The cold tone of the girl's voice sent a shiver down Anna's spine.

She said, trembling, "A-Anna..."

After saying this, she thought she would be questioned further, or that the person would "politely" introduce themselves, or even that, without any warning, they would attack her and kill her.

However, none of what she imagined happened.

After asking her name, the girl simply fell silent.

The girl's vacant stare remained fixed on her, not moving a muscle in her eyes and with no movement in her chest, as if she weren't even breathing.

After a long time, Anna couldn't determine if the girl was simply watching her, thinking about something, or if, perhaps... she had lost her power?

At this point, Anna was already convinced that the girl before her was definitely not human—she didn’t blink, didn’t breathe, and her body hadn't changed at all after being trapped for so long...

There was no way a human could do that.

So, who is she, and why is she trapped here?

Anna was still wildly thinking when the girl in front of her spoke again.

"What are you doing?"

She was obviously a very cute girl, but her words were still cold.

The question left Anna unsure how to respond.

"Uh... I’m looking for a way out."

She said this.

Upon hearing Anna’s response, the girl’s expression changed subtly, looking a bit confused.

"Why don't you just leave?"

Hearing this, Anna was also at a loss for words. If she could leave, she would have already, so why was she still here?

"I fell due to a mechanism, and there is no way out..."

"Let me go, I can make a way."

Just like a stranger trying to deceive a little girl, the words of the girl did not seem convincing.

"That..."

If she simply refused, she feared angering the girl.

"Maybe I can’t..."

She said timidly.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Why?"

The girl’s monotone didn’t reveal any emotion.

"Because..." Anna thought for a moment and said, "I’m too weak..."

Although it was a bit embarrassing, even if she agreed to free the girl, she wasn’t sure she could do it.

The cross already seemed rotten, and the complex spells on the ground didn’t seem like something she could easily undo.

"You can just remove the nails by hand."

The girl didn’t seem to notice Anna’s hesitation and spoke directly.

"Then... alright."

After thinking a bit, Anna agreed.

To her, it seemed like just a formality and there would be no problem.

She approached slowly, held the nail with three fingers, and pulled carefully.

Completely unexpected.

The nail came out of the cross easily, and when Anna realized the nail was moving, it was too late to stop.

No chance!

Anna’s heart raced, fearing the girl with one free hand might do something strange.

However, reality showed she had overthought it.

Even with one hand free, the girl made no move.

"Is there a problem?"

Perhaps because they were closer now, Anna felt she could sense the other’s emotions better.

There was no malice, but rather a possible friendly question.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but she really had that feeling.

This feeling made her continue freeing the girl.

If the girl wasn’t a bad person, being trapped there for so long seemed very sad...

Soon, the three nails keeping the girl on the cross were removed by Anna, and the process was surprisingly smooth, with no hostile actions from the girl.

After the nails were removed, the wounds on the girl healed immediately, and she extended her hand.

When she grabbed the chains, which seemed very strong, they instantly turned to dust.

The sudden display of power made Anna take two steps back.

The girl looked at Anna, still with the same difficult-to-read expression, as if she didn’t understand why Anna was startled.

However, this time, she didn’t ask but extended her hand upward, toward the tunnel.

Seeing the movement, Anna immediately raised her hands, holding her staff, ready for whatever might happen next.

However...

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Nothing happened.

"Sorry, I might not be able to take you out."

The girl turned her head and said this, then sat back down, hugging her knees, with a vacant look fixed on the ground in front of her, without saying a word.

"Eh?"

Both the fact that nothing happened when the girl extended her hand and her current attitude surprised Anna.

Because her appearance now was like a child who had been bullied, hugging her knees with a look of "wronged."

"What happened?" Feeling that the distance between them had lessened, Anna asked.

"I thought I could take you out, but I couldn’t."

The girl responded.

"Haha~!"

The girl’s lack of expression, her cold tone, and her somewhat "cute" words made Anna unable to avoid laughing.

Hearing her laughter, the girl turned her head, and the look of confusion on her face seemed even more apparent.

This friendly feeling made Anna, as she came back to herself, realize she was sitting next to the girl.

"So... do you know your name?"

After labeling the girl as harmless, Anna felt more relaxed.

"Alice."

The girl, who introduced herself as Alice, responded without expression.

"Why... are you trapped here?"

Initially, Anna wanted to ask if she was human, but thought that wasn’t appropriate and changed the question.

"I forgot."

The girl still didn’t hesitate when she answered.

"Hmm... then do you remember when you got trapped here?"

"I don’t remember."

"Hmm... do you know if there is any hidden passage here?"

"I have no idea."

"You don’t remember anything?"

Anna asked, surprised.

"Aside from the name, I don’t remember anything..."

Alice answered, showing no sadness but making those who listened feel a deep sadness.

The two continued sitting like this, and after a while, Anna thought it wasn’t a good idea to stay this way.

"I’ll look around. Maybe there’s a way out!"

She wasn’t like Alice, who seemed fine no matter how long she was trapped.

Now, she was starting to feel hungry, and if she really couldn’t find a way out, she might end up starving in a few days.