[Elinalise POV]
I am scared...
Scared of what's happening right now.
Alice was smiling so eerily, telling everyone she was not done yet.
But what does it mean? The monsters are gone, so the fight should be over.
Yet, the magic spell Alice used didn't cease—and it's still going, swirling and twisting around her like a storm without end.
"Stop this foolishness at once," Perugius shouted, crossing his arms in annoyance.
Alice tilted her head slightly, her blonde hair drifting like smoke around her face.
"Foolishness? Oh no, no," she whispered, her voice calm yet tinged with madness. "This is far greater than that."
"What is that supposed to be?" Sylvaril replied, her stance cautious.
She spread her arms wide and glanced upwards, her mouth agape.
"My mind is remembering who I was!"
Her remark shook me because I didn't understand it at all.
What is she remembering about?
"Rostelina..."
Before I could process everything, Alice suddenly blurted out a name.
As I looked forward, she was staring straight at me.
"Come to me, Rostelina..."
I glanced back, making sure she was calling out to someone else. However, no one answered her call, which meant it was me she was addressing.
"Is she talking to me?" I asked, trying to confirm the absurdity of the situation.
"Seems like it," the purple beast retorted, smiling nervously. "Who else is she referring to?"
A strange feeling stirred inside my chest.
Rostelina...
The name echoed in my mind like a distant whisper, faint yet persistent.
I couldn't recognize it, but... should I?
"Come on now," Alice muttered softly, her hand slowly reaching toward me. "Don't you recall? You stood beside me... back then... when our afflictions destroyed everything."
"W—what are you talking about?" I stammered, taking a step backward instead of forward. "I don't understand... what affliction are you—"
"Rostelina..."
Alice's voice sharpened, cutting through my words.
The swirling storm around her pulsed violently.
"I understand you're confused," she continued, a faint laugh escaped her lips. "But it's alright, I'll help you recall."
Hearing that, my heart began pounding.
What is she going to tell me? I'm scared.
"That's enough!"
Perugius' voice rang out again, colder this time.
"Whatever delusion you are indulging in, it's time to stop."
Alice didn't even look at him. Instead, her gaze remained locked onto me.
"We once accidentally destroyed our home due to a dreadful curse," she whispered, hovering toward us. "Fortunately, a kind individual nullified our affliction and made us his companions."
As she spoke, the heart of the tempest began to advance, causing the barrier to tremble and crack under its pressure.
Crrrk...
Thin fractures spread across the barrier's surface, each one glowing faintly as if struggling to contain what was inside.
"My lord," Sylvaril warned, stepping forward. "The barrier won't hold much longer."
"I can see that," Perugius muttered, his eyes narrowing as he observed Alice cautiously.
"We should all retreat to the staircase," the white beast suggested. "It's dangerous here."
Perugius nodded and turned to the group. "Everyone, withdraw."
They all complied with his command and moved toward the staircase.
"Elinalise, it's time to retreat!" Sylvaril shouted urgently.
However, I didn't move. I couldn't.
My eyes remained fixed on Alice, who was smiling madly.
"Don't you remember him?" she continued, her voice softening. "The one who saved us...who gave us purpose?"
"Who are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice shaking in fear.
Alice's smile widened further.
"His name... is LAPLACE!"
As she spoke the person's name, my heart dropped.
I'm not sure why, but something about it feels off.
"What did she just say?!"
Perugius's voice thundered from behind.
CRASH!
Suddenly, the barrier shattered, and a powerful gust of colorful wind burst forth. Seeing that, I instinctively closed my eyes in fear.
"JOIN ME AND REUNITE WITH HIM!"
Just as her voice rang out and the current surged toward me—
Nothing happened. No force nor pain.
Opening my eyes, I found myself getting shrouded by a smaller barrier, shielding me from the spiralling tempest's assault.
I glanced at Alice, who was now looking confused.
"Huh?"
Fwoop—
"?!"
All of a sudden, something struck her at the back of the neck. She slowly reached up, pulling some pointy projectile.
As Alice looked at me in confusion, the light returned to her eyes.
"Elinalise?"
Did she regain her sanity?
Before I could react, the tempest collapsed.
The wind died, the floor untwisted, and the nightmare disappeared as if it had never existed.
Eventually, Alice and the book began to wobble and fall from the air.
"Alice!"
Just as she's about to hit the ground, a figure swept in and caught her.
The landing was quiet... too quiet.
They wore a ragged robe and an oversized pointy hat.
As the figure stood there, I noticed them cradling Alice like a fragile creature, gently touching her face with their hand.
What are they doing to her?
For a moment, I just stared at them, confused by their actions.
"Master!"
The White Beast's voice suddenly interjected.
I turned around and saw everyone coming up the staircase and approaching me.
Perugius paused halfway through, his brows furrowing.
"I appreciate you for stopping Alice, but may I ask who you are?"
Returning my gaze to the mysterious figure, I see them looking over their shoulder.
"I assume you have more questions than that," they responded, their voice muffled. "But let's start with that one."
The figure then handed Alice to the tall man who had approached them.
"My name is Faust, a wandering mage."
----------------------------------------------
[Alice's POV]
I am feeling dizzy.
Dizzy from walking through a kaleidoscopic tunnel that twists and spins like liquid glass.
However, the last time I checked, I was chanting an incantation to defeat the Red Queen and her army of chess pieces.
What the heck just happened? Am I dreaming right now? But this is hardly the time to snooze soundly. I was in the middle of the battlefield.
Okay, Alice... calm down, focus, and figure out where you are.
After consoling myself, I scanned the surroundings and noticed the tunnel isn't endless.
A faint light glimmers at the far end, flickering like it's calling out to me.
Strange... Is that an exit or a trap? Well, one way to find out.
I carefully walked forward, watching as the walls ripple with hypnotizing colored patterns I've never seen before, shapes distorting in on themselves, whispering distant echoes of laughter and chaotic rackets. The further I walk, the louder the cacophony becomes.
"̴̜̂͋̀H̶̺̜̏A̴͍͙͑̐H̵̽̐̅͜Â̷̳͂̀H̶͉̀̉̕A̷͚̻͑̌H̸̝̺̉̌Ą̷̛̳Ḫ̶̑͐Ä̸͇̥̖́̒!̴̲̦̄͒"̷̧̭͕̏
"̶̫͗I̴̙͘s̵̱̏ ̶̳͊t̸̬́ḧ̴̼́a̶̬͋t̶͔̊ ̶̺̂ā̶̮l̷̖̓l̶̺͗ ̵̢̏y̶̯͆o̶̱̔u̴̾͜ ̷͙̕g̶͙̈́o̷͓̐t̷̩̄?̸̢̿"̴̠̈́
"̷̝̄L̵̥͛ö̸͔o̸̮͊k̶̺͑ ̵̞̄a̸̞̿t̷̛̠ ̷̑ͅỷ̵̱ȍ̷͙ṳ̸̇.̸̗͝.̸̥̓.̶͍̀ ̶̢̛s̶̜̒ť̸̟i̶̪̕l̷͉͝l̶̙̍ ̵͔̀w̸̧̕a̶̠͂l̷̄͜k̵̛̼i̷̠͝n̵̘͆ğ̸̙ ̶̤͝l̵͚̀ĭ̷̺k̸͇͘e̶͇̕ ̴̰̒a̵̦̍ ̴̥̎h̷͇̍o̴̘̍p̵̟̌ḙ̷̏l̴̯̊e̶͉͠s̴̠̈s̵̛̠ ̷̺̉l̷͉̎ǫ̵̑s̴̲̈́ḙ̴̊r̵͔͗.̴̚ͅ"̷͓̈́
"̸͈̟̉̕I̸̬̎'̶̖̃̆m̵̧̃ ̸̻̘̈́̕r̷͕̼̋e̵̛͍͉m̵̞̌e̸̙͆͊m̷̨̫͊b̶̳̊̉e̶͖͈̽͘r̶̰̕i̶͖̰͠ň̸̫͋g̴̖̒ ̴̬̙̈̐w̷̭͚̄h̵͍̽͂ò̶͉̜͛ ̸̑͋ͅI̵͎̤͌ ̶̻̦̈́͝w̴̭̱̑ä̵͇́s̷͈̄̕ͅ!̷̝̜͒"̴͖̋͠
"̵̟̐J̴̙̾Ỏ̸̤Ì̶̳Ņ̶͘ ̷̫́M̵͕̚E̵̬̐ ̵̺͌Ǎ̶͖Ṋ̷̈D̵̘̃ ̵͕͝R̸̄͜E̶̥͑Ù̵̖N̷̼̏I̶͖͒T̸̬͋E̵̢̛ ̶̟͑W̷͚̊Ĭ̵̤T̶̳́H̷̗̿ ̸͍̉H̵̲̊I̸̩̐M̷̥̏!̵̰̌"̸̧͆
Geez, so noisy. Could they turn the noise down a notch? It's hurting my ears.
As I tried to dismiss the noises and draw closer to the light, a chill crept along the back of my neck. The sensation was strong yet oddly calming, as if the chaos around me had vanished.
Just then, an image of Elinalise glancing up at me popped up, fear etched across her face.
"Elinalise?"
The instant I said her name, my vision blurred. A sharp vertigo swept through me, and before I could react, she disappeared. But then I realized the floor I was standing on was gone, and I felt an unmistakable sensation of falling.
"Waaaaah?!"
I screamed and flailed my arms as the bright light engulfed my vision, forcing me to close my eyes. The brightness blinded me for a moment until it faded away.
When I opened them again, I found myself standing in the middle of a forest.
I slowly turned in place, scanning my surroundings carefully.
The trees are lofty and lush, their branches casting shadows across the verdant ground like grasping hands. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, but something felt wrong.
It's quiet... too quiet.
There's no wind, nor rustling leaves.
Even the air felt heavy, like the forest itself was holding its breath.
Where the heck am I now? This doesn't look like the labyrinth anymore.
Did I escape? If so, where's everyone else?
"Hey, Adalheidis."
Suddenly, a familiar feminine voice called out a name, sounding like Elinalise.
I turned toward the source of the sound and spotted two blonde elves sitting on a log, facing away from me. Both wore matching white dresses similar to mine.
Hold on, could those two be Elinalise and me before we woke up in the labyrinth?
"What is it, Rostelina?"
"I have a question to ask."
"Ask away."
They seem to be having an important conversation, so I quietly walked toward them and hid behind a tree to eavesdrop attentively.
"Do you think Mr. Dragon King's plan would work?"
"Of course, it will. Our master is super smart after all."
Mr. Dragon king? Is she referring to Perugius? No, he would've recalled us if that's the case.
I leaned in closely, listening closely.
"Even so," Rostellina hesitated, her voice softening, "what if the modification fails somehow?"
Modification? Did Elinalise and I undergo experiments before? Why did we volunteer?
The other elf, Adalheidis, chuckled lightly.
"You're overthinking again."
"But—"
"No buts," she gently interrupted. "We have to trust him. Besides, he saved us once."
Saved... them? By who? Who is the person they looked up to?
"There you are, you two."
Without warning, a deep, masculine voice echoed behind me. I spun around to see a massive figure with pale white skin, long silver hair marbled with green patches, a pair of golden eyes, and an enormous set of draconic wings.
Wait, isn't he one of the portraits displayed on the third floor?
The two blonde elves turned around, their red eyes sparkling in joy at his presence.
"Master Laplace!"
They called out the man's name as he approached them, completely ignoring me.
"What are you two doing here all alone?" Laplace asked patiently.
"We're just debating," Rostellina responded, rising from the log. "It's about whether you could modify our bodies."
"Here we go again," Adalheidis retorted, pouting her cheeks. "I already told you he could do it without any trouble. Right, master?"
The Dragon King chuckled softly as he placed both hands on the heads of the two elves.
"That's right," he confirmed optimistically. "All of the necessary preparations are ready for the mana factory modification."
"As expected of Master," Adalheidis beamed, leaning into his touch. "You kept your promise."
"So that means we won't need to live in fear of our curse?" Rostallina asked hopefully.
Laplace smiled faintly, though something behind that expression felt... heavy.
He gradually knelt to the ground, placing himself at their level.
"Listen, you two," he whispered carefully. "I know you both want to live a normal life after this procedure, but I want you to promise me one thing."
"What is it, Master?"
The moment Adalheidis asked the question, he glanced over his shoulder, meeting my gaze.
"Remember me, you two."
As soon as he spoke those words, the world began to unravel.
The trees withered, the ground collapsed, and the sky blackened.
Aldalheidis and Rostellina slowly vanished from sight.
Then, without warning, Laplace's body split in two before dissolving into nothingness.
"Wait, come back!
As I tried to reach out, everything was engulfed in darkness.
----------------------------------------
GASP!
I forced a deep breath as my body jolted, feeling a soft fabric envelop me. Bright light poured into my eyes, turning everything into a hazy blur. I struggled to adjust, but I could only squint.
For a moment, I tried to piece together what I had just seen.
"Alice?"
The forest... the two blonde elves... that Dragon King...
"Alice."
Modification... curses... promise...
"Alice!"
"?!"
My vision snapped into focus.
The blur peeled away like a fog under sunlight, and the world drew back all at once. A ceiling greeted me first—smooth, pale, unfamiliar. Then a peaceful softness pressed underneath me that wasn't grass or fur, but it was something far more comfortable.
It's a bed.
I blinked slowly, my chest still respiring unevenly as if I had escaped something invisible.
"Alice... are you okay?"
That voice—
I turned my head and found her.
It was Elinalise, kneeling beside me with an expression caught between relief and disbelief. It was as if she had been holding her breath for so long she forgot how to breathe.
"I should be the one asking you."
My voice came out hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
Her eyes widened for a second before she took a sigh of relief.
"Ah... Thank goodness, you're sane again."
Sane again? What is she talking about? I'm always sane... I think.
I pushed myself up slowly, wincing as a faint dizziness tugged at my head. Some remnants of that dream—or memory—still clung to my mind like cobwebs.
"Where are we? Don't tell me we're still in the labyrinth, aren't we?"
Elinalise shook her head, placing her hand over mine.
"We all escaped the labyrinth," she reassured, "and this is a safe place."
A safe place, huh?
I glanced around my surroundings and noticed the lavish furnishings adorned every corner of the room. Everything looks expensive, something only a billionaire could afford.
Hmm... I doubt this place is real, but since Elinalise is here, I'd say otherwise.
"So, I don't think it's too much to ask, but what happened back in the labyrinth?"
As I asked Elinalise, her expression darkened, as though something had gone south.
"Well, you see..."
She began recounting everything after I cast the spell, "Wonderland of Madness."
At first, it sounded rather great, knowing that I single-handedly annihilated most of the chess pieces with a swirling storm and an abyss that disintegrated enemies into ashes.
Wow, I felt like an overpowered protagonist.
However, things took a dark turn when Elinalise revealed that I started laughing like a maniac after the Black King tried to strike me, which I countered. After that, I had toyed with not only the king but also the Red Queen, until I brutally killed them both.
Umm, this is awkward. I didn't know I would cross that line.
But what happened next was quite disturbing because I had referred to Elinalise as Rostellina and tormented her with memories of the past, ones I had also heard in the dream. To make it worse, I tried to attack her and the group with the same spell I used to kill the chess pieces.
What have I done?
Glancing at Elinalise, I noticed she was visibly distressed after recounting the events.
Of course, she would be.
I nearly hurt her.
My actions filled me with regret.
"Sorry for everything," I muttered weakly, lowering my head. "What I did was uncalled for."
"It's alright," Elinalise whispered, gently holding my hand. "It wasn't your fault."
"But I tried to hurt everyone," I snapped, biting my lip in shame.
As I was about to spiral further, she wrapped her arms around my head, pulling me close.
"I forgive you, so please stop blaming yourself."
Upon hearing her clemency, I felt the heavy burden on my chest lifted away.
Without thinking, I leaned into her, resting my head against her chest.
Ba-dum... ba-dum... ba-dum...
Her heartbeat reverberated steadily in my ear.
Slow, calm, and grounding.
And for the first time since waking up, everything felt... peaceful.
-------------------------------------
Creak...
Suddenly, the soft groan of the door hinges cut through the moment, prompting Elinalise and me to turn toward the noise.
As the door swung open, a familiar figure slowly entered the room.
It was Sylvaril.
Although her bird mask obscured her eyes, I could sense her gaze staring at us.
"You're finally awake."
Her tone was strangely apathetic when she spoke those words, as though she were trying to distance herself from us both.
For a moment, neither of us responded.
The warmth that lingered between Elinalise and me seemed to diminish, like a mist dissolving under the cold breeze. Reality crept back in, quiet but insistent.
tap... tap... tap...
Sylvaril stepped further into the room, her posture straight and composed as always.
However, there was no visible relief or concern in her demeanor, only patience.
"Lord Perugius has tasked me to check on you," she informed, her voice steady. "So, how are you holding up? Do you still feel sick or tired?"
"Not at all," I answered, shaking my head before giving her a thumbs-up. "I feel a lot better."
"Good," Sylvaril muttered indifferently, turning toward the door. "If that's the case, the two of you should follow me."
After issuing her order, she immediately left the room without explaining further.
Elinalise and I exchanged glances, confused by her hasty departure. So, I climbed out of bed, and we followed Sylvaril together.
Once outside the room, a monumental hallway welcomed us. It stretched far beyond my eyes could see, its polished floors reflecting the soft shine of the chandeliers above. Marble pillars lined the walls, emphasizing its grandness and style.
"Whoa, this place looked marvelous, Elinalise."
"Yeah, I even saw what the outside of the building looks like earlier."
"Really? I'd like to see that too."
While we're admiring the surroundings, Sylvaril approached us with a troubled expression.
"Now is not the time to get distracted," she reproached. "Lord Perugius needs to see you two as soon as possible."
"A-ah, okay."
We postponed our sightseeing and continued moving forward.
Tap... tap... tap...
Each step we took reverberated faintly, swallowed by the vastness of the corridor.
"So... um, if you don't mind me asking," I blurted out, "where exactly are we?"
Sylvaril glanced over her shoulder while walking steadily, then let out a resigned sigh.
"We are currently within Chaos Breaker," she answered calmly, "Our lord's sky fortress."
"Right, the sky fortress," I repeated. "Does that mean we're way up in the air right now?"
"Yes," Sylvaril confirmed, her stride steady. "Far beyond the reach of ordinary threats."
I see. This sort of architecture has significant advantages over any intruders—raiders, killers, and even thieves. No one could get into this place... unless planes exist in this world. Hmm...
The thought lingered for a moment before fading as we pressed on.
As we kept walking, I noticed the walls were lined with extravagant paintings and portraits of various individuals. Some of them were oddly identical to the ones I encountered on the third floor of the labyrinth. Could they somehow be related to Perugius?
"Those portraits," I muttered quietly. "Who are they?"
Sylvaril didn't look at me, let alone slow her pace.
"Those were the people who walked alongside Lord Peruigus," she explained. "They assisted him in the wars against the demon race."
Wait, there were demons waging wars in this world?! For how long and why?
Her explanation only deepened my curiosity, but the tone she used made it clear that further questions would be unpleasant.
So, I kept quiet for now.
Eventually, the hallway began to widen. The atmosphere itself felt heavier.
And then—
We stopped.
Before us stood a pair of enormous doors, towering high above our heads. Their surface was engraved with intricate patterns—two dragons coiling around one another, their forms frozen amidst a fierce battle.
Sylvaril stepped forward, placing her hand against the door's surface.
But she paused for a brief moment before turning toward us.
"Prepare yourselves, you two," she warned, her voice lower than before.
Elinalise shifted slightly beside me. I could feel the tension in her posture.
I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Sylvaril looked away, facing the door.
"Our lord is not in a pleasant mood."
That single sentence made me swallow deeply.
What could have caused him to be upset?
Before I could question Sylvaril about it, she was already pushing the doors.
Creeeeek—
A deep, resonant sound reverberated as the massive doors gradually opened, revealing what lay beyond. Light spilled outward from the gap, forcing me to squint my eyes.
Slowly, my vision adjusted, and I saw it.
A vast hall stretched before us, grander than anything I'd seen so far. The ceiling arched high above, supported by towering pillars etched with dragon designs. The floor shone like glossy glass, reflecting the figures that stood within,
At the far end of the hall were the familiars.
Eleven of them, arranged in two orderly rows, facing each other like sentinels. Their presence alone carried weight, their stillness more intimidating than any movement.
And beyond them—
Seated upon a throne elevated above the rest—
was the Dragon King himself.
Perugius.
Looking down at us without saying a word.
So I stared back at him, bracing myself.