As expected, the Sleepy Frost was not spared from the carnage. She was thrown into the lion’s pit with nothing but Frost’s burning sleeves as her lifeline. Women crowded around her. They towered over the poor girl as she looked down at her feet with spirals in her eyes and a question mark emoji over her head.
“They’re not pillows. They’re not pillows. They’re not pillows at all.” She repeated as she twiddled with her fingers. “But maybe they’re better than pillows?”
“This one can talk!?” Cer exclaimed. She was the only one who could properly meet the girl’s droopy eyes. “She really does sound like you! Got a name?”
“Dreamer. Because I dream.” She introduced herself in the most uninspired manner possible before she looked up and audibly gulped. “That’s Jury…”
“So cuuuuuuute!” Jury didn’t hold back and embraced the Sleepy Frost, bringing her head between her chest which caused steam to rise from her head. “Is this what having a daughter feels like!? Frost! She’s definitely coming back with us!”
“As long as I get my fair share too.” Frost jokingly said. “Yep. All Alter Frosts belong in the Nexus. No exceptions.”
Jury’s squirmed and rocked the girl side to side. She was overjoyed to finally receive a new Alter Frost to add to the ever-growing collection of Frosts. And speaking of other Frost’s –
The Little and the Big Frost observed how everyone fawned over the Sleepy Frost with understanding eyes. Her initiation was a trial by fire, and the Innocent encouraged her with thumbs up emojis.
“Isn’t that great!?” Jury chirped.
If no one stepped in, then the Sleepy Frost was bound to fall into an eternal sleep. She nearly suffocated in Jury’s bosom as she silently breathed: “It’s better than a pillow. It’s way better than a pillow. I can’t go back to pillows.”
Suddenly, she was snatched and dragged into another pair of soft pillows, this time belonging to a woman who smelt of a strong blend of earthy, but fragrant flowers.
“Jury. Give me a turn already!” Ber staunchly growled. “You have the real deal! What are you, the symbol of gluttony or something?”
“As a matter of fact, I was.” Jury glared at her, competing for the Sleepy Frost.
“I’ve never seen Jury react like that before.” Cer noted, and Frost agreed with a nod. She found it humorous, smiling at the duo who were now close enough to finally banter. Cer walked up to Frost, nudging her with an elbow. “Psst. What are you doing? Have you been letting Jury get all pent up –? OUCH!”
Frost pinched her ear, right before she began patting Cer’s head.
“Mind your own business. If Jury’s happy then I’m happy too. Besides, I’d probably act the same way we started finding Alter Jurys.”
“The White Rabbit doesn’t count?” Res probed. Unfortunately, the White Rabbit was different.
“No. They’re more of an Alter Elysia than an Alter Jury.” Frost explained before she asked how Res was feeling in her new body.
The woman adorned a gentle smile noting that it felt almost perfect. Just like Ber, she imagined her new body was how it was supposed to look after all this time. Minus the paint splats on her tail, which she could clean with a simple dip in the water or with [Cleanse].
The clothes she wore were made of paint, and her short hair was the same as Ber’s old hairstyle. Res was able to create things by painting them just like Ayle. What separated her from Ayle and the Objet D’Art however was that the things she painted possessed the same qualities as her reference.
For example, her clothes did not feel gunky or coarse. They were smooth and had the same elasticity as regular silk clothing.
“I love it.” Everything could be summarized by just those three words.
The chains of her past and present were lifted, and for the first time, Frost could see eye to eye with Res. Her sapphire eyes glowed like a gemstone, matching the hairclip she still wore to this day.
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“Good job, Res. I’m proud of you for holding on.” Frost patted her head, causing her to shiver in delight as her giant tail pranced behind her.
Her ears wobbled from side to side like windscreen wipers. They were so fluffy that she was almost convinced they were made from jelly. The way they wobbled left and right hypnotized Frost.
I’m getting carried away. I’m glad headpats are thing in this world.
“Res thinks so too.” Nav replied.
That’s right. Res can speak with you now, huh. That’s awesome. We’re only missing Cer, but it’ll be better to avoid Corruption in the first place.
“Agreed. I was also worried that we might have lost Res. I do not wish to experience that emotional turmoil again. Though I am happy that I could feel this way. I suppose that means I have what vaguely resembles a heart… you will be meeting with the White Rabbit soon. Please exercise caution.”
Frost set her sights to the interior of the castle. Beyond the drawbridge and the entrance was a long hallway lined with gelatinous torches. The red lighting was an ominous contrast to the colorful world around them.
I will. The White Rabbit’s going to need to explain herself thoroughly. As much as she’s helped us, this was entirely her fault. We don’t know if she’s a friend or foe as well.
But more than that, Frost was eager to receive the secrets of this world.
* * *
They marched through the vacant tunnel. It stretched beyond the length of the castle above, leading to a place only the White Rabbit knew. Eventually, the chocolate walls shifted to stone bricks. Water dripped from an unknown source. The lights on the walls failed to illuminate the tunnels appropriately, leaving massive spots of impenetrable darkness.
They appeared as though something had taken a bite out of reality.
“So.” Frost boldly cut through the choking silence. “You’re a denizen of the White Rabbit’s Escape.” She didn’t say who she was addressing, but the person knew right away.
“Not just any denizen. I used to live in the real world. That was before I became mad.” The Cheshire Cat answered without hesitation. “I’m special because of that. But in actuality I’m not completely sure if I’m alive or not, because I know that I died.”
“Does that mean this place traps souls?” Jury asked an important question, but the Cheshire Cat only shook her head.
“That’s part of the madness. Nothing makes sense here. The only reason I exist is because I’m part of someone’s memory. Memories are puppeted in this world. Resurrected to masquerade as people’s trauma. It’s a colorful hell. As up is wherever this place is. When you think about it, it’s not so different from the outside, because we’re all mad in the end.”
“Mad this, mad that. Wanna explain a bit more, Cat?” Cer urged, causing the Cheshire Cat to gulp as she clung close to Alice, still wearing her large, mischievous grin.
“We can’t understand everything. What makes sense may not make sense to everyone else. It’s not a matter of comprehension. It’s a matter of how we view ourselves and the world we live in. Children are victims of illusions. Adults are victims of delusions. The Escape emphasizes this. I couldn’t tell you why, because that White Rabbit is just as mad as anyone else.”
The Cheshire Cat spoke quickly, but her words were filled with wisdom.
“Such is the burden of the wise. No one understands a word we say. Hear this, friends – the Escape is a place southward from your hell. Your gut guides you in this place. It’s your untold tale. Children of this world are trialed to navigate through it.”
“You said you didn’t know the White Rabbit’s intentions.” Frost raised a suspicious brow, right as the Cheshire Cat pointed a claw at her head, her grin widening.
“She’s explaining it to me right now. The ordeal is meant for a person to overcome themselves. To want to change themselves rather than the world. That’s her power. Phantasia. Imagination. Now does that make any sense at all? Judging from those looks, not at all. But who’s to say that we can rationalize compulsion?”
The Cheshire Cat then placed a hand onto Alice’s head, patting her like she was a cat.
“This place is a disguised hell. But it is also here where people are tempered. If not, then they remain blissfully ignorant before they are regurgitated. People don’t stay here forever, because those same people are also the ones that leave their magic carpet ride halfway through their tale.”
The Cat’s stripes suddenly changed from black to a vibrant, neon blue. They glowed in the dark like rings of glowsticks. They were engulfed in the darkness and only her stripes, eyes and her abnormally broad grin could be seen.
“No one likes a protagonist that can’t see through to the end of their own story.”
Frost still couldn’t read the intentions of the White Rabbit. Was it for entertainment? Salvation? A nudge? Something sinister? Understanding a being beyond the Beholders was a futile effort. All she could do was hope that the White Rabbit would be willing to explain herself.
They soon arrived at the mouth of a giant black dome. Within was a garden of pallid flora. Rivers streamed from the center where a pillar of light resided, deeply embedded into the earth as it served as the pillar of the colossal dome.
And floating in the center of the starless void was a single star.
Her presence caused their hearts to hitch as their throats were constricted by an unforeseen pressure. Alice, Revy, Sana, and Stella immediately collapsed; their minds unable to comprehend the existence of the being before them.
The Moon triplets could barely stand on their legs. Only Frost, Jury and the Alter Frosts were largely unaffected. But even so, it felt like they were constantly being gnawed at by an invisible maw.
“You’re finally here.”
It was none other than the White Rabbit.