Chapter-35
Chapter: The Heart of Wonderland
The cavern stretches before me, vast and pulsing with something alive. The obsidian monolith hums, its energy pressing against my skin like unseen fingers, testing, measuring. The air is thick with old magic, the kind that remembers, the kind that chooses.
I exhale slowly.
"This... this is it," the Mad Hatter whispers, his voice barely audible over the thrumming energy. His face is pale, his usual manic expressions dulled by something more primal—fear.
The rabbit clings to his coat, its tiny form trembling. It knows. Even the air knows.
This is no ordinary artifact.
This is power.
And it's waiting.
---
I take a step forward, and the energy responds.
A ripple spreads from the monolith, crawling across the cavern floor like a wave of unseen force. The smaller stones at its base shift slightly, their intricate carvings glowing faintly.
Keys.
I crouch, examining them. Each stone is engraved with patterns, twisting and curling in a way that suggests movement, as if they might rearrange themselves at any moment.
"The Queen… she said… the artifact is guarded… by a riddle," the Hatter murmurs. He stares at the monolith like it might wake up and swallow him whole. "A test."
I smile slightly.
"Of course there is."
He gives a weak laugh. "You say that like you expected this."
I glance at him. "I did."
Power like this is never unguarded. It does not simply exist to be taken. It chooses its wielder.
And I intend to be chosen.
---
I straighten, turning my attention fully to the monolith. The hum deepens, and then—
A voice.
Not out loud. Not in sound.
In my mind.
"What begins in darkness, yet is born from light?"
The riddle is not spoken—it is felt. A question woven into the fabric of this place, into the monolith itself.
The Mad Hatter stiffens.
"Oh, I hate this already."
The rabbit burrows deeper into his coat.
I close my eyes briefly, feeling the weight of the words settle.
A simple question. A simple answer.
"A shadow."
The air shudders.
The stones shift again, their carvings rearranging. The energy in the room crackles, and another question forms, curling through my mind like smoke.
"What is fragile, yet stronger than steel?"
The Hatter inhales sharply. "Oh, oh, I know this one—"
"A promise," I answer smoothly.
The monolith reacts.
A sharp pulse of energy surges through the cavern, making the Hatter stumble backward. The rabbit lets out a tiny squeak.
I barely blink.
The final question comes swiftly, the weight of it pressing down like a hand against my chest.
"What can never be taken, only given?"
My lips curve slightly.
"Loyalty."
A deep, resonating hum vibrates through the cavern, shaking loose small stones from the ceiling. The monolith's carvings blaze with light, shifting, unlocking—
And then—
Silence.
---
The cavern holds its breath.
The air feels different now, lighter. The thrumming has changed, no longer testing, but welcoming.
The monolith has decided.
I take another step forward, reaching out. The air around the monolith shivers, as if reality itself is bending to acknowledge my presence.
"Wait—" the Hatter starts.
Too late.
My fingers brush against the stone.
The world explodes.
Not in fire. Not in sound.
In memory.
---
A flood of visions rushes through me.
A Wonderland untouched by the Shadow. Vibrant, endless, filled with strange, impossible beauty. The Queen—different—laughing, alive. The Hatter, less fractured, whole.
Then—
A crack.
Darkness seeping in.
The Shadow creeping, whispering, consuming.
A bargain made.
A price paid.
The Heart of Wonderland—hidden away, waiting, waiting, waiting—
For me.
---
I gasp, the visions slamming back into nothingness.
I am on my knees, my hand still against the monolith.
The Mad Hatter is staring at me, eyes wide. "What— what just happened?"*
I inhale sharply, steadying myself.
The Heart of Wonderland is not just power.
It is memory.
It is truth.
And now?
It is mine.