Regina immediately turned to see what Varian found. And just like him, she was pretty confused.

"Uh, what is that supposed to be now?" She asked, bringing the flickering vial close to them, so they could see it better.

"It's a... it looks like a notebook. If you can even call it that." Varian replied, before he started reading that notebook of sorts.

It actually looked like someone had grabbed some small, torn sheets of parchment paper and glued them together with a bit of sap and very minimal effort.

Day 199

This is stupid. Little girls keep diaries. But at this point, I don't know what else to do. I've been here for quite some time already and I feel like if I don't do something with the thoughts in my head I'll go insane.

"Wait, hold on. That wich... was actually having a diary?" The princess interrupted Varian's reading, a giggle in her voice.

"Apparently she was." He stifled a laugh of his own, struggling to keep the supposed diary from falling apart, as he kept flipping through the pages. "Now, let's see if we can get anything useful out of it."

"Oh, this ought to be interesting. "

Day 252

I hate humans.

That's it for today. I just needed to see it in writing.

Day 300

I hate humans.

Yes, I am aware I have written this before... for about 50 times. But I need this. I need a way to get everything out of my system, and I don't have anything left anymore. I have no one to yell at, nothing to break, no power to use, not even a body to walk with! While that half-faced monster is still out there with her kind, destroying us and everything we have ever worked for with those cursed weapons! If there's any reason that I still somehow hold breath, it is to end her! And everything she's ever loved! If it is possible for them to love anything, that is.

Day 486

Today I learned a very important thing: NEVER leave the tree at sunrise.

I was certain I heard something, a voice perhaps. So I went out to see, thinking that it could be the others and they had come for me! Then I found myself able to fly higher, out of the tree, out of this ditch! I don't think I have ever felt like that! So free, so exhilirated! But alas, it lasted just a few seconds... After which I felt like I was leaving... for real. Immediately I sank back to the Pit and under the tree, barely making it, with my entire being shaking. I know it's not the best thing to be stuck in this situation, but even if there are some of the others that have moved on, I can't. Not yet. One way or another, I have to go back! I just hope that we'll have won by then. And even if we haven't, that I'll be able to slaughter that warrior myself!

"Wow, seems like she's had... some issues." The princess said, unsure of how to feel about the things the young alchemist read.

"That's an understatement." He added. "Based on the things she told me, she must've known and been close with Gothel. They and more people like them must've been fighting together against the Dark Kingdom."

"You don't think they're still alive, don't you?" She inquired worriedly.

"I'm not sure. Sugarby said many of them died the same day she did. And if there were any others, we probably would have seen them with Gothel."

"Fair point. But, can't they be ghosts too?"

Varian looked back at her, sharing a concerned expression. But before they could carry on, the vial's glow faded for a moment, reminding them that it wouldn't provide them with light for much longer.

"Keep reading, keep reading."

Day 591

Finally something good happened! I finally felt like myself again, after realising something about... my new state. Though my powers are gone, I have complete and total control over this whole place! I am honestly very disappointed in myself for not coming to this realization sooner, but I suppose there are no instructions or guidelines, or any sort of information of when you're a spirit.

The only thing that worries me, is how, or maybe how long it'll take for me to learn to control it...

Day 904

Things out there can't be good. I sensed a strong, wave of darkness all the way from our land. It felt awfully familiar to the power of Zhan Tiri, but for some reason, I don't think it was in our favor...

Day 2.170

I've had my first candidate today. A young man, around twenty years old. He was caught in a snowstorm, and unable to see, he fell halfway into the Pit. Seeing my chance, I immediately rushed to my new body, but before I knew it, he had climbed back up. I didn't even have time to think of using my powers to hinder his ascend. It hurts and angers me how I couldn't do anything, but now I can only hope I'll be luckier the next time.

Day 3.693

I can't believe I've been here for over ten years... At this point I don't even know what to do anymore. Since the first time, humans very rarely find theselves down here, and when they do, I fail every time.

I keep finding myself thinking about the others. What have they been up to all these years? Do they miss me? Mourn for me? Are they even alive? I've tried reaching out to them countless times, even though my magic doesn't work, and I don't know why, since it only makes me hurt. Not even their keys, the last things I have of them, offer me any comfort anymore. Only more bitterness and pain. What I wouldn't give for one more moment. I miss them all so much...

"Keys?" Regina wondered aloud, as he finished reading that page. "What keys? There is nothing but scrolls here."

With a glint in his eyes, Varian quickly dropped the diary and turned to the scrolls. "The scrolls! That's it!"

"What's what now? You lost me." She asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"You said it yourself. There are only scrolls here, so they have to be the keys."

"Okay, but how ca-?" She stopped for a second, but quickly carried on with a sigh. "You know what, nevermind. Today we faced a ghost, and now we're running out of time. So, what do we do?"

"We have to look through them again. There must be something we missed." He replied, and begun looking.

The princess did the same, after placing the vial back on its shelf, while praying its glow wouldn't leave them now.

Fortunately, it seemed that from the first scrolls they got, with a much closer look, a little something was found. Most of them may have looked exactly the same, but on some of them, under the symbol of the horned skull, there was a small series of dents that formed a shape, different on each scroll. As if something was supposed to fit there but now was gone. One formed a bird, another a seashell, one other a paintbrush...

Though the problem now was-

"What do we do with them now?" Regina asked, and they both broke out in a cold sweat, remembering that even though they found a hint on how to get out of there, they had no idea how to use it.

And to make matters worse, the vial's glow had but half a minute to disappear.

I probably should stop writing how I hope to update soon, since it appears I rarely end up updating soon whenever I'm doing it... Sorry if this chapter came out kind of small (and super late, damn me... :P). Bye bye for now! Hope you liked it. Please leave a review, and most of all, stay safe and healthy! :)