Chapter Text
It has been 3 days since leaving the Emperor's mind.
Luz has been locked up in her room, pacing the floor and struggling to get out of bed with the thoughts that plagued her mind.
How could she convince the entire boiling isles that Belos was a witch hunter? She saw the proof itself with Hunter in the mindscape, but in terms of tangible evidence, she was fresh out of luck.
Where was Hunter?
After Eda teleported them out and he ran off, she found no sign of him and it racked her mind. While she couldn't think of any way to oppose the Emperor now, she could reasonably find the missing boy. So, that's what she set out to do.
She put all her nervous energy into mapping out the woods surrounding Eda's house and meticulously checking each section for any signs of Hunter. So far she only has a rough estimate of the woods itself. It wasn't good enough, but Luz was working off no sleep, little food, and more anxiety.
How could she eat and be comfortable while Hunter was somewhere in these woods? She had to find him before a plague of boiling rain set in. She had to-
"Luz?"
A knocking at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Sorry Eda, I'm busy. I can come downstairs in a bit."
"It's Amity…actually…. Are you okay? You haven't responded to any of my texts…"
Luz must have been so out of it that she didn't recognize her girlfriend's voice. She hesitated before unlocking the door and going back to her corkboard.
The door creaked open and a few light footsteps let her know Amity stood behind her.
"Luz, this isn't healthy. You really need to take a break."
"Huh? Sorry I was- thinking. What did you say?"
Amity sighed.
"Eda told me you've been stuck up here ever since- well she didn't actually tell me what it was, but I can tell it's affecting you. Come outside. We can talk about this and you can get some fresh air."
She moved to place her hand over Luz's but Luz flinched and pulled away before it could become too intimate. Both girls shuttered for a moment, confused. Amity at her girlfriend's jumpiness, and Luz at why she pulled away.
"I-I can't. I know you're all worried about me, but I'm fine really-"
"You're not fine! Eda told me you've barely touched your food."
"Well I can't just-!" Luz began to raise her voice before leveling it back out. "I'm really busy right now. I can't afford to lose time with breaks. I promise I'll text you back when this is all over, but could you leave me alone right now?"
A look of shock and hurt painted Amity's face. Every thought in her mind was giving into her anxiety about Luz not wanting to be with her, and although she fought them and told herself to save it for later, Luz told her at these kinds of times she needed to voice it before she bottled it up.
"Luz, do you really want to be with me?"
"H-huh?"
"It's just that- I thought we wouldn't keep secrets from each other. And you're up here destroying yourself over something, and I can't help if you don't open up about it."
Luz took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about my emotions right now. Hunter-"
"Hunter?"
Shit.
"N-no it's-" Luz tried to backtrack, but Amity wasn't having it.
"Is all this about Hunter? Luz I told you what happened at eclipse lake. He threatened to hurt you and stole your portal key."
Luz fought back tears at those memories.
"It doesn't matt- it's not import-" she stumbled trying to find the right words. "It's complicated. I don't know how to explain this, but he's not a bad person. He just needs help, and he's missing and-"
"Why is he so important to you?"
Luz's mouth went dry as Amity continued.
"You've spent all this time destroying yourself to look for him, even when all he's done is hurt you. Would he do the same for you?"
"I- I dont know, but I know he needs a friend right now."
"Seriously?"
"Amity, this isn't about me. I don't care if he wouldn't help me, it's not about that. I just need to know that he's okay and that he's safe."
"...Luz, what is this all about?"
"What do you mean? I just said this is about Hunter."
"It just sounds like-" Amity struggled for a second. "Are you sure this is all about caring about Hunter? It seems like more than that."
Luz never took a moment to actually think about that. She was with Amity, so why would she have to, but now that the seed was planted she could help her thoughts from wandering.
The room was silent for a while. Amity was the first to break the silence with a sigh.
"I'm not going to keep this conversation up. I think I get where it's going. Just… make sure to text me back when you figure things out."
Luz tried to call out for Amity, but she left. Despite Luz's cries for her to stay. The room was just her now. Still. Just her and the corkboard.
Was Amity right? Was this all because of more than she let on? She never stopped to think about how she really felt about Hunter. She knew she cared about him despite Amity's stories of eclipse lake and the night with the Palismen. She was right when she called him a good guy. There was guilt when he betrayed her, and with all the facades he tried to keep of Belos in the mindscape, it explained more to her about his actions than he could himself.
What did any of her feelings have to do with romance? Did it even matter at all if the outcome was the same?
Hunter deserves a chance and he deserves to be safe. Whether it was platonic or romantic resolve, it wasn't important.
With that final thought, Luz cast aside any questions Amity proposed regarding her own feelings and found her old resolve once more.
Find Hunter.