Death returned home after witnessing the events in the trails of Mosvil. Mr. Jones was waiting at the front door for her.
"Alice, where have you been? Her Majesty was very worried about you," Mr. Jones said with concern in his voice.
"Sorry, Mr. Jones. Is she asleep now? I had to collect some things from the academy," Alice lied.
"She is asleep, but you could have informed me beforehand," Mr. Jones replied gently.
"I'll keep you informed next time," Alice said as she walked toward her room. Before going to sleep, she decided to check on her aunt. Her aunt's health had been declining day by day, and now the time had come for Skylar, Alice's elder sister, to take over. Making a mental note to call Skylar the day after, Alice closed the door gently and started back towards her room.
Alice's room was spacious but simple, devoid of lavish decorations and excessive furniture. In one corner stood a large, dark brown oak table cluttered with papers, files, and various devices. Next to the table was a small refrigerator, and just behind it lay a king-sized bed with an adjoining sofa, both covered in messy white duvets. A closet on the right side of the bed had one door ajar, while the carpeted floor bore remnants of empty beer cans and wine bottles in one corner. A glass door beside the table led to an open balcony, which featured an armchair and a large telescope. A few plants adorned the balcony.
Alice ignored the mess in her room as she grabbed a beer can from the refrigerator and made her way to the balcony, hoping to clear her mind of the unsettling scenes she had just witnessed in the cold woods near Mosvil.
Who was that girl, and why was she after the Book of Mordune? These questions swirled in Alice's mind as the cool breeze brushed against her skin.
Summer was coming to an end, with winter just days away. Christmas was only a month off, and Alice had a limited amount of time before confronting the memories of the traumas that the Lewis family had faced before the holiday season. However, she decided to put everything aside for now. What she needed most was sleep. After finishing her drink, she crawled into bed, feeling tired and tipsy.
A few hours later, Alice awoke feeling as if she couldn't speak, as though she were being strangled in her dreams. She struggled to breathe, her heart racing. Sweating and panting, she got out of bed and gulped down cold water as quickly as she could. The only thing she could remember from her nightmare was the Book of Mordune—its silvery carvings on the cover and its golden pages. She pulled a long grey coat from her closet.
There were secrets within this book, and those secrets couldn't wait until tomorrow to be uncovered. Her curiosity drove her to seek out that girl in the dark of midnight