22. Alice

The thick red mist swirled ominously as Alvin walked through the silent streets, his long blue hair catching faint light from the eerie glow in the distance. He had planned on heading straight home, but the heavy scent of blood made him pause.

His sharp eyes flickered toward a small house, where the front porch was stained dark crimson. There, slumped against the wooden door, was a young girl, her lifeless body lying still in the growing pool of blood.

Alvin crouched down, his expression unreadable as he patted the dead girl's head. Her face, though peaceful in death, still carried the trace of reluctance, of unfinished words, of a fate she had chosen.

"Tch. You were quite a character, weren't you?" Alvin murmured, exhaling softly. He studied her blood-stained clothes, the knife still clutched loosely in her hand, the desperate attempt to remain human rather than succumb to the inevitable.

For a moment, he just sat there, watching her, as if trying to understand the weight of her decision. He had seen many deaths—glorious, pitiful, cowardly, noble—but this one had a different kind of tragedy.

He sighed, finally looking up. The door behind her was closed, but from inside, he could hear a faint voice—a child's voice, small and trembling.

"Clara? Clara… where are you?"

Alvin stood up, his gaze lingering on the body for a second longer before reaching for the doorknob. The girl had locked it from the outside, so he carefully nudged her body aside and twisted the handle. It creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room where a blind girl sat on the couch, her white, unfocused eyes searching the air for something she would never find again.

She heard the door open, her face lighting up slightly. "Clara? Is that you?"

Alvin leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "No. The one you're waiting for isn't coming."

The girl froze.

Alvin continued, his voice calm but firm. "You. You were entrusted to me by someone. Let's go."

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, Alice's lips trembled. "What… what do you mean? Clara…"

She stood up quickly, but stumbled forward, reaching out into empty space. Her hands grasped at nothing, panic settling into her chest.

"Clara? Clara! Where are you?!"

She tripped over the edge of the couch and collapsed onto her knees, her breathing uneven. "She's outside, isn't she? She… she…" Her voice cracked.

Alvin sighed, rubbing his temples. He could already tell this was going to be difficult.

The girl's blind, helpless fumbling, the sheer desperation in her trembling hands—he hated it.

"Tch. This is going to take forever," Alvin muttered before grabbing a spoon from a nearby table.

"Hey, girl. Hold this," he said, pressing one end of the spoon into Alice's hand.

Alice hesitated, confused. "A… a spoon?"

"Yeah. I'll hold the other end," Alvin said lazily, gripping the opposite side. "Now, stop flailing around and just follow my lead."

She clutched the spoon tightly, biting her lip. Alvin gently guided her forward, step by step, until they finally reached the door.

Alvin stopped walking. His voice softened slightly. "She's here."

Alice released the spoon and fell to her knees, her hands blindly fumbling over the wooden floor until she found the still, cold fingers of her cousin.

The moment she grasped Clara's hand, Alice let out a broken sob.

"Clara… no… No, no, no…"

She shook her head violently, as if denying reality would somehow change it. Her fingers traced Clara's still-warm skin, her shoulders trembling.

"I— I'm sorry, Clara!" Alice cried, her voice cracking. "I never… I never wanted to be a burden! I swear, I— I didn't mean to—"

Her body shook with guilt, her forehead pressing against Clara's hand. "I'm the sinner, not you! If I wasn't like this, you wouldn't have had to— you wouldn't have…"

She couldn't even finish.

Alvin watched from the side, arms crossed, expression unreadable. He let her cry. Some grief needed time to burn itself out.

Finally, when her sobs became softer, Alvin spoke—his voice calm but firm.

"She wanted you to live."

Alice sniffled, her fingers still gripping Clara's lifeless hand.

"Instead of sitting here feeling guilty, live for her," Alvin said, his words cutting through the fog like a sharp blade. "Otherwise, all of this—her fight, her sacrifice—was for nothing."

Alice squeezed her eyes shut, tears still rolling down her cheeks, but her breathing slowly steadied. She nodded weakly, even though a part of her still felt like her entire world had collapsed.

After a long silence, Alice lifted her head and wiped her face with trembling fingers.

"Please…" she whispered. "Help me… bury her."

Alvin sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I got it."

It didn't take long.

With Alvin's help, they dug a small grave beneath the shelter of a large tree near the house. Alice insisted on touching the soil, feeling the depth and placement as if she could memorize where Clara would rest forever.

When they finally placed Clara's body into the earth, Alice clenched her fists, her lips pressed together.

"Goodbye, Clara," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I'll keep my promise. I'll live… even if it hurts."

Alvin, standing nearby, didn't say anything. He simply waved a hand, using a bit of magic to pull the soil over the grave, sealing it gently.

Once it was done, he glanced at Alice.

"Here," he said, pulling something from his pocket.

Alice turned toward the sound of his voice. "What is it?"

Alvin took Clara's bracelet—the simple beaded one she had worn—and placed it in Alice's hands.

Alice's fingers traced over the smooth beads, and her breath hitched. "This is Clara's…"

Alvin shoved his hands into his pockets, watching her reaction. "She can't wear it anymore. But you can."

Alice held it tightly, pressing it to her chest. "Thank you," she whispered.

Alvin clicked his tongue. "Don't thank me. Thank the fool who fought to keep you alive."

Alice swallowed, nodding.

A heavy silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint rustling of the fog.

Finally, Alvin stretched lazily, his usual smirk creeping back onto his face. "Well, now that the drama's over, let's get moving."

Alice hesitated. "Where… are we going?"

Alvin sighed dramatically. "My place. Unless you want to sit here and wait for zombies to chew on you, in which case, be my guest."

Alice stood up, clutching Clara's bracelet. "I'll go with you."

Alvin smirked. "Good choice."

With one last glance at Clara's grave, the two of them turned and disappeared into the mist, leaving behind the girl who had given her life for another—and carrying her memory with them into the unknown.

--

The walk back to the mansion was eerily silent.

Alice said nothing, not a single word. She simply followed Alvin, her small frame wrapped in grief, her fingers still clutching Clara's bracelet as if letting go of it would make everything real. Her unseeing eyes were blank, yet heavy with emotions she could barely process.

Alvin, on the other hand, didn't force a conversation. What was there to say? Words wouldn't fix what had happened.

The fog curled around them as they finally approached the mansion. The heavy wooden doors swung open, and inside, Jax and Luis were already waiting in the hallway.

Jax took one look at the silent, fragile girl trailing behind Alvin and opened his mouth to ask something—but then closed it.

Luis, standing with arms crossed, also seemed to catch the heavy atmosphere. He didn't ask either.

They had seen Alvin return victorious from his fights before, sometimes with a smirk, sometimes bloodied but amused. But this time, there was no sarcasm, no mocking quip—just quiet acceptance.

And in that silence, Jax and Luis understood.

Before either of them could react, the sound of small footsteps came from the hall.

Lily, Diana, and the other kids had heard the door and rushed to see who had come back. The moment they saw Alice, their little faces were filled with curiosity.

Lily, being one of the bravest, stepped forward. "Daddy, who is she?"

Alice flinched slightly at the unfamiliar voice, but she remained silent, gripping Clara's bracelet even tighter.

Alvin exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "She's your new sister. Take her upstairs."

Lily and Diana's eyes widened at that, but neither protested. Instead, they turned to Alice, sensing something was wrong.

Diana hesitated before gently reaching for Alice's cold hand, holding it with care.

"Come with us," she said softly.

Alice finally moved, her fingers tightening around Diana's hand for guidance.

Mina, a small four-year-old girl with short pigtails, and Yiso, a quiet five-year-old, peeked from behind Lily. They had been watching carefully but hadn't spoken.

As the group started moving toward the stairs, Mina suddenly ran forward, her little hands reaching out to pat Alice's back.

"Don't cry, Sister." Mina's voice was sweet and innocent. "It's okay. We'll be together now. You don't have to be alone."

Alice choked on a sob, her knees nearly buckling under the weight of her emotions.

Lily and Yiso instinctively caught her, pulling her into a hug.

Diana rubbed Alice's hand soothingly. "You don't have to talk yet. Just rest, okay?"

That was all it took.

The weight of the day, the loss, the pain—Alice couldn't contain it anymore.

She broke down, burying her face against Lily and Yiso's small shoulders as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"I miss her… I miss her so much!"

The girls held her, coaxing her softly, rubbing her back, whispering little things to comfort her.

Mina, too young to fully understand death, simply patted Alice's head, her tiny fingers warm against her hair. "It's okay, Sister. Now we're together. So don't cry."

Alice cried until she had no more strength left, until exhaustion pulled her into sleep.

Alvin leaned against the couch, rubbing his temples.

Jax, who had been standing by the staircase, let out a slow breath. "That was… something."

Luis crossed his arms. "What happened out there?"

Alvin didn't look at them as he answered. "She lost someone important to her."

Jax ran a hand through his messy hair, exhaling. "And now she's one of us."

Alvin finally glanced up, his blue eyes sharp. "Go check on them, Jax. Make sure she's settled in."

Jax hesitated but eventually nodded, heading upstairs to see how the new sister of their strange little family was doing.

Alvin leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment.

One more child. One more life to protect.

His sins....they might wash away if this keeps up.