Chapter-34

I keep moving, unbothered by the oppressive darkness pressing in around me. The passage is narrow, the walls damp and uneven beneath my fingertips. The metallic scent lingers in the air, sharp and unnatural, mixing with the damp, decayed aroma of a place long forgotten.

Behind me, the Mad Hatter stumbles slightly, muttering something about "horribly small spaces" and "not nearly enough tea for this." The rabbit, nestled safely in his coat, lets out a quiet whimper.

"If you faint, I'm not carrying you," I remark, voice light but firm.

The Hatter huffs indignantly. "I don't faint, dear traveler. I make dramatic, tea-related exits."

I smirk but say nothing.

The further we go, the stronger the thrumming becomes. It's not sound—it's feeling, vibrating through my bones, settling somewhere deep in my mind. A presence, waiting. Testing.

And then—

A faint click.

I stop.

The air shifts.

"Oh dear," the Hatter mutters behind me. "That sounded… prelude-ish. To something rather unpleasant."

I don't respond. Instead, I lift a hand, feeling the way the air itself has changed. Something unseen stirs ahead. The walls of the passage seem to tighten, pressing inward. The darkness is no longer just darkness. It's alive.

A voice slithers through the air, layered and fragmented.

"Only the worthy may pass."

The words don't echo. They don't exist in the space around me. They exist in the mind.

The rabbit lets out a terrified squeak. The Hatter grips the fabric of his coat, pulling it tighter.

"Oh no," he mutters. "I hate mind riddles. They always end in existential crises and unfortunate self-reflection."

I exhale slowly.

"State the terms," I say aloud.

The voice shifts, amused.

"Three trials. Wit. Will. Truth."

I roll my shoulders.

"Easy."

The air rumbles with something I can only describe as laughter.

"Then begin."

The world shatters.

---

Trial One: Wit

When the world reassembles itself, I stand in an endless library. Towering bookshelves stretch infinitely in every direction, their spines worn, their pages fluttering as if caught in an invisible wind. A single candle flickers beside me, casting long shadows against the impossibly high walls.

Ahead, a table. Upon it—three books, open to incomplete passages.

The voice returns.

"Only one holds the truth. The others? Lies."

The books shift slightly, their pages rustling. The words rearrange themselves, forming three riddles:

1. I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?

2. The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?

3. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I am invisible, yet I make others see. What am I?

I smile.

"A joke. Footsteps. A mirror."

The books snap shut.

The voice hums approvingly.

"Correct. But the game is not over."

---

Trial Two: Will

The library dissolves.

Now, I stand on a precarious ledge, suspended above an abyss of nothingness. A bridge stretches before me, but it is incomplete—just gaps and crumbling stone. Below, darkness swirls like a hungry maw.

And across the gap—

The Queen.

Or rather, a version of her. Shrouded in shadow, her form flickers, distorting, unraveling at the edges. She watches me with cold amusement.

"To pass, you must step forward. But the bridge will not catch you unless you believe it will."

Ah. One of those tests.

I take a slow breath.

The Hatter, were he here, would be panicking. The rabbit? A shaking mess.

But I am not them.

"Belief is nothing," I say. "Knowledge is everything."

And with that, I step forward.

The moment my foot leaves solid ground, the void surges up to meet me—except it is not void at all. The bridge solidifies beneath my step, forming as I walk, responding to my certainty.

The shadow-Queen tilts her head.

"You do not hesitate."

"Why should I?"

She hums. And then—she is gone.

The voice returns.

"The final trial remains."

---

Trial Three: Truth

The abyss vanishes.

Now, I stand before a mirror.

Not just any mirror—my mirror.

The reflection is not quite right. It tilts its head, its smile lingering just a fraction too long.

"Why do you seek the Heart of Wonderland?" it asks.

Not what will you do with it? Not who are you?

But why?

I stare at my own reflection, considering the question. It is not a test of words. It is a test of intent.

And so, I do not lie.

"Because it is mine."

The reflection's smile widens.

The mirror shatters.

---

The world slams back into place.

I inhale sharply, the scent of damp stone and old magic filling my lungs once more. The ruins stand before me, unchanged.

Except—

The entrance, once blocked, is now open.

The Mad Hatter stumbles forward, eyes wild.

*"That was—you just—" He gestures wildly. "You blinked! And then the door opened! What did you do?"

I brush dust from my coat.

"I won."

The rabbit lets out a small, awed noise.

The Hatter rubs his temples. "You terrify me."

I smirk, stepping forward. "Good."

The Heart of Wonderland awaits.