Kait landed on the balcony, unsure if the spirit would stand up.

“OWW! What in the world...ahhhhhrgg!” Hailey writhed in pain. “What just hit me!?”

Kait blinked in surprise, “H-Hailey, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me. Why am I on a balcony?!”

Kait looked between the startled inhabitants of the apartment and Hailey. “W-wait, just a moment, Hailey, you got out!?”

“Yeah! Now answer my question.”

“Well, you were possessed and stuff...”

“Again?” Hailey growled and stood onto her feet, “Well you better hope I don’t have a concussion from whatever you hit me with.”

“You mean my punch?”

“Sure, that.”

“So before the pleasantries, can we get this ritual a-going?” Jaine asked.

Kait looked at the runes, “Oh, sure, so you all thought of a way to save Alchemia?”

Jaine seemed hesitant to ask but shrugged. “We need a soul or two for our current method.”

Kait placed a hand on her chest, where the Witch’s Catalyst laid. “And you want this?”

Jaine nodded, “Whatever holds the souls...”

Kait smiled, “If it will save her, it’s no problem.” She carefully took the necklace off, then handed it to Jaine, “Be careful with that.”

He held it with a tight grip.

Hailey smiled, happy to be back, as Jaine placed the catalyst on one of the chalk runes, and the jar of mercury on the other.

“Now, I just need to activate my magic...” He placed his hands on the ground between the two, activating his necromancy. The six runes glowed, then dimmed. “And she’s transferred, easy as that. Next, we...break the jar of mercury...”

Kait saw no one else would do it, she picked it up and threw it on-

“NO! What are you doing?!” Jaine yelled.

“Breaking it?”

“That’s dangerous, you dimwitty witch!”

“I doubt you’ll be hurt by the glass.”

The room slowly came to the realization Kait didn’t know how dangerous mercury was. Taylor explained it to her, “Mercury lets off poisonous fumes, Kait. If you threw it on the ground...”

Kait handed the jar to Jaine. “Oh, so that’s why people die when near the Consciousness!”

“Thank you!” Jain said. “I think I can just pour it into two jars. If I do that, the souls should lose coherency and return to the Consciousness.” Jaine did just that, carefully dripping about a third into another jar before sealing them both off. “And there they go.” He said, watching the souls disappear. He wiped his hands off each other, signaling they were finished, “So, Kait, I’m going to need that soul item thingie you’re wearing. At least once I have the transplant ritual set up.”

“Because you placed Alchemia’s soul inside it?”

“Yeah.”

“No problem, I’ll hand it to you once you have it prepared.”

“Then it’s a deal.”

“So...” Hailey said. “Enough with the serious talk I don’t understand! I’m out, bois! Whoohoo!” Hailey cheered. She looked to Taylor, then ran at him, hugging him. “I mildly like you, Taylor!”

Taylor reeled back in surprise then reciprocated the hug with a smile. “I mildly like you too, Hailey.”

Linne heard a yell downstairs and walked down to see Hailey standing in her doorway. Suddenly, Hailey bear-hugged her. “I’m back, Linne!” she said, choking her friend.

“T-thach’s cood” Linne coughed out, unable to speak in surprise and breathlessness.

Linne stumbled to the floor as Hailey released her. “Are you surprised!?”

“Yeah-” Linne coughed again, “How did you do it!? Kait said it’d take you a week!”

Hailey smacked a hand on her friend’s shoulder, “I threw myself at every problem with singleminded determination, like I always do!”

Linne chuckled, “Sounds right.”

They stood in silence for a moment as Hailey thought her following words. “Uhh...hey...Linne?”

“...Yes?”

Hailey wasn’t sure she’d be forgiven but didn’t hesitate once she found the right words, “I’m really sorry for what I said to you...”

Linne looked surprised again. She’d never considered Hailey needed forgiving. “Hm! It’s alright.”

Hailey smiled, then tackled her friend in another bear hug, “I’m sooo sorry, Linne! You’re such a good friend, and I could never hate you!”

“I-I ghet it-”

Hailey released her friend. “I’m going to Abigail’s house to tackle her too. Want to come?”

Linne smiled, happy to be with her friend again. “Tackle her!”

However, their bear hug wasn’t all too effective on Abigail as she was significantly larger than both of them.

“You’re back?! she asked Hailey as she clung to her.

“I’m back in no time flat!” She retorted proudly.

“That’s...that’s great!” Hailey and Linne backed off. “I was really worried about you...I’m happy to see everything worked out,” she said with a resigned tone.

“So, do you want to go do something?”

“Something?”

Hailey nodded, “You know, eat at a restaurant or go to a park.”

“Of course! I’d love to go with you two!”

“Then let’s get going, and you two better not slow me down!” Hailey dashed through the front door.

After Abigail scurried to get her shoes on, she and Linne ran after Hailey, Linne yelling for the far quicker, more athletic girls to slow down.

This was what she thought she could never regain.

This was what she grieved for.

This was her present.

Taylor and Kait walked ahead of Taila and Mrs.Kukui, all of them walking to the ritual center to finish Taylor’s rituals.

“Well, that sure was hectic!” Taylor said.

“No doubt it was! It was so stressful fighting Kaethy like that.”

“Yeah, who even was that?”

“Well, every magic has its representative spirit, and Kaetha is the spirit of witchcraft.”

“Like the one from the legends?”

“Yep! Long story short, they were trying to release Alchemia to avoid some penalties.”

“They sound real selfish.”

“They have their reasons, so I wouldn’t keep it against them. I swear they’re a nice person.”

“If you say so...Though I’m surprised.”

“About what?”

“Well, I just saw one of the almighty beings that created humans. It’s a little surreal to think about.”

Kait laughed, “Oh, everyone says that the first time they meet her. I’ve gotten so used to her, it seems natural.”

“Heh, I guess you know her pretty well.”

“Yeah, though I don’t know if I’d call use friends or something else. Our relationship is a little strange.”

“I get that.” Taylor and Kait’s conversation briefly paused. “So, I guess you can teleport?”

“It’s just mean to teleport me into the sky...it’s a witch’s spell I’m not all too familiar with.”

“If you aren’t familiar with it, how did you cast it?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Lame. So I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“Hailey will be a witch, right?”

“...There’s some politics in the Consciousness that might stop me from training her...I will see what I can do, but...don’t get your hopes up.”

“Oh...” Their conversation paused somewhat awkwardly as they arrived at the ritual center.

Kaetha arrived in a white realm, furiously stomping on the ground.

Abbie cautiously approached the spirit. “Kaetha? You’re back?”

The spirit turned around, its face turning calmer as it quickly accepted what had happened. “I’m back,” it answered.

“So...thanks.”

“For what?”

“For everything...”

“You’re still going to die.”

Abbie smiled. “But I got to see my friend again. I don’t need anything else.”

Kaetha let out an inaudible chuckle, “At least I don’t feel as guilty for trashing you.”

“You shouldn’t feel that way. I died, and that’s it.”

“You know, I like you. You’ve been rather compliant, for someone dead.”

“I’d be staining my good name if I died without dignity.”

“Dignity...huh...Maybe that’s what makes you human.” Kaetha muttered.

“What about dignity?”

“Nothing at all. Say, before you die, do you want to have a little feast with me and the others who helped Hailey get as far as she did?”

“I’m dead, so I’m not sure why I need to eat, but I can’t say no to a greater spirit’s generosity.”

“I wonder if Appenne prepared any of his food...oh, and we need to make one stop along the way.” Kaetha thought aloud as she placed a hand on Abbie.

“I wonder if its good this time,” Abbie said before the two disappeared, and left the empty space, the remains of Hailey’s Psyche.