Because he come back

"What bad luck, Lara. Now I'm going to stink of humans."

Once inside the elevator, her traveling companions didn't seem very happy. The group had been vaccinated against this, so their only reaction was curiosity.

Ema tugged lightly on Alice's dress.

"She talks as if she's not human. What race is she?"

Alice looked closely at the group, four beautiful women who were in no way inferior to them in beauty or luxury, with vibrant eyes of different colors and a trained body.

The masks hid their racial traits, but changing their smell was another story.

'It's just...'

"It's just... a group of mutts."

'... Ignore.'

The young woman felt strange, it seemed like there was something mixed up and very wrong between her speech and thoughts.

"..."

Suddenly silence fell like a veil over everyone. Yes, reality hit her. She had said that.

"Pftt!", Ema's attempt to hide her laughter cut through the veil. With a butcher's knife, perhaps. Since she couldn't contain herself any longer. "Hahahaha, mutts...", she muttered.

Alice rubbed her forehead.

'Are you asking for a fight?'

'They were the ones asking and... you know, I can only do this because that's what you thought.'

'That's what 'you' thought! Don't use me as a puppet.'

'Exactly! What did I say. 'You' thought. That is, me. You, me. We're the same thing, anyway. It makes a difference.'

'I'll seal you. For ten years, this time', Alice couldn't stand that audacity any longer.

'No!!'

Her mental argument lasted half a second, due to her magic, and ended with the defeat and silence of her partner's open-mouthed mouth.

"What did you say, bitch?"

Alice sealed her lips tightly. She looked to the side. The girls who had been sulking in the corner now had their eyes wide open and their lips parted. It was a funny expression.

The corners of hers rose.

"Do I need to repeat myself. Did you lose your hearing along with your ears?"

One of them took a step forward. Alice's imagination saw a scene in which the girls should be on their knees, struggling to breathe in front of a group of predators. But this was a special castle.

The strongest could cancel the aura of the weakest. And the strongest there...

"It's not moving, my aura...", the most naive ones in the back looked at their leader with fervor. The spoiled little dog backed away, but his fangs were still showing.

"Who do you think you are?!"

Alice saw no reason to answer. So she simply waited and tapped her fingers lightly on the mask on her face, just as the door opened with a 'click'.

"Come on...", the girls didn't need to be told twice. Smiling in relief, they left while Alice made room.

"You'll regret this."

This time there was no one else in there but them.

Alice released her aura, a red and blue color, energetic, subtle and erratic. It spread throughout the elevator like a glass of water. Soon it was a liter. An ocean. Pressing down on the group like a judgment from heaven.

Sensitive and emotional, they took a step back. Their shoulders shook, their teeth gritted, their fists clenched as well as their hearts, yet they refused to let out the slightest moan.

Alice knew that pride well.

Not that it mattered, ten more seconds and they would be on the floor struggling to breathe.

Before releasing the aura, a memory came back.

A beautiful woman, as beautiful as an angel, as attractive as a demon and imposing as a goddess.

With the same calm smile she released her aura throughout an entire room. Dozens of knees and faces hitting the floor.

It was an impressive memory.

Mainly because she and the other children were the only ones standing, over so many arrogant adults.

This was her first encounter with the 'Queen of Eden'. The personification of absolute power.

"Thank you for defending us", Ema thanked as soon as they met, being accompanied by nods from the others.

'You're welcome, my dear.'

'Shut up, you just made a mess.'

"It's okay", Alice wanted to roll her eyes. But she simply led the group. "Let's go."

'I got you three beautiful friends, you ungrateful girl.'

Alice was silent.

Time passed again before she could answer...

'But I was the one who did most of it.'

She then disconnected the connection.

"... It's always like this," Diana looked at her. "I mean, so much fighting."

The corner of her lips lifted.

"It's much worse," Alice's expression became serious, her mind organizing her memories. "They're new here, they're young too, they were just anxious. Normally there aren't exchanges like this, no one wastes their time."

"Isn't that good? Does that mean they're going to leave us alone?"

Alice shook her head. Her heart was pounding slightly, already knowing what was at the end of that hallway.

'Those mummies traumatized you, huh?'

"What's the oldest person you've ever seen? Eighty, a hundred years old?", Alice took a deep breath.

"You go to a museum to see relics, works of art, old things. Think of this place as a museum of people, a museum of ancient and precious minds. Most of them are treated as advisors, parents and demigods who can solve everything."

They could already see another couple of security guards, even more beautiful, cordial and dangerous.

The air around them was an ocean where nothing went unnoticed.

The portal was right behind, wide open in front of a fountain of quartz and crystals.

"Don't look down, but unless they talk to you, don't look back at them. They are curious, they can't stand not knowing or getting to know you. Are like hyenas that instinctively take advantage of your weakness. They don't just use words, but move you with gestures, gaze, appearance or aura."

"How do we know we did something wrong?" Alice's eyes grew wide for a moment.

Diana's question was important, but that was precisely why it took her by surprise.

"You don't know..." Her expression was difficult. "There's no way of knowing. What everyone here understands is that it will be too late when you've done it. It's like going out in the rain. Everyone who comes here knows that. They're just always prepared."

"You're going to get wet anyway, just be careful not to get sick. Something like that?" Carla tried to understand.

Alice smiled.

"No. If you get wet, you'll die." Her expression was serious. "Don't get me wrong. Everyone who comes here wants to be perfect. They live in their ego, in their world. If you get close to them and their ego, be sure you won't do anything wrong."

The girls fell silent. Suddenly they felt that the fairy tale that was wonderful to any child's ears had become a castle of horrors where every step, every decoration, person or action, everything seemed calculated and judged.

"So... we have to go in silent and leave silent?" Ema asked suddenly.

This time Alice didn't agree.

"Just have fun."

'Yeah... You have those two monsters to clean up your mess. It'll be fine.'