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Alice stood up slowly. Her movements were stiff, as though every joint in her body was protesting. The pain from earlier had not fully faded; it lingered deep in her bones, dull and persistent. She picked up the clothes scattered on the ground and carefully draped them over the replica's naked body, covering the pale skin that looked exactly like her own.
The replica Alice lay there weakly, breathing shallowly. Her eyes were open, but the strength within them was fading fast.
"Main body," the replica said softly, her voice trembling, "you must kill him. This is the best opportunity. He hasn't woken up yet."
She struggled to sit up, reached down, and picked up the blade lying on the ground. With trembling hands, she offered it to Alice.
"I know."
Alice took the blade. The cold metal pressed into her palm, grounding her slightly. She endured the pain surging through her body and began walking forward, step by step, toward Jack, who lay unconscious on the ground.
Each step felt heavy.
She stopped in front of him and looked down. Jack lay there quietly, blood drying on his clothes, his chest rising and falling faintly. The man who had just fought like a demon now looked strangely peaceful.
Alice's gaze hardened.
"Jack," she said bitterly, "I never imagined things would come to this. Now… this is your time of death."
The blade suddenly slashed downward toward Jack's face.
But when the edge was less than 0.01 millimeters away, it stopped.
Alice's hand shook violently. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably, as though another will was fighting against her own.
"Damn it—!" Alice shouted.
Her eyes were filled with contradiction, rage, and confusion. Her body resisted her mind, resisting the act of killing Jack.
She raised the blade again, forcing herself to ignore the hesitation screaming inside her. The blade fell once more, faster this time.
The moment the tip touched Jack's skin—it stopped again.
Her arm trembled violently. Sweat rolled down her face. Her breathing grew uneven. Finally, she let out a choked sound, threw the blade aside, and collapsed to the ground, sitting there in disbelief.
"Why… why is it like this?"
Her voice trembled. She stared at her own hands as if they had betrayed her.
"Main body," the replica said anxiously. "Can't you kill him? Then give it to me."
She picked up the blade and walked toward Jack, her movements unsteady but determined.
Alice shook her head sharply. "You don't need to do it."
She forced herself to stand up again.
"His life must end by my hands."
"But—"
"There is no 'but'," Alice interrupted coldly. "I know what I should do."
She stood there for a long moment, staring down at Jack. Her gaze was complex—hatred, fear, attachment, and denial all tangled together.
"Main body," the replica asked carefully, "what do you plan to do?"
Alice remained silent for a long time. The underground base was eerily quiet, broken only by the faint hum of damaged machinery.
Finally, she spoke.
"We leave."
"Leave?" The replica stared at her, stunned.
"Yes."
"What about him?"
"Him…" Alice said lightly, forcing calm into her voice. "Leave him here. Maybe… he won't wake up ever again."
Even as she said it, she knew it was a lie she was telling herself. A monster like Jack—how could he simply never wake up?
"Never wake up?" the replica asked blankly.
Alice nodded firmly. "So there's no need to care about him. We leave."
"If—"
"No 'if'." Alice clenched her fists tightly. Her nails dug into her palms.
"If he appears again… I will definitely kill him."
The replica Alice looked deeply into Alice's eyes. She saw the struggle there—the conflict that could not be resolved. After a long moment, she shook her head.
"Alright," she said softly. "I understand. Since this is your decision, Main Body."
Alice took one last look at Jack lying on the ground. His bloodstained body looked strangely lonely in the ruined base.
Then she turned away.
Together with the replica Alice, she walked toward the exit. The White Queen was still waiting for them, her projection glowing faintly in the dim corridor.
Jack remained motionless, lying there like a burden carrying countless responsibilities. Blood stains clung to his body, reflecting faintly under the weak lights, giving off an almost silver sheen.
---
Time passed.
Quickly. Relentlessly.
Half a year went by.
The world continued to change. People changed. Everything changed.
In a certain underground base, deep beneath layers of earth and concrete, a naked body lay silently on the cold ground. A thick layer of dust had accumulated on it, covering skin, hair, and limbs alike. Rusted steel structures stood crookedly around, all coated in gray ash.
"Cough… cough… cough…"
A violent coughing sound echoed through the space.
The naked body suddenly moved.
It jerked, then sat up abruptly, like someone waking from a long nightmare.
"Cough… cough… damn it…"
The man spat out several mouthfuls of dust. "Why is there so much dust?"
This person was none other than Jack.
He wiped his mouth, his movements slow and stiff. His body felt heavy, unfamiliar, as though it didn't fully belong to him yet.
Jack stood up and looked around.
Broken metal hung crookedly from the ceiling. Old equipment lay collapsed and rusted. Everything was silent, lifeless.
He frowned slightly.
"It seems… quite a long time has passed."
He walked forward slowly, his bare feet crunching against debris. Soon, he saw a large number of cylindrical tanks lining the room. These were once used to cultivate Alice's replicas.
Now, every single one was empty.
"They've already left."
A calm voice echoed through the space.
Jack turned around. He still hadn't put on any clothes. With the ruined surroundings and hanging steel beams behind him, he looked exactly like a strange legendary uncle wandering out of myth.
"Little loli—no, White Queen," Jack said casually. "Hello. Long time no see."
"You were in a deep sleep for half a year," the White Queen replied.
Jack froze. "Half a year?"
He frowned. "I didn't expect it to take that long. I misjudged."
"What did you misjudge?" the White Queen asked.
Jack smiled evilly. "Want to know, little loli?"
"Your smile is very improper," the White Queen said flatly.
"To call my smile improper…" Jack placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "That really hurts my heart."
"You still haven't explained what you misjudged."
Jack shrugged. "Since you asked, I'll tell you."
He paused, then continued.
"After that 'happy accident' between Alice and me—something beyond friendship—the T-Cells in her body and the T-Cells in my body came into contact."
"So something like that really happened?" The White Queen sounded surprised.
"When the two T-Cells met, they fused into one," Jack said calmly. "It became extremely powerful. Then the T-Cells that belonged to me tried to return to my body."
"And after returning?" the White Queen asked immediately.
Jack smiled lazily. "Little loli, don't you think this great one looks quite elegant?"
"Elegant?" the White Queen replied. "Stop changing the subject."
Jack laughed. "Fine. Don't rush. It was powerful—too powerful. Those returning T-Cells tried to seize control of my body."
"What did you do?"
"I thoroughly conquered them." Jack shook his head. "I just didn't expect it to take so long."
During that half year, the transformed cells within Jack's body led ordinary cells into a continuous internal war. The battle never stopped until the T-Cells were completely defeated.
The White Queen stared at him. "So… it was that simple?"
"Simple?" Jack snorted. "If it were simple, why do you think I slept for half a year?"
Half a year. Enough time for the world to change.
"…What do you plan to do now?" the White Queen asked.
"Has the cure been completed?" Jack asked calmly.
The White Queen shook her head. "No. It couldn't be made here."
"What happened?"
"My elder sister," the White Queen replied.
Jack frowned. "What did the Red Queen do?"
"She controlled one of Alice's replicas. Using that replica, she destroyed the equipment used to manufacture the cure. After that, Alice took all the replicas and left."
Jack nodded lightly. "Why was the Red Queen able to do that?"
"She wants to destroy all life. She is insane."
Jack smiled faintly. "Indeed. Completely insane. Couldn't you stop her?"
"I am not her opponent," the White Queen said. "She trapped me here and sealed this place, leaving me unable to leave or interfere."
Jack's smile slowly deepened, turning dangerous.
"So…" he said softly, "you want to leave?"