Alice ducked down to the floor when she heard the knock, hoping that wherever she was, provided enough cover from the view of the door. Without a word, the door opened, and she waited to be discovered. The man walked through the room, quiet as he could be, and went to the closet. He opened it and remained quiet, probably looking inside to make sure of what he was seeing. But instead of panicking or suddenly calling for others, he just stood there.

For a brief moment, Alice's heart was in her throat, unsure if she was about to be caught. She had been kidnapped somewhere she didn't know, and no one knew where she was. There was no guarantee that in the worst case, she would ever be found. She couldn't run, and no one would help her. She was alone. Alice wanted to cry, and her heart ached, but it was all she could do to not break down. She was scared, tired, and afraid, and she couldn't think of a way out of this.

Then, lightning struck.

Alice felt the reverberation as the floor and everything else around her shook. Her ears resounded with the sound, and for a moment, she couldn't hear anything over the deafening shock. It was so sudden, and on top of her stress and fear, it was too much.

Alice felt everything change around her. The cold floor she lay on was now replaced with a warm carpet and pillows. Instead of the pounding rain, she heard the crackle of a warm fire. Instead of a black abyss of darkness in her eyes, she could feel the flow. It was all in vague, amorphous blobs of varied shapes and sizes, but she could feel it once more.

Even this was not the extent; above all else, she heard a voice, a very familiar voice.

“Dear girl, did you doze off during the lesson again?” the voice asked, a gentle chuckle in its tone. Alice's heart sank at the sound of it.

“D-Dear Teacher?” Alice's voice sounded unfamiliar to her, high-pitched and soft. She felt strange, as if her body had shrunk.

“Yes, my dear. How did you sleep?” the voice now had a soothing, comforting quality to it. Alice's eyes welled up with tears, and she crawled on her hands and knees towards the source of the sound. Her Dear Teacher tenderly picked Alice up and enveloped her in a warm embrace, holding her as Alice cried her heart out.

“Did you have a bad dream, my dear? I know the rain and thunder were never your favorite,” the voice was gentle, and a comforting hand ran through Alice's hair.

Alice didn't know how long she stayed there, held in the warm arms of her Dear Teacher, crying her eyes out as the mass of shapes and flowing lines in her mind's eye swirled around. Finally, Alice gathered herself and wiped away her tears, trying to steady her breathing. Her Dear Teacher spoke again.

“Goodness, dear, I don't know if I've seen you like this before. Do tell me if something has upset you?” her Dear Teacher said. Alice took a deep breath and buried her head in her teacher's shoulder.

“I'm sorry,” she said, and she felt another welling of emotion rise from her chest, but her teacher's warm embrace held it back.

“Whatever for, dear girl? You have done just as I've asked of you,” her Dear Teacher said.

“I hurt someone, and I acted in anger. You told me never to act before I thought,” Alice said. Each word stabbing into her own heart like a knife.

“Dear girl, I wish only for you to be happy and healthy, and to understand the world. It is perhaps my failure as your teacher to not have taught you less savory facts of the world,” her Dear Teacher said.

“No!" Alice cried. "You taught me so much, and I threw it all away because--"

"You feared for your father's safety. Dear girl, fear and love are two sides of the same coin. If it were not for your actions, both you and your father might have lost your lives," her Dear Teacher said.

"But--" Alice whispered, only to have her teacher put her hand on Alice's head.

"Dear girl, why do we sit here every day?" she asked.

Alice was quiet as she thought. As she was so used to her teacher's presence, her mind didn't even consider the reason for the question before she considered it. Even as confrontational as the question might appear, Alice knew no malice from her Dear Teacher.

"Because I can't see," Alice said.

Another hand brushed gently through her hair, and for the first time, she felt peace in her heart as her teacher spoke once more.

"No, dear girl, we sit here each day so that I may show you a world that has unfairly hidden itself from you. The world is as cruel as it is beautiful. It is my duty as your teacher to give you the chance to see that world for all it is and to be able to make your own decisions," she said.

"What if I make the wrong decision? What if I hurt someone again?" Alice asked.

"Dear girl, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that conflict is the nature of this world, and I may not be there to tell you what is right or wrong. What I hope to teach you in time is to find your own reasoning. Don't ask what I would do, ask what you should do. If you do that, I trust you'll find your way out of even the blackest darkness," Her Dear Teacher said.

As Alice listened to her Dear Teacher's soothing voice, she felt her body relax and her mind calm. The warmth of her teacher's embrace enveloped her, bringing her comfort and security. However, there was a nagging feeling in her heart that she couldn't shake off. She tried to push it away, to focus on the present moment, but it persisted like a persistent itch that wouldn't go away.

“My dear girl, I wish I could shield you from the harsh realities of the world, but you must brace yourself. There will be many storms to weather in your future. Remember, though, that no matter what happens, you will always be my sweet and precious little girl.“ Her Dear Teacher spoke gently, her voice filled with warmth and love.

Then the world turned back to how it was, Alice's face laying on the cold wooden floor. Her cheek was wet, and she felt a small puddle on the floor.

As the lightning struck again, Alice recognized the familiar rumbling shockwave moving through the air, and the deafening crack ringing in her ears. And yet, there was something different this time. As the brief flash of awareness hit her, she was surprised to sense the blurry outline of the room before her. For only that briefest of moments, she could feel the flow of energy around her, as if the objects in the room were pulsing with the vibrant waves of life she knew for so long.

Then again, the lightning struck, and with the shockwave, she once again watched the world she knew come back into focus. She could sense herself, the surrounding walls, the people throughout the building, even the street outside. It was only a flash, but it was something. As the sky crashed down again, she saw another glimpse of the world around her, and saw that the vague shape of a man was walking toward the door.

As though it were instinct, she flinched in such a way that a window in the hallway outside her room exploded inward. Lightning struck again, and she saw several men rushing to the window, surveying its damage, then quickly running away.

Alice had a drumming sensation in her chest and an ache in her head. She couldn't remember what she was just doing, or why she was on the floor, and now her head was bothering her. Despite that, there was a warm feeling that felt like a comforting blanket surrounding her.

With that, she took a step forward.

Albert sat at his desk and sulked, only to hear a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Albert called, and one of the guards opened the door. This was one of the ones who kept most of their minds, so he actually spoke.

“Window blew out upstairs. We don't have anyone on hand to fix it,” the guard said.

“Can't you just throw a board up until the others are back?” Albert asked.

“It's not a small window,” the guard said.

A moment later, he was standing a short distance from the window. Several men were sweeping up the debris from the carpets and floors, while others tried in vain to block the howling winds from soaking the inside using the curtains.

“What did this?” Albert asked.

“We don't know. It's like someone tossed a barrel in the window, with how large the hole is. But we don't know what could've done it,” the guard said.

Lightning struck, and suddenly a window down the hall on the opposite side of the building exploded inward. It erupted with such force that Albert felt glass particles bounce off the back of his head. A feeling crawled up his spine.

“Evacuate the building!” Albert pressed,

The guard's confusion was palpable. "What's going on?" he stammered.

"Trust me, your life depends on it," Albert replied, his eyes fixed on the chaos unfolding before him. Another lightning bolt struck, and yet another window shattered, punctuated by a deafening boom. The guards and staff scrambled to obey, and as Albert braced himself for the next blast, a thunderous crack echoed through the hallway, the wooden door to Alice's room bursting open.

In his heart, he half-expected to see a magister, a town guard, or even Andromeda herself. But when he saw Alice step out and noticed the bruises on her cheek and neck, he felt an altogether worse feeling: guilt. Alice's appearance was striking, almost serene in her anger. Her eyes blazed with fury, yet her movements were controlled and deliberate. The bruises on her cheek and neck were a stark contrast to the calm expression on her face.

Oh, so it was you?" she asked, looking in Albert's general direction. Something that unnerved him all the more, as according to the reports he had, she shouldn't have been able to sense the flow anymore and thus not be able to see. That is what her attendants said, at least.

"A-Alice?" he said, no other words coming out besides shock and confusion.

"Yes, it's me," Alice replied calmly, her tone composed and collected as always. "I'd ask why you're here, but I’m pretty sure I already know. Based on the conversation I just overheard, it sounds like you're part of the reason I’m here."

"It's not what you think, I swear I-" he started to say. Lightning struck again, and every window on the floor shattered. Every lamp and wick extinguished at once, and the hall was plunged into darkness.

"Albert, I don't particularly care. Whether this is all your fault, or you had nothing to do with it. It doesn't matter," Alice said, "I came here on the off chance I might be able to help Andromeda, and all I really care about is knowing whether she is alright."

Albert’s blood ran cold. There was no way she should have known about Andromeda’s situation. Even ignoring that, the reports he got said she shouldn’t even be able to use magic at the moment. "I can tell you all I know, but it’s important that you calm down. One wrong step and-"

Lightning struck with a deafening roar, illuminating the dimly lit halls with a blinding flash. Albert watched in horror as every item in the corridor was sent hurtling through the air, as if possessed by an invisible force. Tables, chairs, paintings, and even the bolted shelves shook violently, their contents spilling out in every direction. As the room became a storm of flying shrapnel, Albert instinctively guarded his face, bracing himself for the impact of the lethal projectiles.

Once the chaos subsided, Alice spoke. "I am very calm, furious beyond words, but calm. I already said I don't care what your excuse is. I don’t trust you. The only reason why I haven't been more direct about showing you my fury is that I have some amount of fondness left over for you," Alice said.

Albert wanted to argue, but he felt that nothing he could say would do anything more than enrage her. It was almost impressive how with a delicate word she evoked such anger. Had those words not been directed towards him, he might have even said something.

"So, if you'll be so kind, I’d like to leave. I would greatly wish to not cause anyone harm, but I get the impression that nobody else will grant me the same kindness."