Final Chapter: Maxy's Tale

(1933)

'Mummy! Daddy! Where are you?!' A child's tearful cry rang through the dark, echoing valleys, startling the silence.

1

'We will hike through the Alps tomorrow,' her dad smiled. 'Me, you and your mother.'

'What about Jonas?' Maxy cried. 'Where would he go?'

'He's staying at your Aunt's house for a week.'

'But it's my birthday this Saturday, he won't be here with us!' she scowled.

'Jonas would rather play with his cousin,' her dad reminded. 'Besides, he's too young to go on a trip this long. He'll cope just fine.'

'I'll miss him,' she whispered woefully.

Her father drove them deep into the natural reserve of Switzerland. The Alps were too much fun for Maxanne. She rolled down a snowy hill, laughing cheerfully, while her parents watched, sitting together on the summit, their backs golden-lit from the setting sun. She stumbled on a root, which stopped her. Not caring, she got up to her feet, raking up the rope repeatedly.

How quickly the sun had set. They seemed not to have enough playtime. The hiking week went smoothly and fast. On the final morning, Maxy decided to explore the forest they stayed in for the night. Her parents were still asleep. I won't get lost. She assured herself. I'll have the vicinity of the tent in my sight. It was late autumn. Crispy leaves crunched below Maxy's feet as she strolled slowly around all by herself, making sure not to let the tent leave her sight. Her red scarf flapped gently around her shoulder as she stared dreamily up at the rustling leaves in the sky.

Suddenly, she spotted movement under the blanket of dry leaves. The animal was moving incredibly swiftly beneath the piles, skittering along. The thing burst out of the covered ground, ran to a clearing, and stood still. Intrigued, Maxy ran towards the furry animal. Upon hearing her approach, it turned its tiny head around to look at the attacker's face. She clapped her hands to her mouth and gasped in delight. A squirrel.

The cute rodent cocked its head and shuffled back defensively. Idolised, Maxy scurried closer to look more clearly. Startled, it ran into the depths of the forest. I shouldn't go in there. She thought hesitantly. I shouldn't follow it. But the urge to chase it was too strong. 'I will be right back,' she whispered at the tent. Ready, she took off without a care in the world. Her clothes were gradually messed up throughout the dense bushes, and her legs were caught and cut by twigs and thorns. The squirrel was right in front of her. She could sense it running. All she wanted to do at the moment was to chase it until she lost it. But it never left, so she continued. A red and brown maple leaf stuck onto her forehead. Yanking it off, she could see the squirrel leaping out of the bushes and then diving back in like a dolphin. Just a little further. She thought addictively, panting. My parents will be scowling at me when I get back from this. She misstepped onto a patch of slippery mud even as she saw the light soaking through in front of the woods ahead. Dismayed, she skidded towards the trunks and the light behind them, screaming. The squirrel was finally gone. She'd lost it, yet she was about to be smacked into a tree trunk. She drew back a sharp breath, closing her eyes and preparing for the worst.

The impact didn't come, even after she braced herself for it. What really happened was worse. Way worse.

The momentum that made her skid burst out of the thick woods to the edge of the forest, which also happened to be the edge of a cliff.

The birds chirped blissfully in the background, yet nothing about it to Maxy. She held her chest in relief, hyperventilating. A boulder acted like a brake, an obstacle that stopped her overwhelming momentum—which would have led her to her death—completely. I was this close to dying. She sighed faintly. I was too reckless. She felt sorry for herself. After a few moments of gathering herself, she slowly brought herself to a sitting position. Her back stung from sliding against the rough soil, and her clothes got dirty. That wasn't good. Her legs were still protruding against the life-saving rock. How secure is this rock? She wondered. She twisted her neck and looked back—the forest was at least ten metres from the cliff's edge. She must have slid down the slippery grassy slope from the morning dew. Exhausted, Maxy stepped on the rock as support to bring herself to stand, unaware of the crack beneath the boulder that lost all of its support from the force that she'd put on.

Her foot gave away as the boulder fell tumbling down the cliff, shattering into pieces and echoing through the valley. Her face paled, scrambling backwards, scooting her feet against the slippery grass slope. Panicking, Maxy realised theHerlippery to support her weight. I'm stuck down here. She thought randomly. I can't get back up unless the dew evaporates. She cried in frustration, pulling at her reddish-blonde hair. She peered down the cliff, there was nothing down there but rock and dust. At the very bottom was a small patch of green forest that almost extended itself from the former forest. She was so desperate to get back up that she risked scooting down the edge to climb the grass. She could only make it to the halfway point, having the trees only a few metres within reach, but ended up sliding back down like a water slide. What are my parents going to do if they find me missing? Could they find me? After all, she was stuck at a pretty dead end. This was the place to be if you were playing hide-n-seek, if you'd ever get found, that is. I need to stay calm, I just need to wait patiently for maybe half an hour, and then the sun will evaporate the condensation. They'd probably think I went somewhere… but where? She looked around frantically, suspicious of her own words. I'm gonna give it one more try. Carefully taking off her shoes, she crept gingerly up the steep hill, taking steps as slowly as possible. 'Easy does it,' she told herself, arms shaking. 

Three more metres to go, and then I can grab onto one of the trees. Her socks were wet from the mossy stones and grass. 'Two more,' she exclaimed out loud. One metre left.

She was just about to launch herself at the tree when the squirrel reappeared from the bushes, jumping up her arm and running down her back. She screamed.

As she was pulled back down, nothing could have stopped her fall. Where is the squirrel going? She wondered bitterly as she rode down the slope—went up—and then started her descent.

2

How am I still alive? Maxy wondered. Shouldn't I be dead already? She swayed her hands. I'm hanging upside down. She realised. There was a tree sticking out from the side of the cliff, it had stopped her fall. She peered down anxiously—she was at least six metres above the valley and could easily break an arm or a leg if she wasn't careful enough. The branches seemed to be sturdy enough to support her weight dropping from twenty metres above. She didn't dare to move her legs, as if they'd break her support leading to her death. I'm okay for now. She thought. But there's no way to get back up. Panic-inducing thoughts proceeded to flood her mind after the first one came through. I can't see my parents ever again. I'm lost. I'm going to die out here. I'm going to encounter some strange mountain wolves that are going to tear me to shreds. I'm –

Maxy screamed. Screamed until her throat hurt, until her voice croaked. The sun was slowly setting into the distance, stretching out her shadow and everything around her. Still, she hung there, too afraid to move or speak, watching as the light around her gradually faded away. She'd never felt so helpless and weak in her entire life.

Just as she was about to fall asleep again, the branches tangling her loosened, and she fell harmlessly into a bush below. Cold and disoriented, she hugged herself tightly, wandering through the dark valley. Distant gusts of howling wind made her shudder. She couldn't remember how long she'd been wandering aimlessly. Days? Eventually, she collapsed on the rocky surface, bearing the blaring hot sun on her pale neck. She knew she was going to die, and it was just a matter of time before that happened.

She lay there for the longest time. In the dark, somewhere, she saw a wooden hut with light coming from inside, was she hallucinating?

Maxy dragged herself to the house, panting with every step. Somebody must be living in there, and they'll save her –

The door was unlocked. In fact, it was half-open. She stumbled inside to find nobody. The small cabin was pretty packed. A single-sized bed sat next to a small kitchen, which sat next to a small window and the door. To her very right was a boring sink and a mirror. Nothing but a tiny light bulb illuminated the room. A cupboard hung above the kitchen stove. There must be food. There must be – To her delight, there were canned meat and bread and cutleries. A used candle was sitting next to the food in the dusty cupboard, waxing parts of the bread. That's disgusting. Maxy thought. Who would put a melted candle next to food? She brushed the hardened wax off the chunk of bread and took a bite out of it. Her stomach was gurgling from a day without food and now seemed to be the perfect time to fulfil her hunger. She quickly and simply ate her meal, drinking not-so-fresh peach juice from a can. The food seemed to have sat there forever, yet the bread was still free of moulding. Surely the owner of this cabin wouldn't mind me just filling my stomach. I didn't even try to steal anything. There wasn't anything to steal. Either way, whoever owns this property wouldn't've come back this late at night. The –

A stick crunched under somebody's footsteps out there. Maxy froze, spilling some breadcrumbs on the polished floor. The footsteps were getting closer, and a faint humming was coming from the dark too. This is it. I'm going to get caught. She thought frantically. In some degree, that would be a good thing, but what if they were bad…? Panicking, she scooped up the crumbs on the surprisingly clean floor and shoved them in her mouth. Then she scrambled under the bed frame, which had a noticeable layer of dust. Swallowing her saliva, she scooted herself into the darkest corner beneath the bed. She was quite small so no one could've seen her from outside the window before. Hoping desperately, she withdrew herself into a fetal position to make herself as small as possible. Hardly able to breathe, she clapped one hand over her mouth to muffle out any sound she might make as the door slowly creaked open, and a figure stepped in. 

The figure wasn't wearing any shoes. Their feet were abnormally large and covered in hairs on their pale, green skin. The person was short—even shorter than she was—but undoubtedly an adult. They were wearing a deep blue robe made out of feathers with emerald green stripes down the front. The strange man had naturally green hair on their side and back covered by it, bright topaz eyes and many wrinkles on his forehead. He approached the bedside and sat down on the mattress. A gentle creak rang in Maxy's ears. At last, he spoke.

'Good lord, was that full expedition exhausting,' The man's tone was light but mature. Full expedition? Maxy blinked. Was he on a mission? 'Time for me to return home.' Home? So this isn't his home? She frowned confusedly. This is getting weird already. Her attention was drawn back once the man stood up, displaying the back of his feet to Maxy. He walked over to the cupboard and opened it. Maxy held her breath nervously. Please don't find me out. Please don't find me o –

'My food is gone!' the man cried in dismay, slumping back onto the bed disappointedly. Maxy rolled her eyes. Oh great, I ate his meal. I'm actually in huge trouble. 'Must've been those annoying rats again. Every time I have to return from this realm with an empty stomach.' Maxy wiped the bread crumbs off her mouth guiltily. Thank god he didn't find out the truth. On the other hand, I do feel like a repulsing rat. The man stood up from the bed again. He walked in circles around the room for a few minutes first, mumbling gibberish, then finally stopped at the sink, staring pensively into the mirror. Oh, shoot! He might see my reflection! She thought, butterflies squirming inside her stomach.

Fortunately, the weird man did not notice her or care about anything at all. His eyes were looking beyond the white, porcelain sink, into something that was very much unknown. Finally, he raised one hand and gripped the knob of the tap. Maxy watched dully as he twisted the tap a few times, stopped, and then twisted the opposite way another few times. Yet, despite his efforts, no water came out as he wished. What is up with him? Weirdo. Maxy rolled her eyes again impatiently. And why isn't water coming out from the tap –?

The room shook all of a sudden, throwing her against the underside of the bed. She stiffed a quiet cry as the back of her head throbbed painfully. She turned her attention back to the man and the sink and almost shouted in shock as the wall connected to the sink flipped open like a trapdoor, revealing the blinding blue glow of an oval-shaped portal. The window pushed open, and the door slammed itself against the wall. Violent gusts of wind were drawn from the outside, blowing in the direction of the portal like being sucked in like a vacuum. The floorboards creaked beneath her body, rattling uncontrollably as if attracted by the quantum door. 

A bright flash pierced through her eyes. Afterimages of the door lingered in front of her vision. She closed her uncomfortable eyes, tears rolling down rapidly. 

The light bulb that hung from the ceiling flashed twice and fizzled out, leaving her—and the room—completely still.

I must be dreaming. Did I even wake up in the first place? She dug her fingernail into her hand. It was real alright. The howling gusts of wind died down, leaving the room quiet. The door and the windows were back to their original positions, and the floorboards stopped rattling.

The man was gone, but the portal was still there.

Hyperventilating, Maxy crawled out from beneath the bed. 'Oww,' she exclaimed, wincing from her cramped knees. She was immediately enticed to the portal, its mystical light urged for her to go through. I can't do it. She hesitated. This isn't like a fantasy novel or a fairy tale. Taking these risks may lead to horrifying consequences. And then: Am I even alive? This shouldn't be happening in real life. But the urge to jump in was too strong. A magnet was trying to pull her in, but she resisted it with all her power.

She resisted it with all her power because—she couldn't find a good enough reason to convince herself to go in.

'What am I thinking?' she said out loud. 'If I'm not even alive, who cares what the consequences are.' She shook her head. Her mind and heart were fighting over each other for what her decision would be. Her sensible side was desperately trying to stop her, but it was too great of an opportunity to miss out. 'Sorry, everybody,' she whispered to herself, knowing that she would regret her decision later. 'I must find out what is on the other side of this door.' She turned away from the door for a final time, glancing out into the pitch-black Alps. A single tear drop rolled down from her eye. I had my eighth birthday a few days ago, and now I'm probably presumed dead by the rest of the world. It's time to leave. Unaware of her surroundings anymore, she took a deep breath and braced herself as she submerged her hands, then her arms, and finally the rest of her body into the dwindling blue light.

3

(1935, Maxy and June climbing to reach Demonlord, about an hour before the showdown)

'I didn't even know what I was thinking,' said Maxy, laughing as she locked her hands with June, climbing a slope that led further up the cave. 'I was so young and foolish back then, and now look at where I ended up.'

'I'd been playing with rubber ducks in the shallow parts of the fjords back then,' June grinned, her other hand gripping the thermo bottle tightly. 'Only wearing a pair of pants. I was not the most posh child back then. In the end, I got a cold from the freezing waters and spent a week sick.' They broke up into laughter.

'You said you came from Norway?' asked Maxy. 'What do the fjords look like? How did you find your way in here?'

'Almost a year ago, my hometown was trashed by a fjord tsunami caused by a landslide,' she spoke solemnly. 'We couldn't cope with the harsh conditions and trauma, so we moved to Switzerland about nine months ago.'

'I grew up in Switzerland before I ended up here,' Maxy sighed. 'I missed the good ol' mountains and trees and birds and rivers of the Alps. I also never got to visit the Norwegian fjords, the Eiffel Tower in France, or the Roman Colosseum in Italy… Basically, I've never got to go anywhere!' She cried out in frustration, pulling at her shiny auburn hair. June didn't speak. She looked down at Maxy's feet, who had no shoes on them. 

'How are your feet not cold?' she asked.

Maxy raised her head. 'Don't worry about me, sister. I got used to walking bare feet long ago.' She looked at June cheerfully. June frowned. She's so lively, even after telling me what she'd gone through. Just how strong is her will? 'Whatever happened to me, I never complained. I couldn't. I had a choice to stay on Earth, but I came here instead. I just got what I deserved for believing that real life is a fantasy. For believing that I could shape the world on my own instead of trying to reunite with my parents. I have a strange personality.' She paused to breathe deeply, staring at her own feet thoughtfully. 'Even now, I still believe I can get out of here alive, to be free again. If I could have one wish come true right now, it's to reach out to my parents and tell them I'm sorry for leaving them all alone. I want to see them again, one final time, even if it's just a few minutes. I have so many things that I still want to do. If I can't, I will be forever eight years old to them, coming back to them in their restless dreams, waking up just to find that I was forever gone. In their minds, I was dead since that fateful morning when I'd gone missing.' She looked up again to find June burying her head in her hands, crying. She sighed. 'Sister, don't be such a crybaby; you're older than me. We can't change the past, so why worry about it? There are things that you just need to get over with. Don't be mad anymore, okay?'

'I'm not mad, I'm happy,' June replied, her face submerged in tears. 'I'm happy that my friends and family are still alive, keeping me alive in the process. I don't want to lose anyone again.'

'That's right, you won't!' Maxy cried. 'Demonlord would never expect me to turn against him, especially after getting the Talisman. He'd lost all his usual awareness. All he does these days is eat, sleep and daydream. He'd become more and more mentally unstable, and we can use that to our advantage.'

'To our advantage?'

'Yes,' said Maxy simply. 'His own cockiness would dull his senses when the battle is intense.'

'Battle?'

'That's right. Battle,' Maxy grinned a little. 'If we can't defeat him while he still has the Talisman in control, why don't we – pull off a stealthy heist? I've seen him use the Talisman a few times already – he doesn't actually hold it. The Talisman can be remotely controlled within a certain proximity, as long as the Talisman is adapted to the user.' She nodded confidently.

'Where did you get all of this knowledge from?' June asked, bewildered.

Maxy fell silent, then turned her head away. 'There was someone I used to know,' she whispered softly. 'He was the first person that talked to me when I was the loneliest human being. All of this knowledge I got—was from him.' She turned her head back around, gripping June's hand tightly. 'He saved me from a slow and painful death that I was meant to experience. Never in my life had someone been so nice to a stranger like me.' 

'What did he do?'

'He – save me. Nursed me back to health and then died because of me,' Maxy replied quietly, and calmly. 'He was an Alpino.'

She said nothing in return, and they slowly trekked up until they reached the top of the slope. 

'One more hour,' said Maxy.

'The final hour—before all hell breaks loose?' June asked nervously. Maxy nodded.

'What we need right now isn't people,' she said. 'It's courage.'

4

'Can I ask you a question?'

'Go ahead.'

'What made you save me from being trapped in there?'

'Like I said, I need your help to take down Demonlord.'

'But how did you know if I was going to be any help or not?'

'Are you doubting yourself?'

'Yes… kind of.'

'Listen, sister, you can't doubt yourself while you can only rely on the people you're willing to protect. The same goes for all of us.'

(1933)

What is this? Now I am willing to believe that I'm dreaming. Maxy thought. This new world she went into was a place that she was hoping for. I feel refreshed, too. What is happening right now? 

She was quite unaware, and her unawareness was what made her become ensnared in a trap.

Maxy wandered in the woods for a few days, having no clue where to go. At this point, she became quite scared of what she was dealing with. Having to cope with hunger and having no place to eat, she could only rely on drinking the water out of Vessel River to extend her travelling time. She had become quite obsessed with the giant mountain that overarched the entire plains. It was also quite convenient that when she got closer to it, she found a source of food. Grapefruit-like fruits grew on ancient trunks, filling the air with its intense fruity fragrance. She had stayed in that forest for a week before setting off again to track down civilisation. That man… belonged here. She recalled one night, lying against one of the tree's roots. I must find where he came from, or else I cannot survive in this world without others. Furthermore, the portal had closed in on me, so I had to seek help to get me out of here.

The next day, she'd packed some spare fruits to eat in her large crimson scarf and set off towards the mountain. The mountain is so massive and spooky. She thought. Yet it's enticing me to go towards it. She also remembered encountering some twinkly purple sparks that danced in the air together, drifting mystically in the sky before disappearing. That was a pattern. They emerged from nothing and also vanished into nothing.

She eventually reached the bottom of the mountain, one day in the morning, but unlike what she had thought, the bottom was shrouded in a dense morning fog that was blocking off most of the terrain from her sight. Maxy made her way through the churning fog like a rubber duck drifting mindlessly amidst the grand ocean. Broken gravel crunched under her feet, making noises like the cogs that wound each other of a giant clock.

Not looking down at where she was stepping, the sound of metal clicked as she stepped on something unnatural hidden in plain sight on the rock surface. She screamed piercingly as pain shot through her left foot. Her legs instantly gave away as she dropped to the ground, howling. The pain—which felt more excruciating since she wasn't expecting it—came from metal teeth sunken into her flesh. She wailed in agony and utter panic, looking at the device that had ensnared her by the foot. A beartrap. She thought bewilderedly. I'm caught in a beartrap. Blood poured steadily from her wound as she tried to free herself from the triggered metal springs. Stars shot and corkscrewed before her eyes. The pain was glassy, exquisite – and unbearable. 'HELP ME!' she shrieked. 'SOMEBODY HELP ME!' But nobody was around and never would be again. As she tugged at the metal teeth desperately, her vision swam, and her body grew weaker. Breathing shakier by the minute, she collapsed to the ground, dragging herself forward weakly with her hands. Blood pooled beneath her legs and soaked through her slacks, dripping between the gaps of her shoe and its metal wires.

Resisting the dizziness that threatened to throw her into unconsciousness, she crawled slowly, each movement causing unimaginable pain to her mutilated foot. The light in her eyes dimmed, delaying her progress and draining all feeling from her caught foot. I can feel the life being drained from my body. Maxy thought, rasping through sheer will. Despite her distressed screams of pain, no one could hear her; despite her efforts to resist the heavy bleeding, the moment was inevitably coming to pass. I need to staunch my wound. She thought after calming down a bit. My foot certainly can't be saved, but the beartrap is actually helping to slow down bleeding in this case, not that I would have gotten the injury in the first place without it. She bared her teeth—one of them was missing—and tightened her red scarf around her bloodied ankle. I should hold on for a few days until I can get further help. Her mind said.

Don't be ridiculous, who's gonna come and help you? Even if they wanted to, how could they find you lying somewhere by the edge of a tall, dull mountain? Her heart retorted.

Actually, it was your idea to come here in the first place. You can't blame me. Her brain argued.

'Shut up, both of you,' she hissed through gritted teeth, clearly in pain. Her foot felt like it was stabbed by a thousand needles, over and over again, while her mind made up these stupid thoughts to keep herself sentient –

'Just forget about it,' she sighed, defeated.

All of that fruit she packed was proven to be not even enough for two days. She limped over to a caved-in part of the mountain, hiding herself from the rain that came down later that afternoon. At night, she shivered on the hard stone, covering herself in her thick, woollen coat. The strong wind outside occasionally blew into the cave, messing up her hair and making her whimper. The first night was unendurable. Pulsing pain that synced with her heartbeat prevented her from falling asleep. Even with the tourniquet tied around her ankle, blood still seeped through her shoe and the razor-sharp foothold trap. Why was it in the middle of nowhere, close to this mountain? She thought. It would've made more sense if I'd gotten stuck in one of these while I was in the forest. Turns out no. She recoiled her knee up to her chest and resigned her effort to fall asleep. The numbness began to crawl up to her calf, too. How many days can I keep at this?

Turned out not many.

5

Maxy jolted awake. She swung her head around frantically as something – or someone tied her up with huge, thick ropes. Wait, those aren't ropes. Jesus Christ, they're tentacles. She tried to look at her kidnapper's face, but those squirmy, scaly tentacles bound her. The thing moved slowly, clearly not in a rush. I'm not in the cave shelter anymore. Then where am I? Hyperventilating, she realised she was inside the mountain, moving through a cave system. What was more terrifying, though, was that her abductor wasn't anything like a human. It was some sort of… creature. These things probably roamed in this mountain, and they caught me while I was sleeping. She snorted, holding her throbbing head. So much for trying to find civilisation. She was well aware of her privileges to scream her lungs out but surprisingly couldn't. These most recent events intrigued her more than they pained her or frightened her. How convenient these things are to happen. I got stuck in a bear trap, walked right into hostile territories, and now here we are! Being carried in by the said hostility taking the form of a God-knows-what. Something in her head clicked, and she trembled. First, to snare a bear, you'd have to set up a trap. After you have waited patiently, you come back to check on said trap. You would find one out of three outcomes:

The trap was still there, untouched. In this case, you would go back and repeat the first set of steps.The trap was still there, but was set off, and the victim was (hopefully) a bear. Mission accomplished.The trap was no longer there, but signs of blood could be found on the ground. Outcome three indicates that the bear was caught but had enough wits to run somewhere, like me.

However, clearly, I didn't run far enough, or else I wouldn't be carried home by the hunter right now. She concluded glumly.

It was too dark to see, and she felt herself drift in and out of consciousness. It was uneasy, sure, but there was also a sense of familiarity somewhere. She couldn't feel the warmth in her foot anymore. It had completely disappeared. Now she was even more confident that her foot must be amputated.

After some time, experiencing a few cycles of falling asleep and waking up again in the fridge temperatures of the caves, a gush of warm air stimulated her pores, alarming her. She was in a large cave, dimly lit by ghostly purple fires. A coppery smell of blood forced up her nostrils, making her gag. The room was crowded by many other – creatures, gnashing their teeth and growling. She almost screamed in terror when she saw what their eyes looked like – two pairs of red slashes accompanied by empty eye sockets. Their coiled tongues and sharp teeth were relatable to the mythological horror—the Devourer of Worlds—a large worm-leech that resided deep beneath the Earth's desert, its mouth the size of a blue whale. Their steel talons scraped against the rock floor, making dissonant noises like glass scraping against a chalkboard. Their fermented skin stank of rotten vegetables. The demon released its grip on her, and she dropped to the ground, wincing. 

'Demon number twelve, what did you say you found near the surface?' a loud voice, resonant and protruding, boomed across the room. How can I understand what he's saying? Maxy realised in confusion. Because that sounded nothing like German. She turned to look at the source of the voice—a large, much more menacing creature sat on a throne on the other side of the room. The demon produced a low growling from its throat, almost like it choked on a chunk of hot food. 

But the large figure nodded as he understood Demoniac. His eyes glinted in the purple flames. For a moment, he looked astonished by what he heard. He sat up from the throne—a whopping five metres in height—and walked down a series of stairs. His reptilian claws and tail extended. He has four legs. Maxy realised. Things crunched beneath his giant feet. Bones?

'Seize her.' the head of the demons whispered lazily. One of the soldiers extended its tentacle and deliberately wrapped it around her injured foot. Instant, explosive pain sent more stars shooting around in her head. The demon dragged her, skidding towards Demonlord like a stuffed animal, ripping her already-worn-out pants and drawing blood from her kneecaps. This guy is a maniac, Maxy stared into those red, cold pupils. He looks like he would do something to me just because he felt like it. Please don't do that, I can't even walk anymore, please God –

'Well, well, well. This is very intriguing,' said Demonlord. 'A human. Not an Alpino, either. Atlanta? I doubt it. Nomadrians are too tall. No, and no.' He seemed more interested in what she was rather than how to rip her to pieces, which wasn't very interesting. Then he snapped his head back around, his eyes shining. 'Maybe… you're one of them. The ones that the Three Races always talk out. Now that's some new, never-seen-before encounter that I experienced after living 12,000 years,' he leaned closer towards her, making her flinch. 'I hope you know that demons don't get to eat meat often,' his deep voice was soft yet terrifying. 'That's one thing you should know about, and normally I would – but you're a special case. I can't just eat you after finally getting to meet you first after all those hermits.' He pretended to think about it. 'You'll be my daughter.'

'Don't be ridiculous!' Maxy shouted angrily, holding her foot. 'There's no way I'm agreeing to that!'

'You're very much provoking me, human. I'm not holding back anymore if you deny me again.' Demonlord hissed, bringing out a 3-foot-long sword and aiming the tip at her face.

'I would rather die than become your relative, you ugly demon!' she yelled, standing her ground.

Demonlord gave her an expression – half wanting to stab her in the face, but the other half furious by how precious she was. You could tell she was getting on his nerves very quickly, and he'd never experienced this level of harassment before. Everyone feared him. Everybody. But why was an insolent and fearless human girl making him hold back so much? 'That's it,' he announced, reaching out a claw and grabbing one of her ponytails. 'I'm sending you to the dungeon.' She tried to squirm away, but he easily stopped her by tapping his blade into the beartrap on her foot. Screaming in agony, Maxy was dragged away by one of the lower-ranked demons. Demonlord watched silently, unsatisfied with what he'd experienced. Yet, for the first time in his life, he felt – sympathy. Not sympathy for her well-being, sympathy for damaging his own precious German girl. I didn't even get to ask her name 'cause of how rude she was. He shook his head in disappointment. What a scuffed day. Ruined day. I was in such a good mood. 

'One of your stupid servants, get me a cup of (stolen, robbed and looted) Smotherly tea,' he growled, resting his head against his elbow, his large horns and nostrils stuck from his trapezium-shaped head, his four legs crossed upon each other (doing so in pairs). 'And make it snappy, or else more than one of you clowns is going to get beheaded today.'

6

Unlike the outside world, her cell was cold and dark. They'd stripped her shoes away with the intent of torturing her, keeping the beartrap stuck to her foot (the shoe on that foot was stuck beneath the metal teeth, so they allowed her to keep that one, although it was pretty much broken anyway). The cell was larger than she thought – there was only one torch lit outside in the caves, making parts of her huge cell dark and spooky. The room was demon-made – hollowed out by excavators. Except it's not excavators, it's themselves. She shuddered. Metal bars were slanted across the entrance, exactly like a normal prison. When she couldn't find a door, she realised the entire frame of the metal bars was a door that had a one-way lock from the outside. She was chained savagely to one corner, the blasted foothold trap had a ring installed on it to specifically hook chains onto. Curse that bastard, Demonlord. She swore. I knew I was a victim of his conspiracy. Conspiracy? She giggled sarcastically. I wonder how long it takes before my mind completely loses it. And just a few minutes after thinking that statement, she lost it.

Crying had never been her preferred option for dealing with things, but she gave in that night – and went all out. She bawled and cried as she pleased, tears overflowing out of her eyes like a sudden breach of a dam. Her reality was completely shattered by loss and broken dreams. Ran away, broke her heart, and realised it was much too late. Her life was thrown into a vortex of change, a vortex that was impossible to escape once it came after you. One traumatic experience after another had sent her young mind into shock, which was perfectly reasonable. My mind fell apart, pretended everything was normal, and then – KABOOM! Everything that went wrong comes pouring back, filling the false gaps which were made up to trick me. This is it for me. I'm going to die in a jail cell constructed by the supernatural at the forever age of eight years old. She howled in despair, echoing through the empty tunnels, waiting for a response. 'Take me home!' she pleaded to no one.

'H–hello? Are you a newcomer?' A dry, sandy voice croaked.

She almost jumped. Someone – or something was in this cell with her, and they sound like they're almost dead. 'W-who goes there?' she whimpered.

'Don't worry, lad. I'm just as defenceless as you are,' the man shrugged. His silhouette looked exactly like the person who went through the portal before her. 'Come closer, let me look at your pretty face. Don't be frightened – I'm not going to eat you.'

'Are you – are you sure?' she stuttered self-consciously, but in the end, she dropped the act and shuffled as close as possible to the friendly figure. She gasped—the figure looked similar to the person she saw in the cabin, but she didn't think it was the same person. He was dressed in a checkered T-shirt and pants, unlike the black-and-white stripes that inmates wore. Despite looking quite defeated, the man smiled at her. 

'You are German,' he chuckled excitedly. 'All my life – I've been dreaming for a German to show up in this realm – God, take me home, I'm finally ready.' He leaned against the wall weakly. 'Of course, I didn't expect to see you showing up here, right in front of me, in this place of misery.' His eyes gleamed with hope. 'You're so beautiful, what is your name?'

'Maxy,' she whispered. 'Maxy Scarlet.'

'Wonderful name,' he replied. 'My name is Akul, Akul Rosmere.' He coughed violently, turning to face the wall.

'Are you okay?' she cried. 'You look beaten up, what did Demonlord do to you?'

'Don't worry about me, Maxy,' Akul panted. 'I merely got what I deserved for being so curious. Like they say – "curiosity killed the cat". That's me right now.' I merely got what I deserved. Maxy shuddered, recoiling from the cold. 

'How long have you been here?'

'I could barely remember,' he sighed. 'Perhaps a decade.' He looked lost at the walls, shaking his chains, rattling them against the cold stone walls.

'Did you get accidentally caught in a trap like I did?' she grunted. 

'No, I intentionally got myself caught,' he replied flatly. 'Well, I didn't want to get caught, of course. But I also brought this upon myself.' He took a deep breath. 'You seem to be very pained. May I help?' He prompted her to come up close. She moaned as she wiggled towards him, chains locked to her foot and hands tied behind her back.

'Don't worry, it's all going to be right…' the hermit whispered, and Maxy felt herself drift away…

7

(about 500 years ago)

'Hey, Akul! Have you heard about the creepy mountain? The one that reached beyond the Earth's troposphere?'

'I'm not very familiar with it, Ellie. It's still a very debatable and unknown place due to its harsh climate and DEMONS,' he emphasised the last word and made her jump. 'Very mysterious place, yes. Very mysterious.'

'Even Uncle Ozin doesn't have a clue of how it is,' Ellie replied glumly. 'And he's actually done some research on it.'

'Your uncle Ozin is sure a very influential Alpino on Legendaria,' said Akul. 'He's all the way up there at the top of the hierarchy of the council. Hermits like me can't compete with the access to the knowledge he gets.'

'But Uncle Ozin doesn't like to brag, and that's why he's up there in the first place,' said Ellie. 'But I've never seen him use most of the resources he has access to, which is surprising.' She brought a pot of honey lemon tea from the picnic basket and poured it into Akul's cup. 'What's your relationship with Uncle Ozin?'

'I barely get to see him, only when there's an important meeting. He knew about me, though. But in the end, I'm probably just slightly more significant in his heart than my fellow council members.' he sighed, shrivelling grey hairs flowing down his back.

'Why don't you try doing something flashy for the council so you could get promoted?' asked Ellie. 'That way, you can build your reputation.'

'I'm ever older than your uncle, Ellie,' he said, his voice dry like sand. 'I'm an old folk. I've only probably gotten a few centuries left in me now. I've seen the world and everything it had to offer, although I could never possibly obtain them.'

'But you're still going strong!' said Ellie. 'I heard you traversed the Rocky Plains just a few millennials ago! You broke a world record and lived to tell what was on the other side. You love the thrills of adventures.'

'That's not a speciality the council is searching for, is it?' he chuckled again, patting her head. 'Oh, Ellie. I was lucky enough to be born a hermit, how could I find myself a job otherwise? This world doesn't praise adventurers, sadly.'

Ellie thought deeply, furrowing her brows and closing her eyes tightly. 'Akul, you did what no other person could do. That's your talent.'

'What do you think I should do?'

'You said you always wanted to explore Sorrow Mountain as a whole, and conveniently it's still a mystery to us.' 

He was startled, like someone revealed his secret. He looked guiltily down at the picnic mat. 'Ellie, I know what you're trying to say, but I don't think the council would allow me to go.'

'I can tell Uncle Ozin to cover up for you,' she smiled. 'I'm sure he'd allow it.' Then she leaned towards his ear and whispered, 'Although he never told anyone this, he was dying to explore Sorrow Mountain, but due to his status, he can't leave the country without permission. He even wrote an article about it during his high school years because that dull, boring, yet mystical mountain intrigued him the most. The topic was a major hit back then, right after Demonlord vanished without a trace during the Battle of Demonspit.'

'Do you believe in me?'

'Of course I do. You're the only person who doesn't ever make fun of my blond hair curls or my strange blue eyes. I would never criticise anything you do.'

'I know I shouldn't leave like this, but if I could collect precious information from the Sorrow Mountain, my life wouldn't've gone to waste.'

'Akul, you can't be serious!'

'I'm just as serious as you are,' he replied. 'I'm over 18,000 years old, yet I haven't gotten a single moment of my life that I'm proud of. You reminded me to finish on a high note. I've made up my mind. I'm ready.'

'You'll return, though, right?' Ellie cried. 'You wouldn't leave me all alone, right?'

He smiled dreamily. 'I don't know. Perhaps I wouldn't return if things get nasty, but I just want to spend the remaining time of my life on something useful.'

'Please promise me you'll return safely, or else I must come, too!'

'You're still young, Ellie. Don't let your precious life go to waste like I did, with no talents or anything to help make the world a better place. Say no more! Don't follow this lunatic to the end of his days, be yourself and shape the next generation with your own method. My generation had already been eliminated by how fast-paced the world has become. It's terrifying for me.' he chuckled again wryly. 'However, I'm not dying that easily. Magic is at least on my side. I can defend myself.'

They huddled closer, staring closely at the bright, yellow sun at the tip of the horizon.

8

(The last narrative by Akul)

The girl had fallen asleep from exhaustion, even with the brutal wound she bore on her foot. I did all I could to heal the wound, but parts of the metal were impaled too deep into her skin to be fixed. She'd done a pretty good job herself on stopping the bleeding, but she wouldn't have lived more than a week with that grief injury. This girl wasn't an Alpino either, she was German. I always dreamed of opening the border between the realms and turning the Three Races into Four. Recently, Germans were proven to be more intelligent than most of the Three Races, which intrigued many members of the magic council. I was part of the poll that wished for the complete reveal of the Alpine Realm, labelled 'Project Home Return', signifying the Three Races reinhabiting the German realm after 21 million years. The project went through confirmation but failed to initiate due to the 'magic strain' it would cause while creating such a large interdimensional portal. Five millennials later, the day I encountered Maxy for the first time, her innocent blue eyes staring straight into his face, a single warm tear formed and rolled from my eyelid and down into my mouth. A warm, comforting thought occurred to me then. Seeing her made me realise the spark of fire – that only remained in me now – from the project, reimbursed to life. Maybe it can become a reality after all. I thought excitedly. But then dimmed. I've only got a few more days left in me, and I must allow this will to live on from my legacy. Someone must be told that one day, we could return to German Earth, our first mother, and relive what we once had while sharing this new one with another species. There is no time to waste.

The girl—Maxy—woke up the next day. She was overjoyed by her healed foot. She thanked me sincerely, saying she would be forever in my debt. This was also the time—the right time—when I told her I had cancer and wouldn't be able to make it out of this mountain alive if that day would ever occur to us. During the next week or so, I told her everything I'd known about this world. An entire lifetime of knowledge. She started crying again at some point, but I could tell she accepted my words. 

I was diagnosed with cancer even before I decided to venture the mountain. Cancer develops very slowly in Alpinos, especially in hermits. A hermit could live up to six centuries while having stage four cancer in their body. The magic inside us works pretty well against it, together with the immune system. Most of those six centuries were delayed by magic, a truly fascinating phenomenon. Demonlord had quite literally set me up for a funeral—more or less an execution. He kept me prisoner for all these years instead of killing me when I was first caught. He said he respected my dreams and wishes and told me everything he knew about this mountain. I was shocked, even mad. I asked him what was the point if he wouldn't let me go. He replied to give my final inevitable death some meaning, which I appreciated. He planned to burn me alive when I was ready to go so that we both got a happy ending. I'd worried that my knowledge would go to waste anyway if nobody came to receive and respond to it, but it is as it is. 

Maxy, my child, you're the saviour. I was heartbroken when I heard your tragic backstory and how you ended up here, but I can finally rest in piece, as I know one day you'll be able to free yourself from this monster's grasp and be free. Your determination and resilience would one day bring people to your aid. If I could share your happiness in heaven when that faithful day comes, I'd be so glad to hear you share this awesome knowledge with the rest of the world to make the project come true. I am certain that very soon in the future, help will arrive at this mountain. Powerful allies will gather and defeat Demonlord once and for all. Then, you can escape this dreaded mountain and live your life to its fullest. I sincerely hope that after I die, you can see your family again, not the very first time.

Not everybody gets a happy ending. I also have to apologise to another friend that I have. Her name is Ellie. She was probably heartbroken when I went missing, presumed dead by the rest of the world. That would soon be true.

She was breaking down on the day of my execution and even hit Demonlord with her fists. As the flames dissolved my vision, I hoped she didn't do anything out of impulse, much to Demonlord's anger. The only thing left was disintegrating that foul beartrap on her foot. After the deed was done, without attracting Demonlord's attention, I winked at a tearful Maxy, who nodded silently. I tilted my head backwards, relaxing every muscle I had. My entire life flashed before my eyes.

I don't have much regrets, anyway. I never had a family.

I crossed the Rocky Plains—a full two hundred miles of lifeless desert.

I don't own much fortune, and I don't plan on passing it down to anyone.

I explored and maintained the knowledge of Sorrow Mountain for the last 500 years of my life, ready to be passed down many generations. That was a memory I was proud of.

9

(June of 1935)

'Are you ready?'

'I'm ready.'

They walked up a steep hill full of meadows. The sky hadn't been so blue since she'd left. Their clothes flapped in the warm wind, and thousands of flower petals flew in the air. Pink, red, yellow, white.

They knelt before the small tombstone, both holding a bouquet of flowers. 'This is for you,' June whispered. 

Brave until the end

Maxanne Scarlet

May 1925—May 1935

'You can rest now, forever free.'

—Finished on Feb 21, 2024.