Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 155: Are those falling from the sky snowflakes or your memories?
He had said a lot about the meaning of courage, but there was very little that Olivia could understand. For example, she didn't understand why he kept saying these inexplicable words to her, didn't understand why he suddenly stopped attacking when he had an absolute advantage, and didn't understand why his voice sounded vaguely familiar to her, as if he was not talking to her at the moment, but someone from a long time ago who was conveying something through his mouth.

What kind of feeling is that? It is a lesson but also has a bit of leniency, it is a comfort but also has a bit of severity; is it as soft as the light that shines on the balcony in the morning? Or is it as heavy as the earth covered with ashes under the endless forest? He stared at himself in silence, as if staring at a memory from the past, those stories that are so far away that they are unimaginable, coming across the dark tide in the dark night, hitting the reefs on the coastline, making a low sound.

The rings of time and space grow slowly like a tree, and like a curtain change in a stage play, the process of the curtain falling and rising is the process of the years changing. And he is a silent audience in the audience, always maintaining the most rational and solemn attitude. What do you see in those scarlet eyes?
Olvera failed to understand all of this. Before all her questions were answered, she just pursed her lips lightly and cast a blank stare at the giant wolf on top of the stone pillar. Her eyes were so hazy that they had almost lost their original color, and there was only distraction and confusion.

"It seems you don't know."

The guardian's tone returned to the respect and solemnity at the beginning. He stared deeply at the scarred girl and said, "Impulsive words and actions often lead to wrong results. I believe you have experienced this deeply in the past battle. You live in the past. The years you have lived in this castle may be counted in hundreds of years, but the real growth of life is gained through communication with others, and you obviously lack this. So I can say that you are still very young and still retain the innocence and fantasy of your childhood."

He shook his head gently. "People who are too young always think the world is too beautiful and believe that all difficulties can be solved by their own hands. However, fate has already secretly determined our ending. It is arrogant to try to change it. Therefore, sometimes, admitting your own weakness is not something difficult to say. On the contrary, it is a brave act because it can prove that you have realized the cruelty of this world."

"I have no intention of being your enemy. It is only out of awe for my mission and worship for the master who created us that I have to block your way. If you are willing to leave now and return to the room that belongs to you, everything can be restored to its original appearance, just as it has been for the past thousands of years. It has never changed, and perhaps there is no need to change."

He stopped here and said no more, leaving the vast silence in the arena to the girl, as if waiting for her choice.

The dim light from the brazier blended with the light from the candle in the lantern, creating a small island of light in the darkness. However, it was unable to withstand the bleak wind and rain, and was swaying. Olvera's figure stood in the only light, looking lonely and frail.

"go back……"

Even though Alice had given up on her, she didn't want to give up on herself.

"It doesn't matter."

Living alone, reading alone, lighting a candle alone, she occasionally recalled her experiences when she was still in the world, but when she came to her senses, she saw only cold walls and doors. Time passed too long and too fast, which made her confused about the definition of years, months and days. In the end, she gradually forgot many memories. There were some things that she should have remembered, but she forgot. To her, the outside world was more like an illusion, an unreal imagination.

She whispered, "Do you mean that you want me to go back to the way I was before?"

"Very sad." She silently clenched her palms. The hilt of the holy sword felt like touching an ancient tree trunk, which diluted the sweat flowing in her palms. "I don't want that feeling."

Until one moment, a foreign traveler broke into the castle and melted her imagination into an incomplete reality.

The giant wolf said, "It's human nature to feel sad when you're sad and helpless when you're helpless. No matter how scared you are of that feeling, you'll get used to it one day. When you're used to it, you'll find that the things you were afraid of aren't that big of a deal. They're just part of your life, just like we are your shadows."

Again.

It was such a familiar word, as if someone had said the same thing to her before, but she had forgotten it. Olvera suddenly felt a little regretful, regretting that she had forgotten so many things. If she hadn't forgotten, maybe she would have remembered who the person hidden in the giant wolf's words was, and what was the true courage he wanted to convey to her?
But she had indeed forgotten, and it seemed unlikely that she would be able to recall it again. There was nothing she could do about it, because... not all the difficulties in this world could be solved by one's own hands. The girl slowly closed her eyes.

The giant wolf sighed softly: "I'm sorry, although this was not my intention."

He raised his head and stared at the dome of the arena. Suddenly, a beautiful crescent moon was reflected in his scarlet eyes.

This is not a description, but a fact. There is indeed a silver crescent moon, gradually emerging in the darkness, just like the moon that sank to the bottom of the water and floated up again, showing its beautiful appearance. The cold moonlight flowed like water, temporarily expelling the darkness that enveloped the surroundings, and then smeared on the surface of the giant wolf on the top of the stone pillar, giving each of his hairs a light and elegant silver glow like frost and snow.

Under the bright moonlight, the heroic giant wolf stood on the top of the stone pillar, looking up at the moon. The cloak around his neck was blown by the silvery cold wind, floating like the clear clouds under the moon, making a rustling sound, which set off his noble and sacred figure.

Unfortunately, the girl closed her eyes and therefore did not see this beautiful scene.

The next moment, a low roar rolled out from the depths of the giant wolf's throat, as if it had swallowed a storm, or bitten a mountain range. The moment it burst out of its mouth, it turned into an endless wolf howl, like shocking thunder, shaking the cold moonlight. The low and solemn voice then boomed throughout the arena, hitting the fragile eardrums: "This is the sacred power bestowed upon us by our Lord, the essence of the world of darkness -"

"O phantom crescent moon, please wash away the filth of the world under this silvery white moonlight!"

With a roar, the silvery breath of the moon burst out of his mouth, pouring out endlessly, as if there was a silver ocean hidden in his body, and at this moment, it was all released, showing the extremely shocking power. The fierce storm swept in an instant, and the invisible and intangible moonlight turned into tangible snowflakes at this moment, making the entire arena seem to be in a blizzard in the wilderness. The light released by the brazier and the lantern was obscured, and the slender and frail figure of the girl was also swallowed up. The falling moonlight was like fine snow, wrapped in the cold air, passing so quickly, like a sharp knife and sword, scraping across the girl's face and arms, cutting countless tiny scars in an instant, blood beads oozing out, but soon frozen, solidified into tiny ice chips.

The girl who was swallowed by the Moon Snow felt pain all over her body. The pain surged like a tide, causing her hands and feet to gradually lose strength. She curled up helplessly and uttered a moan that was difficult to suppress. She had not felt any pain when she was attacked before, but the feeling at this moment was as real as it was.

In the silver blizzard, only the silver crescent moon hanging high in the sky and the shadow of the giant wolf on the top of the stone pillar were still standing tall and unshakable.

[Phantom Crescent Moon - Under the Silver Moonlight: The sacred power bestowed by the Creator, with this moonlight, brings the enemy the illumination of thousands of dust, the dream of endless true night, and the end of all loneliness.]

Olvera was suffocated by the moonlight blizzard. Suddenly, she felt very tired, lonely, and sad. No one would help her, and no one would trust her. Was her existence meaningless to this world? She gradually gave up resistance, slowly opened her eyes, and quietly stared at every falling snowflake and every withering moonlight above her head, letting them cover her body. Gradually, some memories appeared in her eyes.

She suddenly remembered something from a long time ago. It was so strange, she couldn't remember it no matter how hard she tried, but now it was so clear, as if it was right in front of her and she could touch it with her hand.

Perhaps, time always revolves back in memory.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)