ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙: 𝕎𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕

~Any person and event here is purely created by the author. Any similarities are purely coincidental~

~Some places may be real or inspired. The author will be taking note of this at the end of ever chapter.~

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Do you know Alice in Wonderland?

The young blonde girl climbs the staircase, her head down low as she felt like everything is falling apart.

Alice had fallen down the rabbit hole and discovered wonderland.

"Wonderland....I want to..." The girl murmured as she opens the door of the rooftop with all her strength. She stumbles as soon as the door was opened, her hands scrambling at the dirty floor as she crawls and slowly stood up.

"I want to go to Wonderland." The girl said, smiling as if she's in a state of euphoria. Her yellowish blonde hair dances in the wind as her right foot steps on the ledge of the roof top, her hands propped up on the ledge. She slowly bounces for momentum. She then lifts her left foot up, stepping on the ledge. She stood up, properly, wobbling a bit.

She spreads her arms side wards, as she feels the wind blowing. Her light blue shoulder-puffed dress, and atop of it was a white pinafore. She slowly takes off her ankle-strapped black shoes and tosses it behind her.

She looks down, seeing the lights of the building, lamp posts and cars, giving her a spectacular view of the city in the night. She laughed as if she was experiencing freedom.

But freedom from what exactly?

She jumps down to what she thought was a rabbit hole, but only to land on the ground as her blood splatters, scaring everyone from what she just did. And with what she did, she had met her death after.

Now, did Alice really fall on the rabbit hole?

Luis' POV

A white rabbit had devoured me....

I was unsure now where I was falling as I see weird things. The ballerina atop the music box had only spoke, "In wonderland, not everything you see, is what it seems to be."

I also don't have any memory on what happened before I even got here—I continued falling and falling on a bottomless pit-like place. I tried to remember very well what happened, on how I got here. I remember, all I remember is an earthquake.

Once again, the words echoed in my mind. "Wonderland? Is such a place even exist?" I thought.

I am not a fan of Alice in Wonderland stories, but I'm very familiar with the events of it. Alice falls in a rabbit hole and gets to wonderland then had an adventure and found out she was only dreaming. Despite my self not liking Alice in Wonderland, I know the entire story. That's why I'm sure, there was no white rabbit eating Alice in the story.

I opened my eyes, feeling myself laid down on the ground. The first thing I took notice was the purplish dark blue night sky. The stars were evidently twinkling and I can see Alpha star of a certain constellation which I guessed is Centaurus. I'm not also an avid astronomy fan so I'm unsure if Alpha Centauri A is the name or something. The star has a name that goes along centaur and whatnot.

I slowly sat up, looking around as I noticed no one was around.

At least, that's what I thought.

I can hear a cheerful manly voice just near. I stood up, dusting my pants off and shoving my facemask into the pockets. It's a surprise that I still have the mask. But I disregarded that as I try to focus on the cheerful voice.

"Behind you." Someone whispered as I turned around. There, a tan tall man wearing a flashy mismatching suit—checkered violet and white pants, green tux and long-sleeved white under polo, red tie and a blue top hat. No, I couldn't meet the mad hatter now. He's the last person I want to meet.

It's not like I hate his character. He's just...too mad for me.

Then, I observed this tall man before me. Unlike the real mad hatter, this mad hatter isn't smiling at all. Taking one last closer look, two black hearts are marked underneath his left eye. "I don't remember seeing you around." He said, his accent quite like Mexican or Italian. Oh wait, his English has those kinds of Spanish-like dialect. Still though, I'm unsure whether the accent falls in Mexican, Italian, Latin or Spanish.

Funny, isn't Alice in Wonderland...British?

"What's your name?" The man whom I assumed the Mad Hatter asked, as he walks around me, observing me. "Luis...Luis..." My response trailed off, trying to remember my last name. "Wait! I don't remember my last name. What's my last name?!" I screamed in my mind. I remember my first name, but my last name left no clue behind.

The man before me hummed, as if he knew what I was thinking. "Memory lapse, huh?" He uttered, "No worries, I'm sure you'll remember by soon." He added. His tone wasn't too cheerful, just some casual but strict tone. For some reason, I don't think he's the Mad Hatter at all. After all, isn't Mad Hatter supposed to be having tea and doing...mad stuff? And this man before me, isn't doing anything mad at all!

The man took of his hat, showing his messy curly black hair. He ran his hand through it then handed me his hat, "Hold this, like this." He instructed, the opening of the hat facing upwards. He then dived both his hands inside his hat, as if he's fishing something out. He takes out a paper scroll, just a part of it I assumed. Both his hands hold it up as he squinted his eyes, as if reading the paper.

"Oh, I forgot my reading glasses." He mumbled, one hand fishing in the hat again, then pulling out circle-shaped reading glasses. He puts them on and starts muttering as he reads whatever is written on the paper. He then starts pulling the rest of the scroll out as he continues reading, the part being pulled out but not held, all landing on me.

Forget it, he IS the Mad Hatter.

The man soon reached the end of the scroll and pulled his hat away from me. He shoved the whole lengthy scroll back inside his hat then his glasses then put his hat on again, to hide his curly black hair. "Does the last name Delgado ring a clue to you?" He asked me.

I furrowed my brows. I wondered if he's probably asking if that is my last name. I shook my head with a small frown, as he suggested another funny last name and so on—Yamamoto, Miller, Madden and other last names.

But none of those ring a bell.

There, I heard the audible stomping of someone unknown. The man looks behind me, staring the distance. "She sure moves fast, or is she even part of it?" He mumbled. He took off his hat once more, and dove his hand in it then pulled out a telescope. Staring into the telescope, he 'oh'ed. "Well, well, look what the cat-erpillar dragged in." He said, showing the interest as he keeps the telescope in his hat and starts rummaging through his hat again.

Cat-erpillar. Kinda like riddlish. The way he said the word, he sounded the t sound first then added "erpillar". The expression "Look what the cat dragged in" was used when someone is approaching, mostly they disagree or dislike the person approaching. But, it was funny on how he added "erpillar" when the whole meaning of the word was "caterpillar". Still, though, I wonder who is approaching...or is a caterpillar really approaching?

He then pulled out an old-kind motorcycle and helmet out of his hat, reminding me that I might be in Wonderland. Or I'm just dreaming. He puts his hat on, picks me up and sits me down on the back seat of the motorcycle, then puts the helmet on my head as he secures it. He hops on the front seat, starting up the vehicle. "Uhm, do you even know how to drive this?" I asked.

"Oh please, I've been to many countries just to join motorcycle drag racing." He said proudly, "That's why hold on tight, Luis. After all, you're being hunted down." He informed as I held on his shoulders tightly. The last sentence caught me off guard as I widened my eyes in shock. "I'm being, what?" I was shocked.

Not just that, what in the whole world did he mean by motor drag racing in many countries?

The motorcycle then moved forward under the man's control. The speed was too much...it might've even gone past the speed limit when driving. "Hunted down, Luis!" He spoke over the engine revving, this time, his dialect all gone, which was entirely weird. "I am Hatter." He introduced while driving, sometimes glancing behind me while driving.

"Hatter, as in Mad Hatter?!" I asked, raising my voice over the loud engine. I looked behind me and to my shock, there was indeed a huge caterpillar chasing us, and atop it was a figure wearing a cloak and hood over its head. The hood has two stitched brown rabbit ears, and I cannot definitely see the face because of the hood.

"You can say it that way! But you can just call me Hatter. And I welcome you to Wonderland, and also, you're either dead in the real world or near dead." He said, trying to overpower the sound of the revving engine. He leans the motor to the right, stirring the whole vehicle right, trying to lose our pursuers.

"Wait, I'm dead?!" I asked.

"Either dead or near dead!" Hatter clarified. "Isn't that the same thing?!"

"Not really! The latter is more on like you're in coma. But well, you'll never know either way with the Queen of Hearts and White Queen gone." He explained, "Right now, all souls here who wanted to go back are unable to do that with the two queens gone. But life here isn't so bad, you're just gonna get hunted down but you can run away!" He added.

Wait? Two queens gone?

I vividly remember the story having three queens. The Queen of Hearts, White Queen and Red Queen. Yet, he said only two queens are gone. The Queen of Hearts and White Queen. What happened to the Red Queen?

"If you're wondering about the Red Queen, she's captured, imprisoned in the dungeon. A lot has changed here ever since she came. But don't worry, this land will be free because the Queen of Hearts had left someone to liberate us all!" Hatter explained, accelerating.

I looked behind me and the once visible pursuers are nothing but a dot now. I looked to the front, the engine's volume softening, as we slowed down little by little. The phrase "someone to liberate us all" caught my attention wholly.

Up to now, I haven't still accepted the fact that I'm in Wonderland. Wonderland is just a fictitious place...no such land exists. "You're lying. I'm not in Wonderland." I spoke calmly, as the wind brushes my hair while his remained safe inside his hat.

"A soul and a Wonderlander can't lie to one another, Luis." Hatter spoke, his voice calm as well. "Wonderlander?" I repeated. "A person who lives here." Hatter briefly explained, making it clear to me. I looked ahead of us, seeing the sunrise. And it was beautiful.

The silence between us was occupied by the sound of the engine revving as I hold on to the man who calls himself Hatter. I used the silence as an opportunity to process everything that had happened 'til now, on how I got here and why I am here.

An earthquake happened, then the ground bursted showing a white rabbit. The rabbit ate me and I woke up, now I'm here.

I frowned as I can't seem to connect how I even got here. It was getting on my nerve at how I can't seem to connect the dots, how I can't deduce on how I even got here in the first place. I bit my lips in annoyance as I groaned.

As if on cue, Hatter had stopped the motor and hopped off. He once again took off his hat and started rummaging through it again. Soon, he pulled out a smoke gun, one used back during a war. He puts a smoke shell and fires it to the air, bursting a red smoke.

"What's that for?" I asked as I hop off the bike. "A smoke signal. Remember what I said about someone being left here to liberate all of us?" Hatter asked back and I nodded with a reply. He then smiled as he put an arm around me, "Well, that signal is for her." He said, happily.

3rd Person POV

"A smoke signal..." A man with red hair said as he looks ahead, seeing a red smoke, "From Hatter." He finished. He turns around, facing the girl with him. The girl had taken off her hood, finally revealing her face and features.

Her pale porcelain white skin and bright blue eyes finally revealed. Her big eyes adorned her face perfectly as her black hair cascaded down, while the top part was tied in a lazy half ponytail. She was a doll. Like a doll. Mysteriously beautiful. All in all, that the red-haired boy adored. She opens her mouth, her melodic voice resounding. "Then let's get to it, Ace." She spoke to the red-haired man.

The red-haired man, Ace nodded. He fiddles the button near his collar, a habit he has when he is getting fired up. "Then, let's go, Heart." He spoke.

Just around them was a motorbike that Hatter had given them. Ace boards this bike as Heart hops on the back seat, and finally, the man started the engine, driving to where Hatter could be. He uses one hand to put his hood back on, while Heart wraps one arm around Ace's torso, using her other hand to put on her hood.

Her hair was messily covered with her hood considering the wind had made it dance. Heart squinted her eyes, as the wind hits both their faces. Her cloak flying behind them while Ace's cloak slightly hits Heart's face as the wind tries to flying his cloak as well. Her bag sitting infront of her. The white dress she wears, its skirt slightly flew in the wind, but she didn't mind. She was more on focus with the signal Hatter had sent them.

Meanwhile, Luis was still confused as ever. "Who exactly is her?" is what he thought as he looks around. A frown was plastered on his face, getting annoyed already with the events. He leans on the motorcycle, his arms crossed as his fingers tapped his own skin. After long minutes of silence, Luis once again asked, "Who's her?"

Hatter hummed while playing his hat, spinning it around his arm as his forearm was dived in the opening of the hat. He didn't bother giving an answer as he just hums a tune while playing his hat. And this of course, annoyed Luis even more. "Who's her?!" Luis once again asked, raising his voice to catch his attention. From Luis, Hatter flinched as he stopped playing his hat and hummed again, "Well, her...her is the Queen of Hearts." He answered.

And it became more confusing to Luis. He furrowed his eyebrows, showing his confusion and puzzled look. "I thought the Queen of Hearts is gone?" He asked once again. Hatter chuckled as he starts jumping, "Oh yes! The Queen of Hearts is gone. But this Queen of Hearts is more like a liberator leader. She was dubbed as that by the real Queen of Hearts, which is the Queen that is gone, but this Queen is not really a queen but like a queen and this Queen to free us all in the name of our Queen!" He explained.

And this became more confusing in Luis' part.

"Which Queen is which?"

"Hatter!" A voice called over, one unknown to Luis' ears, but felt familiar to him. He turns around while Hatter looks to the direction of the voice, there they see an approaching motorbike, a boy driving it and a girl on the backseat. Both figures have their hoods on, seeing Hatter and Luis in their view.

The motorbike came into a halt, as both the riders of it hop off. And first person to remove their hood was the red-haired boy, Ace. Luis stares at him, taking note of each detail in Ace's features. Ace was a red-haired man, tall and handsome. His scar on his cheek and grey eyes were greatly attractive on him and matches his white but not nearing porcelain, skin. He has a black sling bag from his right shoulder across to his bottom left torso.

But Luis' eyes moved over to the other figure who is taking off their hood, revealing a girl his age, Heart. She fingercombs her hair, fixing the mess made on it. And each detail in Heart, mysteriously Luis admired. Her blue eyes met Luis' emerald green eyes, her stoic expression not faltering as both their eyes met.

The short-sleeved V-neck white dress perfectly hugged Heart's body, showing the curves a bit, but loosened for easy moving. On the chest part where the vertex of the V is, can definitely show Heart's cleavage but because of the bilayer white cleavage coverer—the top layer would be white lace and the bottom one would be a white cloth, the cleavage was covered and not seen. The shoulder straps of the cleavage coverer however can be seen a bit coming out of the top part of the sleeves of the dress.

On the right side of the chest part of the dress was a red rose pinned on it. She also wears a black waist corset belt, and flat brown synthetic ankle boots. She also has her brown sling bag across her left shoulder down to her bottom right torso. And like Ace, Luis somehow mysteriously adored the features.

After seconds of staring at each other, Heart finally spoke. "So, a new one huh?" Luis broke out of his trance in staring at Heart, quickly apologizing afterwards. Heart dismissed the apology and was more curious in the new being in front of them.

"His name is Luis. And yes! He is certainly a new one. He must be in coma, but he can be dead too, then again, you're the only one left who can tell if he's dead or not." Hatter said. Luis furrowed his eyebrows again, as he remembers fully well that Hatter said he has no way of finding out whether he's dead or not.

"I thought I'll never know whether I'm dead or not?" Luis asked.

Hatter looked at Luis in a puzzled, "I said that?" He asked back.

Luis frowned at Hatter's question. He remembers very well what Hatter said and also the very confusing explanation Hatter said about the whole Queen of Hearts thing. He opens his mouth, preparing to answer back, though his reply was cut short as Heart intervenes. She steps in between Hatter and Luis, barricading them from each other, "I'll take it from here, Hatter." She spoke.

Hatter took off his hat, doing a bow as he tips his hat. "Understood." He said then walks over to his motorcycle and hops on. "You know where to find me, Heart." He reminded and drove off in his motorcycle, leaving the three behind.

As Hatter drives off, Ace comes into realization with the presence of three people and one motorbike that can hold two people only. "Hatter, we need your bike!" He yelled, but it seems the said man with a top hat didn't hear it, as his view is nothing but a dot.

Ace groaned and whined, his hand running through his red hair in frustration. "Forget it, Ace. Just drive back with Rui in the bike and I'll take the cat." Heart said, patting Ace's shoulder, accidentally pronouncing Luis' name incorrectly.

"Luis." Luis firmly said, correcting her. "What?" Heart mumbled, looking at him in confusion. "It's Luis not Rui." He repeated to her, his eyes narrowing a bit. From the reply, Heart simply opened her mouth and 'oh'ed as she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Heart said, showing her boredom as she walks over to him. Her hand slowly reaches to Luis, slowly but surely moving as her hand cups his cheek. A red color painting on Luis' cheeks from the sudden contact as Luis flinched.

"It's cold." Luis had thought, commenting mentally about Heart's hand on how it feels cold like a corpse, yet as the contact stays longer, it slowly becomes warm. His eyes moved back to Heart's eyes, taking note on how her blue eyes show monotonous and no sparks, on how bright those blue eyes are yet dull. He was sure, he had seen those eyes before. Somewhere, he had seen it somewhere. He just can't put a finger on it.

"Coma." After seconds of that, Heart spoke and received a skeptical look on Luis. "Pardon?" He asked.

Heart sighed, retreating her hand as she steps back, finally approximately five feet away from Luis. "You're unconscious but still alive, but I'm sure it'll lead to coma." She explained briefly.

The explanation made Luis laugh. And this reaction made Ace look at the new boy sourly. "What's so funny?" Ace asked, in annoyance. Luis had immediately stopped laughing after hearing Ace. "Sorry, but I'm not buying that." He replied to red-haired boy.

"I mean, an earthquake just happened then I am suddenly in this weird place you all call Wonderland and you say now I'm in coma? Yeah, you two are messing with me." Luis said, trying hard to convince himself that all of this are not real. "But nice effects here. The way you did all of this along with the timing of the earthquake-"

"And a white rabbit sprouted out of the Earth's core and ate you." Heart abruptly interrupted as she pulls out a small revolver from under her skirt and points it at Luis. Luis widened his eyes, raising his hand as he slowly steps back. His used to be soft eyes glared at Heart's monotonous ones. "What are you doing?" Luis asked, showing his anger and also fear from the possibility of getting shot.

"Wonderland is kinda like a purgatory. You won't die here no matter what, whether I shoot you, stab you, take out your organs or blind you, everything will go back to normal in your body. All the wounds you acquire here will regenerate but it takes time depending on what happened." Heart said, "And also, you may not die in this place, but you can feel pain." She added, putting her finger on the trigger. She said all those things in a nonchalant tone, her lips pressing in a thin line.

"You're bluffing." Luis said, assuming that Heart will shoot him to prove her point. But he isn't taking that chance, after all, if everything she said were real, then the possibility of affecting his real body is high as well.

"Your real body won't be affected whatever happens here." Heart said, as if she can read his mind, "Now I'll drop you dead first to give you proof." She said and quickly, she pulls the trigger.

It happened all too quickly.

Luis had tilted his whole body to the side, attempting to dodge the bullet, then seeing the distance between him and the bullet a bit farther than he expected, split second. He had guessed it all quickly, that if he didn't tilt his body, the bullet would still miss him.

"So, she missed?" He thought.

He then felt a sharp object impaled through his chest. He looked down, seeing a knife, a knife held by Heart's left hand while her right hand holds the revolver. "Shooting you will result to you taking time to regenerate. But stabbing is the quickest way." She said as she pulls out the knife, now blood stained as Luis drops to the ground, coughing out blood while blood also seeps out of his wound.

"It was all too fast. While she was pulling the trigger and I was simultaneously preparing to dodge, she also pulled out a knife. " Luis thought as he pictures how she had pulled the knife out while about to shoot him.

"So, you missed the shot on purpose as a distraction?" Luis gagged, coughing out the blood. "Where the hell did she stab me?" He asked himself in mind, as he can still feel the depth of the knife through him even though it was pulled out already.

"Relax, you won't die while you're here." Ace said, showing his laid-back attitude while crossing his arms as he walks over to the bleeding Luis. Luis struggles to look up, his vision blurring second by second, even quicker.

And with that, his body felt numb, everything in Luis' field of vision went black.