Almost there...

As I walked up the stairs, I found myself facing a door with a pattern of thorny vines with roses attached.

It opened by itself, obviously inviting me to more of this beautiful hell.

As I went passed there were more corridors with a black and white checkered floor in all directions with some of them spiralling this time, waterfalls coming out of the sky, and this time there was rose petals flying in the air.

I was on a corridor myself, and it went in a straight line. As I walked across, always on my guard, I saw...something fly by. I wasn't sure what it was, but I made sure to be properly aware of any surprise attacks that might come my way.

As I reached the end of the corridor, I realised that it was the end...huh. Knowing Alyssa I expected the corridor to be endless. Where was I supposed to go now?

I turned around, and I saw that the checkered tiles of the corridor were actually disassembled, and they were all floating in the air.

I guess they were asking for a fight.

There were dozens of these small squares, and they seemed to be making some of kind of strange noise? It was as if they were all communicating with each other, but I couldn't be sure. Regardless, it made me feel very uneasy.

Suddenly, they all flew towards me and surrounded me.

I drew my sword ready to deflect them, however it didn't seem to hit them since they were rather small and agile. They were like bees, but bigger. It didn't make them any easier to hit however. They acted like bees in general, hopefully they didn't have stings...

They then stopped and they flew up in the air, moving erratically while maintaining themselves in their swarm. Even more of these squares started to surround the swarm. They weren't so tough on their own, in fact at worse they were just a mild nuisance. What would they be like together though?

All of them started merging together, transforming themselves into one giant being with thousands of microscopic brains (if they had any) dictating their actions, working as a hive mind.

They all transformed into a giant checkered hammer, surrounding themselves in a dark aura. Like the flower, they had their own strange sounds that they produced, and this sounded slightly like...laughter.

It quickly tried smashing me info smithereens, and I could just barely block it with my sword. Sparks flew and it tried to flatten me while I defended myself with all the strength that both me and my sword had.

As I did so, I heard roars coming from far away. I tried not to let that distract my focus, but it almost did...

I successfully managed to blow the hammer back after I blocked my attack, so before it could attack me again, I quickly looked around me to see that there were even more chimeras. This time, they were all taking their attacks airborne and they didn't seem interested in coming back to the ground.

I was terrified at the possibility of having to face them again, but before I could do anything I had to stop this hammer. It tried hitting me from the sides but thankfully I managed to jump high enough to stop it. Thankfully my enhanced physical strength allowed me to do even fantastical things like jump high like a kangaroo. It felt good being able to do things like this when my body is usually so weak and frail.

The chimeras flying in the air started to shoot those toxic orbs that they had used previously. All of this became too overwhelming...

I had to keep jumping and rolling to dodge, with the hammer and projectiles relentlessly aiming to crush me. As I had just dodged one of orbs, I quickly had to get away or deflect that annoying hammer.

Whenever I tried hitting the hammer it split itself up into those small squares, so it was pretty much invulnerable...

All of them started to home in on me angrily (they were probably mad that I was still alive). I didn't think that my sword and strength were enough to defeat them...

Although as I closed my eyes and awaited death, I felt a sensation build up in the palm of my hand that was firmly grasping my sword. When I noticed it I saw that it was...glowing? My sword started to glow as well.

All of the enemies that were advancing towards me were paused, and they were seemingly afraid of what was about to happen.

I stared firmly at all my opponents, and I felt a great power resonate from within and my sword. I was sure that even they could feel it despite being somewhat far away.

I raised my sword and a neverending storm of rose petals started forming. All of my opponents started cowering in fear, and rightfully so.

After that I unleashed what was building up in my sword, obliterating all of them with an beam of light surrounded by those petals. All of them immediately disintegrated into nothingness, which felt rather satisfying.

After that, I fell to my knees, panting a little. The world around me wasn't even damaged from that attack, it was like it never even happened.

What...what was that?

Was someone helping me somehow?

The rose petals...flowers...

Could it be Dorothy?

She was with Alyssa now so that couldn't be possible...right? And she seems to hate me now ever since she joined with her.

Suddenly a portal of light appeared, with similar rose petals surrounding it. Maybe...maybe this was some sort of help? I wouldn't be surprised if it was some kind of trap. Where else did I have to go though?

And deep down...I really hoped it was Dorothy.

I slowly walked into the portal, once again being blinded by light. But regardless I kept going.

...

Once the light started to fade and turn into darkness, I opened my eyes. I seemed to be in a garden of flowers, but there was nothing fantastical about it at all, at least not to the naked eye. It seemed like I was back in my own world...

I missed seeing other places in my own world. These days I was either secluded in the mansion or in another world created to give me hell. So I definitely wouldn't have minded staying here for a while but I was certain that that wouldn't happen.

I kept walking and everything seemed to be ordinary. There was no life around to speak of though, the place seemed completely deserted.

That was until I heard a voice. A very familiar voice.

"Owen..."

It was Dorothy.

"Dorothy...? Where are you?"

She suddenly descended from the sky like an angel, with sparkles of light emanating from her body, until she gently landed on the ground. Not like that one episode in the mansion where she was flying all over the place, hitting the walls and the ground repeatedly...

"I'm here."

I rushed up to her, ready to hold her closely into a hug, but then I realised...

"I'm sorry for asking but...how do I know you're not a fake?"

Dorothy smiled shyly, understanding why I would be skeptical at her sudden appearance.

"I...I understand why you would distrust me. It's alright."

I ended up looking down at the ground, sulking a little after everything that has happened between me and her.

"Dorothy..."

But then, I noticed something that I probably should have noticed sooner...

She had white hair. It was as white as snow, shining radiantly in an almost unnatural yet beautiful way.

"You're probably a little confused right about now..." she said.

"Well, it's definitely more than a little," I joked, trying to lighten the mood. I then realised that it probably didn't work.

She chuckled quietly at my joke and then started explaining what exactly was going on.

"You see...I'm Dorothy, but I'm also not. I'm merely a part of her."

"A part of her...?"

"Yes. Maybe from her subconscious, her heart, her soul...I don't even know myself."

"How were you even made in the first place?"

"I don't know...all I remember was seeing a mysterious figure. I didn't know what it was but it gave off a warm radiance. Hope, happiness, love...The opposite of what Alyssa gives off."

I mentally wrote all of this information about the mysterious figure down. Hopefully this figure, whatever it was, would help me too someday...

"Why aren't you working with Alyssa then?"

"Alyssa found me and took me in in a moment of weakness, and I felt my life slowly start to drain from me. I started to gain less control of my actions..."

"So Alyssa can control people? Like...possess them?"

"I think so..."

Now I couldn't help but wonder about Thomas...I knew that he was an awful person beforehand, but seeing what he became in Alyssa's world...it was disturbing, to say the least.

"I assume you want me to save you then?"

"Well, it's not just that..." she said with a little sadness in her voice. "I want to make up for all the terrible things I did. I know I don't deserve forgiveness but...I think it's right that I do this."

I wanted to comfort her and tell her that everything was alright, but we didn't really have time for that.

"It's fine, please don't feel bad. It was my family that did this, and, well...her."

I suddenly started imagining a life without Alyssa or my family...it was definitely blissful. It made me wish Dorothy was there too.

"Anyway...I can take you to Alyssa."

"Wait...really?"

"Yeah. There you'll find her and the other me."

"But...am I strong enough to beat them...?"

"Of course you are, you're like a cool anime protagonist," she joked. "Not only that, but you'll have me to help you."

"So that beam of light with the rose petals...that was you?"

She smiled triumphantly, which was the first time I've seen her do it.

"Yep. That was me."

She raised her hand into the air and light started to appear from it.

"Are you ready to fight Alyssa now?"

At this point I was incredibly determined. I would be able to beat the crap out of Alyssa and actually fight with Dorothy, even if she wasn't the true Dorothy.

"Of course I'm ready."

She smiled happily in response, and we both started to float into the air into a bright light, and I knew that if I won, that there could be a change that I would save an innocent soul from Alyssa's clutches...