Life Will Change Book 2

Chapter 3: The Mad Queen

Begin!

~Normal POV

Despite their swift efforts to kill all the Shadows coming their way, more kept showing up. Eventually, it got to the point where retreating was the better option. They took the first possible opening and hurried to a nearby alley away from the street to recuperate. Shadows weren't usually this numerous in the Palaces either. Not to mention, the place felt way larger than most of their previous ones. (With two very major exceptions.)

"All things considered, we didn't do too bad for being out of practice..." Akira said, after catching his breath.

"Yeah, I guess all that working out pays off," Morgana replied.

"So, Alice Hiiragi has a Palace..." Ryuji muttered, looking around. "Wonder why. She's a little weird, but she didn't seem that bad. And how did we even get here?! We don't have the Nav anymore!"

Akira pulled out his phone. As was always the case in this situation, there was no service and no other apps were functioning. The Metaverse scrambled with most outside tech for some reason.

"You're right. We don't have the Nav, we got in through EMMA."

"That thing is connected to the Metaverse?!" Ryuji said, quizzically. "Well... eh, never mind that- we gotta get outta here! Everyone's gonna be waiting for us back at the hideout."

He was right. Plus, with the existence of the Metaverse and the return of their powers, Lavenza's warning had been real; not that Akira truly doubted her. (She wasn't likely to joke about such things.) But the idea that the world was distorted again was a huge concern. Especially since this whole thing felt stranger than what could be called "normal" for them. Whatever this Palace was about, it felt unsettling to be here.

"Even if we wanted to fight our way out, there's way too many Shadows for just the three of us," Akira said, conclusively. "We'll have to sneak around to find an exit."

This proved fruitless right away. Almost immediately after they started walking, a net dropped down to catch them. A gang of Shadows had sprung the trap. It wasn't long before they had the three of them subdued with their hands tied behind their backs. (Morgana had a rope around this small body to pin his paws down instead.) The Shadows brought them to the 705 building, which was apparently where Alice's Shadow was hiding.

~...

"Ow, watch it!"

"Get moving! Our queen wants a word with you!"

The Shadows shoved the three of them into a door leading to their "queen's" throne room on the top floor. Akira took in the room with unease. It was not a type of room he ever wanted to find himself in for any reason. He was vaguely reminded of Kamoshida's castle... Right down to the red throne in the room's center.

Sitting on it was Alice's Shadow. She was dressed in a very provocative black and pink outfit, with purple heels. With a striped pink and blue cane in her left hand that had a flamingo head on top. Akira took a wild guess that her sin had something to do with lust... just a hunch based on the imagery in the room and what she was wearing. As much as he detested her real world counterpart's design choices, he greatly preferred those to what he saw here... One odd thing about her though was that for some reason her Shadow was taller than her real self. The three were forced onto their knees before her.

"Who are these little guys?" Alice asked, smiling in a sadistic way, and sitting up in her chair with interest.

"Your Majesty, we captured these thieves, but we couldn't seize their Desires. We have instead brought them to you," One Shadow-guard said.