Alice in the Land of Steam

The midnight bells rang out at the highest point of the Kingdom of Bemang, their long echoes spreading outwards like ripples from a pebble dropped into a calm lake. The crowd in the Hexagram Square fell silent instantly, all eyes turning to the ceremonial platform in the center of the square, illuminated by starlight and lights.

Gloria squeezed into the crowd, her silver-white dress standing out subtly among the countless shimmering garments. She tiptoed, watching a group of people slowly descend the crystal staircase extending from the palace. Leading them was the Light Elf King, clad in a silver-blue royal robe; his face was both dignified and benevolent, holding a scepter symbolizing royal power. Closely following him was the elegantly dressed Ovira.

Her Highness is breathtakingly beautiful tonight.

Her long hair was meticulously braided into an intricate and elegant plait, adorned with star-like hair ornaments. Her gown was a blend of moon white and pale gold, its hem cascading like a waterfall, each step creating a subtle shimmer. Most striking was the floral crown atop her head—not a magnificent tiara prepared by court officials, but woven from freshly picked violets. The pale purple petals seemed to breathe under the starlight, releasing a delicate fragrance. Lady Tree had indeed reserved the finest violets of the season for her.

A smile graced Ovira's face, a smile so genuine and radiant that even her eyes sparkled with starlight-like joy. Gloria had never seen her so happy—no, perhaps on Cloud Whale Island, when she was surrounded by her companions dreaming of tomorrow, or telling someone the fairy tales she had created, her eyes had also shone with a similar light, but never with the unbridled joy of this moment.

Her gaze swept across the crowd, as if searching for something, before finally settling on the other side of the stage.

Ling was already standing there.

The young man had changed into a more formal silver-gray suit. He stood tall and straight, his expression calm, as always. When Ovira's gaze fell on him, he nodded slightly, a faint smile seemingly playing at the corners of his lips.

In Gloria's eyes, the smile never reached her eyes, just as starlight could never fall into the deepest part of her heart.

The king walked to the center of the ceremonial platform, raised his scepter, and the light in the square—whether it be the colorful fluttering butterflies of light, the warm and bright streetlights, or the lanterns in the children's hands—all collectively flew into the air, forming a dazzling stream of light that swirled and danced in the night sky, scattering stardust-like specks of light. A melodious hymn rose from the mouths of the choir, an ancient prayer hymn of the light spirits, its lyrics telling of the companionship of light and shadow, the eternity of stars and the night sky.

"Today, we gather here." The King's voice, carried by magic, resounded throughout every corner of the square, "to witness the meeting of two hearts, the intertwining of two destinies, and the wishes of two young people. Light bestows warmth and life upon us, and love allows this blessing to continue, just as this land beneath our feet is always reborn from its wounds. For ten long centuries, and even ten centuries from now, we are certain that this will be the most exciting day in the history of Bergen."

Holding a bouquet, Ovira walked slowly towards Linge, each step light yet firm. When she stopped before the young man and looked up at him, the light in her eyes was almost blinding. That pure, unreserved joy and anticipation had never existed in this world, or perhaps only the protagonists of fairy tales could rival it.

Linger extended his hand, and Ovira gently placed it in his palm. The young man's hand tightened slightly, the sensation making him momentarily dazed, almost unable to distinguish between dream and reality.

“Obeliah Nedelia Leslie, born of the light,” the King solemnly inquired, “are you willing to enter into an eternal covenant with the one before you, to share your light, your life, and your entire future?”

“I do,” Ovira replied crisply and without hesitation.

The king turned to Ling: "Son of man who has come by the light, Ling, are you willing to accept this generous gift and vow to protect her, cherish her, and stand with her in the face of all unknown destinies?"

In the crowd, Gloria quietly held her breath. She couldn't quite describe her feelings; she was both excited and apprehensive, hoping the young man would agree, yet fearing his answer would lead to a tragic end. If she could, she even wanted to rush forward and stop the wedding, but she was afraid of being misunderstood, and even more afraid that her interference would cause unpredictable changes to this dream that wasn't hers.

If Bai Ye were here, she would tell me what to do...

Gloria had never missed that person's existence so much. At that moment, she saw Linger's Adam's apple bob slightly, a barely perceptible swallowing motion. His gaze met Ovira's, and after a moment, his calm voice rang out: "I do."

As the words fell, a thunderous cheer erupted in the square. A torrent of light butterflies exploded in the air, transforming into countless swirling specks of light, like golden snowflakes. The music grew even more joyful, and people began to clap, sing, and embrace each other in celebration. Gloria saw Lady Tree among the clapping crowd; the magical plants around her had already begun to clap and dance a strange, unruly dance.

But the girl felt that the cheers had never seemed so distant, not even as real as the banquet at the Fairy Sleep Inn.

She stared intently at Linger on the stage. The young man still held O'Viola's hand, maintaining a polite smile and nodding to the crowd. O'Viola's smile widened, and she even subtly moved closer to Linger, her shoulder lightly touching his arm, as if she wanted to nestle beside him, never to be separated.

"Now, please exchange vows and kisses, completing the final step of the contract!" the king announced loudly.

A burst of even louder cheers and whistles erupted from the crowd. Everyone was happy to take this step as a symbol of true love and vows, and even more happy to be a witness. Ovira's cheeks flushed slightly, but she did not back down. Instead, she raised her head, slowly closed her eyes, and waited quietly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly with each warm breath.

Lin Ge looked down at her.

In that instant, Gloria saw a fleeting, complex emotion in his eyes: hesitation, struggle, and a barely perceptible hint of pain. But the emotion vanished in an instant, so quickly that one might doubt it was merely an illusion. Only Gloria was certain; she insisted she couldn't be mistaken. Sure enough, Ling was also hesitant. If before Gloria had hoped he wouldn't deceive the feelings of the Ovira in her dream, now she hoped even more that the young man wouldn't deceive his own.

Because self-deception in matters of the heart is often the hardest to shake off, and over time, one may even lose sight of oneself.

Of course, she couldn't say these words. She was just a spectator, far from qualified to intervene in the dream. She could only watch helplessly as the young man slowly leaned down and left a light kiss on Ovira's forehead.

It's not the lips, it's the forehead.

The cheers paused slightly, then erupted even more enthusiastically. Perhaps in the tradition of the Light Elves, a kiss on the forehead was equally solemn and sacred? Gloria wasn't sure, but she saw the light in Ovira's eyes dim for a moment when she opened them, only to be quickly masked by an even brighter smile.

"Therefore, under the witness of the ancient light of Beman, I declare the two of us to be officially partners!"

The celebration reached its climax. Food and wine were served to everyone on the long banquet table, the music grew more lively, and people began to dance. Ovira was surrounded by several light elf noble girls who smiled and offered her their blessings. The princess smiled back, but her gaze kept drifting towards Ling, who was standing on the edge of the platform, quietly gazing at the distant Heart Lake and the towering tree.

Gloria squeezed through the crowd and quietly approached the young man. When she finally stood beside him, Ling didn't turn around, but simply asked softly, "What do you think of this wedding?"

“It’s gorgeous, it’s dreamy,” Gloria answered honestly. “Ovira looks really happy.”

"Is that so?" She emphasized those two words, but Lin Ge seemed not to hear her, his voice still very soft, almost drowned out by the music in the distance. "Are you unhappy?" the girl couldn't help but ask.

Lin Ge finally turned to look at her, his eyes appearing particularly deep in the starlight: "This question doesn't seem to be important."

"Of course it's important!" Gloria said anxiously. "It's your wedding!"

“It’s just a dream, Gloria.” Linger repeated what he had said before, but this time, there was a hint of weariness in his voice. “When you wake up, all of this will disappear.”

“At least it’s real now!” Gloria pointed to the jubilant crowd in the square, then to Ovira, who was surrounded by people and smiling happily. “Ovira’s happiness is real too! Can’t you feel it, Ling?”

Linger remained silent for a long time, so long that Gloria thought he wouldn't answer. But finally, he said softly, "I can feel it."

"Then why-"

“Because I don’t belong here.” Lin Ge interrupted her, his gaze turning back to the distance. “You are the same, Gloria. You don’t belong to this dream. Perhaps you’ve never thought about why you’re here, but have you ever thought about the moment you open your eyes and wake up? Undoubtedly, when you first realized it was a dream, you already thought that, didn’t you? People who enter a dream all want to wake up, and often this thought arises even before they realize it, not because the dream isn’t beautiful enough, but because they have to wake up.”

Gloria opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.

She followed Ling's gaze and saw the starry sky reflected in the lake of her heart, the myriad stars on the giant tree, and every beautiful detail of this dreamlike kingdom. It was all so real, yet so fragile, like a delicate but easily broken crystal ball, ready to shatter at the slightest carelessness. Who was destined to break it? What made him make this decision? And when he made it, did he truly feel joy or a sense of relief?

All the unknowable mysteries, the uncertain direction, and the elusive future...

"The fireworks display is about to begin!" A cheer suddenly erupted from the crowd.

In the night sky, the first firework exploded in the shape of a violet, its pale purple light slowly drifting down. Immediately afterward, more fireworks rose into the air, gold, silver, sea blue, emerald green… flowers of light of various colors and shapes bloomed in the night sky, illuminating the entire Kingdom of Bemang as if it were daytime.

Ovira broke free from the crowd and ran to Linge's side, naturally taking his arm: "Look, Linge! It's Violet Fireworks! It must have been prepared by the teacher!"

Her eyes sparkled in the fireworks, and her face radiated pure happiness.

Lin Ge looked down at her and finally gave her a genuine, slightly gentle smile: "Very beautiful."

“Right!” Ovira rested her head on his shoulder contentedly, and the two looked up at the night sky together.

Gloria quietly took a few steps back, etching the scene into her mind. The glow of the fireworks illuminated the two people leaning against each other, a scene as beautiful as a classical oil painting. But for some reason, she felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.

She suddenly remembered the giant wolf, the court lady, and the three-armed warrior she had encountered in Tianhai Garden.

What is courage in your heart?

"Keep in mind the longing in your heart, for it will be your strength to overcome suffering."

Never forget the enemy in your heart.

Courage, longing, enemy... what do these words really refer to?
Since they appeared in my dream, they must be very important, right? If I could understand them, would I be able to do something about it?
But she didn't understand at all. Despite being companions, she didn't understand Ling or Ovira.

She was merely an observer who had stumbled into a dream, a traveler who didn't even know why she was there. She could neither change Ling's decision, nor prolong this beautiful dream, nor even let Ovira know the truth.

Confusion enveloped her like the darkness of night.

At this moment, the fireworks display in the square reached its climax, with countless points of light converging in the air to form the shape of a giant tree—the very same towering Tree of Stars by the Heart Lake. Every branch and leaf of the Tree of Light was clearly visible, as it floated silently in the night sky, casting a gentle glow.

The crowd in the square gasped in amazement, and many even knelt down to pray.

Midnight has passed, dawn is approaching.

……

The brilliance of the fireworks began to fade, and the Tree of Light gradually dimmed, transforming into countless points of light that fell like rain. The festivities in the Hexagram Square continued, lasting until the next day, blessed by the first rays of dawn. As the protagonist of the wedding, Her Highness bid farewell to her family and friends, and returned to her room with her partner with whom she had made an eternal vow.

The first thing she did after closing the door was to let go of the young man's hand, look up at him, and give him a warm and happy smile: "Thank you, Lin Ge."

"Thank you for still being willing to play along with me until the very end, even though you knew it was all a dream." (End of Chapter)