There were no words to describe how empty and broken Sturm felt after the incident in the forest. The agony of being trapped in his slow-motion prison for what seemed like thousands of years was nothing compared to what he felt after the horrible things he'd done.
Because of his thirst for power, his pent-up rage exploded, causing him to damage property, ruin the first relationship he ever had, hurt the people who were trying to help him, destroy an entire forest, and worst of all, kill Amity. Of course, he brought her back to life, but that didn't take away from the fact that Amity died. It might have only been for a minute or less, but she was dead.
He didn't know why he brought her back. He didn't understand why he felt guilty. But the more he thought about it, the more he started to believe that even after all the terrible things Amity had done to him, she didn't deserve to die. He took his bitter rivalry too far, even after Amity had likely already let go of it on her own. He let go of his hate too late and had no excuse. In a way, he held onto his hate for nothing.
But the crippling remorse was not the only thing he had to deal with.
When he returned to Blight Manor, he took a long nap from all the exhaustion. And when he woke up, he had a splitting headache. But that was just the start of his problems.
No sooner had Sturm returned to Hexside than he got called into Principal Bump's office. He sat down, asking him what he wanted, and the principal made it very clear that he wanted nothing more than to give him the scolding of a lifetime.
"Do you have any idea what you did, young man?"
Sturm froze right then and there. He obviously knew about the damage he caused at the school, but...did he also know about his actions in the forest?
"Um, what are you referring to, exactly?" he asked, causing Bump to scoff at such a ridiculous question and grow even more furious with him.
"What I'm referring to, he says. I got detailed accounts from several students who saw you damage school property and scare everyone around you! You showed up at school, filthy and without your uniform, wrecked one of the classrooms, burned the tongues of the lockers, and broke all the windows in the building, for Titan's sake! And now you're just going to sit here and ask me what I'm referring to?!"
Part of Sturm was relieved that Bump didn't suspect him, because what he did to the school was mild compared to what happened after. But on the other hand, he knew he was in trouble nonetheless.
"Sir, I can explain. I was going through-"
"I'm not looking for excuses, young man. The other students don't feel safe around you."
Sturm froze again, this time looking fearful. He wasn't going to do it, was he?
"Are...are you going to expel me?"
"I should. Your actions are completely unacceptable! Honestly, I expected more from you as the school's top student. But since you had no prior incidents, I thought about it and realized you need some time to get your stuff together. That's why I have no choice but to suspend you for a month. And if your behavior doesn't improve by then, I'll have to send you to counseling. Do I make myself clear?"
Sturm sighed and hung his head low, clearly ashamed. He knew there was no point in trying to argue. He couldn't even say that he blamed him. In the end, he relented.
"Yes, Mr. Bump."
"Good. Now go."
Sturm then nodded, got up, and left the office. But as soon as he closed the door and headed down the hallway to get his stuff, he could feel the eyes of his fellow classmates all over him. Every single person he saw in the halls was looking at him with either judgemental or scared looks and he could hear them whispering about him. When he got too close to a group of students, they kept their distance.
Funny. He wanted to be the center of attention at school, and now, he finally got his wish in the worst possible way.
He didn't want to be there anymore. So as soon as he got his things, he zipped out of the building and headed back to the manor. He thought he could take a break there, but was proven wrong the second he stepped into the foyer.
"STURM!"
Sturm's hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his heart stopped when he heard Odalia's shrill, furious scream. He looked to his right and saw her marching over toward him. The otherwise calm and smug demeanor was utterly absent, completely replaced with an enraged stance and expression. Sturm was just frozen, staring at her.
"You have some real nerve, young man," she continued, beginning to invade the boy's personal space. "I just got off the phone with Principal Bump. He told me that you caused a lot of trouble at school and now I have to pay for the damages! What is wrong with you?! Did you get hit on the head or something!"
"No, ma'am, I can explain, I-"
"Spare me your excuses! You think I only know about your stunt at school? Huh?" she said, making Sturm beyond terrified. Did she know? Or was she mad about something that had nothing to do with Amity? "You missed two days of work without telling me! And you didn't answer my calls! We have lost thousands of snails in revenue because you can't follow a simple Titan-forsaken schedule! What am I paying you for?!"
"Mrs. Blight, I made a mistake! It-"
"Zip it! For this alone, I should terminate your employment and kick you out of my house! But Alador said that you don't deserve to be out on the streets. I disagree with him, but you're lucky that I still have some use for you. Effective immediately, I am officially demoting you from your position as assistant engineer. I'm assigning you to Blight Industry's delivery division. That means a permanent 90% cut from your wage. You will start work every day in the afternoon until nightfall, with mandatory overtime, and with neither breaks nor days off."
Sturm's heart sank with each condition. This was worse than firing him or kicking him out. And once his suspension expired, he would have no time to rest or relax.
"What?! That's not fair! You can't do that to me!" he protested. "Once my suspension's up, I'll have no time to rest!"
"You should have thought about that before you got out of line," Odalia said coldly. "If you're unhappy with it, you can just quit. But then again, you will have nowhere to go and no roof over your head if you do. Your choice"
At first, Sturm wanted to tell her no, no way in hell. However, he thought about it long enough to weigh his options. Did he have a choice? Did he have to choose between basically becoming a slave and taking his chances back on the streets? To scrounge for scraps and sleep in the most disgusting places imaginable while being exposed to the elements?
She'd sandbagged him right into the corner with that one. He had no choice but to agree. In the end, he nodded submissively.
"Yes, Mrs. Blight."
"Good. Report to my office in the afternoon. Now get out of my sight!" she yelled, pointing to the stairs. Sturm sighed and shuffled upstairs in a depressed haze with his proverbial tail tucked between his legs.
Before he knew it, he reached the door of his room. He took out his key and was about to insert it into the keyhole, but then something strange happened... His hand started shaking. He tried to keep the key still by using both hands, but it ended up slipping from his fingers. Sturm tried to catch it, but it fell on the floor, almost going under the door. Sturm fell to his knees and tried to calm himself as he realized what was happening. The antidote may have cured Sturm of the effects of the potion and his addiction to it, but the withdrawals still remained.
After his hands stopped shaking, Sturm wasted no time taking the key and entering his room. He then got to his mattress and sat down, with his knees pressed against his chest and burying his face into his palms.
He began sniffling, the weight of his terrible situation already taking its toll. Blitz appeared and nuzzled up against the right side of his owner's neck, trying to comfort him, but was unsure what to do. The boy was in an environment he had no hope of escaping, stuck with his withdrawals and the knowledge that he couldn't get help...and that things were about to get so much worse...
Time passed.
For the first few days, Sturm was anxious about whether or not people knew about his involvement in that forest fire. But he saw no signs that people were suspicious of him.
Sturm figured that neither Amity nor her friends told anyone about it. He learned that the Emperor's Coven investigated the forest fire at the Left Hand, but the evidence of Sturm's involvement remained inconclusive.
That was a huge relief. At least no one was suspicious of him and more importantly, no one knew what he did in that forest except for him and Amity. In a way, he was thankful that Amity didn't tell anyone about what happened. He didn't want to imagine how Alador would have reacted if he found out that the boy he welcomed into his home, the boy he took under his wing, the closest thing he had to a second son, had murdered one of his children. He would have been heartbroken and betrayed, a scenario he feared almost as much as he feared of being forgotten.
He tried his best to stay far away from Amity after what happened. Not that he saw many people since he got suspended. He barely spent time at Blight Manor lately, and because of that, he hadn't seen the twins as much. Whenever the twins did see him, they would just look at him, refusing to speak to him. He couldn't say that he blamed them; they had every right to be angry with him after acting like a complete jerk.
Sturm expected things between him and Boscha to be messy, but he never could have imagined what would have happened when he tried to contact his ex. He sent her a message on Penstagram, saying that he wanted to apologize for standing her up and for being a terrible boyfriend. However, she responded to his apology with a string of words and profanities so foul that it would traumatize even the most vulgar of sailors. This was enough proof that there would be no getting back together anytime soon.
The withdrawals weren't easy to deal with. He could seek no help because Bonesborough lacked a rehab center. Part of him thought about talking to a therapist, but then decided against it, mostly because his savings were pretty much gone, and he didn't want to give many details about his life to anyone. In a way, he had to keep his symptoms in check and hope they would eventually go away. It worked, to an extent. The withdrawals lessened as time went on, and it'd be a while before they would go away completely.
His reassignment wasn't easy in the least. Every afternoon, he would deliver packages and equipment to Blight Industries' important clients, most of which were on different parts of the Boiling Isles. In addition, he had to deliver the goods within the hour each time, or he would risk either getting demoted again or not getting paid. Most days, he'd be tasked with another delivery while in the middle of one. It was exhausting already, but once his suspension expired, it'd be the death of him.
The brutal routine went on for what felt like an eternity. The boy just kept thinking to himself, "When will this end?!"
Little did he know, that he'd find his answer right after his suspension from school expired.
When Sturm returned to school, it was coincidentally the day Hexside's club fair would be held. The club fair was a yearly school event in which Hexside's students partook in many different activities, each related to a club at the school, either to make friends, for self-improvement reasons, to have fun, or to just walk around doing nothing.
There were more clubs than last year, ranging between Swimming, Drama, Gardening, Arts & Witchcrafts, Screech & Debate, Psychics, Hexes Hold'em, Fear Book, Casket Weaving, Skullpting, Brews n' Stews, Inner Demons, Scrying Committee...and most recent of all, a Good Witch Azura book club and a Flyer Derby club, founded by Luz Noceda and Willow Park respectively.
Sturm had no idea why he chose to go, since none of the clubs suited him. However, there was a possibility that he wanted to feel like a normal teenager for once. He didn't want to admit it, but he craved to have a connection with the others. He assumed that the way his classmates viewed him would have changed, since it'd been a while since they last saw him... But those kids have long memories...
Over the course of the day, Sturm would catch people giving him the most judgmental, scornful looks – two girls whispering to each other and pointing in his direction as he walked by, a professor shaking his head when he made eye contact with him, and a group of students were making the conscious effort of keeping their distance. Even Boscha was at the fair to mock Luz's favorite book series, making Sturm nervous. If she saw him, he had no doubt she'd use the same 'innocent' language she wrote in her last text, so the best he could do was stay out of her sight. Part of him lamented that he should have tried dating Viney instead.
He began to feel the paranoia seeping in again. The way everyone looked at him made it seem as if they knew what he had done in the forest. But that was impossible. He was sure no one knew. Did he miss anything?
Suddenly, he was pulled out from his paranoid train of thought when he felt a finger on his shoulder and heard a voice from behind.
"Hey, you!"
Sturm yelled and jumped in surprise. He quickly turned around and extended his electricity-covered hand at the person who startled him. The person backed off slightly, holding his hands up while making himself very visible.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy!"
It had been a witch boy slightly taller than him, wearing the uniform for the Potions Track and a pair of dark gloves. He had a fair complexion, a slightly hooked nose, dark magenta eyes, thick black eyebrows, a gap between his front teeth, bags under his eyes, a notch on his left ear, a scar on his right cheek, and ash-blond hair shaved below the top, with a long, jagged forelock.
Upon seeing the boy, Sturm dispelled the electricity from his hand before bringing it to his own chest as relief washed over him.
"Careful! You scared me to death!" Sturm yelled angrily.
"Apologies," the boy said, watching as Sturm tried to calm himself. He then noticed that while Sturm raised one of his hands slightly, it began to shake a bit. "Uh, you okay?"
Sturm was initially confused, but before he could ask what he was referring to, he noticed the mild tremor in his hands.
"Oh? Yeah, sorry. Withdrawals. They're lessening each day, I'll be fine," he explained, moments before giving the boy a curious look. "Hold on, I don't remember seeing you before. Are you new here?"
"You could say that," the boy smiled. "But never mind that. I'm here to talk to you about the offer of a lifetime!"
That turned Sturm off quickly. He'd heard those words before. And if they were true, he wouldn't be there.
"An offer, you say?" he said, his frown deepening before letting out a completely humorless chuckle. "Heh. Look, newbie. I've met a lot of people with 'extraordinary offers'. And so far? They've all turned out to be baloney!"
"Well, let me ask you this... Have you ever dreamed of joining the Emperor's Coven?"
This made Sturm laugh; a laugh that started as an almost honest, youthful sound. However, it quickly rose into a burst of almost hysterical giggling that almost made the new classmate feel uncomfortable.
"HAHA! I wish! Oh man, I wish I could join. But nah, I've given hope on joining and becoming a man of great renown. Because that aging cow made me a slave. So yeah, as much as I want to be the best of the best, I'm not allowed to go anywhere anytime soon," he said bitterly. Just thinking about Odalia made his blood boil, beginning to resent her almost as much as he used to resent Amity. The blond boy before him just smirked.
"Well, I can probably pull some strings to help free you."
"Tch. Yeah. As if you have the authority to do that," Sturm scoffed, not believing what he'd heard, but the boy didn't seem fazed.
"Oh, but I do. You wanna know why?" He looked both sides to make sure no one would hear him. Then he leaned in closer and whispered. "Because I'm the Golden Guard."
Sturm was skeptical about that guy before, but now? He sure as hell didn't believe a word he was saying. There was no way the renowned Golden Guard, the Emperor's right-hand man, was just a mere boy. He figured he was young, but not THAT young. He tried to keep another laugh stifled.
"Pfft! Get outta here!" Sturm said, waving his hand dismissively. The blond boy frowned and stood straight.
"I was telling you the truth, but... oh, well, your loss."
The 'Golden Guard' then turned and walked away from Sturm to approach a crowd of students. Sturm just stood there, realizing this kid had taken his words literally. His smile disappeared and was replaced by an exasperated frown.
"That's not what I- urgh, never mind," he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
He figured it was merely a prank and tried to forget it. He turned and was about to leave as well.
But then... a thought entered his mind. Was he actually serious? Was this kid really the Golden Guard? His ticket to freedom?
Sturm slowly turned to look back at the blond kid, who was now pestering Jerbo about joining the Emperor's Coven and accidentally stepping on Puddles' tail, Viney's pet griffin.
"Well...it's time to return to my old habit: confirm my suspicions."
And by that, he meant shadowing the boy all day to ensure he was indeed the Golden Guard. He hadn't done it in quite a while, so he was afraid that he had gotten rusty. But as the day progressed, it was clear that no one even caught sight of him. Either they were too busy to pay attention, or he was just that good at hiding.
It started with Puddles going berserk and chasing after the boy, who displayed his proficient skills at flying on his staff while evading the griffin, which happened to be witnessed by Willow. She dragged the boy from the sky to get his attention, hoping he would be interested in joining her Flyer Derby team. Upon introducing himself, the boy revealed his name, 'Caleb Jasper Bloodwilliams'. Even Sturm could tell that was a lie. It was such a ridiculous name, even by Boiling Isles standards. Even the way he explained his backstory seemed off.
That was more than enough reason to keep going. This 'Caleb' was clearly hiding something, and Sturm was now set on learning the truth.
Before he knew it, Willow managed to assemble her Flyer Derby team, which consisted of herself, Gus, Skara, Viney, and 'Caleb'. And she was preparing them for a 'friendly' game against Professor Hermonculus. Before the game, Sturm noticed 'Caleb' talking on the phone with someone, and even though he couldn't make out what he said, he could tell he was excited.
And when the game began, it was clear from the get-go that 'Caleb' had more talents than Sturm initially thought. He could use his staff to teleport around his opponents and snatch their flags when they least expected. He was a quick thinker and an exceptional team player who gave the rival team a run for their money, even for someone as experienced as Professor Hermonculus. The game lasted quite a while, but at least it was exhilarating to watch.
After a while, 'Caleb' scored the final point, securing the win for his team. Professor Hermonculus begrudgingly walked up to register Willow's club and asked for the team's name. When Willow realized right then that she hadn't thought that far ahead, 'Caleb' quickly came up with the name 'Emerald Entrails'.
But then... Sturm finally got what he was looking for. He got the confirmation that 'Caleb' was not Caleb at all. His real name was Hunter. And he was indeed the Golden Guard.
He revealed his identity to his teammates, who considered him a friend. And he double-crossed them. The game was just a test to see if they were fit candidates for the Emperor's Coven.
Sturm cursed himself for almost passing up that chance. But he knew he still had time to correct it. All he needed to do was wait until Hunter was alone and then talk to him about securing a place within the coven. That way, he could finally be free from Odalia's clutches.
This was proved to be easier said than done. A group of coven scouts appeared and took the Emerald Entrails. Sturm got on his staff and discreetly followed them to the police precinct, waiting for his chance.
The day passed. It was already time for him to clock in and start working... No... Not this time. He was done delivering packages for peanuts. He was done running around the Isles like a madman. He was done being treated like a tool. He was done going to bed hungry, with the prospect of his homelessness constantly hanging over his head. And most importantly, he was done obeying that hag.
Night had fallen. Sturm hid on the rooftops to get a better view of the precinct. Hunter still hadn't shown himself. He waited and waited, but he was constantly in the presence of other scouts or the friends he betrayed.
Before Sturm could think of another idea, he saw an airship arrive at the precinct and hover beside it. Upon getting a better look, he saw a man on the ship. He recognized him almost right away. It was Darius Deamonne, head of the Abomination Coven. He drew a spell circle, and the Emerald Entrails were immediately teleported onto the ship with him. When that happened, a coven scout put the kids' palismen into a cage and used magic to send them to Darius. A few seconds later, Hunter flung the door open and ran outside.
"Darius, I did it! I found recruits!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. But Darius remained grumpy.
"Yep, and you're making me work on my day off. Take this and quit bugging me."
Darius then summoned Hunter's cloak and flung it at him. Hunter looked down at his sigil and touched it.
"I can... wear this proudly now. Right?" he asked, looking up at Darius, whose expression remained unchanged.
"Can you?"
This made Hunter's smile fade and look at Darius uncertainly. The way he said it must've struck a chord with the boy. Darius then turned around before giving one last subtle jab.
"See you at the castle, Golden Guard."
Darius then flew off in his ship, leaving Hunter alone. Sturm saw this window of opportunity and was about to run over to him, but another coven scout went outside, stopping him. Even from afar, Sturm could tell that his mask was dented.
"I do not envy those kids, man," the scout said. But Hunter just smiled.
"They just have to go through basic training before becoming scouts. It's not too bad."
"Dude, do you even remember what we had to do? The duels. The mazes with the traps. That time we were left alone on a mountain?"
"Haha. Classic."
"And of course, Belos likes to collect everyone's palismen."
Then, Hunter just froze. His smile faded and immediately became nervous. Sturm didn't know why. Maybe he was recalling something Hunter saw. But after a few seconds, the coven scout began to walk down the stairs.
"Steve is beginning to regret his choices..."
Hunter then looked up to the sky, watching Darius' ship fly into the distance.
"I think Hunter is, too," he said, looking remorseful at how his new friends were going to suffer the consequences.
Hunter then looked at the ground and took a deep breath. He steeled himself, put on his cloak, and summoned his staff. Once the staff was in his hand, Hunter flew after the ship.
This made Sturm absolutely furious. He'd faced setbacks all day. He waited too long, and now, he was finally out of patience.
"Oh, no, you don't! I did NOT skip work for nothing!"
With that said, he summoned Blitz and flew after Hunter. Blitz could not go faster than any other palisman, so Sturm had more trouble keeping up with the Golden Guard. Whenever Sturm got close, Hunter would teleport further ahead to get to the ship, which frustrated him.
The chase went on for a few minutes. It wasn't until they were flying above the forest near the shore that things took a turn. Hunter managed to teleport onto the ship. Not even a minute later, the ship crashed into the sea near the beach.
Sturm's heart sank, thinking that there was no way anyone would walk out of there unscathed. He was scared that if anything happened to Hunter, all of this would have been for nothing. He went there as fast as he could, lowering himself into the forest to stay hidden, just in case.
By the time he reached the tree line, he was confused. The ship had crashed into the water at the shore and was now burning up, and to his relief, no one was harmed. But he saw the Emerald Entrails walking away, and Hunter, with his palisman on his shoulder, was now standing before Darius without his cloak, the latter having turned his right arm into an abomination scythe.
As the other kids left, Darius looked at Hunter incredulously.
"You... befriended them?" he asked, his voice growing angrier. "And then you disobeyed me to PROTECT THEM?!"
Darius then raised his scythe arm. Expecting an attack, Hunter clenched his eyes shut and recoiled in fear. Sturm's eyes widened and his arms became electrified, preparing to jump in and fight Darius if need be. But to his surprise, Darius transformed his hand back to normal and patted Hunter's head.
"I'm impressed," he smiled. "I had you all wrong."
"Huh?" Hunter opened his eyes and looked at Darius, confused.
"You're what? Sixteen? It's about time you made connections outside the castle," Darius said, drawing a spell circle to summon a scroll and drop it into Hunter's hands. Hunter opened it up and saw the sign-up page of Penstagram. Darius continued. "I was just gonna drop them off at Hexside. We have more than enough recruits, in my opinion."
"Are you... gonna tell Belos about this?"
"Are you going to tell him about your secret palisman?" Darius asked, referring to the red cardinal on Hunter's shoulder. Hunter gasped and reached his hand toward the palisman, realizing that he left it out in the open instead of keeping it hidden. But Hunter was reassured that Darius would keep quiet about this. "Magic or not, I think you'll make your predecessors proud."
Darius then drew some distance between himself and Hunter to take the cloak and throw it back at him, fixing the sewing work around the sigil using magic.
"But you could still use a sewing lesson," he smiled. "See you at the castle... Golden Guard."
With that said, Darius used his Abomination magic to sink himself into the ground and disappear, leaving Hunter alone. The boy could make his way back with no problems anyway.
Hunter stared at the sigil and smiled, before putting his cloak back on. He then turned to the palisman and smiled.
"That went better than I thought it would. Guess we're done here."
"No, you're not."
Hunter tensed up when he heard that voice. He quickly turned around and saw Sturm standing there, smirking and holding his staff while crossing his arms.
"He had a good opinion about the recruits...but I think you guys can handle one more."
"Wait...aren't you the weird guy from Hexside?" Hunter asked. "I thought you didn't believe me."
"There's a difference between believing someone and being suspicious. And I almost passed up an extraordinary opportunity."
Hunter smirked at hearing that.
"Inquisitive, huh? And I suspect you've been watching me all day and no one noticed. It's impressive...if a little creepy. I think you'll make a fine addition to the coven."
"Now...how about you pull the strings you told me about?"
"The coven tryouts are coming soon. I can sign you up if you wish. I don't think I got your name."
Sturm's smirk grew wide as he unfolded his arms. Knowing that he finally had a chance to be free made him ecstatic. It took every ounce of his energy to try and act normal and not jump or shout with overwhelming joy.
Though he almost made one mistake.
"I'm J-" he stopped, realizing he almost slipped up. But he chuckled and quickly remedied it as he extended his hand toward Hunter. "Name's Sturm. Your newest recruit."
Hunter smirked as well.
"Well, Sturm. Next time I see you, it better be in uniform."
And with that, the two shook hands.
It was past midnight when Sturm finally got the courage to clear his room of junk and pack his essentials. He didn't have much to begin with, and it was more likely that he'd get more stuff at the Emperor's Coven. All that was left was to finally write a formal letter of resignation. So, he got his typewriter and began typing...
Dear Odalia Blight,
Please accept this letter as formal notification of my intention to resign from my position as courier (previously assistant engineer) with Blight Industries. In accordance with my notice period, my final day will be the moment you read this letter. I am aware that the letter must be sent two weeks prior to my leave, but I stumbled upon an opportunity that cannot wait.
During my time at Blight Industries, I have come to realize that the scope of the role is unfortunately not what I need, and as such, I would like to explore other paths to my future.
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to have worked in the position for the past four years. I have learned a great deal during my time here and have enjoyed the companionship of (some) of your family members. I will take what I have learned with me in my new career and look back at my time here as a valuable period of my professional life.
However, I cannot thank you for the constant mistreatment I had to endure and the insufficient salary. I have worked so hard for so long, yet my efforts have gone unappreciated even though you claimed that I had great potential when we first met. I have suffered a lot and tried to tell you about it, but you refused to hear me out. Your apathy and callousness toward my well-being truly sickens me and I can no longer tolerate it. My only hope besides you crying me a river is to find a suitable replacement soon.
Do not look for me. Do not try to contact me. This is where we part ways forever.
Sincerely,
Sturm
When he finished, Sturm folded the letter, took an envelope, and slid it inside. He then got up to get his bag and glanced at his room one last time before leaving.
Once in the hallway, he walked over to the door of Odalia and Alador's bedroom and placed the envelope on top of the knob. He then walked further down the hall.
Meanwhile, Amity slowly stirred awake from her sleep. She had a long day and wanted to rest. However, her sense of dehydration had woken her up. She got off the bed, thinking how nice a cup of water sounded. But as she got to her door, she heard footsteps. At first, she thought it was her brother wanting to steal some cake from the fridge.
But upon opening her door, she was surprised to see Sturm instead, who had already walked past her door. She saw the bag and was immediately perplexed. Against her better judgment, she called out to him.
"Hey... Where are you going? It's the middle of the night."
Sturm stopped and turned around, surprised to see Amity awake at this hour. But regardless, he decided to answer her.
"I'm leaving, Blight."
She looked at Sturm with surprise, confusion, and a bit of sorrow seeping in.
"You're... leaving?"
"Yeah. Also, I quit working for your family. I just put up my resignation letter."
"But where are you going? Can't you stay?"
"I'm afraid not. First of all, I can't bear being a slave for another minute... Second, I heard you don't wish to join the Emperor's Coven anymore. If you don't want that spot, I'll take it."
"Yeah, I'm no longer interested in joining the Emperor's Coven. Or any coven for that matter. But why are youinterested in joining?"
"Isn't it obvious? I want more out of life. Working for Blight Industries is like moving on a treadmill. I keep running, but I'm not going anywhere. Your siblings refuse to talk to me, my bank account is the dictionary's definition of the word 'broke', I have no girlfriend anymore, and now my reputation at school is in the mud." He fell silent for a moment. "But joining the Emperor's Coven is what we kept fighting each other for since we met. It is my chance to escape this place and BE someone. To leave my mark on history. To be remembered."
Amity remained silent for a few moments, thinking over his words.
"Look, I'm not going to try and talk you out of joining the coven if that's what you really want to do. But you know what that means, right? Once you join, you'll become a servant to the Emperor. You won't have any freedom or control over yourself. You'll be just an expendable tool."
"And how is this different from working for your mom?"
Her voice became slightly stern and defensive at the jab at her mother. But she couldn't deny that what he was saying was true, so she didn't bother to try and stand up for that woman.
"It... it isn't.," she sighed. "Look, working for my mom isn't good either. But you've seen how the other coven scouts are treated... like nothing."
"Not if I work my way up. Once everyone sees what I'm capable of and witnesses my accomplishments, I'll be known across the land. But here? I'm not even treated as a kid my age."
"Maybe so," she sighed, looking into his eyes before glancing back at the door of her parent's room. "But you can't just leave in the middle of the night. My mom and dad don't even know you're leaving."
"I wish there was more time to break the news. But I think it's better this way. I'm not in the mood to go through another one of your mom's lectures. She won't be upset that she lost me. She'll be upset because she has to go through the fuss of finding a replacement."
Her gaze fell to the floor and remained silent before looking up at him.
"Will I ever see you again?"
"Why would you want to? You wanted me gone the day I moved here."
"That..." she sighed as she remembered her poor treatment of him when they first met. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just... I've gotten used to having you around, I guess."
"At least things will go back to how they were. Let's see if you were right. About being better off without me."
She gave a small, sad chuckle.
"Heh. I guess we'll see. I just have one more question. ... Is this the last time we'll ever talk?"
"I think so."
Amity nodded as she looked down again, a mixture of sadness and embarrassment filling her.
"Okay..."
"I guess this is goodbye then."
"Yeah. It is. Good luck to you, Sturm. And farewell."
Then, finally, she started walking back to her bedroom before Sturm got her attention one last time.
"Oh. And one more thing." Amity stopped and looked at him, curious about what he had to say. "Tell your brother and sister that I'll miss them. And that there's a secret stash of chocolate bars hidden in my room. It's my payment for their crystal ball."
She nodded slightly, stifling a small chuckle. She found it ironic that this was the only time Sturm tried to be genuinely funny: the last time she would likely ever see him.
"Okay, I will."
Then, she finally turned for real, and headed back to her room, closing the door behind her. The silence was deafening. Sturm stood there for a few moments before speaking quietly.
"Goodbye, Mittens."
He then picked up his bag, turned around, and walked down the hall before leaving the manor for good.
Amity sat on her bed, listening to Sturm leave the manor. Once everything was dead silent, she lay down on her bed, unable to go back to sleep. All she could think about was how empty the Manor was going to feel without Sturm.
Her mind raced with melancholic thoughts about what she could have done differently to prevent the fights and, eventually, his departure. She began to think of another life where she wasn't as bratty as she used to be, where she and Sturm could have been great friends, maybe even inseparable.
Sturm may have done most of the damage, but she could only blame herself for that. In the end, her most bitter rival was gone.
It wasn't until Sturm walked out the gate and looked back at the manor that the regret finally crashed down on him.
He realized that he had missed the only opportunity he thought he didn't want. That was his last chance to tell Amity how he felt since their fight. He wanted to tell her that he didn't hate her anymore – that they could have been friends. But now? He could never tell her how sorry he was. For everything.
"Why is it so hard for me to apologize?" he asked himself, fighting the urge to squeeze out a tear.
He was never good at apologizing. He never felt the need to apologize to anyone for anything. And whenever he did, he never meant it. But had he apologized back then, his words would come from the bottom of his heart. And now that he passed this opportunity, he swore he'd never forgive himself.
He was now walking down the path through the woods. The same path he used every single day. But once the manor was out of sight, he placed down his bag and summoned Blitz, making him hover above his palms.
He was about to do the most difficult thing he'd ever done: say goodbye to his palisman.
The look on Hunter's face back at the precinct had stuck with Sturm. Steve mentioned that the Emperor would take the palisman of every recruit, and the white-haired boy didn't like the sound of that. He didn't know what they would do to Blitz, but he figured it wouldn't be pleasant.
As such, he had no choice but to let him go.
"I'm sorry, my little friend. But I can't keep you anymore. This is where we part ways," he said, making Blitz let out a few electrical sounds that seemed...sad.
Even if Blitz had the least expressive face ever, it was obvious that he was heartbroken. It was as if he was begging Sturm not to do this.
"I know, Blitz. But this is for your safety. If there were another way, I would have taken it. And besides... I was a terrible owner and never treated you well. If I can't cherish the only being who genuinely wants my friendship, then maybe I don't deserve to have them." Sturm then closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Blitz's reassuringly before smiling. "Don't worry, at least you'll be with some of your old friends again."
Blitz beeped sadly as Sturm pulled away. After looking at the eel for a few long moments, he raised his arms slightly, giving him a sad smile.
"Go on. You're free..."
The floating electrical eel maintained his gaze for another moment, before soaring into the sky and flying out into the world, leaving Sturm behind for good. All Sturm could do was watch as the palisman headed toward the moon until he could no longer see him.
Sturm continued to look at the moon for several minutes, even long after Blitz was gone. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and exhaled shakily before sniffling. He was alone again. And it hurt just as badly.
With his eyes still closed, Sturm took his bag again and walked further down the path, feeling the air against his face, and taking in the forest's silence.
At least one good thing came out of this... He was finally free.