บท 51: 51. Wonderland Chapter 6
Mike's POV
"What was that?"
Art feigned confusion. Then, a light bulb appeared over his head when he finally caught up to my question.
"Ah, you are asking about that. Hmm… how to explain?" He pondered. "Well, think of this place as an interactive story. The moment you enter Wonderland, you can create any type of story."
His honey gold eyes sparkled as he continued.
"The story of a soldier who killed her way."
The first Alice popped into my head.
A pitiful general who was far away from home and pulled away from the heat of battle. Like a puppet whose strings were suddenly cut off, she went around killing people in Wonderland. She thought she would be sent back to her realm if she did enough damage. Unfortunately, Dream couldn't have someone wreak havoc in his domain and lock her away.
"The story of a singer who lost his mind."
Then came the second Alice.
Although I had never met him since Omen (or her mesias) found him in the World of Young Sherlock Holmes, I knew enough that his singing was deadly mesmerizing, like a siren. Perhaps he used his singing for his own benefit to manipulate the people around him. Eventually, his singing backfired on him and caused him to go mad.
"The story of a Queen who fears the inevitable."
I remembered the Queen I had spent the most time with among the Alices. To gain all the wealth, fame, and power that any mortal wished to have, but to lose them to death. It was this thought that drove her to the edge.
"And finally, the story of a pair of twins who…." Art trailed off smiling.
I waited for him to say more, but he didn't continue anymore. Suddenly, he switched the topic.
"Of course, we have the success story. The story of the girl who fell down the rabbit hole. The story of the girl who dreamt of a whimsical world. The story of the girl who survived the madness. However you like to call it, it still leads to the same story."
Then, Art turned to me.
"What about you? How would you like your story to be in Wonderland?"
He got closer to me. The sparkle in his eyes bordered on fanaticism.
"Or should I say this? How would you like your story to be?"
I furrowed my eyebrows and slowly pushed Art away until he was far from me. Seeing my reactions, he laughed without restraint. I sighed in resignation as we got out of the rose hedge. I realized that we were in a village.
Filled with villagers with no faces.
I gripped my weapon with wariness as I observed them. Even though they had no faces, they could still walk around, converse with each other, and behave as if there was nothing wrong with them.
Could it be that "I" can't see their faces?
"Is this part of my "story"? If so, I wouldn't have imagined the villagers to have no faces."
Unexpectedly, Art laughed at my question. He laughed so hard that it made me feel a bit embarrassed. It was as though my statement were too dumb.
"I'm sorry. No, this is not part of yours." Art glanced at me with one of his eyebrows raised. "You don't seem to understand your story, don't you? I thought you had seen it."
Wait, how did he know? Only Omen and I saw it.
"Anyway, to answer your question… think of the villagers as the numerous people you see every day. Passers-by, strangers… if you try to recall their faces, you don't remember them. Dream likes to capitalize on that and create this phenomenon.
And as you realize, if you approach a stranger, take time to get to know them, their faces become more impressionable, isn't it? They become a part of your life. All of a sudden, a mere stranger becomes a friend, becomes something important to you. Just like that old lady over there."
Art pointed his finger straight ahead. My eyes followed his direction and saw a hunchbacked old woman. Unlike the rest, her face was shown, and she was full of smiles.
"She's important. The rest of the villagers aren't."
It could be just my mind tricking me, but for a moment, I felt that Art's voice had grown considerably cold at that moment. My eyes darted to his face, but the annoying bugger was grinning from ear to ear. With no way to confirm my suspicion of him, I could only leave it at the back of my mind.
"Welcome, travelers from afar. I'm the village chief's wife. I trust you need someplace to stay, am I right?"
"Yes, ma'am. My name is John, and this is my friend, Art. We would like to stay at your place if you would be so kind."
The old woman nodded her head in agreement and showed us the way. Given that this is Wonderland, where there can be traps and hidden dangers, it would be better for me not to reveal my true name. As for Art, I believe that what he had given me was not his true name. So, none of us would be controlled by our names.
"Oh, so your name is John?" Art whispered to me. "You don't look like one."
I scowled at him and pushed him away.
"Ah, what a coincidence. It was not long before you guys that we have travelers staying at our places." My ears perked up at this fact. Omen might be here. "You will see them in a bit. My husband was taking them into our house. Come now, not a moment to lose. The day is ending, and you wouldn't like to be outside now."
The old lady chuckled mysteriously as she walked down the quaint little path with wildflowers framing the sides. There weren't any particular outstanding features or aura from her, but one can never know.
"Right ahead of you, lads. There's my house. Kekeke…"
I saw a small countryside cottage house with the wildflowers blooming everywhere, almost as if the flowers were trying to claim the place as a part of nature. It wasn't so severe that the plants buried the house, but the roots were wrapped around the walls. It created a unique pattern on the walls, and I could see how well the plants were living around here the closer I got to the house. The old couple must have excellent green thumbs.
"I see you like my plants," The old lady chuckled amiably as she grasped the knob and twisted it. "I can give some to you if you like."
"You treat them so well that they are blooming wonderfully." I complimented her.
"Hoho, such kind words for a young lad. Alright, we are in the house now. You are free to take up residence in the guest rooms." She gestured to the side where there were two rooms, one of the room's doors was closed while the other was opened. "I will pick up some flowers for you. It's not an option. This is my gift to you."
She walked away immediately. Somehow, the elderly lady sensed that I was about to refuse her gift, hence her words. I was surprised at how adamant she was. Surely those wildflowers are merely just flowers, right?
Art chuckled. "You must have a way with older ladies, huh? Look at how charmed she was."
"It was just a genuine compliment. There's no need for such a gift, right?" Art shrugged at my question before walking into the room. I glanced at the closed room next to us. I had a sense that she was right behind the door. Unfortunately, with the mind link disrupted in this world, I couldn't confirm if she was there.
It felt like years since we last saw each other even though it was days.
Does she know that the Library no longer exists? Does she know exactly who she is and who I am now? How much… does she know?
I was afraid to knock on the door, but we had a war to fight, and my truth could not be hidden anymore.
"Master?"
I jumped back in shock at Dice's sudden voice. I had forgotten that I had sent the robot out to do a preliminary search. If Dice was back so soon, this house would be considered a safe place. Then, the knob of the closed door suddenly turned, and out popped a girl's head.
"I heard… brother's voice?"
"Hes?" Art came back out of our room. "Oh! You are here!"
"Brother!!" Hes bolted out and hugged her brother tightly. Art laughed heartily before kissing her forehead. "Was the tea party fun? I'm sorry I didn't go. I was caught by something."
"Uh-huh! Then I met a lot of kind sisters and a brother who took me to find you. They are really nice, but now… they seem to be sleeping. They must be exhausted."
I heard collective groans from the room where Hes came out from. Feeling concerned, I pushed the door, so I could see inside. What I saw made my heart stop beating. They weren't sleeping. Omen and her mesias had fainted, but their faces were stuck in a painful expression.
The room was very dark, so I cast a light spell.
"Mirrors… This whole room is a mirror!"
Immediately, the twins grabbed both my arms, one on each arm, immobilizing me.
"What!? What are you guys doing?"
"This is the final test," Art began, his voice growing deeper while his eyes became glassy.
"The test to find your friends." Hes continued.
"The final test to see how worthy the both of you are." They both ended.
Those were the last words I heard as I succumbed to darkness.
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