Page 107 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
"Because she fears what I represent," I replied, letting my voice carry to every corner of the market. "The Red Queen has been systematically poisoning Wonderland's pattern itself, corrupting the very foundation of this realm with blood magic. She searches for me because I carry the power to stop her—to restore what she has twisted."
The crowd stirred uneasily at this revelation. I could see doubt flickering across faces, some beginning to understand while others remained skeptical.
"You speak of corruption," an elderly man called from the crowd, his voice wavering with uncertainty. "But we have seen no such thing. The Queen rules as she always has."
Heart stepped forward, his golden patterns blazing with painful truth. "Then you have not visited the outer territories recently," he said, his voice heavy with grief. "The withering lands where nothing grows, the poisoned water sources, the air that burns to breathe. My mother's corruption spreads further each day."
A gasp went up from the crowd as they recognized him—the Heart Prince, speaking against his own mother. The weight of his betrayal hung in the air like a physical presence.
"The Prince speaks truth," Chi added, his tail lashing with agitation. "I have seen the corrupted nexus points with my own eyes. Places where Wonderland's very essence rots away."
I stepped forward again, the pattern beneath my skin pulsing brighter as I drew on the network's strength.I could see recognition dawning on some faces in the crowd, murmurs of confirmation as people remembered strange reports from distant territories, rumors they'd dismissed as exaggeration.
"She plans to remake Wonderland entirely," I continued, my voice growing more urgent as the pattern beneath my skin pulsed with silver-gold light. "A realm where only blood magic can survive, where corruption is the natural state. Everything you know and love about this place will cease to exist if her plan succeeds."
A woman pushed forward through the crowd, her face lined with worry. "My sister lives near the Tulgey Wood. She wrote that the trees are bleeding. Is this—is this what you mean?"
"Yes," I answered, my heart aching for her fear. "The corruption spreads from nexus points throughout Wonderland. The Queen has already poisoned seven of them."
The crowd's murmuring grew louder, faces showing dawning horror as personal experiences suddenly made terrible sense—withered crops, sickened children, water that tasted of metal and ash.
"Show them," Heart urged quietly beside me. "Let them see what true pattern magic looks like." I nodded, drawing a deep breath as I extended my hands. The pattern beneath my skin blazed brighter, silver-gold light streaming between my fingers as I called forth the magic I'd practiced with Heart and Chi. Unlike the Queen's blood magic, which twisted and distorted, my pattern magic flowed like living light, creating intricate geometric shapes that danced above the crowd.
Gasps of wonder rose from the gathered people as silver-gold patterns bloomed in the air, unfurling like luminous flowers. These weren't the forced constructs the Queen created, but natural extensions of Wonderland's true essence—balanced, harmonious, alive.
"This is what pattern magic should be," I said, letting the silver-gold light spiral outward. "Not the corrupted blood magic the Queen now wields."
The crowd watched in stunned silence as my magic touched a nearby withered plant, its brown leaves unfurling to vibrant green within moments. The transformation was visible to everyone—life returning where corruption had begun to take hold. The crowd's stunned silence broke into excited whispers as more people pressed forward to witness the healing magic I'd just demonstrated. I could see hope beginning to bloom on faces that had grown accustomed to accepting slow decline as normal.
"Impossible," breathed a merchant whose stall displayed fruits with the telltale grayish tinge of early corruption. "The Queen told us such withering was natural, part of Wonderland's evolution."
"Another lie," Seth's voice carried from the shadows at the crowd's edge, though he remained partially concealed. "The Queen has spent years conditioning you to accept corruption as inevitable."
There was muttering of ‘That’s the Spade King’ and ‘The Shadow King’ until it went silent when a young mother holding a pale, sickly child pushed through the crowd. "My daughter hasn't been well since she fell into one of the creeks that the water is tinted red.”
I glanced over I hesitated only briefly before stepping down from the platform, the silver-blue dress flowing around me as I approached the woman and her child. The crowd parted silently, creating a path between us.
"May I?" I asked softly, holding out my hands toward the little girl.
The mother nodded, desperation and hope warring in her eyes as she urged her daughter forward. The child looked no more than five, her skin bearing the grayish tinge I'd come to recognize as early blood corruption. Through my pattern, I could see the red tendrils of the Queen's magic slowly working through her system.
I knelt before her, bringing myself to her eye level. "Hello," I said gently. "What's your name?"
"Lily," she whispered, her voice raspy from the corruption affecting her throat.
"I'm going to try to help you feel better, Lily. Is that okay?” I asked a little nervous. I had never tried this before but looking at this little girl who was suffering I knew I would have to try. The little girl nodded, her wide eyes reflecting a trust that made my heart clench with determination. I placed my hands gently on her shoulders, feeling the corruption's cold touch through her skin. It was different from the withered plant—more insidious, actively fighting against my magic as I reached out with silver-gold light.
The pattern beneath my skin flared brighter as I drew on the bond network. Heart's golden warmth flowed through our connection, lending his healing expertise. Chi's silver energy danced through the link, offering precision and control. Even Seth's shadows stirred, darkness defining the boundaries of light as void magic provided stability to my efforts.
"It's working," the mother gasped as healthy color began returning to her daughter's pale cheeks. The grayish corruption faded like mist before sunlight, red tendrils of blood magic dissolving under the gentle pressure of pure pattern energy. Lily's eyes brightened from dull gray to sparkling blue as the corruption retreated from her system. Her breathing eased, the raspy quality leaving her voice entirely.
"Mama, I feel better," she said, her words clear and strong.The crowd pressed closer, witnessing transformation that contradicted everything they'd been told about the inevitability of Wonderland's decline. Excited murmurs rippled through the gathering as people pointed to Lily's restored health, comparing it to their own family members who'd begun showing similar symptoms.
"She's healing corruption itself," someone whispered in awe. "The Queen told us it was permanent."
I stood slowly, the effort of purification having drained more energy than I'd expected, but the bond network immediately compensated, my mates' magic flowing through our connections to restore my strength. Lily hugged my legs briefly before running back to her mother, who was crying tears as she took her daughter into her arms.
"Thank you," the mother whispered, clutching her daughter close. "We've tried everything—healers, potions, even paid a fortune for blood magic remedies from the Queen's court. Nothing worked."
