Alice couldn't describe how she felt. For the first time in ages, she felt cold again, as though she were trapped inside a block of ice, her breath and heartbeat freezing solid.
Well... so much for "dissolved."
Her fists clenched, then loosened. Alice stared blankly at Arrodes and murmured:
"But... why am I river water too? Why would I be river water?"
The mirror trembled, and silver light assembled into new words:
"Is that a question?"
Alice abruptly calmed down. In an instant, she emptied herself of emotion, her mind turning clear and still. She looked at Arrodes and said evenly:
"No, it isn't."
The silver light vanished. For some reason, Alice had the impression that Arrodes was relieved.
Once her thoughts settled, they flowed more freely. Recalling the image Arrodes had shown her, Alice realized she might indeed need to visit the River of Fate—even if she didn't go to collect its water.
She gathered her thoughts and asked softly, slowly, a question with an obvious answer:
"What is the River Water of the River of Fate?"
Arrodes paused for a while, seemingly unable to understand why she was asking. Still, it answered according to what it knew:
"It is fate."
Alice paused at that answer. Only then did she realize her brain must have run away from home when she'd asked the question.
Well, obviously.
Alice shook her head and asked Arrodes with a frown:
"If I want to ask the Seven Lights about the River of Fate, what should I do?"
It was a question that put Arrodes at ease, and its answer came smoothly:
"I believe you can go directly to the Spirit World to find the Seven Lights. However, if you intend to hold a ritual, here are the instructions.
"Would you prefer a Mystical