"The Fool who does not belong to this era,
"The Mysterious Ruler above the gray fog,
"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good fortune—
"I seek your gaze.
"I seek your guidance.
"I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to make that kind of joke…
"I wasn't trying to scare you! You know… you should know, right? I don't usually make jokes like that. I wouldn't joke about something like that. I… I wasn't thinking straight at the time…
"Anyway, anyway, I know I was wrong. So, can you please stop being mad at me?"
Above the gray fog, Klein withdrew his spiritual perception, rubbing his temples with a sigh.
Judging from Alice's tone, her apology was at least sincere. Whether or not she'd do it again… was another matter entirely.
Still, something about her words caught his attention.
'Normally, I wouldn't make this kind of joke…'
Klein thought back carefully and suddenly realized—he wasn't entirely sure if that was true.
The Alice from the beginning likely wouldn't have, but now… he couldn't say for certain.
That said, her claim about not being in the right state of mind? That was likely true as well. In fact, she had been acting strangely for quite some time.
Klein frowned, concern creeping into his expression. But then he remembered Alice's personality and sighed again, rubbing his temples harder.
He had indeed been furious at the time—furious that she had played such a dangerous trick. But now, he found himself more worried than anything else.
Still, he couldn't forgive her too easily. Otherwise, she'd definitely try something like this again in the future.
After a moment of contemplation, Klein extended his spirituality, touching the deep crimson star that belonged to Alice. In a cold and indifferent voice, he responded:
"I understand."
…
Alice rolled back and forth on her bed, restless.
She wasn't used to apologizing. Most of the time, she was the one making others angry, not the one cleaning up the mess.
Usually, she'd just shove that responsibility onto someone else.
After painstakingly choosing her words to sound as pitiful as possible, she had finally sent out her prayer.
Now, she anxiously waited for a response.
When she finally received one, it came in the form of a distant, emotionless reply:
"I understand."
…She was doomed.
Alice sat up abruptly, clutching her head in despair. Now she really had to think of a way to appease Klein.
No, first, she had to figure out how much of her apology he actually believed…
As she mulled over it, she gradually drifted into a half-asleep state, her thoughts slowing, her body growing heavy.
Time blurred.
When she regained awareness, she found herself in an endless darkness, surrounded by clusters of Night Fragrance and Deep Sleep Flowers.
The silence was overwhelming. Even the sound of her own breathing seemed amplified in the void. Alice had a feeling that, given enough time, she could perceive her own heartbeat and the flow of her own blood with absolute clarity.
She was familiar with this place. She knew these flowers.
Tentatively, she spoke into the void, "Goddess?"
There was no sky, no ground, but Alice had the distinct impression of something descending from the stars and the crimson moon.
The figure landed in the darkness, clothed in a deep black gown—layered yet elegant, adorned with countless specks of shimmering light.
It was like looking at the night sky itself.
Alice's gaze was drawn to the twinkling stars on the gown. Almost instinctively, she began counting them.
One, two, three, four…
"It has been a while," a gentle voice spoke, pulling Alice from her thoughts. She blinked and looked up at the figure.
The figure was a woman, her features obscured, as if hidden by the very essence of the night itself.
Without thinking, Alice blurted out, "Can you turn back into a wolf?"
A heavy silence followed.
A silence filled with… awkwardness.
After several long seconds, Alice raised a hand to cover her mouth, as if trying to stuff the words back inside.
A soft sigh echoed through the void. Then, the gentle voice spoke again:
"It seems you've won your gamble.
"You are in far better shape than when we last spoke."
Alice tilted her head. "Gamble…? What was I like the last time we met?"
The figure's voice remained calm as she answered:
"At the time, you told me that when you returned, you would have become the true embodiment of fate.
"You called it… a prophecy."
There was a pause before she added, "This is merely a projection. A dream projection."
Alice lowered her head slightly, pretending to examine the flowers at her feet as she murmured to herself:
"A 'prophecy'…?
"Was it really me who said that to you?"
Prophet—Prophecy: The ability to mark key points in fate and make a 'prediction.' The more people who believe in the prophecy, the more likely it is to come true. The strength of those who believe and their connection to the prophecy determine the extent of its influence.
It was not the same as weaving fate. The possibility had always existed—the prophecy simply amplified it.
But was it a prophecy? Or a 'prophecy'?
Alice wasn't sure if her emotions were well-hidden, but after a long silence, the figure finally responded:
"Perhaps, at this point, it no longer matters."
"…What do you mean?" Alice pressed.
The voice was as gentle as ever, soothing her mind as it spoke:
"You once told me…
"You almost drowned in a river of shimmering light. Before your consciousness faded, you grasped a key."
"A key…" Alice repeated softly.
The figure didn't reply. Instead, she shifted to a different topic—speaking of knowledge beyond the Sequence system, of the secret connections between adjacent pathways.
Alice clenched her fists. She listened in silence until the voice faded, then, her heart heavy with confusion, she whispered:
"So I was never really fighting off someone else's lingering consciousness, was I?
"My mind was always intact. Even if the Key of Light had awakened… No, the truth is, no one 'awoke.' It was always just me.
"I… I'm just unstable."
She fell silent for a long time before speaking again:
"You mentioned the 'Lord of Mysteries'…
"Does that mean Klein will eventually become like me?
"Have you been watching over him?"
The figure wavered slightly before answering:
"As long as he continues ascending, it is inevitable."
Alice bit her lip, lowering her gaze.
"Then… if he doesn't ascend… If he separates himself from the Sefirah Castle…"