Mark clenched his fists and looked Alice in the eye.
"I will fight alongside you this time. So, do not push me to the sidelines."
The wind blew, the ominous energy of the red gate spread and the silence between them deepened and became quite cold.
Alice stared into Mark's determined eyes and then looked away, rubbing the back of her neck.
"You always want to play the hero, huh." She muttered and looked at him. "Well, if that's your choice, do whatever you want. But I don't look back when I swing my hammer, so please..." She stepped closer to him and leaned in to whisper. "...don't die."
She moved away and smiled.
Mark did not know if to take this as her asking her personal chef not to die because he was a great help when it came to filling her stomach, or if she was asking him, Mark, not to die because he was her close confidant. Her guardian.
Well -he shut his eyes, pleased- whichever it was, he was okay with it. He smiled.
