Lilith flew out of the doorway first and into the human realm. Bouncing off the ground before her body slammed into a tree. Her mouth coughed up some blood from the impact of the water as she lay on the ground, clenching her stomach in pain.
Booker was the next to come out, landing in front of the porch of his old house in the human realm. He glared at Lilith for a moment, before his magic started to fade. Not because there was no magic in the human world, but because the blonde boy had to take in the fact that he was back in his old home.
He looked at the forest they landed in as the wind blew his hoodie and hair. "I'm back…"
King followed through the portal a second later. When he saw Booker, he was revived and felt that he'd gained control again. However, he then saw Lilith struggling to stand up against the tree, her hands glowing blue with her magic.
"Booker, watch out!" King yelled.
Booker turned his attention back to the witch and saw Lilith firing a blue spell at him.
However, instead of dodging it, Booker raised his hand and caught the spell! Gritting his teeth and grabbing his wrist to steady his hand, the Seventh Son absorbed the magic into his body, with the lines on his arms glowing.
Then, clapping his hands, Booker cast a fire spell at Lilith.
Lilith jumped out of the way of the fireball, letting it create a sheering ball hole in the trunk of the tree. The tree then collapsed in on itself and tumbled over. Luckily for Lilith, it fell in a direction away from her.
However, she'd lost her staff.
Seeing it only a few feet away from her, Lilith tried to get up so that she could run for her Palisman and defend herself.
She was stopped when Booker used a plant spell to grow vines from the ground around her. Lilith's wrists and ankles were pulled apart as she lay on her back, desperately trying to pull them free. It was no use. Booker approached her and stood over the woman who took Eda away from him.
"P-Please, just listen to me!" Lilith tried again in one more attempt to get the Seventh Son to listen to what she had to say.
"No way! You hurt Eda! You put her in chains! And now you're going to pay!" Booker said, clapping his hands together and setting his fists on fire.
However, before he could unleash his vengeance on Lilith, King jumped on his back and pulled on his hair. Making him cut off the fire spell.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! King!?"
"Sorry, Booker!" King exclaimed, jumping off Booker's back and landing on the ground. "But you can't do it!"
"Why not?!" Booker yelled furiously, unable to believe what he was hearing from his friend. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't finish this bitch off once and for all!"
"Because…" King paused for a moment to look at Lilith. "...she wants to help."
".....What?!"
"It's true," Lilith said, looking up at Booker with a guilt-filled expression. "As I told King, I came looking for you because I needed your help to free Edalyn."
"Yeah, right! You expect me to believe a word you say after all the things you've done ?!" Booker leaned down to yell at Lilith and point at her. "You deserve to be petrified! Not Eda!"
Booker's words were harsh and hurt her, but Lilith closed her eyes, knowing that it was true and that it was too much to ask the Seventh Son for help. "You're right," she said, resting her head on the ground, accepting whatever punishment was coming her way as she opened her eyes. "Everything that's happened to her was my fault. I deserve to be in Edalyn's place."
Booker paused for a moment, shocked by what Lilith had said, as he gazed down at her. Despite the burns she had and the bruises, the look she was giving the hybrid showed nothing but honesty. Pure guilt that blanketed her green eyes.
Still frowning at her, Booker moved away from Lilith, and the vines released her limbs. Lilith leaned up, cringing in pain as she held her stomach.
"Lilith, I don't understand. You're her sister," Booker said, much to Lilith's shame. "If you truly love her, why did you do all of this? Why would you curse Eda?"
Lilith sighed sadly. "It all started when we were young girls. Edalyn and I weren't just sisters… we were the best of friends…" she said, looking at Booker.
A long time ago, many years ago, Eda and Lilith, who were no older than ten, were wearing their Potions-track Hexside uniforms and running through the woods while laughing. They were chasing after eleven-year-old Malcolm, who wore his Healing Track uniform.
They were playing a game of tag when Eda suddenly tripped on an exposed root. The young girl sat up and looked down at her knee, only to see it was bleeding. Blushing in embarrassment, Eda started crying. This brought a quick end to the game, as Malcolm and Lilith turned around and saw Eda in her state.
The boy quickly ran over and hugged Eda as she continued crying. He then looked at her wound and tried to draw a spell circle.
However, none came out. Mal had not yet reached the age of seven when his powers would begin to manifest.
Lilith smiled, knowing that Malcolm was only trying to help. However, she knew of another way. Kneeling in front of her sister, Lilith cupped Eda's face, wiped her tears, and placed their foreheads together.
Young Lilith said, "With this spell declared, let the pain be shared."
The spell worked as half of Eda's wound transferred to Lilith's knee. She winced but didn't mind. The three kids grinned together and resumed their game.
Those were the happiest times for Lilith. Those days when it was just her, Edalyn, and Malcolm against the world were the moments that made the woman smile the most.
"So, what changed," Booker asked, sitting on the ground in front of her with King beside him. Frowning at Lilith as he listened to her story.
Lilith sighed and continued, despite knowing that this part of the story was the most painful to tell. "It was always my dream to be in the Emperor's Coven. I wanted to work alongside the most powerful witch on the Isles and make the world a better place," she said as Lilith drew a spell circle, healing her injuries. "Edalyn wanted to be by my side, yet there was a problem. We both found out there was only ONE spot left at the coven tryouts. So, they had us duel the next day. The winner will join their ranks."
"You cursed your sister…just to get into the Belos' army?" Booker said, glaring at the witch.
The Head of the Emperor's Coven wanted to deny it, but it was true. "I…I don't want to admit it, but during that time, I had grown bitter towards my sister. She had everything I could have wanted. Including Malcolm," she said, staring at the young man who resembled her only crush so much. "I knew Edalyn would beat me. She was younger, but worked twice as hard. She met me at my level. Emperor Belos always said, 'To be great, you have to make sacrifices.' What would he do in my situation?"
"And that's when you decided to curse Eda?" King guessed.
"Yes, but I didn't KNOW it was a curse. When I found it, I thought it was a spell that would take away her powers. I thought…I thought it would just be for a day. But…Eda forfeited so I can have my dream," Lilith said as she began to tear up. "As Edalyn walked away...The next thing I knew, she'd changed into a monster. The students and coven members drove away my sister. Malcolm chased after her. I tried to go after her as well, but I couldn't. I was given a place in the coven. I made my sacrifice for the emperor, and it was time to receive my reward."
As Lilith finished her story, she hung her head in shame. Wallowing in misery at the pain and suffering she inflicted on her own sister.
Booker dumbly stared at Lilith for a few seconds. Then, he started talking. "'Aww, boo-hoo. My sister's better than me, so I cursed her,'" he said mockingly at the witch.
King gasped at Booker's mockery.
"Man, I don't care if it's mean!" Booker said, standing up and pacing around in a circle for a bit. He then pointed at Lilith. "News flash, lady: Everyone's siblings are better than them at something! Believe me, I had six of them! But it makes no excuse for cursing Eda! Why do you even want to help us? Last time, you were ready to kill me!"
"Because I was betrayed!" Lilith yelled.
Booker paused in his berating, shocked by what Lilith just said as he gazed down at her.
"When I came to Emperor Belos, he said that the curse was a punishment placed on Edalyn for not wanting to join a coven. He then made a deal with me: If Eda joined the Emperor's Coven, Emperor Belos would heal her curse. That became my drive. For thirty years, I worked tirelessly to become the Coven Head, following every order without question, just so that I can correct the mistake I've made so long ago. But he lied to me," Lilith growled in anger, disgusted by the man she followed for so many years. "He had no intentions of curing Edalyn. And now, after all these years, I realize how much of a fool I was.
Lilith stood up as Booker got in a defensive stance.
"Now, I want to fix what I've done," Lilith declared, looking down at Booker with determination. "I know how to rescue Edalyn, but I can't do it alone."
"Okay, but even if I agree to work with you, how do I know I can trust you?" Booker said, narrowing his eyes.
Lilith thought for a second before tracing a large spell circle. Summoned to her hands, Lilith offered Booker something she knew would win his trust.
"Dragon's Bite!" Booker gasped as he saw Lilith holding out his family sword. The anti-magic blade was perfectly fine, and there were no marks on the handle. The Seventh Son took the sword from Lilith. "You kept it?"
"Yes, I was ordered to destroy Dragon's Bite, but I couldn't do it after...you know," Lilith said as she looked very guilty, wiping her tears away.
Looking over his sword and thinking about Lilith's offer, Booker frowned and grabbed Lilith's staff. Walking back over to her, he offered her the staff. Lilith was surprised for a moment before taking it.
"All right, Lilith. You don't like me, and I sure as hell don't like you," Booker said, pointing the blade at Lilith's chest. However, his expression softened as he lowered the weapon and reached for the portal's key around his neck. "But… if we don't do something, Eda's going to be petrified. So, if you really want to prove yourself, this is your chance."
Booker held his hand out to Lilith. The witch looked at it for a moment before smiling and shaking it. "Thank you," she said. "Now, let's head back."
Lilith headed for the door. Booker started to follow her, but a breeze made the Seventh Son look back at the human realm behind them. A nostalgic, mournful feeling filled Booker's heart as he stared at the trees. These were the woods he and his brother would play in.
Remnants from a lifetime ago. There was nothing for him here, and yet, Booker felt troubled, as if he might not ever see this realm again.
Lilith walked through the door, but King noticed Booker lingering. "Hey Booker, You... need a minute?"
"No. I'm coming," Booker said, turning around and walking up the steps of his old home.
King followed Lilith into the Demon Realm. Booker paused just before entering, taking one last look at the human realm. Taking a deep breath, he turned and disappeared in the glowing white of the portal. The glow disappears with him, leaving just a broken-down house with a closed door.
Back at the Conformatorium, time was running out. The Emperor's Coven guards, in two lines in front of the crowd, began beating their drums. Luz and her friends were growing fearful. The ceremony was able to start.
"Luz!" The human girl turned around and saw Booker's cousins pushing past the crowd to get to them. All of them with their masks off and in their casual clothes.
"Roswell!" Luz exclaimed.
When the Bridges kids reached the group, Roswell said, "We're good to go. All of the prisoners were rescued. Where's Booker?"
"We don't know," Willow said, fearful of what could've happened to the Seventh Son. "We haven't seen Booker anywhere."
"Do you think she got caught," Gus asked.
"No, we can't think like that," Amity said, not wanting to believe something terrible had happened to the boy she liked.
Suddenly, the alarm was sounded, and the cage with Beast Eda in it rose onto a towering platform in front of the crowd. Standing beside the cage was Kikimora.
"Well folks, Eda the Owl Lady has appeared on stage," said Perry, still reporting on the petrification of the Owl Lady. "Which means the petrification process is about to begin."
As the platform finished rising, Kikimora walked forward and pushed a lever.
From there, a three-headed statue rose from the ground. It consisted of three witches with their backs together, their hands clasped, and their faces in agony. Flanking them were two large electrical balls and one glass ball on the witches' heads.
Eda looked upon it nervously as the machine crackled to power, knowing that, within a few minutes, she would be stone—unable to move, alive but just as much dead. The Owl Lady knew that her time had run out but was thankful that she had enough time to say one final goodbye to Booker.
Inside the Conformatorium, Lilith did as she promised. The Coven Head led them to a shortcut, and before long, they were in a dark corridor with countless angel statues around them. They towered over the hybrid sand and were wrapped in strange, meaty tendrils.
They stop in front of a small platform. "You can take this up to the stage where they're holding Edalyn," Lilith said, gesturing to the platform.
Booker looked at the witch before looking at the platform. "Lilith…before I go, I just wanted to say…the things I said—"
"You don't have to apologize," Lilith said, smiling at the young boy and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You have every right not to trust me. This is the least I can do."
"What will you do now," Booker asked her.
"I will stay in the Emperor's coven, but I will make sure nothing like this ever happens again," the witch said firmly and with guilt in her eyes.
Booker nodded to her. "Alright then," he said, raising his foot to step on the platform. Lilith would be going back to Belos, but at the very least, he would have an ally on the inside.
However, in that slit moment, Booker stopped and stepped back from the platform. "Wait, something isn't right," the boy said as he looked around.
"What do you mean," King asked him, confused as Booker held Dragon's Bite in both hands.
Booker suspiciously looked around the hall and asked Lilith, "Why are there no guards?"
Right as he said that, a red tendril wrapped itself around Lilith's legs, pulling her down and dragging her away as she screamed.
"Lilith!" Booker shouted to her.
However, his attention was turned to King when he screamed as a tendril also took him.
"King! No!" Booker screamed.
As his eyes followed them, Booker watched as Lilith and King were dragged up near the ceiling before being suspended on either side of the far wall. Fires suddenly ignite below them, flanking a skull-like throne. And sitting on that throne was Belos, his staff in hand.
"Ah, Lilith. You chose the wrong side," Emperor Belos said in a taunting way.
"I joined the wrong side long ago when I joined you!" Lilith screamed at him.
"Well, to each his own," Belos said.
With a simple thought, the Emperor pulled Lilith and King upwards.
"No!" The Seventh Son tried going after them. However, two arms grab his legs, making him nearly trip. With a slash of his sword, Booker cut them, making the arms unleash green blood on his pant legs.
"Booker Bridges," Emperor Belos said, getting Booker to look at him with a furious glare. "The famed Seventh Son…It's so good to see you again, child."
"What's going on? I can't see," Luz exclaimed, struggling to push herself to the front when more spectators showed up, making it impossible for her to see what was going on. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she realized that she was still holding onto Owlbert in his staff form. "Oh, wait. I have Owlbert."
Owlbert opened his wings, and Luz sat on the witch's staff. She floated up into the air and looked at the cage her master was in. However, to her horror, she saw Lilith and King being forced into Eda's cage by two Emperor's Coven members.
"King!"
Inside the cage, both the witch and demon landed on their knees as the bars closed behind them. Lilith looked up and came face to face with her sister, who looked at her with full fury towards her. "Hello, Edalyn…."
Eda just glared for several seconds before she began to pace. "Lilith. You rotten bitch of a sister. You hurt Booker. You cursed me! Before anything turns me to stone, I'll fucking tear you apart!" The cursed witch roared as she raised her claw and started bringing it down.
Lilith braced herself for the wrath of her sister when King jumped in between the two of them. "No, don't!" Eda gasped and stopped herself from killing him. "She was trying to help. She even betrayed the Emperor for you!"
Hearing this made Eda's eyes widen, and she looked at her sister in astonishment and surprise. "What?"
Sighing, Lilith said, "Edalyn, nothing can express how sorry I am for everything." She tried to cup Eda's face. "If I knew something like this would happen, I—"
The moment was cut short by the activation of the petrification machine, which gained both of their attention. The machine's eyes began to glow, first yellow and then green.
Shocked that Lilith and King were inside the cage, Luz gasped when she saw the machine turn on. "We gotta do something!" Luz said to her friends before taking off towards the cage, determined to save Eda and King. Lilith could be left in the cage for all she cared.
However, Willow's vines shot up from the ground and grabbed the staff, stopping Luz in the air and nearly throwing her off Owlbert.
"Luz, are you crazy?!" Skara yelled at her as Willow pulled Luz back down. "There's no way you can just charge up there and just take on the Emperor's Coven."
Luz hated to admit it, but she was right. For a moment, she looked around, trying to find some way to distract the guards and keep the ceremony from continuing. That's when she had an idea. "Maybe we can get these dudes to help us!"
The others looked around at the witches and demons surrounding them. They seemed extremely uncomfortable with Eda becoming petrified. "These guys won't help you," Felix said. "They're all complacent sheep. No offense."
"None taken," Gus said.
However, Luz and the others heard Gus' dad's voice close by. The news anchor was still reporting on the ceremony as he stood in front of a video camera with bony legs, a mouth, and an eye for a lens. "And in a shocking turn of events, head Coven leader Lilith is now in the holding cage," he said, looking at the cage. "Escorted by what appears to be a deranged cat."
Gus frowned and ran over to his dad. He then pulled on his sleeve, getting the man's attention.
"Augustus? I'm live," he said.
"Dad, you have to stop!" Gus begged his dad.
Luz flew over and swiped Perry's microphone. "I'm sorry, Mr. Porter, but the petrification can't go on!" Luz said as she landed in front of the camera. "My name is Luz the Human, and I've been Eda's apprentice for the past few months. And I just want to say that this is insane! Everything about this is wrong! Eda might not always follow the rules and steal…a lot, but is that really worthy of petrification!? People of Bonesborough, please, think of all the good that she's done."
Within the crowd, the eye-eating witch that Luz and Booker meet said, "She helped me escape jail."
"She helps me stay in business!" Morton said with a smile, pulling out some vials of potion.
"She saved my life!" Warrick yelled.
Even principal Principal Bump chimed in. "She helped me love teaching again... after she left."
"It's not just Eda! Think about it," Luz told the audience, pleading with them. "What has all of the witches done that warranted being petrified? Not joining a coven? What if they couldn't decide on one? What if they didn't like the one that they chose? Does that really make them worthy of a punishment worse than death?"
That got everyone muttering and talking with one another, which didn't sit well with Kikimora, who was simply watching from the platform. Seeing that the human was starting a commotion in the crowd that could turn into a revolt, the small witch signaled for three guards to stop her.
The guards nodded and started pushing past the crowd to get to them. However, they're stopped when Claus steps in front of them. With a smirk, she draws two spell circles and zaps them with a bolt of lightning. Sending them to the ground as the crowd watched in amazement.
"This system is broke, yo!" Claus yelled.
"The Emperor should let Eda go!" Luz shouted, pumping her fist in the air.
"Let Eda go!" Gus shouted, pumping his fist, too.
Amity and Willow glanced at one another with a smile and joined in on the action. Pumping their fists in the air and shouting, "Let Eda go!"
Soon, everyone, including the Bridges kids, Bump, the students, and all the Owl Lady's friends and enemies, started chanting and pumping their fists. "Let Eda go! Let Eda go! Let Eda go! Let Eda go!"
"Let my friends go, or else!" Booker yelled at the Emperor of the Boiling Isles.
Belos just stared at the young boy. "So, you don't remember me? Pity," he said, standing up from his throne. "I must say. I remember that very night fourteen years ago, which was the night of your birth, when I ended your grandfather's life, along with your other uncles and their families."
Booker glared at the Emperor, who spoke ill of his family.
"And to think I would allow history to repeat itself when your father married your human mother."
"What are you talking about?" Booker yelled.
"You'll find out soon."
"Yeah? Well, for now, shut up and fight!" Booker yelled as he clapped his hands and grabbed one of the tendrils. Burning it to a crisp, as he freed himself.
He then clapped his hands again and placed them on the ground, unleashing a gust of wind that rocketed him out of the grip of the other hands holding him down. The Seventh Son landed with a flip and stabbed Dragon's Bite down, summoning a row of ice spikes at the evil emperor.
However, to Booker's shock, the spike that was supposed to stab him in the face stopped inches away from Belos's mask. The masked madman used his magic to stop the ice from getting any closer.
"Okay, then," Belos said as he melted from the throne, only to reappear behind Booker, appearing to be more liquid than solid mass.
Booker spun to cut down Belos until the Emperor lifted a finger with a spell circle over it, freezing the young boy in place with red magic.
"I'll play." Belos flicked his finger, sending Booker flying away.
Booker screamed for a moment before righting himself in the air. "Eat this!" He yelled, swinging Dragon's Bite as the sword glowed, sending a water buzzsaw at Belos. However, Belos disappeared again and let the saw hit and destroy the throne he was sitting on.
The Seventh Son's flight was stopped when he slammed into the base of a towering statue. Creating a crack that traveled up the statue until it freed the giant two-headed ax. Looking up, Booker gasped when he saw the ax coming down on him and jumped to the side, barely dodging being cut down the middle.
He rolled back onto his feet as the ground began to shift around him. Forming large hands that tried to grab Booker or spikes to impale him. Booker reacted quickly by cutting the hand with his sword and then stabbing the spikes. Channeling his magic into the blade, he destroyed the rocks in a blast of fire.
Belos then summoned two much larger tendril hands to crush the Seventh Son.
Booker, without his sheath, stabbed Dragon's Bite into the floor and then clapped his hands. As his magic lines started glowing on his arms, Booker slammed his hands on the ground. The ground behind him exploded as two large plant hands grew out and grabbed the tendril hands. The two pairs of hands locked their fingers together as Booker and Belos used all their might to push each other back.
Gritting his teeth, struggling to push back against the Emperor's tendril hands as smoke started rising from his own hands. A burning sensation from the lines made it even more challenging to concentrate.
Eventually, Booker used his plant hands to crush down on the tendril ones. Then he ripped them out of the ground and threw them away. Smashing more of the angel statues.
"Is this the best you've got, Belos?!" Booker yelled, grabbing Dragon's Bite and pulling it out of the ground. He spotted the emperor standing not too far away from him and pointed his sword at him. "Aren't you supposed to be the strongest witch?"
"Very well," Belos said, standing immobile as Booker charged at him.
Booker thought that he was going to take out Belos, but before the Seventh Son could react, a giant worm-like creature appeared around the Emperor. Booker screamed and tried to stop himself from running into the monster, but it was too late. The monster caught the Seventh Son and swallowed him whole.
"Now, we can extract the blood within you," Belos said, turning around and walking away.
However, the monster let out a pained roar, which made the Emperor stop. Turning around, Belos watched the monster withered and roared in agony. Then, the monster started glowing from the inside and began inflating from various points on its body until it exploded.
From the explosion of the monster emerged Booker.
[ Castlevania: Nocturne OST: Divine Bloodlines]
The Seventh Son's eyes were glowing again as the magical lines appeared on his body. Floating in the air, Booker glared at the emperor as Belos merely stood in place and stared at him. His lizard sweater, the same one that Luz gave him, was burned in the burst of flames. Only the hoodie part, half of both sleeves and the top half of the sweater remained intact.
"Fascinating," Belos said.
Booker landed on the ground and then charged at the tyrant, a blast of wind from his feet propelling him forward.
The next thing Belos knew, he was being kicked in the stomach by the Seventh Son, knocking all of the wind out of him. Belos was sent flying through the chamber, only to slam into one of the statues.
He groaned in pain and looked up to see Booker in front of him, with his magic-infused sword over his shoulder.
Belos quickly disappeared before Booker could cut him down. Instead, the sword cut through the statue and made it collapse.
The world around Seventh Son suddenly began pulsing and turned gray. "Come now. Do you really think that you can beat me, hybrid," Belos asked Booker in his mind.
Booker didn't respond with words, but with his earth magic. He stomped his right foot on the ground, creating a tremor that destroyed the floor around him and sent debris jumping into the air. The force of the tremor was felt by the people up on the surface.
Belos didn't have time to react to the attack and was sent flying up into the air. Seeing the tyrant reappear, Booker used his illusion magic to give himself angelic wings and flew at Belos with blazing-fast speeds.
Appearing behind the emperor, Booker delivers a powerful left hook to the face, sending him flying to the ground and creating a cloud of dust that hides where the Emperor lands.
When the dust cleared, pieces of Belos' mask chipped off around his right eye. Looking up, Belos revealed a glowing blue eye shining out of the broken half of his mask. "You got spirit hybrid. But spirit is not enough!" He yelled before slamming his staff on the ground, unleashing a massive column of fire, with him in the middle of it, that rushed into the sky at Booker.
Under normal circumstances, Booker would have lost all control of himself and be frozen in fear. But this was no ordinary circumstance.
Holding out his hand to the Emperor and his fire, Booker formed a small ball of water in his palm. Then, in a split second, that ball turned into a massive sphere that engulfed him while remaining hollow inside for him to breathe. When the fire slammed into the sphere, the rushing water extinguished the flames that came into contact.
Inside the bubble, Booker raised his hand and aggressively clenched his fist. He formed vines that burst out of the ground around Belos and wrapped around his body, surprising the emperor as he tried to break free.
This distraction cut off the fire spell. With the flames gone, Booker then used his ice magic to make two ice pillars, each going at an angel. They both hit Belos in the wrists and pushed his arms apart from his body, causing him to lose his grip on his staff.
Belos looked at the ice and vines in astonishment before looking up at Booker. The Seventh Son let the water bubble he was in drop, sending all the water around him slashing onto the ground.
Then, with his body suddenly engulfed in golden flames, Booker made his wings disappear, and he fell to the ground towards the Emperor at an absurd speed with the Dragon's Bite, whose blade is enveloped by the same golden flames above his head to deliver the final blow, letting out a war cry.
"HHHHYYYYAAAAAAHH!"
CRACKLE/SLICE!
"GAH!" Belos screamed in pain under his mask, hit by the immense and powerful flaming slash.
It all happened in an instant.
With his eyes still glowing, Booker landed and panted for a moment until his magic dwindled. His eyes and body stopped burning yellow, his magical lines stopped glowing, and most of it disappeared. However, not all of it. The lines that would appear on his hands during moments when he would call upon a large amount of his powers without losing control were still there. Those markings, which went up to his shoulders, were permanently burnt into his skin.
Looking at what he'd done, Booker looked at Belos in shock.
Starting from his right shoulder, the Seventh's Son's sword had cut all the way down to the man's stomach.
However, there was no blood. Instead, the area that Booker had cut into began to burn very lightly.
Booker was shocked by this and pulled his sword out of Belos. However, he tripped onto the ground and collapsed on his back. Luckily, he clapped his hands and activated the Healing magic, slowly feeling his strengths restoring and easing the pains he felt in his body. Having used his full power had taken a lot out of Booker, especially after doing it two times in a single day.
The surprises, however, did not end.
Groaning in exhaustion, Booker heard a disguising sound coming from his vanquished foe. He picked up his head and looked at Belos, only for him to see something that should not have happened.
Belos's body was pulling itself back together. Green and black tendrils were coming out all over both halves of his body and grabbing onto each other. Then, they would pull each other together.
"What are you? " Booker asked in growing horror. The young boy tried hurrying back from the monster as Belos reformed his body. Even his clothes were restored to normal.
Emperor Belos chuckled as he looked down at Booker, his neck making nerve-flinching cracking sounds. "I like your spirit," he said, staff flying back into his hand when he held out his hand. "But try that again, and things won't end well for you."
"I'm not the one that nearly died," Booker said with a smirk as he stood up on shaking legs.
"We need not be enemies," Emperor Belos said. "I'm just a humble messenger for the Titan. In the grand scheme of things, your little friend, Luz, and the Owl Lady's life is inconsequential…But then you showed up. The Seventh Born of the Seventh Born. And I have been waiting so long for you to appear."
"Why? What could you possibly want with my blood?!" Booker yelled at the emperor.
"I need it to save our world."
"...What?"
"For so long, the Boiling Isles sat on the corpse of a god," Belos said, raising his free hand. "And while the Titan is long gone, his heart is still beating. Bringing life to the Isles."
Booker's mind thought about the giant, beating heart in the throne room.
"But time is running out. The Isles are dying," Belos said, before pointing his staff at Booker. "But you can save it."
"How?" Booker raised an eyebrow.
"You may think that you're just a hybrid, a bridge between our world and the human world. But as the Seventh Son, you're the bridge between us and the Titan. The Titan grants you unimaginable powers from the moment of your birth. Unimaginable power that has been granted by the mixture of the Titan's Blood within you."
Booker's eyes widened in shock as he looked at his chest and placed his hand over it. Was the blood of the Titan really within him? How? It didn't make sense. "And why should I believe you," Booker said, pointing his sword at the man.
"The choice is really up to you," Emperor Belos said with a chuckle. "As of right now, I don't need your blood to save our world. Not right now, at least. But on the Day of Unity, I will come for your blood, Seventh Son. However, I'm more interested in your family's portal. So, I'm giving you this one chance to hand it over."
"Fat chance!" Booker glared at the tyrant and got into a fighting stance. "I'm never giving you the door!"
Belos sighed and raised his hand. "So unwise," he said, then snapped his figures.
The crowd's chanting stopped the moment the petrification machine was completely powered and fired. It unleashed a bolt of green energy that flew towards the cage. Eda, King, and Lilith all screamed before the cursed witch dived in front of her sister and King, taking the full brunt of the blast of magic.
"Edalyn!" Lilith screamed, watching in horror as Eda let out a scream that was more beast than a witch.
"NO!" Luz screamed and took off into the air on the staff.
Landing on the platform, Luz rushed toward the cage to try and get it open.
However, a blur of yellow light flew past her, and Luz was delivered a blow to the back of her head. Knocking her out as she fell to the floor.
Standing a few feet away from her was the same golden-masked guard that was standing next to Belos when Lilith met with the emperor.
"Oooooh, bad move," he said, grabbing the back of Luz's cape and drawing a spell circle. The cage opened a few bars, and the guard threw Luz into it. He then closed it back up as everyone else watched in shock and terror. Especially those who knew and loved her.
The sound of screeching echoed in the underground chamber, making Booker jolt as he looked at the hole in the ceiling. "What did you do?!" Booker shouted at Belos.
"I've started the ceremony," Belos said as he leaned down to Booker. "But there is a way you can stop it, and it's a simple trade that will benefit everyone. Edalyn can be saved if you give me the portal to the human realm. Do it, and I shall let you and your friends go free."
"What?!" Booker looked at Belos in shock. "But…why?"
"'Why' indeed. You probably think we want to invade the human realm, but the Titan's will is not so boarish. You'll understand soon, as you will play an important role in all of this," Belos said as he turned away from Booker. "Tick-tock, hybrid. The Owl Lady doesn't have much time left."
They heard another screech as Booker looked up, crying at his mom's misery and pain.
"No!" Booker shouted, reaching for the ceiling—for Eda. He stabbed Dragon's Bite into the floor and then hunched over in sorrow, his forehead on the pommel of the powerful weapon. Once again, despite all his powers, he was powerless to help Eda. Now, he was given an impossible choice.
If he gave Belos the portal, he could save Eda, King, and Lilith. It would, however, doom the human realm, a place that he and Luz still called home. And if he kept the portal, he could protect their world but doom Eda, King, and Lilith. It was an impossible choice for the Seventh Son. How could he stop Belos and save his friends and family? How could he, a child born of two worlds, save both if it meant dooming one of them?
And just like that, a sudden thought came to mind. He felt a chill run down his spine. In spite of the fact that it would be a crazy decision with terrible repercussions, the only choice Booker had was to go through with it.
"...alright. You win," Booker said, still looking at the ground.
Belos smirked under his mask. "Good choice."
Reaching into his white shirt, Booker pulled out the key around his neck and pressed the button. Activating the portal door, he quickly shoved the key back into his shirt, keeping it out of sight of Belos when he looked over his shoulder.
Booker took his sword out of the ground and stepped back, allowing the door to rise up from the ground. The Seventh Son grabbed it with his free hand and hugged the door to his chest.
Reluctantly walking towards Belos, Booker held out the door. "Here, it's yours."
"The Titan will be pleased," Emperor Belossaid said as he reached out to take it.
Booker chuckled darkly as he looked up at Belos, glaring at him with a smirk. "Yeah, I don't think so."
Suddenly, Booker threw the portal into the air and lifted Dragon's Bite as the blade ignited in gold flames.
Belos gasped at this and reached to stop him. "No!" He screamed in horror, but it was too late.
With a roar, Booker slashed down on the portal the moment it fell in front of him, cutting and smashing the door between the worlds into pieces. The eye cracked from the impact as the portal exploded, engulfing both witches in a cloud of smoke.
Belos swung his staff to clear the smoke, only to see Booker was gone. On the ground, ashes, shattered pieces, and the cracked eye were all that was left of the portal.
Shocked to see the door in flaming pieces, Belos heard the sound of a mechanism turning on and looked in its direction. Swinging his staff again and clearing the smoke, Belos saw that Booker had finally stepped on the platform that Lilith had brought him to.
He glared at Booker through the smoke, who glared right back as the platform carried him up to the exit of the chamber. The Seventh Son's heart was still heavy over what he had to do, but it was the only choice he had to save his friends.
When Luz regained consciousness, she groaned in pain and sat up on the ground. King and Lilith were by her side, helping her up. However, when Luz opened her eyes, she was met with a horrible sight.
The petrification was taking its effect, and Eda's legs began turning to stone. And the stone was working its way up her body, causing excessive pain to the witch.
"Eda! NO!" Luz screamed, trying to reach out to Eda, but Lilith held her back.
However, hope arrived.
Within seconds, Booker and the platform rise in between the cage and the petrification machine. He tore off his beyond-saving sweeter and threw it away, as everyone in the crowd and the coven members were shocked by his arrival.
"Booker!" Luz called out with tears in her eyes and a big smile.
"It's Booker!" Willow shouted from the crowd.
"He's alright!" Amity said, happy to see the boy she loved was alright.
Clapping his hands, Booker held them out at the machine. Summoning vines that burst out of the platform and wrapped around the machine, crushing it until it was destroyed.
With the spell having been broken before it could be completed, Eda screeched and fell to the ground, nearly completely stone.
"Eda!" Luz yelled as she crawled over to Eda and hugged her.
"Wh—what do we do?!" King yelled.
"It's okay! The spell wasn't completed! Maybe I can help her fight it!" Lilith said as she went to Eda, placing her hands on her and channeling her magic into her to fight the petrification.
"No!" Kikamora yelled. "What is happening—"
She was interrupted when Booker marched to Kikimora, grabbed her by the shirt, and pulled her into the air.
"Open the cage. NOW!" Booker said as he glared at the short witch, igniting his family sword's blade.
Kikimora gulped and shrunk in on herself under Booker's glare. She nodded quickly and traced a spell circle, making the cage disappear. Throwing the small witch away, Booker ran to Eda and put her hands on her face.
"Mom! Are you okay?" Booker asked her as the stone receded from Eda's body, allowing Eda to open her eyes to look at her adopted son.
"Yeah, kid. I'm as good as I can be." Eda said, still lucid in her cursed form.
"You're not going anywhere!" Booker turned around and saw the golden mask guard approaching him with Emperor's Coven guards. The regular guards were holding spears, while the golden one had his own staff.
Seeing them close in on them, Booker and Luz prepare themselves for a fight, but Eda flung both kids and King onto her back. "Let's fly," she exclaimed, looking at Lilith.
Lilith nodded and got on in front of Booker, Luz, and King. With everyone onboard, Eda took off into the night sky. At the same time, the coven guards threw their spears at the fleeing cursed witch, but none hit them. The crowd cheered as Eda flew away, with Amity, Willow, Gus, and Booker's cousins all cheering and waving at the heroes, beyond happy that they were able to save the day.
Meanwhile, the Golden Guard glared at the escaping witch and the Seventh Son. He was about to go after them when Emperor Belos walked out, his mask still broken.
"Uncle," he whispered upon seeing the damage down to Belos's mask. He ran over to him, but the emperor placed a hand on his shoulder. Signifying that he was okay.
Emperor Belos then walked to the edge of the roof and made an announcement. "Children of the Isles. Today, the Seventh Son of the Seventh Son, Booker Bridges, attacked me. The witch/human hybrid is a product of the most dangerous form of witch magic. By the Titan's grace, I was able to avoid falling by his hand. The Titan has also told me to spare the Owl Lady's life, but in return, her curse will strip away all her powers. Let her monstrous form be a lesson about the dangers of wild magic."
He then looked up at the sky and said, "As for the Seventh Son…he's won this battle, but the war is far from over."
After a short flight, Eda crash-landed on the dirt road in front of the owl house. She panted heavily as everyone got off of her.
"Mom!" Booker said in worry, checking on her.
"She must be exhausted from both the ceremony and the flight," Lilith said as she looked over Eda.
"W-Well, can we still turn her back with the elixirs?" Luz asked as she and King looked worried for the Owl Lady.
"No, human. No amount of elixir can heal her now," Lilith said as she grabbed Eda's face and gazed into her eyes. Her eyes filled with so much sorrow and regret. "Oh, sister. I am so sorry for everything. I was a fool for cursing you, for hunting you, and for working for such a treacherous ruler all these years. In my quest to right the wrongs I've done, I ended up losing myself…"
Lilith lowered her head in shame before picking back up and looking at Eda with determination.
"It's time I did something I should have done a long time ago."
The former Coven Head shut her eyes and placed their foreheads together.
"With this spell declared, let the pain be shared."
Booker, Luz, and King were nearly thrown back when a wave of magic came from Lilith and Eda. Both sisters glowed blue and floated into the air. Their gems glowed before bursting in a flash of white light. The spell worked its magic on Eda, making the wings disappear, and her body go back to normal. Her ears returned to average size, along with her hair. All the feathers on her body molted off, returning Eda to her usual witch form.
Booker and Luz shielded King from the light until it died down. When it faded, the three of them turned to see Eda's body return to normal, before she and Lilith descended back to the ground.
The Clawthorne sister had their eyes shut before they opened them and gazed at each other.
"Eda!" Luz exclaimed.
"Mom! You're back to normal!" Booker said as the sisters looked at the kids, letting them see the after-effects of the spell.
Slipping the curse between them affected the appearance of the sister. Both now had Heterochromia iridum—different-colored eyes. Eda's left eye was now silver, while Lilith's right eye turned silver. Lilith now had a streak of gray hair, while Eda had a streak of white, and her gem was still black.
Eda laughed as Booker, Luz, and King ran over and hugged her. The witch hugged them back as Lilith watched with a smile.
"Can you still do magic," Luz asked.
Wanting to know herself, Eda traced a spell circle. However, it disintegrated into tiny pieces and fell to the ground.
"That's a no," Eda said as she gazed at her hands. "It'll take some time to get used to this."
"I feel that I've been weakened as well," Lilith said, holding one of her own hands.
"It's okay. I can teach you what I know, and what we don't know, we can learn together," Luz said as she placed a light glyph in Eda's hand.
Raising an eyebrow, Eda activated it, looking shocked as it worked and turned into a ball of light. The Owl Lady watched in awe as it floated into the night sky.
Eda smiled and ruffled Luz's hair. "Thanks, kid," she said, pulling Luz and Booker into a hug as Lilith walked closer to them. "I look forward to that."
And that's how Booker not only rescued Eda and cured her curse, but also fought and escaped from the Emperor. There was no denying that everyone was wrong. Belos was a powerful witch, but he wasn't the most powerful witch alive. That honor still went to Booker.
However, even as he stood with his new mom and friends, Booker couldn't get the feeling he felt about Belos out of his head. When they fought, Booker felt the magic coming off of Belos.
It felt…wrong. It wasn't natural magic. Something wasn't right about Belos.
And it wasn't just the whole eating Palisman and pulling himself back together. Booker had a feeling that while he was hard to kill, Emperor Belos might not be invincible. Whatever weakness he had, the Seventh Son was going to find it.
Feeling the cool air on his arms, Booker looked down at his arms and stared at the markings that were now a permanent part of his body. He then saw Luz's hand grabbing his hand, prompting him to look at her. The cute girl smiled at Booker and kissed him on the cheek. Making him blush as she rested her head on his shoulder.
Booker will have to tell Luz about the portal, and when he does, he'll promise to find another way for her to get back home. She's been with him since the beginning of the journey, and Booker knew Luz wasn't going to leave his side at any time. One way or another, they'll find a way back to the human realm.
And once they've found that way home, they'll be coming back to kick Belos's ass.
As for the Emperor himself, he was in a top-secret chamber of his castle. One would have expected him to be absolutely furious by the Seventh Son's defiance, destroying the door to the human realm and freeing the Owl Lady.
And yet, he wasn't.
"Sire, those miscreants are still at large," Kikimora announced as she walked down the stairs behind the emperor. "Please, allow me to capture them."
"Worry not, Kiki," Emperor Belos said, turning around to face her. "We'll be keeping an eye on the inhabitants of the Owl House." Belos nodded to his Golden Guard, who stood beside him.
The guard nodded back before walking away.
"In the meantime, the Day of Unity is almost upon us," Emperor Belos said, turning back around to watch the progress of his master plan becoming a reality. "...and we have much work to do.
In front of him was a large, round, white frame with wings attached to it. It was partially built. Inside the frame was the portal door. It was still broken but being pieced back together by some of the engineers—engineers who will be killed once they're down working on the project so that no information about what Belos was working on leaks out.
He'd waited for hundreds of years for this moment to come. His long years of researching, planning, and murdering were finally going to be all worth it.
Fourteen years ago, those plans were seemingly dashed away from him. Booker was the key to everything, and when he was taken to the human realm, Emperor Belos believed that his dreams were gone and that he would have to wait once again for the Seventh Child of the Seventh Child to be born again, which could have been 50 years to another 400 years. The Day of Unity was seemingly lost to him.
And then, as if his prayers to God were answered, Booker came back. Now, his destiny was finally within grasp.
With the destroyed portal in his grasp, Belos had the only means of escaping the Demon Realm. Meaning that Booker Bridges was trapped. Just like the previous Seventh Born trapped him in this world…
…after she took everything from him.
But now, Emperor Belos can finish what he'd started. All the pieces are coming together.
When the Day of Unity arrives, he will finally achieve his dream and fulfill his destiny.
The Seventh Son will return.