I wish I could say it all ended well in the end, just like that. But you can’t change everything in one day, and of course the King didn’t change just like that. But he started changing on that day, and the first thing he did was to stop interrupting the tea parties.

I had almost forgotten that this was all a dream. It seemed so real. But I still had to go back to my world one day.

“Ryeowookie…”

In the dream, it had seemed like six months had passed. I had clothes similar to the Mad Hatter’s, and I had to use a cane - crutches didn’t exist in Wonderland - to walk because of my wound.

Ryeowook turned, smiling softly, and poured me some tea.

“What is it, Kyu?”

“Thanks for the tea. I’m glad you finally got a new job. After all, I stole you job as a hatter.”

“It’s okay, you know I didn’t like being a hatter anyways. Plus, the Mad Hatter is better at this job than me. Being the King’s chef is just what I was born to be. Hey, Kyu, does your wound still hurt?”

“Yeah, of course. It’s not like this can exactly totally heal just like that. Plus, the last time, I felt pain even a few years after getting the wound. So I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.”

“You didn’t tell me about this wound, the last time. You always used this cane, so when you got hurt it didn’t really change.”

“I stopped leaving it home after I got the wound though.”

“But that’s the only difference. I only noticed years later that you couldn’t walk without it.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t want to worry me.”

He pressed a kiss on my lips and I smiled. Life couldn’t get better. But my smile faded away as I thought about what I was about to do.

“Ryeowookie…”

He noticed the look in my eyes, and his eyes started getting teary.

“Kyu. Don’t tell me you…”

“I don’t belong to this world…”

“You were born here! You changed worlds because of the King, but now that he’s okay, you could stay here!”

“But I’ve been away for so long! I have parents in the Otherworld, and friends. I have a life there…”

“But… you could stay here! With us! With me!”

“I can’t… plus, this is all a dream, right? It’s a beautiful dream, but it has to end someday…”

He was crying now, and I tried to hug him, but he stepped back.

“Are you… are you abandoning me… again?”

I closed my eyes, sighed, opened them, sighed again.

“I don’t want to.”

“Then don’t!”

“But… my life! I have a life in the Otherworld! Anyways, this is all a dream! I have to wake up, sooner or later!”

He looked at me, crying, and I could feel just how much I had hurt him by saying this.

“You… you really think this is a dream, don’t you?...”

“Well, it is… isn’t it?”

He closed his eyes and walked away without answering. I stayed there in silence, drinking my tea, watching the Twins were sleeping under a tree together, the Hare reading his Bible and the Rabbit listening to some music. I couldn’t see the Cat anywhere, but I knew he surely wasn’t far from here. He never was.

The sound of two horses galloping in our direction made me get up. I knew we didn’t have to fear the King and his Knave anymore, but I could see everyone getting stressed as they heard the sound they had always feared so much. They finally entered the area and stopped right before bumping into the table. The King jumped down his horse and I slowly walked in his direction.

“My Lord”, I greeted him, trying to bow to show my respect for the good King he had started to become.

“Don’t, Hatter. Don’t. I know the wound I made you still hurts.”

“Thank you, my Lord. What can I do for you today?”

He greeted everyone before answering.

“I heard that you’re planning to go back to the Otherworld. I wanted to make sure you didn’t plan to destroy my house again. There’s another way to leave this world when you’re an outsider.”

“There is?” I asked, without being able to hide my surprise.

“There is. Geng, the thing, please.”

Yeah, he had started calling him by his name instead of his title. Which was good, very good. The Knave handed him something rolled up in some cloth, and the King took it before giving it to me. I took it carefully and sat on a chair before using both my hands to unwrap the object. It was a beautiful dagger with something carved in the blade. It was written in some language I didn’t understand, but the King translated it for me before I could ask.

“The one who isn’t part of Wonderland shall be able to return to the Otherworld using this sacred dagger”, he said.

“Then… then, I suppose I have to die by this blade”, I sighed.

“You shall, if you want to leave.”

I was hesitating. I had to leave. I didn’t want to, but I had to. I had a life in the Otherworld. I had…

I frowned.

I couldn’t remember my parents’ faces anymore. I couldn’t remember my sister’s face anymore. I couldn’t remember my friends’ faces or names anymore. I couldn’t remember what my house was like. What was I doing before I fell asleep and started this dream?

I had to remember. I had to go back.  I had to remember, and leave this dream.

“Thanks, my Lord.”

I really didn’t want to. I wanted to say goodbye to everyone before going. But they were all already here, looking at me with understanding but very sad eyes. I got up, using my cane, and walked to them. Would I have to use this too when I would be back to my world? I thought about it for ten seconds, and shook my head. This was a dream. I wouldn’t be hurt when I would wake up.

I really wanted to say goodbye to everyone. But I couldn’t. Tears were flowing down my cheeks when I lifted the dagger. When the blade sank into my heart, the last thing I could see were Ryeowook’s eyes as he was coming back, running, hoping to see me one last time before I went back. I could hear him scream, cry desperately:

“Kyu! I love y…”

I disappeared before hearing the last word.

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Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter. The last one is the next one, and I'll wait until tomorrow when I'll get back home before uploading it, because I'm an evil person <3 Oh yeah, and by the way, thanKYU so much to all of you for subscribing, commenting and supporting! I don't thank all of you personally on your walls because I prefer writing more of my fic for you instead of just go and thank all of you one by one, but you just don't know how happy and completely bouncy when I see I have new comments and new subscribers <3 Seriously, I just loooove seeing the little notices "New story comments!" or "New subscribers!" <3 It makes my days <3 So yeah, again, thanks to all of you for reading, for staying with me in this story until now, and I really hope you're looking forward to the next chapter! I'll post it tomorrow (my tomorrow, or my today because it's 00:49), I promise <3