Alyssa had been raised by her three stepmothers from a young age due to her birth motherâs early passing.
Naturally, their habits, such as Coleneâs horse-riding, archery, and rock-climbing hobbies, assimilated into her own.
Fortunately, those hobbies were a lifesaver, as she couldnât imagine how she would survive in her current situation without them.
As Alyssa was about to reach the mountain trail above, there suddenly came rumbling by her feet.
Rock and sand snaked past her hands. Another landslide was coming fast!
âDamn it! Is this what I get for doing charity for all these years?â Alyssa yelled indignantly.
The rock beneath her feet suddenly shifted and tumbled from its ledge at that precise moment, leaving her body dangling precariously.
âHelp!â Despair and fear washed over her.
An immeasurably long fall awaited her below. She was going to die falling, and no one would ever find her.
A tear escaped her eye as she shut them tight, awaiting her fate.
âAlyssa!â
Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around her wrists and pulled her back to solid ground.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Jasper was staring right at her, his eyes wide and seemingly delving into her very soul. Her breathing hitched.
âJ-Jasper?â
Was she dreaming right now? Or hallucinating?
Her heart pounded violently in her chest.
âDonât be afraid. Iâm here now!â
Jasper saw a conflict of emotions on her face, everything from fear to joy to worry, all directed right at his beating heart. He pulled her up some more, his grip on her arm even quivering slightly.
He could feel the ground beneath them slipping, the rock falling off the ledge. If they didnât move right now, both of them might fall to their deaths.
*Jasperâ¦â Alyssa mumbled, tears falling down her cheeks. âI donât want to dieâ¦â
She had transcended all her limits of strength in making it so far up here on the mountain. The moment she saw Jasper, her last wall fell, revealing the frightened young woman within.
Jasper couldnât bear seeing her so upset. All he wanted was to keep her safe.
âYou can cry all you want later. Now, just try and push yourself up!â
Alyssa sniffled and quickly climbed back up the side of the mountain.
âHurry! This ledge wonât hold on much longer!â Jasper yelled.
âI know! Iâm trying!â Alyssa roared back.
Jasper cocked his head. Her cuteness had evaporated with that yell.
Suddenly, a lightning strike lit up their surroundings, casting Alyssaâs visage in vivid clarity, as if a hidden truth had been exposed.
A sudden headache overwhelmed Jasper. All of a sudden, Alyssaâs expression fused with that of a young girl from years ago.
Faint yet familiar memories swam in his head.
âWhatâs your name, kid?â
âYouâre not telling me? Iâll call you Alice then. Youâre like Alice from Alice in Wonderland, short and cute-
looking.â
There was a buzzing in Jasperâs ears as realization hit him like a truck.
Alice⦠Alice White.
Alyssa was the girl he had rescued 13 years ago.