Alice floated in a strange, detached state, her consciousness hovering above the scene below. The room was familiar, yet it felt distant, like a memory she was witnessing from afar. She saw herself standing in the center of the small, dimly lit cottage, her younger self, eyes blazing with frustration and determination.
"I want to go to Hevlaska Academy," the younger Alice demanded, her voice trembling with emotion. "This year. Not next year, not the year after."
Her mother, looking weary and worn, sighed deeply. "Alice, we've been through this. We don't have enough money right now. Maybe next year, when we've saved a bit more—"
"That's what you always say!" young Alice interrupted, her voice rising in anger. "Every year it's the same excuse. 'Maybe next year.' I'm tired of waiting! I don't want to live in this village all my life. I want to go out there and explore, to see what life has to offer beyond these walls."
The older Alice, watching this unfold, felt a pang of sorrow and regret. She remembered the desperation, the feeling of being trapped. Her mother's face softened, but there was a hint of desperation in her eyes. "Alice, we understand your dreams, but we have to be practical. We need to save up, and—"
"I can't do that if I'm stuck here!" young Alice shouted, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. "You don't understand! I can't keep living like this, waiting for a future that might never come. Didn't I go out to work as well? It's not as if I'm asking for your money. It's my own money that I'm using to pay for the school."
"And you think your money is enough? What about the lodging, books and uniform? The school fees are never ending. You will need alot more and you can't work while you study."
"There's a scholarship if I do well enough and there's even a subsidy for students like me."
"No, that's enough Alice. You're not going and that's final!"
The door creaked open, and her father stepped in, his face tired and lined with the day's labor. He paused, taking in the heated exchange. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
Young Alice turned to him, her anger undiminished. "I want to go to Hevlaska Academy, and mother keep giving me excuses. She's so controlling."
Her father sighed deeply, running a hand through his greying hair. "Careful Alice, that's your mother you're talking to."
"Then what about you? Are you also stopping me from going?"
"I'm too tired for this right now. We can talk about it some another day, Alice."
The older Alice felt a familiar sting of bitterness and hurt as she watched her younger self's hands clench into fists, her body trembling with pent-up emotion. "That's what you always say," young Alice muttered, her voice barely a whisper. Without another word, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the house, the door slamming shut behind her with a resounding thud.
The cool night air hit her face as she ran down the narrow, winding path that led away from the village. The stars above seemed indifferent to her plight, twinkling serenely as she fled the confines of her home. Her younger self's mind raced, a chaotic mix of anger, hurt, and a desperate yearning for freedom.
The older Alice watched as her younger self disappeared into the night, running with a determination that had once felt so justified, so necessary. Now, in this out-of-body experience, she saw the pain in her parents' eyes, the weariness in their faces, and the love that had always been there, hidden beneath layers of worry and practicality.
She felt a tear slip down her own cheek as the memory faded, leaving her with a deep sense of regret and understanding. She had wanted so much to escape, to find her own path, but now she realized the cost of her actions, the pain it had caused to those who loved her most.
Alice lay sprawled on the cold, hard ground, her body battered and broken from the fall. Blood seeped from numerous wounds, and every breath felt like a knife twisting in her ribs. The pain was overwhelming, and she wondered if she could survive this ordeal. As she stared up at the dark, looming cave ceiling, memories flooded her mind, bringing with them a wave of regret and sorrow.
She thought back to that fateful night when she had fought with her parents, the desperate need to escape the village driving her to harsh words and rash actions. Her mother's weary face, her father's tired sighs—she had been so consumed by her own dreams that she hadn't seen their struggles, their sacrifices. Now, as she lay on the edge of consciousness, the weight of those regrets bore down on her heavily.
"I'm so sorry, Mom," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the stillness of the cave. "I shouldn't have run away. I should have understood…"
Tears mingled with the blood on her cheeks, the taste of iron sharp on her tongue. The basilisk's furious pursuit had driven her to this point, but it was the choices she had made that left her feeling truly broken. She wondered if this was the end, if all the pain and struggle had brought her to this moment of reckoning.
Maybe it's time to go, she thought, a strange calm settling over her. Maybe after all these difficulties, it's time to rest.
As her vision began to blur and darkness closed in around her, she heard a voice. It was calm and collected, cutting through the haze of her pain.
"Do you want to die, Alice?"
The words pierced through her fading consciousness, and she struggled to focus. Through the dimness, she saw a figure approaching, the outline becoming clearer as it drew nearer. It was Rowen, his presence solid and reassuring in the chaos of her mind.
"Do you want to die?" he repeated, his voice gentle but firm.
Alice blinked, tears streaming down her face as she tried to summon the strength to respond. The desire to give up was strong, but Rowen's voice anchored her, pulling her back from the edge.
"No," she cried, her voice a desperate whisper. "I don't want to die. I still haven't gotten my answers about my family's death. I want to live."
Rowen retained his indifferent demeanor, but his voice remained gentle. "You will be given a chance, Alice. Don't waste this."
Alice tried to hold on to his words, but her consciousness was slipping away. The pain and exhaustion were too much, and the world around her grew darker. Rowen's figure blurred, his voice becoming distant and echoing in her mind.
As her vision faded, she clung to the hope his words had sparked within her. With one final, shuddering breath, Alice's consciousness drifted away, leaving her fate uncertain but her spirit determined to fight for another chance.