23. Chapter 8

Omen's POV

There were murmurs in the air as I woke up. It took a while before my pounding head could fully comprehend what the words are.

"Wh... is ... wake up?"

I slowly blinked opened my eyes and hissed in pain when the light from the windows seared into them. It didn't help when my eyes were more sensitive than an average human. They were also sharper than an average Guardian, this set of eagle eyes were a gift from a mission I did long ago. The talking stopped when they heard me.

"Kira! You're awake!" Virginia cried in relief as she appeared at my side.

"Ow... Mind adjusting the curtains?" I croaked.

I winced at how my voice sounded. I rubbed my neck, flinching at the barest of touch. Another person crossed the room and adjusted the curtains. I spied his dark brown hair and lanky frame before shifting my body up feebly to accept the glass of water from Virginia.

He turned around.

I realised with a start that it was Sherlock.

It was then did I realise that the feel he gave was vastly different from the time when I first met him in Amyus's cottage. There was no longer any sign of dazedness in his eyes.

"You look different."

"He got back his memories." Virginia answered in glee while glancing back at him.

"Most of it, Virginia. I still cannot remember the time I fought with the Paradol Chamber and other things." He smiled faintly at her.

(DW3: In case you are clueless about Paradol Chamber, it's an organisation that was first introduced in the first book, "Death Cloud". The third book, "Black Ice" formally introduce Paradol Chamber. They take things in their own hands to change history to their liking.)

"Well, that is a good thing." I commented happily.

I set the empty glass beside me. Then, I took a cursory glance around the room and failed to recognise it.

"Why am I in bed?"

"You suddenly fell unconscious along the way. The doctors couldn't figure what was wrong with you. Or how that bruise around your neck came about." Sherlock explained as he took a seat beside Virginia.

"The night at the circus was so chaotic." Virginia muttered softly. "You suddenly collapsed on the ground so papa had to carry you back to our cottage."

Immediately, there was a slam. We all jumped ten feet up into the sky.

"You are awake!" Matty cried in pleasant surprise as he strode into the room. "I should have snitched an apple along the way here for you."

I chuckled at his words. Coming from behind him, Amyus leaned against the doorway of the room. Seeing that I had finally woke up, he relaxed his shoulders and the crinkle between his brows smoothen.

It surprised me that the characters inside the World held so much concern for me despite me being almost a stranger to them.

In reality, normal Guardian missions would have limited the contact between the Guardians and the main characters of the stories for fear that they might cause major changes in the stories. And resetting the story often takes up a lot of energy and magic.

Perhaps...

There is a way that we could interact with the characters and there is no need to reset.

However, had it not been for the impending war, I wouldn't have been able to get so close to them. Or even had a chance to save Sherlock Holmes.

I had my arms wrapped around Virginia, Sherlock. By some miracle, I even grasped Matty in the hug who I was sure was standing a few feet from the bed.

He yelped out in surprise.

"Thanks."

I whispered while putting in pressure in my hug, trying to convey the heartfelt gratitude in my heart. Virginia patted my back in response.

I released my hold on them.

"I think I probably exhausted myself until I collapsed. Work was harsh during those past few days." I chuckled.

Well, I'm not wrong if work includes fighting against Damon Windsor.

Speaking of him, I wonder why he didn't kill me when he had such a perfect opportunity. That was unlike the usual way that Dark Shadow and his people has dealt with us. Just to be sure, I should check up on myself.

"Well, at least you're fine now." Amyus said as he walked into the room. "Don't overwork yourself next time, Kira."

"You got it, sir."

I gave him a mock salute with a cheeky grin.

"Alright, we should let Kira rest given that she just woke up. We will bring your food later."

Without caring about everyone's objection, he ushered all of them out of the door and closed it softly. I puffed out the air in my lungs that I didn't know I was holding onto. The room was starting to feel cramp with the number of people stuffing themselves inside.

Taking advantage of this precious time, I plunged myself into my mental space. Opening my eyes again, I found that I was sitting in the conference room of my mental palace. All four pairs of eyes stared at me. For a moment, I felt I was getting interrogated.

"Here."

A blue letter slides cleanly across the mahogany table by Shiro. On the wax seal, it was the symbol of spade. I could not believe my eyes. It was one of the Alice letters. I had not expected that it would be found so soon.

"By the way, it was from the blue singer. We haven't opened it yet."

Catching on their drift, I took the cue and opened it. Mike had said that if I found any of the letters, I should open it first. It didn't matter whether he was there or not since he could read it again.

Like the letter of the 1st Alice, the letter hopped from my hands and shaped itself into the figure of the 2nd Alice, the Demented Blue Singer with its blue hair and blue clothes with the addition of the spade printed on them. It then began to tell its story with the voice of a deadly rose, just like the time back in the circus.

"The second Alice was a frail man of Diamond.

The broken echo of the lies within demented words.

He sang his twisted melodies to all in Wonderland,

Creating the image of the sick and disturbed.

Deadly yet so beautiful, a voice just like a rose.

He was shot by a madman, who silenced him to death.

He left a flower blooming sadly red.

With a twisted grin, this dying man breathed his last."

I grimaced at the last part.

That certainly made the singer nutty. And to think that Yang and I fell to his spell.

... I inwardly shuddered.

As we took a moment to process its words, it casted furtive glances around before attempting its escape. Yet before it could move an inch, Envilia had slammed a hardcover book on it.

"Don't you dare."

She snarled as she slammed a few more times on it.

"Calm... calm down, sister."

Yin persuaded her. Envilia glared at her which earned a squeak of fright. She gave a final, satisfactory slam on the origami paper before tossing the book behind her. She paid no heed when the book landed with a startling 'thud' sound. The paper figure popped up slowly. After receiving Envilia's 'treatment', it looked pitifully crumbled and haggard that it had difficulty standing up properly.

"Now tell us before I tear you apart, what is going to happen next?" Envilia threatened.

"Nothing can be done.

He's the one!

They will take him away,

To the Shadows.

To be turned from good to bad.

Fate is on the roll!

Hope will be frayed.

And you can do nothing about it! EHEHEHEHE~~~"

The unhinged origami singer ended its song with a bout of cackles. Suddenly, its expression of mad glee was changed to that of fear. It transformed back into the letter, quivering in fright. Envilia was looking at it with a murderous expression.

"This spell troubles." Shiro concluded with worry.

"I can hazard a guess who is likely to be taken away." Yang said seriously. "It's Sherlock."

���That's true." Yin supported him. "He's definitely targeted by Dark Shadow since this World is a one of the cornerstones of the Library."

I nodded in agreement, my fingers rubbing my chin slowly. Sherlock Holmes is currently at an age where he can be manipulated easily, especially at this vulnerable time. Even if he had almost recovered from his amnesia, with Damon around, taking him away would be as easy as kidnapping a child with a lollipop.

Unfortunately, it was not like we had the means or power to defeat Damon. My fists clenched at the mere thought of the exchanges we had and my near death. I wasn't strong enough. Despite the growth I was undergoing and the growing arsenal of spells I was perfecting, I was still not strong enough against a vessel of dark Shadow.

But…

… How can I get stronger?

Suddenly, my thoughts drifted to the girl I met when I was under the Blue Singer's spell. She had a lot of secrets, yet she felt so familiar to me. Like a person who I have known my entire life.

Like…

… A person from my past life.

There was a soft ringing in my ear as I almost seemed to recall something from my past life. Then, the bubble of thought broke when there was a sudden scraping of chair against the floor. Envilia had moved to retrieved the poor book from the floor under Shiro's orders. She grouchily placed it back where she found it. While it seemed like she didn't care about it, I noticed her subtly dusting the cover of the book and being extra mindful when placing it back to its shelf.

"Ah. I have something to discuss too."

My mesias turned to me with rapt attention. Again, I had that same feeling from the pressure emitted by their eyes. I brushed away the uncomfortable feeling and continued.

"When I got hypnotised at the circus, I was pulled into another mental space and I met a girl."

Yang nudged Yin's elbow and wriggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. She sniggered. I rolled my eyes at their childishness.

"She told me she was activated by the Alice letters and she needed me to find a beaded goldfish. She even showed me her memories. I don't know how to explain this but… she feels so familiar."

The twins started sniggering. I knew how my words sounded to them. It was like some cheesy meetup with a mysterious ghostly girl and there would be some past relationship between me and her.

"The whole point wasn't about this meeting." I corrected their thoughts. "I feel that there is something more about the Alice letters that Mike didn't tell me. He didn't tell me that I would meet something like this or the letters give a side effect."

"Maybe he was afraid." Yin suggested.

"Of what?" Envilia asked boldly. "Omen is right. He is keeping things. Every time he looked at us, there's this unexplainable guilt in his eyes. Then he becomes this harmful icicle that hurls verbal insults. I wouldn't be surprised if he is keeping something this time."

Shiro raised her hand to calm everyone down.

She was the voice of reason. So naturally, everyone quietened down to listen.

"Every one of us has secrets to keep. Secrets that concern others or ourselves. Give him time. There will come a day he will tell us."

"What if that day never comes?" Envilia was nodding in approval at my questions. "What if we had to learn of whatever he is keeping from someone's mouth? What then?"

Shiro glanced at each one of us, lingering her gaze longer on me. There was this hopeless smile on her. I understood what she meant. If that time comes, we will take nature by its course.

It wasn't a satisfactory answer.

However, even if we try to wrestle an answer from Mike, he wouldn't say it. He was determined to take whatever was tormenting him to the next life. Sometimes, I wondered what was the point of being his partner. He doesn't tell me what lies buried deeply in his heart. But one thing that I know for sure, I would never betray him.

However, what about him? What did he feel about me?

Will he…

… Do the same for me?