With a wry smile, she knit her brows at me in an apologetic manner.

"I'm sorry for startling you. I forgot that you could hardly see my face in Wonderland."

"...! You know about Wonderland?"

"Yes, I am the Queen of Hearts. Joonmyun."

My eyes opened wide in astonishment. I still couldn't wrap my head around it yet, despite the fact that she did remind me of the Queen of Hearts. The first thing that came out of my mouth was...

"I left Baekhyun behind in Wonderland... I want to save him. I'll do anything!"

Joonmyun looked me right in the eye and carefully crafted her next words.

"Kyungsoo, the Spinner of Tales has absolute control over Wonderland. He can do whatever he wishes. Not only does he have the power to create, he also has the power to erase others. Are you telling me that you still plan on fighting the Spinner of Tales to save Baekhyun?"

I nodded back without hesitating for even a moment.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you! I don't care what anyone else says. I need Baekhyun!"

"...It looks like you're ready."

Joonmyun gave me a caring smile before continuing.

"I came here to save your heart. I know that you will be the one who changes the tale of Wonderland. That's why, Kyungsoo... That's why I am going to use my magic to send you to where Baekhyun is."

Joonmyun took out her heart-jewel encrusted wand. 

"Thank you...!"

I expressed my utmost gratitude for her kindness.

"But...why are you doing all this for me?"

The Spinner of Tales tried to control each and every outcome in Wonderland. So if the Queen of Hearts did something against his will... Then she would also have to face his wrath. But she still gently creased her eyes and gave me a smile.

"Perhaps I am doing this for you because I, too, used to be called Alice in a different Wonderland... So I really understand how you feel."

"A different Wonderland...?"

"Let's leave that discussion for another time. Now go and save Baekhyun."

As she raised her wand into the air, a somewhat warm light began to radiate from the heart-shaped jewel. Wrapped in its rose-colored light, the Real World before me slowly disappeared. 

~~ Forgotten Tales ~~

Joonmyun's magic ended up bringing me to an extraordinary place shrouded in mystery. It was a different kind of oddity compared to the cave I first woke up in when I lost my memories. It appeared to be nighttime as I looked into the skies above... But there was something emitting a bright, pale blue light whirling around all over the place. 

"Is that...a book with its pages ripped out?"

Countless books, long-abandoned, were piled up around my feet. That ominous place left a bad taste in my mouth. The tree branches, eerily growing. The dense air, full of sorrow and abandonment.

"Baekhyun's...here?"

I started to walk, trying to rid myself of fear. I desperately searched for him, leaving no time to waste. 

~~*~~

How much time had gone by? There wasn't even a soul in sight. As I wandered down the never-ending trail of books, eventually found one page floating by... A page with the name Byun Baekhyun written on it. I snatched it in a panic before it nimbly fluttered away. 

"Baekhyun? You're here, aren't you?"

I desperately called out to him. For some reason, I mysteriously knew that this ripped page was Baekhyun.

"Baekhyun! Come back to me! Please...!"

I desperately called out his name, but the paper in my hand was just an ordinary piece of paper. Nothing changed in this dim, lonely world.

(But I'm not going to give up...!)

"Baekhyun! I'm here to take you home! I'm not leaving without you! I plan on facing reality from now on. But I need you there with me! I'm not talking about the Cheshire Cat. I need you, Byun Baekhyun!"

Returning to the