Distressing Dominance | Owl House x Reader

Chapter 9

Panting heavily, we stared at each other in astonishment. We had done it. We had escaped. The library was eerily silent, the only sound the ticking of an old-fashioned clock on the wall. The dusty tomes that surrounded us were a stark contrast to the chaos we had just left behind, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to feel a spark of hope.

But it didn't last. The reality of our situation crashed down upon us as we realized we had no idea where in the human world we had landed. Panic set in as we grabbed the book, frantically searching for a way to return home or at least find a safe haven.

Our new environment was as foreign to Amity as the Boiling Isles had been to me, and she marveled at the simplicity and orderliness of it all. "This is where you come from?" she whispered in awe, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's so... organized." I couldn't help but chuckle, the tension of the past moments briefly forgotten.

We combed through the library, searching for any information that could lead us back to the Light House or at least give us a clue to where we were. The books were mostly human-centric, detailing mundane facts about the human world that I had once known so well. Yet, amidst the sea of familiarity, there were volumes that spoke of the Demon Realm, the Emperor's Coven, and the rare occurrences of interdimensional travel.

The hours stretched into a tense evening, our eyes scanning pages that held the key to our survival. We stumbled upon a book that spoke of a secret society of witches who had once maintained a portal between worlds. My heart raced as I read aloud, hoping against hope that this could be our ticket home. "The Glyph of the Gatekeeper," I murmured, "it's said to be hidden in the ruins of an old abbey."

Amity's eyes lit up with hope. "Maybe we can find it," she said, her voice trembling with excitement. "We can't stay here forever, but if we can find a way back to the Boiling Isles, we can figure out how to live without the Coven's control."

But the thought of returning to the place where we had been hunted filled me with dread. "What if we're just walking into a trap?" I countered. "The Emperor's Coven isn't going to just let us go, not after what we've done."

Amity's resolve wavered, the fire in her eyes flickering. "Maybe," she conceded, "but we can't hide forever. If we can find the Glyph of the Gatekeeper, we could use it to negotiate, to show them that we're not just runaways, but witchers with a purpose."

We argued long into the night, the shadows of our fears and hopes playing across the library's ancient tomes. The human world offered safety and familiarity, but the Boiling Isles was where our friends were, where our hearts truly lay. The thought of abandoning Willow and Gus was unbearable, yet the lure of home was strong. Our voices grew hoarse as we weighed the risks and rewards of each choice, the gravity of our decision heavy on our shoulders.

Soon, I gave in to the inevitable. We had to go back. We had come this far together, and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving them behind. "Alright," I said, my voice firm with determination. "We'll find the Glyph of the Gatekeeper and use it to negotiate. But we need to be prepared for anything."

Amity nodded, a steely resolve in her eyes. "We'll need to be careful," she warned. "The Coven will be searching for us everywhere." We gathered our few belongings, the enchanted staff and wand feeling heavier in our hands than ever before. The weight of our mission was palpable, but we pushed aside our fears, knowing that we had each other.

The journey to the ruins of the old abbey was fraught with danger. We had to navigate the unpredictable, weird transdimensional world without attracting attention, all while keeping one step ahead of any Coven agents who might be on our trail. We stowed away on a boat, hidden in the shadows as it carried us across the choppy waters to the continent where the abbey lay. The salt air was a stark contrast to the smoky skies of the Boiling Isles, and the stars above looked almost unnaturally clear and bright.

As we approached the abbey, the air grew thick with the scent of decay and forgotten magic. The once grand structure was now a crumbling ruin, reclaimed by nature and time. Vines wrapped around the stones, and the moon cast eerie shadows across the ground, revealing the remnants of what had once been a place of great power. Amity's grip on my arm tightened as we cautiously made our way through the arched entryway, the whispers of the wind echoing through the corridors like lost souls.

The interior was a labyrinth of dust and cobwebs, the remnants of a time long since forgotten. We moved with purpose, our eyes scanning the ancient frescoes and crumbling statues for any hint of the Glyph. The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl and the occasional creak of the building shifting around us. With each step, the tension grew, the very air seeming to whisper of secrets just beyond our grasp.

It was Amity who finally spotted it, a faded etching on a wall hidden behind a collapsed bookshelf. The Glyph was faint, but unmistakable, its intricate design pulsating with a faint, otherworldly glow. We approached with a mix of excitement and trepidation, aware that this could be our only way home. The moment we touched the glyph, the world around us shimmered, and we felt the familiar tug of magic pulling at our very essence.