the shirt on; his horns made it difficult for him to get them through the hole, but he appeared less uncomfortable now that he had it on, even though the shirt was a bit oversized on him.

Luz had to admit to herself that she felt relieved to see him look less like a kicked puppy, though now she took notice the way his long hair was a tangled mess, hanging limp and lifeless. It was a stark contrast to the vibrant shade it once held, not dulled by what looked like neglect. Strands of his hair clung together in knots, entwined with specks of dirt and traces of nature’s remnants.

In a way, it reflected his mental state, if he actually was feeling guilty for what he had done.

Then again… he had been looking like he had been dragged by a truck for miles since he had fought the magic user men over a week ago. He honestly hadn’t taken care of himself, especially his hair, since then…

Maybe… the lack of self-care did represent what was going in his mind after all…

“Listen to Father Francis and go to sleep,” Masha advised as they laid a blanket over him. “He’ll keep his promise to wake you up if anything bad happens, right, Father Francis?”

“Of course,” the priest replied with a smile.

“Sister Lilian assured us we should be okay for now,” Masha continued to try to change Philip’s mind. However, Philip continued to watch the door, refusing to comply with anyone’s instructions.

He was way too paranoid to even close his eyes for a moment, even though he desperately wanted to.

“I should have seen this coming,” Masha sighed. Based on their interaction with him, they had deduced that Philip was incredibly stubborn. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone, though, especially considering the immense efforts he had taken to destroy the Boiling Isles and its people.

Luz noticed Amity poking her head out from the hallway.

“Come on, Masha, we’re having a group meeting,” Luz declared.

Masha looked at her with surprise at being included. “Are you sure I should come?” they asked.

“Of course,” Luz said. “You’re one of us now, considering you’ve been pulled into our mess,” she said with a touch of amusement. She then turned to Philip. She wasn’t quite sure if she should say something to him. Father Francis was right, he definitely had to get some sleep. However, she doubted he would heed her advice.

“I’ll watch over him,” Father Francis offered to the two teenagers.

“Please, just close your eyes for a bit, Philip,” Masha implored. “You may not realize it, but you’re still human and you need sleep…”

Philip’s gaze dropped to the blanket while Masha followed Luz as they left the room.

Deep down, Philip knew that everyone was right and that he desperately needed rest. However, the risk seemed too great. Though his pointy ears couldn’t hear any sounds from outside the church, he knew how quickly that could change. He avoided making eye contact with Father Francis, his narrowed eyes fixed on the doors, and he mustered the last bit of energy he had left.

He hadn’t apologized properly to Luz. He completely screwed that up, and he refused to make another mistake for the rest of his life.

Luz and her friends, excluding Hunter, who wanted to be left alone still, gathered in the dining room. Some of them sat on the chairs while Amity and Masha stood around the table, where their bags were placed. Luz took a seat with the palisman egg resting on her lap, her hand gently caressing it, while the other palisman roamed about the room.

Amity broke the silence by delivering the news to the rest of the group. “Sister Lilian was able to contact someone who can help us,” she announced, thinking Luz had brought the group together to discuss what news they had. “We’re just waiting for details on where they will relocate us.”

“Relocate us?” Luz looked up at her, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Yeah, they’re going to move us somewhere safe where, supposedly, Elizabeth and her organization, are not allowed to go,” Amity explained.

“Hopefully that’s true,” Masha said.

“Yeah, I really don’t want to see her again after she tried killing me and Hunter,” Gus said, making everyone look at him in shock.

“Wait, que dijiste?” Camila was the one who asked finally after gathering her thoughts.

“Sorry, I haven’t had the chance to fill you guys in on what exactly happened back in the forest….” Gus said before proceeding to recount the events that he and Hunter faced in the forest. He brought up the men that attacked them, Elizabeth’s unsettling treatment of Philip as if he were her pet of some sort, her ability to use glyphs, nearly incinerating them, and how Philip had saved them at the last minute. Of course, other details like how couple of Elizabeth’s henchmen could use magic too; one used glyphs and the other a wand like Sister Lilian.

Masha felt a surge of anger. They clench their fists in their lap. Elizabeth attacking Hunter and Gus was crossing a line and they told themselves they had to talk to Philip about what he experienced with Elizabeth later.

“Okay, I don’t like this woman at all,” Luz said, annoyed at the fact someone had almost killed her friends. Though, “And she wasn’t trying to kill Philip?”

“When Elizabeth came to the church earlier, she was trying to get him to turn himself in to her,” Masha revealed, making everyone confused. “The way she spoke to him… it was as if she didn’t see him as human, but rather some sort of beast she wanted to own…”

Luz felt uneasy from Masha’s words.

“She called him his precious beast back at the forest.” Gus shivered at just bringing up the memory. “She literally touched him like some sort of a pet from the little bits she had her hands on him.”

“Well then, I’m glad Philip whacked her to the ground,” Willow commented, shrugging with amusement. “Must have been pretty funny to see that happen.”

Gus chuckled in agreement. “Oh, man, yes, it was funny now that I think about it. I totally didn’t see it coming.”

“Well, she must be delusional to think he was just going to give himself to her,” Luz said.

Masha hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Well…”

“Well, what?” Luz asked before her eyes grew in disbelief when Masha didn’t respond right away. “You’ve got to be kidding me… That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he even want to?”

“She promised to lock him up, so he doesn’t hurt anyone else ever again…”

Everyone stared at them for a long, dreadful moment.

“I… don’t understand,” Willow admitted. “Why would that make him want to go to her? Wouldn’t that make him do the opposite instead?”

Masha didn’t want to say more. Philip had asked them not to, and they intended to keep their word.

Meanwhile, Luz saw no reason to stay silent. “Philip admitted he was wrong for everything he has done,” she revealed.

There was silence in the room, her words hung in the air, and for a moment, everything seemed to stop. Some of them thought they heard her wrong, while others had trouble processing her words for some time. And once all of them finally let the words sink in, they couldn’t help but be uncertain on how to react.

“Earlier, when I confronted him, he broke down and apologized to me for everything he did,” Luz said while everyone just stared at her with no sort of emotion crossing their faces. “And I’m serious when I say he broke down…”

Now, slowly everyone began to react. Camila just continued to stare at her, Gus’s gaze locked onto Luz’s, his eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and hope. Amity took a step back from the table, her brows furrowed in disbelief, while Willow looked down at the table, frowning, unsure what to say.

“It must be a trick,” Amity said after regaining her composure and was the first one to finally respond from the unexpected news. “Right?” she turned to Willow, seeking her friend’s opinion. “There’s no way he, who has hated us for so long, would suddenly change his mind. Why would he feel remorse all of a sudden?”

“I can answer that,” Sister Margaret interjected, surprising everyone as she opened the door and stepped into the room. She closed the door behind her.

“Were you… eavesdropping on us?” Amity raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t be silly, child. We nuns don’t eavesdrop,” Sister Margaret huffed, glancing at the others in the room.

“Didn’t we agree that Philip should tell them himself?” Masha asked Sister Margaret.

“I did, I’m not going to lie, but with everything that is going on, I think is better they know,” Sister Margaret responded. “Oh, he won’t know of this. So, he’ll still have to confront everyone here in the room later.” She turned to the other children. “Philip paid us a visit over a week ago, telling us everything he had done and sought out our blessings so he could continue carrying on his ‘mission’,” she divulged, her tone filled with coldness as she recalled the events. “Judging by how miserable he appeared, he was maybe having some doubts of his own by then and was trying to get rid of them by seeking our approval.”

No one said nothing for a moment, taking in the details.

“And then what happened?” Willow piped up when Sister Margaret as she wanted her to continue.

The nun’s expression hardened as she continued. “Well, I never met anyone that foolish to believe we would condone such actions. I was truly appalled by him. I will admit, I gave Philip a harsh tongue-lashing. I told him straight to his face that he was a murderer and a coward.”

The room fell into stunned silence again, but this time from the children staring at the nun in awe, even Camila was impressed how some stranger would lecture Philip and walk out of it alive.

Well… yeah, she had lectured Philip too, but…

Now that she thought about it, he didn’t seem to pose a threat towards her specifically.

“I made it abundantly clear that his actions were despicable and contrary to the teachings of his God,” Sister Margaret said. “I told him his accusations, blaming witches and demons, were nothing more than a desperate attempt to evade accountability for his own choices and a refusal to accept his misfortunes as just misfortunes. I made it clear to Philip that the path he had chosen had led him to become a murder and not the hero he believed himself to be.”

Luz’ thoughts swirled within her. She had attempted a similar approach in the past, calling out Philip about his behavior.

Then again, the way she approached it, especially telling him his brother didn’t love him, was probably not the best way to go about it.

“To be honest, after putting him in his place, I held little hope that my words would truly reach him, especially since he was dared argue with me,” Sister Margret admitted. “I expected him to briefly feel remorse and self-pity, only to return to the beliefs he clung to for centuries before considering us mere obstacles in his path. I expected him to kill us in our sleep, which I was prepared for. I wasn’t afraid to die since I would have gone peacefully knowing I stood up against someone like Philip instead of turning the other cheek.”

Honestly, she was done letting terrible people get away with things without even a lashing of some sort.

Her heart clenched with anger at the thought of certain people in the church who have gotten away with certain things and most likely didn’t feel guilty for what they have done.

“So cool…” Willow le tout under her breath, her words barely audible.

“Nevertheless, despite my apprehensions, I was surprised to witness, earlier today, he was holding genuine remorse for his actions,” Sister Margaret continued. “And maybe, he is indeed trying to do what he believes is right for everyone, even though he still is wallowing in self-pity. I guess Father Francis letting Philip stay with us for a week helped him maybe reflect on things.”

“So… that’s where he has been all this time,” Luz whispered, recalling how there was no trace of Philip anywhere, according to the others when they tried looking for him for that week he had left after her argument.

He had been staying at the church the whole time.

“I think I’ll take the self-pity over him despising us,” Willow pointed out.

“Or trying to kill us,” Amity sighed.

“So… when he apologized to Hunter earlier, he actually meant it?” Camila’s voice held a tinge of surprise, her eyebrows raised in disbelief, recalling how the man was so against even working on the puzzle with Hunter. “I never thought he would ever do it…”

“Well, he didn’t properly apologize to him, did he?” Amity grumbled, annoyance evident in her tone as she projected her own feelings on the situation. Her mother’s face flashed in her mind. “So, it doesn’t count.”

“I think it does count in some level,” Masha interjected calmly. “It took a lot for him to even try to apologize, and originally, he didn’t want to apologize to any of you because he didn’t believe he deserved a second chance… He didn’t think an apology would do any of you any good. Yes, he should talk to Hunter and give him a full apology and do more for what he has done to him, but completely dismissing what he said to Hunter earlier isn’t fair… because he’s trying.”

Amity frowned, remaining silent, while Willow glanced up at Sister Margaret with a playful smile. “You certainly have guts, standing up to him like that, especially for an old lady,” she winked.

Sister Margaret chuckled, a calm sound that rarely escaped her lips. “Perhaps age has made me senile. And I do believe the only reason he listened to reason was because I’m a woman of God, or at least that is my role. And maybe… Philip was more receptive to my words, given his state of mind at that moment.”

“What do you mean by that?” Gus asked.

“He appeared tired, lost, and conflicted,” Sister Margaret replied. “Sometimes when people are in such states, someone can change their perspectives. Perhaps I planted seeds of uncertainty, or they were already there and I just helped them grow, breaking down the walls he had constructed to shield himself from the truth.”

“I think you’re right,” Gus said. “Philip had a near-death experience with a powerful being in our world known as the Collector, and it took him months to recover physically. I’m not sure if Philip had fully recovered mentally, but during that time, I got into his mind and overwhelmed him with a flood of memories he had long ‘repressed’.” He rubbed the back of his head, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “And from what I saw, his memories were causing him problems later.”

“What do you mean by ‘repressed’ memories?” Luz asked, curious to know more.

“When we were fighting him back in the Boiling Isles, it took a lot for me to distract him with his worst memories,” Gus recounted his experience. “I couldn’t understand why they were so difficult to pull them out until I got into his mind the next time back at that old house. His mind looked such a….”

“Like a mess?” Luz interrupted, recalling her own experience inside Philip’s head. “Hunter and I accidentally traveled to his mindscape once, and at first, we found ourselves in a hallway where it seemed like it was glorifying everything he did. Everything looked made up, it was weird, but then we fell to where his actual memories were, and man, unlike Willow’s mindscape, his mindscape looked like… I don’t know how to describe it, as if the whole place was hit by some sort of drought, or fire cause the trees looked dead and some of the portraits that held his memories looked like they had burn marks… and some even had scratches too…” she trailed off. She also remembered how the mindscape looked rather small. It didn’t fit the size that it should have for someone who had lived for almost four centuries.

“Burn marks and scratches…?” Gus’s hand propped under his chin as he thought about the new information. “Either someone attempted to burn those memories, or he did it to himself…”

He recalled how angry Philip was at him when he discovered he was in the man’s head. “You are the reason why my memories have been -” Philip’s voice played in his mind, making him guess Philip indeed had done something to his memories and Gus had done something to reverse whatever the man did.

Well… the boy guessed in a way Philip repressed his memories but… by trying to destroy them….?

“Unless… they were damaged by some other reason,” Gus said. “Cause when I was in his head, the majority of his memories looked severely damaged. Few were intact, and I couldn’t even make them play out properly. They only showed me fragments when I looked into them. I didn’t know what to do, except focus my magic as much as possible to try to extract everything from the damaged memories instead of just bits of it. But then… I think I went overboard cause my magic just blasted through his entire mind and then I found myself pulled into a random childhood memory of Philip’s.”

“Weird…” Luz mumbled.

“The first memory was playing out just fine, but for some reason, I couldn’t find a way to exit it. But then… I don’t know what triggered it… suddenly so many of his memories started playing around me, as if they were out of control…” a shudder ran through the boy’s body as he recalled the countless of unsettling memories he had witnessed.

“But… why would so many memories play out like that if they were damaged?” Willow asked.

“You mentioned using your magic to make a damaged memory to play before your magic just shot out through his mind, right?” Amity asked the boy.

Gus nodded, his brows furrowing in contemplation.

“Do you think, in some way, you managed to restore them all?” Amity proposed her words, causing Luz to blink in consideration. “I’m just throwing a guess here.”

“I don’t know…” Gus said. “I know I did something to his memories, but… there is no way I could somehow have fixed any sort of damage he had done to his memories…”

“Why not?” Luz asked. “Amity and I were able to help recover some of Willow’s memories that one time she accidentally burned some of them.”

“Wow Gus, look at you, restoring centuries of memories,” Willow said, her tone sparkled with amusement to the boy. “See? You are special, after all.”

“I think the amplifier had something to do with that,” Gus hurriedly added, not wanting to take all the credit. He didn’t want to think he was some sort of powerful witch, even though he had thrown the whole school in an illusion before he even had the amplifier. “Alright, let’s assume that I did restore his memories, the ones he likely had tried burning himself or damage.”

“Most likely to keep his conscience clean in some way,” Sister Margaret added, trying to keep up with the children’s conversation.

“That’s when he started having difficulty controlling his curse, because the memories he had tried to discard or suppress had now resurfaced.”

Amity hummed. “Centuries of unwanted memories flooding his mind, coupled with his near-death experience, lack of sleep, being attacked by humans who cut off his arm, and then almost buried alive by us…”

“Culture shock,” Masha added, though the others, except for Luz and Camila, looked at them with confusion as they weren’t sure what that was.

“Buried alive?” Sister Margaret asked, stuck at that portion from Amity’s list, and wanted to know more about it.

“Then he came to you guys,” Luz said, her attention towards Sister Margaret, avoiding her question. “Probably desperate to find people who could help him deal with everything that has been happening to him. The only people he could trust.”

“Instead of Sister Margaret giving in to what he wanted, she did the opposite,” Masha said. “And due to being mentally and physically exhausted, his cognitive functioning and decision-making abilities were compromised,” Masha eagerly added, their tone tinged with excitement from the knowledge they had gained over the years from browsing the Internet on topics of interest. “He was susceptible to Sister Margaret’s persuasion. When people are pushed to the brink of collapse, both mentally and physically, they are more likely to believe and accept what others tell them, even if it contradicts their previous beliefs, and if they have underlying doubts that they were trying to ignore at first, well, they are more likely to succumb to them. Great examples of similar scenarios are oftentimes seen in victims who have endured prolonged trauma or torture before being coerced into actions they wouldn’t have otherwise taken.”

“So…” Willow tried to gather her thoughts. “You’re saying Philip was tricked into feeling remorse for his actions?”

“Well… not really tricked… but definitely pushed into it…?” Masha paused for a moment. “Well, we can view it like this… He admitted to me that he used to have doubts years ago but had chosen to ignore them a long time ago. Just like Sister Margaret said, there were seeds of doubt already and she just pulled those out and without the mental strength to fight them off, he gave in to them and realized he was wrong.”

Amity voiced her concern. “But right now, he thinks like that while being exhausted. How can we be certain after he has rested enough that he will continue to feel remorse for everything he has done and won’t try to harm us again…?”

“He won’t change his mind,” Masha stated with certainty before they let out a casual smile. “Trust me, he won’t.”

Luz observed the protective stance Masha had taken toward Philip. Whatever happened between Masha and Philip back in the Devil’s Waterfall had left them with a different perception of the man. Masha seemed strangely attached to him, which worried Luz. She hoped that Masha wouldn’t end up getting hurt by Philip, considering they hadn’t endured the same trauma or experiences as the rest of them.

“So… I guess… yeah… Philip was beaten into feeling bad in a way…” Luz said before glancing at looking at Sister Margaret. “I swear, we didn’t mean for him to get tortured, which I guess… is how I describe it as?”

Sister Margaret didn’t comment, deep in thought herself, from everything that was being talked about.

“What do you think, Luz?” Amity asked her girlfriend. “Do you think he finally realized he was wrong or if he’s trying to trick us?”

She wanted to know what Luz thought since Luz had seen the bad side of Philip more times than the others.

“Maybe Gus can go into his mind and see if he actually changed,” Willow suggested, knowing the majority in the room was having problems deciding what to believe in. It was reasonable to believe there was no way someone who has held hatred for them for centuries would change.

“I do want to say that he is hesitant to interact with you guys,” Masha brought up. “He admitted to me he feels like he still holds some prejudice thoughts against witches… and doesn’t want to end up hurting any of you again.”

“He said that?” Camila asked, gazing at them with confusion.

“Honestly, we should be cautious about the possibility of him hurting us still,” Amity said.

Though, she had to admit, there was a time she wasn’t so worried that he would hurt them. She forgot why that was the case in the first place…

“But if Masha is right and he doesn’t want to hurt us, well, it makes sense why he asked us to do an eternal oath and having the condition of not hurting us,” Gus said. “And why he wants us to seal him up because he does feel guilty…”

Luz sighed, rubbing her eyes in frustration as the situation grew increasingly difficult to deal with. “And this brings us back to why he would willingly give himself to Elizabeth,” she said. “Alright, let’s assume he does genuinely feel remorse for everything he has done. We’ll have to trust him and work together to create the portal and return to the Boiling Isles as soon as possible. And… we absolutely must make sure Elizabeth doesn’t get her hands on him.”

“Agreed,” Masha and Gus said at the same time.

“So, are we still going to seal him up when we get back to the Boiling Isles now that he isn’t really trying to kill us now?” Willow decided to bring up the sensitive topic that she felt had to be addressed.

Luz, feeling a headache coming on from the intense conversation and revelations, replied. “I think we should talk about it another time.”

After everything Philip had done, he couldn’t just walk off free…

Right…?

Just because one felt guilty for their terrible actions didn’t mean things should just be forgiven and forgotten.

Her heart clenched at the thought of Eda, King, Hooty, Lilith, and the rest of the people in the Boiling Isles most likely suffering thanks to Be-Philip’s actions. The familiar anger rose within her being as well.

“Should we tell Hunter about… Belos?” Willow asked the other important question they have been in her head for a while now.

“I think we should let Philip finish what he started this morning,” Camila said. “If he genuinely feels remorse for his actions, then he should gather the courage to apologize to Hunter properly. Philip owes Hunter a lot.”

And Camila quickly reminded herself to definitely check on Hunter because that poor boy must be having a difficult time with all that has been happening regarding Philip.

But hold on, now that she thought about it… if Philip had a change of heart, since his last visit with Father Francis and the nuns, then how come he was so cruel to Hunter when they were supposed to work on the puzzle that one night with her and Gus as witnesses…?

“I feel like he’s going to need help with that,” Masha pointed out to Camila, seeing how bad it went for Philip earlier today with Hunter.

Luz sighed, hoping what Masha just said wasn’t true. She was still grappling with her own emotions regarding his change of heart. And at the moment, she wanted to focus her attention on making sure everyone was safe and finally get some good rest soon.

Just then, the group heard sounds emanating from their cellphones. Those who had phones took them out in surprise, realizing they had regained connection, and the sounds were notifications they had previously been unable to receive.

A knock on the door interrupted their moment, and Sister Lilian entered the room. “I need everyone to gather their things,” she said. “The church has picked a safe location for the children, and they are making sure Elizabeth and her people cannot touch us right now while we head out. We should hurry, though, just in case.”

The group began gathering their belongings. Sister Lilian then turned to Sister Margaret as the two walked out of the dining room. “I’m going to need you, Sister Luna, and Father Francis to also come with us,” she said.

“Is it because we have seen too much?” Sister Margaret asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Sister Lilian confirmed. “However, we won’t be staying with the children once we drop them off at the new location. I need the three of you to accompany me back to Vatican City.”

Sister Margaret frowned. “Excuse me?”

“There are certain protocols that we have to follow when individuals associated with our church become involved in... well, these types of situations.”

Camila walked out of the room, observing the conversation silently.

“I’m sorry, Sister Lilian, but we cannot leave these children to fend for themselves,” Sister Margaret said.

“They won’t be alone,” Sister Lilian commented. “Camila will be with them, and they will be staying with one of our trusted individuals.”

“There are too many children for just one adult and a stranger. And let’s not forget the handful Philip is going to be as well.”

“I understand your concerns, but the church’s protocols-”

“Yes, yes, the protocols,” Sister Margaret interrupted her, expressing her frustration. “It always comes down to the protocols when it’s convenient for them,” she shook her head with annoyance.

Sister Lilian sighed.

“We’ll be okay,” Camila stepped forward to reassure Sister Margaret. “We’ve managed well over the past few months, and if Philip truly has a change of heart, then our situation won’t be as difficult as it was before.”

Sister Margaret eyed Camila with her serious gaze.

“I’m sorry, Sister Margaret,” Sister Lilian said.

The head nun turned to the young nun, saying nothing for a moment. “Well, I am sorry too, Sister Lilian,” she said, making Sister Lilian look at her with confusion. “I must admit, I didn’t anticipate it would take me this long to make this decision, but there’s no better time than now, especially when there are children who need me.”

Sister Lilian was trying to understand where the woman was going before it dawned on her, making her eyes widened in surprise.

“And before you mention there are also protocols for my departure, let them know I simply do not care,” Sister Margaret stated firmly.

It was at this time the children had exited the room.

“Wait, you’re leaving the church?” Camila exclaimed, trying to make sense of the situation.

“Camila, I don’t underestimate your ability to care for these children, but we both know it must be taking a toll on you to do it alone,” Sister Margaret said. “I believe you’ve been doing a wonderful job, but let me help you, especially with Philip.”

Masha, displaying a calm amusement, chimed in. “So, the bad ass nun is staying with us?” they asked, securing their backpack in place.

“I guess I am,” Sister Margaret offered another of her rare smiles.

Sister Lilian also couldn’t help but smile, showing no objections, even though she knew the church would reprimand her for allowing Sister Margaret not to come along with her to the Vatican City.

“Well, let’s gather everyone. I’ll speak with Father Francis,” Sister Lilian said, and the group dispersed. Masha accompanied Sister Lilian to meet with Father Francis, who was peeking out of the windows. Everything seemed so eerily still outside.

But from what Sister Lilian had told him, Elizabeth most likely had her men put the rest of the town to sleep with some sort of spell. Only reason they didn’t use it on them was because it was against their deal with the Catholic Church.

Sister Lilian went over to explain to him what they had to do, while Masha observed Philip, who was still awake, but struggling to keep his eyes open.

Leave it to Philip… to somehow find the energy to be stubborn about something. They assumed the paranoia of them getting attacked was what cling to him the most over everything right now.

However, now they questioned how come he was able to be convinced to acknowledge the terrible nature of everything he had done to witches but remained resistant to being told to go to sleep while he was in such a messed up state?

Kneeling in front of Philip, Masha addressed him calmly. “You really need to listen to people more… Especially when it’s for your own good.”

Philip’s eyes narrowed slightly before averting his gaze from Masha.

“We’re being relocated to a safe place, or at least that’s what Sister Lilian said,” Masha informed him.

“Where…?” Philip asked silently.

“Not sure, but they want us to pack up and get ready to leave.”

Philip closed his eyes for a few seconds before mustering the strength to stand, his muscles aching as he did so. He had to steady himself using the bench for support.

Masha quickly moved to his side and tried to assist him in staying on his feet, but he pulled away and followed Sister Lilian out of the chapel. Eventually, after everyone had gathered their things, they exited the building. The night enveloped them, its cold grip seeping into their bones. The late hour cast a stillness upon the streets, devoid of any signs of life.

The group gathered by the parking lot where Father Francis’ weathered MPV awaited, not wasting any second. However, realizing the limited space within the vehicle, Masha volunteered to use their car. However, Camila insisted on driving Masha’s car, not wanting them to bear the responsibility of transporting a group.

Hunter stood there with a determined look in his eyes, avoiding eye contact with Philip. While the others decided which transportation they would take, Masha took Philip’s arm and guided him toward the MPV to help Hunter make his decision.

Hunter went to the small car with Camila, Luz, Amity, and Vee. He sat in the passenger seat. Flapjack took the form of a staff in case it was needed for defense.

Philip silently occupied the very back row in the MPV with Masha by his side while Gus and Willow did their best to six with them on the right of Masha.

All four where cramped, but no one complained.

“Everyone ready?” Father Francis asked, turning to address the group as the nuns were putting on their seatbelts.

Sister Lilian was sitting in the passenger seat while Sister Luna and Sister Margaret sat in the middle row.

Sister Luna’s expression was marked with a frown as her eyes shifted towards Philip. She remained on guard around him. She pulled out her rosary to start praying along the road to make sure everything goes well.

“Well, let’s hope for a smooth ride,” Father Francis said before starting the car, and just at that moment, Twig transformed back into her original form and skipped through the vehicle in order to land on Masha’s lap.

Sister Lilian watched with amusement as her companion nestled against Masha.

The bird looked up at Philip, who had his head leaning against the window, his eyes glazed from exhaustion. Twig didn’t appear as frightened as she had been the first time she saw Philip, which brought a smile to Masha’s face.

“Don’t worry, we’re all going to be okay,” Masha assured Twig, allowing her to rest there.

Their words reached Philip and he hoped that they were right.

And just when the vehicle began to move, Philip’s eyes shifted to look through the window, still doing his best to continue to keep watch for Elizabeth and her men….

Elizabeth climbed into the back of a van, instructed others to break protocol and thoroughly scout the land, even suggesting they forcefully enter people’s homes. She had to find her beast now, and she had a strong feeling it was still nearby.

There was no way she was going to let it escape.

A calm and collected voice suddenly came through everyone’s earpieces. “Cease all operations and await further instructions,” the voice said before there was silence in everyone’s earpieces, except for Elizabeth’s and Rafael’s.

“Sebastian, now is not the time for you to interfere,” Elizabeth hissed in annoyance.

“The children and the beast are currently under the Church’s protection,” the voice stated.

“That bitch…” Elizabeth growled under her breath at the memory of Sister Lilian, who teleported her away from the building earlier. She assumed the nun had contacted someone from the Vatican.

“So, for now, we are-”

“No, I refuse to leave without my beast,” Elizabeth declared coldly.

“You had your chance, Elizabeth. I warned you…”

“I still have a chance to get him,” she replied. “You don’t understand, Sebastian. I had him in my hands. He was magnificent, everything I ever dreamed of. But those disgusting children ruined everything, and that wretched nun, too.”

There was no response from the other end, prompting Elizabeth to continue.

“I’m serious, Sebastian. He’s nothing like the others. He won’t simply drop dread in a few years. You’ve studied his arm. You’ve seen how different he is. And, according to my reliable resources, the man is from the 1600s, a prolific witch hunter named…” She turned to Rafael who was sitting on one of the seats calmly, watching her.

“Philip Wittebane,” Rafael responded with the name promptly.

“Yes, that’s his name,” Elizabeth replied. “Now that I think of it… I need to give him a new name…” she said with disgust in her voice.

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end before the voice spoke again, this time with a tone that sounded very interested. One she hadn’t heard in so long.

“Did you just say… his name is Philip Wittebane?”

“Yes, that’s what Rafael said,” Elizabeth confirmed before sensing something had indeed shifted in Sebastian. She then recalled something from one of her faint memories. “Hold on… do you know of him?” Then realization dawned on her. “Silas… he was from the 1600s too, right?”

“Elizabeth, bring the men back to base,” the voice instructed calmly.

Elizabeth frowned, refusing to comply. “I am not-”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little mind,” the voice interrupted with a subtle chuckle. “I will ensure you get your hands on your lovely beast, no matter what…”

Silas sat in a carriage, his arms crossed, and eyes closed as they traveled along the road. Eventually, the carriage came to a stop in front of a massive home.

“Silas, we’re here,” the woman with pointy ears gently informed him, placing a hand on his arm.

He opened his eyes silently before both stepped out of the carriage as the chauffeur opened the door. They began making their way up to the front door. However, there was no one there to greet them. No servants or the head butler anywhere.

“The governor was acting rather peculiar, don’t you think?” the woman asked Silas softly.

Silas mentally agreed. They had just returned from Europe, and as they met with the governor, he couldn’t help but notice something off with the man’s behavior. He seemed skittish, on edge…

“In any case, I wonder if Sebastian is glad to see us,” the woman commented. “I was surprised when he chose to stay at the Hartman’s estate for the past three months. Perhaps he has developed feelings for Elizabeth? She has grown into a beautiful young lady, after all.”

Initially, Silas didn’t pay much attention to the absence of staff members rushing out to welcome them. It was unusual for Arthur Hartman to forget their arrival. The man was always eager to have his staff greet them. However, as they walked a few feet closer to the door, Silas noticed something unsettling: everything was eerily silent…

Silas slowly reached into his coat and pulled out a brown wand. The woman looked confused for a moment, but her ferret companion emerged from her cloak, transforming into a sleek, black wand before it emanated a dark, green glow.

“Be prepared, Aurora,” Silas warned, raising his wand. He cast a spell at the doors, blasting them open. Silas and Aurora stood side by side, wands at the ready, prepared to defend themselves against whatever had put Silas on edge. Yet, as they entered the empty entrance hall, the silence grew even more unnerving. There was not a soul to be seen in the deserted space.

Silas’s sharp eyes scanned around sign of danger before he moved. Aurora followed closely behind, keeping a watchful eye as well. As they approached the kitchen, an overwhelming stench assaulted them. Silas pushed the door open.

The kitchen, once a bustling hub of activity, now lay in ruin. The air hung heavy with the odor of rot and decay. Silas’s gaze swept over the room, noticing dishes lay scattered across the countertops, their contents decomposing and attracting a swarm of flies. Mold had claimed what looked like a preparation for a feast that never took place. Basins filled with dirty dishes stood neglected, the water long evaporated, leaving behind a caked-on remnant of meal past.

Without hesitation, Silas rushed through the rest of the house. Aurora trailed closely behind. Her voice filled with concern as she called out for Sebastian, the head maid, the butler, Arthur, anyone that took residence in the home. Yet, with each room they searched, they found nothing but emptiness and silence.

“What do you think happened?” Aurora asked, her voice betraying her growing unease. “There doesn’t seem to have been any sort of struggle. They wouldn’t have simply abandoned this place, would they?”

Silas paused for a moment, standing in Arthur’s office, his jaw clenched tightly as his eyes fixated on the scattered documents strewn across the desk. The documents revealed the intricacies of Arthur’s trade business. As he immersed himself in thought, a growing sense of dread crept over him.

He realized they had yet to explore one last room…

A heavy feeling settled in Silas’s heart as he guided Aurora toward the back of the mansion. As they got closer to the back room, an unpleasant stench began to assault their nostrils, growing more pungent as they approached the door. Silas’s heart raced within his chest, but he steeled himself and forced himself to open the door.

They both recoiled, hastily covering their noses to shield themselves from the overwhelming and putrid smell that filled the room. As they stepped inside, their eyes widened in sheer horror at the sight that greeted them.

“No…” Aurora’s voice barely escaped her lips, a mere whisper of disbelief as she stood frozen in shock. Silas, his own gaze transfixed, took a moment to process what they were seeing. An immediate wave of nausea washed over him, and he fought back the urge to regurgitate the morning’s meal, mustering his strength to push forward.

A cluster of chairs, arranged around a looking sort of metallic machine looking tower, that was not there before, occupied the center of the room. On those chairs, bodies, now mere husks of what once were human, sat there, their rotting flesh in various stages of decomposition. Maggots writhed in the folds of their tattered garments, devouring their decaying remains. The clothing, once colorful and tidied, now clung to their emaciated forms, stained with the blackened remnants of blood and other fluids.

The bodies were contorted, each one had their mouth stretched impossibly wide, frozen in a horrific scream of agony. It was as if their final moments were a harrowing descent into an unspeakable agony.

Silas’ body began to tremble uncontrollably, his thoughts racing as his eyes slowly traveled to the machinery, as it looked very familiar…

A sickening realization churned in his gut. The pieces clicked into place, especially when his eyes couldn’t catch the second pair of blonde locks among the bodies, when he spotted the familiar watch that Arthur loved to wear on one of the corpse’s wrists.

He couldn’t help but blame himself… as he should have seen the warnings…

He should have never turned a blind eye…

He shouldn’t have let this happen…

It was all his fault…

Silas shrugged off the haunting recollection that had chosen to resurface, triggered by the response from a yellow letter that a woman had sent out with her wand.

Five men, including Silas, sat in a circular formation around a massive oak table. All wore flowing black robes. The room was itself dimly lit, with tall, arched windows that were adorned with heavy velvet drapes. The men in the room looked rather old, whereas Silas stood in his late prime, displaying a robust physique. His lustrous brown hair and piercing dark eyes possessed an intimidating aura that would unnerve those unfamiliar with his true nature.

Sunlight filtered through the narrow gaps in the drapes, casting ethereal rays that danced upon the aged tapestries adoring the walls. Candles flickered in ornate silver candle holders, casting flickering shadows upon the solemn faces of the men.

A woman sat far from the rest. She held a wand and was the one who sent out the yellow letter after the men instructed her what to write.

“Let us hope Sebastian does not decide to have any other ideas like Elizabeth,” grumbled one of the four men, William, seated across the table with Silas. “That woman possesses audacity, attacking one of our own, being aware of the consequences.”

“Surely you have learned by now how capricious she can be,” interjected a man named Michael, his gaze fixated on Silas with a knowing expression. “Do you believe Sebastian will uphold his promise and leave the children untouched?”

Silas remained silent, his arms slowly crossing as he withheld any response.

“Regardless, we must determine what course of action to take concerning the man whom Elizabeth desires, for reasons unbeknownst to us,” stated another man, Edgar. “Sister Lilian made it clear that he is afflicted by a curse that has sustained his existence for centuries. Looks like we have possibly another immortal among us,” he chuckled, glancing at Silas.

Silas shifted his gaze towards the woman as yet another letter materialized before her, though it was purple this time. She passed it to Michael, who proceeded to read aloud the message they were expecting from Sister Lilian. “Very well, she has furnished us with the names of the children, and it looks like we have three humans who we should prioritize in this mess.”

“How many witch children overall?” inquired the fifth man, with a more serious tone, named Matthew.

“Four witch children and a shapeshifter,” Michael divulged.

“Four pure blooded witches,” Edgar mused, his curiosity piqued. “It has been eternity since our people last encountered even one such individual.”

Michael then froze momentarily upon reading the last portion of the letter, his brows furrowing at what he was seeing.

“What’s the matter, Michael?” inquired William, capturing Silas’ attention.

Silas turned his gaze towards Michael, who met his eyes with a bewildered expression.

“Well, boy, speak up,” Silas pressed, his voice steady and firm.

Michael hesitated, taking a moment before sliding the letter across the table to Silas.

Silas unfolded the letter, his eyes scanning the list of names requested from Sister Lilian, until he reached the name - Philip Wittebane.

A chill washed over Silas as he stared at the name, feeling as though he had been drenched by a bucket of ice-cold water as an image of a young man with a hint of stubble on his youthful face appeared in Silas’ mind, piercing him with a glare brimming with unshed tears. An image that has clawed at his heart throughout the passing centuries. Along with a question that he always asked himself, ‘Why didn’t you believe him…?’

In his mind echoed Sister Lilian’s earlier words, describing a cursed man who has lived for centuries, a human who has returned to the human world after being in the magical one.

Philip…

Wittebane…

She said he was a man who has lived for centuries…

No… it couldn’t be…

There was no way he was alive after all this time…

But if it was him then that meant Sebastian would get involved… and he couldn’t help but feel sick at the thought of Elizabeth Hartman getting her hands on him…

Chapter Text

The sun was blaring down on a seventeen-year-old Silas, even though it was the afternoon. His linen shirt, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealed sinewy forearms glistening with a thin sheen of sweat while his hands gripped on the reins.

The brown breeches that were faded in color from the frequent use clung to his legs, the tautness of his muscles pronounced with each step he took. He walked behind his horse, Betsy, guiding her through the field while she pulled along the plow, its blade glinting in the sunlight. The rhythmic sound of soil being overturned filled the air, punctuated by the steady hoofbeats of his horse as she powered through the land.

The heat had been too unbearable for him for the past couple hours and after a few more steps, he finally maneuvered his horse to come to a halt. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his breath heavy from exhaustion.

He could stop for now and continue the following day, but he had nothing else to do that wasn’t so boring later. The exertion from his current task helped him to keep his mind focused on something, preventing him from feeling as though the world was just trying to swallow him whole.

Silas sighed, wiping his face with his shirt, and was about to pull Betsy to continue till he caught something from the corner of his eye.

He glanced to the side to notice someone standing near the end of the field, a figure observing him from a distance. His dark brown eyes squinted against the glare to see if it was someone who he knew.

Silas couldn’t help but feel a knot of unease tighten in his gut when he recognized the figure. There, standing motionless, diligently jotting down on a journal in hand, was no other than Philip Wittebane, the protégé of the Minister, a young man around his age and already a fearsome witch hunter.

But… what was Philip doing there? After all, there was no reason for him to be in the fields…

Their eyes locked, and in that instant, Silas sensed a chilling indifference emanating from the young witch hunter. The way Philip held himself, his gaze void of warmth or emotion, always gave most of the townspeople an unsettling impression. Philip always looked like someone who had no soul, or so it appeared in Silas’s eyes. Especially the way Philip would stand next to the Minister without a care in the world while they hung people for their alleged witchcraft.

Philip’s relentless dedication to purging evil, just like Alexander, was sometimes a topic brought up by people in town. Of course, the gossip was nothing close to being a good thing. At first, those who held those pursuits were respected years ago, but now it has made people maintain a cautious distance. People had grown afraid of possibly becoming the next target, accused of practicing witchcraft. The relentless determination of the witch hunters now appeared bordering on obsession to a few, casting doubt on the legitimacy of those branded as witches.

And there were even rumors that Philip was most likely a witch as well, which, if Silas believed in such things, well, it probably wouldn’t be a surprise since Philip was always peculiar since he was a child, wearing that strange mask majority of the time.

Truth be told, Silas didn’t believe in witches or in magic, and he thought it was a huge possibility that people were just accusing innocent people to death. And those who called themselves witch hunters were just crazy; for crying out loud, Philip had even fabricated a story about how a witch took his brother through a portal to the depths of hell instead of admitting that his brother just left him to live in another town! Now, if that didn’t sound insane, Silas wasn’t sure what would.

Now, as Silas wiped off the sweat on his face, he couldn’t help but grow worried of possibly being the next accused witch since Philip was there. He imagined Philip was most likely jotting down what, in his delusional mind, Silas was doing to be considered a witch.

Silas tried to steady his mind, to go back to work, to distract himself, but he couldn’t shake the anxiety and frustration that was building up within him. Also, the feeling of being under scrutiny, his every move judged by Philip’s aloof gaze, was something he didn’t appreciate.

While most people didn’t bother Silas, either treating him with respect or minding their own business, there were always those few individuals who exuded a superiority that grated on his nerves. These individuals strutted around with an air of grandeur, looking upon others with disdain. Although he had never spoken to Philip before, Silas believed him to be one of those insufferable people. But he told himself to just ignore Philip. He assured himself there was nothing to worry about. All he was doing was plowing the land, just like his father had instructed him to do. He was doing nothing out of the ordinary, but… damn it, he couldn’t help but feel suffocated by Philip’s stare. And the sun that was drying him up like a withered raisin only made his foul mood worse.

With an annoyed sigh, he dropped his rails and made his way towards Philip, who noticed him coming. Silas felt himself grow more aggravated by how Philip was now looking at him with half-lidded eyes tinged with boredom, with an air of condescension.

“Can I help you?” Silas inquired once he was standing face to face with Philip. He was just a half inch taller than Philip, but his sturdy build towered over Philip’s slight frame, giving him a sense of satisfaction in the physical difference between them.

But Philip showed no signs of intimidation. He met Silas’s gaze with a calm demeanor, momentarily hiding his writing utensil and journal behind his back. “No, I don’t require anything from you,” he responded simply, leaving them standing in an awkward silence that stretched on for what felt like an eternity.

“Now, go along and continue whatever you were doing,” Philip added dismissively, fueling Silas’s irritation. A glare made its way upon Silas’s face.

Yeah… Philip was definitely one of those people…

Oh, how he despised when people talked to him in such a tone. Usually, if people dared talk to him that way, he would just walk away to avoid wasting any of his time with them and breaking a few of their bones. But this time, he couldn’t just stroll away. He couldn’t continue plowing the land with Philip just standing there.

“What were you writing there…?” Silas asked with a weary voice, to at least try to ease the concerns that lingered in the back of his mind.

Philip simply raised an eyebrow, as if feigning innocence. Which gave Silas the urge to just grab Philip and throw him into the freshly plowed soil to smear the young man’s cotton shirt and perfectly tailored trousers.

Alright, fine… he wasn’t the most patient guy around.

“In your journal,” Silas clarified with annoyance. “You were writing something down while you were watching me work. So, what were you writing?”

“I believe that’s none of your concern,” Philip said.

Of course, Silas should have expected that was the way Philip would respond to him. And he had a feeling he wasn’t going to receive any honest answers from Philip if he asked nicely.

And yes, Silas believed he was being polite right now.

Driven by frustration, Silas swiftly grabbed Philip’s shoulder and forced him to turn, snagging the journal from his grip. Philip freed himself from Silas’s grip, clearly annoyed, but then he looked unfazed when he nonchalantly adjusted his jacket. Silas opened the journal, his gaze falling upon the writing that, regrettably, appeared as just a jumbled mess to him.

Of course, he couldn’t make out what it said; he couldn’t read.

“You honestly are a buffoon, aren’t you?” Philip chuckled calmly, once again eliciting a glare from Silas.

“What did you just call me?” Silas retorted.

“A buffoon,” Philip repeated, slowly this time, as if talking to a child. “I don’t understand why you bother to look at it. I’m aware you’re illiterate. I heard you’re a simpleton, just like your father.”

Silas stared at Philip as the demeaning words slowly processed in his head.

Now, there were people who mocked him for his inability to read or write. Sometimes those same people would question his intelligence, but usually people weren’t so direct about it. Yes, neither he nor his father could read or write, but he managed to learn how to speak properly through listening to his more educated friends. And even though he wasn’t fond of his father, hearing someone insult him felt like a blow to his stomach.

“Take that back…” Silas growled at Philip, taking a threatening step closer to him.

Philip simply stood tall, his blue eyes narrowing at Silas, before his chin tilted up like the arrogant man he was.

“No,” Philip simply responded.

Well, Silas really tried to be patient and civil, but he didn’t think even God would blame him for what he was about to do next. Without a word, Silas closed the distance between them, and his fingers curled tightly around the collar of Philip’s shirt. Philip, surprised by Silas’s sudden aggression, struggled to free himself.

“Release me this instant, you insolent man!” Philip demanded, his voice laced with disgust and anger. Silas’s grip remained firm, and he dragged Philip towards the edge of the forest, where the nearby river ran.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Philip snapped, struggling with increasing desperation as he tried to loosen Silas’s grip, but failed to do so.

The sound of rushing water grew louder as Silas approached the riverbank. He then stopped and fixed his gaze on Philip with such intensity that made it Philip stop in his struggle but still have the nerve to glare back.

Without a second more, Silas threw Philip into the icy river, watching as the water swallowed him whole. Silas stood there at the riverbank, watching as Philip emerged from the water, coughing and sputtering. The shock on Philip’s face quickly transformed into a fierce anger.

“Have you lost your mind?!" Philip gasped between coughs. His ponytail was now wet, clinging to his neck, strands of the dark hair plastered against his skin.

“No one… insults my father like that, do you hear me?” Silas’s words carried a simmering anger. Suddenly, an amusing thought crossed his mind as he watched Philip, now partially submerged in the river, wipe the water from his face.

He chuckled. “And look, you aren’t floating. I guess you aren’t a witch, after all.”

“You’ll pay for this,” Philip snarled at Silas who had just turned his back to him. “You can’t just-”

Before Philip could finish his sentence, Silas tuned him out, walking away with Philip’s journal in hand, leaving the spluttering young man behind.

Silas rested his eyes under the shade of an oak tree. His arms were comfortably positioned behind his head as he enjoyed the gentle breeze brushing past him and the gentle symphony of the rustling leaves from the forest.

He began to drift to sleep, just as he planned after long hours of work. His breathing slowed, and his mind was momentarily freed from the world around him.

Unfortunately, the peaceful slumber he was looking forward to all afternoon was cut off by the rhythmic crunches of footsteps coming closer, causing Silas to stir. He opened his eyes, blinking away the remnant of sleep, and found himself face to face with Philip, who was standing before him with his usual air of boredom and condescension.

Silas’s muscles tensed as he sat up. He hadn’t seen Philip since the one incident a week ago. When he returned home that day, he had grown worried that he somehow got a target on his back and expected to find people standing outside of his home with torches and pitchforks, demanding for his head. He was even ready to leave town if he had to, with a couple of bags packed by the side of his bed. But when there was no sign of a mob for the past few days, he thought maybe he somehow scared the witch hunter away instead and taught him a lesson to not mess with him.

But now, with Philip standing there, he should have known he wasn’t so lucky after all.

“It’s about time you returned what belongs to me,” Philip said, his voice dripping with indifference as he broke the silence. “Hand over my journal.”

“Why should I give it back to you?” Silas retorted.

Of course, he still had that journal hidden under his pillow. He had thought about throwing it into the river the day after he had dumped Philip there, but he had been curious to see what terrible things Philip wrote about him.

“Because it’s important to me and I would like it back,” Philip responded calmly.

Silas blinked, not expecting such a response from Philip. But the young man’s offense to his father still annoyed him.

“I’ll hand it back after you apologize for what you said to me and about my father,” he said.

Philip stared at him, eyes growing cold before he gave him the same response from the other day. “No.”

“Then you’re not getting it back,” Silas said before he got up and walked away. Though he was frustrated that Philip ruined his nap, he would rather be anywhere else than be near him.

Silas was sitting with his friend Jordan by the riverbank. He had asked Jordan to meet with him and read Philip’s journal for him as he was growing paranoid about knowing what Philip had written about him. Jordan, of course, was excited to see what was inside the journal of one of the town’s witch hunters, especially one that belonged to the infamous Philip Wittebane. Jordan thought maybe the journal contained some of Philip’s personal dark secrets. When Jordan began to read the journal, he had a huge grin on his face, but it slowly dropped into a frown after skimming through a few pages.

“Well?” Silas asked, waiting patiently enough until Jordan was halfway through the journal.

Jordan sighed; his disappointment was apparent in his voice as he flipped to another page. “I hate to break it to you, my friend, but this journal is just a collection of boring descriptions of everyday tasks and occupations,” he revealed. “The first few pages are about handling animals. Some of them talk about carpentry, others about field work. There’s nothing interesting here.”

Silas frowned, running a hand through his short brown hair. “Are you sure?” he asked. “He was definitely writing something down about me while I was working days ago.”

Jordan flipped to the last entry in the journal and took a moment to read through what Philip had written. “Looks like he just wrote a detailed description of how to plow with a horse. He described the horse’s movements, the way they drag the plow while someone is guiding the animal.”

Silas felt silent for a moment, his brows knitted together from a mix of frustration and confusion. “So… there isn’t really anything about me? Nothing… about me doing something peculiar?”

Jordan closed the journal and handed it to Silas. “I guess not,” he sighed. “The entries are just a collection of instructional manuals. To tell you the truth, it’s very underwhelming.”

Silas stared down at the journal and couldn’t shake off the feeling of guilt that was now creeping into his heart.

Great, he was feeling bad for Philip, from all people. He had judged the young man for writing malicious things about him in the journal, as if to set him up to be the next accused witch. But instead, Philip had just studied him while he worked.

Maybe throwing Philip into the river was uncalled for…

Then again, he and his father were insulted, and Philip refused to apologize not just once, but twice.

Now Silas wondered why Philip claimed the journal was important to him.

He groaned, his conscience telling him he should return the journal and should have never confronted Philip in the first place. He should have just continued plowing his family’s land, just like he was supposed to do.

Silas spotted Philip sitting behind the church, writing something down in another journal.

Unlike the previous times, Philip was wearing a simple long sleeve shirt, but he still had his long hair tied down in a ponytail.

Truth be told, it was rather peculiar for a boy to have such long hair. But… for some reason, it just fit Philip.

As Silas approached him, Philip’s piercing gaze met his, instantly tensing up just like he did the other day. Philip held his journal protectively against his chest, and it was then that Silas noticed the wooden splint wrapped around Philip’s left hand.

“I’m not in a mood for you,” Philip said coldly. “Now, leave me be.”

“What happened to your hand?” Silas couldn’t help but ask.

Philip’s defensive mask momentarily faltered, replaced by eyes that widened, revealing a flicker of confusion. It was as if he wasn’t used to anyone asking him such a question. The vulnerable look on his face pulled something within Silas, completely catching him off guard. Silas never expected to witness such emotion from Philip, though it didn’t last long as the defiant glint returned in Philip’s eyes.

“What do you want, Silas?” Philip asked, taking Silas by surprise again.

So, Philip knew his name?

Now, the town was small, but he never imagined Philip would bother learning the name of someone he considered a ‘simpleton’.

Silas pulled out the journal he had taken from Philip from his bag before extending it to Philip. Philip frowned and stared at it suspiciously, as if expecting it to have horse shit inside or something.

“I apologize for taking your journal from you,” Silas said. “I should have never done that.”

Philip regarded Silas with a mix of confusion and hesitation, slowly rising to his feet before swiftly accepting the journal back. He flipped through the pages, checking for any sign of damage or ruined writing. At least, that’s what Silas assumed.

“Are you not going to apologize for tossing me into the river as well?” Philip smoothly inquired, closing the journal and holding it alongside the other under his left arm.

“Are you going to apologize for what you said to me and about my father?” Silas shot back.

Philip narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

Silas rolled his eyes.

“But I’m serious, Philip. I shouldn’t have assumed you were writing terrible things about me,” he said.

“Pardon me?”

“I thought you were writing terrible things about me in that journal,” Silas repeated.

Philip paused for a moment, the condescending look back in his eyes. “Why would I do that?” Philip drawled.

Silas wanted to tell Philip it was because he was a complete lunatic, but of course, he refrained from uttering such a statement. Nor was he going to tell Philip how terrible of a human being he was.

Instead, Silas posed a question that had been plaguing his mind for the past few days. “Why do you write instruction manuals about people’s tasks and jobs?”

Philip’s lips tightened, as if he was reluctant to respond, but eventually he spoke. “They aren’t instructional manuals. They are simply observations.”

“Observations for what?”

This time, Philip remained silent.

“Because if you’re trying to learn how to do those kinds of jobs, simply watching someone working is nothing to actually doing it yourself,” Silas remarked.

Philip scoffed at Silas’ comment. “They don’t seem so challenging to me.”

Silas frowned, growing annoyed with Philip. “Oh, really?”

Philip gave him his bored, condescending look again. “If a simpleton like you can do it, then why can’t I?”

Silas had the urge to throw Philip back into the river, but instead, Silas had an idea. “Very well, oh great witch hunter,” he retorted with irritation. “If you have nothing to do tomorrow at sunrise, come to my house, and let’s see if you can plow the land on the other side of our property. Prove to me it’s not so hard for you.”

Philip stared at Silas, saying nothing for some time, as if contemplating the challenge.

Silas was expecting Philip to decline.

“Fine,” Philip eventually replied simply, making Silas blink with surprise. “I will arrive first thing tomorrow,” he declared as he walked past Silas, “and prove that I am not as inept as you.”

Silas felt his eye twitch at Philip’s remark but reminded himself that he would soon be the one with the last laugh when he watches Philip fail so miserably the following day.

Silas stepped out in the soft light of the rising sun, his eyes adjusting to the gentle glow of the dawn. As he emerged from his home, he scanned the open field and saw Philip standing there, dressed in simple trousers and a brown dress shirt.

Silas sighed. He had hoped Philip wouldn’t show up. He started to think that Philip was either stubborn or a fool.

“I’m here,” Philip announced, his voice carrying a hint of nonchalance.

Silas hesitated for a moment when his gaze landed on Philip’s left hand, still encased in a wooden splint. “Yes, I can see that…” He had completely forgotten about Philip’s injured hand.

Well, now he felt guilty for not taking into consideration Philip’s injured state. He was starting to believe he was the terrible human being between the two of them.

“Philip, I’m sorry. This was a bad idea,” he said, his brow furrowed, making Philip stare at him without emotion. “I forgot about your hand. We should call this off.”

Philip now gazed at him with confusion, looking down at his hand before frowning. “It’s fine,” Philip replied curtly, his tone hinting a touch of annoyance. “It will be no problem for me.”

Silas shook his head. With a physique like Philip’s, he was definitely going to need both hands since guiding the horse was physically demanding. Of course, there was a high chance Philip would end up injuring his hand more, and if that happened, Silas was going to feel worse with the guilt lingering in his heart.

“It’s not fine,” Silas said. “Let me think of something else that doesn’t require both hands.”

But Philip merely waved off Silas’ concern. “There’s no need. I’m here now, so let’s stop wasting time and get started.”

Silas wanted to argue with Philip on this, but Philip’s nonchalant look just gave him the impression that the young man truly believed he was some sort of god that could do anything.

Fine. If something bad happened, it wouldn’t be his fault. He had warned Philip, after all…

And that was how both found themselves in the field, with his horse harnessed properly and a plow attached securely to her.

“Alright,” Silas said as he gripped the reins in his hands. “Well, I guess show me what you can do, since you already watched me do this the other day.”

Silas glanced over at Philip and noticed him looking at his horse without any sort of emotion. He wondered if Philip had ever been near a horse before. Maybe Philip was too busy to engage with farm animals while he was playing the Minister’s favorite. He also wondered if Philip was afraid of horses like his dad’s friend, Cassidy, which he couldn’t help but find amusing.

“You know, Philip. You can touch her if you want. I promise Obedience won’t bite,” Silas said with a teasing voice.

Philip’s expression remained unchanged as he replied, “I’d rather not.”

“Why not?” Silas asked curiously. “Are you afraid of her or something?”

Philip did not respond.

Silas grunted with a chuckle. “I never thought a witch hunter would be afraid of a horse.”

Philip’s eyes narrowed at him. “I’m not afraid,” he said, his voice steady.

Silas raised an eyebrow. “Prove it then,” he challenged. “Go ahead and touch her. Show me you’re not afraid of dear old Obedience.”

Philip made no move to prove himself. Silas sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes. He couldn’t understand why Philip was too prideful to admit he was afraid of a horse.

Well, Silas wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily and would at least get some more amusement out of this.

Without hesitation, Silas reached out and grabbed Philip’s uninjured hand, ignoring his struggle to break free. Determined to prove a point, Silas guided Philip’s hand to the side of the horse, forcing him to make contact with her.

Silas wasn’t sure what he expected. Maybe a shriek from Philip? Now that would be a sight to see. But instead, as Philip’s hand touched the horse’s warm hide, Philip’s tense posture relaxed, and after a moment Philip’s eyes grew soft, a tender sort of longing in his bright blue eyes as he stared at Obedience.

Something tugged in Silas’ chest as he watched a soft smile tug at the corners of Philip’s lips. The grip he had on Philip’s hand grew tighter as he felt something warm in his chest, a feeling he had never felt before.

But just as the foreign feeling appeared, he instantly released Philip’s hand, taking a step back with a sort of panic, and quickly gathered himself when he found Philip staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

“So, I guess you were not afraid of horses after all,” Silas said after clearing his throat.

Philip observed him for a moment. “I adore horses,” he admitted.

Silas blinked, not expecting the response. “Really?”

Philip glanced at Obedience and caressed her side ever so softly.

“It has been quite some time since I’ve touched one,” Philip said before his voice grew slightly quiet. “They’re rather beautiful creatures, don’t you agree?”

Silas didn’t respond, just staring as if someone else took Philip’s place, which honestly, it felt that way. But the moment didn’t last long as Philip pulled away from Obedience and his aloofness returned.

“Well, I suppose we shouldn’t waste any more time,” Philip said as he extended his hand towards Silas, silently requesting the reins. Silas hesitated for a moment, still unsure if the whole thing was a good idea, especially after he had seen how happy Philip was petting Obedience, but eventually he handed the reins over to Philip.

“Alright, I guess show me what you’ve got,” Silas said, stepping aside to let Philip stand where he needed to. Philip held the reins with his right hand and moved.

Silas observed with surprise as Philip skillfully guided the horse forward, the plow slicing through the earth in a neat and deliberate manner. He expected to be mad at how successful Philip was at controlling the horse, keeping her in a straight line. After all, he was supposed to be proving Philip right, but to his confusion, he wasn’t even a slight irritated with the outcome. Maybe it was the fact Philip’s brows furrowed in complete focus on the horse instead of giving him an arrogant smirk that made Silas mad.

After an hour passed, Silas noticed the strain on Philip’s face. It became apparent that the weight of the reins and the effort required to maneuver the horse with only one hand was taking its toll. Sweat began to gather on Philip’s forehead, his legs stumbled a bit, and the precision he had gradually faded as his right arm shook. Obedience, for some reason, was trying to divert off course, too.

Silas watched intently, following beside him with growing concern. He wanted to ask Philip if he was alright, if he needed help, but Philip’s clenched jaw and determined look kept him quiet.

Philip attempted to use his left hand to assist his right to regain stability, but the strain proved too much, and his grip slipped, causing him to lose balance and slip, almost falling face-first into the ground.

Reacting swiftly, Silas lunged forward, and with a firm grip on the back of Philip’s shirt, he pulled him upright and steadied him on his feet. He instinctively reached out, grabbed Philip’s arm for support, and laid a hand gently on the small of his back. Philip’s breath came in ragged gasps from pushing himself too much and, from what Silas assumed, the near fall he had just experienced. Silas could feel the rapid rhythm of Philip’s heartbeat beneath his palm.

He barely noticed that his own heartbeat was racing too, and he was unsure why.

Philip looked frustrated and attempted to pull away, but Silas’s hand kept him in place.

“Are you okay?” Silas asked, genuinely concerned that Philip hurt his hand further than it already was, which seemed to catch Philip off guard.

The anger on Philip’s face was replaced by surprise as he glanced at Silas. Then Philip stared at him with a mix of emotions that Silas couldn’t pinpoint before his gaze hardened.

Silas wasn’t sure if his mind was playing tricks on him, but he swore he felt Philip lean closer to his touch.

“I’m fine,” Philip responded, but he failed to hide the strain in his voice. He pulled free from Silas’s grip.

Silas took a moment to observe Philip, as if his brain was having a hard time taking in everything that just happened before he went after Obedience, who had continued to move forward without anyone guiding her. He managed to grab the reins and stop her in her tracks.

He stood there silently, trying to gather his thoughts. He was completely confused as to why he didn’t let Philip hit the ground, why he didn’t feel the urge to taunt or at least tease him. It just didn’t make sense. And strangely, Silas had the profound need to make Philip feel better.

“Honestly, I hate to admit it, but you did well, Philip.” His words hung in the air, carried by the gentle breeze. He turned around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Philip’s reaction and that the frustration on the young man’s face would disappear, maybe see that soft smile on Philip’s face again, but to his disappointment, he saw Philip a short distance away, walking off, his back turned to Silas.

And Silas did nothing but watch him go while he felt a heavy void in his chest.

During a late dinner, Silas, his father, and his mother sat together as they ate their chicken soup and bread.

His father’s rough voice broke the silence. “I saw you talking with that boy, Philip Wittebane, behind the church. I was waiting for you to say something about it, but you never did. You better not be involved in any sort of trouble.”

Silas let out a sigh and had to hold back from rolling his eyes as he submerged his bread into the soup, just the way he loved it.

“I’m not in any sort of trouble,” Silas replied, his voice tinged with frustration. “So, stop worrying.”

His father always assumed the worst of him. It always looked like his father was unable to let go of the mischievous adventures he had as a child, which involved his cousins as well. Sure, he had caused a fair share of trouble in the past that caused his parents problems, but that was a long time ago.

“What were you two talking about?” his mother chimed in.

Silas restrained himself from showing his irritation, feeling the weight of his parents’ questioning. Why did they have to pry into every detail? Ironically, he found himself doing the same with others at times, particularly with Philip and his injured hand.

“I found his journal that he had dropped, and I was returning it to him,” Silas lied after a moment, taking a spoonful of soup to fill his mouth, hoping his parents would divert the conversation.

A flicker of concern and fear lingered in his mother’s eyes. “Do be careful, Silas,” she said. “That boy is… quite peculiar.”

His father grunted in agreement. “That’s one way to put it.”

Silas frowned but said nothing, doing his best to distract himself as he ate.

“I honestly can’t understand why the Minister took him in after… everything that has happened,” Silas’s mother said. “There is no doubt that he is a witch himself.”

Silas could feel a surge of anger pulsating through his veins, fueled by multiple reasons. Two stood out, though. Firstly, he couldn’t stand that his parents were foolish enough to believe in that witch nonsense. Secondly, accusing Philip of being a witch just because he was different was unfair.

He didn’t notice his left hand clutched his leg, digging his nails hard to hold back from snapping at his parents.

“That boy is dangerous, I tell you,” his father said.

Silas couldn’t help but recall the soft look Philip had when he caressed Obedience, that tiny smile making its way to his lips.

“Oh yes, a true menace, that horse lover. Clearly, a threat to us all,” Silas said sarcastically, the words slipping from his lips without him realizing until it was too late. Which was a grave mistake. His father despised it when he talked back.

“What did you just say?” His father growled at him, slowly rising from his seat. Silas’s mother hurriedly attempted to calm him down by reaching out and placing a gentle hand on his father’s arm, but Silas knew it was futile. He quickly excused himself from the dinner table and made his way out of the house.

The cool night air greeted him as he walked away from the chaos that erupted inside his house. He could hear things being thrown and his father’s violent screams demanding him to come back.

As he walked, his mind kept returning to Philip. He could still feel the warmth lingering on his hands where he held on to him.

Silas wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but maybe his parents had a good point. Maybe he should stay away from that witch hunter…

Silas stood near the well, the rope tightly gripped in his hands as he slowly pulled up the bucket filled with water. It was a quiet day, with only the faint sound of birds chirping in the distance.

As the bucket emerged from the well, he secured it and lift it over the edge.