The Shadows Within Children's Footsteps (Hiatus/exams)

8 - Crumble like Cookies (Part 1)

Theo had a vague idea what an Alice was and he knew that there can be more than one Alice. According to his previous life, Alazne had known and befriended three of them, whose faces were still a blur to him. However, that was in that era, when technology and cynicism didn't overpower magic. Therefore, he was more than shocked to meet one in his present life, where magic was almost fading to nonexistence.

What shocked him even more was the fact that Psyche knew that he was an Alice too.

"How..." Theo trailed off, ignoring how thick his accent sounded. "When did you...?"

"It was easy to tell." Psyche answered as her gigantic axe shrunk back to its former shape. "For someone who was new in Arcadia you picked up things quite quickly. You know things that no Lillin should know. You have too much power inside of you for a student who had been here for a short period. Might I also add that you look exactly like Alice straight out of the book? Only as a guy?"

"You knew just by those things alone?" Theo asked, sceptical and amazed. Psyche was much more observant than he had thought.

"I had my suspicions." Psyche said, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes at him. "I was curious as to why we got attacked by a Shadow that day. It wasn't supposed to be unstable so quickly. Also, it kept calling 'Alice' repeatedly. I first assumed it was because of our friendly guest just now, was scavenging through the forest at that time, but after that bathroom incident, I started to wonder if it's because of you. Judging from your reactions, it is, isn't it?"

Theo gulped. The girl was sharp, way too sharp that it was terrifying.

"I'll take that as yes." Psyche said when Theo didn't reply back. "Figures it would be like that. Not only do I have to protect you, but now I have to prevent you from being found out as a taboo. What a pain in the neck."

Theo didn't know why, but her last sentence was a stab straight to his chest. He shook the feeling aside and decided to change the subject when another screamed pierced the air, making him almost jump out of his skin.

"What on Arcadia is going on there?" Theo asked, looking up at where he caught sight of a broken window before turning to Psyche.

"I am just as clueless as you." Psyche answered, when she raised both of her eyebrows. "Do you wish to find out?"

Theo frowned as he stared at Psyche with curiosity. From the way she said it, he could not help but think the girl was planning something, but of what he couldn't fathom. Even so, he wanted to know what all the screaming was about, even if he was a tad bit scared on what to expect.

Not able to trust his voice, he gave one firm nod.

Without a word, Psyche wrapped her hand around Theo's wrist and he ignored the odd feeling. At some time, Theo felt that her fingers were solid. At other times, he could have sworn her hand faded into nothing. It fluctuated, forcing him to wonder if he should get his sensory nerves checked.

Nevertheless, Theo allowed her to drag him to a nearby tree. There, she let him go and crouched down, touching on the roots that were sticking above ground. She looked like she was examining it, testing the texture. Theo was about to ask how this was related to the screaming at all when she turned to him, looking dead into his eyes.

"In order for this to work, you need to trust me." Psyche said, patting on the soil several times.

"The last time I had to 'trust' you was when you let yourself get swallowed by a Shadow." Theo reminded, grimacing at the memory. To this, Psyche rolled her eyes again. She's been doing that a lot for the past few minutes.