"These past few days... have been the same as always. Luckily, Professor Gear came to visit me."
Alice carefully put away the sketch, her expression suddenly dimming. "It's just..."
She turned toward the birdcage hanging by the window, worry filling her voice. "It's just that Colin seems a little listless. I'm worried..."
The canary in the cage was no longer as lively as when Zhou Ze had first seen it. It nestled quietly in a corner, its feathers slightly puffed up and its little head drooping, its entire body looking weak and drained.
"Poor little thing. Maybe it'll get better in a few days..." Zhou Ze offered gentle reassurance he did not quite believe himself, then changed the subject. "Alice, this Professor Gear you mentioned..."
The information Dai Yong'an had given Zhou Ze contained no mention of anyone called Professor Gear.
But presumably, few people in the Containment Facility were allowed close contact with Alice. If Dai Yong'an was the person actually in charge of her experiments, he would most likely have assigned himself a plausible identity.
In Zhou Ze's original speculation, his designated teacher-Archwizard Clive-had most likely been Dai Yong'an.
Now, that no longer seemed certain...
"Professor Gear is an instructor at Mekali Sacred Magic Academy, and he's also my teacher. Archwizard Clive told me they used to be classmates..."
Alice stood with some difficulty and leaned against the windowsill, gazing at the listless canary in its cage.
"Professor Gear comes to visit me once a week... He never stays long, but he's very kind, and he tells me stories..."
The girl's voice was soft, carrying a barely perceptible loneliness. "I always look forward to his visits."
Zhou Ze gazed at the girl's slender back. Sunlight streamed through the window onto her long golden hair, bathing her in a gentle halo.
She looked like a withered leaf that a single gust of wind could scatter.
A sudden pang gripped Zhou Ze's heart. However lovely the surroundings of this little cottage appeared, it was ultimately nothing more than an exquisite cage. And Alice was like the canary trapped inside, yearning for freedom but powerless to escape.
But what could I do for her?
In the end, I could barely save myself...
Zhou Ze sighed inwardly and said softly, "Alice, perhaps you could try keeping a diary."
He did not actually keep a diary himself, nor did he quite understand the point. After all, what respectable person kept a diary?
Yet in films and all kinds of literary works, lonely or miserable girls always seemed enthusiastic about it.
Presumably, the habit had some use after all.
"A diary?" Alice tilted her head, a faint light flickering in eyes as blue as the deep sea.
"Kid, that's a good idea."
An ill-timed word of approval suddenly came through his earpiece, its light, rising tone making Zhou Ze curse inwardly.
Still, he spoke as though nothing had happened. "Yes, keeping a diary... It might help you organize your thoughts and record the little things in your life. It's also a good way to relax."
Honestly, at first, he had simply wanted to do something for Alice.
But Dai Yong'an's words made him abruptly realize that something so trivial for an ordinary person was an entirely different matter when done by the little girl before him.
If even Alice's drawings could unconsciously affect Zhou Ze, what sort of anomalies might the contents of her diary produce?
If this was something Dai Yong'an was happy to see, it might not be good news for him.
Zhou Ze pressed his lips together. In the end, he could not find a reason to take back his suggestion.
"I understand..." Alice smiled and nodded at him. Her slender body swayed slightly, as though she was tired. Slowly, she shifted and carefully sat back down on the bed.
In that case, I'll find a way to turn something bad into something good...
"Alice..." Zhou Ze let out a breath and asked casually, "What sort of person is my teacher, Archwizard Clive, in your eyes?"
Naturally, Zhou Ze had not asked out of curiosity. He hoped to obtain more valuable information through the question.
Since arriving in this world, this was the first time he had taken such a clear, purposeful action during an experiment.
Doing so under close surveillance undoubtedly carried risks, but now that Zhou Ze realized Alice possessed the ability to alter reality, he could not possibly remain content with the status quo.
"Archwizard Clive..." Alice frowned slightly, a look of recollection in her eyes.
Only after a long while did she manage a faint smile. "He's a very stern person... The Archwizard rarely speaks, and I've hardly ever seen him smile... His gaze only softens a little when he's with Professor Gear and Mr. Dai Yong'an, the Light Knight."
There it was! That was it!
Dai! Yong'an! The! Light! Knight!
Well, well. He certainly knew how to build himself a flattering persona...
So, aside from me, at least three people could have contact with Alice...
"D-87465... Don't forget your job."
Dai Yong'an's largely emotionless voice in his earpiece interrupted Zhou Ze's thoughts.
Tsk...
Fine...
Zhou Ze pressed his lips together, then broke into a brilliant smile.
"Alice, you probably don't know this... but before I became Archwizard Clive's apprentice... I was a Night Watch Knight."
"A Night Watch Knight?!" Alice froze, then looked wistful.
"I've heard Professor Gear talk about them... They stand guard before the Black Wall, holding back the endless Demon Beasts lurking beyond it. They're brave, fearless warriors. Day and night, without sleep, they protect the Kingdom's borders, facing terrifying threats most people could never imagine..."
Admiration shone in the girl's eyes. "Then why did you want to become a mage? And practice so hard..."
Huh? I just made that up, and there's actually such a detailed backstory...
"Talent..."
After a brief silence, Zhou Ze sighed, a trace of desolation and helplessness flashing in his eyes.
"Who knows how many youthful dreams that single word has destroyed? For me, being a knight is my duty, while magic is the yearning deep within my heart.
Everyone has a fire in their heart, but passersby see only the smoke. One day, though, I'll find my own path and let that fire blaze, illuminating the whole world..."
Zhou Ze could safely say that this very moment marked the peak of his acting skills across both his lives.
Of course, his main reason for adding to his own backstory was that he could not stand the persona Dai Yong'an had crafted for himself.
Now that he knew of Alice's extraordinary ability, the last thing he wanted was for this little girl, ignorant of the world's cruelty, to develop anything resembling admiration for the very people responsible.
Since Dai Yong'an insisted I tell stories within this setting, there shouldn't be any problem with making myself the protagonist, right?
"Mr. Zhou Ze..."
The girl was awestruck by Zhou Ze's lofty declaration, dredged up from some obscure corner of his memory.
She gently placed her right hand against her chest and clenched it tightly into a fist. Her breathing grew a little quick, and stars seemed to shine in her azure eyes, filled with longing for the unknown world.
At the sight, even someone as shameless as Zhou Ze found it a little hard to bear.
Poor Alice, being played like a puppet by these cunning adults...
"Alice, didn't I promise last time that I'd tell you a story?" Zhou Ze drew a deep breath, his voice low and resonant.
"This story begins many years ago..."
Before you continue