Page 35 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
"Will I still have these visions?" I asked, gesturing to the flickering images that still occasionally danced at the edges of my perception—glimpses of myself in training, standing confident and strong as I wielded the pattern with practiced precision.
"Yes," Vee confirmed, his silver eyes reflecting something ancient and knowing. "The true-time perception is part of the temporal bond. But you'll learn to control it, to summon visions intentionally rather than experiencing them randomly."
"Think of it as a muscle," Dee added, his fingers dancing across his temporal devices. "Right now it's spasming with new strength, but soon you'll direct it with purpose."
I finished the last of the soup, feeling strength return to my limbs with each passing minute. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with renewed vitality, silver and gold light flowing in increasingly complex configurations that seemed to respond to my thoughts rather than simply existing.
"The pattern is already responding differently," I observed, watching the light beneath my skin shift from simple pulsesto intricate spirals that matched my breathing. "It feels more... alive."
"Because you're finally working with it instead of simply carrying it," Seth said from the shadows, his dark eyes reflecting approval. "The First Queen designed it to be a partnership, not a burden."
Chi's tail unwrapped from my arm, his teal eyes studying the new patterns of light with fascination. "The integration is remarkable. I've never seen anything like it."
Through the temporal bond, I caught a glimpse of myself weeks from now—standing in a field of silver grass, my hands weaving complex geometries of light that bent reality around me like clay. The vision felt less like possibility and more like inevitability.
"I want to learn everything," I said, setting the empty bowl aside. "Not just how to defend myself, but how to truly understand what the pattern is meant to do."
Heart's ruby eyes met mine, a mixture of pride and concern shimmering in their depths, “There is time. You should rest more. We will make sure everything is set up and packed.”
I nodded, fatigue washing over me despite the revitalizing effects of Varik's food. "You're right. I should rest before dawn."
As I settled back against the cushions, I caught another flicker of true-time vision—myself standing in a meadow of silver grass, golden light spiraling from my fingertips to create structures that defied ordinary physics. The image felt so real I could almost feel the breeze against my skin, taste the metallic tang of magic in the air.
I closed my eyes fully, trying to ignore the incoming images and sleep, hoping the upcoming training would make it so the visions weren’t so frequent.
Chapter
Fourteen
ALICE
Iwoke up slowly feeling fingers brush gently on my cheek, I blinked slowly seeing Seth sitting next to me.
"Dawn's approaching," he said softly, his blue eyes reflecting the dim light of the sanctuary. "The others are making final preparations for the transition." I nodded, pushing myself up to a sitting position. The temporal visions had settled somewhat during sleep, no longer flickering constantly at the edges of my perception but still occasionally pulsing with potential futures when I focused too long on any one thing.
"How are you feeling?" Seth asked, his shadows coiling protectively around us both.
"Better," I admitted, flexing my fingers to watch pure silver and gold light dance beneath my skin. "Stronger. The Queen's influence is completely gone."
Seth's expression softened slightly, something rare and genuine breaking through his usual calculated mask. "The temporal bonding was more thorough than any of us expected. Your mind adapted remarkably quickly."
I glanced at him searching his face for a moment until he raised an eyebrow at me, “The Void bond…I felt its start, it isn’t fully formed but it started.”
He gave me a flicker of a smile, “It has. I didn’t say anything because you are still wary of me. Rightly so, but it is for you to initiate the bond, not the other way around. You could still choose I am not the right fit….” He trailed off, but I could see the flicker of hunger in his eyes before it was gone.
“Though we both know you are only the good choice.” I knew this, and he was someone I was starting to be comfortable around. I trusted him, I knew Chi and Heart didn’t fully trust him but he came for me and made sure I was safe.
“There are some people in the Void Court who could take my spot.” He gave me a wary grin, the back of his fingers coming to brush across my cheek. "But they wouldn't be me," he finished, a hint of possessiveness in his tone that should have alarmed me but somehow didn't. His touch lingered on my cheek for a moment longer before dropping away.
I caught his hand before it fully retreated, surprising both of us. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed in response, silver and gold light reaching toward his shadows in delicate tendrils.
"Why did you really come for me?" I asked, my voice soft but steady. "The truth, Seth. Not the calculated answer, not what you think I want to hear." His blue eyes darkened, shadows shifting around us as if responding to his emotions. For a moment, I thought he might deflect with his usual cryptic response, but instead, he exhaled slowly.
"Because I couldn't bear the thought of her breaking you," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "The Queen breaks everything she touches, remolds it into twisted reflections of what she desires. The thought of your light being extinguished that way..." His shadows coiled tighter, betraying emotion his face wouldn't show. "It was unacceptable."
I studied his face, seeing vulnerability beneath the careful control. The Void bond flickered between us, not fully formed but present—a whisper of potential rather than a completed connection.
"Thank you," I said simply, squeezing his hand once before releasing it. "For telling me the truth."
