Superbia

Prologue: Alice

Her dagger rests against her palm, more familiar than her own hands. She dashes it into the air like a leaf naturally intertwining with the wind. It rips his flesh and she grins wickedly, her pearly white teeth stained with blood. She did it again. The dagger pierces square to the heart, it was always her aim. Maybe it's because she envies those who have one. The blood started to seep through the cloth, making a circular stain just right above his heart. But she sees her opponent's chest. It heaves, pleading life one more chance. She eyes the innocent just like a lion to its prey. Another shot was sent. Once a muscle started to loosen in his firmly set jaw, she knew it was another kill. She moves closer, hands on her sides casually swaying, reaching out and extracting the lethal weapon from the lifeless body. She holds it up and inspects it under the glare of the sun. An all too familiar red substance ran down to its core, finally resting on her hands. Blood stains her skin and somehow, this makes her feel alive once more.

A cloud of fog surrounded her, surrounded it. The body dissipates, carried away by the fog with the strange colour of teal. Her fragile frame dropped to the ground garnering a loud thud as she finally collected herself. Slaughtering them drained out the very last source of energy from her body. But as she thinks of her father, she swears upon her grave she'll kill every last occultist she lays her hands on even if it meant her own death. She ponders everything from the white lights dancing on her eyes to the numbness she feels on her toes. She thinks of anything, anything to keep her mind at rest because it seems that her victims are not. Vivid nightmares still hunt her even when she's awake. "Life itself is a nightmare, so why should I be afraid?" she muttered to herself.

A masochistic buzz caused sudden disturbance to her silence. The bushes on the far left started to shake. She swishes her dagger in her hand, ready to strike whenever the occultist decided to be brave enough and show itself. As if on cue a mouse jumped out from behind the bushes. A sigh came out of her lips, not knowing if it's from relief or defeat, or maybe a mixture of both. She decided to throw the dagger anyway.

"Alice," That's her name, she realizes. A voice erupts from the shadows behind her. The voice she hears more frequently than her own. She ignored the presence and turned quickly to the mouse. Its long tail was the only thing dangled to her knife. Luck didn't favour her at this very moment. She never misses. Not once.

Slowly, she craned her neck to the side. Her blond tresses blocks one of her icy blue eyes.

That's how she got her name.

"Alice," the boy repeated more firmly than before. That's how everyone calls her here.

"I never miss." Her voice was hoarse as her was mouth dry except for a tangy taste of blood still lingering the insides of her cheeks.

"I know you don't." He knelt to the ground reaching out his hand but she looked at it with those cold blue eyes.

"Well thank you for making me do so."

"But I didn't even-" He wanted to form words but the girl in front of him, soulless and damned, makes him want to do otherwise. "I mean, I'm sorry."

"Some walks are to be taken alone." Her blue eyes are darker and raw from thirst, a drought in her soul that has never been quenched ever since she could remember.

"How long are you going to keep this a secret?" It pains him to see her like this. So lonely and consumed by her own destruction.

"At first, I didn't mind you knowing about my business but now I'm having second thoughts.'' she digs in to her jacket and takes out a knife, slick and thin.

"See this? It's so thin. Mayhaps it might even be weak. But I warn you. The thinnest of knives can do the worst damages."

"I'm pretty sure I won't be needing any knives-"

"Just a word, tell a soul one word," she flicked her wrist and the knife whizzed barely missing the boy's cheek. "and I'll be the thinnest knife you'll know."

"Alice, I know what you're capable of but this is..."

"Madness?" she whispers tauntingly at him but he doesn't move. He's there, just there to feed her sanity.

"No." the truth escapes his lips.

"You think it's easy for people to believe that a girl avenges her father's death by committing genocide all by her own? They would waste their time finding evidence. Even the bodies turn to dust eventually." She says it so naturally as if it's the most normal thing in the world. The boy just shakes his head and turned to his side.

"Robb," That's the first time she said his name during the day. "They're not humans." the last word was made barely audible.

Humans? What are they anyway? We do the most inhuman things. We call others monsters but we're monsters ourselves. It's no wonder they're not humans. Humans might have never existed at all.

"I just felt that you need guidance. Anything we could get from the orphanage." he finally gives in and realizes telling the elders were no use.

"That's a brilliant idea. They'd believe everything coming from the mouths of two thirteen year olds." She spoke so sharply he swore it pierced his heart. He just nodded, never meaning it as an agreement.

Why does he even bother? In a day or two he'll be living with an actual family. He'll be gone. Just like how she said he would be. They'd never meet again. Everyone would go on with their lives and start anew. He's been waiting for this ever since he was dropped from the worn out basket in front of the orphanage. He's been waiting a life time. This is what he has always wanted, right?

No. That was before she came.

Even though she lives in a sick and twisted world it's as if he feels he lived in them as well. He belonged.

He hadn't said his proper goodbyes yet. Every time he tried there would be a lump on his throat that's challenging him to speak. Still, if he can't tell her now he'll be cursing himself forever.

"No matter what happens, you'll still be Alice Lidell to me." The silence can't be bearable but she knew what he said wasn't true. Her blond hair now gives off a pinkish hue from the blood, rosy cheeks drained and pale, eyes blank as porcelain dolls, her lips split and bruised. Never would she look like Alice Lidell. She was a mess even in her judgment.

"I'll find my Wonderland in there. It's somewhere out there. I can feel it in my bones." The corners of her lips falter slightly. She already knew it was impossible without her father around.

"I'll come with you." He snaked his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Don't swear on it." She whispers mostly to herself. She knew that one day all his vows would die with him. Yet sometimes she liked to fill her hopes with empty promises.

"What if something goes terribly wrong?"

"What if it happens to you instead of me?" she throws back the question at him.

"You're a girl." Even though it's quite offending, he couldn't think of any reason not to go with her. He knows she's very much capable but he needs to be sure.

"You don't need to protect me. I'm the hero of this story."

"Of course, the Red Light Keeper needs not to be saved."

Please, stay alive for me.