My body froze as I was embraced by someone I thought was Elinalise.
Is this real? Or just another deception created by the labyrinth to fool me?
Yet the warmth seeping through her clothes, the familiar weight of her arms, the faint tremor running through her body all felt undeniably genuine. I let myself dwell in that soft sensation before slowly easing out of her arms.
"Is something wrong, Alice?"
I raised both hands and cupped Elinalise's face, searching for the smallest inconsistencies.
Let's see... red eyes, check. blonde hair, check. Sad puppy face—wait, that's new.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion. "Is something on my face?"
Her innocent confusion alone wasn't enough to let my guard down. The labyrinth had already proven how convincing its lies could be.
"Are you really Elinalise Dragonread?" I asked cautiously.
The moment the question left my mouth, her eyes widened. Tears welled up almost instantly, spilling down her cheeks.
"I already told you it's me," she whimpered with every word. "I've been desperately searching for you with Perugius and the others, and yet, this is what you say after finding you?"
Hearing her emotional response, I braced myself, half-expecting her body to contort, melt, or reveal something grotesque under the surface.
But nothing happened.
She stayed the same.
Perhaps... this really is Elinalise. Maybe being apart for a long time made her more expressive and honest about her feelings.
With that conclusion, I pulled her into another embrace, this time holding her firmly, one hand resting between her shoulders as I tried to soothe her shaking.
"There, there. I was only making sure you weren't an evil doppelganger."
"You're so mean, Alice."
"Yeah, I know... My apologies."
Feeling the warmth of her embrace, I let a relieved sigh.
-------------------------------------------------------
tap... tap... tap...
Just then, I heard several footsteps approaching, resonating through the massive tunnel, and saw Perugius, Sylvaril, and the familiars emerge into view.
Or at least, I thought they did.
Given everything that had happened, certainty felt like a luxury I could no longer afford.
I hesitated, then asked, "Are all of you real?"
"What a preposterous thing to ask," Sylvaril snapped. "If you think we're not real, we wouldn't be standing here confronting you in the first place."
I let out a small sigh of relief, my shoulder loosening.
That bluntness... Yup, that's definitely something the real Sylvaril would say.
"I apologize for the suspicion," I conceded, leaning forward in shame. "I thought the labyrinth was playing tricks on me again."
"Hmph, I'll tolerate your apology," she replied coolly. "Just don't ask rude questions in front of Lord Perugius next time."
As if on cue, my focus shifted to the silver-haired man in question. He stood a few feet away, silently surveying the massive tunnel carved through the walls. His gaze traced the fractured stone, the scorched edges, the sheer scale of destruction, before finally settling on me.
"Alice," he called out, his voice calm yet his expression solemn. "Are you responsible for this?"
Swallowing my unease, I nodded. "Yeah, I did that."
"I see..." Perugius murmured, his eyebrows furrowing in concern and consideration. "Then tell me—what spell did you cast?"
"Well, I—"
Before I could finish, the white rabbit hopped forward from behind me.
"She utilized an ancient magic from the archive," he announced, adjusting his coat. "One that was powerful enough to eliminate a False Caterpillar."
Everyone's gaze shifted instantly, narrowing with interest as they settled on the little critter.
"Another talking fiend?" Perugius observed. "So, you claim she defeated the monster?"
"That's correct," the rabbit replied earnestly. "Had she not done so, the entire floor would still be hunting her until she was killed."
...
Silence lingered for a moment.
Perugius sighed slowly, a faint glimmer evident in his eyes as he looked back at the tunnel.
"To think such magic was hidden here," he commented. "I was surprised you were capable of wielding it, Alice."
"Yeah… I was surprised too," I admitted, absently brushing Elinalise's hair. "So what happened on your side? Why did it take you all so long to find me?"
"Don't get me started on that one," Sylvaril complained, crossing her arms. "What we've been through was rather mind-boggling, to say the least."
"Which is?" I pressed curiously.
....
She hesitated before recounting everything that had happened after they ascended the main staircase from the fourth floor. According to her, they had encountered an overgrown section of the third floor, which was filled with enormous sentient flowers and carnivorous mushroom creatures. However, what unsettled me the most was her next revelation.
She said they kept hearing my voice, calling out to them from different directions.
Pleading. Panicking. Demanding.
"Wait," I murmured slowly, dread creeping into my chest. "Don't tell me you confronted a false caterpillar as well."
"No," Sylvaril denied, shaking her head. "We encountered something far more... irritating."
"What is it?" I asked, confused yet intrigued.
She turned to the familiars and signaled one of them to step forward.
"UNHAND ME, YOU MINDLESS BRUTE!!"
A frantic, indignant voice echoed as the familiar raised something by the tail. Dangling upside down was a purple-striped cat with a permanent wide grin stretched across its face.
Seeing this made my eyes widen in recognition.
I've seen this character before. It's one of the Alice in Wonderland cast.
"... The Cheshire Cat?"
"That's correct," the cat affirmed cheerily, despite his current predicament. "I don't know how you know that, but could you help me out? These people don't have hospitality."
The white rabbit hopped ahead and scowled. "You were meant to guide her companions, not lead them astray."
"I did guide them," the cat replied smugly. "Just not in a boring way, so I did some trolling."
Hearing that, the rabbit angrily stomped his feet while the Cheshire cat snickered playfully.
Despite myself, I let out a small laugh.
"Still, thank you for helping them. You can let him go."
The familiar turned to Perugius and received a nod before releasing their grip.
Instead of falling, the Cheshire cat floated lazily in midair.
"Honestly," he groaned. "I still don't get how you people managed to restrain me even though I'm completely intangible."
"Paramount of Darkness can touch immaterial entities," Perugius explained calmly, "including things that can't be physically handled."
The Cheshire cat pouted, though his grin never faded. "Well, that explains everything."
With the tension finally freed, Perugius looked back to his familiars. "Now that Alice has been found, we should move to the next floor."
"Do we still need to navigate the hallway?" I asked.
"Hardly." He glanced at the tunnel I created. "Finding the staircase should be trivial."
I nodded, then looked toward the white rabbit and the Cheshire cat. These two can be useful in our escape from this labyrinth.
"Will you two come with us?" I requested earnestly.
The rabbit nodded without hesitation. "Of course, aiding you is my purpose."
"Whatever," the cat answered lazily, stretching in midair. "I am curious to see what kind of fun I'll have later on."
After inviting the two critters, I turned my attention to Elinalise, who is still embracing me.
"We should get going," I muttered gently.
She poked her gaze between my bosoms. "You won't leave me again, right?"
"Of course," I pledged. "Always."
With that, we joined Perugius's group and stepped toward the massive tunnel ahead, leaving the fractured remnants of the third floor behind as we advanced closer to the next staircase.
-------------------------------------------------------
As soon as the group and I effortlessly found the staircase, we ascended the steps together with the Cheshire Cat floating ahead.
The moment we reached the second floor, I felt the atmosphere shift slightly.
Above us stretched a ceiling that resembled an open sky, pale and tranquil, as if daylight had been painted across stone bricks. Lofty hedges rose on either side of the crooked dirt paths, their trimmed walls forming a vast, garden-like maze.
Compared to the oppressive darkness of the third floor, this area felt more gentle.
"The second floor is easier to navigate than before," Sylvaril explained, her tone measured as she scanned the hedges. "But don't let that fool you, since monsters roam freely here."
"They also ambush intruders," the White Rabbit added, hopping forward. "Mostly in groups of twelve, if I'm not mistaken."
"Twelve?" Sylvaril repeated, frowning. "The last time we went through this floor, they came in groups of five."
The Cheshire Cat snickered. "That was before the labyrinth realized you were trying to leave with those two," he explained, glancing at Elinalise and me. "Naturally, it raised the difficulty."
Perugius exhaled slowly, then raised a hand. "Everyone, defensive formation."
Immediately, the familiars moved into place, forming a protective wall around us.
"Clearnight," he continued, "lead us to the other side of this floor."
The bat-masked familiar walked in front of the group, ready to guide.
Just then, an idea came to mind, so I glanced to my side. "Rabbit, can you assist him?"
"Gladly," he obliged, hopping to Clearnight's side.
While they're scouting ahead, I glanced at Perugius. He gave me a sidelong look, and a faint smirk tugged at his lips before he turned his attention forward once more.
As the group and I navigated the maze, I took the opportunity to flip through a few pages of the red-covered book I got from the archive.
The deeper I read, the clearer the pattern became.
Every spell recorded within the pages shared a single, unmistakable theme.
Destruction.
Not subtle alterations, nor simple manipulation. Just pure, unapologetic ruin woven into every incantation, as if the book itself delighted in tearing the world apart piece by piece.
"Is that where you found the spell that carved out the massive tunnel?"
Perugius's voice called out beside me. I turned my head and nodded in response.
"Yeah, the spell was called Arcane Explosion, by the way."
"I see..." He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, curiosity overcoming his earlier discretion. After a brief pause, he extended a hand toward me. "May I inspect that book for a moment?"
"Of course," I replied, handing him the book.
Just as Perugius reached out his hand to seize it, the Cheshire Cat appeared out of nowhere, drifting between us to intercept us.
"Oh? What's the meaning of this?" Perugius questioned, furrowing his brows in confusion.
Confused by his action, I asked, "Cheshire, is something the matter?"
"Apologize for my rudeness," the cat replied playfully, "but no one else is allowed to read that book other than her."
After those words left his mouth, all of the familiars scowled at him. Sylvaril marched towards us with a huge frown tugging her lips down.
Oh no, this can't be good.
"Care to elaborate on what you just said?" she demanded angrily.
The Cheshire Cat hesitated before explaining, "My master tasked me with preventing anyone from acquiring the knowledge this young lady needs to shape her future."
"And who is your master? What are their goals?" Perugius pressed onward, curious.
Before the cat could answer, the White Rabbit hopped forward.
"If I were to answer your question," he chimed in calmly, "our master is a nameless mage who simply wishes for these two elves to escape this labyrinth."
A nameless mage? That sounds rather mysterious and somewhat suspicious.
Hearing the rabbit's response, Perugius narrowed his eyes and glanced at Elinalise and me.
"Very well," he acknowledged with resignation. "But once we leave this place, I wish to speak with your master."
"That can be arranged," the White Rabbit agreed, accepting those terms.
"Wait, are you okay with that?" I asked, turning to Perugius. "And here I thought you'd want to take this book from my hands."
"There's no need," he answered honestly. "Besides, I'd rather acquire the information directly from the author rather than from a tome."
"Hmm... If you say so," I conceded, tucking the book to my side.
With the conversation settled down, we continued our advance through the hedge maze.
-------------------------------------
After several minutes of navigating the hedge maze, I noticed that our group had not seen a single monster along the way. Neither Clearnight nor the White Rabbit felt anything looming, so I guess we would be walking without any danger in sight.
...
"What if I blast a path straight through this maze?" I blurted out suddenly. "Would it make the journey much faster?"
The moment the words left my mouth, everyone darted their gaze at me as though I had said something forbidden.
"That would have been a reasonable idea," Perugius remarked, "if not for one problem."
"What is it?" I asked, genuinely confused.
The silver-haired man halted in his tracks, forcing the others to stop as well. He then reached beneath his cloak and drew his sword.
Whoooosh~
With a single swing, he slashed at the hedge on the left, leaving a huge diagonal gap through the dense foliage.
"Observe," Perugius muttered, gesturing toward the damage.
I followed his gaze and froze. The torn branches contorted unnaturally, threading themselves together as fresh leaves sprouted, sealing the crevice in the blink of an eye.
"Now, let's say you did carve a path through these hedges," he continued, "It would take only a few seconds to repair itself before you could walk across."
I stared at the fully restored hedge, marveling at the defense mechanism embedded within it. "If the maze could do this, why hadn't the tunnel on the third floor been restored?"
"It's because the walls of that floor are inanimate," Sylvaril responded. "These hedges, on the other hand, are sentient foliage with regenerative capabilities."
With that explanation, I finally comprehended the consequences of my suggestion. Blasting a path might be feasible, but doing so would definitely trigger the labyrinth's defenses and risk another separation.
Krrsssh~
Just then, I heard leaves rustling in the distance. I turned to see Clearnight, the White Rabbit, and even the Cheshire Cat tensing up, their posture shifting as if bracing for impact. Elinalise hid herself behind me, clutching my arm tightly.
"I don't want to alarm everyone," the rabbit muttered, "but monsters are coming."
"My lord, enemies are approaching from all directions," Clearnight reported sharply.
However, the cat giggled, floating lazily as his grin widened. "It seems your little presentation caught the labyrinth's attention, Mr. Dragon King."
Perugius furrowed his eyebrows, irritation flickering across his face. Before he could respond, multiple figures burst forth from the hedges.
They were bipedal like humans, yet something about them felt extremely wrong. Their bodies were flat and rectangular, like sentient cutouts torn from a child's drawing. Long, skinny limbs jutted from their edges at awkward angles, each holding a spear that made them terrifying.
What caught my attention the most, however, were the familiar symbols slapped across their chests. Spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds gleamed faintly, each shape distinct, as though every creature belonged to a different suit.
"It's the four-sided knights," Sylvaril informed, her stance stiffening.
The Cheshire Cat snickered. "I prefer calling them Card Soldiers."
Hearing that, the bird-masked woman grimaced at the little critter, as if she was offended by the unfamiliar term. However, I understood the reference since they're adversaries from Alice in Wonderland.
"O̵͍͠F̵̟͋F̵͙̑ ̴̛̬W̴͕̊Ḯ̶̹T̵̖͊Ḩ̶̈́ ̶̣̋T̷̳͋H̸͙͝E̷̼̚I̸̧̊R̶̒͜ ̷̝͘H̸̩́E̸͚͆À̸͔Ḏ̵͛S̶̗̈!̴͕̓"
A distorted voice reverberated elsewhere, prompting the monsters to surge forward.
"Almanfi, Trophimus, Gall, Furiousful—intercept them!"
Perugius's command rang out like a blade striking steel.
"Understood!"
The four familiars moved instantly, charging at the enemy ranks.
Whoooosh~ BLAM!!
Almanfi dashes forward, cleaving Card Soldiers with sweeping strikes, while Furiousful leaps ahead and brings his hammer down, tearing through their ranks with overwhelming force.
Splash! Crush!
Trophimus and Gall used water and earth magic, unleashing crashing waves and rock spikes to knock over and impale several of them in one swoop.
One by one, the card soldiers fell quickly.
However, they didn't stop advancing.
From the hedge behind the fallen ones, more emerged. So many that their flat bodies slipped through the foliage as if the maze itself were birthing them.
"Was there no end to this?" I asked anxiously.
"Maybe," the Cheshire cat concurred ominously. "They're multiplying more than I thought."
Due to their increasing numbers, the card soldiers slowly overwhelmed the familiars.
"Should you do something about it?" The White Rabbit implored with the Cheshire Cat.
"Should I? Perhaps. Will I? No... Do I like being difficult?" the cat said as his head turned 180°. "Most definitely."
Given the dire situation, I looked at the book in my hand and thought to myself. Should I help them? They seem to be struggling. But the consequence...
"What are you waiting for?" the Cheshire Cat continued, widening its grin. "Use the book."
....
...
You know what, screw it.
I opened the book once more and flipped through the pages, searching for a spell to unleash.
-----------------------------------------
My finger paused on a certain page, one marked with arrows pointing toward a series of text. Just as before, the book instructed to read it, but this time, another line followed beneath it.
[In case of multiple enemies surrounding you.]
Was the author of the book aware of my situation, or was this merely a coincidence?
No matter. I shall follow the instructions to save everyone from the current threat.
"Are you planning to use that again?"
Perugius's voice rang out amidst the chaos happening around me.
I lifted my gaze to meet his, steeling my resolve.
"What choice do I have other than doing nothing?"
He furrowed his brows, as if he were gauging my resolve. Sylvaril and the rest of the familiars turned their attention toward me as well, while Elinalise's grip tightened slightly.
The silence felt louder than the battle raging in the background.
Eventually, Perugius let out a deep sigh.
"Fine... do it."
With his permission granted, I returned to the book and read the rest of the passage.
[Aim your hand to the sky and recite the incantation.]
Following the instructions, I gently removed Elinalise's hold on my arm, lifted it overhead, and chanted aloud.
"By will unbound, give me unbridled power. Shatter the sky, let devastation gather.
Answer my call, judgment given form. For I shall cast [Peircing Lightstorm]."
The moment the final word left my lips, a familiar sensation emanated from my chest, surging through my arm, and flowed out from my fingertips. Then a sphere of crimson light appeared in the air overhead, expanding and churning violently.
"Almanfi, Trophimus, Gall, Furiousful—withdraw!" Perugius commanded urgently.
The four familiars who were fighting the Card Soldiers retreated to the group.
BOOM!
The sphere burst open, releasing several radiant projectiles in all directions. Each one spread outward with infallible precision, homing in on every card soldier surrounding us.
Pheeeeeeeww—!
Piercing whistles filled the air as crimson beams collided with their targets. Fragments of the Card Soldiers' flat, painted bodies scattered like confetti upon impact. Their spears clattered to the dirt path, utterly destroyed before they could even make contact with our group.
The disarray around us transformed into a symphony of destruction. Leaves and twigs rained from the hedges as the projectiles carved smears of mayhem, leaving nothing but smoke and splintered wood behind.
When it was over, silence reclaimed the second floor, and not a single Card Soldier remained standing. The battle is over, and I am the victor.