The living room had settled into a slower rhythm after the meal, the earlier movement of the kitchen replaced by the quiet comfort of a space meant for resting. The couch sagged slightly with age, its cushions uneven from use, while scattered objects remained exactly where they had been left. Luz sat forward near the edge, her energy not yet spent, her attention fixed entirely on Eda.
"When do I get a magic staff? Was I supposed to bring my own runes?" Luz gasped. "Do you have a dangerous magical quest for me?" The questions came in quick succession, each one building on the last as she leaned in, hands braced against her knees.
Eda lifted a hand almost immediately, cutting through the pace before it could carry any further. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, kid. Being a witch doesn't happen overnight."
She extended her left arm out into the open space of the room, palm turned upward as though expecting something to meet it. "Magic staff, come to me!"
Her hand remained there, steady, and for a moment nothing happened. The room held still around them, the quiet stretching just long enough to feel noticeable. Then, somewhere deeper in the house, something shifted. A distant crash echoed through the walls, followed by another, louder this time.
Luz turned first, her head snapping toward the sound. Sora followed, his gaze tracking the direction of it, while King's ears perked as he leaned forward. Eda kept her hand extended, her expression unchanged, until the noise grew closer, something rattling its way through the unseen spaces of the house.
The staff arrived without warning.
It flew into the room at an angle that suggested it had not taken the easiest path, crossing the distance in a single motion before striking Eda squarely in the face. The impact snapped her head back slightly before the staff dropped from her grasp and clattered onto the floor.
"Gah!"
Eda bent just enough to grab it, straightening as she spun it once in her hand before planting the end firmly against the ground. "It's early. Now, witches are awarded their staff from school. With me as your teacher, you'll be taking a different approach."
She didn't pause as she reached for a large sack resting nearby, dragging it forward before letting it drop heavily onto the floor between them. The contents shifted inside with a dull, uneven thud. "You'll have to work for it."
Luz leaned forward again, her earlier excitement returning in a more focused form as she moved to follow Eda across the room. Sora rose as well, falling in behind them without interrupting, while King hopped down and trailed along at a slower pace.
Eda led them through the living room, her staff tapping lightly against the floor as she walked. "I run a few businesses. On weekends, I offer rare human treasures that Owlbert drags over from your side of the realm. But most days, I sell only the finest homemade elixirs and potions."
Luz had already reached into the sack, pulling out a small bottle as they moved. She turned it in her hands, squinting slightly at the label before reading it aloud. "Snake Oil."
Eda didn't break stride. "No one wants an unoiled snake. Now follow me."
They stepped out onto the balcony, the air shifting immediately as the open space gave way to a wide view of the land beyond. The town stretched in the distance, its structures clustered together in uneven lines, smoke rising faintly in places where fires had already been lit for the day.
Eda rested one hand against the railing, gesturing outward with the other. "Today, you'll deliver packages and sell potions to that town over there, Bonesborough. You'll have to be careful. I have rivals everywhere who'd love to take my business down and you along with it. You wanted a dangerous magical quest? Sister, you've got one."
Luz straightened at that, the weight of the sack shifting in her grip as she nodded quickly. "I won't let you down, Miss Eda."
She turned sharply, bringing her hand up in a salute, and in the same motion the sack slipped from her grasp. It dropped past the edge of the balcony before she could catch it, the weight pulling it straight down.
Both of them leaned slightly over the railing, watching as it fell. Luz's shoulders tightened as the sack hit the ground below with a loud crash, the sound echoing up to them.
Eda remained still for a moment, then drew back, her expression settling into something unreadable as she looked at Luz. "I'm sure."
Luz eased back from the railing, her smile returning, though it carried a nervous edge now as she glanced down once more before looking back up.
The front door stood open just long enough for Luz to regain her footing before Eda's hands pressed firmly against her shoulders, guiding her forward with little ceremony. A new sack of potions had already been shoved into her arms, its weight uneven as the glass inside shifted against itself.
"Remember, never befriend a man in sandals and always measure twice, cut once."
Luz adjusted her grip on the bag, trying to keep it from slipping as she glanced back over her shoulder, caught between stepping forward and asking something else. "Uh..."
Eda didn't wait for it. "Good luck!"
The door swung shut with a solid thud behind her, the latch clicking into place as the wood settled back into its frame.
Inside, Eda brushed her hands together as if clearing the task from them, turning away from the door and glancing toward King, who remained curled on a treasure chest. "I hate to interrupt your power nap, but you have to go with her."
King's eyes snapped open immediately, his body stiffening as he pushed himself upright. "What?! But I just found the perfect spot! Why do I have to go?!"
Eda tilted her head slightly, her expression flattening into something matter-of-fact. "You and I know she's either going to get lost or eaten, probably both."
At the window, Luz's face suddenly pressed against the glass, her features flattening awkwardly as she tried to force herself back into the conversation from outside. "No, I won't!"
Eda didn't look at her for long. With a small flick of her hand, the blinds dropped shut with a sharp snap, cutting off the view entirely.
King huffed, his ears twitching as he crossed his arms. "Make Sora go! He can look after her!"
Sora, who had been standing off to the side, shifted slightly at the mention, his tone calm as he answered without hesitation. "Sure, I can do that."
Eda shook her head. "Sora and Luz don't exactly know their way around Bonesborough. And because you work for me, too. Unless you WANT to start paying rent."
King froze for a second, the words landing harder than anything else. His frustration broke loose in a short burst, his feet stamping against the floor as he muttered under his breath, but the argument didn't last. With a final huff, he turned and marched toward the door, pushing it open with more force than necessary before stomping outside.
Eda raised her voice just enough to carry after him. "Be back by nightfall or risk mortal peril!"
The door slammed shut again, prompting Hooty to bid the trio good luck. "Have a nice trip!"
King's expression was still sour as he stepped forward beside Luz. "Huh! Let's get this over with."
After a long walk, the archway rose overhead as the trio stepped beneath it, its stone worn smooth in places where countless others had passed through. Her voice slipped out before she could hold it back. "Woah!"
Beyond it, the world opened wide and crowded all at once. Walls on either side stretched outward, layered with worn posters that overlapped and peeled at the edges, each one marked with faces and symbols that shifted in tone from warning to threat. Creatures moved past them in steady streams—figures with horns, elongated limbs, uneven silhouettes—each one distinct, each one moving with a purpose Luz couldn't immediately follow.
She turned slowly as she walked, her eyes tracking everything at once, trying to take in the shapes, the colors, the way the place seemed alive with motion. King walked ahead with more familiarity, his pace unbroken as he glanced back at her. "Hey, it's rude to stare."
Luz didn't stop looking, her expression caught somewhere between wonder and disbelief. "I've only seen places like this in my dreams."
Sora walked alongside her, his gaze moving more evenly across the space, observing without the same urgency. 'Not the first time I've been to a world full of monsters'. The thought passed through him quietly, settling without changing his pace.
Luz's attention shifted again, her voice lifting slightly as the thought struck her. "It's incredible. Are Sora and I the only humans here?"
King gave a small shrug, one shoulder lifting as he continued forward. "Haven't seen any others."
That answer only seemed to deepen her focus. She slowed for half a step, her brows pulling together as she tried to make sense of it. "Wow! There must be a reason for that, right? Why are we here?"
She looked toward Sora, and King followed her gaze, both of them pausing just long enough for the moment to settle. "We know why you're here."
Sora met her eyes and gave a small, simple nod. "Hm."
Luz's expression shifted again, something brighter rising through her uncertainty. "But, what if I, Luz Noceda, average teen, actually had..." She gasped. "...a predetermined path of greatness?" She gasped. "Just like Azura!"
King reached into the sack slung over her shoulder, pulling out a small bottle and holding it up between them, the label catching the light. "Yeah. Did Azura's path to greatness involve her delivering boil cream?"
Luz barely glanced at it, already moving forward again as her voice carried a growing confidence. "Today I'm delivering packages, but tomorrow I'll be earning the respect of everyone on the Boiling Isles with my magical prowess."
King snorted lightly, lowering the bottle back into the sack as he shook his head. "Ha! Good luck. The Boiling Isles is nothing but a cesspool of despair."
Luz's answer came just as quickly, her tone refusing to match his. "More like a cesspool of delight."
The hours that followed stretched unevenly, the streets shifting from one section of the town to another as they worked their way through the deliveries. Doors opened and closed with varying degrees of patience, some customers barely acknowledging them while others lingered too long. Potions were offered, inspected, sometimes rejected, sometimes accepted with little more than a grunt. The sack grew lighter in small increments, though the effort behind it seemed to weigh more with each stop.
By the time they reached the edge of the next street, Luz's shoulders had dropped, her steps slower than before as she adjusted the strap across her chest. "This has been a rough day."
Sora walked beside her, steady as ever, his gaze forward as he kept pace. "At least, we're almost done."
Luz nodded faintly, lifting her head just enough to refocus. "Let's just deliver this last package and go home."
The building ahead stood apart from the others, its structure rising higher, its surface cleaner, more deliberate. Golden banners hung along its face, catching the sunlight in a way that made them stand out against the rest of the town. The doors were tall and solid, their wood polished, and even the doorbell held a shine that matched the rest.
Luz reached out and pressed it.
The doors opened slowly, revealing a space beyond that carried the same sense of scale. She drew in a breath as she stepped forward. "Pretty!"
Sora followed her in, his eyes moving upward briefly before settling back ahead. "Nice."
King lingered near the threshold, his ears twitching as he looked up at the height of the place. "Big houses always belong to big whackjobs. Let's kick the package inside and get outta here."
Luz and Sora were already moving, stepping across the threshold without stopping. King hesitated for a second longer before hurrying after them. "Hey, wait."
He crossed just as the doors shifted behind him, slamming shut with a heavy, echoing force that cut off the outside light. The sound jolted him mid-step. "Weh!"
The three of them stood together as the space settled into silence, the room stretching out ahead of them as they took their first steps further inside.
The room beyond the doors held its silence as Luz stepped forward, her voice carrying lightly into the open space. "Hello? ...I‐I'm delivering a package from Miss Eda, the Owl Lady. ...Huh?" The words seemed to fade before they reached the far walls, swallowed by the height of the place.
Then, one by one, lanterns flared to life.
Light spilled outward in warm bursts, revealing rows upon rows of towering shelves packed with books, their spines worn and uneven. The space widened as the glow climbed higher, illuminating a grand staircase that curved upward toward a landing where a large painting hung. The figure within it stood poised, draped in robes marked with stars, one hand raised in quiet authority.
A door opened just beneath the painting.
The same figure stepped through, matching the pose so precisely it felt less like movement and more like the painting itself had come to life. Luz's reaction came instantly, her body lifting into motion as she bounced in place, unable to hold it in. "Magical wizard!"
King didn't share her enthusiasm, his eyes narrowing slightly as he crossed his arms. "Weird old man in jim‐jams."
Sora's gaze followed the man as he began his descent, calm but attentive. 'Sorta reminds me of Master Yen Sid.' The thought lingered as he watched the careful, measured steps.
The wizard reached the lower part of the staircase, his voice carrying easily through the room as he spoke. "I was in my oscillarium, reading the stars. And who might you be, with eyes full of curiosity?"
Luz stiffened slightly, her excitement catching on itself as she tried to answer. "Uh, I‐I'm‐‐"
He didn't wait for her to finish, his expression softening as he continued. "Young children, dareth I say, I sense something unique about you. Please, won't you join me for tea?"
With a small motion of his hand, chairs appeared where there had been none, followed by a table already set with an assortment of snacks. He seated himself in a high-backed white throne, settling in as if the invitation required no further explanation.
"Ok." Luz stepped forward with a gasp and without hesitation.
King lunged for her leg, gripping tight as he tried to pull her back. "Let's scram!" He climbed up onto her shoulder in one quick motion, his voice dropping into a warning. "Wizards are just old people with glitter in their pockets."
The wizard reached calmly into his robe and pulled out a small handful of glitter, letting it fall to the floor in a soft shimmer.
"I don't trust him." King's grip tightened.
Luz barely seemed to notice, her attention caught elsewhere as she leaned slightly forward. "But the stars on his robe are sparkling. And look, there's a baby fox in his beard."
A small sound answered her, the fox nestled there giving a quiet giggle.
"Plus, I see scones on the table."
King froze for half a second. "Where?" Then he dropped from her shoulder and darted toward the table, his earlier caution forgotten as he hurried over.
Luz and Sora followed, the sack of potions slipping from Luz's shoulder and landing near the chairs as they took their seats. Luz folded her hands in front of her, leaning forward slightly. "We'd love to join you for tea."
King was already eating, grabbing at whatever he could reach as he settled in.
Luz's attention shifted again as she noticed something nearby, her gaze landing on a cart stacked with bottles. She turned back toward the wizard. "Do you sell potions, Sir Wizard?"
He inclined his head slightly. "Please, call me Adegast. Ma'am, yes, I run a small business."
King lifted an empty plate, crumbs still clinging to it as he looked toward Adegast. "You should run a small business of more scones into my mouth." He chuckles. "Yes!"
Adegast's eyes moved between them, a faint curiosity settling in. "I'm surprised to see you here. It was my understanding that Eda delivered the packages herself."
Luz straightened a little, her hand brushing against the edge of the table. "Well, I'm kinda, sorta, her apprentice."
"Ah, I see." His gaze shifted toward Sora. "And how about you, young man?"
Sora hesitated just long enough to consider it before answering. "Oh, uhh... I guess you could say I'm an assistant."
Adegast nodded once, accepting it without question. "Oh! And how are you two finding the experiences so far?"
Sora leaned back slightly in his chair, his tone even. "It's alright."
Luz held her smile for a moment longer than necessary before it faltered, her shoulders dropping as she exhaled. "Can I be honest, Mr. Adegast? When I decided to stay in this magical world, I thought I was meant for something special. But Eda thinks I'm meant for chores, and I'm afraid I came to the wrong place."
Sora glanced toward her, his expression shifting with quiet concern as the words settled.
Adegast rose from his seat and stepped closer, his presence steady as he approached. "Well, I have a quest‐‐"
"A quest?" Luz leaned forward immediately, her earlier energy returning in an instant.
A sharp sound cut through the moment as a cup slipped and shattered somewhere nearby.
Adegast gave a small chuckle. "You didn't let me finish. I have a question."
"Oh." Luz eased back slightly.
He regarded her for a moment longer. "Would you like to go on a quest?"
"Yes!" The answer came without hesitation.
Adegast reached into his beard, drawing out a scroll that unfurled as he opened it. He spread it out to reveal a map, its markings faint but deliberate. "I might have just the thing."
He gestured toward it as he spoke. "The prophecy speaks of a young human girl who will claim the Celestial Staff and free this world from an ancient evil. Perhaps thou hath cometh here for a reason."
Luz leaned in, her eyes fixed on the map as she nodded. "Perhaps I hath."
She took it carefully as Adegast stepped away, beginning to walk further into the house. "Should you believe yourself worthy to attempt this quest..."
"So worthy." Luz followed immediately, the map held close as she kept pace behind him.
"...you need to know the road is dark and perilous."
"Love peril. Big fan of peril."
"And only the Chosen One can pull the staff from its post."
Luz slowed to a stop at that, the words catching her in place. "Chosen one."
King walked past her, the now much lighter sack of potions dragging behind him as he headed toward the exit. "Neat story, awesome. Anyway, your food is gone, and we are, too."
Luz turned quickly, the decision already made as she held the map tighter. "Yes, we have to go. And pack for this enchanted quest! I'm in."
Adegast's expression remained steady as he looked back at her. "Wonderful."
Back in Luz's room, it was filled quickly with clutter of preparation, the floor and mattress disappearing beneath small piles of items as she moved from one thing to the next. Bottles of potions clinked softly as she set them into her bag, followed by bits of food wrapped hastily, the scroll laid carefully on top before she reached for her Azura book and held it for a moment longer than the rest.
"So, Sora, what kind of Chosen One should I be?"
Sora stood nearby, watching her gather everything with a steady gaze, his arms loosely at his sides. He tilted his head slightly at the question. "Hm?"
Luz turned toward him, lifting the book as though it were part of the answer itself. "Should I be full of optimism and goodness, like the Good Witch Azura? Or should I be like a bad girl Chosen One with black nail polish and a mysteriously withdrawn attitude?" She shifted her grip, angling the book in front of her face, her voice changing as she spoke through it. "I act like I don't care, but I secretly do."
Sora's mouth curved faintly, the answer coming without much thought. "Can't go wrong with optimism."
The door opened without warning, and Eda stepped in, her presence filling the room as she glanced between them. "Oh, you guys talking about bad girls? Wait, what's going on?"
King followed just behind her, quick to answer as he pointed back toward Luz. "Eda, tell Luz how dumb wizards are."
Eda, holding a severed arm, gestured with it as she spoke, the motion coming close enough to King that he had to lean back to avoid being hit. "Ugh! Wizards are the worst. Never trust a man in casual drapery."
Sora watched the exchange quietly, his thoughts drifting for a moment. 'Not all wizards are bad. Master Yen Sid and Merlin are good.'
Eda laced her fingers through the severed arm as if it were just another object to hold, glancing down at King. "Why?"
King's grin widened as he leaned into it. "Your wizard client told Luz... she was a‐‐ was a Chosen One!" The words broke into laughter before he could finish.
Eda blinked once, then twice, before the reaction caught up with her. "Wait, wait, Luz?" She joined in, the laughter coming easily now.
"He even gave her a map!" King added, barely managing the words between bursts of laughter.
Luz pulled the book up in front of her face, her cheeks warming as she tried to hide behind it. Sora stepped closer, resting a hand gently on her shoulder, his presence steady as the laughter filled the room.
Eda held out her hand. "Let me see this map."
Luz hesitated only a moment before handing it over. Eda unfolded it and studied it in silence for a few seconds, her expression flattening as she took it in. "You didn't think this was real, did you?"
Luz lowered the book just enough to look at her. "What?"
Eda flicked the map lightly with her fingers. "This map is bunk. There's no lake with a Celestial Staff on the Boiling Isles. I would have stolen it ages ago."
The words landed heavier than anything else, and Luz's expression shifted as she took them in. Eda noticed it, her tone softening slightly as she handed the map back. "Ah, don't worry. Couple more months here, and you won't look like such a mark."
She reached out and ruffled Luz's hair, but Luz caught her wrist gently and moved it away without force. "Can I have some time alone?"
Eda gave a small shrug, turning toward the door without pressing further. King hopped down from the mattress and followed her out, the two of them leaving the room as casually as they had entered. Sora started after them, but Luz's hand caught his before he could take more than a step.
"Please stay."
He stopped immediately, turning back toward her as the door closed behind them, the light shifting as the room settled into a quieter shadow.
"Maybe they were right."
Luz leaned back against the wall, her shoulders pressing into the stone before she slid down slowly until she sat on the floor, the map loose in her hands.
"Luz..." Sora stepped closer, his voice quieter now.
She looked up at him, her grip tightening slightly. "What do you think, Sora?"
He didn't answer right away. His gaze drifted for a moment, the question pulling him through memories that stretched far beyond the room—the weight of the keyblade in his hands, the worlds he had crossed, the people he had met along the way. But alongside it came the understanding of where they were now, the unfamiliar edges of a place that didn't follow the same rules.
Before he could speak, Luz's attention shifted.
"Huh?"
A sliver of sunlight broke through the room, cutting across the map where it rested in her hands. The light caught something faint, revealing a word that hadn't been visible before. Luz lifted it higher, turning it until the full message came into view, glowing softly in the brightness. "The path will only appear to the worthy." She inhaled sharply as the realization struck. "That's why Eda couldn't see it. But am... I really worthy?"
Sora met her eyes, his answer measured but steady. "You could be. But the question is, are you willing to find out?"
The wind rose suddenly, pushing through the window as it swung open with a sharp creak. The map slipped from Luz's hands, carried just far enough to land beside her book. The pages flipped on their own, stopping on an image of Azura standing tall, the figure framed by light as those around her looked on.
Luz stared at it for a moment longer, then pushed herself back to her feet. "I'll never know unless I try."
She turned toward Sora, the uncertainty still there but no longer holding her in place. "Sora, will you come with me?"
He didn't hesitate. "Of course. Actually, this'll be a good opportunity to get a bigger lay of this world."
The living room had quieted again, the earlier movement of the house settling into a low, steady stillness. King lay stretched across the couch, one arm draped over his side as he shifted slightly to get comfortable, his voice carrying lazily into the room. "Finally! All that mean‐spirited laughter made me sleepy."
Eda stood nearby, her attention already fixed elsewhere as she turned toward him. "Crony, wake up. You said that wizard was one of my clients?"
King didn't bother opening his eyes, his voice muffled against the cushion. "Yes. Now go away."
"I don't know him that well." Eda moved without warning, dropping down onto the couch with enough force to jolt the entire frame. The impact sent King airborne in a startled arc before he landed back onto the cushions in a tangle of limbs.
"And I don't trust this idea he's putting in Luz's head."
King groaned, rolling onto his side as he tried to settle again, clearly more interested in sleep than anything else. "Less talky, more nappy."
Eda exhaled through her nose, the frustration lingering as she pushed herself back up. Her gaze shifted toward the hallway, and without another word she turned and moved toward Luz's room.
The door gave easily under her hand as she pushed it open. "Hey, Luz? Aw, nuts."
The room stood empty. The wind moved freely through the open window, pushing the curtains aside as it carried a low, steady howl into the space. Eda crossed the room quickly, her steps heavier now as she reached the window and leaned out.
"Hooty, where'd she go?"
Hooty's voice echoed from somewhere along the structure, cheerful despite the urgency. "Hoot, hoot. If you want the answer that you seek, solve my riddle within a week‐‐"
Eda's fist drove into the wall beside the window before he could finish, the impact cracking the surface and sending a dull tremor through the house.
"Ow! Ok, ok. She and Sora went into the forest towards Bonesborough. Sheesh!"
"Ugh!" Eda pulled her hand back, flexing her fingers once before resting them against the edge of the window frame. A thought then came. "Wait, Sora's with her? Well, at least he'll keep her safe. But still..." Her voice trailed off as she looked out into the distance, the wind continuing to move through the room behind her.