As they approached the maze garden, subtle changes began to take place in the surrounding scenery. The once broad forest path gradually disappeared into the mist, and the towering walls of the vegetable maze ahead were faintly visible, shrouded in a layer of mysterious shadows. Alice gently signaled Banderna to halt, while Tarrant jumped down from behind her and looked around alertly.
The atmosphere outside the maze garden was cold and eerie, with the air seeming thinner than in other parts of the Wonderland. The vines at the entrance to the garden had long withered, and the huge iron gates stood slightly ajar, resembling the sharp teeth of a monster awaiting their arrival. Tarrant furrowed his brow slightly and gently touched Alice's shoulder, saying, "This place is so quiet, we have to be careful."
"I seem to feel something wrong," Alice breathed in deeply. Banderna's massive size obviously prevented it from entering the maze garden, so it had to stay outside the iron gates to guard them.
The two walked side by side into the entrance of the maze garden. The air inside was hotter and more humid than outside, with walls composed of enormous vines. However, those vines had lost their vitality, and their yellowed leaves were like symbols of death. Each step taken within the maze carried an unknown sense of oppression.
After walking for a while, the maze suddenly branched into three paths, each looking identical, with no obvious signs to guide them which way to go.
"Mazes always enjoy playing these boring games," Tarrant muttered, "But how should we decide?"
Alice scrutinized each path, her mind rapidly flashing back to her various experiences in the Wonderland. "Mazes like to make you lose your way, but they can also provide some clues," she said, closing her eyes and trying to listen to the sounds around her. Indeed, most of the plants in the maze were withered and weak, making it difficult to determine the direction by sound. But Alice heard a faint whispering sound, seemingly coming from the withered vines.
"On the left," she finally spoke, opening her eyes and looking at Tarrant, "Let's go to the left."
Tarrant didn't ask why, just nodded in trust, and the two continued down the left path. After walking for a while, the oppressive feeling in the air became heavier, and the walls of the maze became narrower and narrower. The vines seemed to be moving silently, gradually enclosing them.
Tarrant's hand inadvertently touched a vine, and it suddenly seemed to be awakened, immediately wrapping around his wrist. Alice rushed forward to help, but found more vines emerging from the walls, trying to trap them.
"These vines have life!" Tarrant struggled to say, his face filled with terror.
Alice quickly drew the dagger gifted by the White Queen from her waist and swiftly cut the vine wrapping around Tarrant's wrist. The vine immediately turned to ash, which reminded Alice of something familiar. But more vines continued to pour out from all directions. Her heart tightened, and the situation rapidly deteriorated.
"We cannot rely solely on strength to solve it," she shouted, "The maze puzzle is not that simple."
Tarrant calmed down and quickly pondered the situation. Suddenly, his gaze swept over the surrounding vines, and a flash of inspiration hit him: "These vines are longing for something... maybe it's sound, or some kind of memory!"
Alice was taken aback but immediately understood what Tarrant meant. She recalled that in the Wonderland, those plants often responded to specific sounds or emotions. So she took a deep breath, recalled her adventures in the Wonderland, and began to narrate her story in a low voice.
"I used to be a lost little girl who found her way in a fairyland. I have faced the anger of the Red Queen before, I have also witnessed the tolerance of the White Queen. Wonderland taught me what true courage is..." Her voice was gentle but firm, and the vines seemed to react to these words, gradually releasing their grip on them.
Tarrant immediately joined in, his voice carrying that strange rhythm and cadence:"I was once a hatter, dedicated to the craft of hats, until this land drove me to madness. But it was in this madness that I found my purpose, and also my dearest... friend." His voice resonated like an ancient aria, and the vines slowly retreated, seemingly soothed by their story.
Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed from the depths of the maze, as if some massive mechanism had been activated. Alice and Tarant exchanged glances, having solved the first layer of the puzzle.
As they continued forward, the atmosphere of the maze changed once again. The ground began to tremble slightly, and the paths of the maze seemed to be constantly shifting. The vines disappeared, but the walls formed by plants moved and merged at times, as if the maze had its own consciousness, trying to stop their progress. Alice keenly observed that the changes in the maze followed a rhythm.
"The maze seems to be changing according to some pattern," she whispered, pulling Tarant along to observe the movement of the maze walls. "If we can find the pattern, we can find the way out."
Tarant nodded, focusing his attention on following Alice's steps. They navigated through the maze, avoiding several paths that were almost blocked off by relying on their observations of the rhythm. The sweltering heat made them constantly wipe the sweat from their brows as Alice and Tarant stepped into an even deeper region. This time, the layout of the maze was no longer just vines and withered plants, but had turned into a dark stone pathway. Along the sides of the pathway stood giant statues, each with distorted expressions on their faces, seemingly frozen in pain for millennia.