So let's do this, self!
I crack my knuckles, take a deep breath, and give it another try.
"Scotland?"
It's the setting for Macbeth, but this one does nothing either.
"Theater? Stage? Screenplay—-"
Yes, yes, yes!
Letters made of smoke puff out to form the word...
P L A Y
So now I have all three words.
JAR EYES PLAY
And from here, I'm supposed to guess the crime.
Mm...
Since this is Wunderland, I probably need to think...
Out of the box?
My back shoots up at the thought. The clues could've been placed inside a bag, but instead everything was placed inside a box. I could be overthinking this, but like I said, this is Wunderland...
And we're all mad here...
My gaze swerves sharply back to my clues.
JAR EYES PLAY
JAR PLAY EYES
EYES JAR PLAY
PLAY JAR EYES
I stop rearranging the words when I realize I've accidentally stumbled upon the answer to the puzzle, and the crime is...?? Plagiarize ??MY CHEST STARTS SHAKING violently the moment I utter the word, and while at first it makes me think (and fear) I've got another earthquake to escape, I realize a second later that it's the playing card I've hidden behind my top that's causing all the powerful tremors.
Looking down, I yank the damn thing out as fast as I can—-
Whoa.
Who knew winning the game would also include a new "in-game" outfit as a bonus?
Bye, French Maid Alice.
Hello, Tomb Raider Addie.
And yes, it's still skimpy as hell, but at least this makes me look more badass than twerk-ready, and—-what in the world?
My jaw drops when I absently turn my gaze to the still-vibrating playing card I have in my grasp. I specifically remember being told that my prize for "guessing the crime" is what an Alice most desires, but so far all I've gotten is a Lara Croft costume and now...this?
The blank space on the card's gone, and instead there's a picture of a giant four-poster on it.
What the heck am I supposed to do with a photo like this?
In terms of getting my "desires" right, that makes two major duds so far, and...oh!
I've accidentally swiped my finger over the card, and that's when I realize the image on it actually works like a virtual 360-degree tour.
Okaaaaaay.
If this card-turned-photo is the key to my greatest desire, and it's now showing a grand and lavish bedroom...what does that mean exactly? Is this card saying I'm meant to be a rich man's mistress or housekeeper?
I touch the card again, this time sliding the pad of my finger in a clockwise direction. I take my time exploring the bedroom virtually, but since nothing still jumps at me, I'm thinking it's time to leave. I swipe my finger to the left until I'm back to the pair of doors I glimpsed earlier. I give it a tap, and the gesture actually works, and I'm now in what looks like the bedroom's en-suite: a cavern-like stone bath with walls made of glowing natural rock, and at the very center is a pool of steaming turquoise waters. I slowly swipe up to get the image moving forward—-
Bloody, bloody...monster.
Because that's what's at the other edge of the pool.
A monster.
It's huge and powerfully built, but what's most striking about it is how the creature is also standing on its two legs. When Haine or Rayé shift, their other forms - albeit a lot bigger - are no different from the regular wolf or tiger.
But this one...
A monster, I can't help thinking again, and right now said monster is...
What the—-
The way it transforms is also unlike anything I've ever seen before. Whereas both the Hatter and Cheshire Cat can shift seamlessly in a blink of an eye, the monster in the pool is different. Its transformation not only takes much longer, but it's also a patently and visibly painful process, with the monster's face contorting with pain as its body is transformed one visceral inch at a time. I literally hear its skin tearing apart, its spine breaking, its bones shattering before it can be reshaped...
My heart hurts all of a sudden, and I don't even realize I'm already crying until I see my tears splatter over the card...and then passing through it—-
Uh oh.
The next thing I know, I'm seeing my tears splash straight down the monster's head like a bucketful of water.
ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR
The sound is frightening. More terrifying than any other sound I can remember hearing even, and as I jerk back in shock, I accidentally lose hold of the card.
Shit!
Darkness swallows the card up the moment it falls to the floor, but when I try to grab the candelabra for some light, the bloody thing floats out of my reach.
Dammit.
Left with no choice, I sink down to my knees and start groping the floor for the card. Ducking my head under the table, I continue patting the floor...
Aha!
I finally come into contact with something thin and solid, and its familiar rounded edges and smooth texture make me breathe a sigh of relief. I retrieve the card, and as I straighten up, I don't notice how my thumb presses down rather hard on the bloody troublesome thing. It's only when it starts to vibrate rather wildly that I glance down in surprise—-