Page 98 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
ALICE
The moment Seth and I entered Varik's workshop, I felt every pair of eyes in the room focus on us with knowing intensity. Heart's golden patterns pulsed with warm approval, while Chi's tail swished with barely contained amusement. The Tweedles looked up from their calculations with clinical interest, as if we'd just provided them with fascinating new data points.
"Well," Chi drawled, his teal eyes dancing with mischief as he took in my flushed appearance and Seth's satisfied expression, "that explains the rather... intense magical resonance we felt through the bond network."
My cheeks burned with embarrassment, but Seth's hand tightened around mine in silent support. Through our newly completed void bond, I felt his dark amusement at their reactions mixed with fierce protectiveness.
“How are Varik and Martha doing?” I asked, changing the subject. I didn’t see them here so I had a feeling they were still resting.
“Still needing more rest. They need until morning atleast to be back to normal.” Heart spoke up, giving me a small smile.
"We'll let them rest as long as they need," Heart continued, his ruby eyes assessing the newly completed bond between Seth and me with thoughtful interest. "The dream you shared changes our priorities significantly."
Vee looked up from his calculations, silver eyes gleaming with scientific fascination. "The probability matrices have shifted dramatically with this new information. The Heart of Hearts as a physical nexus point rather than metaphorical concept changes everything."
"And with the void bond now complete," Dee added, adjusting one of his temporal devices, "That will help Alice be fully stabilized in her magic.”
Seth's shadows rippled around our joined hands, "The network is at full capacity now," he said, his voice carrying undertones of shadow that made the others' patterns respond with answering resonance. "All five connections anchored and stable.”
I felt the truth of his words through the completed bonds. Where before there had been gaps and potential, now silver, gold, and void magic flowed through me in perfect harmony. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with unprecedented brightness, each thread of connection strengthening the others.
"Can you feel it?" Chi asked, his tail curling with curiosity as he studied the magical auras now visible around us. "The way the bonds are amplifying each other?"
I nodded, marveling at the sensation. Heart's golden warmth felt richer with Seth's darkness to define it. Chi's playful silver energy danced more freely with the void's infinite depth as counterpoint. And Seth's shadows no longer felt consuming but grounding, anchoring all our connections in a foundation as solid as bedrock.
"It's remarkable," Dee murmured, his open eyes flilled with appreciative wonder. "I've never seen a bond network achieve such perfect balance before."
"The theoretical models didn't account for this level of integration," Vee added, his silver eyes tracking the invisible patterns only he could perceive. "The void bond has created a resonance effect that's amplifying everything exponentially."
I moved toward the central table where maps and plans were spread out, Seth's shadows reluctantly loosening their hold on me but never completely releasing contact. His darkness remained connected to me through tendrils of void magic that seemed unwilling to break physical connection so soon after bonding.
"So what's our next step?" I asked, focusing on the task ahead despite the lingering sensations from my encounter with Seth. "The public declaration at the Central Market?"
"The Market remains our best option," Heart confirmed, his golden patterns pulsing with strategic calculation. "But with what Wonderland told you about the Heart of Hearts, we need to be prepared for the possibility that the Queen will force a direct confrontation rather than play her usual games."
Chi's tail flicked thoughtfully as he studied the maps spread across the table. "If it's truly beneath her palace, we'll need more than a public declaration. We'll need a way inside."
"My network has been mapping the palace's lower levels for months," Seth said, his shadows darkening as they spread across the map to indicate known passages. "There are old tunnels that predate the current structure—remnants from when the first Queen built her seat of power."
Through our void bond, I felt his centuries of patient planning, the careful cultivation of resources that had led to this moment. “Do we need to plan for the purification right now? Or just put everything to taking the Queen down first?”
"The Queen must be defeated first," Vee said definitively, looking up from his calculations. "The corruption ritual she's performing draws power directly from her life force. As long as she lives, any attempt to purify the Heart of Hearts will be fighting against active resistance."
Dee nodded, his temporal devices humming with urgent energy. "The probability matrices show attempting purification while she maintains the corruption would likely result in magical backlash severe enough to destroy the entire network."
Seth's shadows coiled more tightly around my wrist, his protective instincts flaring through our bond. "Which means we need to reach her before she completes enough nexus points to make the corruption irreversible," he said grimly.
"How many more does she need?" Heart asked, his golden patterns dimming with concern as he studied the shadow-marked locations on Seth's map.
“Three," Seth replied, his blue eyes reflecting the darkness that writhed beneath his skin. "My sources report she's been moving between nexus points with increasing urgency. If she maintains her current pace, she'll complete the ritual within forty-eight hours."
The weight of that timeline settled over the room like a suffocating blanket. Through our bonds, I felt the others' complex emotions—determination mixed with fear, strategic calculation warring with protective instincts.
"Then we don't have time for subtlety," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "The public declaration at the Central Market needs to happen tomorrow morning. Early enough to draw maximum attention before she can complete another corruption site."
Chi's ears flattened against his head, his tail lashing with agitation. "That's cutting it dangerously close. If something goes wrong..."
"We need Varik and Martha to recover before we can do anything…and If we wait longer, there won't be a Wonderland to save.” I muttered quietly, the weight of Wonderland's voice still echoing in my memory. Through our bonds, I felt their reluctant acceptance of the timeline, even as protective instincts warred against the necessity of speed.
