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The Emperor's castle has recently been invaded by a surprise visitor. Someone who broke in and fought their way towards their newest prisoner: Edalyn Clawthorne
She has been on the run from the Emperor's Coven for years now. Ever since she was a child, she has refused to join the coven and became the only wild witch to still be out there. Eda, along with King later on soon became infamous for selling human relics illegally, and that put eyes on them. Eyes coming from the Emperor's Coven, and the Emperor himself.
Eda has been able to evade the clutches of the coven for years now. Because of her own house being alive, it has been difficult for the Coven to even get close to her while she was distracted, and she made herself very well hidden out in public, despite the many wanted posters all around Bonesborough.
But it only took one day for everything to change.
Finally, captured by her own sister, Lilith, Eda was taken in by the Emperor and awaited her own death: petrification alongside the other wild witches that have failed to evade the grasp of Belos. Eda basically accepted her death at this point, but something surprising happened.
A stranger to the Coven entered it's castle. The stranger knocked out every guard she was able to come across. She pushed forwards and even fought the Emperor himself to get through. Eventually with the help of Eda's sister turning on the Coven, they managed to save Eda, and escape.
The Emperor was furious.
He wasn't going to let them escape that easily. Not if it'll cost him some serious problems with the town and order, so the very next day, he ordered some of his best witches to recapture the group alive, any means necessary.
And within the next few hours, the rebels returned to his feet, and they were sent away.
And that's where Eda and Lilith are now.
Sitting in the darkened room, chained to the ground by all of their limbs, the sisters sat in silence as they both knew what was to come to them. To Eda though, she could care less about her own life at this point. It was the human's life she was worried about. Luz's life.
Because of her heroic rescue yesterday, the Emperor had eyes on her too, and now she was trapped in the same situation as they were in now. They were torn apart from each other when they were ordered into their "cells". Eda fought so hard to keep Luz close. She did everything in her power, but without her magic, she was powerless. They were forced into their separate ways, and the fear of the Human festered inside Eda's mind.
Lilith on the other hand had her mind elsewhere. Her mind was towards her own sister, who sat in front of her, unable to move. Even in the dark, she could see the injuries her sister gained because of the attack. Her legs were scratched up, and blood leaked from them. Her arms were bruised and roughed up with blood, and the side of her head was bruised up. She remembers it vividly. Eda being launched backwards, crashing into her valuables and going limp afterwards. It didn't take too long after that for Lilith to end up in a similar situation as her.
The thought alone made the physical pain in Lilith rise up for a second, causing throbbing pain to shoot through her shoulder and neck. She hit her side hard from the force spell, and her shoulder was caught between her crashing body and the wall inside. It hurt to move, but it wasn't broken or dislocated, but that didn't stop her shoulder from showing the bruises that it got.
She ignored her pain however, she was too focused on her sister. The dead stare Eda laid on the ground with, her body completely motionless, not even moving an inch, and the injuries that littered her body made Lilith's gut scream with guilt. She had caused part of this to happen, and she couldn't deny it.
She tried to get Eda into the Coven for years, but not to kill her. She really thought that getting Eda in was gonna cure her from the curse. The curse that she casted. She wanted nothing more than to take back that fateful night, where she decided to sabotage her sister, to not even have much of an effect in battle the next day. It became a goal of hers to fix that mistake, but the years of Eda denying her offers, despite multiple attempts to convince her started making Lilith lose patience with her sister, and that made Lilith become more harsher and harsher with her methods of getting Eda in.
She tried to arrest her multiple times because of her refusal, she tried to make deals, she tried to do anything, but Eda wouldn't budge.
That is until Luz stumbled right into her lap.
Lilith felt her nerve rise up from the mere thought of what she did to Luz. Although the two didn't really have an official introduction during the Convention, Lilith knew the human meant something to Eda, and the added pressure of being petrified by Belos if she couldn't get Eda into the Coven forced her to do what she did next.
She took it too far. She knew that. She did things she didn't even think she was capable of. Keeping Luz hostage in a bubble. Using her as a tool to keep Eda from attacking her.
Throwing her off the bridge.
She could've killed the human. Right then and there at that moment in time, Lilith was willing enough to chuck Luz off the bridge. Lilith knew Eda would have to do something to save her, and thankfully she did, but Lilith couldn't shake the thought out of her head.
What if Eda failed to save Luz?
The former Coven leader lowered her head even more. These thoughts plagued her mind. About Luz, about Eda, about her own decisions, about her impulsive behavior. About everything screamed in Lilith's head and it drove her mad. It would've kept on going if the silence wasn't finally broken by Eda.
"Well….I don't think anyone else can get us at this point….I mean there is King...but what could someone as adorable as him do to help us?" Eda said, trying to lighten the mood of the current situation.
Lilith kept her head down, silent.
Eda took a sigh. She had multiple feelings towards her sister at the moment. So much has been revealed in the past two days that it has completely conflicted Eda. She doesn't even know how to feel about Lilith. Whether to be sad, disappointed, ashamed, angry or sympathetic, but staring at her sister in front of her, with the same chains she's got on, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for her sibling. Despite everything she has done, Eda loves her still and wants nothing more than to have her sister back again, like the old days.
"Do you know what the Emperor is gonna do with us…?" Eda questioned to Lilith, but once again was met with silence.
"I figured...he's most likely gonna fix up that machine and petrify both of us." She said blatantly, to which Lilith sighed as she continued to stare at the ground.
"Sorry….probably should've kept that one to myself…..perhaps I should just stay quiet again…." The room filled with the awkward and heavy silence as Eda went back into her thoughts, but soon enough she wouldn't be able to handle any more. She just needed to get some things off her chest before she would die with her sister.
"Lilith…." She said, holding back the words she couldn't find to say. Lilith stayed silent once again, not even so much of a glance at her sister.
"If we're both gonna die here….I just need to get this off my chest…..I'm sorry sister…" She looked down at the ground in a similar way, finding the right words to say next.
Lilith kept silent.
"I'm sorry for all the headaches I must've given you all your life…..I honestly don't blame you for treating me the way you do….I never really gave you that recognition to your own worth." She felt her muscles in her face twitch with emotion, as her face slowly turned into a frown.
Lilith kept her head down.
"And...I'm sorry for all the fights...and all the pain I have given you...I'm sorry for all the bad memories....I'm sorry for all the insecurities...I'm sorry for it all sister…"
Lilith kept quiet.
"I just want you to know….that I do love you….you have been such a good older sister...and I'm sorry for taking all of that for granted…" Eda wasn't the emotional type when it came to anything before. It would've been such a rare sight to see Eda with any kind of emotions, but as she sat in the dark opening up to her sister who won't even face her, it was more than enough to cause her to whimper to herself like how she did when she was younger. She didn't know what else to say, or that she needed to say anything else. She said everything she could as genuinely as possibly, and she hoped that Lilith could see that, even if she didn't express the same feelings back.
Lilith lowered her head more, and began to cry.
Just like Eda, Lilith wasn't the emotional type. As Eda's older sister, she made it a priority to be strong in front of her sister. Even when she was having a bad day, even when she got an injury, even when some other event disrupted with Lilith's emotions for a moment. She always wanted to set an example for Eda, for her to be strong in even the toughest situations.
But this time, there was no masking the pain she had with strength. She didn't have anymore in her. All she had now was the pain that filled her up, and all could do was grieve with it.
"Lilith…" Eda stared in shock at Lilith. She has never seen her cry before, at least in front of her. She was always wanting to be strong in front of her younger sister, so finding her so broken left Eda in shock. It broke her heart, and all she wanted to do was pry these stupid chains off and comfort her in any way. Eda hasn't been the most comforting person to anyone else, but with Luz being in her life, it has helped her get that otherside she forgot she had out again.
Lilith kept herself quiet for a moment, trying her best to compose herself. Even now in this dire and bleak situation, she still wanted to show strength, to not worry Eda in front of her, but the overbearing thoughts as well as Eda's apology hit her with a different kind of pain. Lilith didn't deserve these apologies. She did so much wrong in her life.
"Edalyn….I'm-" was about all she could get out at first before another sob rushed out of her, leaving her shaking and covering her mouth, as the tears rushed out of her. She could feel herself drain.
"Please….don't apologize to me….do you understand what I have done to you…? Why would you want to apologize to someone who has ruined your life?"
It was impossible to calm herself down. All the grief and pain that has been boiling over her finally reached its climax, and it showed no sign of stopping. Eda listened in heartbroken, she felt herself gain tears in her eyes as well.
"I cursed you...do you understand how much I regret that decision? I was so stupid and desperate to join the Coven...I wasn't thinking straight!" At this point, Lilith was shaking. Eda could see this in the dark, as her hunched over silhouette shuddered in front of her.
"I made you into….a monster . How can you just sit there and apologize to someone who turned you into a monster?" She was too ashamed to look at Eda. She felt so horrible and disgusted about herself and the treatment she has given to her own sister. She didn't deserve to be Eda's older sister.
"Because that person is still my sister."
Lilith finally looked up, and saw Eda looking back with her with a half smile, as her eyes were glinting from tears.
"Yeah, we all make dumb mistakes, so what? With those, I always look away from them and pretend they never even happened." Eda chuckled as Lilith looked on in shock.
"But...how can you say that about me. Ever since high school ended, all I've done was make your life hell...how can you just look past that?" Lilith slowly looked away, feeling more guilt crawl up her. Eda chuckled.
"Because I'm seeing the old you again. The true Lily." Lilith looked back with even more shock and confusement. In her head, she can't comprehend why Eda was still sticking by her side, despite all of the bad things she has done.
"You admitted your wrongs. You went against the Coven just for me. This was your dream, and yet you saved me, you chose to help me out. That something the old you wouldn't have decided to do isn't it?" Eda smirked, remembering the shock she had about Lilith betraying the Emperor.
Lilith stayed quiet and looked down. She did have a point. She probably wouldn't have even considered such a thing, to betray the Emperor, due to her selfishness, but she wanted to make amends as much as she could, any means possible.
"Don't forget I haven't been innocent either y'know. I am still a criminal by heart, not to mention the headaches I've been giving you, like during the Convention." Eda chuckled, as she reminisced about the Convention.
"Don't even remind me of that day...God what an embarrassing day, I acted so cocky and harsh." Lilith said, putting her hand up to her head, shaking the memory away.
"I gotta say though, you are really good at fighting. You nearly got me then." Eda looked back at her sister, smiling. Lilith lightly smiled back.
"I don't want to die holding a grudge against you. You're still a good older sister who has helped me alot, and I am happy to see your true side one last time." Eda smiled more, as Lilith felt her tears began again.
"But what if we find some way out? we still have the curse to deal with." Lilith solemnly asked, as Eda chuckled, confusing the witch.
"Yeah, it'll suck and it will be a challenge to overcome, but at least I'll have my strong old sister by my side for this too." Eda chuckled some more as she straightened herself out on the ground. Lilith felt her mood lighten up. Even though their chances of somehow surviving were low, she was content. If it was gonna end like this, she wasn't gonna mind. She got Eda's forgiveness. That's all she's been striving for all her life, and now she can die happy, knowing she got her sister back for a little bit.
bang.
Bang
BANG
The noise was coming from the door.
Eda and Lilith both looked towards it, and prepared themselves for what's to come. In the dark they can make out the door denting in, it would only take a few more hits before it came down.
BANG
BANG
BANG
The door's bolts shattered, and it soon came flying off the hinges. The light from the open frame now blinded both of the witches temporarily. It took a moment for them to readjust with the light, but when they did, they saw four silhouettes rushing in towards them. They closed their eyes, bracing for what's next, but they were caught off guard when they heard their voices.
"Mrs. Owl Lady and Mrs. Lilith! thank goodness we found you!"
Eda looked back up at the figures hunched over them and realized it wasn't any guards, it was a bunch of kids. Kids that she knew.
"Wait-Luz's little school friends?!" She asked, surprised. The figures nodded. Lilith looked on with shock and disbelief. How did they find them? How did they even get in?
"Hang on, lemme help you with that." One of the taller figures said. It took a moment for Lilith to realize who they were too.
"Edric and Emira?!" She was so confused, she had no idea what was happening. The two performed an illusion spell that summoned a key, and it was able to unlock the cuffs that held them down. "What are you doing here?"
"I bet you have many questions right now, but we got no time to waste. We need to find Luz and Amity." Willow said, as the sisters got up from the ground. Lilith gasped. Amity's here too? She said internally. What was she doing here of all things? She broke her leg not too long ago, why was she here?
"I believe Luz was taken to a lower floor. I remember seeing them drag her down more stairs." Eda recalled, shuddering at the memory of being separated.
"Come on then, let's go get them!" Gus said, as everyone else proceeded to walk out the room. Eda turned towards Lilith who was looking on in disbelief. She slapped her on the back to snap her out of her trance like state.
"Come on, Luz isn't gonna save herself now is she? Maybe she could use saving from someone who knows the place?" She raised her eyebrows at her sister, as Lilith realized what she was on about. She smirked before walking forwards in front.
"Alright everyone, follow me, I know where to go." Lilith stepped forwards and started walking down the hall, as everyone followed behind. Eda chuckled and couldn't help but remember her past once more. When she and Lilith were kids, and how Lilith would pretend to be a leader when they played. It charmed Eda how much she has grown since then, and even though they had their moments of fighting, Eda can't help but appreciate that she got her sister back.
"Let's get going then." Eda stated.
And just like that, they ventured into the darkness searching for Luz and Amity.