The loud sound jarred Alice from her trance, and she bolted upright, adrenaline roaring through her veins.

“We don’t have much time!”

She immediately took off running, hoping that Melissa would followed behind, but she was in too much of a hurry to check.

“Assemble the troops!” Alice called through the calls. “We’re under attack! Assemble the troops!”

Meanwhile, she whipped through, accelerating toward her chamber, where they’d kept many of Melissa’s personal affairs. When she arrived, she ignored the mess and clutter. Quickly, she retrieved the sword and tossed it onto the ground for Melissa to pick up. She also dug around in her bureau for a while, resurfacing with a well-aged cloak. Haphazardly throwing it over her own shoulders, Alice only explained briefly.

“It was my great-grandmother’s. From what I’ve heard, it amplified her magic. I’m not sure if it works, but I’ll take any help I can get.”

And just like that, she’d taken off running again, this time making a mad dash for the entrance to the castle, hoping to meet the Ultimatum’s troops head-on.