The clock tower stood at the edge of Wonderland, like a fortress lost to time—ancient and cold. Alice walked along the desolate stone path shaped like a clock's hour hand, as the twilight deepened around her. The tower's shadow grew larger, pressing on her heart. She recalled her past encounters with Time; he had never been truly kind, his cold and aloof nature filling her with awe.

As she pushed open the heavy tower door, a sharp metallic screech echoed through the empty hall, as if even the gears of the tower protested her arrival. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and moved forward.

Suddenly, a low, furious growl rumbled from within the tower, halting her steps: "How dare you disturb me again!"

Time emerged from the shadows, cloaked in black, his eyes sharp as blades, gripping a massive chain of time in his hand. His presence was overwhelming, as if the entire space bowed to his will.

"I haven't come to disturb you. I'm here to ask for your help…" Alice quickly explained, but before she could finish, Time swung the chain toward her. She dodged swiftly, her heart racing with every movement.

"You reckless girl! You've already disrupted my domain of time, and now you dare return!" Time's fury blazed like fire.

Alice desperately evaded, searching for a chance to explain: "I was sent by the Red Queen! She needs your help!"

This sentence seemed to strike a nerve. Time's movements froze, the chain suspended in midair. His expression shifted from anger to surprise, a complicated emotion flickering in his eyes. "The Red Queen?"

Alice seized the moment. "Yes, both the Red Queen and the White Queen need you to fix the time displacement in the maze garden. They believe only you can do it."

Time fell silent for a long while, his gaze deep, as if pulled back to some distant memory. His voice lowered. "The Red Queen... she still remembers me?"

Alice pressed on. "Of course she remembers you. They both trust in your ability to solve this problem."

Time let out a long sigh, as if resigning himself to fate. His hand trembled slightly as he lowered the chain. "Very well, I will help you... But remember, the cost of time is heavy, and no one escapes it lightly."

Relief washed over Alice, and she bowed gratefully. "Thank you, Time."

Unrolling a parchment, Time paused for a moment before pointing to a missing piece in a heart-shaped puzzle. "To repair this rift, one crucial thing is still missing. This part of the time displacement is not only tied to Wonderland… but also to your friend, the Hatter."

Alice frowned. "Tarrant? What does he have to do with the time displacement?"

Time's expression turned into a complicated smile. "Once, to reunite with you, he made a wish to the great clock using one red hair and one golden hair. That wish altered the structure of time in Wonderland. The battlefield ruins where you slew the Jabberwocky became the maze garden, a space you both created."

Alice's cheeks flushed suddenly, remembering their embrace before the mirror, her forbidden dream. "So, the final piece of the puzzle... must be completed by the two of us?"

Time nodded. "Yes, only the two of you can restore this part of the timeline. To repair this rift, you and Tarrant must face your desires together. It is your intertwined feelings that caused this section of time to misalign. Every wish you've made in the past has silently shaped the course of time in Wonderland. To fix the gap, you must return to the maze garden and rediscover the essence of that wish. You'll need to confront your deepest feelings and break free from the chains of fate. If you can both face your emotions honestly and make the same wish, the rift in time will naturally heal."

Alice took a deep breath. "Alright, I will complete this journey with Tarrant."

Just as she was about to leave, Time added, "Remember, every fragment of time reflected in the mirror is real and cannot be hidden. Only the truest emotions can break time's constraints. If you hesitate, evade, or conceal anything within the mirror, your wish will never be fulfilled, and the rift in time will remain unhealed."

Alice nodded. "I understand."

She turned and left the clock tower, walking toward the castle's open gates, her heart filled with complex emotions.