"Damn it all, just tell us who it is!" Sóley snarled, her voice sharp as a knife. "We're not going on some wild goose chase without knowing who we're dealing with!"

  The woman just chuckled again, her smirk seeming to stretch further.

  Alice tensed. Sóley was right, they couldn't go on a dangerous mission without knowing who they were dealing with.

  Sóley wasn't done yet either; her eyes were blazing as she practically spat out:

  "Just tell us who we have to deal with on this 'little' retrieval, and maybe we'll consider helping."

  The woman chuckled again, clearly loving how annoyed Sóley was, which only made her angrier.

  "Fine. I'll tell you…but only because I'm feeling generous today."

  Sóley’s anger was palpable at this point, and if she didn’t calm down soon, Alice had a feeling things were about to get worse. The woman just chuckled again, her smirk never fading, as she tilted her head slightly.

  "Alright then."

  She paused dramatically before finally answering: "...You'll be joined by someone who's been through the Polar Night Palace before...someone very close to you both."

  Someone close... Alice's heart lurched again, who? The woman was really playing with them at this point, enjoying watching their confusion and fear.

  Sóley seemed just as thrown-off for a moment, but then her eyes widened slightly in realization, as if she suddenly guessed who the woman was hinting at...

  Alice's pulse was hammering in her throat now, who? Sóley seemed to know, but Alice didn't have a clue.

  The woman just smirked wider at their reactions before finally answering:

  "...Your dear friend, Noel."

  Alice's breath hitched, Noel?!

  Sóley stiffened beside her, eyes flashing with something unreadable, anger? Shock? Disbelief?

  The woman’s smirk only deepened at their reactions. "Surprise~" she cooed mockingly.

  Alice was still processing the bombshell: Noel... joining them? She barely had time to think before Sóley cut in, voice sharp as ice:

  "You’re lying." Her fists clenched so tight Alice could hear her knuckles crack. "Noel wouldn’t go along with this twisted crap!"

  The woman sighed dramatically, waving a hand like she was dismissing childish nonsense. "Ohhhh but she already agreed~ Didn't I tell you?"

  Sóley looked seconds away from lunging at her right then and there, but Alice grabbed her arm just in time.

  Because Noel… agreeing to help this monster retrieve some cursed relic made absolutely no sense whatsoever…

  Unless…

  A terrible realization dawned on Alice slowly:

  What if Noel didn't agree willingly after all?

  Hell no.

  The thought made Alice feel sick, Noel was kind and brave and gentle and the thought of her being forced into this was…it was sick. It was sick.

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  The woman was still just smirking, clearly enjoying their stunned reactions.

  Sóley, on the other hand, was still seething with anger, her fists clenched so tight it looked like she was two seconds from exploding.

  "Noel wouldn't just 'agree' to help you," she snapped. "You forced her, didn't you?!"

  Alice's heart was twisting in her chest, the thought that Noel might have been forced into help made her feel sick.

  The woman just gave a small, sly smirk before replying:

  "What makes you so sure I made her agree?"

  Sóley's eyes blazed even more angrily at the woman's smirk. "I know Noel better than anyone else," she snapped. "And I know for a fact she wouldn't willingly help someone like you!"

  The woman just chuckled again, clearly enjoying Sóley's anger. "Oh, but you don't know her as well as you think."

  Sóley's eyes blazed even more at her words, her fists so tight her knuckles had gone white. "Bullshit," she spat out. "I do know her."

  The woman tilted her head slightly, that sly smirk still on her face. "Do you really, though? Or are you only fooling yourself…?"

  Alice's stomach twisted at the woman's words, she was toying with them, clearly enjoying their discomfort and anger.

  Sóley looked ready to explode any second now; her entire body was practically vibrating with rage as she snarled: "Shut up! You don't know anything about Noel!"

  The woman just chuckled again, her smirk somehow widening even further despite how impossible that seemed already.

  "Ohhh but I do~"

  She tilted her head slightly before continuing: "...Because after all...I'm not talking about the current Noel."

  A heavy silence followed those words.

  Alice froze—Sóley too for a moment before finally reacting…

  And when she did? It wasn’t anger anymore.

  It was pure horror dawning across Sóley’s face in slow motion realization…

  No…

  Alice felt her heart drop, what in the goddess’ name did the woman mean 'not the current Noel'?

  Sóley looked like she was seconds away from fainting, her eyes were wide with pure fear as she choked out: "What do you mean 'not the current Noel'..."

  The woman just chuckled, that damn smirk even wider, she was clearly enjoying this way too much.

  "Oh…you know. The Noel that's from the Dark Future."

  Alice couldn't move, the words were like a blow to the stomach.

  The…Dark Future…

  Sóley looked just as stunned now; she was practically shaking in fear. "Th-...That's…impossible," she managed to stutter out.

  The woman just chuckled again, her smug smirk wide as ever. "Oh but it's entirely possible."

  Alice's heart twisted, this had to be some kind of twisted prank, right? There was no way that this woman actually had the Dark Future Noel with her.

  Alice's mind raced, the Dark Future Noel? What was she talking about?

  Sóley, however, seemed to have understood exactly what the woman meant, and judging by the way her face paled in horror at those words…it wasn't anything good.

  The woman chuckled again, her smirk widening even more as she watched their reactions with amusement.

  "Yes~ The one from a time where things didn't go quite so...peacefully."

  A heavy silence followed her words. Alice could practically feel Sóley shaking beside her now; there was something deeply unsettling about this whole conversation…

  And then finally, the truth came out:

  "...Noel isn’t here because she chose to be," the woman admitted smoothly. "She’s here because I needed leverage against you both."

  Alice froze, Sóley too beside her for a long moment before either of them could react properly…

  Because that meant only one thing:

  They were being blackmailed.

  No…

  Alice could feel a wave of horror wash over her; the realization suddenly made it all make so much sense.

  Sóley looked like she was seconds away from throwing up; she was shaking violently now as she choked out: "You…monster."

  The woman just chuckled again, that irritating smirk never fading for a second. "Oh, you haven't even seen the half of what kind of monster I can be~"

  Alice clenched her fists, it all made sense now. The forced agreement, the mysterious relic, the secretiveness…

  Alice's mind was racing, Noel was here because they were being blackmailed?

  Sóley looked seconds away from collapsing now; her face had gone completely pale as she stuttered out: "Y-You're lying…!"

  The woman just chuckled again, clearly enjoying their distress. "Ohhhh but I'm not~"

  Alice felt sick to her stomach, the thought that Noel might actually be here against her will because of them...

  But before Alice could say anything else,

  BANG!

  A sudden loud noise echoed through the room, Sóley had punched a hole straight into the wall beside them in pure rage. Her entire body was shaking violently now, tears pricking at her eyes.

  "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!!!" she screamed with raw fury.

  The woman just chuckled again, clearly unfazed by the threat, her smirk somehow widening even further despite how impossible that seemed already.

  "Ohohoo~ That’s adorable."

  She tilted her head slightly before continuing: "...But you won’t kill me. Because if I die…so does Noel.”