The throne room was heavy with silence as everyone processed the conversation that had just unfolded. The Queen of Hearts stood, her eyes narrowed as she thought about the Seer Cat's cryptic words. The weight of the uncertainty hung thick in the air.
Just as the Queen was about to turn back to her throne, one of the card guards, breathless from his hurried steps, burst into the room. He bowed quickly, but his face was pale, eyes wide with urgency.
"Your Majesty," the guard panted, "we've caught an intruder."
The Queen of Hearts, her patience running thin with the growing sense of unease, straightened immediately. "An intruder?" Her voice was sharp, laced with annoyance. "Bring them before me. Now."
The guard hastily nodded and stepped aside, and in came two more card soldiers, each one carrying a small, elderly Sheep dressed in a worn-out set of grandma's clothes. The Sheep's wool was disheveled, and her gait was slow and haggard, but there was an unsettling glint in her eyes.
The White Queen, who had been quietly observing, gasped in recognition as soon as the Sheep was brought before her. She stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly as she called out to the strange creature.
"Is that... is that you, Sheep?" she asked, her gaze filled with confusion and concern.
The Sheep's ears twitched, and she lifted her head to meet the White Queen's gaze. Her lips parted, and her voice was hoarse, tinged with something that resembled dread.
"Darkness is coming," the Sheep blurted out, her eyes wide with fear. "I've seen it. It's creeping from the far corners of Wonderland, spreading like a shadow that never ends."
The room fell silent at the ominous declaration. The Queen of Hearts' posture stiffened, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "What do you mean?" she demanded. "Explain yourself, Sheep, or I will have you thrown in the dungeon."
But the Sheep didn't flinch. Instead, her gaze seemed distant, as if she were staring at something beyond the walls of the throne room. Her voice shook as she spoke again, almost as if she were speaking to herself.
"It's from the Frozen North!," she muttered, more to the air than anyone in particular. "It has been disturbed, and with it, a deep darkness stirs beneath Wonderland's surface. Something worse than the Void is coming. I can feel it... in my bones."
The White Queen took a step forward, her face clouded with worry. "What is this darkness? How is it worse than the Void and how did you know all these? "
The Sheep's eyes flickered as the White Queen spoke, and she finally turned her gaze toward her. Her voice trembled as she responded, "I... I've seen it in my dreams, in the very wind that blows from the Frozen North. It carries something ancient... something that was sealed away long ago. It has woken, and now it seeks to break free."
The White Rabbit's ears twitched at the mention of the Frozen North, his usually composed demeanor faltering for a brief moment. He stepped forward, his voice sharp, yet laced with confusion. "The Frozen North? That's impossible." He paused, shaking his head as if trying to clear his thoughts. "We came from there, didn't we? We saw the shadows disappear—everything was still, quiet. No darkness lingered. What else could be left from there?"
The Sheep met his gaze, her eyes hollow with an unsettling depth of knowledge. "You saw what the land wanted you to see, Rabbit," she said softly. "But not everything was gone. Some things—some things were sealed beneath the ice, locked away to protect Wonderland from them. The shadows that you thought disappeared? They were only held back, not destroyed."
The White Rabbit's grip on his pocket watch tightened as his confusion deepened. "Sealed? But why? What was left? If the Frozen North was the source of such darkness, why did it remain hidden?"
The Sheep's gaze grew distant again, her voice a whisper carried by the weight of foreboding. "Because it was the only way to protect Wonderland. The Frozen North was once the heart of something ancient. Something far older than the Queen's reign, older than even the Wonderland we know today. The darkness it housed... it was too dangerous for anyone to confront. So they sealed it away, buried beneath layers of ice, so deep that none would find it—until now."
The room fell silent as the implications of her words hung heavy in the air. The White Rabbit looked lost in thought, his mind racing. "But if it's truly from the Frozen North... if this darkness has been sealed all this time, how could it have woken? What could've disturbed it?" He glanced at the Queen of Hearts, then at the White Queen, as if seeking answers from them.
The White Queen's expression darkened, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "That is what we need to find out," she said quietly. "If something has disturbed that seal, then it could very well mean that the balance of Wonderland is in jeopardy. We can't afford to ignore it."
"I'll investigate what's going on," the White Rabbit responded with a steady voice then looked at his companions. "We all will."
The Mad Hatter adjusted his hat, a frown creasing his brow. "If it's chaos they want, we'll give them chaos," he muttered. "They'll regret ever stepping foot in Wonderland."
The March Hare, looking somewhat disoriented as always, nodded in agreement. "If they think they've seen madness before, they haven't seen anything yet."
The Sheep's voice broke through once again, her words laced with dread. "Be careful. This is an ancient threat you are facing."
The Queen of Hearts glared at the Sheep, her impatience beginning to show. "Ancient or not, we will face it," she declared coldly. "This darkness will not be allowed to spread."
The White Queen stepped forward, her expression filled with sorrow and determination. "The Frozen North is no place for the faint-hearted. But we cannot afford to let fear control us." She turned to the White Rabbit. "If you are going, then I will accompany you. We must uncover what lies in wait there before it's too late."
The White Rabbit met her gaze, hesitating for a moment. "Then it is an honor to be accompanied by you, Your Majesty," he replied.
The Mad Hatter raised his teacup, his voice suddenly whimsical. "I suppose we could invite the Cheshire Cat. He always seems to know the way... or at least, he knows how to disappear when things get too heavy."
The March Hare let out a small laugh. "He'd probably turn the whole thing into a riddle, but he's never failed us before."
The Queen of Hearts, unimpressed by their casual attitude, waved her hand sharply. "Enough. If we are to go, we go now. There is no time to waste with riddles or jokes."
The Lion, who had been silent until now, spoke with authority. "We should prepare the army. Whatever this darkness is, it will not be defeated by small groups alone. If it's truly ancient, it could be more powerful than any of us."
"And what of you, Sheep? Will guide us?, the White Queen turned to the Sheep, her voice gentle yet tinged with concern.
The Sheep shifted uncomfortably, her eyes avoiding the White Queen's gaze. She clutched her wool tightly, as though trying to hold herself together against the overwhelming fear. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "I... I cannot. I... I am not fit for such a journey." She looked down at the floor, her hooves trembling. "The Frozen North is beyond my reach now. What I saw, what I felt, it's... it's too much for me."
The White Queen's expression softened, and she placed a comforting hand on the Sheep's shoulder. "I understand," she said quietly. "But if you change your mind, you are more than welcome to join us. Even your warning is enough to help us prepare. Wonderland's fate may rest on the knowledge you have."
The Sheep swallowed hard, nodding slowly, but she did not speak again. Her mind seemed far away, her body still trembling from the weight of the visions she had experienced.
The Queen of Hearts, ever impatient, let out an audible sigh. "Enough of this!" she snapped. "We have no time for lingering doubts. The task at hand is far too urgent."
The White Queen shot a glance at the Queen of Hearts, but said nothing. She understood that this was not the time for disagreements. The danger ahead was far greater than any squabbles, and if there was a chance to gain valuable information, they would have to take it.
The Mad Hatter, ever the oddball, raised his teacup again. "I, for one, am ready to face this unknown darkness, or whatever it may be. Chaos, madness, shadows—bring it on!" He laughed in his usual eccentric manner, trying to lighten the mood.
The March Hare grinned in agreement. "Yes, yes! We've faced worse than this before. Let's get going!"
The Tweedle Twins looked at one another, their expressions mirrored in confusion. "A darkness worse than the Void?!" Tweedle Dee exclaimed, his voice high-pitched. "I thought we got rid of all those!"
Tweedle Dum rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's never quite gone, Dee. It's always there, waiting for the right moment." He turned to the Sheep. "Are you sure it's not just another bad dream? Those are hard to shake, y'know."
The Sheep merely shook her head, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.
The Walrus and the Carpenter, who had been quietly observing, exchanged glances. "I'm not one for all this talk of shadows and doom," the Walrus said, scratching his chin, "but if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that things don't usually turn out well when these sort of warnings are ignored."
The Carpenter nodded, his face stern. "Exactly. The Frozen North may be far from here, but we've seen strange things before. This time, I suspect it'll be much worse."
The Flamingo, standing off to one side, balanced on one leg. "Does anyone know where we start?" he asked, his voice unusually serious for his flamboyant nature. "The Frozen North isn't exactly a place you visit without a clear idea of what you're up against."
The Mock Turtle, who had been quietly munching on a snack, glanced up. "All this talk about darkness is making me hungry," he said with a shrug, before adding more seriously, "But, yeah. We've got to know what we're walking into."
The White Rabbit's expression remained serious, a deep frown etched on his face as he looked at the Sheep. "If you change your mind, we may still need you," he said, his voice quieter than before. "We need all the help we can get, even if it's only guidance."
The Queen of Hearts stepped forward, her expression hardening once more. "Enough talking! We've wasted enough time. The Frozen North awaits, and we will face whatever comes, together. No more hesitation." She turned sharply on her heel. "Prepare yourselves. We leave at first light."
And with that, the group began to disperse, making their preparations for the journey ahead. The darkness from the Frozen North loomed over them all, and Wonderland's fate hung in the balance. But whether they were ready or not, they would have to face it—and hope that they could stand strong against whatever horrors awaited them.