I cried for a while as these memories were implanted into me, one by one. I screamed in pain when the last memory, the one of the Mad Hatter, was being revived in my mind. The castle trembling, the castle falling apart, the castle collapsing on the Mad Hatter - on me. And then, opening new eyes, breathing new air, from a new world, in a new body, with a new, empty memory.

I cried for a while as all of those memories were being engraved in my heart.

I cried for a while, feeling exactly how they had felt seventeen years ago.

I cried for a while, until I could calm down and stand again. I was him, now. I remembered everything, his entire life, his feelings. I wasn’t really Kyuhyun anymore. I was back to being the Mad Hatter, only just a bit more sane because Kyuhyun was still in there somewhere, mixed with the Mad Hatter’s personality. I wiped off my tears that had fallen on the real Mad Hatter’s face, and I could hear, deep in my heart, the last words he had said.

“Live, Ryeowookie. Live, forget me, and just be happy.”

Because I love you so much.

A sudden, very loud noise startled me. It came from the cell, and I frowned before running back to it, followed by Zhou Mi. Some unknown voice - surely a guard - could be heard.

“You can’t… UGH!”

The sound of someone being beaten up resounded, and I hurried, only to find the Hatter wiping off blood from a long, thin sword. A guard was lying at his feet. He saw me, cut the bars closing the cell, and threw his sword away before running to me and hugging me tightly.

“Kyuhyun… oh Kyuhyun, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have asked you to come here… I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

I kissed his head softly.

“I’m the one who’s sorry. I made you suffer, seventeen years ago. But I’m back. I’m back, and I will make sure nobody will ever disturb our tea parties ever again.”

He froze for a moment before slowly raising his eyes to plunge them into mine. In his eyes, I could read hope, but mostly love. Infinite love.

Slowly, I approached my face from his. And, with infinite delicacy, I pressed a gentle, soft, tender kiss on his lips. When I moved back, I found him crying in happiness, smiling like nothing better could happen.

“I love you”, I whispered.

He laughed softly, before hugging me tight and crying in my arms. His hat - very similar to the Mad Hatter’s - suddenly started floating and landed on my head. I frowned, but caught a glimpse of Zhou Mi’s smile, and I smiled too. We both knew he had become the Hatter only because I had disappeared back then.

A loud noise interrupted the moment, and I stared as the Knave appeared, followed by twenty guards heavily armed. I was totally calm. I was the Mad Hatter. I was the Mad Hatter, and I knew I was able to fight. Ryeowook was in my arms. He had become the Ryeowook of back then, seventeen years ago, just like I had become the Mad Hatter of seventeen years ago.

I gently pushed him behind me, adjusted the hat on my head so it would be more Mad Hatter-like, hiding one of my eyes. And I smiled. That mysterious, dark smile the Mad Hatter always had.

“Knave. Nice to see you. The choice is yours. You remember how I was able to wipe out the entire army back then. I’m still able to do it. Either you help me get to the King, because I simply want to talk to him, or you don’t help me and I kill the guards, you, and the King.”

I lowered my voice, made it scary, and repeated the previous King’s words.

“One day will come when you will have to choose, Knave. Kill the master, or help him.”

He frowned before his eyes became round and big, and he stepped back.

“You… you really are… Him… aren’t you…”

“I am the Mad Hatter”, I said, separating each word, “and I am giving you the choice. Help. Or die.”