Chapter 49

Chapter 49: The Journey Begins

The golden light fades, leaving behind the lingering warmth of its power. The obsidian monolith hums faintly, a silent witness to what has transpired.

I turn from it, facing my companions.

"The Whispering Woods await," I say, my voice steady. "The Second Tear of the Moon is there, and with it, the final restoration of Wonderland. Will you follow me?"

The Mad Hatter, his hands still trembling slightly from his transformation, tugs at his top hat, trying—and failing—to straighten it.

"Of course, Defaulger Trice," he says, a shaky grin forming. "I owe you a debt I can never repay." He pauses, glancing toward the twisted trees in the distance. "Besides, curiosity always gets the better of me, doesn't it?"

The rabbit, once timid, now bold, hops forward, puffing out its tiny chest.

"I'll follow you, sir!" It twitches its nose. "I'd like to see those nasty shadows get their just desserts!"

The ancient dragon, still in its humanoid form, crosses its arms, watchful, measured.

"I pledged my service. I shall uphold my word," it rumbles. "The Whispering Woods hold many secrets, and some dangers perhaps unknown even to me. But with your power, Defaulger Trice, I believe we stand a chance."

The Queen of Hearts steps forward, regal and rejuvenated, but her eyes hold caution.

"I shall accompany you to the edge of the woods," she declares. "My knowledge of Wonderland's hidden paths may prove useful, though I shall not venture further into those treacherous depths. The power you wield… it is truly extraordinary, Defaulger Trice. But even such power may not be enough against what lurks within the Whispering Woods."

Her gaze locks onto mine.

"I shall offer prayers for your safe return."

The air shifts, tension coiling around us.

The Whispering Woods are not just a forest.

They are a threshold, a place where reality blurs with nightmare, where secrets take form and thoughts betray their owners.

I say nothing.

But I walk forward.

And they follow.

---

The Path to the Woods

The ground changes beneath us, from solid earth to something softer, less certain.

The sky, once a dull twilight, darkens unnaturally the closer we draw to the tree line.

The trees loom ahead, their twisted branches curled inward, as if whispering among themselves. The air is thick, humming with unspoken words.

The Mad Hatter slows, adjusting his cravat, suddenly restless.

"I do hate this place," he mutters. "The last time I was here, the trees tried to have a conversation with me. Do you know how unsettling it is to have your own thoughts echoed back at you, only in different voices?"

The rabbit gulps, its earlier bravado flickering.

"It's just a forest… right?"

The dragon says nothing, but her emerald eyes scan the trees carefully. She senses it too.

The Whispering Woods are waiting.

---

The First Step

We step across the threshold.

And the whispers begin.

Soft at first.

Indistinct.

Then—clearer.

"Why do you walk this path?"

"Who are you to seek what is hidden?"

"What secrets do you bring, Defaulger Trice?"

The trees shift, the ground ripples, and for the first time, the world itself feels as though it is watching us back.

I do not stop walking.

I do not answer.

But then—

A voice, thick with mockery, amusement, and something deeper.

"Again!?"

The Whispering Woods laugh.