Chapter 7: The Intruder and Lessons in Magic

Finn lay awake in his bed, plagued by nightmares that had haunted him for weeks. Each time, they featured a young boy, a girl, and, at the end of each nightmare, the ominous presence of the Lich waiting for him in a black void. Tired of enduring the same routine every night, he tried to stay awake as long as he could to avoid it all. He glanced at the clock on the wall; it read 2 a.m., but he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. His options were limited: sleep and face the nightmares, or stay awake and suffer exhaustion and confusion until he collapsed. It was a no-win situation.

Finally, losing the battle to drowsiness, Finn saw another vision. Two individuals sat across from each other at a table. One was a woman with short blonde hair, wearing an orange blouse, a brown skirt, a doctor's lab coat, beige shoes, and a white hat with bear ears on top. Her pronounced tear troughs and the bags under her eyes suggested late-night shifts and relentless stress, but she seemed kind, intelligent, caring, dedicated, and selfless—qualities reflected in her pride in helping others. She demonstrated this by applying bandages to the second individual.

The other person was a boy who bore a resemblance to the woman but looked a bit wilder. Despite injuries covering his body, he wore an innocent smile, rocking his legs back and forth as if he could withstand any pain.

"Well now, my little adventurer, my diagnosis is complete." The woman smiled at the boy. "You are officially patched up and grounded for fighting again."

The boy frowned. "But, Mom, I only fought them because they were being mean to…" he pleaded, hoping she wouldn't punish him. "They took away her book and wouldn't give it back, so I had to step in…and step on their faces."

"That didn't mean you had to throw the first punch," she replied, her face turning serious. "Listen—you can't just jump into every situation expecting to solve everything with violence." She pointed to the boy's bandages. "You should have used your words first. If that didn't work, then, sure, you could pound them into the ground," she joked, raising a fist playfully.

The boy giggled at his mother's joke. "Okay, Mom, I'll try that next time…maybe, probably, mostly." He smiled and gave her a hug, which she gladly returned, patting him on the head.

==========================================================================================

After witnessing the heartwarming scene between mother and son, Finn murmured to himself, "Well, that was a new one, huh?" He felt something on his cheek and was surprised to find himself crying. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he muttered, starting to panic. "Sure, it was an emotional scene, but nothing to cry over."

"So, you do still have some semblance of your former self," a deep, weathered voice echoed in the void.

"You again? Why are you always at the end of these dreams?" Finn asked tiredly.

The Lich chuckled. "I am not here by choice. We are in your subconscious, where everything and nothing can exist at the same time." The Lich emerged from the darkness. "I created this prison for myself out of necessity, drawn from your long-forgotten memories."

Finn was shocked. "That was a memory? My memory?"

"Of course," the Lich began. "Do you think memories can be completely lost? All memories are stored somewhere until they can be recalled." With a wave of his hand, the Lich displayed scenes from Finn's past dreams. "Here, everything that was, is, and will be, is stored."

"So…my subconscious, huh?" Finn looked around, then smirked. "Heh, I'm surprised I don't see more girls in bikinis all around me right now," he joked, trying to ease the tension.

The Lich laughed. "Your juvenile humor does not fool me, boy. I have been trapped here for years, studying your memories, your personality. I know you use humor only to mask the pain deep within your soul." The Lich's eyes seemed to pierce through him.

"You don't know anything about me," Finn said angrily.

"Oh, don't I?" The Lich waved his hand, and a memory Finn wished to forget appeared. Amity had her back turned to him, her arm raised as she pointed toward the door. "It seems time can't heal all wounds, especially matters of the heart. Ahahaha."

Finally fed up, Finn yelled, "Fine! What do you want?"

"For you to become the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles," the Lich replied.

"What?" Finn was confused.

"You heard me. I need you to become more than you are now. After witnessing that feeble display of magic the other day, you need all the help you can get." Surprisingly, the Lich seemed more helpful than Finn expected.

"What feeble display?" Finn asked, puzzled.

"When you controlled that girl. You could have controlled not only her but everyone and everything around you," the Lich explained, referring to the day Finn had stopped Amity from blocking their path.

"But it worked—she stopped," Finn countered.

"That was merely the power of suggestion," the Lich continued. "With the power you wield, you could have commanded her to obey. Instead, you simply suggested she stop when you could have made her kneel and bow to your greatness."

For a moment, Finn imagined Amity kneeling before him, her head lowered, and a smile crept across his face. But he shook it off. "No. I may hate her, but she's still a person."

"Fool. You could have the entire demon realm under your boot." The Lich showed him a vision of the Boiling Isles in ruins, with everyone kneeling before Finn, seated on a throne of bones, worshipping him as a titan. Amity, Luz, and Skara stood by his side. "I could teach you to harness your powers. With my help, all this could come to pass, and no one would stand in your way."

"While that's tempting," Finn said, staring at the scene, then glaring at the Lich, "if it means being your puppet, I'll pass." He smirked at the Lich's failed attempt to manipulate him.

"Very well, reject my help. Be content with remaining a weak child for the rest of your life. But let me leave you with some parting knowledge." The Lich leaned in close. "Strengthen your bond with the human girl; she has what you need to regain what you've lost." With these words, green flames erupted around him, engulfing his form.

Finn snapped awake, rubbing his eyes. The clock read 3 a.m. Unable to fall back asleep, he decided to go to the one place where crazy seemed normal: The Owl House.

Finn made his way to Eda's. Upon arriving, he used Lady to phase through the door to avoid waking the residents. He climbed the stairs, searching for an empty room to crash in. Finding a random door, he walked in and lay down on the softest thing he could find, not caring what it was. He grabbed what he thought was a pillow. He'd have to explain to Eda why he broke in, but he was too tired to care—and she'd probably even praise him for his stealth. Hopefully, when he woke up, everything would make a little more sense.

==========================================================================================

Luz had just woken from a good night's sleep, but instead of getting up, she thought to herself, "Another day of learning magic. I wonder what's going to happen today…but for now, five more minutes." She felt the warmth of her blanket, the softness of her pillow, and…hands gently caressing her body? Her eyes snapped open, vision quickly clearing, to find Finn face-to-face with her. She looked down and saw that he was hugging her in his sleep. Her face flushed as she tried to process what was happening. The only thought that came to mind was: "AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" Her scream was loud enough to wake everyone in the house.

Finn opened his eyes, trying to figure out what the noise was about. He turned his head to see Luz lying right next to him, his arms wrapped around her. Too tired to care, he yawned. "Oh, good morning, Luzy," he mumbled, pulling her closer. "You know, you make a really good pillow. Nice and soft."

Luz's face turned crimson at his comment, but she had more pressing concerns. "Hey! Don't just go back to sleep! Why are you—" She was cut off as the door was suddenly kicked open.

"Luz! Are you okay? I heard you scream and I—" Eda rushed in, her staff raised and ready to fight, only to stop mid-sentence at the sight before her: Finn, completely wrapped around Luz, with her head nearly buried in his chest. Eda smirked. "Well, it looks like I don't have to worry about you and Finn getting along. In fact, I may have to set some ground rules for when you're together." She turned to leave, pausing at the doorway. "Oh, and FYI, if you're going to scream, try to cover your mouth so you don't wake up everyone else in the house." She winked playfully. "Trust me, I speak from years of experience. I'll just leave you two alone. Take all the time you need—I wouldn't want to interrupt a budding romance." She closed the door, leaving them in "privacy."

Luz's face was glowing red with embarrassment. She tried different ways to wake Finn up. First, she tried to wiggle out of his arms, but his grip was too tight. Next, she yelled in his face, but he didn't even flinch. Finally, after taking a moment to calm down, she did the only thing that made sense. She managed to free one arm. "Wake! Up!" She slapped Finn across the face.

Finn jolted awake, holding his stinging cheek. "What is your problem? Who wakes someone up by slapping them?"

"My problem? I should be the one asking that! Why are you in my room?" she demanded, throwing her arms out. "And why are you half-naked?!" She quickly covered her eyes with her hands, leaving a few fingers apart to peek through.

Finn looked down, realizing he wasn't wearing a shirt and that he wasn't in his own room. "Oh, sorry about that. I've been having these crazy dreams," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "I think, half-asleep, I just left the house without thinking, wandered over here, and must have mistaken this for an empty room." He stretched out his hand. "By the way, you're softer than I expected." Then he lay back down. "Alright, now that that's settled, wake me up when breakfast is ready, will ya?" He fell asleep again as soon as he finished speaking.

Luz, thoroughly embarrassed, couldn't believe her situation. First, she'd woken up with a half-naked boy sleeping next to her, then she'd been used as his body pillow, and finally, her teacher had essentially encouraged…whatever this was. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she sighed, got up, and left the room to sleep on the couch until he was gone.

==========================================================================================

The sudden downpour of boiling rain delayed Finn's departure. Luz, King, and a shirtless Finn stood at the entrance of the house, watching Eda outside in the rain, casting a forcefield over herself and attempting to expand it to shield the entire house. Luz had her cat hood up, with only her eyes visible, and kept sneaking glances at Finn. Noticing this, King looked between them before asking, "Okay, what's the deal with you two?"

"Uh, what?" Luz responded, startled.

King just stared at her. "You've been acting weird since this morning," he pointed out, then turned to Finn. "And why are you here so early…and why don't you have a shirt on?"

Finn shrugged. "Well, I think I just sleepwalked here, found what I thought was an empty room, then laid down in Luz's bed…and, uh, used her like a body pillow." He recounted the morning's events nonchalantly.

"Oh, okay then, so…are you guys dating now?" King asked, unphased. "I mean, I've seen Eda's crazy love life over the years, and usually, sleeping in the same bed together means dating."

Luz's face flushed, and she pulled down her hood. "No! We are not dating!" She flailed her arms. "I mean, he just said it—he sleepwalked here, he happened to end up in my room, and he happened to use me as a body pillow," she stammered, laughing awkwardly. "You know, normal witch apprentice stuff."

"Uh-huh. And your take on this?" King asked, turning to Finn.

"I wouldn't be against it," Finn replied with a casual shrug.

"Huh!" Luz's blush deepened.

Finn noticed and tried to explain. "Alright, Luz, I'm going to tell you something crazy, and I want you to promise not to go all Luzy on me."

"What did you just say?" Luz asked, blinking in confusion.

"You know, 'Luzy'—when you go overboard and start questioning everything."

"Oh…okay, I promise," she said, holding up her hand solemnly.

"Yeah, yeah, just say it already," King interrupted, rolling his eyes. "This drama's getting old."

Finn took a breath. "So, you know how I have amnesia, right?" Luz and King nodded. "Well, I've been having these nightmares lately, and in them, I think I'm seeing fragments of my lost memories." He rubbed his eyes, looking weary.

Luz's face lit up. "Yes! Magic dream witch drama!" She leaned forward, barely containing her excitement. "Tell me what you saw! Was it amazing? Epic battles? Maybe you found out you're a prince in some secret war-torn kingdom, destined to save your one true love?" She rattled off possibilities, her imagination running wild.

King rolled his eyes and muttered, "Please. This guy? I bet it was something boring, like…" Before he could finish, Finn gave him a light smack on the head. "Ow! Okay, okay, I'll stop! Geez."

Finn answered Luz, "No, nothing like that. I think…I think I just remembered what my mom looked like."

Luz's face softened, and she smiled widely. "That's even better! Of all the things you could remember, you remembered your mom! So, what was the memory?"

"I just saw myself as a kid, sitting at a table while my mom put bandages on me," he said with a small smile. "After that, I was…uh…given a kind of quest by a creepy, talking skeleton."

King snickered. "A quest? Like the one that almost got Luz killed?"

Ignoring King, Luz grabbed Finn's shoulders, eyes wide with excitement. "A magical quest! Was it cryptic and vague?! Please tell me it was!" She shook him in her enthusiasm.

Finn, getting dizzy from her shaking, managed, "He just said, 'Strengthen your bond with the human girl; she has what you need to regain what you lost.' And then I woke up."

Luz's eyes sparkled with pure bliss. "I knew it," she whispered. "I knew I had a magical destiny!"

Just then, Eda returned from casting her forcefield. She looked over at Luz, whose head was still in the clouds. "Okay, what's up with her?" she asked.

King pointed his thumb at Finn. "This guy here said that one has some kind of connection with him."

"Oh, I thought they'd already connected last night," Eda quipped, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

Luz snapped out of her daze, blushing furiously. "Uh, hey, why do they call you the Owl Lady, anyway?" she blurted out, desperately trying to change the subject.

Eda chuckled at the obvious deflection. "Nice try, kid. But I'll humor you since I appreciate the ego boost. They call me the Owl Lady because I'm so wise."

Hooty chimed in, "I thought it was because she coughs up rat bones."

King added, "I think it's because she gets distracted by shiny objects."

Finn joined in, "I figured it was because of Owlbert, Hooty, and that rumor about you sleeping in a nest."

Eda huffed, "No, I don't—" King suddenly clicked a pen, making the jewel on top sparkle. Eda's eyes went wide. "It shimmers! It glows! I must have it for my nest!" She lunged, but King moved out of the way, letting her crash onto the floor.

"Called it," King said with a grin.

"Guess we were both right." Finn held up a fist, and King bumped it.

Luz perked up, surprisingly excited. "You have a nest? I want a nest. Nest party!" she said, grabbing Eda's hand to help her up.

Eda dusted herself off, sighing. "That spell really took it out of me," she muttered as she headed back into the house.

"This is perfect! Since we're stuck in here all night, Eda won't have an excuse not to teach me a spell!" Luz clapped her hands in excitement.

King looked dejected. "But what about our plans? I thought I could teach you more about demons."

Luz gave him an apologetic look. "Oh, sorry, King, but…magic." She then rushed after Eda.

Finn picked King up by the scruff, trying to cheer him up. "Alright, little guy, you can teach me about demons. Just let me get my earplugs first."

==========================================================================================

Eda, now in her lounge wear, used a bit of magic to plop onto the couch with a sigh of relief. "Wah!" she exclaimed, surprised to see Luz standing over her with a hopeful smile.

"Oh, Eda, have I mentioned how rad your fang looks today?"

"Whatever it is, the answer is NO," Eda grumbled.

"And your hair is like, GIIIRRRLLL…" Luz stretched out the compliment, trying her best to butter Eda up.

Eda shook her head. "I'm too sleepy to teach magic tonight. I'm a sleepy little owl," she declared, wrapping herself up in a blanket.

"Please, Eda," Luz begged. "How am I supposed to earn my witch's staff if I don't know any spells?"

"Nope, time for sleep." Eda covered her head with the blanket, blocking out Luz—until she heard a faint clicking sound. "Huh? Sparkly thing…" she muttered, peeking out from under the blanket to see Luz holding the glowing pen from earlier.

"Oh, this?" Luz twirled the pen, clicking it to make the jewel sparkle.

"Oooo…" Eda's eyes widened, completely mesmerized. She lunged for the pen, but Luz quickly pulled it back.

"Nope." Luz grinned smugly as Eda crashed into the floor. "Teach me one spell, and I'll give you your sparkly thing."

Eda gave her a begrudging look. "I respect your cunning, but I also hate you for it." Admitting defeat, Eda sat up to begin the lesson. "Alright, if you want a witch's staff like mine, don't make me repeat myself." She rubbed her eyes, clearly drained from the forcefield spell. "A witch's staff has power embedded into it," she explained, glancing over at Finn and King, who were sitting on the couch with a book between them. "Take Finn, for example. I'm sure he's shown you some of his staff's abilities. Each staff has unique powers, beyond just the ability to fly."

Luz held out her hands, curling her fingers in excitement. "Gimmie!" she demanded, childlike in her enthusiasm.

"But before you earn a staff, every witch needs to learn how to cast spells on their own." Eda paused, her voice slowing as sleepiness caught up with her.

On the other side of the room, Finn was struggling to keep his eyes open as King continued his endless lecture on demons. "So, this particular demon can only be…" King droned on, oblivious to Finn's drooping eyelids. "And whatever you do, never…" Finn's head started to sink down. "…but the most important thing to remember…" King rambled, and finally, Finn's head dropped as he dozed off completely.

==========================================================================================

Finn looked around, finding himself back in the void once again. "Oh, come on!" he muttered, irritated by the recurring nightmare. "Hey!" he called out into the emptiness. "I know you can hear me!" Silence surrounded him for a few moments, but then he decided to try a different approach. "Fine," he whispered. "I'll take the deal. I'll learn magic from you."

In an instant, The Lich emerged from the shadows, his hollow eyes piercing the void. "Excellent," he said with a raspy voice. "I knew you'd come around eventually." He extended a bony hand toward Finn. "Now, let us seal it."

"Hold on," Finn interjected, holding up his hand. "I have conditions."

The Lich paused, tilting his head in mild amusement. "Speak."

"First, we're only doing this a few nights a week."

"Acceptable, for now. But as you grow more acquainted with your abilities, we will increase the workload."

Finn nodded. "Fine. Second, you can't harm me, my friends, or my family. Ever."

"They are insignificant, so I have no reason to destroy them. Is that all, boy?"

Finn took a deep breath. "Last one. When all the lessons are done, you disappear for good. Got it?"

The Lich stood silent for a moment, then let out a chilling chuckle. "Agreed. By the time I am finished, you may not even notice whether I'm truly gone." The Lich raised his hand again, and Finn took it reluctantly. As they shook, a shockwave burst from their hands, filling the void with a blinding light.

"A bit flashy for a handshake, don't you think?" Finn muttered, squinting.

"Humor serves no purpose here," The Lich replied flatly, snapping his fingers. The void around them transformed into a replica of the Owl House.

Finn looked around, taking in the familiar surroundings. "Wait, are we back in the real world?"

"No. This is merely an illusion—a familiar place for your mind to rest as we train."

Just as Finn was about to relax, a sudden loud crash and a horrible scratching noise filled the room, followed by an eerie squawk.

"What in the name of the Titan was that?" Finn exclaimed, drawing his sword instinctively.

"That, my dear pupil, is your first assignment," The Lich replied, unfazed. He snapped his fingers, and Finn felt an odd jolt ripple through him. "I've adjusted your senses. Everything you experience here, you will feel in the real world," The Lich explained, his voice full of dark amusement. "So, don't die."

Before Finn could react, a monstrous owl-like creature lunged at him from the shadows. It had dirty gray feathers, four powerful legs, and black eyes, each gleaming with malice. It tackled him to the ground, pinning him as it snapped its beak dangerously close to his neck.

"Defeat this creature," The Lich instructed, his voice cold. "Survive, or perish. The choice is yours."

Finn wrestled with the beast, turning his grass sword into a thick vine that he managed to loop around its head. Using the vine as leverage, he threw the beast through the front door, watching it tumble into the boiling rain outside. "Guess that'll take care of—" He was cut off as the beast charged him again, unaffected by the boiling rain. Finn dodged just in time, frustration growing. "Alright, freak, round two!"

This time, he transformed his vine into a massive grass arm, grabbing hold of the owl creature and squeezing it tightly. "Looks like it's my win," he taunted. "I'll make a nice pillow out of your feathers." He felt the creature's bones start to crack, but before he could finish it off, a blinding light flashed in front of him.

"AAAHHHHHH!" Finn cried out, instinctively covering his eyes. Dazed, he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the real Owl House, surrounded by Luz, King, and Eda, each of them looking concerned.

"What… happened here?" he asked, feeling the world swirl around him, the remnants of the Lich's nightmarish training still vivid in his mind.

==========================================================================================

As the skies cleared and the full moon lit up the night, Luz started to explain the chaotic series of events to Finn. "So, King told me that Eda has this special elixir she uses to stay powerful. I thought if I drank it, I'd be able to use magic." She looked down, sheepish. "Turns out it's actually medicine that keeps a curse under control for her."

Finn absorbed the explanation with a slow nod. "Let me guess, the curse turns her into some kind of owl beast?"

"Yeah, that's about it," Luz admitted. "When she started chasing us, we went to the living room to wake you up so you could help protect us."

"Sound logic. I don't go down easy," Finn replied.

"When I tried waking you up, you wouldn't budge." Luz's eyes widened as she recounted. "Then Eda charged right at us! I thought it was the end, but suddenly I heard a crash. I opened my eyes, and you were standing there, your eyes glowing green and your arm turned into a huge vine, with Hooty lying unconscious!"

Finn glanced at the scratched-up front door, noticing the damage. "That explains the weird dream I had, and why it felt so real. But how did you manage to wake me up?"

Luz's face brightened as she took out a piece of paper with a mysterious symbol drawn on it. She tapped it, and the paper folded on itself, creating a small glowing orb that floated up to the ceiling. "Turns out, I can use magic now!"

Finn smiled, genuinely happy for her. "That's amazing, Luz."

Luz grinned, prideful. "So, to keep you from going full owl-beast-mode on Eda, I created a giant light spell to blind both of you."

"And that brings us to now," Eda cut in, rubbing her temples as if nursing a headache. "After I woke up from the worst nap of my life and heard the story from these two—" she pointed at Luz and King, who both waved awkwardly—"we decided to keep watch over you until you woke up."

Finn raised an eyebrow at Eda. "You? Caring about my well-being?"

"Well… mostly to make sure you didn't go all 'glow eyes' again and wipe us out," Eda admitted with a smirk, then softened. "But yeah, also a bit for you. Been dealing with this curse a long time, so I'll handle it myself." She drew them all in for a hug. "Now stop your worrying."

Luz clapped her hands, looking eager to lighten the mood. "Alright! Since we survived the night, let's have a nest party to celebrate not being eaten or… accidentally destroying each other!"

Eda laughed. "Nope! Only room in the nest for me tonight."

"Pass," said King, settling into a corner. "After tonight, I think I'm sleeping solo for a while."

"I'm in if I get to use you as a body pillow again," Finn teased with a smirk.

Luz blushed, her cheeks pink from the reminder of the morning's mishap. "Maybe I'll just, uh… pretend I didn't suggest anything."

Outside, the boiling rain ceased, and the full moon hung over the Owl House, casting its light over the cozy chaos inside. Another typical day had come to a close in the magical world they now shared.