Chapter 1

Cake

..Alice.

Alice!

ALICE!!

A sudden yell gave me a startle, tearing me free from my daydream.

“Ah!” I turned my head towards the person who called out my name, “Yes? What is it, Amelia?”

“Could you throw out the trash?” Amelia pointed over to the mountain of black plastic bags that were sitting in the corner of the room, “I can’t stand being in the kitchen with that awful fish smell!”

“S-sure,” I replied just as Amelia had left the kitchen.

I forgot what I was doing, cleaning dishes. It seemed like I was scrubbing the same plate to the extent where it was completely spot-clean.

..I seriously need to stop thinking about that stupid game. It's becoming such an awful habit, that I can’t even keep track of what I’ve been doing this entire time.

Once I've washed the previous dish, I walked over to the pile of the plastic bags, heading out into the dark narrow alleyway with two bags on each hand.

It was such a blissful night, the scent of fresh air... and fish smell. I flung the bags into the trash bin, dusting my hands. I suddenly heard a scream for help. Looking to where the scream was coming from. The alleyway was too dark to see what was going on, but it was noticeable that two figures were moving.

Taking out my phone, and turning on flashlight mode. The light revealed two guys ganging upon an innocent man, lying down on the dirt covering his head.

“Hey! Quit hurting that poor old man!” I yelled to the two men kicking him.

“What are you gonna do? Call the cops?” One of the guys stopped and looked back at me.

“Well.. obviously, yeah.” I began dialing.

“A-alright, jeez I was just kidding,” The guy wrapped his arm around the other man, dragging him out of the narrow alleyway, “Let’s go, we’ve already got what we wanted.”

I walked towards the cowering man, huddling on the ground, “Are you alright? They left, are you injured anywhere?"

The man looked up, then eyeing the area, “Phew, thank you for saving me.”

“It’s no big deal, really.. What are you doing out here in a dark alleyway anyway?”

While he stood up and dusted his clothes off, I realized he was holding a container of sliced cake. 

“I’m glad the cake wasn’t ruined...” He sighed, embracing the contained cake.

I was a little shocked by what he said, compromising his personal protection for a piece of cake? You've got to be joking. “You haven’t addressed my question, what are you doing out here in the alleyway? And why did those two guys beat you up?”

He let out a somewhat uncomfortable grin, “I just minded my own business, sleeping on the ground and all of a sudden I was attacked."

“...You have no place to stay?” I asked.

“It’s alright, though. I’m used to these kinds of nights.” He puts his hands in the torn pockets of his jacket. His hands are still visible through the tears.

 Feeling pity for this poor man, I couldn’t let him suffer in the cold night, even after leaving him when he had just gotten brutally beaten up by two strangers.

“Well, if you want you can stay at my place for tonight, I have a guest room that no one uses.” I checked my phone, “My shift ends in about five minutes..”

The man smiled, “Would you really do that? Why thank you!”

 “I’ll head back inside, stay out here for a bit.” I took a few steps, but then suddenly stopped and turned around, “But first, what's your name?

….

It’s been a few hours since I’ve left work. We got to know each other during the past hours. Apart from our plan on sleeping throughout the night, we did other few things aside from sleeping. We sat on the living room couch, him watching TV and munching on my favorite flavored ice cream. And me, playing the otome game.

“What are you playing?” Michael asks.

Oh, now you ask me all of a sudden?

“Mayhem Wonderland, it's quite popular. Have you ever played it before? Or at least heard of it?” I answered, not willing to shift my eyes off the screen.

“It does seem familiar,” He takes a peep at the screen, “What’s it about?”

“Well... it's simple, you develop a romantic relationship with either four of the capture targets.” I smiled talking about it.

Before I could talk about the characters, Michael spoke up,“..Would you wish to be part of the game?”

“Funny of you to bring that up,” I giggled, “I wouldn’t mind, I think it’d be cool to witness the events happening in person.”

“Hmm,” He smirked. Gliding his fingertips through his odd-colored silver hair, “I’m getting a tad tired, I'll be heading to sleep first.”

He pointed to the table that stood right in the center of the living room, "If you’re hungry, you can have that slice of cake.”

“Alright, thanks.” I watch as he enters the guest room. 

I glanced at the cake, my mouth waters and my stomach starts to grumble looking at it. I know it’s unhealthy to consume snacks past 12 p.m. but a bite wouldn't hurt... I grabbed the fork that was already set for me on the plate and took a bite.

Suddenly feeling drowsy, perhaps of the sugar, I headed to bed and quickly fell asleep.

……..

I woke up with a ray of light landing on my eyes, ugh who opened the curtains? I rubbed my eyes and glanced around. This room is certainly not my bedroom. Am I still dreaming? I got off the comfy bed that was wrapped in beautiful pink silk.

I felt slightly smaller, maybe it's because I slept late. I took a big yawn and noticed there was a mirror hanging on the wall. An incredibly elegant looking mirror in fact, that I wouldn't be capable to afford in my entire life.

Once I looked into the mirror, I saw a girl. A very young one, that her age couldn't be any older than 9. She had blonde soft wavy curls that reached just right below her elbows, with gentle red eyes that contained a hint of pink around the rims. Her light blue nightdress complimented her cute looks. I smiled and waved at her, and she did too. Somehow at the same instant as I did. Until realizing, that girl is me. The body I’m in right at this exact moment is that girl’s.

I stared at myself, in utter disbelief. Silence filled the room, that is... Until I let out a dreadful scream.