Well the stew was safe, at least I kept telling myself that. The steam rising from it felt... homey? It tastes like cooking I haven't had in a long time, but I notice my stomach doesn't feel full. It’s like I've not swallowed any of the food, there was no satisfaction from a warm belly. I look over to see that Fae has finished her tart and looks a little drowsy. Then- quietly, like the world changing its mind- warmth finally settled in my stomach. Real warmth. The kind that meant something had reached the inside of me. Huh, when did my hands stop shaking?

  The forest exhaled. It felt like the long table was suddenly empty of guests. That would mean all the empty seats had been full all along? Well, that's a disturbing thought. Outside the clearing, the forest made a sound like a long breath letting go. The air loosened. Even the shadows under the table stopped pressing so close.

  Then the world remembered- it had magic.

  The fae sat upright staring at her wand a few inches away; the stone in her wand glowed sparks brightly like a throbbing heart. She stood up while staring at it then stopped and rubbed her eyes. Evander, who had been staring at a chess set with intensity, suddenly started to laugh- the pieces stopped being dead objects and started to move on their own! The fae was now holding her wand with eyes that shone like diamonds. It turned back into a solid galaxy that could be seen swirling inside, "Is magic finally back?" She whispered.

  "I just love happy endings," The Seer twitched back into her body, and she now had tears in her eyes too! Letting out a soft infectious laugh that made the nearby mourning doves coo. Even Hatter's hats started to glow, flickering rather quickly- it was like they were pouring a wealth of knowledge into him.

  "Oh but it's only the beginning!" Evander stood up and put his arms straight into the air and makes a sweeping motion. He turned the night sky full of stars and darkness to twilight, with the sun on the brim of the horizon. The sky was almost in the same shades of purple as when I left home. "Welcome, contestants! Welcome to the show, where the rules don't matter, but if you break them-" he went from a bright cheery tone to a deep voice that sounded like it came from my worst nightmares. "-it will kill you!" Then he went back to bright, "And if you win-" back to deep voice, "it can also kill you! Ahaha!" He was floating in the air, clutching his sides with laughter.

  "Stop." Both Hatter and the Fae yelled.

  "Don't start her time like that," Fae held up her hand to her stomach as if she finally realized she ate too much.

  "But it's accurate -" the sound of dishes clinked loudly. Why does that keep happening? “Fine,” Evander said, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye. “Now where do we begin?” The Seer’s laughter faded into something softer, like it had run out of air. She blinked too many times—like each blink was a different version of the moment. Her smile didn’t leave, but it looked strained now, like it was something she wanted to hold onto.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Hatter leaned closer to me, voice low. “Don’t listen to him when he’s like this.”

  “When he’s what?” I whispered back.

  “Honest,” Hatter muttered. I shuddered slightly. There's truth to this madness?

  Evander clapped his hands once. The sound rang too loudly- like it hit a bell inside the world instead of the air. “House rules,” he sang. “You’ll love them. Everyone does. Until they don’t.”

  “It’s not a game,” Hatter snapped.

  Evander’s grin widened. “It’s not a fair game.”

  “Can someone please tell me what the hell is happening?” My throat tightened. The stew sat warm in my stomach, but the warmth didn’t reach my chest.

  The fae sat down again and stared at her wand like she didn’t trust it not to vanish. “You passed,” she said, as if that answered everything.

  “Passed what?”

  “The Tower,” Hatter said, jaw clenched. I stared at him, confused.

  “The only 'tower' I see is his chair and I haven't touched it.” I shook my head. Evander leaned over the chessboard as if it were whispering secrets to him. The pieces shifted obediently into place—little soldiers bowing to a king that wasn’t there.

  “Oh, love,” he purred, “you don’t climb the Tower. You realize you’re already standing in its shadow.” He started laughing again and acted like he was pulling invisible strings on the chess pieces, to make them move.

  “That doesn’t mean anything,” I said, though even as I spoke it, something in my bones disagreed. The forest had exhaled. My hands had stopped shaking, and I felt the familiarity of warmth. The world felt… decided- it was time. The Seer’s gaze snapped at me so fast that my skin prickled.

  “It means you’re still here,” she said, voice bright- too bright, like she was trying to keep the moment from collapsing. “It means that Wonderland has accepted you.”

  “Accepted me into what?” I ask gripping the arm rests, not sure I was ready for any answer.

  Evander hummed. “In-to the rul-es.” He sang it while acting like he was a conductor at an orchestra that only he could hear.

  “Into the stages,” the fae corrected softly. She had sat crossed legged like the Seer and was resting her head on top of her wand like it was an extension of her arm.

  Hatter did not correct either of them.

  That scared me more than Evander’s creepy smile. I pushed my bowl away a little. “Okay. Fine. House rules. Tell me. I’m listening.” Evander straightened, pretending to clear his throat like he was about to host a show.

  “Rule one: do not eat what you are not offered.”

  “Except when you’re starving,” the fae said immediately, as if she couldn’t stop herself. Evander pointed at her like she’d impressed him.

  “Excellent! Starvation is a loophole.” He grinned, floating back to his seat. He began eating a loaf of bread. He offered some to Fae and she shook her head no and mouthed 'what the fuck' to him. At least she had table manners, kind of.

  “That makes no sense,” I said flabbergasted at the stupidity of it all.

  “It makes perfect sense,” Hatter replied, voice rough. “Nothing in Wonderland is cruel for no reason. It’s cruel because it thinks it’s teaching you.” He was being serious; this might be a game, but the consequences are very real.

  Evander beamed. “Exactly! Lovely summary. Rule one—don’t take. Wait to be given.”

  I glanced at the potatoes—gone now like they had never existed. “So, what happens if I take? I mean those potatoes were sitting here,” I was trying to reason. But I knew what could happen from my experience.

  The fae’s wings twitched. “Sometimes you choke.” Her wings lost their luster for a moment.

  “Sometimes you win.” Evander shrugged. It looked like despair had crept into his eyes.

  My stomach sank. “That’s not helpful!”

  “It is if you want to live,” Hatter said. “Nothing is guaranteed here. Not even consequences.”