ALiCE in WoNDeRLaND

-37-

"I have to admit, I kind of felt like Odysseus back there."

"Who?" Aurick asked.

I shrugged. "Never mind." I looked around the temple once more. "I hate that pyramid."

Zale nodded. "Considering it houses a hellish prison, I'm all for hating it with you."

I giggled. "I'm so glad you're all normal again."

Zale lightly punched my arm. "We really had your best interests at heart."

"Right," I agreed with more than a hint of sarcasm. "That's exactly what Angelos said."

Zione looked around. "Are we ready?"

I glanced at Nam. "Ready?"

He seemed distracted. "I guess so."

I nodded, and canceled the simulation.

As soon as it was over, I looked around. "Where is he?"

"Who?" Aurick asked once more.

Zale knew. "Miyka'el? He's still there."

"But it's virtual," I pointed out. "Shouldn't he... his body or something still be here?"

Zione scoffed at the very idea. "Why should it?"

'Why should it?' I wondered, and let it go. More pressing matters were at hand.

"So," I began. I looked at the others. "Are we set?"

"We're practically there," Nam spoke up.

I ran over to his tracking device. "No way."

Sure enough, there we were.

I looked around. "There's nothing here."

"I think..." He paused. "No, couldn't be."

"What?" I asked. I followed his gaze to the concrete at our feet. "Couldn't be," I agreed.

Zione reached out a foot and tentatively gave it a little tap. He slowly took another step, and let another tap fall to the ground. "It has to be around here somewhere."

I tried to stifle my laughter. "What are you guys doing?"

I took a step toward them and almost fell into the trapdoor that opened beneath me. "What the..." "Wow." Zione laughed, coming over to the gaping hole. "You're good."

"I'm cursed, that's what I am." I leaned over a bit to look down into it. The others came over as well, and we all stood there, looking down into the earth below.

"Well?" Zale asked.

Nam wasn't happy with this. "Anyone want to go back with Miyka'el? 'Cause I'm game."

I looked around at each of them. "Are we cool with this? Because we can totally wait and..."

Zale cut in. "Do you want to wait?"

I rolled my eyes. "If I had it my way, Zale, we'd never go anywhere."

He smiled. "But..."

"But I think we have to do this... now." I looked at Nam. "Are you okay with that?"

He nodded, but it didn't feel like he was really okay. I was a little worried about that, but again, I had more pressing matters in my hands.

I remembered that no one else knew what I had seen. I was glad they hadn't, or else they wouldn't be so keen on dropping down there with me. After all, I was, as far as I could tell, the only one destined to survive this little escapade of ours. But was survival really any better than what awaited them? Who knew what could be waiting for me after the untimely demise of my mates?

"Are you okay with that?" Nam asked.

"What?"

He shrugged. "I'm just curious. I mean, no one really ever asks you if you're okay with all this."

"I guess I have to be." I shrugged back. "It's not like I have any choice in the matter."

I stopped and realized the incongruity of my recent experiences. I turned back to Zale and Zione, leaving Nam aside. "Who am I?"

Aurick looked up from the hole in the ground. "We're about to have a brutal showdown with the Queen of Hearts here and you want to discuss your multitude of identity issues?"

I ignored him. "I want to discuss my destiny. I was having this conversation with Angelos..."

"That's a good way to start a deep philosophical discussion," Aurick continued.

"... about Adèle, and how she thinks she's destined to change other people's destinies. Isn't that a little... contradictory?"

No response.

I turned and looked back down into the hole. "Or we could discuss this later. You guys don't seem to be in the mood."

Zale and Zione exchanged worried glances. "Later. Sure. We'll need some time to really think about all this," Zione explained. Zale nodded.

Nam didn't. "We don't know, ALiCE."

"Then who does?" I wondered.

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