THE CASTLE – UNDERGROUND

“That was some insane light magic. I am sure by now everything would have come to an end. I wonder what became of the Doctor. Had this barrier not been there, that light would have really killed me.” Regis thought to herself sighing at the same time after exhaustively using her destructive wind magic in that attack.

Regis out of curiosity tries striking multiple times with her finger on the spherical blue barrier field floating midway and carrying her all the way up through the white shaft. Having no effect on the barrier, she continues to suspiciously stare at its thin layer.

“How does it even hold?” Regis couldn’t understand how a barrier could be so strong and withstand that disaster.

But remembering that if it was to burst just then, she would fall to the bottom of the planet and the thought made her stop suspecting it and have more faith in Alicia’s magic.

“Can’t this move a little faster?” Regis complained as she saw the rim of the top hole.

The barrier starts disappearing on its own. It gets completely dissolved in the air as Regis steps down on the floor with a small jump.

Feeling the joy of reaching the ground, she remembers how her heart raced when she found herself in a pinch. She had to push herself to the limits to destroy the machine and carry out the plan successfully which Alicia had asked her to do.

Regis looks around and all she could find was the rubble and the charred ground.

Part of the old castle, which could have potentially contained a history of more than a hundred years, had been destroyed. The burst of light from underground had abruptly blasted through the multiple floors reaching the top and forming a night sky view.

So, even though Regis was standing indoors, on looking up she could feel the cool breeze and the faint light of the stars on her skin.

There was no longer any sound, in contrast to the fierce battle that had taken place here a few minutes ago. In fact, it was so quiet that one might think that nothing had happened here at all.

”Huh...Should’ve expected from her as much.” Regis takes another deep sigh and finding Alicia missing she feels a bit uneasy.

While unnecessary thoughts filled her empty head, she tried to remain calm and began searching, “She better not be lost again in these ruins…. Alicia.”

Regis shouts her name and noticed a glimpse of golden light radiating from the place where the homunculi girl was put to rest.

With hopeful eyes, Regis starts running in that direction, but when the picture becomes clearer, she momentarily stops.

“ALICIA…” Regis yelled with a mix of disbelief, grief, and anger on her face.

In front of her Alicia was glowing with vibrant colors but more importantly, her body was slowly being covered in a spindle of her own webs.

Unable to understand what was really happening she calls out her name again to get her attention.

“A-l-i-c-i-a.”

Alicia turns her way while Regis ran to reach her on time only to see her friend smile at her. Regis also noticed that she had put her mask away to utilize her full power.

In her own way, Alicia was ensuring Regis that they had won just as they had planned and she was leaving the rest to her.

But there was still a critical part of the plan which Regis was still not aware of.

⸻The part where Alicia risks her life to save that of the homunculi girl.

As she trembled and held back tears, Regis looked at a small cocoon of webs inside which Alicia rested. No matter what she did she could not force her way through the webs or even move them by an inch. They were simply unbreakable.

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Regis was immediately struck by a defeated feeling that she had failed in being a complete help to Alicia if this was how things were going to end.

Even though she did not know the particulars. Her friend was forced to suffer alone while she remained protected by her in a barrier. If only she had put much thought and not left Alicia alone even on her asking rather than trying to impress her.

Regis bawled uncontrollably like an infant ignoring any other sign that the giant chamber within the chamber was now starting to open. Her gaze was now fixed on it while holding Alicia close to her at the same time.

She was not sure whether the thing coming out from it would be a friend or foe.

“Hello, Regis.” A soft voice calls out to Regis who was then crying like a child.

“You are…” Regis ate half of the words realizing that the homunculi girl had come back to life and she now looked more humane.

The stiff muscles on her face had finally now become a proper smile.

“⸻My name is Hana.”

The young girl born of her own wish finally announced herself.

While the innocent Regis simply continued to celebrate and cry. She understood that Alicia did it all to keep her promise of fulfilling her wish.

“Hana… Just what happened here?” Regis wanted to know.

“Yes, that’s the new name that was given to me. But if you are worried about Mistress Alicia then she will be alright.” Hana’s voice now possessed an indescribable calm as Regis tried to remember her from the past day and see the vast difference for herself.

“It will be alright. Miss Alicia… she will be back soon.” Hana looked at the white shell of webs inside which Alicia was resting after giving a part of her soul to her.

“And how are you so sure of it!?”

“I just know it… because I can tell and feel it.” Hana brings her hands close to the center of her chest and holds them tight together. A thumping sound beating against her palm reassured her of her feelings.

After all, the two were now connected in both life and death because Hana now drew a major part of her magic and life force from Alicia.

“Don’t you believe that too miss Regis?”

On hearing those words Regis collected herself and stood staring at the girl. It could hardly be helped.

Regis, the first person to see the nameless homunculus had become an existence that never once existed in the history and knowledge of present civilization.

“If this is what Alicia wanted then tell me...” Regis appeared hesitant from asking someone new about the condition of her friend when she should have known better.

“I can tell anything about Miss Alicia. What she feels and even right now, she wants to thank you for all you have done and for being so reliable.” Hana spoke from the depth of her heart and exactly how Alicia felt.

Because Hana inherited all her new feelings from Alicia, just like her she knew she could always rely on Regis.

“It’s not fair if she doesn’t say that straight to me. But when she will wake up. Just what has happened to her and how did you become so alive.” Regis held Hana by her shoulders and pulled her close to herself.

“She is only recovering her lost soul power from the fight and some information that I cannot understand. By my guess, it would be five days before she wakes up.” Since Hana and Alicia now possess a strong connection, Hana, at times could exactly tell what Alicia was going through. For example, she was able to understand the feelings of Alicia’s past life as Sachi but not access the information about her previous world.

“I see. Then let’s move her to a comfortable place in this castle.”

Regis searched for a perfect place. An intact room at the back portion of the castle was still intact.

Resting Alicia on a giant bed, Regis could also find a few rooms close by. The castle also had all proper living facilities and there was no one around to disturb them.

“I will go and get us some food from the town. What will you do in the meantime?” Regis asked Hana because by then it was already morning.

“I will stay by her side till the time she wakes up.”

“But wouldn’t that be too long? Aren’t you hungry?” Regis remembered how she did not stop eating at the pancake shop.

“I am going nowhere. And for other matters, I don’t need food to survive.” Hana was stubborn.

“But I don’t think Alicia would like you to stay hungry because of her.” Regis made a retort and checked.

Surprisingly it had a great effect on Hana as she shook with distress at the thought of making Alicia feel sad and could also feel the truth in Regis’s words.

“Alright… I will get you something good to eat. You can stay here and keep guard.” Regis puts Hana out of her misery by offering to help.

“Thank you Miss Regis you are so kind.” The homunculi or rather the human girl Hana took her seat and sat beside Alicia’s bed. This was the only place she found peace.

Before Regis left the room she calls out to Hana and says,” You know you can just call me Regis.”

“Okay.” Hana briefly smiles and gets back to observing Alicia. She wanted to be the one to greet her first. After all, she had already decided to stay by her side forever.

Regis walks out of the castle and looked up at the tall, clear sky with eyes filled with resolve.

Even now, Regis was still trying to understand that she had her own limits and could not have helped Alicia in any other way even if she wanted to.

She was still not that strong enough.

“One day I will…” Regis speaks to herself loudly and decides to run straight to the town as part of her training remembering Will’s teaching to find the chance of training in every activity if she wanted to grow strong.

.

Regis could not resist getting the same pancakes and stewed fish from the same shop she previously ate. Holding the large packet between her hands remembering to take double for Hana she happily started to walk through the street.

“I am glad I got the fresh morning baked ones.” Regis was glad she made it early by running straight to here.

Exactly when she was about to exit the place and take a single bite from one of the pancakes, coincidentally she comes across two new friends.

“Caige… look the elf Princess is here,” Caige mutters in excitement as she sniffs out the smell in the air confirming her identity. She had more faith in her nose and instincts than her eyes.

“Maia, quiet down.” Caige hush Maia for speaking out of place, as such a piece of information was not wise to reveal in public loud. Fortunately, there were not many people to notice her surprise.

“Caige and Maia. We finally meet again.” Regis greets them as she was a bit happy that someone in their group truly recognized her royal status.

“Good morning Lady Regis.” Caige tries to search for her real Boss by gazing around Regis’s sides, but finds no sign of Alicia and only to see Regis make a sad face. She realized that the previous night the light they saw was really her doing and something might have gone wrong.

“Lady Regis. Can you tell us what happened to the individual who was behind all the kidnappings and the accident at Plum Town?” Caige asked as one of the victims herself.

“It’s a long story maybe we should get more pancakes for ourselves.” Regis had nothing to hide. After all, she too considered Caige and Maia good friends. And they had proven themselves faithful by coming to the designated place Alicia had asked them to. She could probably count on their help as well.

It was decided that the three girls should sit down for breakfast and swap stories of their own adventures.

***

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