The wind reclaimed its dominion, becoming the sole master of the castle. A deathly silence settled in.
As she walked, Aliss removed the gauntlet from her left hand; the rabbit's paw detached from her palm. She advanced along the red carpet leading to the vertical staircase. Before reaching it, she clapped her hands.
Golden energy burst forth. She caught it between her palms in a single motion.
— Clap.
She stretched the energy, which transformed into a complete deck of cards. Without waiting, she began to shuffle them while slowly descending the stairs.
— A guest proposing a card game… I fear we won't have the leisure to enjoy tea with such a brute.
The atmosphere shifted violently. Darkness spread throughout the hall. A gigantic shadow formed: that of an immense man, seven to ten meters tall, with a bestial appearance. He looked like a wolf of shadow born from the abyss, stalking his prey with overwhelming predatory hunger.
Aliss narrowed her eyes.
— What a nauseating stench… Just as I thought. I would never have had the courage to drink tea with you, my lord.
She continued, unfazed:
— I am unable to accept your request. This childish hunt will continue a while longer. Know this: I will not hand Belle over to you.
— Withdraw or play with me. You understand every word I say, former human. Beauty and the Beast—it is thus.
The Beast roared, shaking the entire castle. It was determined to devour her, as it had all the others before her: the children of the Beast.
Faced with this, Aliss remained stoic.
— Very well, my lord. But unfortunately, I have less than an hour to spare for you before the undesirables arrive. Know this: now that I'm here… you are the prey.
The Beast attacked.
In an almost imperceptible instant, Aliss drew a card at random: the Ace of Spades. With a calm motion, she hurled it forward. The card condensed into a spear of light and struck the monster head-on, sending it crashing into a wall.
— Tac… Isssss… Boom!
A sharp crash echoed through the hall. When the Beast hit the ground, the card dematerialized and returned to the original deck.
Without hesitation, Aliss drew three more cards: the Three of Spades, the Three of Hearts, and the Ace of Clubs. She slipped the Heart and the Club into her pocket.
The Beast rose again, furious, and charged. Aliss began to run, abruptly changing direction. She observed every muscle contraction, every movement poised to leap.
She threw another card. The Beast barely dodged it; the card embedded itself into a wall. Seizing the opening, the monster struck. Aliss clapped her hands sharply.
— Clap!
Space tore open. The embedded card reappeared, inverted. Three spears of light burst forth and struck the creature once again.
Aliss slid sideways and drew more cards on the move: the Three of Clubs, the Four of Clubs, the Five of Clubs, the Two of Diamonds, and the Seven of Spades.
The Beast ripped the ground apart and hurled a storm of debris. Aliss activated the Diamond card. A diamond-shaped barrier of light formed, absorbing the impact.
But the Beast burst through the dust and struck. Aliss was thrown backward. She recovered instantly, cast a second barrier, and used the momentum to evade.
The battle grew frenzied. Pillars collapsed. In a final leap, the Beast managed to graze her. A sharp burn tore across her side.
Aliss grimaced and activated the Heart card. A gentle glow sealed the wound, leaving only faint scratches behind.
Breathing deeply, she drew again. The missing cards appeared: the Two of Clubs, the Five of Clubs, the Seven of Clubs.
This time, she smiled.
Her deck was complete.
The end of the game was near.
---