Page 88 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
SETH
Imaterialized from the shadows in the corner of Varik's workshop, my Void magic rippling as I stepped into the room. The familiar scent of Alice hit me immediately—but changed now, layered with the permanent bonds she'd completed while away. My jaw clenched involuntarily as I took in the twin marks adorning her throat, golden and silver claims that pulsed with magical energy.
"Seth," Alice breathed, her voice carrying surprise and something deeper that made the incomplete Void bond between us flare with responding darkness.
Through our connection, I felt her complex emotions—relief at seeing me, guilt over the completed bonds, and an underlying current of something that might have been longing. The Void magic within me stirred hungrily at her proximity, shadows writhing beneath my skin with barely contained need.
"Welcome back," I said, my voice rougher than intended as I fought to maintain control.
Heart and Chi moved slightly closer to Alice, a subtle protective gesture that didn't escape my notice. I couldn'tblame them—the Void bond's hunger was becoming increasingly difficult to mask. The shadows beneath my skin rippled with anticipation, reaching invisible tendrils toward Alice even as I held myself perfectly still.
"Your training was successful, I see," I observed, nodding toward the marks on her neck. "The pattern integration is remarkable."
Alice's hand drifted unconsciously to her throat, fingers brushing over the twin claims. "We made progress," she acknowledged, her voice steady despite the emotions I could feel churning through our incomplete bond. "More than we expected."
I moved toward the central table where maps and intelligence reports waited, needing physical distance to maintain my composure. The Void magic within me protested every step that took me away from her, but I had centuries of practice in restraint.
"We need to discuss the Queen's movements," I said, forcing myself to focus on the tactical necessities rather than the mating marks that called to my darkness. "She's been unusually active during your absence."
Heart stepped forward, his golden patterns pulsing with calm authority. "What kind of activity? Martha and Varik mentioned troop movements."
"More than just troops," I replied, spreading a detailed map across the table. Shadow-infused markers indicated positions throughout Wonderland. "She's been activating blood magic sites across the realm—ancient nexus points where her corruption runs deepest."
Chi's tail lashed with agitation as he studied the pattern of markers. "She's preparing for something big."
"A ritual," I confirmed, my fingers tracing the connections between the marked locations. "My intelligence networkbelieves she's attempting to permanently corrupt Wonderland's underlying pattern… if she can’t have Alice…she will make sure to take Wonderland as a constellation. Her madness is so bad I don’t think even catching Alice and having her would bring her back.”
Alice's face paled at my words, the pattern beneath her skin flickering with alarm. "Permanently corrupt the entire realm? Is that even possible?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Vee interjected grimly, moving to examine the shadow-marked map. "If she can synchronize enough blood magic at the nexus points, she could theoretically poison Wonderland's foundational magic itself."
Dee's temporal devices began humming with urgent calculations. "The probability matrices are... disturbing. If she completes this ritual, even defeating her won't restore the realm. The corruption would be irreversible."
Through our Void bond, I felt Alice's growing horror at the implications. The shadows beneath my skin writhed sympathetically, responding to her distress, despite my efforts to contain them.
"How long do we have?" Heart asked, his golden patterns blazing with protective fury as he processed the threat to his homeland.
I traced a finger along the temporal markings on the map, my Void magic revealing the dark energies building at each nexus point. "Based on the corruption patterns, she needs at least five more sites activated to achieve critical mass. At her current pace... perhaps four days."
"Four days," Alice whispered, the weight of the timeline settling over her like a physical blow. Through our bond, I felt her determination crystallizing alongside her fear. "Then we don't have time for gradual preparation."
"No," I agreed, finally allowing myself to look directly at her again. The twin mating marks seemed to pulse brighter under my gaze, reminding me of what I'd waited for while she'd grown stronger in the pocket dimension.
"We need to move within two days," I continued, forcing my attention back to the map though every instinct screamed to claim what the Void magic insisted was mine. "Any longer and the Queen's ritual will be too far advanced to stop."
Alice stepped closer to examine the markings, her proximity making shadows dance beneath my skin with renewed hunger. The scent of her completed bonds mixed with her natural essence created an intoxicating combination that tested every barrier I'd built over centuries of restraint.
"These nexus points," she said, pointing to several locations, "are they all places where the pattern runs deepest underground?"
"Precisely. Ancient sites where Wonderland's foundational magic pooled during the realm's creation." I moved my finger across the map, careful not to let it brush against hers despite the Void bond's desperate pull toward contact. "She's been systematically corrupting them, turning sources of pure creation into focal points for destruction."Chi's ears flattened against his head as he studied the pattern. "She's not just trying to control Wonderland—she wants to remake it entirely in her image."
"A realm of pure corruption," Heart said grimly, his golden patterns flickering with rage. "Where blood magic is the only power that can survive."
I nodded, shadows coiling more tightly beneath my skin as Alice leaned over the map, close enough that her warmth ghosted across my arm. "My contacts report the affected areas are already showing signs of fundamental change. Plants wither despite healthy soil, water sources turning brackish, even the air itself becoming harder to breathe."
"Any villages or homes nearest to completed nexus points have had to evacuate," I continued, forcing myself to step back as Alice's pattern began responding to my proximity with curious tendrils of light. "We're losing territory daily."
The implications settled over us like a suffocating blanket. Through our Void bond, I felt Alice's guilt—the crushing weight of responsibility she carried for every life displaced, every acre of land poisoned while she'd trained in safety.
