ALiCE in WoNDeRLaND

-31-

I slowly opened one eye, just in time to see the others walk away from us. Before I could take in the scenery, I found myself looking back at Miyka'el, who had dropped my hand, but was still standing beside me.

"You okay?" I whispered.

He made that face again. "I've been better, actually."

"Me, too." I paused. "I..."

"You're sorry," Miyka'el interrupted. "I know."

"No," I replied. "I... I mean, I'm sorry for all this."

"All what?"

I guess we hadn't been as close as I had thought. Or at least... it must have been a pretty one-sided friendship. That thought made me want to cry, for some reason. It made me feel even more alone that I had felt before I realized Miyka'el and I used to be best friends, before... I went nuts like this.

"It's not your fault you didn't remember."

I snickered. "Funny. I could've sworn you thought otherwise."

He laughed. "Okay, so maybe I was taking it out on you. I'm sorry."

"And I'm sorry you were in a position to want to take it out on me."

"Hmm." He didn't seem to think there was anything for me to apologize for.

Maybe he was right.

"Miyka'el?"

It was Adèle.

She stood at the top of what I can only describe as some sort of pyramid- like complex, and she stared down at us like we were her faithful subjects or something.

"Ah, my faithful subjects," she announced.

I stared.

Miyka'el laughed. "You forgot she was psychic?"

I stared open-mouthed. "You're joking."

"Nope, she really is. Only..."

"Only, it's kind of like that one Greek lady," Zione explained. "The one who was cursed to see the future but no one would ever believe her?"

"No one believes you?" I asked Adèle.

"No, we believe her," Nam replied. "It's just that she tries really hard to make sure her predictions don't come true."

"Why?"

Adèle had an entire speech prepared. "Because all I see in this world is evil. I have to keep it from happening. That's why I was allowed to see it, right? To make it better."

"She has this assistant, Angelos, who goes out and tries to stop the evil," Zione explained. "But if it's something really big..."

"She calls us," Aurick said with great pride.

"Wow." I was in awe. What could I say?

Miyka'el had more business-related ventures in mind. "What do you see now?"

She stared my way. "It's not what I see. It's what ALiCE sees."

I had been looking around the room at the various tapestries and paintings, but stopped cold when she said this. I could feel their eyes watching me.

"So, Miyka'el," I called out, deciding to change the subject. "Did she break up with you to prevent some kind of cosmic disaster?"

"ALiCE." Adèle was not about to be pushed aside so easily.

"I guess it sucks to be only partially psychic, because then when you miss really important things, I would think you'd feel really bad." I glared at Adèle. "But it's not your fault, of course."

"What are you doing?" Zale asked me.

I approached a random altar. "I don't like it here."

"Tough." Adèle had yet to descend her pyramid.

"You wanted to come here," Aurick pointed out.

"No, we had to come here," I replied, still avoiding all their glances. "There was no wanting involved."

"You want to get out of here," Adèle argued. "So you came here, so actually, you did want to come here."

"What's the matter, Adèle?" I snapped. "Upset that you can't see anything? That it's fading away? That the majority of your visions seem to come from me these days?" I pointed to Miyka'el. "Maybe he has something to do with it. I bet if you hadn't dumped him, you'd still be having visions."

"You're not having any visions?" Miyka'el asked her. I was glad he believed me.

Adèle grimaced. "Something's block..."

"Oh, whatever." I was seriously angry with this girl and I didn't really know why.

"ALiCE?" Miyka'el asked.

I turned to him with a little smile. "Hmm?"

"What did you see?"

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