Abyssal Awakening

"You certainly look different compared to how we last met." Verona smiled while the two of them sat around the campfire in the centre of the village.

She grabbed a few skewers and offered Alice a plate.

"You as well. I’m surprised you can still remember me, considering you look like this right now." Alice accepted the plate.

Like her, Verona had regressed to her childhood form. The one that suffered through the famine.

"Even if I look like this, it’s still me in the end. I doubt I can forget the things that happened." Verona chuckled. When she looked at the village, there was a sad smile on her face.

"It’s surprising, isn’t it?" she asked, glancing at Alice.

"There’s more than one surprising thing here. Care to specify?"

"This village. You’d think that, as the Queen of the North, my desire would be something far bigger than this. Something akin to an idealised North, I suppose. A grand queendom that won’t fall no matter what." Verona leaned back.

Compared to her usual serious self in the past, this version of her was far more cheerful. As though the weight on her shoulders had disappeared. Not completely, of course, as she understood that this was a dream. But she didn’t care.

"I suppose so. Though... I understand you. This kind of mundane life... it’s the best, right?" Alice chuckled, a slight smile appearing on her face.

Despite being powerful, she too wanted a simple life.

This kind of desire wasn’t foreign to her.

Verona blinked before letting out a loud laugh.

"Yes... yes indeed. Even the most powerful rulers desire simplicity like this every now and then. But the responsibilities of reality tie us down. Chain us to our duties and forge a prison of iron around the heart." Verona closed her eyes, enjoying the northern wind.

"But no more."

After a brief pause, she opened her mouth.

"Did Enris bring you here? Or did you figure out a way to enter by causing an anomaly?" Verona asked curiously.

"If Enris didn’t bring me here, I probably would’ve figured out a way in anyway." Alice shrugged. "I know a few people who can control the Nightmare to some extent, along with my own powers."

"As expected of you. First you come to my nation and cause a storm, then you make my best blacksmith owe you pieces of equipment. You even use your favour to try and reverse engineer mead rather than anything else." Verona chuckled and shook her head. "What do you think about this place?"

"A little sad, but understandable." Alice replied honestly and without hesitation.

"Ouch, harsh." Verona kicked her legs.

"But you’re not wrong. It is a little sad, but I’m simply indulging myself for the moment." Verona exhaled through her nose.

"I know I failed the people of the North. I don’t intend to run from my responsibilities. Even if I want to stay here forever, that’s not something I’m allowed to do. I need to be there to help them survive the coming age."

Her response surprised Alice.

Considering the way Enris had phrased things, she had half expected Verona to be on Nyer’s side when it came to this memory.

"What’s with that look? Did you think I’d lose myself in my delusions?" Verona smirked proudly.

However, a fist came down from above, knocking her on the head.

"You don’t introduce me to your friend, and now you’re lying to her?" a man asked with a helpless smile. His hair was tied into a low ponytail, and he wore casual attire.

Yet despite the lack of armour, Alice recognised him as the red knight who had stood as her enemy in the dream.

Aldric.

"This girl is not being honest at all. I’m sorry you had to put up with her." Aldric chuckled while Verona started hitting his leg.

"You’re ruining my image! I’m still a Queen, you know. What about my dignity?" Verona creased her brows, but her punches did little.

In response, Aldric simply ruffled her hair with a grin while Alice couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

"Shoo! Isn’t there something else you need to do?" Verona tried to push Aldric away before he embarrassed her further.

"I wouldn’t be here if someone was more honest. Do you still remember what we talked about?" Aldric laughed.

Verona grumbled before nodding her head.

Seeing this, Aldric glanced at Alice and gave her a wave before walking away, allowing Verona the privacy she wanted.

Folding her arms in annoyance, Verona clicked her tongue.

"Fine. I was thinking about it. This dream isn’t that bad. The dead can come back, though... I know it’s just my own delusions. Still, living a life in a place like this didn’t sound terrible."

"I’m guessing he changed it for you?" Alice gestured toward Aldric with her chin.

"Yeah. He gave me a lecture and everything. Long story short... I’m only staying here to stall things out for now. My soul is too damaged for me to walk around in reality for too long. Since you came with Enris, I’m sure she told you the state of my body."

"Yep. You’re basically a walking corpse on a timer. Can’t exactly stay here for long either." Alice nodded.

"Caera and the others are doing what they can. They even met up with someone else who knows you as well. Said her name was Rosalyn or something along those lines." Verona smiled.

"The f*ck? Rosalyn’s there too?" Alice blinked.

"Not just her. It seems like your group split up, and a few of them got trapped in Terminus with the rest of us. Caera is working on a path out of Terminus with everyone else." Verona recalled.

If she had known she was going to meet Alice, she would’ve told the others. At least then, she would’ve been able to pass along a message or something.

Alice folded her arms.

If the others were with her...

Then calling for reinforcements might not be a bad idea. Especially if Caera was there with everyone else. Having all of them meet up again would be ideal, since Alice doubted she could resolve everything on her own.

But stepping into Extalia meant being ’tainted’ by the Nightmare. Without knowing the full extent of what this might bring, and with the memory device still in its testing phase, Alice wasn’t sure she wanted the others to step into Extalia just yet.

"Can I ask you to pass along a message?" Alice asked, and Verona nodded.

Whatever was happening in Extalia, it was clear that Alice was deeply involved. As for the severity... whoever was behind this was trying to overturn the natural order. Their experiments in the North, along with this Nightmare, were proof.

"Can you ask her to bring the others to Extalia? Preferably to the capital, since I’m planning on going there. Tell her that Allura and Gin are making their way over, and to be wary of the Nightmare. I don’t know how you were dragged in, but for others, the moment they step into this nation, they’ll be subjected to this realm."

"Alright, I’ll pass it along." Verona nodded.

"I will say one thing, though. I’m sure Sigurd would love to help, but his power is tied to his location rather than anything else. He won’t be much help in an actual battle. Myself... well, I’m sure I don’t need to explain." She sighed.

If she could fight, she would. To take revenge against the culprit who was the root cause of everything. To kill the man who destroyed her nation and murdered her civilians.

She might’ve failed them, but the least she could do was take revenge for them.

Verona glanced down at her hand. Despite wanting to fight, despite wanting to get revenge...

She was lacking in power right now.

"It’s fine. I don’t expect everyone to fight, since this is not a battle everyone can partake in." Alice shook her head.

The fight against Nyer and everything he had prepared was one beyond conventional means. Unless they had powers that allowed them to bridge this gap, fighting Nyer would be impossible.

"If anything, I just want you to handle the fallout with the others if he does decide to unleash the Nightmare on the rest of the world." Alice smiled.

"Since your soul is wounded, I think I might be able to fix you, or at least try."

"You can?" Verona turned her head with a slight frown.

Since when could Alice fix soul damage? Was she a disciple of the Moon?

"Yes, I can. I have three Sigils that let me tamper with a person’s soul. As for how much I can actually do, I still don’t know. But if I see the damage with my own eyes, I should be able to figure something out." Alice shrugged. "Sadly, it’s a Sigil ability, so I can’t exactly use it in the Nightmare."

Verona wasn’t even sure how she should respond.

How strong had Alice become in the time since she last saw her?

Hunters spent years getting used to their power and hunting for the next. Yet Alice was now tampering with souls.

"Anyway, I’ll take my leave here. There are still things I need to sort out, but I’ll come visit to see what’s going on. Still, it’s been good seeing you again." Alice stood up and stretched her body.

As nice as it was to stay in this village, she couldn’t remain for long.

There were too many things that required her attention.