Page 86 of Knot My Wonderland

"The Cheshire returns first," Vee announced, his monocle flashing with incoming data.

"Exhausted but triumphant," Dee added, their dreamy voice carrying a note of relief.

As if summoned by their words, Chi materialized in the main hall, his form flickering slightly at the edges—a sign of his depleted energy. His teal eyes found mine immediately,narrowing when he saw how close the King of Spades stood to me.

"Alice," he breathed, crossing the distance between us in a blur of motion. His solid form pressed against mine, tail wrapping possessively around my waist as he assessed me for any sign of harm. Through our strengthened bond, I felt his relief mingled with lingering suspicion as he glared at the King of Spades. "You're unharmed?"

"I'm fine," I assured him, feeling the silver patterns beneath my skin pulse with welcome as our physical proximity intensified our bond. "Better than you, by the look of it."

Chi's form solidified further at my touch, though exhaustion still shadowed his eyes. "The final anchor point... it was corrupted beyond anything I've encountered before. If you hadn't stabilized me through our bond, I wouldn't have been able to place the device."

The King of Spades observed our reunion with unreadable eyes, his shadows coiling closer to his form as if in deference to Chi's territorial display. "The Cheshire performed admirably," he acknowledged, his voice neutral. "All seven devices detonated perfectly."

Chi's tail tightened around my waist, his eyes never leaving the King's shadowed form. "And while I was gone, you remained here with Alice. How... convenient."

"Chi," I warned, feeling the tension crackling between them through our bond. "He kept his word. Nothing happened."

"Didn't it?" Chi's voice carried an edge that made the air itself seem to vibrate. Through our connection, I felt his awareness of the deeper conversation I'd had with the King, the way my understanding of the pattern had shifted during his absence. "You've learned things from him. I can feel it through our bond."

Before I could respond, the sound of multiple footsteps echoed through the crystalline corridors. Heart emerged first, his rubyeyes immediately scanning the room until they found me. Relief flooded through the Heart Stone as he confirmed my safety, followed quickly by territorial irritation as he took in Chi's possessive stance and the King's proximity.

Behind Heart, Martha and the other resistance fighters streamed into the hall, their faces haggard but triumphant. Varik brought up the rear, his wild eyes gleaming with manic satisfaction as he twirled a complex mechanical device between his fingers.

"The devices worked perfectly!" he crowed, ignoring the tension between Chi and the King. "Seven synchronized reality tears! Did you see the expressions on those Blood Mages' faces? Priceless! Absolutely priceless!"

Heart moved to my side, positioning himself carefully to form a triangle with Chi and me, deliberately placing himself between us and the King of Spades. Through the Heart Stone, I felt his concern washing over me in waves.

"You're pale," he observed, ruby eyes scanning me with obvious worry. "What happened while we were gone?"

"Nothing dangerous," I assured him, though the silver patterns beneath my skin betrayed my exhaustion.

Chi's tail tightened fractionally around my waist, his enhanced perception through our strengthened bond picking up nuances I hadn't intended to reveal. "She channeled energy to stabilize me during the mission," he said, his voice carrying both gratitude and concern. "More than she should have."

Heart's ruby eyes flashed with alarm as he stepped closer, the Heart Stone pulsing against my chest with his worry. "How much energy? Alice, you could have destabilized your own pattern trying to help him."

"It was necessary," I said firmly, though I could feel the truth of their concern in my own depleted state. The silver patternsbeneath my skin had dimmed considerably, their usual vibrant glow reduced to a steady but subdued pulse.

"Necessary, perhaps," the King of Spades interjected smoothly, his shadows rippling with something that might have been approval, "but also revealing.”

All eyes turned to the King of Spades, whose shadows coiled with calculated interest. "The energy Alice channeled to Chi didn't simply stabilize him—it created a permanent enhancement to their foundational bond. They can now share strength across any distance."

Chi's form solidified completely at the King's words, his teal eyes widening with understanding. Through our connection, I felt his wonder as he tested the deeper link between us, finding pathways of shared consciousness that hadn't existed before.

"That's not possible," Heart said sharply, though the Heart Stone's pulse betrayed his own awareness of the change. "Bonds don't evolve that quickly."

"Most bonds don't," the King corrected, his dark gaze settling on me with unsettling intensity. "But Alice carries the First Queen's complete pattern. Her connections operate by different rules entirely."

"By different rules indeed," Varik muttered, adjusting his hat as he studied me with clinical fascination. "The pattern isn't just forming bonds—it's rewriting the fundamental laws that govern magical connections." He gestured wildly with his device. "I've never seen anything quite like it!"

Martha stepped forward, her scarred face creasing with concern as she took in the exhausted state of everyone present. "With respect to the magical theory discussion, shouldn't we be focusing on what comes next? The Red Queen isn't going to sit idle after losing her Blood Mages."

"Martha's right," Heart agreed, though his ruby eyes remained fixed on me with obvious worry. "My mother will retaliate, andwithout the systematic draining strategy, she'll likely resort to more direct methods."

Through Chi's bond, I felt his protective instincts flaring as he processed the implications. His tail remained firmly wrapped around me, and I had a feeling he wasn’t letting go anytime soon.

“The Red Queen will need a few days to recoup and formulate another plan." The Spade King said, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Which gives us time to prepare," Heart added, his tactical mind already working through possibilities. "We need to strengthen the Sanctuary's defenses and continue developing Alice's bond capabilities."

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