Chapter 11: The meaning of your pink heart

    ?

    Ever since she was young, the world had always appeared peculiar in front of Alice. Amidst the ordinary, there was an undeniable air of strangeness that surrounded her, as if she could

    glimpse behind the curtains of reality.

    "Alice, you''re special,"

    "I''m special?"

    "Yes."

    Throughout her youth, Alice couldn''t shake off the nagging wonderment about the disparity between people''s outward appearances and the complex emotions brewing within them. Behind the masks of happiness and contentment, there seemed to be an abyss of deeper hues, hidden from plain sight.

    "What''s so special about me, your majesty?"

    "Hmm~ Your eyes, your ears, your nose, your mouth, your face? Practically everything about you is special, Alice, even your soul," the white lady responded with an ethereal grace.

    Unable to contain her amusement at such lofty praise, Alice burst into laughter. "Hihihi~, you''re just saying that because you like me, your majesty."

    The lady in white smiled tenderly, her pale countenance glowing with affection. "That is true...."

    "How many colors can you see inside of me, Alice?"

    "One, two... five, six! There are six colors inside of you, your majesty," Alice declared proudly.

    "Fufu... you''re getting good at counting. Did Cheshire teach you well?" the lady inquired, nodding approvingly at Alice''s burgeoning skills.

    She reminisced about the days when Alice could only discern a few colors within her, and now, witnessing her ability to perceive the full spectrum, she felt reassured.

    Alice would be able to navigate the complexities of the world on her own, without the

    constant guidance and protection she once thought indispensable.

    "Ah no, it was Mr. Rabbit who taught me numbers, and Mr. Hatter taught me letters," Alice chimed in, her voice carrying a note of innocence.

    "I-I see...," the lady responded softly, a flicker of sadness crossing her features.

    However, she quickly dismissed the somber thought, unwilling to dampen the mood.

    These fleeting moments of joy with Alice were precious, and she refused to let frustration over an annoying cat mar them.

    Gently running her fingers through Alice''s hair as she hummed a soothing melody, the lady spoke tenderly, "Alice..."

    "Nn?" Alice murmured in response, her attention captured by the gentle touch.

    "When the time comes, I want you to always remember... Only red and white are the truths in this world."

    Confusion clouded Alice''s young features. "What are you talking about, your majesty? Does that mean blue and yellow are not true colors?"

    "Hmm~ no... but only red and white are the truths you need to trust," the lady explained cryptically.

    "I don''t get it," Alice confessed, her brow furrowing in perplexity.

    "You''ll understand when you''re older," the lady reassured her, her tone imbued with a hint of melancholy. Yet, she couldn''t help but notice the sadness in Alice''s eyes, the reluctance to embrace the passage of time.

    "But I don''t want to get old...," Alice admitted softly, the prospect of leaving this enchanting realm looming before her like an inevitable specter.

    Moved by Alice''s poignant words, the white queen gathered her into a comforting embrace. "I''m sure there will come a time when you''ll understand everything Alice. But for now, let''s have fun, shall we?"

    Reluctantly, Alice nodded, allowing herself to be enveloped in the warmth of the moment.

    "Her Majesty said that only red and white are the truths I needed to trust... does that mean I can trust you, Junior?"

    Alice mumbled softly to herself; her gaze fixed on the slumbering young man before her. Ever since her accidental use of intermediate magic against him, she had been plagued by guilt and uncertainty.

    Hastily, she had escorted him to the infirmary, where the nurse and academy doctor had swiftly attended to him, alleviating most of his injuries.

    Yet, he remained unconscious, a tangible reminder of her mistake.

    Despite the healing, she couldn''t shake off the weight of responsibility for causing harm with her magic.

    "I made a blunder when I used that magic against him..." she admitted to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.

    Suddenly, a cloud of smoke materialized nearby, catching Alice''s attention.

    From within emerged a pair of puffy, bright blue eyes, gradually forming into the familiar grin of a cat.

    "Alice~ I heard some interesting news. Is it true you almost killed a first-year? You should''ve invited me when you''re going to do something fun... Oh, is this him?"

    Cheshire''s voice rang out, filled with mischievous curiosity, as his eyes settled on the sleeping

    man.

    The grin on Cheshire''s face widened as he observed the unconscious figure before him, his head tilting sideways in amusement.

    "Cheshire... where exactly did you go, stupid cat?" Alice grumbled; frustration evident in her tone as she addressed the enigmatic feline.

    "Hmm? Why are you trying to change the subject all of a sudden?" Cheshire retorted, his voice filled with playful curiosity. "More importantly, is this really him? Wow-wow~~ wow~! You scored big time, Alice. He looks quite handsome. Did you have fun making him beg for his life?"

    "What? No~! I just accidentally hit him with intermediate magic during the practical tests," Alice protested, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "And do you think I''m the type to torture my opponents?"

    "Well, you torture me all the time," Cheshire remarked with a mischievous grin.

    "This and that are different~! Just like how you and everyone I''ve faced so far is different.

    You''re special," Alice retorted, trying to deflect Cheshire''s teasing.

    "Hmm~ as much as that sounded good, I can tell there''s a unique sarcasm in the air,"

    Cheshire observed, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he floated above the sleeping young man, scrutinizing him from every angle.

    "What''s his name, Alice?"

    "Riley, Riley Hell,"

    "Hell? I haven''t heard of a noble family with that particular last name. Is he a country bumpkin, perhaps?" Cheshire speculated; his interest piqued by the unfamiliar surname.

    "I don''t know," Alice admitted, her brows furrowing in thought as she pondered over Riley''s mysterious background.

    Honestly, there were too many things she didn''t know about him, which left her feeling unsettled, despite his seemingly trustworthy aura.

    As he possessed the colors that the White Queen mentioned she could trust, Alice couldn''t

    met, the only thing she saw inside of him was the vast expanse of pinkness that threatened to consume her whole.

    And now, that pinkness seemed to spread out in waves, enveloping an entire area whenever

    she was near him.

    And yet, none of it showed on his face or in his actions.

    Even at the gym, every time they crossed paths, the aura he exuded was always filled with that uncontrollable energy of pinkness.

    Alice couldn''t help but wonder if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

    Honestly, she herself was finding it increasingly difficult to act normal whenever she was near

    him.

    ''If he''s truly in love with me, why are his actions the opposite of what''s inside of him?''

    Alice pondered silently, her mind swirling with confusion, and is love really the meaning of

    her truth...?

    It might just be some other emotion she confused him with.

    "How did the accident happen in the first place?" Cheshire''s voice broke through her

    thoughts, his curiosity evident.

    "Well, I thought he was strong..."

    With eyes wide open, Cheshire looked at her skeptically. "Are you serious?"

    ".... Yes"

    "Can you even see this guy?" Cheshire pressed further, his disbelief palpable.

    "Yes," Alice replied firmly, though doubt lingered in her mind.

    Even at a glance, one could tell that he was weak, but back at the ship, the strength he exuded

    was clearly wasn''t something a weak person could spread.

    The aura, the gaze, and even the presence all of it concludes that he was a master.... yet the

    results that happened just a while ago was the total opposite of it.

    Sizzle...! Sizzle...!

    Suddenly, a sizzling spark crackled in the air as a small fiery portal opened near them, making

    Cheshire''s already wide eyes become wider in surprise.

    From within emerged a diminutive figure dressed in a magician''s outfit, he was so small that

    he could fit in one''s palm easily.

    "Sir Oz?" Alice greeted, recognizing the newcomer.

    "Hello, Alice. Is Cheshire here?" the small man inquired.

    "Ye-," Alice began, but her voice was cut off abruptly as she realized Cheshire had vanished

    into thin air.

    "Cheshire?" she called out, scanning the surroundings in confusion. "Haha, he ran away again," Oz chuckled, his voice tinged with amusement.

    "Is something wrong, Sir Oz?" Alice inquired, her brow furrowing in concern. "Nothing much. It''s just that your, summon has a certain debt he has yet to pay," Oz

    explained. "Oh yeah, Alice, Dorothy was looking for you so please visit the student council office, bye, bye!"

    After bowing his head with his hat off, Oz disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind

    small firework-like explosions where he vanished to.

    || ||

    Left alone in the room, Alice sighed heavily, feeling a weight of uncertainty pressing down on

    her shoulders. Despite the strange occurrences and revelations, nothing much had transpired in the end. With a resigned shrug, she rose to her feet, preparing to leave the infirmary behind. Before departing, she cast one last subtle glance at Riley, the sleeping figure on the bed.

    "Do you really love me, Junior?" she murmured softly, her words barely audible in the quiet

    room.

    ''But why though?''

    ''You don''t know me, I don''t know you, yet why are you so infatuated with me?''

    In the end the young maiden couldn''t understand the meaning behind the colors that she saw.

    ----

    Waking up was a nightmare.

    As my eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by a pair of big, blue sparkly round eyes looming

    inches from my face.

    "Hiii~~~" came a cheery voice, sending a shiver down my spine.

    ''Sweet mother of God... WTF?''

    Prompting myself back up, I squinted at the wide-grinned cat that stood before me.

    "Cheshire?" I couldn''t help but grumble in surprise.

    "Oya-ya? You know me?" Cheshire''s voice was laced with amusement as he cocked his head

    to the side, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

    Shit...!

    ''I fucked up again...''