Deep red, bubbling lava. Toxic black mist polluting the air. Scarred, jagged knife-like rocks. That was the world she once called home. One she'd tried to escape from.

Makai was a beautiful place. It once had green plains filled with floating, magical lights. Mountains pierced the horizon. Rivers flowed into crevices, becoming waterfalls that bled into worlds beyond human imagination. A beautiful, frozen field was one such world, but there were many more. Alice's heart inexplicably sank when she thought about it. Makai wasn't even a part of her current life, yet she could never shake the feeling of guilt whenever she gazed down from Wonderland, wondering why her dreams tortured her so.

Reimu, Marisa and Yuuka seemed to have moved on nowadays. Besides the incident with the Buddhists, nobody ever spoke of Makai again. Even Marisa, who had special permission to come here whenever she wished, never came back. And nobody had seen Mima since.

Alice's gaze set on the ruins beneath her. Her legs, beneath her nightgown, swayed to and fro on the edge of the red carpets of Wonderland. No matter how many iterations it took, the butterfly dream pill always brought her here. Back in the small pocket of Makai created just for her. The only part of Makai too high in the air to be caught in Shinki's great magic. It was small, and invisible from the outside. Convenient; if there was anybody left alive in this place, they'd never be able to reach it.

"There you are! "

Alice jumped, chills running through her entire body as she glanced to the side. A woman, about Alice's own height, hovered in the air with her hands behind her back and one eye closed, gazing up through Wonderland. She had a cold, light-blue ghost-like aura as well as short, dark-blue hair, a white hat and a white dress with a blue collar and red edges along the skirt. Her red eyes, even when looking straight at Alice, felt almost like they were looking straight past her without acknowledgement and into the distant horizon.

"Who are-"

"You escaped, hm? I knew someone was coming in and out of Makai somewhere, but I never thought there was another dimension up here." Alice narrowed her eyes, as the woman jumped and placed her hand over her heart. "Oh dear! Forgive me, I forgot my manners. My name's Louise."

"How did you find me?"

"Looks like I'm not the only one who forgot her manners." Louise's comment had slight venom behind it. "I've been wandering Makai as a ghost since the… incident. Of course I'd eventually notice someone throwing such powerful magic around." She pointed to the grimoire attached to Alice's hip. "What brings you back here so often, one who escaped?"

"Alice."

"There they are! "

Alice rolled her eyes, gazing off the edge of Wonderland. "Whenever I dream, I end up here. I just use the chance to blow off steam with the grimoire once in a while. It's not like I want to be here."

"That makes two of us," Louise said, gazing upwards as if longing for something out of reach. "Well, I suppose the others would agree, too."

"Others?"

"Oh, am I not good enough for you?" Louise asked with a pout. "Why yes, there are survivors of the great magic. Not many, just enough to populate a few houses in the Ruins of Vina. Only the particularly strong survived. And Sara, who was guarding the gate. Terribly, might I add."

Alice's shoulders slumped somewhat, gazing out onto the horizon. "News to me…" she said, a slight bit of guilt capturing her heart.

"Of course, none of us can leave," Louise said, coming off almost spiteful to Alice. "Shinki made sure of that. This all happened because those from above didn't like our tourist agencies, right? If nobody can leave Makai, and nobody can enter Makai, then there'd be no more suffering. That might've been her thought process. Who can say, though, we haven't seen her since the incident."

The mention of the tourist agencies brought back feelings she thought she'd buried, but Alice focused on the last part. "Haven't seen her?"

"Nope! "

"And nobody's bothered to look for her?"

Louise paused for a moment, pondering. "... Would you like to meet the survivors?"

"Dodging the question."

"Don't worry about that! "

Alice leaned backwards. "I'd best not."

She had moved on since the incident. At least, she'd always tell herself that. That person's time as Shinki's daughter, as an adoptive sister of sorts to all Makai's creations, was nothing more than a past life and held about as much weight to her as the prior life of someone who had been reincarnated. By moving on from that life, she'd moved on from all that transpired, and should seek to live a life as a youkai unbothered by those events. Still, one of that child's sisters sat beside her, and more lay beneath her feet. Including Shinki, and given Louise's prior words regarding the strength of the survivors, most certainly Yumeko.

Louise tilted her head. "Oh? Survivor's guilt, is it? Or are you that keen to bury the past? Not that I can blame you. Although~," a smile encroached upon her face. "All your questions will be answered~."

"I don't have any questions," Alice said, closing her eyes. "I've already moved past this whole thing."

"Oh? But if you can come and go from Makai freely, then perhaps you hold the key to helping us escape. Are you going to walk away and leave us here without even trying?"

Alice grimaced. The ghost's manipulation was plain to see, but damned if it wasn't effective. She could only come and go thanks to her dreams. For everyone else… it should be impossible. All logic would reason that trying to help the people here escape would be a fruitless endeavour. Yet something within her, a child-like delusion perhaps, compelled her otherwise. She sighed, and gave one slightly scornful glance at Louise, as if condemning her for forcing this dilemma onto her at all, and for some reason, uncharacteristic of her, spoke a word that defied logical reason.

"Fine."

Alice took a nostalgic glance at the five floating eyes connected by electricity. The shape of a kimono-clad girl made from said electricity lay at the centre, what Shinki once called its hivemind. Louise had floated up and exchanged a few words, the five eyes glaring past the ghost and at Alice all the while, and the gate to what was once the Ruins of Vina opened wide. Alice gave Yuugen a small wave, one which she knew couldn't be reciprocated, yet those five eyes seemed appreciative nonetheless. She looked forward; before her lay something completely indistinguishable from 'ruins'. The houses and roads were made from the usual purple bricks of Makai, standing almost ominously against the ever red sky and always present black mist. A much too long street led up to a large temple. Water gushed from the fountain in the middle of the village, which might've been the only source of water left in the entirety of Makai. The most notable thing, however, was just how barren it was. The mist, coupled with the few survivors, gave off an eerie, almost ghost town feel.

Her heart panged as she gazed across the village. A village built in the memory of just less than one-thousand, and twenty-four people whom Shinki created. This village, the culmination of a history containing that many corpses, filled her with a sense of confused belonging.

The fountain gripped Alice's attention, notably the statue of a six-winged angel holding a wand in their left hand, with an upside down triangle pattern on the chest of their dress and long hair flowing almost as gracefully as the water beneath. A great amount of pride and admiration (perhaps self-admiration) was evident in the statue's design. Along the rim of the fountain, a girl with short pink hair, pink eyes, a white scarf with a hood attached and red dress sat with one of her bare feet up, taking a bite into a cracker as she gave Alice a wary glance.

"Can't believe that thing stole my job."

"You know what they say," Louise responded, holding her hands behind her back. "Five eyes are better than two."

"Nobody says that."

"Oh, do they not? "

"Who's the fresh meat? Didn't think there were any survivors outside of the village left. Besides them."

"Because there isn't! "

"You always talk in really confusing ways, y'know?" She said, with a slight pout of annoyance.

"Well, to put it plainly…" Louise started. She coughed and threw her arms outwards in a dramatic manner, as if this was the exact opposite of plain. "This is Alice. She can come and go from Makai and the human world!"

Sara appeared unphased as she stared at Louise, though once her gaze shifted to Alice, it quickly turned to one of scorn. "Good for you."

Louise pouted at her lack of enthusiasm. "I thought you'd be excited by that! We've got a connection to the above world!"

Sara's shoulders slumped, taking a cracker and examining it distantly. "And what'll that do for us? We're stuck here until our god decides she's done watching us suffer, and it doesn't look like she's anywhere close to satisfied. I had my chance and I blew it. Now stop torturing me." She took a bite of her cracker.

"Well aren't you just a bundle of joy?"

Alice stepped forward. "What do you mean you had your chance?"

"I was guarding the gate. One of the invaders knocked me out. When I woke up, I panicked over failing my job and tried to chase after them. By the time I made it out of the cave, Makai was already in ruins." Sara looked up at Alice, her eyes narrowed. "I noticed Shinki fly past me into the cave and chased after her. Before I caught up, she had let someone out and closed the gate for good."

"...I'm sorry."

"Forget it." Sara grabbed another cracker. "It's just how things are now. I'm not delusional enough to think Shinki'll ever let us out. We're just here, suffering for her amusement."

"Brighten up a little, will ya?" A high-pitched voice covered them from above followed by a short giggle. "Is that any way to speak to someone you just fricken met?"

Alice glanced upwards, though she couldn't make out much of the new girl's features through the mist. She was short, but had huge bat-like wings at least twice the size of her own body. Sara's body visibly tensed up at her arrival. She threw the hood of her scarf over her head.

"Shut it, Elis," she responded in a somewhat hushed voice, as if afraid to offend her. She gave one last glance at Alice then walked away, leaving behind only a hollow impression.

"Now, now!" Elis transformed into a small bat, dashing down behind Alice. She reformed into her humanoid shape, leaping onto her and wrapping her arms around her, snuggling into her neck with a smile. "Forget that loner! Hardly the first impression such an esteemed guest should be greeted with!"

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped getting so touchy-feely," Alice said, grabbing Elis' arm and gently tossing her towards the fountain, the girl's wings stopping her from colliding with the ground. She had a red star on her cheek, a red bowtie and a red skirt with markings at the bottom. Elis pouted.

"Jeez! Fine! I was tryin' to be nice, fricken loser."

With every passing second, Alice cursed more and more her senseless urge to help them.

Louise gave a polite curtsy. "Might you know where Noble Sariel currently is? As you say, this is quite the important guest."

"The temple, where the heck d'ya think?" Elis asked, tilting her head. "What, ya need a guide or somethin'? It's a straight fricken line."

Louise's face mellowed. "Please forget the rudeness you've been treated with here. I figured Noble Sariel's second-in-command would be much more welcoming."

"Don't worry about it. I deal with worse on a daily basis," Alice said, an image of Marisa briefly flashing through her mind. She walked past the bat-girl, eyes set on the large temple.

"Aw heck, already leaving me? Fine, I'll go pester those two witches."

Alice ignored her, pacing towards the temple with the ghost hovering behind her. Perhaps she should've found all this more annoying, though she couldn't shake the feeling of nostalgia. That person wasn't in Makai for long, yet even the tainted air carried with it a familiar scent. And the people - there really were people. Could she belong with them anymore? Before the line between her human life and current could blur, she shook it out of her mind. Though with what Sara had said about Shinki… Makai's residents were much less devout and loyal to their god. Perhaps rightfully so. But was the god who took her in to Pandaemonium, cared for her in this land of magic while she was still a growing mage, and acted almost as if the mother she hardly had really the same as the one who wreaked havoc on her own world, destroyed everything she gave her subjects, and then vanished? As much as she tried, even believed, that she'd moved on, that couldn't sit right with her.

Louise waved her off as she entered the temple, a sense of awe immediately capturing her. It wasn't too different from the religious chapels of the outside world, but the sheer scale and care that went into every tiny detail was enough to capture her, if only for a moment.

"Impressive, isn't it?" A graceful, androgynous voice beckoned her head to the side, the friendly smile of the six-winged great angel greeting her. They were a giant, at least seven feet tall, with features that would leave anyone debating if they were an outrageously tall woman, or a still very tall man with long hair. Both sides would be wrong, though. Their skin was the same pale white as the hair that flowed to their middle back. Coupled with their slim build, they gave the impression of a sickly person who hadn't seen the sun in years. Yet still, their presence was commanding, the height and large wings enough to strike admiration in any creature. "Each and every brick, each pane of glass, was scavenged from the ruins of Makai and placed meticulously by the survivors you saw outside."

"They must have a great deal of respect for you."

"Indeed. When Shinki vanished, someone needed to lead the people out from the fire. Who better than the angel of protection?" Sariel's tone was laced with self-admiration. They walked over to Alice, hair flowing behind them as they placed a glowing hand on the girl's shoulder, prompting a quick flinch away.

"Oh dear." Seemed that one touch was all the 'angel of sin' needed. "To think that sweet, innocent little girl was capable of such a thing."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm a different person now."

Sariel chuckled a little, leaning against the wall with their arms crossed. "It's one thing to commit such sins. It's a different, much more unforgivable sin to act like you never did."

Perhaps out of some sort of fear, or just a deep desire not to continue this conversation, Alice didn't respond.

She thought over the words that threatened to leave her throat carefully. If she said this aloud to Sariel, no doubt she'd be locked into this as her future path. She glanced to the ground as she uttered them. "I'm… here to see if I can help free you."

Sariel pushed off the wall and resumed their slow pacing around Alice. "Ah, yes, of course. Shinki was the only one with the power to open the gate between us and the world above. With her treachery and adamance not to show her face again, I thought there was no hope unless we could find and convince her. However, if we could jump the boundary entirely, there'd be no need for that. Tell me, how do you do it?"

Alice leaned against the door frame to the main temple. She explained her knowledge of the situation. Sariel remained still with their arms crossed, politely waiting until she finished before speaking up.

"So the you we see here is not the 'real' you, but a dream version. You can only pass into Makai because of a link between your dreams and Wonderland you yourself do not fully understand. Is my understanding correct?" Sariel repeated, prompting an affirmation from Alice. "I see not how that may help us. The phenomenon likely arises from a unique connection to Wonderland. If it does not displease you, I'd like to investigate it. Just in case there is a special power there."

Alice shrugged. "Go ahead."

"I thank you for your kindness." Sariel bowed. A glint appeared in their eyes. "Whilst we might not be able to bridge the gap in our dreams like you… having someone who can would be most useful. Do you know of anyone who can open the gate from the outside? Or, perhaps, another way to enter and exit Makai without needing the gate?"

Alice thought for a moment. As far as she was aware, the only way in and out of Makai was the flying warehouse that got renovated into the buddhist temple. Even if they gave permission, Reimu didn't like demons from Makai flowing into Gensokyo way back then. Who's to say it'd be different now? "I'll see what I can do. No promises, though. A lot would need to fall into place."

"I only ask that you try," Sariel said. They continued to gaze into Alice and cocked a smile as if they'd read her mind. "Worried about Shinki? Only natural, I wouldn't deny having those feelings from time to time. She is my creator. She made me in her image, and all I have is owed to her. For her to commit such sin to her own people only to disappear… it is truly unforgivable, and that doesn't sit right with me."

"It wasn't her fault." Alice bit her tongue and glanced down to the ground, a sign that she misspoke which Sariel thankfully accepted. It all started because of the Makai travel agencies. The people of Makai wanted to see the outside world, clearly some still did. But those agencies would never have been created if one young human didn't wander into Makai and blab on and on about her homeland without even considering the dangers that could arise from such actions.

Sariel chuckled. "Yes, well, be careful who you share that belief with. Public opinion of Shinki leans more towards that of 'devil' than 'god'. Though, I don't doubt she harbours some form of twisted love towards us even still. Else we'd have long since starved to death." They bowed. "I look forward to hearing from you again. I'll have Elis investigate Wonderland shortly."

Great. Of all the people to have free roam around her 'safe' space. Alice gave her polite goodbyes and exited the temple. Louise leaned against the wall, her eye closest to the door closed, not-so-subtly eavesdropping on the entire conversation. Seemed she lacked the manners she valued so much.

"So? How'd it go? "

"I'll see what I can do."

"Excellent!" Louise said with a wide smile. Alice gazed off across Vina, her eyes dancing back and forth across the streets. "Is something the matter? Pray tell, if there's anything you must know."

"This isn't everyone," Alice said plainly.

"Oh?" Louise said. The one eye she had open frantically looked everywhere besides Alice herself. "Why yes, it's expected that our scouting efforts may have failed to find some people. Makai is a vast place, after all. You're very observant!"

It's almost like she wanted Alice to find her suspicious. She moved to ask about Yumeko's whereabouts.

Small translucent orbs of purple surrounded her. Alice glanced at her see-through hand.

"Oh? What's this? "

"It's morning in Gensokyo."

"... Morning?"

Of course, Makai doesn't follow the typical day-night cycle. "There're days, where the world is bright, and nights, where the world is dark. I dream at night, so when it becomes day the dream ends and I have to go back."

"Oh…" Louise said, her voice full of wonder. "The world above sounds so fascinating…."

Alice elected not to mention that the cycle of day and night was the most mundane thing about Gensokyo.

"You're really going to help me see it?"

"No promises." Alice's body had almost disappeared. "But I'll see you in my next dream, anyway."

The last thing Alice saw was Louise's smiling face. When she woke, she placed a hand on the centre of her chest, feeling it beat abnormally fast.