Griffin's POV:

"Ugh..." I painfully rub my cheek with my shoulder in discomfort. I would've used my hand but the Nogitsune tied my wrists again.

"It's not that bad, kid." I glanced down and Sheriff Stilinski held a small smile. "It'll bruise but hey, at least it makes you look badass and impress whoever you have back home."

I let out a dry chuckle. "Surprisingly that's not the first time I've heard that."

Sheriff Stilinski looks over to Derek, seeing as he stares ahead. Ever since the Nogitsune threw out Eli, he hadn't said a word to anyone. "You didn't change."

Derek's brows furrow in confusion at the sheriff. "What?"

"When they took Eli, you didn't change."

"He means you didn't transform in front of your son." Deaton added.

"I haven't. He hasn't seen me like that." He spoke up. "Not since the first time."

"Well, what was the first time? He wasn't a fan of a gigantic wolfman?" I ask but Derek looks over at me in annoyance. "Sorry."

He takes a deep breath. "I don't know if he'd even remembers. He might have been too young. Coyotes had come into the house. They...clawed through the screen door. Eli was playing on the floor, and they were heading straight for him. I transformed instantly. Roared so loud it shook the entire house. Coyotes took off and there was Eli," He paused, a look of discomfort crossing his expression in remembrance of the memory.  "looking up at me. He was shaking. He was...he was terrified. And he wouldn't let me come near him for days. That look of fear in his eyes when he saw me, I couldn't get it out of my head."

"That's why he can't change." Deaton concluded.

He nods. "I think every time he starts to or maybe every time he tries, he must see my face...snarling back at him."

My eyes soften. Damn.

"What do you hear?" Mason calls out and I look over, seeing that his eyes are set on Liam's who had his closed in concentration.

"It's like the game's happening right next to us." Liam muttered.

"I can hear it too." Derek added. "I think my son's on the field."

"That has to mean the Nogitsune set his illusion in the lacrosse field, right?" Phoebe questioned and Kira nodded. "At the school?"

I quickly shake my head. "No, there's supposed to be a tournament today at the college stadium. Coach Finstock was going crazy over it."

"All those people..." Hikari trailed off.

"Will be dead when the sun sets but first," The Nogitsune suddenly appears in front of me and cups my face with his bandaged hands. "it is time to commence my plan, son of the Phoenix." He snarled.

"Get your hands off him!" I heard Derek growl as I angrily tried to fight through his grips but he forcefully slammed my head on the wooden post, holding me in place so that I could only face him.

"Years ago, Olivia almost caved into her darkness. All because the original Phoenix refused to save her mother." The Nogitsune dragged its claw alongside my cheekbone and I grimaced at the horrible stench of its breath. "That sort of suffering doesn't go away...something you two similarly share, am I right? Abandoned? Losing a parent to a tragedy? Interesting, isn't it?"

My heart sinks.

"Griffin, don't listen to him!" Phoebe yelled out, but everyone else's voices became distant. All that stood out the most was his.

"Oh come on, you don't need to pretend with me, Griffin. You know the truth about why your biological mother abandoned you. She never wanted you." He whispered and I shut my eyes. "You're a burden. You always have been. Think about it. You got kicked out of school, Olivia is too busy to make time for you, you lost your father and ended up abandoned like a dog within the same year, the list goes on and on and on."

"My mom might not always be there for me, but she loves me." I glare.

He scoffed. "Love? Is taking away your passion for art, love? Is never supporting you to take down those guys at school, love? Or better yet, is never helping you to meet your biological mom, love?"

I slowly open my eyes once I feel his bandaged hands move away and to my surprise, meet a blurred-face figure in the shape of a woman. "My son," The woman softly spoke as she warmly cupped my face. "come back to me."

Had it been that long since I last saw her? That long to the point I couldn't even remember what she looked like?

I hadn't realized I'd been crying as I tried to wipe my eyes but still felt the binds tied around my wrists, helplessly watching as her form disappeared into smoke. "No, wait! Come back!"

"If only someone cared enough to save you." The Nogitsune's voice echoed in my thoughts. "I can make that pain go away. You no longer have to suffer alone anymore. I can help you, Griffin. Let me in."

I lean my head forward in shame, my vision blurring from the tears that streamed down my cheeks as I whispered,

"Okay."

Olivia's POV:

"Yes! Take it!" Coach Finstock exclaimed, watching as he managed to swipe the ball and sprint down the field while Scott tried to block the opposing players. "Eli, take it to the rack!"

As he reaches the goal, he chucks the ball and it swiftly sails into the net with a swish which causes the rest of the crowd to burst into excitement.

"Holy shit, he did it!" I cheer and excitedly embrace Allison in a tight hug.

"I'll give him that, it was impressive." She laughs.

My face heats up in remembrance and I shyly pull away from the embrace. "Sorry. Didn't mean to get too excited."

"You're fine." She lightly chuckles and tucks in some of my hair behind my ear. "You have a little piece of lint."

As her fingers grazed my cheek, I couldn't help but let my eyes flicker downward at her lips. "Allison, I--"

Before I could utter another word, someone grabbed the back of my head and slammed it into the railing before shoving me away from Allison's hold and I fell on my back with a groan.

I look over to Allison but to my surprise, watch as Peter wraps his arm around her neck with his claws pressed against her throat.

My eyes widen in horror. "No, no, no! Peter don't--!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Olivia." He growled. "She's not real! For all we know, he's getting into your head too!"

"Peter, wait!" I turn at the frantic voice, seeing as Melissa and Argent rush up the steps as well.

"No! No!" Peter angrily argued, withstanding Allison's squirms as she tried to break free. "No more illusions!"

"Where's Scott? Where's my son?" Melissa frantically asked.

"He's on the field. He's trying to save everyone." Allison breathed out. "He's playing the game."

"It's true! I was just with them! He's--" I pause in discomfort, feeling the ache ripple across my head. "He's with Eli."

"That most definitely sounds like your son. But as for your daughter..." Peter growled under his breath.

"I forgot to tell you something, Peter." Argent tilted his head to the side. "The arrow wasn't the only thing Allison left behind."

He swiftly throws a dagger but Peter catches the blade by the hand with ease.

He slowly looked down at his bloodied hand, letting the weapon clatter to the floor as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Wolfsbane." He snarled in Allison's ear but she harshly slammed her elbow against his nose, forcing his grip to loosen enough for her to break away from his hold.

She quickly crouches down to my level and cups my face in concern. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"It's surprisingly not the worst hit I've endured," I mutter before I give a small smile. "But I'll be okay."

She smiles in relief before she carefully helps me stand to my feet and once we look over to Argent and Melissa, a teary smile etched on the man's features.

Chris and Allison immediately sprinted and embraced each other into a tight hug as Melissa walked over to examine the cut on Peter's hand.

It only lasts for a few seconds until Argent is the first to pull away and cup his daughter's face with a grin. "You think I wouldn't recognize my own daughter? It is you."

Allison immediately shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know who or what I am. But my friends are in trouble and it's all my fault." She tearfully spoke.

But as Argent immediately shook his head in response, my eyes trailed behind them and widened at the sight of the dark smoke inching its way closer to us.

"Dad, what's that?" Allison worriedly asked which caused Argent to turn as well at the eerie sounds of clicking.

She snatches her bow off of the railing and walks over to the black cloud, immediately disappearing into a puff of smoke. "Allison!" Argent shouts but it is too late.

I huff, snatching the dagger from the ground, and rush at the cloud as well, ignoring Argent's calls to come back.

I stagger forward but managed to catch my balance, seeing as Allison also looked around the ominous forest in confusion.

Smoke coated the terrain, barely being able to see the dead trees and I glanced behind me, eyeing the large nemeton in suspicion.

"Where are we?" Allison questioned and her voice faintly echoed.

"We're in his world." I glance behind, seeing Scott here as well.

Eli rushes from behind with a pant. "This is it." He rasps and gestures to the tall pyramid across from us. "They're here. They're all trapped here."

"So are we." I add, moving to stand beside Allison as Scott did the same.

In the bottom layer, Hikari, Phoebe, Kira, and Liam were tied to one stone column on the right side while Mason and my dad were tied to the column on the left.

In the top middle, Deaton and Sheriff Stilinski were tied near Derek which caused my eyes to worriedly turn to Eli. "You said Griffin is here. Where is he?"

The sounds of faint clicking were soon followed by six figures appearing from the shadows and revealing themselves to be the Oni.

"Eli, free the others then find Griffin." Scott instructed, watching as the Oni menacingly lifted their swords and brushed them against the armor on their arm before they aimed downward. "We'll hold them off."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Eli muttered before he dashed to the side.

Allison tilts her head to the side with a faint crack. "I've killed Oni before."

Scott huffed. "Then let's kill a few more."

The three of us sprint ahead but Scott quickly holds his arms in front, making us skid to a stop in time as two more Oni appear at our sides.

Allison instantly deflects the downward slash with her bow and smacks it across the head hard enough to knock him to the ground. Scott maneuvers around the other Oni's attack and disarms it from holding the katana, before flipping it on its back.

I swiftly snatch the katana from the ground and stomp on the Oni's head, before following Scott since he ran ahead of Allison and I. He tackles an Oni attempting to charge at us, but another Oni jumps in from above with its katana raised.

I skid to a stop, my eyes widening in surprise at the blade lodged in the wooden arch. Allison harshly kicks the Oni's chest and it collapses on its back.

Another Oni tries to rush from the side but I block the attack with the katana, using my weight to hold back against it from slicing down.

"How do we kill these things?" I yell out, an all too familiar feeling filling my chest. Oh man, serious deja vu.

"We can't!" I hear Scott shout and my eyes land on him, watching as he tried his best to fight off two of the Oni. "Not without silver!"

A burning sensation ruptured my side which caused my stance to stagger but I dug my heel further into the dirt with a grunt.

"Well, that would've been great to know before we came here!" I sarcastically remark.

"We need Parrish!" Scott swiftly ducks underneath the slash and pushes the Oni away to give him enough time to disarm the other. "We need to buy him more time!"

I shove the Oni back enough for it to take a step back and I kick it against its chest, sending it to fall on its back.

I feel something slice across my back which causes me to let out a cry but as I turned around, my eyes widened in surprise at the Oni falling forward at my feet with an arrow plunged into its back.

From a few feet away stood Allison with her eyes filled with relief before her attention quickly changed once more to fight off the two Oni.

I try to join in to help but another Oni appears in front of me, blocking me from my path. It slices downward and I quickly block the attack with the katana, but it doesn't relent from pulling away. Instead, it uses all of its force to make me crouch down.

"Agh!" My attention snaps toward Allison's cries and my eyes widen, seeing her being driven backward as she uses her bow to block the Oni's katana blade from slicing her.

Allison's grip on the bow slips and it knocks from her hands which makes her stagger backward again.

Two more Oni appear next to the other two, all four preparing to attack her with their katanas raised.

"No!" I yelled out, trying to force myself to stand but the scorching pain on my patched side worsened as I felt it trail up to my chest the more I tried to push the Oni off. "Scott!"

"I-I'm trying! I--agh!" Scott groans as the Oni flips him on his back nearby where Kira, Hikari, and Liam are bound to the stone column.

I frantically looked back to Allison but just before she could sprint away from the Oni as they moved to attack, soundwaves of an ear-piercing wail caused the Oni to fly back and disintegrate into a puff of smoke as Allison covered her ears with her back towards us.

The soundwave reaches us and the Oni that once stood in front of me disappears as well and I painfully clutch onto my ears with a groan, feeling the burning sensation practically spread all over my body.

My eyes widen in realization. Lydia.

"My, my..." A familiar warm voice echoed in my thoughts. "You've been in such a mess, haven't you?"

Allison's POV:

Everything flooded in my head all at once.

From arriving in Beacon Hills, Scott being the first person I met in high school, Lydia becoming my first friend to introduce me to Jackson, learning the dark truth about the supernatural and my family's history to then suddenly being roped into it.

Even the little moments. Going on a double date to the bowling alley, winter formal, hanging out with Lydia in my old bedroom as she comforted me, sometimes sneaking off with Scott so that we could spend time with just ourselves, my father and I molding my first arrowhead in our basement.

Then finally meeting Olivia. Quick memories flashed in my thoughts of how the ends of her eyes would crinkle whenever she smiled from laughing at some of the things either our friends or I would say, her quips in situations that made her uneasy, practically every moment that we spent together.

From meeting her in the hall on her first day to later catching her at Isaac's house, us hiding together in my closet so that my dad didn't find us, our first kiss in the motel, finally becoming each other's girlfriends, our first date in her backyard, her dying in my arms to later find out her resurrection at school, our breakup but later getting back together. Throughout these memories, there would be moments of fighting off the enemies we faced together.

The relief we felt when we were able to have a normal rest of our senior year together after the fiasco with the wild hunt by going to prom and graduation until eventually we faced off against the hunters and the Anuk-Ite.

Being able to finally live in an apartment together in our college years, marrying her where all of our friends and family got to be there.

And the best part of it all? Getting to raise a family with her. Griffin, our son.

My eyes were flooded with tears and while I couldn't exactly see her, I knew in my heart Lydia did this. I knew that she could see me. I could feel that she was proud.

She helped me remember.

"I remember." I whisper with a smile, not bothering to wipe the tears from my eyes. "I remember everything."

"We're not done yet!" The Nogitsune growls and I quickly turn around, my eyes widening in horror at the sight of Griffin holding a blade against Eli's throat as he held him by the back of his head. "The game is mine." Griffin's voice was replaced in a more monstrous tone similar to the Nogitsune's, seeing his metallic razor-sharp teeth coming into view.

"Found Griffin." Eli rasped.