1 The beginning of a new dawn

The air turned black all around her. Yet her long golden hair still flashed through the bright sky. Around her was what it seems like an endless plain of pink flowers and petals that stretch to the corner of the world.

In the room, a man was looking at the sleeping girl. Around the man were several luxurious items including potions, glass filled with a liquid that has never been seen before, and a nightstand.

"Hah, this girl is causing me so many problems," said a young-looking man with silk-like long silver hair. He was wearing a robe woven with the finest fabrics, though he still looked modest, his long hair appearing with the colors of the rainbow under sunlight, and with a face many can only dream of having (Aka Merlin from fate). As he lifted his hand to the girl's black aura, his hand started glowing white.

'This girl has an unusual amount of holy and demonic mana in her. Her holy mana is covering the inside of her body but the demonic mana surrounding her makes a black-like aura.' The man thought to himself while the girl slowly opened her eyes.

"W-where am I?" She mumbled softly but not enough for the sage to hear. Thinking about where she is, someone spoke up;

"You're up. Good, now I have a question." The sage quickly said and removed his hand against the black aura after hearing her speak.

Snapping her head to where the voice came from after she thought no one was in this room she said with caution, "Who are you?"

"My my, no thank you's after I saved your life?" He said with a careless and playful smile "Ah it is rude to ask someone for their name before introducing themselves don't you agree?"

"Fine, my name is-" as she was about to say her name, the sage cuts her words

"Alice von Agnes, the first heir to the Agnes throne, daughter of King Alphonse, the first child of Agnes, and the only female child of the house. Did I miss anything?" The Sage closed his eyes and smiled.

"H-how did you know?" Alice began to stutter thinking that he was an enemy sent by the rival country.

"Now it's my turn to introduce myself, I am Merlin, the Magus of Flowers" Putting his hand over his heart with a light smile on his face. Taping his staff against the ground twice, pink petals filled the room with a sweet smell. "You may now ask questions"

"Where are we? Are you an enemy? Who are you to know that much about me?" Bombarded with questions, Merlin swiftly ensured her that he was no enemy

"We are at the Garden of Avalon, where only those free of sin may pass. I am no enemy. As for your last question, that's a secret for now." Merlin said as he turned to the potions he had made earlier. "But I do have a question, how did you enter this place?"

Alice turned her head sideways confused, "What do you mean? I thought you brought me here." Merlin then turned around handing her a potion;

"Drink this" He then handed her a bottle filled with red liquid then walked out of the room. But before he closed the door behind him, he said "Do you need anything before I leave?"

Afraid that Merlin will abandon her, she quickly said "Where are you going?"

"To try and get you out of here"

"What do you mean?"

Merlin then sighed and then assured, "I can't leave even if I wanted to. However you can, you don't want to stay here for the rest of your life do you?" After He finished his sentence he closed the door behind him and then walked away.

Alice then understood that he did not bring her here and does not want to stay there as well. She then chugged the potion down and stood up from the bed, walking towards the balcony. Looking outside, she could not find anything other than pink flowers and petals everywhere with a nice smell. Turning her head down, she saw that she was in a floating tower very high up.

"So you enjoy the view?" Alice then looked behind her, staring at Merlin then sighed "Why do you always come and go in silence?" She asked "It's like you don't make a sound at all. Did you find out how to get me out of this place?"

"I did, however, it's not as simple as you would think," Merlin answered "I would have to be with you to sustain the portal so you don't die. But I can't leave the Garden of Avalon"

Filled with curiosity Alice said, "Why can't you leave?"

"Do you know what the Garden of Avalon is also called?" Alice looked at him even more curious and wished to find out. Merlin saw her filled with curiosity then smiled then said, "The Forever-Sealed Utopia"

"The Forever-Sealed Utopia? Then are you sealed here?" She replied

He then said with a casual tone "That's a story for another time. But are you ready? We can leave any time you wish to."

Alice nodded "Thank you, Merlin."

5 days later

"You ready?" Gently Merlin pat Alice on the head.

During the 5 days they were together, Merlin has grown rather fond of the little girl. They both became more open and sometimes, Merlin even tells her a little about his past. However Merlin noticed something about Alice, she was almost always on guard and never carelessly did anything.

Merlin wearing his usual outfit but unlike him, Alice was wearing a white robe with golden outlining. Under that robe can be seen tiny bits of a beautiful armor.

and Alice then replied with an irritated look then shook his hand off of her head, "Stop treating me like a child. I'm already 18." Looking back at the floating tower, they were standing on the endless plane of a Utopia. Steadied herself, she then said, "I'm ready"

"My my, how much you have grown, it's like you don't even need me anymore." Merlin teased. Alice then stared at him with a weird face. Regaining his composure after coughing twice, he then said "Putting that behind us, we really should get going."

Waving his staff in the air, petals of pink flowers started swirling around and making a circle around Merlin and Alice almost like a beautiful dance. Tapping this staff on the ground, the petals looked like they swallowed them whole.

"Hey Alice, wakey wakey. HEY ALICE" "AHH" Alice suddenly jolted up and ended up headbutting Merlin in the head.

Holding his forehead Merlin sniffled and then said "Owww"

"Ah Merlin, I-I'm so sorry" Alice stuttered as she apologized. Looking around her, she could no longer see the pink flower petals, instead, she saw greenery.

Merlin then stood up and enthusiastically said "The outside world. I never thought I would see this again."

"Where are we?" Unable to recognize where they are, Alice impatiently asked Merlin

Merlin answered her question with uncertainty "I believe we are in the north of the kingdom."

"Good, the capital is more to the north. We should get to higher ground, ``suggested Alice "But before that, it seems that we have some guests to take care of."

"Yes, it does seem that way." Merlin closed his eyes and then disappeared from the scene.

"Kekeke, it seems that we have been caught, boys." A bulky man with brown long but messy hair stepped out of one of the many trees of this forest. Among himself, ten boy fully grown men stepped out exposing themselves carelessly to the enemies. All of them were wearing simple clothes that have been tattered all over.

Armed with blades in their hand, they all charged at Alice. But something happened that they never thought would happen. Alice now had a blade in her hand, and swiftly deflecting the swords that the charging men had.

Armed with a sword that's silver was glistening through the bright sun, Alice launched a counter-attack at the bandits. Swiftly defeating them all, she took their weapons and then left.

As Alice was walking on her lonely path she calmly exclaimed "Merlin, what are you doing?"

Merlin's voice can then be heard giggling, "You finished that fight quite fast, don't you think?"

"As an archmage, I assume that you can teleport?"

"Of course, who do you think I am?" Boasted Merlin

"Then teleport me back to the royal palace."

Merlin then appeared out of nowhere and cover his mouth with his fingers, "My, aren't we so impatient now? But I suppose I can do that"

Tapping his staff on the ground yet again, a spell crest formed under Merlin's and Alice's feet. It appeared blue and glowing with the shape of a wing in the center of the speel crest. Instantly appearing in front of the royal palace, the guards were surprised at how two humans suddenly materialized right at the step of the palace.

"Stop right there!" A guard quickly announced. But then lifting their heads and looking at their faces, they both reconsidered one of the figures.

"Ah, your royal highness?"

Alice confirmed, "Yes, it's me. I need to talk with my father."

Suddenly an explosion can be heard across the palace.

"My, they got here sooner than expected," murmured Merlin. "It should have taken more than 5 days for them to realize."

"What do you mean Merlin!" Alice suddenly snapped.

"Save the talking for later, you got people to help. Best of luck to you." Grinning, he vanished into thin air leaving Alice and the two shock guards. Alice wasted no time and quickly met the start of the explosion. Many armed guards could be seen either laying on the ground or dead. Drawing her sword, she found the cause of the explosions.

A woman can be seen hovering above the people that she attacked. Wearing something only seen in a wet man's dream, she launched another attack at the palace's guards. Stepping in front of the purple ball of mana then slicing it in half. The woman was shocked at how a mere human could have blocked her attack, never mind dispelling it. Her bright silver hair is wavering in the sky before a man appeared behind her.

"Seal," chains of pink mana wrapped around the woman before she could even react. Another word could be heard before she blacked out. "Blast."

"Merlin…" Sighed Alice

"What? Did I say that I would not help?" In the sky, a voice was heard by all. Carrying a body, Merlin jumped down. "This is a demon, a succubus to be specific."

Suddenly out of nowhere, a man jumped at Merlin with his sharp claws. "Die!" He Screamed. His hand clearly went right through the silver-haired man but did not damage him. There was no blood, no guts, only pink petals that could be seen and a hole in Merlin's stomach. Clearly confused the demon could not think twice about what he saw before he went unconscious.