Chapter-8

I exhale slowly, my eyes flicking between the skeletal hand, the pulsing patch of ground, and the swirling vortex beyond.

Something I hold dear. Something I am willing to relinquish.

The voice is trying to make this sound ominous, trying to weave that Wonderland-brand dread into the moment. But the problem with vague threats is that they leave room for interpretation.

"You want something of me?" I say, tilting my head. "Something I hold dear?" I let the words hang, as if I'm considering some deep, personal loss. Then, I smile. A slow, knowing smile.

There's always a loophole.

The Labyrinth feeds on ambition? On desire? Well, that's the trick, isn't it? The best sacrifices aren't necessarily the biggest—they're the ones that feel big. And I happen to have something that fits the bill perfectly.

I reach into my coat pocket and pull out a small, delicate silver ring. Simple, unadorned. Completely worthless.

Except, of course, for the story I've woven around it.

I let my fingers trail over the band, my expression shifting just enough to suggest longing, loss, something tragic. Then, with a theatrical sigh, I step forward and place it on the pulsing ground.

"A piece of my past," I murmur, just loud enough for the voice to hear. "A memory I cherished. A love long lost."

The skeletal hand stills. The vortex hesitates. The air itself seems to hold its breath.

Then, slowly, the earth beneath the ring shifts. The protective magic shudders, as if considering. The Labyrinth wants a sacrifice? Fine. It can have a fabricated one.

The amulet against my chest thrums, almost… amused. It knows what I've done. But Wonderland? Wonderland isn't as clever as it thinks.

The skeletal hand twitches once. Then, ever so slowly, it retracts into the swirling mass. The vortex flares, the colors deepening into a churning storm of indigo and crimson. And then—

The path opens.

A doorway of shifting gears and flickering light materializes before me, leading into the unknown.

I step forward, a smirk tugging at my lips.

"Nice doing business with you."