Let me live! | Hunter X Edric The Owl House

15. Lost

I've never felt so relieved . I'm just hugging Edric, crying and sobbing into his shoulder while he strokes over my head.

No more hiding. No more pain. No more lies.

All the others let down their guards after I broke down crying and they are just watching us.

"Eda was right." Says Luz and Amity nods agreeing. "The Golden Guard doesn't has a bad heart. But he was tricked by the Emperor."

As I heard that last word, my heart dropped once again.  "W-What have I done? I...my own uncle..." I whisper as I let go of Edric and step back. "H-He gave me this mission and I can't fulfill it...!!" I say, gasping for air. "T-This can't be happening...!! I always finish m-my missions!!" My hands clench into my hair, pulling at it. "W-What am I supposed to do if I don't finish missions?? Following my uncle's orders...is all I've ever known!!! H-He's gonna be so disappointed, I earned my chance a-andandand I messed up!!!" I yell, gasping for air and panicking, pulling even stronger on my hair. My hands start to hurt too, they always do whenever I Grab onto something too strong.

All of them look at me surprised and worried, I see Edric reaching out one hand to me. "Hunter, breathe." I hear him say. "We can figure this out. But you don't have to fear your uncle anymore OR follow his orders. You're not save there, but you are here."

I look at Edric's hand, panicking. Just when I want to grab it, some purple goo appears from the ground, almost grabbing me, but I jumped away in time.

"HUNTER!!!" I hear Edric yell and shortly afterwards all of them are surrounded by coven scouts. All of them get their staffs out, but they all get knocked away by more purple goo.

"I wouldn't try this if I were you." says a voice I know very well. My eyes wide, I turn around to that voice and I see...

"D-Darius??" I ask in shock. More and more abonimation goo shoots out of the ground and I can barely keep up with it.

"Originally, we were here to gather your recruits. None of us thought you were gonna betray the Emperor, little Prince." Says Darius while he's walking up to me.

"N-Nonono, wait!! I didn't betray him!!!" I yell desperate. Right at this moment one of the scouts picks up my coat and mask of the ground and hands them to Darius.

"Then what is the meaning of this? Or how do you explain yourself giving up on your task?" Says Darius and he lets my coat and mask disappear in his goo. I stare at him with big eyes and he lifts a hand.

"For now, you will be held as a prisoner, accused of betrayal. The Emperor himself will decide what to do next. I'm sorry, little Prince. I wish I wouldn't have to do this." Darius snaps his fingers and the next moment I feel something hit my back, causing me to scream and fall to the ground. As I am laying on the ground, I hear some people yell my name worried. Wincing and in pain I lift my head to look over to Darius.

"Y-You knew that my injuries aren't...completely healed yet...how could you...use that against me...?!" I mumble, as I try to get back up, but my back hurts so much. I can barely move.

"I-Injuries??" I hear Edric ask in shock. "Why didn't you tell me you were injured!!?"

Darius sighs quietly and he lifts his hand. "I told you, don't blame me if you're in pain. It's just to keep you out of this, Little Prince. You'll see soon enough." Once again, his goo appears from the ground, slowly covering me.

"Nonono, please Darius!!!" I yell but the goo still spreads over me, almost covering me completely. Once again tears form in my eyes. This can't be happening.

"HUNTER!!" I hear Edric yell. He grabbed my staff, which I accidentally dropped before, and hits the scouts away before running over to me. I try my best to keep my head out of the goo and I reach out with one hand to him. Watching him getting closer while the goo almost completely devoured me.

"EDRIC!!!" Is the last thing I yell before everything turns dark.

[Edric's POV]

I only heard him yell my name and that desperate and scared look on his face before he disappeared in front of my eyes. The goo completely devoured him and then it disappeared, leaving with Hunter.

I fall down on my knees, just staring at the empty ground. My hands clench into the grass, ripping it out a little.

"Ed?" I hear a voice say. It's Mittens. I know that. But I don't care. There's only one thing I want.

"Bring him back..." I mumble that as I turn my head around, to stare at the Coven Head with a death glare.

"Don't even try it, Kid." He looks at me, completely unimpressed. "This is for his best. He'll get what he deserves."

"His best...?? Deserve...??" I say while standing up, still staring at him. "He's a child!!! An innocent child who deserves to be loved, handeld with care!!! Instead, his body is covered with scars, he's traumatized and doesn't even know what it feels like to follow his own heart!! He's scared by everything he does, fearing to fail or disappoint anyone!! You treated him like a puppet, which only purpose is to serve it's master!!! Nobody deserves this, especially not him!! He was only abused in that castle!!! And now, he is even injured, to the point where he can barely move!! Let. Him. Free."

All my friends stare at me with wide eyes, I once again hear Mittens quietly say my name. But there's nothing else I can concentrate on then that monster in front of me. He looks at me for a while before sighing quietly.

"You kids are too noisy. You are not fit for the Emperor's Coven." He snaps his fingers again and all the scouts who surrounded my friends retreat. "I will let that outburst of yours slide. And now excuse me, I have work to do." He lifts a hand and he covers himself with his goo.

"DON'T YOU DARE, GIVE HIM BACK!!!" I yell as I sprint forward and lift up the staff. Just when I hit his head with the staff, he disappeared and I simply slash with the staff through the goo. As I land again and see the rest of the goo disappear, I drop Hunter's staff and fall to my knees.

"No...this can't be happening..." I just stare at the ground. That pain in my chest, it hurts so much.
"I failed..." I mumble quietly while I hear footsteps coming closer. "I lost him...he's in danger..." Tears drop down on the grass beneath me and I feel some persons kneeling down beside me. "I couldn't...protect him...the boy I love..." I feel a hand on my shoulder and I see Luz along with everyone else around me. Then I feel two hands grabbing my head, making me look up. Mittens kneels in front of me, looking at me with a determined look on her face.

"We're going to save him. No matter what."