"And that was Lars's cousin?" Alice huffs and throws her hands up. "They don't look anything alike!"

You walk by her side as you make your way across the yard. Purple and silver lilies bloom along the path, and their sweet smell is overbearing. "You bet."

"Hey!" She nudges you in the ribs. "They don't feel anywhere near alike, are you satisfied now?!"

Photto via Museum Crush Britain's best places to see: Mazes

A tiny bird shoots out from the bushes and settles on top of the hedge. Two neatly-cut tree figures of some animals guard the entrance to the maze. You stop. Look back, but, no, Three no longer follows you.

"Do you think that portal's still here?" You peek inside the maze, but it takes a sharp turn right away.

"Duh." Alice corks her head and smirks. "Oh. You don't feel it? What a pity." Her ribbons look up from her wrists. It's like those things snicker at you too. "You can open a hardly decent portal, and yet you can't even guess where the already opened ones are?"

"Just get going," you mutter and shove your hands in your pockets. "If you're that smart."

Alice puffs her chest, brushes past you and steps inside the maze. "Sure, I am. Follow me, the Black Empress orders you to."

Ugh. Only because you're worried about Lars. If that portal leads to the Crossroads, sure, he'll get to the Black Castle in no time. But if not–

The living hedges part, and you enter a small clearing. Light purple roses with small flowers and violet honeysuckles climb the silver bench. Above it, the portal swirls and crackles. A hot wind burns your face and tosses some sand over the green path.

Yeah, it's not. You crane your neck, and Alice raises her arm and points her finger at the portal. The ribbons mimic and reach closer to the portal's edges.

"Not the Crossroads?"

You rise on your tiptoes and eye the orange sands. "Can't you– oh. You actually can't?"

"Idiot."

You sigh, climb onto the bench and stand up. "Desert. Sand dunes and a bubble-covered city far away. You know," gesture, "like a... erm, like a city covered by a glass bubble?"

"Sunset over the sand dunes in Dubai" Photographic Print by Jon Bower

Alice grimaces, her ribbons grasp your arm– you wobble and almost topple her. But still, Alice climbs up and stands next to you.

"Need a boost?"

On the other side, the burning wind sweeps the sands.

"As if." She whirls her hand, the milk ribbons soar, snake through the portal and dive into the sand. Some hook on the portal's bottom edge and they yank Alice up.

"Whatever." Like you'd wanted. You reach for the edge and pull yourself in too.

The portal crackles and stills the second you roll out and sink into the orange sands. Alice turns around, the wind blows her long hair into her face, and her ribbons bend with the wind. She spreads her arms and flexes her fingers, the ribbons shoot out– only the wind sweeps them back at her with a good share of sand.

You rub your eyes and squint into the sandstorm. "Maybe, there was another portal. Don't think Lars is here."

Alice purses her lips and steps forward, and her sandal sinks into the sand. She jumps back. She doesn't say, but you're sure there's no other portal around. Well, at least not anymore.

"So, what are we gonna do now?"

Alice crosses her arms over her chest and looks you down. She opens her mouth... then closes it. The wind tosses her hair into her face, and the burning air stuffs your nose and throat. Alice wipes the sweat from her forehead and sweeps off the sand. More sticks to her damp skin.

"Any ideas?" You carefully watch her expression. "If he left for the Black Castle a few hours ago, he can already be there. Or at the Crossroads."

"Or anywhere else. Idiot." Alice groans. "This is exhausting! Can't you portal us to him?"

You've tried before, didn't you? Somehow, it's easy without any direction or if you know the address. And yet only happens by accident when you think of a person. Ugh, you'd rather not recall the last time you've seen Maze. You look at your palms and flex your fingers, one more portal you can manage – but two...?

"Okay." You're crazy. Really. "Hold on." And yet you close your eyes, take a deep breath and raise your arms in front of you. Press the backs of your hands together.

"Just think of Lars," mutters Alice.

"I. Know."

She sighs. "There."

Something pokes into your palm. You peek – Alice presses her flower crown, doesn't let you take it, just holds against your palm. She's not that bad, huh. Annoying, but not that bad. Wonder why she also wants to get Lars back this much.

You close your eyes. Your fingers tingle. "Come on..."

Crack! The sands sink from right under your feet and pull you through. You yelp, Alice shouts– in a second, the portal gobbles you up, and the sands sweep above your heads. The portal snaps shut.

"Umpf!"

Rough landing. Stone ground and twigs scratch your face. Alice plumps on top of you, and a heap of sand buries you both. She groans and rolls off, sits up, and her ribbons coil up in the air. The tips curve from side to side like they're tuning into something.

It's quiet. The silence rings in your ears as you spit out sand and rub your eyes. Your numb fingers hardly listen, you tremble and struggle to get up. Too weak.

via Pinterest "Sunrise and mist over heather field, Netherlands"

Heather. Heather rolls out as far as you can see, the weeds shuffle with a cool breeze. You gasp for air after the burning desert, the freshness clenches your throat– you choke.

"He's over there!" exclaims Alice and scrambles to her feet. She runs across the plane, you don't see anything but follow. "Lars!"

Behind that rock, hey, it's really him! The blond back of his head pokes out from the heather, and Lars curls on the ground. You freeze. And recognise the figure hovering over him.

Oh, fuck.

Maze spots you right away. His brown eyes without irises pierce your chest and creep under your skin. "Well-well," he drawls and smiles. "Is not it my lucky day? First, the Magician so powerful, and yet little and helpless, and now–"

Takes Alice a few moments to recognise him. The milk ribbons soar above her head and flutter. "You!" she cries out and points at Maze.

"Hello to you too, hideous girl."

She growls and pounces– Maze just steps aside, and Alice flies into the heather.

"I have my eyes on the main prize, so you shall have to wait." He bends forward and looms over Lars. "The little Magician, what a pity." Maze leans even closer, he runs his hand through Lars's hair and whispers, "They left you. They all do, and they always will."

Lars shakes and hugs his knees tighter, he's buried his face against them. He sniffs and chokes on his tears.

You can't move. Maze glances up at you and smirks. Your knees tremble, and your voice breaks. Not again. No. Not him, not Maze! No-no-no...

"Run." Alice grimaces and wrinkles her nose in disgust. She looks you straight in the eyes. "That's what you always do, don't you?"

Flee. Flee for your life that makes sense, and yet–

"I-i... I'm not leaving him," you whisper.

Alice hmp-s. Turns away. "Get away from him!" she yells and hurls her ribbons forward. They wrap around Maze and yank him backward. Alice hauls him away from Lars, pounces and topples him into the heather.

They struggle and yell. Ugh. Come. On! Snap out of it!

You run.

"Lars!" you rasp and fall to your knees next to him. "Hey, it's me, World. Remember?" You pat his arm, then shake him by the shoulder and pull him to your chest. "Oh, please, remember."

Lars doesn't open his eyes. He doesn't even hear you. "Don't..." he mumbles and sniffs. "Don't die, mama..."

Maze. The Judgement's power. This must be Lars's greatest fear, and he's trapped inside his worst nightmare. The one only he can see.

"... father? Cousin?" Lars whimpers and shakes even worse. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me alone, take me with you. Don't leave me... behind... Don't..."

It all makes sense now, doesn't it? Why he asked you to promise, or why he was so happy when you did...

Don't leave him.

You bite your lip to keep it in and hug him closer. And you did. He might've left on his own, but you've left him behind at the Wands for the whole year. Not knowing the time doesn't make it any better.

Alice yells. It cuts across the plane and then... silence. Maze pants and wobbles up to his feet, and the breeze shuffles the heather. Alice sprawls on the ground, and her ribbons soften and still around her body. Maze holds his hand above her, three fingers together and his pinky pointing. It's the Judgement's gesture.

Alice moans and convulses. She fights it. Blood. Red smudges her temple and the milk whites around her arms. Maze sneers, and his hand twitches. Alice clutches her arm and thrashes on the ground.

"No." She growls and crawls up to her hands and knees.

Lars mumbles and tries to make himself even smaller. You hug him and force your eyes open. Breathe. Stay. Awake. Lars clutches his knees so tight, his fingers grow cold. Stay sane.

Panic grips your throat.

Maze chuckles. "Well, are you not ugly." Slowly, he walks around her and won't lower his hand. "That is why they returned you," he taunts. "Who can stand the sight of something this hideous." And kicks her in the ribs. "You have always been different, and nobody needs anything that does not fit with the norms. You are a monster. Nobody wants you, you own family gave you up."

Alice pants, tosses about and tangles up in her lifeless ribbons.

"Nobody wants you. You. Are. Alone." Maze chuckles, bends and rips a ribbon from her eyes. "In the darkness."

Alice crumbles.

Maze raises his head and looks at you. "Now, to you." He strolls closer.

You suffocate.

"... w-world..." Lars sobs.

"They will always leave you behind," says Maze and stops in front of you. "Who cares to take along something as pathetic as you, little Magician." The swamp and sweet smell creeps down your throat. Maze lowers his voice, "And you just be a good one and flee. Somewhere over there," he waves, "I shall catch up with you later for I shall have three cards first."

The card glows inside and through Lars's chest. He's losing it. Alice too. The breeze blows the other way, and heather gobbles her up. You glance down at Lars. Pale. Tears stream down his cheeks. You've made a promise. You look up and find Maze's eyes.

"I won't," you whisper.

"You are a coward." He smirks. "Believe me, I know for absolute sure."

He does.

And he's right.

You are.

"I know." Firm. Carefully, you lower Lars to the ground. Stand up tall. Raise your chin high. "I'm not leaving him here," you say louder and shake your head. "I'm not leaving either of them."

"So, what are you going to do?" Maze rubs his stubble and sneers.

The Mage's card glows brighter and seeps out. You dart in between them– one corner– Maze raises his hand, and the card tilts towards him.

"No!"

One thing left. You reach for the card.

via darktarot.com