"You may delay, but time will not, and lost time is never found again." - Benjamin Franklin.
Chapter 1: Kingdom of Silence
Someone had once told Alice that regularly breathing in the salty air over the sea could prolong one's life. It had not proven to be true when it came to Alice's mother. As Alice gazed thoughtfully at her ship, aptly named the Wonder, she took in the smell of the sea mixed with the pollution from the docks. Whoever that person was that had told her about the salt air left Alice with a feeling of betrayal. Was it a crewmember who told her? Some business fellow during her company's annual meeting? An acquaintance of some sort? She couldn't bring herself to remember. A deep sigh escaped from her slightly chapped lips as she leant over the wooden barrier, hands clasped firmly together in front of her. As much as it would ease her mind, Alice couldn't shift all the blame to that person. It was the one question that kept flooding her thoughts that stopped her from doing so: Would Helen Kingsleigh have lived longer had she not decided to keep the Wonder and travel with Alice across the seas? After all, a life of excitement and danger was not the best for one's wellbeing - especially for a woman just reaching her seventies. The fact that their trading company entailed both those things left Alice with a dreadful answer, and with each passing year, she believed it more and more so to be true: Her silly ambitions had ended her mother's life early.
It had been fifteen years since Alice and her mother had started the new family business. But, it had only been three since her mother had passed away. Ever since, time had ticked ever so agonisingly on for Alice. It didn't help too that the stagnant scenery before her reminded her of their past adventures together. After establishing themselves and facilitating the expansion of the trading company, Kingsleigh and Kingsleigh had knocked the Ascots clean out of the shipping market. The pair then moved back to their home country to continue their thriving business, where they would gain new trading partners, open up new shipping routes, and go on countless adventures. It was here that Alice and her mother lived and worked. But it was not here that Helen Kingsleigh died.
Kingsleigh and Kingsleigh. It's just Kingsleigh now, Alice thought bitterly as she glowered at her own ship. She was torn between leaving it all behind, and continuing on to make both her mother and father proud.
She finally shifted off the wooden barrier and pulled out her pocket watch from inside her coat. After glancing at the time, she clipped the lid shut and ran her thumb over the engraving of her own name on the case. While Alice did that, she continued her stroll around the docks, taking in the sights one last time before her and the crew departed the very next day. She soon found herself gazing up at the sky above, and was met with not the twinkle of the stars, but a sheet of darkness. Black smoke emitting from almost every chimney in London had dimmed the night sky considerably. It had been the case for the last year now, and Alice knew it would only get worse.
Alice pocketed the watch and wandered down to one of the wooden piers. Her legs were in control and steered her onwards, as her mind was lost deep in a chaotic mess. It was becoming more and more of a habit, and to be distracted while walking along wet wood was dangerous. Alice knew better, yet she allowed it to continue.
A couple of minutes had ticked by when something bright had suddenly caught Alice's eye. It had driven her stroll to a halt and drew her attention back to her surroundings. Checking around her, she finally spotted the source of the strange light. It had come from the water below. Alice got onto her hands and knees and peered down into the strangely calm waters.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Alice's reflection was not alone. Over her shoulder was a shadowy figure, staring back at her with blue ethereal eyes. With bated breath, she turned around to meet the stranger. However, there was nothing but a couple of sealed barrels behind her.
"Curious," Alice muttered to herself as she turned her sights back to the waters below her.
Where did the figure go?
Furrowing her brows, she leant down further, squinting to see better in the dark. She could have sworn she saw a pair of bright eyes gazing upon her. Had she frightened whatever it was away? Was there anything there to begin with? Confusion had gotten the better of her, as she unknowingly let gravity betray her. With a sharp gasp, Alice felt her hands slip out from under her. She went stumbling over the edge, splashing headfirst into the freezing water below. The sudden drop in temperature quickly spread over her body as she plunged deep into the darkness. Alice tried to swim up, but it felt as if there were hands around her ankles, dragging her down. Her body went into a panic as she started to thrash about, desperately trying to reach out and grab anything her hand came upon. It was fruitless, and soon enough, the serene world around her faded away.
XXX
The first of Alice's five senses to begin working again was her hearing. The sound of gears chugging away and the repetitive ticking of what she guessed to be a very large clock assaulted her ears. She slowly opened her eyes and was met with quite a sight. The ceiling she stared up at looked to be miles away from where she lay. Rib-arched in nature, the ceiling's black colours were complimented by the panes of glass scattered between each rib. An electric blue glow emanated from behind the panes, giving the grand space adequate lighting, but also a grim and lonely feeling to it. On either side of the room, large gears protruding from the obsidian floor feverishly turned. Alice took a deep breath and sat up, relieved to find that her lungs were free of water. Her captain's uniform was also dry, but she still felt the chill of the water that she had plunged into and shivered.
Immediately in front of her, a figure stirred on a throne. The large throne itself was menacing in appearance, having three small spires poke upwards from the top of its frame. It was slightly elevated above the rest of the chamber on a pedestal, and had a set of stairs lead up to it. An archway also framed the elevated area, and behind the throne, a large pane, backlit with blue lighting, loomed. It wasn't quite transparent, as Alice could see the shadows of numerous smaller gears turning behind it.
But the gothic architecture, as grand as it was, was not what was interesting about the throne room. It was the man on the throne that had held Alice's attention. Magnificently dressed in predominately black - the very same outfit Alice had last seen him in - was Time himself. He had finally opened his eyes in response to his guest getting to her feet. The pale grey of his irises had flickered into an ethereal blue, as if they were those light bulbs that had been brought to life by inventors Alice had come across recently in her travels. With a great heave from his throne, Time stood and began to descend the staircase towards her. He wore a sincere smile, as if he were greeting an old friend. Of course, the last time Alice had spoken with Time they parted on good terms, with him insisting he would never forget Alice. But who could forget the girl that almost sent Underland into a timeless oblivion?
As Time got closer, Alice couldn't help but look past the smile to see the pain in his eyes. Then, all at once, it hit her. Her heart fluttered a little. She had returned once more to the impossible! But why? Time had told her never to return, and yet, he had brought her back to Underland. Perhaps the eternal being needed her help?
"Ah, Alice. I have been waiting for you. I did not want to wake you from your slumber, as you appeared to be…" Time faltered, examining her face closely before choosing his last word. "Tired?"
For the first time in a long time, a genuine grin had spread across Alice's face. It was amusing to see that Time himself was baffled by her much older appearance, chalking it up to be because of a lack of sleep. Either that, or he had caught himself before he could remark on her older appearance. Regardless, she couldn't help but be astounded by how much time had passed since she was last here.
Alice bowed politely. "Hello again. I do beg your pardon, but I thought that Time waited for no man… or woman," she quickly added, hoping to brighten Time's spirits with a jesting remark.
"Indeed. It would be true in every sense… except for today." He stated softly. The volume of his voice was not at all what Alice had remembered. Instead, the memory of his booming voice as he called for his loyal butler Wilkins quickly filled her head. On that note, she decided to get straight down to business.
"What has happened? You seem awfully troubled. Have you brought me here for my assistance?"
"I'm afraid I have. You see, all things eventually come to an end." Time paused to swallow thickly. "Even Time myself."
"What?" The word had come out strangled.
"I have, it seems, overstayed my welcome. There is no living being left in all of Underland. Although, I cannot be certain. I am quite positive there aren't. There may be Underlandians left. Who is to know?" Time elaborated, albeit a little poorly.
"No… It - it cannot be?"
"It has been so for many years, my dear. I have been delaying the inevitable for far too long."
The familiar feeling of sorrow came like waves hitting a ship during a violent storm.
"Alice, I must ask something of you. There is no other Overlandian I trust more than you with this task. Well, you are the only Overlandian that I know of… And, you know firsthand the importance of the Chronosphere." Time gave her a pointed look as he emphasised the last word. "So, when I send you back the way you came, will you take the Chronosphere with you?"
To Alice - who was still processing what he had said earlier - the request had gone through one ear and out the other.
"You're lying. It cannot be - "
Time quickly cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Come with me. Your disbelief will dissipate much more quickly if I show you."
"S-show me?" Alice stammered - an effort due to the growing lump in her throat.
The half man-half clock started for the exit; his movements and pace were mechanical in nature. Alice trailed behind him quietly, making sure to keep the tears at bay. The bad news had dashed what brief joy she had found upon first waking in Time's castle, and now, she was beginning to feel what she very well knew to be the first of many waves of guilt. What had happened to the Hatter? To the White Queen? To the rest of her friends in her absence? While Alice painfully wondered, the pair had entered a long corridor. It was oddly shaped like the being she was following. The length of Time's stride had not changed as his enormous shoulder pads barely cleared the shapely corridor. The thought of Wilkins and the Seconds measuring out Time's frame to craft such a corridor had briefly entered her mind. Alice then realised she had not seen the mechanical butler or any of the artisans since her arrival.
"I beg your pardon for my asking, but, where are all of your Seconds? And where is that little butler of yours?" Alice inquired as they finished descending a short flight of steps. She quickly noted that this was the place she had first seen Time all those years ago.
Time immediately came to a halt, catching Alice by surprise as she had almost ran straight into him. The hidden gears that whirred away inside him had let out a sharp grinding noise. Had the clockwork man malfunctioned? Alice moved to stand before the still being to see his face. Time's eyes were downcast as they strobed briefly. The friendly smile was also long gone from his face. It was an innocent question - one to distract Alice from the guilt that was beginning to pile up - but it was one that she now regretted asking.
"Those that remain guard the gateways to my castle," he said quietly. "And Wilkins… He is gone."
Time closed his eyes for a few seconds to collect himself, before letting out a deep sigh. The strobing of his eyes had finally ceased as he continued forwards. If there was a tipping point for Alice, it was witnessing Time, a being of infinity, choke up at the mere mention of his late mechanical butler. She could practically feel her heart explode into a million tiny pieces. What on Earth had happened to them? Alice wiped away a stray tear and resumed following Time in silence, opting not to ask any more questions until at least after he had shown her whatever it was that he was leading her to.
It wasn't a far walk from the shapely corridor to where Time intended to go. He promptly stopped between two very familiar looking gates and swung around to face his guest. Alice's eyes flicked between the two locked gates, then up to the signs above them.
"Underlandians Living and Underlandians Deceased? But…" Alice trailed off as she approached the room of the Living. She placed two hands upon the rusted metal bars and gazed out into the endless room. What she had remembered all those years ago, was a beautiful golden sunlight highlighting the infinite number of clouds that populated the vast area. What Alice saw instead, was complete darkness. The usual ticking of millions of pocket watches was also absent. Underlandians Living was completely silent.
Alice tore her gaze away to examine the room opposite. She didn't have to look for very long, and finally found her voice. "The rooms are exactly the same."
Time gave a grim nod as he peered between the bars of the Underlandians Deceased gate. Memories of all those years ago, when he strode into the room and noticed the first hint of the dark void that would eventually fill it entirely, flooded Time's mind briefly.
"Please, won't you tell me what happened?" Alice found herself begging. The situation had finally sunk in. Time's distressing telling of the fate of Underland was true.
"Chaos has returned to Underland."
"Chaos? Returned?"
"Yes. She has come back to claim what she believes is rightfully hers," explained Time. Alice's dumbfounded expression had caused his eyebrows to shoot up. "You do not know who Chaos is?"
"Well, I've only just recently found out that Chaos is in fact a she. That's about all, I'm afraid," Alice said as she released her grip from the bars. Time's head twitched slightly as the neglected gates made a loud creak.
"Oh. Of course. Come, we will head to my sitting room and I will explain properly. Your legs must be getting…" he furrowed his brows for a moment. "Sore?"
Alice narrowed her eyes at Time as he offered her another smile and beckoned for her to follow. Now she was puzzled. Was he genuinely confused about her aged appearance? She made a mental note to ask him later.
They walked together in silence for a few minutes, with Time leading her through the main section of the castle. The quiet had allowed for Alice to take the time to observe her surroundings. Peering out at the seemingly endless interior of the grim castle, Alice could see the Grand Clock between the many staircases, walkways, and clockwork. Its golden aura was surrounded by wisps of blue electricity as it ticked away. She suddenly found it very difficult to push out of her mind how it still ticked on regardless of whether Underland still existed or not. Alice thought of it like a beating heart - except now there was no blood flowing through it.
They had exited the main area of the castle and now entered a small corridor, which had open doorways leading to rooms on each side. As Alice followed, she found herself drifting towards one of the narrow arches. A warm and fuzzy feeling came over her as she stopped in front of the doorway. The room inside was stark white, and looked as if it spanned infinitely outwards. Before she could even make one step inside, she felt a yank at her wrist. Time had pulled her away from the strange room, and was quick to put himself between her and the doorway.
"You cannot go in there."
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," Alice said, hesitantly taking a couple of steps away from Time and the mysterious room. "It - it seemed so… inviting?"
What a strange sensation, Alice thought to herself. She hadn't felt the way she did while being in front of that room in years.
Time gave a nonchalant wave of his hand, "Do not worry yourself, it was to be expected. I call this the Room of Remembrance. If you or any other Underling were to step inside, you would be lost deep within your own pleasant memories. Only I can pass through unaffected. In fact, I come here often to meditate, or to remember something… or someone that I have forgotten."
When he finished his explanation, he held out a hand, prompting Alice to continue onwards. Alice took one last lingering look at the room, then started forwards.
Time led her into the sitting room; its decor the exact same as what it was the last time Alice had visited. Nevertheless, it was still the most welcoming room in the whole castle. Offering Alice the brown leather seat opposite his tall armchair, Time plonked himself down and leant forwards. Alice did the same - glad to have finally been seated. If she was to receive any more bad news today, she certainly didn't want to be on her feet for it.
"So," Alice began. "Tell me everything."
Time took a deep breath in. Alice could hear the odd click of gears from inside the mechanical man speed up slightly.
"Time marches forwards, so I shall start at the beginning and go from there."
Time dove into his explanation, detailing a being - like himself - who used to rule over a void of infinitude many millennia ago. Her name was Chaos. When the concept of Time came to, it spawned the beginning of Underland, and it was now both their duties to cultivate and watch over this new world that had formed. Chaos to create, and Time to ensure the flow of existence. For a while, the two ethereal beings got along well, and were even friends. But one day, in the early times of Underland, Chaos and Time were strolling around the young Tulgey Woods. Upon witnessing a white rose bloom, Chaos had snapped. The rose was perfectly symmetrical, and did not have a single blemish on it. With this proof, she claimed that there was too much order, and not enough chaos. Time had assured her that the balance was fine, but she would have none of it. Instead, she went on a rampage, destroying the very people and lands she helped craft. Wanting to placate her, Time confronted Chaos in her own pocket dimension - similar to his with the castle. Things took a turn for the worst, and Time found himself faced with a difficult choice: Stop his friend, or allow Underland to fall into complete chaos. Choosing the former, Time had managed to trap Chaos inside her own pocket dimension. There, she would live out a paradox in an abyss.
"How could she have escaped the paradox?" Alice inquired once Time had finished his tale.
"Now that I think of it, perhaps when you returned the Chronosphere to the Grand Clock and caused a reset, it undid that paradox as well as the one created by my former dearest."
Ah, the Red Queen. Alice idly wondered what Iracebeth had been up to after she left Underland. Had she behaved? Had she turned her life around after rekindling her relationship with her sister, the White Queen? Perhaps the Red Queen didn't get the chance if Chaos had taken Underland immediately after undoing the paradox that had caused Underland to rust over. It was strange, but thinking of her brought back the empty pit in Alice's chest.
"And how are you so certain that she will rule once again?" asked Alice.
Time stood up from his chair and went over to his nearby desk. From inside one of the drawers fixated on the wall above the desk, he pulled out a very decrepit looking scroll. Gingerly, he opened it and spread it out onto the wood. Alice hopped up to stand beside Time and examine what he had produced.
"It's a prophetic scroll!" Alice gasped. Unlike the Oraculum - that had foretold her deadly fight with the Jabberwocky - this one held a more ominous prophecy. A cloaked figure was centred on the paper, holding what appeared to be a glowing orb. Beside the person, Time stood, looking quite crestfallen indeed.
Time pointed to the figure. "The cloaked being there is Chaos. As you can see, she's holding the Chronosphere."
Alice committed the image to memory just as Time rolled up the scroll and stuffed it back into the draw it came from. She noticed Time's features relax a little as he put it away and sat back in his chair. She, however, remained standing.
"How long did you know about this scroll?" Alice suddenly asked. Her jaw involuntarily tightened at the thought of Time knowing this whole time that Underland and its occupants were doomed.
"Not long. Immediately after you left Underland, the White Queen requested an audience with me. She brought the scroll to me and we spoke of the Oraculum, and of the… Oracle that keeps it." Time admitted.
"Absolem?" Alice's brows lifted slightly, curious of his sudden pause.
"Yes, that insolent, insubordinate…" Time, a little too harshly, pulled out a tiny book and flicked through the pages. Finding what he was looking for, he clamped the book shut and finished his tangent. "Impudent Underling."
Alice had to stifle a chuckle for the sake of the situation. Of course the wise butterfly would infuriate Time beyond belief. Absolem would often talk in riddles and be notoriously ambiguous - something that the impatient Time would have zero tolerance for. In addition to that, the mere fact that he was the keeper of a scroll detailing every day that ever was in Underland undermined all of Time's efforts and hard work.
"As you know, I do not dabble directly in the affairs of Underland, and as such, I do not come up in their compendium. However, the White Queen explained to me that this special scroll - separate to the Oraculum - was kept for a millennia by that irritable butterfly. She said that this particular prophecy had puzzled him and anyone else who gazed upon it. Understandable. They are, of course, underlings." Time shrugged off Alice's harsh stare, and continued. "Not knowing who was depicted in the scroll, nor when this event was to occur, the Oracle had given it to the White Queen in the hopes of deciphering it. She would prove to be no different to anyone else who examined the scroll. However, that was until she saw me after you almost destroyed Underland."
"I see," Alice said, ignoring that last part. "So she remembered it and brought it to you. What happened after that?"
"Once I had realised what the scroll foretold, I sent the White Queen away and locked the gateways that granted access to my domain. I did it in the hopes of delaying the future. But it seems that the future can no longer wait. Chaos has taken Underland from me, and waits patiently for my surrender," Time replied miserably.
Alice hummed; her mind was already racing in an attempt to come up with a solution, but only more questions sprung forth.
"I have answered your questions. Will you now answer the one I asked?"
"Hmm? Your question?" Alice felt her face flush - mostly because she had not heard his question at all, but also because of the amount of questions she had barraged him with, and of the many more to follow.
"Yes. Will you help me by taking the Chronosphere and leaving Underland for good?" asked Time.
Alice's eyes almost popped out of her head. She quickly turned her back to him and put some distance between the two of them. "This place will cease to exist if I do so."
"Precisely."
Alice shook her head in disbelief. "You ask too much of me, sir. I couldn't possibly do that."
"What?" Time blinked, straightening in his chair as Alice spun back around to face him.
"You're asking me to lock the door to Underland, turn the key, and throw it away!" Alice exclaimed, now shaking. She hastily took her seat opposite Time, in fear of her legs giving out from under her. Was he really just going to give up that easily? Alice still held onto believing in six impossible things before breakfast time, but even she had difficulty swallowing the idea that Time himself was willing to end.
"That would be the exact analogy for what taking the Chronosphere entails for you. For me, the proceeding events may be quite familiar to you."
"Y-you're asking me to kill you and everyone here!" Alice, now exasperated, had dropped the euphemisms. If being blunt wouldn't get through to him, then she didn't know what would.
"Time myself cannot be killed. Only stopped. Indefinitely. As for the Underlandians…" Time sighed heavily. It was clear he had wrestled with himself over the consequences of his decision for some time now - and had lost the moral battle. "It is better this way."
"And you're okay with that? With just… ending their existence?"
Time inclined his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Alice Kingsleigh, the kindergartener who also happened to be his last hope, was still as stubborn and as headstrong as when he first met her. How could she not see that he was just trying to do what was best for the Underlings? "No, my dear. But I imagine it would be far better than what is happening right now."
"How can you say that? You don't even know if Underland is truly lost!" Alice cried, leaping up to her feet. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she stormed across the room to tower over him. "You completely shut yourself off from Underland, and have absolutely no idea what has happened since then. You - you turned your back on everyone! There could still be Underlandians, perhaps fighting back against this Chaos being? Perhaps waiting for a miracle? Why should we deny them that? Why are you the one to determine whether Underland is beyond saving or not?"
Coward, was the only thought left inside Alice's head. She had blurted out almost all of her thoughts, but even in that heated moment, she couldn't bring herself to say the last word.
Taken aback by her outburst, Time sunk deep in his armchair and averted the daggers that were her eyes. He opened his mouth to retort, but found that the words wouldn't come. Time hated to admit it, but she did have a point. After a moment of grumbling, he finally locked eyes with her. "I must confess: I have missed your kindergartener mind," he said sheepishly.
Before Alice could get a word in, Time elaborated. "You are correct. I do not know what has happened to Underland. I cannot tell from inside my castle. I have assumed the worst, but only because I know Chaos. I know what she is capable of. She is not a woman to be trifled with."
"You beat her once. Surely you can do it again?"
Time shook his head, holding a gloomy expression. "I barely escaped with my life by tricking her! She will not be fooled by me again."
"What if we can talk to her then? No tricks. You two were meant to co-exist as Order and Chaos, after all," Alice said. She had to take a couple of steps back as Time stood from his armchair and began pacing in front of her.
"She cannot be reasoned with. Her time spent in the paradox I created can have only made her… worse."
"You can't think like that."
"As soon as she escaped, she made me irrelevant!" exclaimed Time, pausing to wheel around and face her.
"Maybe she's just trying to grab your attention? You did lock yourself away before anything even happened," Alice offered, her voice filling with hope. "In this castle, you're blind."
Time laughed. "Ah. I don't need the Chronosphere to see where this is headed. You want me to leave the castle," he huffed, unimpressed. "It is a trap, waiting to be sprung."
Took him long enough! Alice thought as she fought the urge to bury her face in her hands. She knew it would be an effort to convince him, but this was becoming a bit ridiculous.
"The way I see it, that prophecy was not nearly as violent as what mine was. Perhaps it foretells an agreement that you are not too happy about. Whatever it is, it's not worth sacrificing Underland - no matter its current state. Please, at the very least, let us go to Underland," Alice pleaded.
Time's bushy moustache twitched slightly as he resumed pacing. That strange pang in his chest had come back - and it wasn't because of the heart clock that resided there. He had the exact same feeling when he first thought of his plan a couple of years ago. However, he kept it at bay with reasoning - that of which he told himself every day since: there wasn't any other option. So, what was Alice seeing that he was not? As Time mulled over it, Alice found her eyes wandering around the room. Her gaze landed on the wooden mantelpiece above the quietly burning flames. She spotted a pocket watch alone on the surface and strolled over to it. Alice's breath hitched briefly in her throat as she got closer. It wasn't ticking. She read the inscription and cracked a smile. Fishing out her own pocket watch from her coat, she held it close to her father's. It was uncanny how alike the two were, as Alice didn't intend for it when she had her watch made. The exception of course, was the engravings and colour. His was silver; hers was gold.
"You still have it," Alice mused as she heard Time's footsteps approaching. He leaned over her shoulder to get a better look at the two instruments.
"Ah, yes. The fallen soldier. I thought about fixing it, but it has had its time and is well-deserving of rest." Time's features softened as he remembered when Alice had given it to him. No one had ever given him a gift before her, so of course he was going to treasure it. It was too meaningful to keep in his cabinet of treasures, so, in full view, he kept it on the mantelpiece. The pocket watch also served as a reminder: The only thing worth doing, is what we do for others. Those words still rung in Time's mind years after Alice had left. He even considered them when he decided on having Alice remove the Chronosphere from Underland. But now, upon meeting Alice's fierce resistance, Time wasn't so sure if he was interpreting those words correctly.
Studying the watch Alice held, he observed the flames from the fireplace dancing erratically on the reflection of the metal casing. It reminded him of all those years ago, when Alice risked tearing Underland asunder to save her dear friend. In that moment, he realised Alice was that burning flame: refusing to fade away, even in the darkest of times. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt then to give her a chance.
Time looked on as Alice tucked her own watch back into her coat pocket. He then took one last lingering glance at his only gift on the mantelpiece and came to a decision.
"Alright. I will try your way and go to Underland. But, only on one condition," Time said as he held up a finger for emphasis.
"And what would that be?"
"You will stay here."
