When Luz woke, she was in a tangle of blankets and plushies, still on the bottom bunk bed. She leaned up quickly, surprised she'd neglected to move up to the top bunk last night. There was a pillow where she'd slept that she didn't remember grabbing. Perhaps she had grabbed it in her groggy state, or perhaps Hunter had pushed it towards her. The rest of the bed looked similarly ruffled, implying they'd both fallen asleep there.

Luz's mind fluttered over memories of the evening, over all the moments Hunter had been so silly with her, so open and playful and . . . oh, Luz had been kind of bold last night, hadn't she?

Come to think of it, pretty much all of yesterday had been ridiculously fun. Ridiculously fun and, uh, kinda flirtatious. A little bit.

... or, ok, maybe a lot?

Today was a new day, though– she had a lot of plans with her mom today. Luz quickly checked the clock, but thankfully it was still relatively early. Great, she hadn't left anyone waiting. Wasting no further time, Luz got up and went to get dressed for the day.

When she went downstairs, she found her mother sipping her morning coffee, tidying some breakfast dishes away. Camila bid her a warm good-morning and offered to fix her breakfast. As they chatted at the kitchen table, Luz learned that Hunter had risen early and talked with Camila for a bit. Camila had told him about their plans for the day and invited Hunter along, but he'd refused, not wanting to interfere with their family bonding time. Camila had assured him he wouldn't be interfering, but he seemed very settled on the idea of not joining them, so she didn't push. She had ended up telling Hunter about a nice park not far from here, and he'd decided to walk there so he could stay out of their hair.

Luz wasn't happy about the fact that Hunter thought he would be some kind of burden, but at the same time, she couldn't exactly blame him for wanting to stay out of the way. After all, she'd told him how much her mom had wanted to spend time with her; it was a natural conclusion to arrive at. Had their positions been reversed, she probably would have felt compelled to do the same. As such, Luz reluctantly accepted his choice, although she still felt kind of worried he'd gone off entirely on his own. There wasn't a reason to worry, really– she knew that park, it was close by, and she knew Hunter could take care of himself, even in another dimension. Perhaps it was just natural to worry regardless. Eventually, Luz mollified herself with the fact that he no doubt had Rascal with him. She didn't need to feel guilty or worried.

With that decided, she turned her mind to focus on the day ahead of her. Their first stop was to drive out to a lake they had visited a lot over the years. It was a favorite hiking place of theirs, and they took the long, meandering path that circled the lake. The air was fresh and sweet, in a way that was incredibly rare on the Boiling Isles, so it was very nice to get back out into nature again. After their hike, they went to get lunch at a cafe. They took their time with lunch, ending up in a long conversation. Luz talked more about the things she'd done in the Demon Realm and went into a lot more detail about how magic actually worked. She also talked a lot about her 'Demon Realm family'– Eda, King, Hooty, Lilith– and all of her friends.

At first, Luz could tell that referring to some of her Demon Realm friends as 'family' made Camila a little uncomfortable. Luz could understand why, but she did her best to assure her mother that this was not about trying to replace her in any way whatsoever.

"The thing about family," Luz had said,

"is that loving one person doesn't mean I have less love to give somebody else. It doesn't work like that. All it means is that I have a wonderful, amazing mom I love very, very much and also I have a Demon Realm mom now too." She had paused and then said,

"It's like Vee. Like, at first I was a little nervous that maybe you'd like Vee better than me and I'd be kinda replaced, you know? But I realized really fast how ridiculous that was. You just have two daughters now. Nothing's taken away. We've just added more love."

They eventually finished hanging out at the cafe, Luz feeling like they'd really gotten the chance to have a proper heart-to-heart, even more so then they had yesterday. It was a nice feeling– it made her feel lighter, freer. There still was some lingering pain about how long she'd lied to her mother, but Luz accepted the fact that would take some time to heal all the way. They were at least on that path to mending, and that's what mattered. They were going to be okay.

After lunch, they met up with Vee for a special trip to a natural history museum. Vee had never been before, and it seemed like a wonderful opportunity to let her learn about awesome things like dinosaurs and woolly mammoths and millipedes the size of cars. Luz felt a little sad that Hunter wasn't with them, because she suspected he would have loved it, but unfortunately that would have to be for another time. In any case, it was great to have the chance to hang out with Vee some more. She tended to be pretty soft-spoken and reserved, but she seemed to warm to Luz over the course of the afternoon. Luz could tell Vee was incredibly bright; she picked up new information so rapidly and was quick to consider the implications of any new information. She ended up being very fascinated with the dinosaur fossils and how ancient Earth had looked. Luz realized that it was possible she felt a sort of kinship; her own kind had been a race of powerful creatures that had gone extinct, after all.

At some point, they had ended up in a pretty heavy conversation. It had started out simple– Luz had mentioned how impressed she was with how quickly and easily Vee seemed to adapt to the Human Realm and take on Luz's role. Vee had quietly told her that was because that was what she was made for. Luz asked what she meant; Vee explained that while the primary purpose of the basilisk experiments was for the Coven to study how they absorbed magic, they had some secondary goals as well. One of those goals was to train the basilisks to destroy and replace key targets rapidly without any suspicion. The theoretical targets, of course, would be people in important positions of power. Vee had been one of the ones to receive such education and training.

This information was chilling to learn, but it did explain some things. Vee told Luz that once she'd figured out how human computers worked, her impersonation work became almost trivial. She could access the vast information network of the internet to research everything she needed to know. All she did was exactly what she'd been trained to do. Speaking in a soft, quiet voice, as they rested on benches in front of one of the displays, Vee told Luz;

"Technically, I shouldn't even be alive. I'm like one of these dinosaurs here– a chapter of the past. The only reason I was created was so the Coven could use me. That's ... my only real purpose."

Luz felt the anger boiling up inside her. She told Vee it didn't matter if that's why the Coven created her. The circumstances of her birth were not under her control and it did not determine her purpose. She had a will of her own, an identity of her own, and she was the only one who got to decide who she was, what her purpose was.

"And don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Okay? If they do, let me know and– and your sis will fight 'em for you!"

Vee had laughed gently and told her that she sounded a bit like her therapist. Luz was surprised to hear Vee had one. Vee explained Camila had helped her get one; Vee obviously had to change some details that she shared, but even with all the white lies, she'd found it helpful. Luz was glad.

Once they'd finished exploring the museum, they decided to spend some time wandering around the adorable downtown that the museum was situated in. There were all sorts of cute little shops, cafes, gardens and things to poke into. They stumbled across a book store– an exciting find when bookshops seemed so rare in modern times– and spent a long time in there. Again, Luz was briefly sad that Hunter wasn't with them, because he seemed like a giant nerd who would love it there. Another thing to add to the list for another time. Other shops they visited included touristy gift shops, a shop with handmade pottery, and a place that was packed with nature and science-themed odds and inns, including polished rocks and minerals, puzzles, educational toys, wind chimes and other goodies. They were entertained for a very long time.

When they said goodbye to Vee and went back home that evening, Luz was surprised at how quickly the day had flown by. Honestly, so much had happened over the past two days that it almost seemed surreal. Only a few days ago, she had been sitting quietly in her room at the Owl House, reading an Azura book and feeling out of sorts. Then it all changed when Hunter had decided to drop by.

Life was funny that way; it took some very unexpected shifts and turns. Luz was always determined to make the most of opportunities as they came along, though, and she felt like she'd done a decent job of doing that. Now that they were back home, she was eager to check on Hunter and see how he was faring. There was so much cool stuff she had to tell him about today.

The good news was that Hunter was back home and didn't get lost wandering the park, which was a relief. However, the bad news was that he didn't seem to be in a particularly good state of mind.

Luz had found him in her bedroom, sitting at her desk with sheets of paper charting out the routes through the castle they were going to take. It seemed he'd already drawn out a plan A and several contingency plans, but was still fussing over them. Luz tried to ask him about whether he had enjoyed the park and then tell him a little about her day, but he was withdrawn and sullen and didn't respond much to her conversation. Eventually, she tried to suggest that maybe he'd done enough planning for the moment and a break might make him feel better. He just shook his head and said he had to finish. Diplomatically, Luz pointed out food was important and that he should at least join them for dinner, but he said he'd already eaten something earlier and was fine. When Luz ran out of ideas, she was forced to leave him be and go back downstairs to join her mother for dinner.

Dinner was strange. They'd done so much that day and talked so much, but it seemed Luz and Camila were both a little talked-out now. Luz suspected it was a little more than that, though. There was a quiet, almost solemn air that evening as Luz helped her mom with dinner. Camila seemed deep in thought. When they sat down to eat, it was done mostly in silence. Camila asked Luz briefly about how Hunter was doing, but after Luz told her he was busy drawing out plans, they'd both fallen quiet.

When they'd finished up and were clearing away dishes, Luz finally realized what it was. That thing that had been hovering over the both of them, that inevitable question– when would all of this end?

It turned out that Camila was the one to bring it up first. When they'd finished the dishes, she sat down at the table and quietly told Luz that she'd given things more thought. She understood Luz's reasons for wanting to return to the Demon Realm and the urgency of the situation. And then, with a heavy heart, she told Luz that she was prepared to allow her to leave.

Luz was surprised. It was true that she had told Hunter her mom might come around fairly quickly, but in her heart, she hadn't really expected it to be this fast. She had anticipated at least a few more days. It was good news, of course– Luz had gotten what she wanted, and they could return as soon as possible to try and find a solution for the things threatening their realms. It was a good thing. A best-case scenario, even.

So why did Luz feel so lousy?

She spent some time idly watching TV, not really focusing on the show at all but instead mulling things over. She realized her feelings were complicated. Her entire time spent in the human realm was sort of confusing. It was a mixture of nostalgia and fondness but also an odd feeling of being a stranger, an outsider to her own home. She wasn't sure if she belonged here anymore. Maybe she did, and maybe she didn't– or maybe she belonged here partially, but only in certain ways. Whatever the case, she really wasn't at a point where she could decide yet. She knew she loved her mom and she would always be an important part of her life, but as for the rest of the Human Realm, she hadn't pieced that together just yet. Was it possible to have two homes at once? Because that's what it seemed like at the moment.

There were other things she was feeling, too. She loved her life in the Demon Realm dearly and truly wanted to return to it, but it was equally true she loved her mom and wanted to spend more time with her. So she felt some disappointment at the prospect of not having a little more time with Camila. If everything was solved and they had regular access to a portal again, this sort of problem would be resolved; Luz wouldn't be cut off anymore and she could move between the two realms as much as she'd liked. But there was always the chance that might not happen. As certain as Luz was that this was the right choice to make, it still was a difficult thing to face– having to think about the possibility she might never actually return.

It was messy and complicated. Luz tried to explain some of these feelings to Camila. She learned that her mother was struggling with feelings just as messy and complicated. In some ways she was absolutely terrified, and all she wanted to do was hold on tight to Luz and never let her go, just ignore all the problems from the Demon Realm. But she was also so proud of Luz and so in awe of what an incredible person she'd become, and she wanted to respect her daughter's wishes and choices. Part of her wanted to go to the Demon Realm along with Luz, but she recognized that she would probably not be able to handle all the strange magic and demons of that place; it would take her far too long to learn how when time was of the essence. Luz knew about this realm and had the talent– it was Luz who would have a chance of solving things.

Camila was also torn over how much time to spend with Luz. At first, she had wanted her to stay with her for at least a week before leaving, but she realized how much this dark thing would be looming over them both. She also realized the more time she spent with Luz, the more time she was robbing from the efforts to stop a very dangerous thing. In the end, she figured it might actually be easier for Luz to leave as soon as possible; the longer she stayed, the more Camila might feel tempted to never let her go, and she didn't want to do that. Camila explained to Luz that's why she suggested that she leave as soon as she was ready. It would probably make it a lot easier for them both, in the end.

They spent an hour or two talking about this on the couch, the TV garbling quietly in the background. And when they'd finished, Luz realized this was probably the best choice to make. It was fast, so fast ... but sometimes fast was best.

However, when Luz climbed the stairs to her room, she belatedly realized there was another reason why she felt wary of leaving the Human Realm so soon: Hunter.

She felt like she'd made so much progress, getting to know him better and getting him to open up, but it still wasn't enough. She still hadn't convinced him to cut free from Belos' influence and act for himself. Maybe if she had spent a little less time fooling around with him and a little more time arguing with him about Belos ... but, no, no, she doubted that would have helped. Luz knew that the time they had spent together had affected him for the better. Hadn't it? Hunter was so convinced that he had to be this 'Golden Guard' for the Coven– that it was his sole duty and purpose, that he could never be anything else. But their time in the Human Realm was proof that wasn't the case at all. He was so much more than that. She knew he was.

She knew he was, but maybe he still didn't know. But they'd run out of time. She wouldn't have any more chances to convince him, unless she could tonight.

With trepidation, she opened the door to her room. She found Hunter still sitting at her desk, among stacks of paper scribbled in ink. He looked exhausted, the bags under his eyes even bigger than usual. When she entered, he looked to her quickly. In a voice roughened from weariness, he asked,

"Have you reached an agreement yet? Are we able to leave tonight?"

She hesitated. This didn't feel right. She didn't want them leaving when he looked like this, felt like this. But they'd already decided it made sense to leave now ...

"I ... y-yeah, mom's okay with us leaving as soon as we can, but–"
He stood, holding some of his papers.

"All right. Let me show you the plan, then. We'll need to cover everything. After that we can try to get a little rest before waking up at 2 and getting over to the portal."

Luz swallowed and said,

"Hold on. We don't have to leave tonight if we aren't ready– maybe it would be better to wait another day so we're well-rested?"

She watched as he thought about this, and for a half-second, there seemed to be something in his eyes akin to temptation. But it was quickly extinguished, his expression turning hardened.

"You do remember the only reason I'm here is because I wanted to give you a chance to make peace with your family before throwing your life away? I think I've been patient enough, waiting to return to the Demon Realm."

Luz was caught off-guard by his callousness. She crossed her arms and snapped back,

"I was just thinking with both our best interests in mind. You look exhausted."

He turned away from her, answering tersely.

"I'm fine. I had adequate sleep last night, I'll be more than capable of executing the plan. There's no reason to wait."

Luz stared after him, feeling both stung and worried at once, but frustratingly unable to articulate it. After a few moments, he added,

"So are you going to listen to me or not?"

Her stomach twisted. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. She looked at the harsh light and shadows cast on Hunter's face from the desk lamp, the tense way he stood, his cold expression.

In a quiet, defeated voice, she answered,

"I'm listening."

Luz stood and listened as Hunter explained his plans. She studied the maps he had meticulously drawn, listened to all the time-tables of every single guard's shift at the castle, speculations on how the Coven may have adjusted after the portal key was taken, and all of the possible backup routes. There really was not much information Luz needed to be responsible for; they would be riding Hunter's staff, and he would be navigating them. Luz was responsible for glyphs, playing defense and causing necessary distractions, but that mainly involved adjusting on the fly. He briefed her on all the information anyway, though, in case of emergencies or in case they became separated. His work was incredibly through. It was obvious that he had zero intentions of letting Luz get captured.

When they had finally finished discussing things, Hunter brusquely suggested they get to bed right away to get as much rest as they could before leaving.

"Wait, I had one more question."

He looked to her.

"What is it?"

She was starting to feel incredibly weary under the weight of all of this, and she sat down on her bottom bunk bed. She then fixed him with an intense gaze and asked:

"What's going to happen to you after all of this? You have it all planned out to get us through things without being captured, but if you really plan on returning to the Coven, won't they realize that you helped me?"

He glanced away from her. He spoke carefully, almost as if reciting a response he'd already prepared.

"If all goes well, we'll be invisible the entire time, or close to it. There's a good chance they'll never be able to directly connect me with the disturbances we've caused. When we left the Demon Realm, you pulled me through, so they never saw my departure either."

Luz frowned.

"Yeah, that's true, but surely they'll be able to piece it together eventually. You've been missing this whole time– won't they notice your absence?"

His voice still artificially even and calm, he said,

"I've come up with a cover story."

She narrowed her eyes.

"I feel like it would still be suspicious that you went missing on the day the key went missing and that you returned on the day the portal activated again."

He shook his head, replying in the same detached voice.

"Don't worry about it. You just need to focus on escaping. I can handle my own problems."

She felt her frustration surfacing.

"Of course I'm going to worry about it! Hunter, you could just come with me once we escape—I'm positive Eda would welcome you at the Owl House. You don't have to do this—"

He suddenly took a step closer, magenta eyes bright in anger.

"How many times do I have to remind you? Just forget about me. There's no use worrying over your enemy."

Luz couldn't believe her ears. She gave a humorless huff of a laugh.

"My enemy?! My enemy. You're still trying to pretend we're not friends after all of this? I think it's a little late for that."

He crossed his arms, he tone cold.

"It doesn't matter how you feel about it. We're on opposite sides. That fact has never changed."

Luz arched a brow and replied,

"Is that why you spent hours piecing together an intricate plan to make sure the Coven doesn't capture me?"

Glaring, he replied in a dangerous voice,

"I can turn you over to the Coven if that's what you'd prefer."

Luz shot back,

"What I prefer is you being honest—with me and with yourself."

He made a frustrated growl and paced the room. He demanded,

"What's it going to take to get you to give up on me? What do I have to do?"

"I'm not going to–"

He cut her off, voice growing even louder so that he was practically shouting at her.

"No, I'm serious– just tell me. I'll do it. I'll do anything to make you stop."

Luz couldn't understand how this was spiraling so quickly out of control. His fierce tone and bitter glare seemed so out of place, so unlike him, and yet they were directed at her all the same.

Her voice hurt, she answered quietly,

"Fine. Fine ... you want me to stop?"

She stood, approaching him. Staring at him intently, she dared in a clear, low voice,

"Then just ... just look me in the eye and tell me that it's meant nothing to you. Everything we've talked about, everything we've done– tell me that everything we've gone through the past few days has meant nothing to you the entire time."

He stared back at her. His angry expression melted away, shifting into something neutral. He remained silent, as if considering her words, or perhaps considering a response. He seemed to be struggling with something internally, his body quivering just slightly, fighting to maintain a neutral expression.

After what seemed like an unbearably long set of moments, he licked his lips and enunciated the words slowly, almost mechanically:

"It ... meant ... nothing to me."

His throat bobbed but he maintained steady eye contact. He repeated quietly,

"It meant nothing."

Luz felt her throat burn and a cold, miserable wave wash over her. Her eyes watered and she clenched her teeth, fighting to keep herself from crying. Her view of Hunter's impassive face began to wobble from the tears filling her eyes.

"Fine," she hissed, and turned away, swiping at her face. She paced over to her closet, grabbing something to sleep in.

"Then we'll sleep. I'll set the alarm."

The room was deathly silent after that. Luz rushed through her evening routine, not mindful of anything but the sick feeling inside her. Soon she shut the bedroom lights off and climbed the ladder to the top bunk. She lay there, staring up at the ceiling, her body tense and her heart aching.

Luz did not get much sleep. She was actually convinced she would get none, but eventually she slipped into a very restless half-asleep state. The jarring sound of her alarm clock tore her from it, and it felt as though it had come far too soon. However, when she checked the time she confirmed it was indeed 2am.

They rose and got prepared in silence. They each got dressed in the Coven uniforms that they had arrived in, and Luz lined her pockets with the many glyphs she had prepared. She almost forgot to bring along her cell phone as well, but put it in her pocket at the last moment.

The last thing to do was to say goodbye to Camila. Luz did her best to give her mother a comforting goodbye, promising her that she would be careful and do her very best, and that she would return again as soon as possible. They cried and hugged until Hunter quietly reminded Luz that they should leave soon. As Luz left the house and waved at Camila, then turned to go, she felt a great heaviness on her heart and an awful sorrow. She followed Hunter as they walked through the neighborhood, passing by streetlights that lit up his gold, masked figure and then let him slip back into darkness as they moved.

It was not a long walk, and soon they had reached the dark, abandoned old house where this all began. They stepped inside, and Hunter turned to her, asking quietly,

"Are the glyphs all set?"

She nodded, the motion feeling strange inside the odd, bird-shaped mask that she wore. In a way, though, she felt grateful for it, because he could no longer see the misery in her eyes. She said,

"Here, these are yours. Invisibility stack, then fire, ice, plant, in order. I also have the stack of light glyphs that we talked about, the ones that are like flash bangs."

He packed away the glyphs in his pockets.

"Good. Those are the first line of defense to use in between invisibility. Only resort to the others if necessary."

"I know."

He fussed with his staff as he told her,

"Don't forget to always hold on tight, or you'll miss the teleportation. It's vital that you never let go."

"I know. We covered it earlier."

He glanced away, saying,

"Right, right..."

He turned back and added,

"And don't forget if you somehow get separated, signal me, don't try to take everyone on, because they'll just swarm you– the key is slipping by, not brute forcing it."

Starting to grow frustrated, Luz answered,

"We've talked about that a hundred times, I know."

He gave a quick sigh, saying,

"Sorry, I'm just making sure."

She nodded again, and then watched as he continued to fuss with the glyphs in his pockets, checking and re-checking them. He muttered,

"Maybe double-check your glyph stacks too, just one last time."

Luz raised her brows, growing increasingly confused at his behavior. She thought it was normal to feel anxious about their plan– she was a bundle of nerves herself– but he almost seemed to be stalling. Nevertheless, she stuck her hands in her pockets and re-checked her glyphs, just to humor him.

"All set," she reported. He nodded.

"All right. Then ... I guess this is it."

He moved to stand in front of the doorframe, and she followed. He continued to ramble,

"Be prepared for the teleports. You'll likely feel a brief moment of disorientation when they happen. You should get used to the feeling after a few times."

"Ok," she said, no longer bothering with reminding him that she knew all of this.

"And be ready with the flash bangs, we might need them right away if we have company."

"Yeah."

They both stood there, and Luz watched him, wondering why he still wasn't getting on with things. For a moment, he seemed like he was going to say something more, but then he just cleared his throat and repeated,

"All right. Then this is it."

He reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out the portal key. His hand was shaking.

In a quiet, almost strained voice, he asked,

"You ready?"

Luz swallowed and then nodded. He turned and settled onto his staff, waiting for her to get on behind him. As Luz did, she felt another cold wave wash over her and squeeze her chest, and her heart began to pound. Suddenly, now that she was facing this moment, about to gaze into the portal once more, all of her anger at Hunter vanished away like smoke, and all that was left over was an intense feeling of sorrow; sorrow, thinking about the friendship they both were going to lose. It just didn't seem fair, none of this was fair–

She watched as he lifted the key, ready to hit the button, but then he hesitated. She stared, waiting, holding her breath, wishing he'd just get it over with quickly.

But his moment of hesitation stretched on to another moment and then another, and she noticed he was still shaking, except even harder now, the hand with the key quaking. And then she noticed she could hear his breath, rapid, uneven, almost gasping. Concern twisted in her heart and she touched his shoulder lightly, asking,

"Hunt–"

She was startled at the sharp sound of wood clattering violently on the ground as Hunter dropped his staff, and then tore the mask from his face as if it was suffocating him. His back still turned to her, she heard him chanting quietly,

"I can't I can't I can't I-I can't do this."

Luz removed her mask quickly, about to speak again, but then Hunter turned and she was met with the sight of his miserable, tormented expression, eyes bright with moisture. Breathing unsteady, he babbled in a run-on anxious string of words;

"I'm sorry I just can't do it I know, I know you wanted me to, I know it makes it easier for you, it's easier to just hate me and it's what I deserve, I know it is, but I can't just tell you, I can't– I can't– how could I tell you it means nothing to me when it's meant everything?"

He seemed to choke on that last word, tears spilling over, and Luz automatically reached for him, but he pulled back from her, telling her in a raw voice,

"You're the one of the few to actually treat me like a person instead of what I really am."

Luz responded immediately,

"Hunter, you ARE a person."

He gave a delirious chuckle, rambling,

"Maybe, I don't know, but all I've ever been good at is being a tool for the Coven– which is what I'll turn back into once we step through the portal again."

"Hunter–"

He pushed his sleeve back and showed her his brand, babbling,

"It's ok, I know what I am, they own me, this is what I am– there's no escaping that. But–"

He dropped his arm and took a half-step closer to her,

"Here, in this moment, we're still here– just for a few minutes longer. So before we step through, I–"

He pulled in a breath, willing his voice to come more evenly before he told her,

"I just wanted to thank you. For everything. For ... giving me a chance to feel, for just a few days. Feel like I am somebody, like I mean something."

"You are somebody," Luz said, her throat tight,

"Somebody I like."

A small puff of a laugh escaped him and he said,

"I honestly can't figure out why."

Luz answered in a gentle voice.

"Because look at you. You've been through god knows what but you still care. You still have such a kindness and, and a tenderness that they tried so hard to snuff out and never could. Every moment you live is in beautiful defiance."

The tears still rolling down his cheeks, he stammered,

"I-I ..."

In a rush of emotion, Luz began to babble;

"You're smart, you're a huge nerd like me, you love discovery. You're so poised and cool but you're also this gigantic dork. You're so self-conscious but you opened up to me anyway and oh my god, it's just so much fun to do everything with you, we can screw around or do nothing at all and it's still amazing. You're always surprising me. You make me laugh."

"L-luz–" He struggled to interrupt, his face reddening.

"You're really cute," Luz added, grinning softly. He swallowed, looking down into her eyes intently. After a few moments, he spoke in a slow, softened tone, almost reverently;

"You're the bravest person I've ever seen. Standing up for what you believe in no matter the cost. Your loyalty to your friends is incredible. You seem to have this endless well of compassion even for those who don't deserve it. Y-you, you never seem to worry what others think and never let anyone stop you from being yourself. You find so much joy in the world. You throw yourself into everything and never hold back. Never regret."

He paused, his eyes lingering on her lips. In the same slow, soft voice, he said,

"You're beautiful."

If Hunter's goal had been to make her blush as much as he was, then he'd succeeded. She practically trembled at his soft voice, at the way he was looking at her.

Quietly, he murmured to her,

"I know I'm pushing my luck here, because I certainly don't deserve it, but ... I wanted to ask. If ... you'd let me be selfish for just a few moments longer."

Luz wasn't sure what he meant, exactly, but she answered with certainty,

"As much time as you'd like."

Still gazing at her intently, he reached out slowly, hesitantly– a gloved thumb grazing her chin. She understood his intent and tilted her head up, her eyes fluttering closed.

It felt different from her dream; so much more intense, so much more overwhelming, just so much more. The moment he kissed her, she felt positively alight, responding to him in kind, her gloved hands trailing up his chest, over the folds of his cloak, up to his face. He seemed to melt into her touch and his kiss grew deep and soft, lingering, as if he wanted to savor every second and commit her to perfect memory. She let him dwell there like that, kissing her again and again so sweetly, stealing her breath away.

And then, all at once, it was over, and he was already pulling away with an expression of sorrow.

"Thank you," he whispered, pulling his mask back in place. Luz felt her heart lurch, and she said,

"Hunter–"

"We're living on borrowed time," he said, voice quiet and choked,

"We have been this entire time. But we need to return now. We can't wait any longer."

As he climbed aboard his staff and retrieved the portal key, Luz felt the panic seizing hold of her. She said in a rush,

"You're still acting like things will go back to the way they were, but they don't need too–"

He clicked the button on the portal key and the portal sputtered to life. He told her urgently,

"We need to go– get on."

Luz stood there, hesitating. Sounding increasingly anxious, he demanded,

"Now, Luz– or I'm going without you."

As much as Luz knew it was probably an empty bluff, it got her moving anyway, and she jumped onboard the staff and pulled her mask back on. They slipped through the portal immediately, leaving the dark, chilly old house and the Human Realm far behind.

Luz responded quickly when they dove into the cavernous room of marble walls and steel pipes, sucking in a large breath and activating her first invisibility glyph. The room was not empty like they had hoped, but was instead absolutely crawling with guards who had all been alerted when the portal had activated. Fortunately, they'd slipped into invisibility almost instantly, and Hunter carved out a flight path among the mess of soldiers. They were out of there and gliding up the marble staircase at an impressive pace, giving them a moment to breathe in between glyphs.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the guards in the portal room had sounded some kind of alarm, because the hallway they came upon was filled with just as many guards on high alert. They used another invisibility glyph and Hunter took advantage of Belos' taste for decadent architecture, gliding high along the vaulted ceilings and clean over all of the guard's heads. The guards had seen them briefly between glyphs but they couldn't continue to track their movements, and so the two slipped by without any problems.

Except that, breathing began to be a problem. Luz waited for as long as she could, until she started to feel dizzy, but eventually they had to breathe. There really was no place to pause or hide in, so they snapped back into visibility in the middle of a hallway full of danger, guards bristling with spears and magic. Luz set off a couple of flash glyphs and they hurdled onward, swerving out of the way of magic being thrown at them. The lower ceilings in this hallway forced them lower down, and Luz was starting to have a hard time having to hold her breath for so many times in a row.

As they rounded a corner, they came across a series of pink magical force-fields, and Luz panicked a moment, but Hunter teleported them through, one after another. At this point, Luz could hear a loud, high-pitched wail that apparently was some kind of alarm, and people were shouting orders from all around. Guards were shooting magical attacks into the air, hoping to get lucky and hit them, and Luz kept setting off her flash glyphs while Hunter threaded the needle through attacks. It was difficult using glyphs when they kept teleporting, because it was very jarring and Luz nearly fell off at one point, but she managed to grab hold of the staff before tipping off entirely.

They reached the outer courtyard of the castle, and Luz pulled in a relieved breath, because it seemed like at this point they were home free. They pitched upwards and soared up above the castle walls, on a direct course out of there, but suddenly, Hunter lurched to a stop, inches from a large, glowing magic field. Luz's eye followed the force field along, seeing it stretched for very far, encasing the entirety of the castle in a bubble. She asked quickly,

"Can't we teleport?"

Breathlessly, Hunter replied,

"Not here. This one's stronger than the rest. Damn it ..."

They flew along the sky horizontally, skirting the force field, and he said,

"Didn't think they'd get this one up in time. We'll have to go down the front, to the drawbridge, the force field is thinner there."

The courtyard wasn't as cram-packed with guards as the castle keep, but it was quickly filling in with new guards and it wouldn't be safe for long. Luz reached for some glyphs as they positioned themselves above the central path of the courtyard. Hunter said,

"Right down their throats, get ready, invisible for as long as you can stand and then blast our way through."

"Roger."

He aimed them downward and then shouted,

"Now!"

Luz took in an enormous breath and they dove, straight at the central path full of guards. They swerved and swirled around them, making excellent progress, but the distance was still a little too far to make on just one breath. Eventually they had to breathe again, and unfortunately, they did so in the midst of one of the busiest sections of the courtyard.

Luz set off flash glyphs in all directions. Hunter aimed for the drawbridge, which was just beyond a huge group of guards, and they plowed through, doing rapid little teleportation jumps, Luz setting off plant and ice glyphs to push people aside.

It was pure chaos, and Luz only had the time to react, not really to think. But somehow, they made it to the drawbridge, where Hunter could teleport past the castle's force field. The moment they did, he rocketed them upwards, into the bright, cold night sky. They flew away from the castle at a manic speed, and Luz clung to the staff for dear life. As they streaked across the sky, Luz let out a whoop of victory, the raw adrenaline coursing through her. To her joy, Hunter cackled in response, and they flew at that speed for a long time, capes fluttering and flapping loud in the wind.

As they flew above Bonesborough, they slowed down considerably, and then continued to gradually slow. After a few minutes, they were flying at hardly more than a crawl above the town. It didn't take Luz too long to realize that Hunter seemed to be stalling, almost as if he dreaded the end of their flight.

Yet that end eventually came, as they passed over familiar woods and the top of the Owl House came into view. All of the lights were out, as it was the dead of night and the house's inhabitants were no doubt asleep. Soft and silently, they touched down, like a feather settling to earth.

Luz quickly dismounted and removed her mask, turning to Hunter, half-worried he would take off again without a single word. But he remained standing there, perfectly still, his golden mask giving the impression of a stoic stare.

Luz gazed at him intently. For a time, the only sound was the distant chatter of insects in the still night.

"Stay with us," she said to him, her voice quiet, almost a plea. He turned his head away, slowly.

"I can't," he answered just as quietly.

Luz tried to ignore her frustration, the way her heart wrenched. She continued softly,

"Why are you so eager to return to the people who have treated you so horribly? You deserve better."

He gazed at the ground, remaining silent. She continued,

"You know in your heart what they're doing is wrong. That it isn't what you want. Stay with us."

He looked back up at her. So quietly, he murmured;

"You really never give up, do you?"

He sounded fond, but also deeply sad and defeated. She told him,

"No, I don't. And I won't."

He released a sigh. Before he could say any more, she pleaded,

"At least stay with us for a little while? Give yourself a chance to rest for tonight."

He shook his head, the struggle clear in his voice.

"You don't get it– I can't. The more time I spend around you, the harder it gets. I ... start to think I could have something more."

Luz replied quickly,

"Because you can."

Stubbornly, he answered,

"No. These have just been stolen moments. For a while, I indulged in the fantasy that I could go beyond the role that's already been set for me in life, but ... this can't last. It was doomed before it even started."

Unable to stay calm any longer, Luz cried out in frustration,

"Why?! You have yet to give me a truly good reason. You don't have any, there's no reason for this!"

He backed away from her, answering with forced calm,

"You're only making this harder for the both of us. Our friendship had to end the moment we returned to the Demon Realm. Please, just let it die."

Feeling cut to the quick, Luz practically screamed in response:

"That's not how it works, you can't just turn feelings off!"

He seemed taken aback at her shouting, and stood frozen to the spot for several moments. Then, quietly, he answered,

"I can, because I have to."

Luz was so upset she could no longer think straight, and she just glared at him, unable to think of what to say next. But as she was staring at him, she noticed something.

Something very small, and incredibly easy to miss. Just a glimpse of something around his neck, mostly buried in the folds of his cloak.

A silver chain.

Automatically, Luz reached out and hooked a finger around the chain, tugging at it and yanking the charm out from Hunter's shirt, revealing the little silver and red bird. She looked at him asked him bluntly,

"Then why do you still have this?"

The question hung in the air as he appeared frozen in shock for a moment. Then he jerked backwards away from her, one of his hands reaching up automatically to the necklace, as if it would do any good to hide it now—it was too late.

Luz watched as he stood there, still as a statue, as impassive looking as any of the dozens and dozens of guards they'd escaped that evening. For all external appearances, he looked cold, stony, inhuman.

But he began to tremble. And then, she heard him speak, his voice high and pained, as if he had to wrench the words out from his throat one by one:

"Because I'm an idiot. Because you gave me hope."

Luz took a step closer to him. He turned his head away from her, saying coarsely,

"Hope that standing up to him might actually be possible. Hope that I could change, be something more. Hope for so many things, ridiculous things. I spend only a few days with you and I'm already like this, wanting impossible things."

Luz wanted to reach out to him but held back the urge. Instead, she told him softly,

"But they're not impossible."

His hands shaking, Hunter touched his chest. His voice grew very quiet and taut.

"You don't understand. I'm not meant to have hope. It feels like ..."

He shuddered, murmuring,

"It feels like you came along and put this in me, like a piece of glass. Pressed it into me, a delicate shard..."

No longer able to hold back, Luz reached for him gently, saying,

"Hunter ..."

At her touch, he seemed to break down entirely, dropping to his knees and letting out a sob.

"It hurts," he whispered. Luz dropped to her knees as well and touched his arm, telling him firmly,

"You'll learn to carry it. You're strong."

He laughed shakily and answered, voice thick with irony,

"Do I seem strong to you?"

Luz answered without hesitation,

"Yes. Because you're here, aren't you?"

He stared at her. She reached towards his face and murmured kindly,

"You came here a few days ago, and you starting doing things because you thought they were the right thing to do. And you continued doing things because you thought they were right."

He allowed her to gently remove his mask, finally revealing his tear-stained face. She said,

"You had the key the entire time. You could have left at any point and been rewarded for trapping the human back in the Human Realm. But you didn't. You kept doing what you thought was right."

She set the mask aside and gazed into his eyes. They looked so vulnerable, anguished, but they were also trusting. With a tender smile, she told him,

"And here you are now. Still carrying that hope."

He returned her gaze, his breath still shaky. Luz slowly rose to her feet. Quietly, she said,

"But ... you don't have to do it alone."

She held out her hand to him.

He stared at it, as though it was perhaps the most difficult choice he could ever make. Luz waited patiently, her heart full of hope.

And then, he reached out and took her hand. She pulled him back to his feet, feeling the prick of happy tears, and they both at once fell into a hug. Luz held him tightly, and he squeezed her back, and Luz swore she could feel the relief sinking into his bones as he took shuddering breaths.

"We'll face it together," she whispered to him, leaning back to press her forehead against his, their noses touching. He made a soft sound at the back of his throat, something involuntary and pleasant. Luz lifted her hand to tenderly stroke his face, lost in the moment.

Because of how deeply absorbed she was in the moment, Luz was practically scared out of her skin when a nearby voice suddenly cut through the night;

"I hate to interrupt you kids buuuuut, Luz were you at any point going to bother telling me that you're still alive?"

They both startled and looked to the doorway of the Owl House. Draped in a bathrobe and wearing a very cranky expression, Eda stood observing them. Seeing she now had their attention, she continued to complain,

"I've been spending the past 48 hours trying to work out a plan to break you out of the Conformatorium or wherever the heck they were holding you, and now I find out you've just been hanging out in the front yard?"

Luz blinked, taking a moment to process things. Oh, right. Of course Eda would be worried. Whoops. After glancing at Hunter, she gave Eda a sheepish smile.

"S-sorry, Eda ... there were, um ... a few delays?"

The older witch gave a long-suffering sigh, grumbling,

"Right, right. We can talk about it in the morning, I guess. Just ... you two get inside and play quiet, because Eda needs her beauty rest, all right?"

She turned without any further comment and re-entered the house. Luz looked to Hunter and smiled, offering her hand.

He took it shyly, and together, they went inside.

The End.