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The Wizard loomed before her. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man hovered behind her. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Belle would not awaken. The Wizard had explained his purpose, why she was here, but Belle was not listening. She merely dozed, smiling all the while. "Tell me what is your wish." No response. "There is no reason to be shy- tell me what is your wish." Again, nothing. The audience, waiting with rapt attention, could not proceed. The Wizard, there to dispense wisdom to one who sought it, could not give it. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man floated behind, watching, waiting, encouraging. Nothing worked. Nothing worked. Nothing worked. Nothing worked. N o t h i n g w o r k e d . N o t h i n g w o r k e d . As the world waited, as the Labyrinth held its breath, Belle waited. And smiled. The Scarecrow had nothing to do with this grin. After minutes... After hours... After days...

It isn't a calling. Not an urge. Or an obligation. Those are all words invented to convey how someone feels as they head towards some inescapable decision. But ultimately, such things are always your choice. You can refuse a calling, resist and urge, defy an obligation. This was something far less subtle. Belle was not obligated to proceed down this nightmarish pit. She was not urged to see what lay within. And she was not called by something at its deepest layer. She was pulled. Pulled by something vast and terrible and inescapable. She could have resisted by digging her hooves into the misty ground and digging trenches of resistance, but all it would do is shatter her legs. She could have bitten into the cord that transported her down and held on for dear life, but it would have ripped out her teeth. She could have tangled herself in a thousand different diversions, wandered down a million blind alleys, distracted But there was no point. Belle's choices were only to surrender, or

Boss battle against KANNEIS, lord of untruth Kanneis begins the battle by approaching you from behind, smiling unsettlingly. INTRO: "So glad you came by. Do you have a moment to talk? I just need... someone to confide in, hehehe." The hitboxes for Kanneis's fight are extremely disjointed from his animations. In most situations, it is better to dodge TOWARD where you think his attacks will land. MISSED ATTACK: "My my, there's no need for that!" Kanneis will use his special attack if you get too far away. He will instantly appear behind you before launching it. SPECIAL ATTACK: "Oh, dear, you seem so agitated..." Kanneis's weak point is the red patch of fur on his chest. Aiming for it is tricky, as Kanneis changes stances often, even when not attacking. He scores critical hits when he hits you from behind. CRITICAL HIT (on Kanneis): "A very good point! Has a lot of impact." CRITICAL HIT (from Kanneis): "No no no, that won't do at all..." Kanneis will taunt you if he is not damaged for

Once upon a time, there was a boy who could not sleep. He would lie in bed for hours and hours, staring up, but unable to drift away. This boy was an unfortunate soul. He came from a broken home, and he would constantly have to deal with shouts and screams and crashes. He would never feel safe, always wondering when something would happen. His heart would never slow, his breathing always quick and urgent. The lack of sleep was killing this poor boy. He would always feel tired. His mind always telling him to be ready for danger, his body unable to relax. Even on quiet nights, he would be balanced on a knife's edge. And slowly, he became more and more exhausted. His mind began to fray. His body, always tense, was pulling itself apart. One night, in the depths of it all, he cried out- "I need to rest! I need a place where I can feel safe! I'll give anything- ANYTHING! Just for one night's sleep!" No need for that, said a calm and languid voice. There is a place you can be. A place of

From the delightful tea party, the two seeming-friends entered into the winding maze. One bold and foolish, the other hesitant and cautious... Soon they became separated by the winding hedges, each convinced they were going the right direction. But while one took slow, careful steps in the interests of not losing her way, the other reveled in being lost. And so their paths diverged more and more... The Bold One took every turn, spoke to every voice, even the ones in his own head. He went into every blind alley, and the more he saw, the more his mind frayed... but instead of despairing at the lack of direction and the wasted time, he gloried in every muddled thought. And he saw the truth. The Cautious One, meanwhile, grew more and more distressed. Focused on escape, she took the shortest routes, placed markers, and moved with a purpose that was the antithesis of the maze's tricks. And though the voices spoke to her, she did not listen, for she knew they were liars and there to upset and

"Decoration for the table? I have just the thing to add a splash of color- my little friend the Mome Rath!" The animated signs, tableware, and furniture loosed a collective groan as Kanneis delightedly frustrated them all with YET ANOTHER incorrect arrangement for the tea party. This had been going on for quite some time. "No? Not a fan of my friends? Not even one of them?" Kanneis put on an expression of earnest joy as the set of forks berated him for his shoddy table arranging skills. He was utterly undeterred. "Well, there's just no pleasing you! But let's move on. You said you needed something cubical for a treat, yes? Well, how about this?" Kanneis presented a bottle of... somethings, and one of the signs shrank down to the size of a postage stamp. "See? Cubical as anything!" - Belle watched from a distance, barely paying attention. Some would have called it lethargy, Belle included, but this whole song and dance was nothing new to her. She was merely waiting for things to