"Ahhg, damn..."

After eating, Aldrus and the others tried to use their powers since they were now free from the shackles. He hadn’t done it earlier because he feared being watched so soon after the cloaked man left. But as expected, it wasn’t the chains draining their Perspective; the cell itself seemed responsible.

Falling exhausted to the ground, Aldrus grimaced. He kept coming back to thoughts of his teammates, but it was no use. Even if it wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t help but be worried for them, yet the only thing he could do was hope nothing bad happened.

Although he couldn’t tell exactly how much time had passed since their meal, he was sure it was at least an hour or two. If he had woken up in that place not long after being knocked out, that meant night was growing closer.

Soon, the three of them lay against a wall and tried to sleep. Though given the situation, it wasn’t easy at all, so they spent some time discussing possible answers to take their minds off things.

"Hey, Aldrus," Cedric said. "Did... did you feel anything from that guy, the jailer? I mean, did he strike you as someone of the third-rank?"

Aldrus tilted his head, trying to remember the impression the tall man had left on him. "No. Definitely not. He was stronger than us, that’s for sure, but judging by his presence alone, I wouldn’t even say he was on par with Miss Leona."

Cedric shuddered. "T-Then! That means he’s not the leader, right? How could a bum like that get past the instructors?"

"That’s a given," Alice replied, joining them. "A person tasked with feeding high-school prisoners could be nothing but a useless subordinate. If we’re wondering about someone capable of pulling off a plan in front of Sir Zorum’s nose, then we only have three possible scenarios."

She began to count off with her fingers and explained, "First, they have an ally of at least the third-rank themselves. Second, they are in possession of a third-rank artifact or higher. And third..." The blonde girl fell quiet for a moment, as if hesitating to speak her mind. "Third... Sir Zorum himself... is with them."

At first, no one said a word, each for a different reason, and as they gathered their thoughts, an annoyed voice suddenly cut through the air, "What?! What are you saying?! How could you suspect Sir Zorum of all people?! Aldrus, tell her!" Cedric shouted in protest; he clearly didn’t buy Sir Zorum as a villain.

"..."

"Aldrus!" he shouted once more.

But Aldrus remained silent for a moment. As much as he wanted him to be right, he couldn’t be sure. None of them could. He himself had doubted Sir Zorum just a few hours ago.

"I’m sorry, Cedric. But Alice might be right. We can’t rule out the possibility of him being involved. Just think about it, it doesn’t make sense for a handful of thugs to get past the vigilance of people so powerful, does it? If they really don’t have anyone as strong or an extremely rare fragment artifact with them, then that’s the only plausible conclusion."

Cedric stared at him, bewildered. His lips parted, about to say something, but Aldrus cut him off. "However, I’d like to believe in him. Sir Ludwig trusts him, so I trust him too."

Upon hearing those words, Alice faintly smiled. She knew enough about the relationship between Aldrus and Ludwig—enough to trust her roommate’s words as well. On his end, Cedric didn’t press the matter further; it seemed he had calmed down to some extent.

Aldrus couldn’t blame him for getting upset; to deny Zorum as their ally was nothing but tantamount to letting their few hopes slip away.

They kept discussing theories after that, and sharing their thoughts, not getting anywhere in particular.

As time went by, their voices gradually lost their edge, and before long, the three exhausted prisoners finally fell asleep.

***

...

Ugh... Huh...?

Aldrus woke up in the middle of the night, feeling something weighing on his chest. He flinched in a panic and quickly looked down at the source, preparing to attack. However...

In the darkness, he could barely make out the shape of a crown of scattered locks, rising and falling to the rhythm of his heart.

Alice slept peacefully on top of him, somehow ending up with her head close to his face.

If his previous panic wasn’t enough, the state he was in now definitely threatened to seal his fate. Pinned to the wall, he was unable to move an inch—pressed down by an unknown softness and left at the mercy of a sweet scent.

She’s sleepwalking again! "A-Alice! Hey! Wake up!" he hissed, struck by a wave of déjà vu. Unlike previous times, though, she had now found the end of her steps right on top of him.

The blonde girl didn’t seem to react. Her breathing remained calm and steady, almost as if she were oblivious to the fact they were imprisoned somewhere unknown.

Crap, this is bad...

"Alice!" He tried again, but it was useless. He should’ve known by now, nothing could wake her up once she was in that state. Besides, yelling louder would also end up with Cedric watching the scene, which—in his mind—was way, way worse.

Sigh...

Quite familiar with this routine, Aldrus tried to move her to the side, but this time, Alice let out a soft whimper, tightening her grip and clinging harder to his clothes.

!!!

As he was just about to scream and faint, something about her seized his attention.

Eh... Taking hold of her arms to shift her weight, the cold touch of her skin caught him off guard. Looking closer at her face, he quickly realized she hadn’t simply collapsed on top of him; she had been looking for warmth.

Her beautiful features, often sharp and serene, looked like those of a lost child.

Conflicted, Aldrus remained still for several minutes before finally giving in and pulling her softly into his arms.

Before he knew what he was doing, he fell back to sleep as he caressed her hair, wrapped within a whisper and a fellow goodnight.

***

The next morning—

*Clank*

The familiar metallic sound woke the three of them up. Unlike yesterday, there was no hint of surprise on their faces.

Alice opened her eyes slowly, only for her face to freeze as she looked up. There, Aldrus met her gaze with an awkward smile. However, he swiftly shifted his attention somewhere else.

Haah... Well, let’s see what that guy has to say.