I am alone, for now.
The rest of the group ascended the staircase from the main room, while I climbed the hidden staircase on my own.
The silence was so deafening, I could hear the sound of my faint breathing and heartbeat, so I slowed down, matching my pace to the rhythm of the stone beneath my feet.
Darkness was looming over me like a hidden predator, and the walls offered no comfort, only cold reality, stretching endlessly as if they had no intention of letting me forget where I was.
Being alone shouldn't have bothered me this much.
I've handled worse, haven't I?
And yet, without Perugius' unshakable presence, Sylvaril's sharp vigilance, or Elinalise's quiet warmth at my side, the labyrinth felt different.
Closer than ever, like it was watching me.
Eventually, I almost see the end of the staircase.
Light spilled from above, pale and artificial, and I walked toward it.
As I reached the top, an entrance stood before me, tall and elegant, marking the beginning of the third floor. I approached the imposing doorway and took a look inside.
Beyond it stretched a vast corridor, its ceiling so high it vanished into darkness. Marble pillars lined both sides, immaculate and stable, while the checkered floor beneath my feet reflected faint glimmers of torchlight like a polished chessboard waiting for pieces to move.
The atmosphere made my skin crawl.
It was eerie, undeniably so, yet a bit familiar in a way that tugged at the back of my mind, like a story setting I'd read once and never quite forgotten.
"Lord Perugius?" I called out.
My voice echoed through the hallway, delicate and lonely.
"Sylvaril? Elinalise? Can anyone hear me?"
...
...
No one answered me but my own words, bouncing back in fragments.
Haven't they arrived yet? Or maybe this floor had decided to keep us separated a bit longer.
I carefully moved forward, watching every step. While walking, I noticed the walls were lined with portraits of different sizes. A dozen of them. Men, women, creatures both human or not, frozen in time within ornate frames. Most were strangers, their gaze distant and unfamiliar.
I passed them one by one, until something made me stop.
Two familiar faces stared back at me.
Elinalise and I.
The sight sent a chill down my back. The resemblance was perfect, down to the minor detail, as though whoever painted them had known us intimately.
In addition to our portraits, another one was hanging on the wall.
A pale-skinned man with long silver hair streaked with green. His eyes were draconic, sharp, and gleaming, and dragon wings unfurled from his back, half-folded as if restricted by the frame itself.
I stared at him longer than I should have.
Then a voice resonated in my mind, soft and resonant, carrying a weight that made my chest tighten immensely.
"Remember me, you two."
Gasp
I sucked in a quick breath and shook my head, stepping back as though the voice itself could reach out and grab me entirely.
"Nope," I muttered painfully. "Not dealing with that right now."
Whoever he was, I wasn't ready to remember him yet.
-----------------------------------------------------
I kept walking down the corridor, forcing my thoughts elsewhere, until I reached a door at the very end. It stood alone, basically inviting me to enter.
Bracing myself, I slowly opened it.
Inside was a huge room dominated by a dining table, polished to a spotless shine. Pastries of every shape and color were organized neatly along its surface, accompanied by a teapot and a single cup.
Growl~
My stomach betrayed me immediately, as I hadn't eaten anything since I woke up, but I knew this was a bad idea because every instinct tells me it's a trap.
And yet, the sight was so tempting that my mouth was drooling, which I wiped quickly.
A small bite won't hurt.
After reassuring myself, I reached out, picked up a cupcake, and took a cautious bite.
Mmmhm...
It's sweet. Strangely so.
Even though I was inside a labyrinth, this pastry looked and tasted freshly baked, offering me enough motivation to finish the rest of the cupcake and grab more.
I can't stop eating.
Hrrk!
Since I ate too many pastries, my throat got clogged, so I grabbed the teapot and poured tea into the cup before drinking it in one gulp.
Although food was cleared, I felt intense pain twist in my stomach, sharp enough to make me wince and clutch the edge of the table.
Urgh, I don't feel so good. What's in that tea?
While trying not to double over, I noticed something glossy placed at the far end of the table, so I limped forward to check it.
Upon arrival, I found a strange bottle. Beside it was a folded note.
I picked it up and read its contents. The letters looked foreign, yet I understood them easily.
[The tea is poisoned. Drink me.]
Poisoned?! No wonder my stomach hurts.
I stared at the bottle, observing the strange liquid inside.
Of course, it was one of those.
With a reluctant sigh, I uncorked the bottle and drank the whole thing.
Then I closed my eyes and waited.
...
...
Nothing happened.
I opened my eyes, and everything looked the same.
No shrinking. No growing. No melodramatic transformation. The only change was the ache in my stomach fading away, leaving me disappointed but undeniably relieved.
"Huh...." I muttered. "Alice in Wonderland lied to me."
Turning away from the table, I noticed another door on the other side of the room.
Whatever waited beyond it, I had a feeling this floor wasn't done with me yet.
So I squared my shoulder, walked over, and opened the door.
---------------------------------------------
As the door swung open, I stepped into a completely different environment.
The hallway ahead is much narrower than the previous one. Its walls are dingy and overtaken by moss, creeping vines, and luminous mushrooms, pressing in on me from both sides. A low blanket of fog covers the floor, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.
Gulp...
I swallowed my unease and cautiously pushed forward.
While walking, I encountered several branching paths along the way, most of which suddenly led to dead ends. However, I observed that some of them had horizontal drag marks running across the walls.
What kind of creature made these?
Tap... tap... tap...
As I was pondering, faint tapping noises reverberated along the ceiling. I looked up, but I only saw complete darkness.
I could have sworn I heard something.
Fwoooosh—
Without warning, a sudden gust of wind bellowed behind me, sounding like a powerful exhale of air from a beast.
Sheesh, I need to be careful.
I quickly picked up the pace through the narrow, maze-like hallway, consciously watching my back for potential danger.
Krrrrrrk—
Just then, a clamorous noise rumbled behind the wall to my right, like something heavy being dragged along. The ground trembled violently, almost causing me to lose my balance.
Before I could process what had happened, I spotted a huge, shadowy figure slipping past at a distant intersection.
What the heck was that?!
My heart palpitated as I stood frozen. Then, at the edge of my vision, a flash of white darted by. I turned my head, but there was nothing.
"Lord Perugius?" I called out, my voice barely steady. "Sylvaril? Elinalise?"
...
For a moment, only silence answered me once again.
But then...
"Alice? Is that you?"
Elinalise's voice echoed faintly from somewhere far ahead.
Relief surged through me so fast that it made my knees weak. "Elinalise? Where are you?"
"This way, Alice. Quickly."
Sylvaril's voice followed from a corner to my left, carrying an unusually harsh tone.
Hearing that caught me off guard, so I paused.
"Why do you sound like that, Sylvaril?"
"It doesn't matter. Follow my voice."
Hesitantly, I obeyed and followed where the voice was coming from.
"Right this way, Alice."
A third voice suddenly spoke—this time it was Perugius—calling out from a crooked doorway filled with shadows straight ahead.
"Lord Perugius? Are you in there?"
As I asked, his stern face emerged from the darkness of the entrance, his expression difficult to read. "Yes. Now follow me."
"Erm..." I hesitated, feeling an indescribable unease. "Where are Elinalise and Sylvaril? I heard their voices a while ago."
In response, Elinalise and Sylvaril's faces emerged beside Perugius's, just as unreadable.
"Follow us, Alice."
"Indeed, come here."
Unnerved by their synchronous responses, I timidly walked forward.
Something is not right, but I don't know what.
"Don't go there."
Halfway from the doorway, a gentle whisper came from behind.
I paused and turned, only to see something small and white move at the edge of the fog.
"Who goes there?" I demanded.
"Don't look away. Come here."
Elinalise's voice called out again, this time sharper, almost impatient.
"Hold on a minute," I retorted, breaking my gaze from her to focus on the white thing. "Please come out, whoever you are."
The thing hesitated, then stepped into the dim glow of the mushroom, revealing itself to be a small white rabbit dressed in a neat little coat far too clean for a place like this.
Wait a second. It looks familiar.
It took me a while before I realized it's the same white rabbit that I followed down the hole.
"I told you not to turn around," Sylvaril scolded, crackling with irritation.
"Now come here," Perugius chimmed in smoothly.
"You're all acting strange," I remarked uncomfortably. "Why don't you come here instead?"
"No, don't tell it that."
Suddenly, a warning came from the rabbit's direction.
I slowly turned towards it. "Did you just talk?"
"Yes," it answered, "but those aren't your companions."
Confused and disturbed, I turned back toward the crooked doorway just in time to watch the faces of Perugius, Sylvaril, and Elinalise contort violently before sliding together, fusing into a single grotesque mass.
After that, the doorway trembled, causing the wall to crack and spawn jagged teeth along its wooden frame. The structure then rose from the ground, exposing a segmented body etched with spiralling markings, countless limbs writhing beneath it as the creature groaned.
"Get ready to run if I were you," the rabbit suggested, backing away.
I swallowed hard as the mass created a pair of antennae and multiple mouths.
"C̶̯̍̕ơ̶̩̓m̵̰͈̐e̶̯͖̐ j̴̛͇̩̄o̶̱̾i̸͍̖͒n̷̤͌ ṵ̵͕̇s̴̲̘͑̊ Ḁ̶͌̄ḽ̶̏̔i̷̬̚c̵͎̾̅ę̸̩̏"
The voices of my companions overlapped into one, beckoning eerily.
Heart pounding, I took a step back. "I'd like to, but..."
Without hesitation, I quickly turned around and sprinted away.
------------------------------------------------------
What the heck is happening? What was that abomination just now? Where am I going?
These were the questions racing through my mind as I fled from an eldritch horror.
S̵̥̓C̷̘̽R̶̫͂E̸͚͘E̵̻͘Ẻ̸̖E̶̘͑E̴͓̽Ė̸̫Ë̵͓́E̵̱͝E̸̲̒!!
A piercing shriek erupted behind me, followed by the sound of the monster hauling its body toward my direction.
"Follow my lead," the white rabbit demanded. "I know a way to evade that abomination."
Heeding to his request, I chased the little creature as he darted through sharp turns and tight passages, all while the monster kept chasing us.
"W̷̤̓h̸̯̚ĕ̷̱r̷̻̿ḛ̴̛ ̷͔̐are ̵̬͒y̶̛̙ò̵̹ŭ̷̗ ̷̰̍ǵ̵̪o̴̙͂ing?̸͚̓ ̶̮̾C̸͙̆o̶̳̅m̵͕̒e̵̟͌ ̷̱͘ḃ̸̲a̵̬̓c̶̲͠k̷̞̓,̵͔́ ̶̜̔Alice.̵͕̑ ̶͚̊"
The distorted and overlapping voices of my companions continuously called out to me, eerily convincing me to turn around. Hearing that made me shudder in fear.
"What the heck is that monstrosity?" I blurted out while running.
"That's a False Caterpillar," the rabbit answered. "I'll explain more about it later, okay?"
"Okay," I accepted, continuing to follow him.
Ffssssshh—
But then, I heard a strange noise hiss behind me. Against my better judgment, I glanced back and saw the False Caterpillar expelling thick, multicolored smoke from its many mouths.
"Umm... rabbit," I called out nervously. "Why is the monster spewing rainbow gas?"
"Crap, don't breathe it in," he instructed urgently. "It will cause hallucinations."
Upon hearing his instruction, I quickly covered my mouth and nose before the smoke crawled through the hallway. Eventually, the rabbit led me to a small opening in the wall.
"Get inside, quickly," he urged, wriggling his way through the narrow space.
I hesitated for a second, then glanced back to see the False Caterpillar still dragging its large form towards me. This gave me the motivation to crouch and crawl into the small opening, its gap wide enough for me to squeeze inside.
Damn, this feels familiar.
Anticipating another dive down the rabbit hole, I creep cautiously until I safely emerge on the other side of the wall.
"Wow... what a bummer," I muttered in mild disappointment.
"Hey, stop daydreaming!" the rabbit shouted as he struggled to push a heavy dresser toward the hole. "Don't just stand there, help me!"
Snapping back to reality, I rushed over and heaved my weight against the furniture. Together, we pushed it into place just as a violent impact shook the wall beside us.
THUD!
The ground trembled violently as dust rained from the ceiling.
S̵̥̓C̷̘̽R̶̫͂E̸͚͘E̵̻͘Ẻ̸̖E̶̘͑E̴͓̽Ė̸̫Ë̵͓́E̵̱͝E̸̲̒!!
Another shriek, though muffled, echoed through the hallway, followed by frantic banging and scratching as the creature tried to break the wall separating us.
THUD! THUD!
I held my breath, muscles locked tight.
THUD... Thud... thud...
Gradually, the impacts weakened, replaced by the slow, strident sound of something massive dragging itself away. Eventually, silence returned.
"Phew..."
I slumped against the dresser, my legs giving out beneath me. Meanwhile, the rabbit plopped on the floor, panting with its ears slightly drooping.
"Th-thank you," I said between breaths. "You saved me there."
The rabbit adjusted his coat and shook his head. "It's what I was summoned to do."
"Summoned?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "By who?"
"Well… it's a secret," he replied, averting his gaze. "Anyway, you're probably curious what that thing was, right?"
"Yeah..." I answered, swallowing hard. "It's using my companion's voice... but why?"
Upon asking that, the rabbit's expression grew serious.
"That's how the False Caterpillar hunts," he clarified solemnly. "It targets those who are alone and desperate, mimicking the voice they trust the most. Once its prey was caught... it feeds."
Hearing that made my stomach wrench.
"Then what about the real Perugius... Sylvaril... Elinalise? I asked, my voice trembling.
"They're still alive," he comforted me. "That monster hasn't eaten in days. If it did, it wouldn't be chasing you this desperately."
I exhaled shakily, clinging to his word even though doubt lingered.
"What do I do now?" I asked timidly. "If that thing is still out there, it will keep hunting me."
"I know a way to defeat it," the rabbit replied as he stood up and brushed his coat.
My heart skipped a beat, filled with relief. "Really? How."
"There is a powerful book in this floor's archive," he explained. "It contains destructive spells capable of eliminating formidable enemies."
I looked at him, hardening my resolve. "Will you help me find it?"
The rabbit stared back at me, showing a hint of hesitation. I tilted my head and blinked at him hopelessly until he finally sighed in resignation.
"Very well," he yielded, his gaze flickering toward the dark corridor ahead. "But whatever you do, don't listen to the voices anymore."
We then stepped back into the danger, knowing the hunt wasn't over yet.
Now and then, the rabbit would signal me to stop whenever we heard dragging noises or the voices of my companions calling, and turn the other way around. This goes on for a couple of hours until we arrive at a pristine doorway with warm light emanating from it.
"Is this the place?" I asked skeptically.
The rabbit sniffed the air and nodded. "Yup, this is the one."
I approached the doorway carefully and peered inside, discovering a room filled with shelves of books. At the center was a red-covered book resting on a pedestal.
S̵̥̓C̷̘̽R̶̫͂E̸͚͘E̵̻͘Ẻ̸̖E̶̘͑E̴͓̽Ė̸̫Ë̵͓́E̵̱͝E̸̲̒!!
Just as I was about to enter, a loud shriek echoed from behind. Turning around, I noticed the False Caterpillar charging from afar.
"Crap, it found us," the rabbit exclaimed. "Quick, grab the book!"
Following his command, I promptly hurried inside and retrieved the book from its place. Upon opening it, I noticed a note written on the first page.
[Read me]
Great, another one of these messages.
THUD!
Looking ahead, I was shocked to see the False Caterpillar outside the doorway.
"What are you waiting for?" the rabbit shouted. "Read it now."
Returning to the book, I found a small list of instructions.
[Step 1: Raise your arm towards your desired target.]
I lifted my hand and aimed it at the monster.
[Step 2: Chant the following incantation.]
I opened my mouth and read aloud.
"From ashes to dust, destruction I must."
Crack!
Multiple limbs grabbed the pristine doorway, trying to pry it open.
"Born from annihilation, lived through extinction."
THUD!
The library wall broke down, allowing the creature to breach inside.
"Therefore, I cast..."
S̵̥̓C̷̘̽R̶̫͂E̸͚͘E̵̻͘Ẻ̸̖E̶̘͑E̴͓̽Ė̸̫Ë̵͓́E̵̱͝E̸̲̒!!
With another loud shriek, the False Caterpillar lunged at me.
I read the last word, closed my eyes, and shouted.
"[ARCANE EXPLOSION!!]"
A strange sensation emerged from my chest and traveled toward my arm into my hand.
And then...
KABOOOOM!!!
A deafening combustion erupted.
S̵̥̓C̷̘̽R̶̫͂E̸͚͘E̵̻͘Ẻ̸̖E̶̘͑E̴͓̽Ė̸̫Ë̵͓́E̵̱͝E̸̲̒!!
Followed by the monster's final shriek and the sound of crumbling stones.
....
Silence settled, so I opened my eyes and was stunned to see the aftermath.
A massive tunnel has been blasted through multiple walls, and the False Caterpillar has been completely disintegrated.
I was so speechless at what I had done that I barely saw someone approaching.
"Alice?"
A familiar voice called out my name.
Wait... Don't tell me the spell failed.
I promptly glanced in the direction of the voice and was surprised to notice Elinalise standing there, equally surprised.
"Elinalise, is that really you?"
Before I could react, she ran forward and hugged me tightly.
"Yes, it's me."