Faltesia Chronicles: Ouroboros Rises

Chapter Two: Fallen Wonderland...

Estelle and Arin were on their way to school within the early spring air. Ten months ago, Araki had been sealed away. The two had done their best to cope: counselling, therapy, keeping in touch with her family. 

It was only the end of March. April would bring bright sunshine and warm weather.
Estelle was wearing her white, poofy skirt and button-down short sleeve top. Her fluffy sweater, which came with her skirt, was tied around her waist. Her sweater was yellow, as was the beanie on her head. Lavender and gold rounded the cuffs of her sleeves and the hem of her skirt. White boots went up to her foreleg.
Arin wore his red sweater and flame-patterned shorts, which were navy blue. His tee was black. He'd grown a bit and was as tall as Estelle now. Running shoes donned his feet.
"Have you played the new quest on Mythical Majesty yet?" Arin asked. "It's the first chapter of the second arc from the Goryeo version. It's not too hard."
Estelle nodded. "I did. I got the featured unit Barigongju, and she's really good. Fun to use, too. But she lacks combo partners. I tried Chang'e and You Yu, but their skills overlap."
"Okay, but if you have a friend who has Bari, you can get double the buffs thanks to having two of her."
"Araki would have figured something out by now. There's a reason why she did so well in Ranked."
The air stilled. They both missed their friend dearly.

Walking the rest of the way in silence, they ran into Joseph Swan, the presiding judge who ran Araki's trial and the mayor of Dewglow.
Joseph was in his fifties and his age did show. But he still looked rugged and handsome, yet not in a warm friendly way. His handsomeness was cold and calculated. The sharp jawline, his trimmed silver beard and slicked back platinum blonde hair made him look like a villain. His suit was entirely black.
"Ms. Kuronaga, Mr. Singh," Joseph said, nodding.
"Hello, Mayor Swan," they said in unison, bowing.
Arin looked uncomfortably at Estelle. "I see you two are still tending to your studies," the man observed. "And please, call me Swan."
"My daughter is waiting for you by the school gates," Swan said. "She has something to discuss with you regarding...your friend." He cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes.
Estelle held his gaze. "What do you mean? What happened to Araki?" she demanded.
He sighed. "Araki has escaped."
Estelle's heart stopped. "S-she what?" Her face paled.
"We don't know where she went or what she's doing. The Phantasm Queen, Rose, has sent her agents out, as I have. We have deemed this an international threat, and all able countries are sending their best to stop her."
Swan swallowed and gestured to the school. "Jessica is trying to figure out why she would escape and where she's headed. She suspects Yggdrasil, the World Tree. It's located in the Grand Meridian, on Elizabethia. Go to her if you want to know more. I have business to attend to. Farewell."
Arin and Estelle looked at each other and bolted to the school.

On the steps was Jessica Swan, who also preferred to go by Swan. Jessica was a pretty girl with her short-ish hair and angelic facial features. Her green eyes typically were full of joy and light, but today they were tense. Her skirt was dark grey, almost like slate. The school uniform hugged her body, complete with a dark red dress coat. Her bag was placed to the right of her.
She looked up as soon as she saw them, waving for them to come.
"Hey, I'm sorry I couldn't reach you sooner. Father delivered my message then?"
Arin nodded, his face a little red. "Yeah. Um...so, is Araki okay? Do you know where she is?"
Swan shook her head. "No. Rose told me that she escaped. Her cousin fought her on the way out but she managed to break free. She's somewhere...I don't know where."
"Okay, where? What does this have to do with Yggdrasil?" Estelle asked.
Swan looked around as more people started flooding in.
 "Yggdrasil is the gateway to the Origin Cave, where the core of the world can be reached. Ouroboros is there. I don't know if that's where Araki is headed, but it seems to be the most likely. The thing is, she needs a key. A girl, rather: Alice Mirabilia. The girl who's currently locked away inside a book that powers most of the world's magic. The one that's at the top of the school."
Just then, a pillar of blue fire exploded across the street. Then another, and another. And then...Araki teleported into view.
Swan stood up. "EVERYONE, GET INSIDE NOW!" she shouted. Pedestrians were already shocked and screaming. "Estelle, Arin, grab the Dream Records. Go, now. I'll hold her off."