Alice in the Land of Steam

As night deepened, darkness silently enveloped the camp. Only a few embers of the campfire stubbornly emitted a faint light and warmth, as if unwilling to succumb to the ancient silence. Most people were asleep, either leaning against the rock wall or lying on simple blankets, their breathing even and long. The day's arguments, decisions, and the heavy feeling after learning of the war had all been temporarily dragged into sleep by exhaustion.

Ling leaned against a relatively flat rock, but showed no signs of sleepiness. His gaze swept over his sleeping companions, finally settling on a solitary figure sitting not far away. Ovira hugged her knees, gazing at the flickering embers, her long platinum-gold hair shimmering softly in the dim light, her profile serene, lost in thought.

He looked at her quietly for a while, then got up, walked over slowly, and sat down beside her.

"Aren't you going to rest?" He asked in a low voice so as not to disturb others.

Ovira didn't seem surprised by his arrival, but simply shook her head slightly, her gaze still fixed on the charcoal fire: "I'm not sleepy yet."

A brief silence filled the space between the two, broken only by the occasional dripping sound from some unknown corner in the distance—perhaps water droplets seeping from a stone pillar, rhythmically striking the stillness.

“Ovira,” Ling said, his voice steady but without a hint of accusation, as if he were merely making a casual remark to ease the awkward atmosphere between them: “You didn’t actually intend to stay at first, did you? Why did you change your mind later?”

He turned his head to look at her, the embers of the campfire dancing in the girl's clear eyes, yet unable to illuminate the depths of her thoughts. He had wanted to ask this question before everyone rested, but at that time he had a premonition that even if he asked, Ovira would not answer directly, so he deliberately left it until now. Now that everyone was asleep, and no one else was watching, perhaps Princess Bemang would be willing to open her heart to him?
There's no particular reason.

Ovira was silent for a moment before slowly turning her head to meet Ling's gaze. A faint smile appeared on her face, and she spoke softly, as if stating something perfectly natural: "I just feel that it's better to stay by Ling's side."

Is it because of dependence? Or is it an unwillingness to face war?

The young man gazed at her silently, trying to find even the slightest hint of concealment or wavering in her beautiful eyes. But he was destined to fail, for the girl's heart was so sincere, her voice so honest, that no matter how many times you asked, you would only get the same answer, and thus he felt guilty for his doubts.

Perhaps she really didn't think about anything, she just wanted to stay by his side.

Linger withdrew his gaze and looked up at the distant night sky. Under the magnificent craftsmanship of nature, the rock walls of the arc-shaped corridor resembled a natural dome. The holes formed by rain, wind, fog, and water over the long years were like windows without glass on the dome, reflecting the eternal darkness. Beyond these openings, he saw the ever-present, decaying mist swirling inside and outside the abyss, and the jagged, piercing mountain ridges like the dried, broken scales on the back of a black dragon, stretching endlessly towards the horizon, until the eye could no longer reach them.

Ovira followed the young man's example, hugging her knees with both hands, resting her chin on her knees, and gazing blankly at the night sky.

Actually, you can't see anything.

Obscured by fog, the sky, stars, and moon are nowhere to be seen. The Dark Cloud Abyss has been isolated from these sights since ancient times; it is a dormant corpse, quietly awaiting its death. But it will never die, so it remains in this state forever, inspiring both fear and awe, as well as an indescribable sense of awe at the power of life.

The Atorica rarely spoke of its existence, yet they held a complex affection for this abyss, regarding it as the corpse of a dragon or the graveyard of stars, an indispensable part of the earth. This feeling was akin to that of the Ansers towards the Black Forest; anything becomes precious once it becomes a habit.

If one day we become accustomed to the sacrifices of others, will those feelings of resentment, regret, and sadness become incredibly precious?
Lin Ge couldn't help but think.

Just then, he heard someone calling his name.

At first, he thought the voice came from a very distant place, perhaps in an ocean higher than the sky and farther than the stars, where many people he felt a deep connection with or whom he had only met once slept, lay asleep. At this unremarkable moment, they cast their gaze upon the world, calling the young man's name and asking for his witness. So the young man naturally raised his head, his gaze trying to pierce through the layers of mist to see the signs hidden in the future. But, unsurprisingly, he saw nothing. Instead, the voice suddenly became clearer, and warm breath brushed against the young man's cheek. Only then did he realize: it was right beside him.

“Linger,” Olivera turned her head, “what are you looking at?”

"It's nothing." The young man looked away and emphasized again, "There's nothing to see."

“I think so too.” Ovira wholeheartedly agreed: “We can’t even see the stars…”

Would you be happier if you could see the stars?
The question surfaced unexpectedly in Ling's mind, then he thought back to the past. He seemed to have once stood beside Princess Bemang, gazing at the unseen night sky, yearning for a hope that could never be attained. But was his state of mind then necessarily different from now? In the rain-soaked Sosen Mountains, listening to the mournful sound of raindrops on the ginkgo trees; atop the silent Evangelical Fellowship, climbing the lighthouse to glimpse the distant light; and every sleepless night spent together, the soft rustling of pens, the gentle breathing, and the sound of stories unfolding on paper…

“Ovira,” Ringer said, “be careful.”

Beware of the hardships of fate and those feelings of helplessness.

Ovira was slightly taken aback.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered something from a long time ago, and a person from a long time ago.

In her memory, it seemed that her teacher had said these words to her before she passed away. The feelings she had at the time are still difficult to understand, but the warmth and kindness that Ovila felt from that moment continues to be a powerful force, supporting the girl as she moves forward on this path.

On her long journey, she had witnessed the hardships of fate and seemed to be experiencing the helplessness of emotions firsthand. But this road had no end, so surely she would witness and experience even more in the future? The good, the bad, the longing, the rejection, the expectation, the betrayal… all accumulated, like seeds waiting to be nurtured, awaiting their moment to bloom. If that day came, what kind of flower would she bloom into? Would it be the one her teacher hoped for? In her garden, so many beautiful, precious, and rare flowers were planted. Among them, which one did she like the most, and which one would she ultimately become? Ah, and the violets in the small garden that had never bloomed. She vaguely remembered that when she received these seeds, she worried that they were from a long time ago and might not be able to germinate and bloom. But at that time, the landlady told her: Who says seeds from a long time ago can't bloom?

So she took care of them herself, loosening the soil, fertilizing, watering... doing everything herself, watching them sprout, grow, and grow. Although there was still no sign of them flowering, Auvila felt that whether they flowered or not was no longer important.

From seed to branch, from bud to flower... the strength accumulated little by little in this process is the most important, and it must be what the teacher wants to tell me, right?

"Okay!" Thinking of this, Princess Beman smiled gently and nodded vigorously: "I will take good care of myself, don't worry, Linger. I'm not as afraid of the dark as I used to be."

"That's good." Lin Ge said no more, stood up, and patted the dust off his clothes. "Get some rest, we have to travel tomorrow."

After saying that, he turned around, his figure quickly disappearing into the deeper darkness at the edge of the camp. But Ovira felt that although he said that, he wouldn't actually go to rest. He was always silently watching over everyone, providing a tangible sense of security; or he would be alone, pondering the gains and losses of each choice.

Living like that must be exhausting, right?

Especially after Xia Xia left, no one could share the burden with Lin Ge. It wasn't that the girls lacked the awareness, but rather that even if they wanted to, they couldn't do it as well as their departed elder sister. And on this path, if you can't do your best, it's meaningless, because people are always nostalgic, especially someone like Lin Ge.

Ovira watched his figure disappear, the relaxed expression on her face slowly fading like the tide, and her smile vanished. She hugged her knees tighter, burying half her face in her arms, leaving only her eyes, which shone brightly in the dim light, still fixed on the charcoal fire that was about to go out completely.

“I wasn’t lying, Ling.” Her self-talk came from the darkness, torn apart by the wind and drifting into the distance: “I really just wanted to stay by your side.”

"and……"

"I must stay by your side."

A soft sigh became the last sound of the night.

……

Before the morning light pierced the thick fog above the abyss, the camp was already a hive of activity. Footsteps, whispers, and the rustling of packing broke the silence of the night.

Everyone got up early, quickly tidied up the camp, ate something, and then prepared to split up and proceed according to the original plan. Kalia and Edwin drew a simple map based on their previous scouting findings and handed it to the werewolf girl, Selena, instructing her to obey orders, not to act rashly, and to be patient while exploring. Selena nodded repeatedly, as if she understood, though it was unclear how much she actually comprehended; at least she put on a good show. Meanwhile, when Countess Neville gave her granddaughter the same instructions, Leticia was clearly distracted, giving perfunctory replies but not actually listening. The contrast between the two was stark.

Last night, Rorona, who had returned to Cloud Whale Sky Island to craft items, informed Ieta of her return journey. Ieta was initially surprised but quickly accepted the fact. She showed no displeasure at Ling's decision to refuse the fairy sword Hydras on her behalf; instead, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She never felt that being the reincarnation of the hero Italos automatically meant she had to become the new master of the fairy sword. This identity brought her more of a sense of belonging and confidence; as for practical benefits, the angel had never considered them. Besides, she disliked taking precious treasures from others, having already experienced the sadness and helplessness that came with it.

Early in the morning, under the control of the angel, the cloud whale slowly descended to a relatively open area in the arc-shaped corridor. Those who had decided to leave beforehand boarded the sky island, and Ovira actually followed. Everyone thought she had changed her mind again, but Princess Beman was just going back to get some things.

When she returned to the ground, she was carrying a lantern. Its light black casing, semi-transparent glass lampshade, and vine-like carvings on the base were undoubtedly the lantern left by the princess's father, which had accompanied her through the long years in the castle.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t afraid of the dark anymore?” Lin Ge asked.

“But it makes me feel safer this way,” Princess Beman said softly.

The lantern swayed gently in her hand, its light flickering within the glass dome, casting a warm glow, as if representing the undying hope in her heart.

Being unafraid of the dark and seeking greater security are not contradictory.

Ling said nothing more. The group stood on the ground, silently watching the Cloud Whale Sky Island turn and sail away. The storm whipped up by its wings tore a straight path through the mist of the Dark Cloud Abyss, quickly disappearing from sight. It had taken the group about half a month to travel from the Feather Mine to the Dark Cloud Abyss, but that was because they hadn't been in a hurry on the way there, and had been delayed by searching for the whereabouts of Nibelungen. As for the return journey, the situation was urgent, everyone was eager to get home, and with no other distractions, they estimated they would return to the mine in about half the time.

Hopefully, by then, war will not have broken out, or at least, the most critical moment will not have arrived.

Everything can be salvaged, everything can be saved.

"Let's go." Lin Ge withdrew his gaze and said to his companions, who were still staring blankly at the horizon, "It's time to set off." (End of Chapter)