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墨書 Inktalez
Before Alice could make any decision, a sudden rumble echoed from the other end of the cave, and massive rocks began to fall from the ceiling, blocking their path. Alice and the Fox found themselves trapped in the center of the cave, with insurmountable obstacles in front and behind.
"What do we do?" Alice's voice trembled with panic as the space around them seemed to shrink, the oppressive air making it hard for her to breathe.
The Fox calmed himself and quickly assessed the situation. "This cave is an ancient sacrificial site; it's likely that some mechanism has been triggered. We can't stay here for long." He turned swiftly, fixing his gaze on a small door beside the altar. "There's an exit over there; follow me!"
Alice dared not hesitate and followed closely behind. She felt an indescribable force pulling her forward, seemingly emanating from the mask. With each step, she sensed more cracks appearing deep within her soul, as if the mask's power was eroding everything she was.
Just as she neared the small door, a blinding light suddenly erupted from the altar beside the mask. Alice and the Fox halted in their tracks; the light felt like invisible chains binding their bodies tightly.
Taking a deep breath, Alice glanced back at the mask. The familiar allure washed over her again, as if a voice were whispering her name—gentle yet unsettling. "Alice... you cannot escape it." The voice seemed to come from all directions, as if it were emanating from the mask itself or even from deep within the island. She could almost feel it touching every inch of her soul. The oppressive air grew heavier, and Alice's chest felt increasingly burdened by this encroaching power.
"Don't listen to it," the Fox whispered urgently in her ear, his tone laced with tension. "It's just trying to lure you in. You have to stay alert!"
Alice's eyes remained fixed on the mask; despite her desire to turn away, that inexplicable force continued to pull her toward it. Her fingers trembled slightly, nearly betraying her impulse to reach out and touch it.
"We can't stay here any longer!" The Fox's voice was tinged with clear anxiety as he grasped Alice's shoulders, trying to pull her away from that eerie light. "Hurry! Follow me!"
Snapping back to reality, Alice finally tore her gaze away from the mask, gasping for breath as she struggled to free herself from its strange allure. She noticed a deep worry in the Fox's eyes—he understood that if they lingered here any longer, the mask's power would ultimately consume them.
With a sudden determination, she turned sharply and followed the Fox toward what appeared to be an exit through the small door. The ground began to tremble violently beneath them; rocks on the walls shifted precariously, and chunks of the ceiling started to collapse, large boulders falling dangerously close to their heads. Panic surged through Alice as her steps quickened. She could hear a rumbling sound echoing from deep within the cave, like some ancient mechanism had been set into motion—everything was spiraling toward an uncontrollable fate.
"Faster!" The Fox nearly dragged her along as they sprinted through the crumbling passageway, urgency evident in his voice as they raced against time.
Suddenly, the light ahead grew stronger, and Alice saw a crack appear at the entrance of a door, as if some stone gate had been activated by their approach. As the door opened, Alice's vision cleared, revealing an exit right in front of her, and the light around her suddenly brightened.
She saw sunlight.
It was a scene she had longed for, a warmth that washed over her after traversing countless dark tunnels and complex memories. The sunlight made her feel almost dizzy. She stumbled toward the exit, as if fleeing from the mask and all the strange powers on this island.
But just as she was about to cross the threshold, a piercing laugh suddenly echoed behind her, filled with malice and reverberating through the cave. Alice halted abruptly and turned around to see the look of unconscious terror on the fox's face. Then she noticed that his hand had unknowingly slipped from her shoulder, and his body seemed to lose control, stumbling backward a few steps.
"Fox!" Alice screamed as she rushed forward.
The fox's eyes were filled with confusion and pain, as if he were not in control of his own body. His lips moved slightly, seemingly trying to say something, but his voice was swallowed by the tremors in the cave.
"Alice..." the fox whispered, a flicker of unease crossing his eyes. "It... it... won't... let me... go..."
Alice's heart sank. She realized that the look in the fox's eyes was no longer that of the creature who had once guided her in search of truth. He seemed to be under some invisible force's control, his movements sluggish and devoid of rational light. The laughter grew louder, filling the cave like a call from the abyss.
Alice could no longer hesitate; she grabbed the fox's arm with all her strength and tried to pull him back toward the exit. But each time she attempted to move him, his body felt as heavy as stone, refusing to budge. Panic surged within her as she struggled to find a way to free him from this invisible grip.
"Fox! Listen to me! You can't let it control you!" Alice shook his shoulder desperately, her voice laced with tearing pain. "Wake up! This is its illusion; it's affecting you!"
The fox's eyes trembled slightly, as if his consciousness had not completely faded. His lips moved again, finally managing to utter a single word: "Mask..."
"Mask..." Alice repeated this word, and suddenly an idea surged within her. She knew that the fox was not entirely lost; he was merely being suppressed by the power of the mask. She had to do something to awaken him.
She quickly turned around and looked back at the altar, but the mask continued to emit a chilling glow. She knew that only by completely destroying the mask could she sever the source of this evil power.
“No! Don’t look at it!” the Fox shouted, his voice filled with struggle. “It’s already… too powerful…”
“I know,” Alice replied softly, her gaze still fixed on the mask on the altar. “But I can’t let it control you, I can’t let it consume us.”
Alice took a deep breath, knowing she could no longer delay. She tightened her grip on the Fox’s hand and swiftly moved toward the altar. Despite the mask's power feeling like an invisible vortex trying to pull her back, her determination remained unshaken.
“Fox, help me!” Alice shouted, nearly exhausting all her strength to pull him along. “You’re the only one who can help me!”
A flicker of struggle crossed the Fox's eyes; in that moment, his consciousness seemed to awaken a little, the confusion in his gaze gradually fading. “Alice…” he said softly, his voice hoarse. “You have to be careful.”
Alice turned to look into the Fox's eyes. In that instant, she felt as if she saw his truest self—the courage and conviction he once had were finally returning to him.
“We’ll face this together,” Alice said firmly. “Everything will be alright.”
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