Alice emerged from the narrow passage toward the exit, where the intense sunlight made her squint involuntarily. She shielded her forehead with her hand, and sunlight filtered through her pale arm; her skin was almost transparent, the edges refracting a hint of blood red.
Two military men in black coats approached her, gently brushing the leaves off their shoulders, and simply asked, "Miss Alice?"
Alice watched the golden leaves fall and paused for a moment, suddenly becoming aware of the quiet arrival of autumn—it was that season again. A complex emotion wound through her heart, everything felt as if it were from a previous life.
She looked up at the sky, the first clear day after the storm, Fenris's azure expanse arched at the horizon, clean and bright, with only faint clouds adrift.
She lowered her gaze, her eyes clear of any speck, and simply nodded her head calmly.
