And Kira did not have any. She returned to her world without a weapon or a mirror. And after Alice unceremoniously pulled her away with the help of that black horn and took her place in the dungeon, Kira was dying to know what was happening in Amber City! So not having a mirror bothered her the most. She was biting her nails from anxiety, suddenly angry at Alice. She was always so reasonable! Silly girl. Why go in that dangerous room with an enraged unicorn? How was she going to fight it?!

Gentle reader, you and I already know that Alice found enough courage and wit in her heart to beat the monsters of the dungeon and escape. But Kira had no way of knowing that and so was very worried. And when you are worried, it is hard to just stay in one place and do nothing.

She understood how important it was to find a way out of Amber City. You might think it is strange Kira was still worried about strange things in that city when she returned to her vast world full of freedom, but it means you did not get anything about their bond. Kira could not let Alice stay prisoner to Amber City any longer.

Now, if the Governess was lying about a secret tunnel underground in the dungeons, then how about just flying over the Wall? Sure, Kira would need to find wings somewhere, but how could she give them to Alice and will she be able to see her again at all? Kira did not stop to think about these things. As I said, she was the one to act, not to reflect.

Jays from the nest she appeared in were covered in feathers but did not have wings — unfortunately, it happens more often than you think. But Kira knew her beetle hideout had them. Transparent light ones under small and rough top wings. They were weak and fragile, but Alice did not weigh too much. It would be enough. But forever hungry creatures of this world ate the beetle's body, and there was only one hope left — his soul from the island of the dead. Wings of the soul should not be any different from the chitin ones, and maybe the will turn out to be even better?

Kira noticed right away how her world has changed with autumn. A lot of things have changed. But she was quite sure the Island of Souls did not go anywhere. Every living being has a soul, and after leaving their body they all need to rest before the grand journey awaiting them.

She knew the Island of Souls was somewhere on the ocean and she knew that all the rivers in the world lead to the ocean. And it just so happened that a small river with thick and soot-black water was flowing by the nest.

Kira decided that girl-jays are old enough to survive without a nest and she needs it more anyway. Do not forget — she grew up in a harsh world and so could be quite ruthless at times. Kira dragged the nest to the river and launched it as a boat.

And thus her journey started.

It took a long, long time. Her world became a bit brighter and more serene — she would not dare to take a boat ride like this before, no one would — but it was still mostly the same. Familiar sceneries were flickering by: city ruins, graveyards, forests and swamps, empty roads, closed factories and broken machines, looking like giant beast skeletons, throngs of spirits, godlings and other magical creatures. Kira was used to these views and got bored quickly. She suddenly realized how tired she was. And no wonder — with all that has happened. Kirla curled into a ball in the nest full of orange leaves with a few blue feathers left by girl-jays and fell asleep.

She woke up with a start when her boat bumped into something. Kira looked around and saw a floating pile of junk. The nest got caught into it and stopped moving. There was a lot of useless items in that pile, like all the old and broken things were gathered here, in one place. But while Kira was trying to free the branches of the nest tangled in the trash, she noticed a nice big lantern covered in silk with an ornamental pattern. It was dirty, and the cloth was ripped in a few places, but not too badly. She put it in the nest. Now it looked almost like a real boat, with a lantern in front. (At least Kira thought so; like Alice, she knew too little about some common things, because she only read about them in books or heard explanations from other people).

Soon the river grew a lot wider and slower and finally spilt the boat-nest into the ocean.

It was the first time Kira ever saw the ocean, but she recognized it right away. It was enormous, mighty and ruthless, beasts were hiding under the dark waters, but waves were whispering melodically as if singing a lullaby, soft as a gentle whisper.

The water was dark green and as thick as in the river that brought Kira there, but the silk lantern cast a smooth ring of light on it, and Kira saw her own reflection, surrounded by swaying algae.

She kept looking at it until her face was swapped with another one. How good it felt to see Alice again, safe and sound!

Alice explained how she handled the unicorn and got out of the dungeons, and she also mentioned the Cat with two heads and its riddles. Kira told Alice about her idea of flying over the wall with the help of wings and where they could find them. It was the first time since their meeting in mirrors they could properly talk to each other. (And is not it wonderful how all this time they were following the same goal — through different paths, but still — without even talking to each other?)

"I still haven't asked how you managed to bring back autumn!" Alice remembered. Kira told her about the clock in the city square. Alice frowned thoughtfully. "I know a mechanic who built them. He is an odd man, not easy to reason with... but I will try to talk to him. Maybe he could make a flying machine out of beetle's wings so I would be able to fly over the Wall."

"And I will try asking the residents of the Island of Souls where can we find the Beast and what do they know about Lady Autumn", Kira promised.

As long as they could remember, two girls were looking out for each other, and they were not going to stop.

Talking to her sister and enjoying the sound of her voice, between sweet songs of the waves and the lantern light dispelling the darkness, Kira was drawing closer to the Island of Souls. 

Sooner or later (on second thought, I should state it clearly, without confusing the gentle reader — later, much later) she arrived at her destination.

She saw a big city, vaguely familiar, like a distant memory of a dream: towers, fountains, bridges, everything covered in snow. For some reason, though the snow was not falling but rising, and this oddity was not obvious from the start since snowflakes were floating in the air so gracefully.

Then Kira realized it was not snow, but ash. As if the city recently survived a huge fire. All the buildings looked white and fragile like they could crumble to dust any minute. No, it was not just her imagination. They were falling apart, slowly but surely. Ashes were tearing away from the city of souls, flowing upward in the sky. Some buildings and figures seemed almost intact, some lied in ruins or were reduced to bleak shadows, and some were gone, turned into piles of dust.

Was she the first to come here? Were there others before her, the ones who tried to find their loved ones between these pale figures with masked faces? Who knows.

Two guards were standing near the front gates. One in a goat mask and the other in a hare mask.

They explained to Kira that she needs to let go of her body to get into the city of souls, because a human with the warm breath, pulsing blood, fast legs and sharp eyes had no business walking among the dead.

Can you really blame Kira for hesitating? The body is a human's most prized possession, something we can not live without. What is a soul without flesh? It is helpless, like a hand without fingers. But hesitation was only momentary. Kira knew there was no other way into the city and she had to get there. She decided that wings — a key to Alice's freedom — are worth this sacrifice.

Still, she wanted to see Alice for the last time and enjoy at least a few moments of being with her sister. Kira asked the guards to wait a bit, hurried to the water and bent over the glossy surface of the ocean, lit by lantern fire. She was not going to explain anything to Alice — she did not want to scare her — and simply touched the water with her fingers as a way of saying goodbye. A single tear dropped from her cheek into the ocean.

Oh, after all this time with her sister Kira should have guessed what this kind, decisive and incredibly perceptive girl would do! Alice quickly understood what is going on. She touched the reflection and instantly took Kira's place on the shore.