"Can I help you?" the Bellhop of Hotel  Black asked Esme as she approached the door to the lobby. Even if Esme could respond she wouldn't have so she ignored him and went for the door. "I'm sorry ma'am but I can't let you in, looking like that," The bellhop disapproved of Esme's rags. This got her attention and she turned to face the foolish mortal with a death stare. She looked at him for a second and channeled the raw chaotic energy, aiming it directly at him. The instant it hit though it was deflected back at her and she instantly turned into a mouse. The bellhop reached down and grabbed her by the tail. "Nice try ma'am" he dangled her in the air. "We are protected from such magic, here."

The bellhop carried Esme into the lobby where she noticed an interesting scene by one of the walls. There was a marble statue of one of the girls she turned into toads yesterday, the one who was afraid of her. She was completely naked and cowering from an unseen force, Esme wasn't sure if this was because she knew Samantha was about to turn her into stone or if it was a part of the scene the statues were telling. The next statue was of a toad in stone swamp, again it was one of the girls she had changed yesterday, though she wasn't sure if it was the younger sister or the oldest. Either way neither of those two had been changed back to their human forms. The boy was also naked though he wasn't cowering, instead he was holding up the other toad statue as he prepared to kiss it. Esme wasn't sure if he was put into that position before or after being turned to stone.

Esme wasn't happy to see the four of them there, she was so close to completing her youth ritual before Samantha came knocking. She had everything right, four grateful souls who had consumed the flesh of an innocent, turned to toads to be used for ingredients. She would've consumed them in a potion and she would've been young forever. Now they were useless to Esme, they knew what she was and were no longer grateful to her. Samantha getting rid of her mouth also meant that she wouldn't even be able to consume such a potion for ten or so years. So now Esme found herself in Samantha's service, all so she could get her mouth back.

"There's a witch here to see Ms Black." The bellhop informed the receptionist. "The dumb hag tried to mouse me..."

The receptionist took Esme off the bellhop and put her in a tiny box. "You better hope Ms Black is feeling forgiving today," she said as she walked to the elevator, leaving one of her co-workers to man the desk. "Otherwise you'll probably be stuck like this for a while... One of my co-workers spilled coffee on Ms Black shoes, she's still acting as their replacement. That was twenty years ago now. She can be a scary boss sometimes but the immortality has its perks... even if I've been stuck as a receptionist for the last twenty years. But if I want better pay I have to give up ten years of my current age and I don't want to do that... maybe in the next thirty years or so but not now." The receptionist wouldn't stop rambling to Esme. "Hey hands off the statues!" The receptionist yelled some guests. "I know Ms Black doesn't mind, but I still do. The poor woman has already been turned to stone, she doesn't need creeps touching her boobs all day as well."

The elevator ding and Esme was thankful for it. Listening to this woman was torture. Esme tried to ignore what she was saying as she imagined things she'd do to her if she was able. Her favourite idea was turning her into just a brain with ears as she was forced to listen to every annoying sound for eternity. Esme did get relief as she was passed onto someone else and then handed to Samantha herself.

"Tired to turn one of my employees into a mouse I see," Samantha mused as she picked her up by the tail and put her in a chair. "Here I thought you were beginning to show some promise, yet you couldn't detect a simple rebound spell." Samantha undid the spell and Esme returned to her human form. "No, no. You don't need to thank me," Samantha teased. "You're lucky I require your services at all, this event has got me working quite hard, you'll be surprised how much damage control I've needed to do."

Esme rolled her eyes as she waited for Samantha to get to the point.

"No patience, fine... I'll get to the point," Samantha sat down at her desk. "There appears to be a rather dangerous magic user in town, she appears to be new, I've never heard of her before... well maybe, but I doubt it's the same person. I believe she's responsible for the disappearance of two of my villains." Samantha looked for Esme's reaction but wasn't given one. "I know, it shouldn't be possible." Samantha acted as if Esme gave a shocked reaction. "My villains are immune to harmful spells during my game, and you've already seen how powerful my defensive magic is." Samantha smirked again as she continued to observe Esme. "Find out who or what this thing is and I'll restore your mouth. I'll even help you with your youth ritual, I have plenty of grateful employees. Maybe that receptionist will be a useful ingredient..." Esme would've smiled if she could. "There we go, so we have a deal. I'll even help you out a little. My two missing villains were last seen harassing Ryan..." Esme had no recognition of that name. "the boy you turned into a toad," Samantha informed her. "Here's his address, check there first." Samantha handed Esme a piece of paper.

Esme left Samantha's office and took the elevator back down. She wasn't happy with the situation or how Samantha tormented and teased her. As she returned to the lobby she looked at the statue of Ruby again and decided to take her anger out on her, sending a wave of destructive energy causing her to explode. The explosion also caused Ryan to fall down and break, the two toads were fine though.

"Have a nice day," the receptionist waved Esme goodbye, not caring about the destroyed statues. Esme didn't respond though would've smiled if she could have, knowing that she'd be sacrificed if Esme did as Samantha had asked.

Unlike Samantha, Esme hadn't mastered teleportation yet and being the middle of the day she wasn't able to fly to Ryan's house. It took her an hour of public transport to reach the house. She knocked on the door and was shocked when a being made up of five giant pegs answered the door. The peg person didn't speak as it lead Esme into the dining room where a young eighteen year old woman, which looked like a female version of Ryan sat eating bacon and ham.

"I was expecting Samantha," the woman asked as she motioned Esme to sit. "Not you, though this does save me the time of tracking you down." Esme couldn't move as the chair around her came to life and tied her up. "Oh, where are my manners. You probably want to have a chat." The woman waved her hand and Esme's mouth was restored.

"Impossible..." Esme was grateful she could talk again but Samantha should've been the only witch that could've undone the spell. "Who are you?"

"I'm Pandora... no I'm not that Pandora, I'm new," Pandora answered both Esme's verbal question and non-verbal one. "Also I was born via Samantha's magic, at least in part. I'm immune to her magic and I can undo anything she does. I could destroy her if I wanted to but this game has been enjoyable thus far, so I'm fine to let her be for now..." Pandora smiled as she ate another piece of bacon. "Though there are players that can't be forgiven and others that know too much, isn't that right Peggy?" The peg monster just stood there. "You on the other hand, you aren't a part of Samantha's game and you did try to kill my dad in an attempt to restore your youth."

Esme felt power from Pandora wash over her causing her body to grow young again. "You're no witch..." Esme stated in a voice she hadn't heard in over one hundred years. She felt so alive and powerful.

"All you had to do was ask and I would've restored it to you and given you the power to take down Samantha..." Pandora ignored Esme's statement. She then got up and walked over to Esme, who was still bound to the chair. "Go on, you can get out of these bindings."

Esme focused her power and the chair broke with just a thought. "I feel like a goddess!" Esme cackled as she felt so strong. "I will crush that pretender witch and claim her throne for my own." Esme went to teleport.

"And that's what I would've expected you to do," Pandora stopped Esme's teleportation spell. "However, like I said you tried to kill my dad," Pandora reached out her hand, siphoning Esme's power. "No one is to harm my father, at least not permanently. Now you will pay."

"My power..." Esme cried as her youth was taken from her again, this time she had aged so much more, she had the appearance of a woman in her hundreds, not eighties. She didn't even have the strength to stand. "Give me back my power!" She cried as her skin began to rot away.

"If I have to give back your power, was it even yours to begin with?" Pandora asked as Esme's skin and organs rotted away completely. Esme was nothing but bones now, yet she was still very much alive. Even as her bones faded and turned to dust, her spirit remained. Esme was fully aware but unable to act.

"Peggy, sweep up this dust and flush it down the toilet," Pandora commanded. She then looked at Esme one last time. "This is what you get for messing with daddy," Pandora told her before she sat back down at the table and resumed eating the bacon.