Page 33 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
ALICE
Iwoke up slowly, awareness returning in gentle waves rather than the jarring shock I'd grown accustomed to in the Red Queen's domain. My first sensation was warmth—not the oppressive heat of crimson magic, but the comfortable embrace of soft blankets and familiar presences nearby. The second was silence in my mind where the collar's constant pressure had been, replaced by something far more welcome: the steady pulse of bonds freely chosen.
I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by concerned faces. Heart sat closest, his ruby eyes bright with relief as he noticed my awakening. Chi's tail was wrapped protectively around my forearm, his teal gaze searching my face for signs of distress. Seth lingered in the shadows nearby, his dark eyes watchful but warm. And beside me, Vee's silver eyes met mine with gentle concern while Dee monitored something on his temporal devices.
"How do you feel?" Heart asked, eyes soft as he looked at me.
"Like I've been asleep for years and seconds at the same time," I replied, my voice hoarse but steady. As I spoke, flickersof possibility danced at the edges of my vision—Heart smiling in a garden I'd never seen, Chi teaching me to phase between realities, the Tweedles guiding me through temporal exercises. I blinked, and the images faded, leaving only the present moment.
"That's the temporal bonding," Vee explained, noticing my momentary disorientation. "Your consciousness is adjusting to perceiving time differently."
I nodded, slowly pushing myself up to a sitting position. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with renewed strength, silver and gold light unmarred by any trace of crimson. The Queen's corruption was completely gone, not just suppressed but erased as if it had never existed.
Through our new bond, I felt the Tweedles' satisfaction at the successful purging, their temporal magic having reached back to rewrite the pattern's recent history entirely.
"The visions will stabilize over the next few days," Dee added, his silver eyes tracking something I couldn't see. "Your mind, faster than we anticipated, is already creating filters."
I flexed my fingers, watching pure light dance beneath my skin without any trace of the Queen's influence. The relief was overwhelming—like being able to breathe freely after days underwater. But alongside the relief came a flood of memories from the temporal bonding process: glimpses of potential futures, echoes of significant moments, and most importantly, the absolute certainty that I could never let the Queen hurt anyone else the way she'd hurt me.
"The Queen," I said, the name leaving a bitter taste despite her influence being purged. "She's not going to stop, is she?"
Seth's shadows shifted restlessly around his feet. "No. If anything, losing you will make her more desperate. More dangerous."
Through the temporal bond, I caught a glimpse of possible futures—the Red Queen's fury manifesting in increasinglydestructive ways, her network of spies spreading like poison through Wonderland's veins. But I also saw something else: myself, standing against her not as a victim, but as someone who understood the true power of the pattern.
"Then we need to make sure she can't hurt anyone else," I said, surprising myself with the steel in my voice. "The pattern didn't choose me to hide from her."
Heart's ruby eyes widened slightly. "Alice, after everything you've been through?—"
"I need to face her," I interrupted, the words coming with a certainty that surprised even me. "Not immediately, but eventually. I can't spend my life running."
The room fell silent. Through our bonds, I felt their varied reactions—Heart's protective concern warring with pride, Chi's cautious approval, Seth's calculating assessment, and the Tweedles' temporal awareness that had already seen this moment coming.
"The pattern is showing you possibilities," Vee said quietly. I nodded, watching as another vision flickered at the edges of my perception—myself manipulating silver and gold energy with practiced precision, weaving shields and bridges between realities.
"More than possibilities," I replied. "It's showing me what I need to become."
Heart took my hand, his golden patterns pulsing in harmony with mine. "Then we'll help you get there. But recovery comes first—healing before battle. We had started on a plan while you were unconscious…but we know you get the final say in the end."
"What kind of plan?" I asked, carefully swinging my legs over the edge of the cushioned alcove. The movement sent a wave of dizziness through me, but it passed quickly as the pattern's energy stabilized my system.
"A temporal sanctuary," Dee explained, his devices humming softly as he adjusted settings. "The Chronos Pocket—a fold in reality where time flows differently."
"Three weeks of training and recovery for you," Vee continued, "while only three days pass in normal time."
I blinked, processing the implications. "You can do that?"
"With significant effort," Vee acknowledged, his silver eyes meeting his brother's in silent communication. "The temporal manipulation required is... extensive."
"But necessary," Seth added from the shadows. "The Queen believes you're still weakened from captivity. She doesn't know about the temporal bonding or the pattern's complete purging. That gives us an advantage we must use quickly."
Through the temporal bond, I caught glimpses of the sanctuary they envisioned—a meadow surrounded by ancient trees, crystalline structures that pulsed with opalescent light, time itself flowing like water around the boundaries. The place existed simultaneously in multiple realities, protected by layers of temporal distortion that would make it nearly impossible for the Queen to locate.
"And in this pocket, you'll teach me to use the pattern?" I asked, looking from face to face.
"Not just use it," Chi said, his form solidifying completely as he leaned forward. "Understand it. The pattern isn't simply power—it's language, history, connection."
Heart nodded, his ruby eyes warming with something that might have been pride. "You've only touched the surface of what it can do, Alice. The Queen knows this, which is why she's so desperate to claim it before you learn its true potential."
