The Other Side of Darkness

The Duel

Episode 1: Chapter 21~24

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When Lev was pulled out of the blackness of deep sleep, she found herself back in the rose garden. 

"Am I asleep again?" she asked herself. 

A large group of card soldiers ran past her, dragging the blonde-haired girl towards a large podium. In front of that podium a large stand was set up like an extra-large courtroom. The Queen of Hearts sat at the top of the stand, glaring down at her subjects. Lev ran up to the card soldiers. 

"What is going on?" she asked, but the soldier didn't reply. They must not be able to hear her. The sound of arguing soon reached her ears. She looked towards the blonde girl and the Queen. 

"'Your Majesty', ha!" the girl spat. "You're just a pompous, bad-tempered tyrant!" 

"What did you call me?!" the Queen of Hearts screeched.

This sounds a lot like our fight with Riddle, Lev thought. 

"Off with her head!" the queen ordered. The cards moved to follow her command, attacking the helpless girl. Suddenly, everything paused. It was like time stopped for everyone but Lev. 

"What...?" she gasped. 

"Leviline~," someone cooed. Lev recognized that voice. Shadows swirled around her, and the black-haired girl appeared. "Found you." The female scoffed at the sight before them. "How pathetic. They're all so sad, scared, and alone. Just like your friends'" She grinned darkly. "They're all doomed to be consumed by darkness."

"What are you talking about?" Lev asked angrily, slowly backing away from the girl. "My friends aren't 'doomed to be consumed by darkness.'" 

The girl looked at Lev, her eyes holding secrets that teased Lev's mind. "Are you sure about that?" Dark vines with thorns started to form around her and creep towards Lev. A small, dark, figure started to form.

Lev didn't say anything. She started running away from the girl. The images around slowly started to fade back to white. 

"You're all doomed to fail!" the girl's mocking tone laughed. "All because they picked a fight they knew they couldn't win!" 

That voice and the touch of prickly darkness was the last thing Lev felt before she woke up.

=~~=~~=~~=

Lev jerked awake, the fear of the black tentacles and the strange girl still rushing through her. 

"Oh! You're awake!" someone gasped in relief. Lev looked beside her to see Trey and Cater standing next to her, relieved looks on both of their faces. 

Lev put a hand on her aching forehead. "What happened?"

"You were talking with Riddle and for some reason you passed out," Trey told her.

"You should've seen Riddle, shouting and nearly crying for help. It was actually quite the sight," Cater remarked. "D-don't tell him I said that." 

"Oh." Lev looked around the room she was it. She still seemed to be in Heartslabyul Dorm, with the room having a heavy red, white, and black color palette. "Where...?"

"You're in my room," Trey told her. "We wanted to put you someplace where you could rest in peace." 

"I offered to have you sleep in my room, but Riddle said we had use Trey's room," Cater said, giving them a playful pout.