Chapter 2: The Stranger in the Clearing
“Devereux Aven Wonderland,” the figure said, his voice slicing through the heavy silence of the clearing.
Avra froze. The name felt impossibly heavy, as if it carried a weight that could crush entire worlds. She had heard whispers about the man in Riverton, tales told in darkened corners and traded like forbidden secrets. The founder of Wonderland—the man whose legacy had both created and cursed this place.
“You’re him,” she said finally, her voice trembling. “You’re the one who started all this.”
Devereux smiled, but it wasn’t comforting. It was the kind of smile that left you feeling colder than before. “Started it? No, Avra. I didn’t start Wonderland. Wonderland started me.”
His presence seemed to expand, as though the air itself bowed to him. He stepped closer, and the colors of the clearing darkened, the once vibrant flowers curling and wilting as he moved past.
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“I built this place for dreamers,” Devereux continued. “For those who wanted to escape reality. Wonderland was meant to be a sanctuary—a world where anything was possible.” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “But humans have a way of corrupting the things they touch.”
Avra swallowed hard, her instincts screaming at her to run, but her feet were rooted to the spot. “If you built this place, why does everyone fear it now?”
Devereux’s smile faded, replaced by a look of something darker—regret, perhaps, or bitterness. “Because Wonderland is alive, Avra. It adapts. It learns. And it thrives on the shadows people bring with them.”
The ground beneath her shifted, and Avra stumbled as the clearing began to warp. The candy-colored houses in the distance twisted into jagged, grotesque shapes, their cheerful facades melting away to reveal decayed wood and cracked glass. The once-perfect sky grew darker, bleeding into an inky blackness.
“This is what happens when Wonderland is left to feed,” Devereux said, his voice low and cold. “It becomes what you fear most. And now, you’ve brought your own darkness here.”
Avra’s heart pounded as she looked at him. “Why are you telling me this? What do you want from me?”
Devereux stepped closer, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. “Because you don’t belong here, Avra. But Wonderland doesn’t let anyone leave without a price.”