A Song Named Alice

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

I head for the basement, in search for a way to help either Time or Pleasance. Spending the entire day there is depressing, but with the way my worries bite at my arms and my stress stings my throat, I forget that I'm by myself. 

This spell is so new to me, I'm lost to which path I should take. Stacks upon stacks are set out to me, many of them lie in dead ends that I can see near me. However, some reach farther than I can see, and I can't tell which lie in dead ends. 

What if all of them end? I worry over the thought. It's true, all of them could be dead ends. There doesn't have to be one that leads on into a joyful future. This is life, not a fairytale. 

Yet, unwilling to give up because of Pleasance's strength, I carry all the magic books from the other room to the piles of books in the main room. I have all of my material in here, so the answer I'm seeking must be within this room. But as before, I can't seem to find it. Searching for the right information, high and low, far and wide, but it's nowhere to be found. 

That is, until I find something closely related. Spirit soldiers, I read from the book. They were from the last great godly war, weren't they? And it's the same spell I used on Pleasance. If I can tweak the spell a bit and find another that will activate with it, then I might be able to get this to work for Time. Yes, but it will only work for him, I sigh. 

Then the room grows darker, much darker. How long have I been in here? I can believe that it's already this late.

So, as I travel back to Pleasance, I notice the light to her room is still off. She's yet to wake up from last night. I slip back on the stool, my arms under my head, as I doze on her sheets with her hand so close to mine. I'm an idiot for doing this, knowing I'll have a crick in my neck in the morning, but I guess I'd rather notice when Pleasance wakes up than sleep in my own bed. 

In the morning, Pleasance is still asleep. You can't sleep forever, you know, I want to tell her. But I won't say anything, she's going to need the sleep. Or rather, it's better for her to sleep, so that she won't notice if she's in pain as much. 

Though, as I leave the room, I notice Pleasance stir. She might be waking up! I want to sit back down on the stool and wait for her to open her eyes. Yet, I can't. I need to help Pleasance, I need to fix her contract. That must be by top priority, I convince myself. No matter how much I want to stay by her side. 

I can't beat my feelings fully. Whispering a peaceful good-bye in her ear, I watch as she ceases her stirs and sleep comfortably in her bed. And before I can change my mind, I hurry down to the basement, shutting myself amongst the books. 

Spirit soldiers, I remember. It's horrific how they were used all those centuries ago. I wasn't alive at the time, it was two All Father generations ago, but the stories are enough for me. If Pleasance and I were around during that time, she might have ended up as a soldier, doomed to a miserable death. 

Time is locked in his realm, unable to bring anyone to it or go out unless called. However, there is one exception to that, and that is spirits. They aren't bound to limits of the universe that most things are. I can use that to my advantage. 

I open the contract up again. The blue circle lights up enchantingly, a wonder to my eyes. That is, if it wasn't hurting her. I stare at the runes, thinking about Spirit Soldiers. I find all the similarities between other spells and Pleasance's contract. One rune in particular strikes an interest in me, as it is the one that binds Pleasance to her sad awaiting fate. This cursed rune is what I need to fix, and I will do it, she believes in me. Even if I have to do it through Time, I will help her.