Page 99 of Knot My Wonderland

I allowed the shadows to dance between my fingers, forming intricate patterns before dissolving them. "Transparency is a luxury afforded to those who don't play the long game, Hatter."

"And what game are you playing with Alice?" Varik asked, his voice suddenly sharp beneath its usual manic tone. "The Prince is convinced you want to possess her. Cheshire thinks you're manipulating events to force a void bond. Even the Tweedles seem uncertain of your true intentions."

My shadows stilled completely, creating an unnatural silence that made even Varik's instruments seem quieter. "What I want and what Wonderland needs have finally aligned after centuries of divergence," I said carefully. "Is that so difficult to believe?"

Varik's laughter filled the workshop, sharp and knowing. "When the most calculating monarch in Wonderland's history suddenly claims his personal desires match the greater good? Yes, Seth, that's extraordinarily difficult to believe."

I moved closer to the detection array, watching the three blood magic signatures pulse like infected wounds across the Sanctuary's schematic. "Believe what you will. The fact remains that we have at least three compromised individuals within these walls.”

"And the immediate question," Varik said, twisting another dial to magnify the readings, "is what to do about them."

I let my shadows flow over the display, assessing each corrupted signature with cold precision. "The one near Marthais the most sophisticated—likely a direct plant from the King of Diamonds. That's our priority target."

"And the sleeper agent?" Varik asked, his wild eyes tracking the third signature with growing concern.

"Will reveal themselves soon enough," I replied. "Blood magic requires periodic renewal, especially over long distances. Whoever carries that corruption will need to make contact with their handler within the next few days."

Varik adjusted his hat, fingers tapping an irregular rhythm against his workbench. "You realize Alice will insist on being involved in this investigation once she recovers."

"Of course she will," I said, unable to keep the fondness from my voice. "Her protective instincts toward Heart's resistance fighters are admirable, if inconvenient...though that could be because of her being an Omega too." My shadows formed a brief image of Alice standing between the corrupted signatures, silver and gold patterns blazing with determination.

"She still sees the best in everyone," Varik observed, his manic energy momentarily subdued. "Even you, which frankly astounds me given your reputation."

I allowed my shadows to drift across the workshop, tasting the lingering traces of Alice's magic in the air. The silver patterns called to something primal within me—a recognition that went beyond conscious thought.

"The pattern recognizes what it needs," I said quietly, "regardless of reputation or past deeds."

Varik's knowing smile made my shadows flicker with irritation. "And you're quite certain it needs you specifically? Not just any shadow wielder?"

"There are no others with sufficient power to anchor the void bond," I replied, though a shadow of doubt crept unbidden into my thoughts. "The pattern requires balance across all fiveelements. Chi anchors air, Heart provides fire, the Tweedles will soon manifest water and earth. Void remains."

"Necessity isn't the same as choice," Varik pointed out, his wild eyes suddenly piercing through his usual manic facade. "Alice may need a void bond, but that doesn't mean she'll choose you to provide it."

My shadows coiled tighter, betraying the tension his words created. "The void bond will form with or without my involvement. I merely position myself as the most viable option."

"A calculated risk," Varik murmured, returning to his instruments. "But what happens if she rejects you, Seth? What then? All your centuries of planning, all your careful manipulations—undone because she chooses someone else?"

The very thought of Alice choosing someone else made my stomach turn and rage boil beneath my skin, “If that is her choice…and not anyone influencing her. Then I shall find someone else for her and protect her all the same. “

"Noble words," Varik said dryly, though his wild eyes carried a hint of surprise. "Almost believable, if I didn't know you better." He adjusted a brass component that sparked with crystalline light. "The shadows don't lie as easily as their master, Your Majesty."

I glanced down to find my shadows writhing with barely controlled violence, forming brief shapes of weapons before dissolving back into formless darkness. The very thought of Alice bonding with another for the void connection had triggered responses I couldn't entirely suppress.

"Control is an illusion," I admitted, forcing my shadows to stillness. "Especially where Alice is concerned. She... affects me in ways I didn't anticipate."

"Because she sees you," Varik said simply, his manic energy subdued by rare insight. "Not the King of Spades, not theshadow manipulator, not even the centuries-old monarch. She sees Seth, and that terrifies you more than any political maneuvering or magical threat."

My shadows recoiled as if struck, the truth of his words cutting deeper than I cared to admit. "Alice is... unprecedented," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "I've spent centuries learning to read people, to predict their choices, to position myself advantageously. But with her..."

"You're just another man hoping to be chosen," Varik finished, his wild eyes softening with something approaching sympathy. "Must be quite the humbling experience for someone accustomed to controlling outcomes."

I turned away from the detection array, unable to maintain the facade of complete control while discussing Alice. "The pattern will manifest as it chooses. My role is to ensure Wonderland survives long enough for that manifestation to occur."

"Even if it means Alice chooses someone else for the void bond," Varik pressed, his wild eyes studying my reaction with scientific curiosity.

"Even then," I replied, though the words tasted like ash. My shadows betrayed me again, forming brief images of Alice surrounded by other figures—potential void anchors I'd already begun identifying and eliminating from consideration.

Varik's sharp laugh cut through the workshop's ambient humming. "Your shadows suggest otherwise. How many shadow wielders have mysteriously disappeared from Wonderland in the past month, Seth?"

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