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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟕
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒

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When Kaden finally woke up from his forced slumber, he found himself locked in a very familiar cell. The Scarlet boy didn't hesitate to jump to his feet and make his way toward the bars of his prison. The moment he laid his eyes on what was in front of him, Kaden's heart stopped. In the center of the large landing in front of him sat what looked to be a large birdcage. And trapped within the large cage and strapped to wooden chairs were Will and Anastasia.

The Scarlet man just stared at his younger brother, silently regretting not making him go with Indigo. But both of them know the Lark girl wouldn't have let Kaden go with her. She was the one who told the Scarlet boy to go with his brother and the Red Queen, believing they would need the extra help. It wasn't long before their attention was drawn to the other side of the cage by a swooshing sound. When Kaden saw who was now with his brother, his blood ran even colder. Jafar was staring down at the genie in front of him with a smirk on his face and determination in his eyes. All the Scarlet boy could hope for now was that Indigo got his message...and that she didn't come looking for him.

"Good. You're awake," the vizier announced after seeing Anastasia open her eyes, something Kaden failed to notice. Jafar's voice caused the Red Queen to jump before she tried and failed to free herself from her bindings. As soon as she slumped back in her seat, the raven-haired man grabbed the bottle from the bars behind him. "Anastasia and Will, reunited at last. Tell me, is it everything you imagined?"

"You can dispense with the insufferable small talk, Jafar. Or is that your idea of torture?" Anastasia responded while glaring up at her former partner.

Because the vizier's back was to Will and Anastasia, they both failed to see the smirk plastered on his face. But Kaden didn't miss it, and the look sent chills throughout his body. Jafar glanced up at the knight, making his smirk grow even wider before he turned back around to face the Red Queen. "Unfortunately for you, I have something else in mind."

"We've been down this road before. We both know how it's going to end," the blonde woman stated, not even the slightest bit phased by Jafar's menacing tone, "I'm the master of the genie. I have three wishes. In order for your little spell to work, I have to make those wishes so the genie goes back in the bottle. You also need untamed magic for the spell to work and Indigo is far away from here."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," the raven-haired man responded, completely unbothered by everything Anastasia just said.

"Well, you've got nothing to threaten me with. Can't kill me. Can't kill Will. And if you kill Kaden, there's no way of getting Indigo to help you. I'd say you're out of moves, Jafar," the Red Queen continued while Kaden and Will stared at her with slightly annoyed looks on their faces, "why don't you untie me? We can come to some sort of agreement. Did our partnership mean nothing to you?"

"I had a partner...once, a long time ago. Her name was Amara. Lovely woman, much like yourself. And also like you, she believed firmly in cooperation. Unfortunately, we did not see eye-to-eye on the best way to achieve our goals, so..." Jafar paused his story and turned his snake staff to face him. It wasn't long after that when its eyes began to glow a menacing red. "I found another use for her."

Anastasia just stared at the snake staff for a long moment before her eyes moved back to meet Jafar's gaze. "Touching."

"I always get what I want," the vizier declared, the smirk now replaced by a determined look, "one way or another, you will make those wishes. What happens next, it can either be painful or severely painful. Choose wisely. As Amara now knows...there are fates far worse than death."

"You heard him. Make your wish," Will said, making a wave of shock wash over Kaden as he turned his attention toward his brother.

"I can't," Anastasia responded without taking her eyes off Jafar.

"Yes, you can," the Knave pressed while his brother continued to watch the trio with mixed emotions in his eyes, "just wish him out of Wonderland now!"

An angry look instantly appeared on Jafar's face before he used the magic from his staff to push the Scarlet man's chair across the floor. After watching Will slam into the bars, Anastasia looked back up at the vizier. "Jafar, I wish you out of-"

Before the blonde woman had a chance to get her last words out, the raven-haired man used his magic to take her voice away. Kaden watched in horror as the Red Queen tried to speak, only to fail over and over. It wasn't long after that when tears formed in her eyes and she let out a silent scream. And for the first time since entering Wonderland, the Scarlet boy was truly terrified. Not just for himself, but for every living thing that resided in the realm.

The Red Knight couldn't stop himself from walking away from his cell bars until his back hit the wall. As he watched an inaudible conversation occur between Anastasia and Jafar, thoughts and memories of Indigo played within Kaden's head. Despite wanting to keep her safe and far away from the vizier, the Scarlet boy was beginning to think that was no longer possible. Kaden was starting to think the only way to keep Indigo away from the raven-haired man was to get her out of Wonderland.

A loud bang soon cut through the air, drawing Kaden's attention back to the situation at hand. However, when he saw who walked into the dungeon, the Scarlet boy's blood ran cold. The Jabberwocky sent the Red Knight a sinister smirk before turning her attention toward the cage in the middle of the room. Her claws tapped against the bars as she stared at Anastasia, who was now looking at the white-haired woman with terror in her eyes. After whispering one last thing into the Red Queen's ear, Jafar made his way toward his new ally and leaned against the cell bars closest to her.

"We need her wishes. Don't stop until she's broken," the vizier announced before he and the Jabberwocky looked over at Anastasia. It wasn't long after that when their attention turned toward the boy standing in the corner of his cell. "Then when that's over, our task will be to get the knight to summon his precious Atlantean princess."

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"Fascinating, isn't it?" the Jabberwocky said as she stared at the genie's bottle before tossing it into the air and catching it with ease, "on the outside, it's nothing special...nothing out of the ordinary. But inside...a prize more valuable than gold."

The white-haired woman paused as she turned to look at Anastasia while placing the bottle on the cell bars. It wasn't long after that before she began circling around the cell with her eyes glued to the Red Queen. "Just like that head of yours. Nothing particularly interesting on the outside, but inside...if I were to dig deep enough, there's no telling what treasures you've been hiding. So...let's find out, shall we? Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

"Hold fast, Ana. You know she can't hurt you," Will told the blonde woman while his brother continued to watch from his cell across from them.

"I don't want to hurt you. I want to help you," the Jabberwocky said as she walked across the cell until she was kneeling in front of Anastasia, "you've suffered so much. You've already lived a life of fear, haven't you?"

The white-haired woman leaned in closer to the Red Queen as if she was listening to something that wasn't spoken. It wasn't long after that when the Jabberwocky stood back up and began pacing around the cell once again. "You believe that if the Prince had chosen you instead of your stepsister, then...your mother would have loved you." The creature dressed in brown paused as she sat down on the arm of Will's chair and placed a hand on his head. "And now you fear that love is forever out of reach, and that deep, dark hole in your heart will remain empty...a hallowed reminder...of the life you could've had."

The Jabberwocky let out a sinister laugh before she walked across the cell and placed her arms on Anastasia's chair. Kaden just watched in silence as she leaned in until she was inches away from the Red Queen's face. "Can you feel me inside that head of yours? Drifting from room to room? I can see...everything. There's a darkness in you. It's like a disease. It's rotting you from the inside."

Tears ran down Anastasia's cheeks as the Jabberwocky stood back up and began circling around her. The white-haired woman just studied the Red Queen for a moment before she resumed taunting her. "You ran away from the only love you've ever had, and now you fear..." The Jabberwocky paused as she crouched down next to Will and ran a hand over his head. "You'll never get it back."

The Jabberwocky whispered something into Anastasia's ear that Kaden tried and failed to hear. While that continued, the Scarlet boy's attention moved to his brother, who was staring at the woman across from him. It wasn't until Kaden could hear the terrifying creature's voice once again that his gaze fell back on the Jabberwocky.

"You can't ever get his love back. But that's not really what you want. Is it? Or you never would have donned that crown all those years ago. You made the right choice. Do it again," the white-haired woman continued while looking over at Will before her hungry eyes fell back on the Red Queen, "wish for your precious...precious...crown. Go on. Wish for your crown and all your suffering goes away."

"Don't do it, Ana," Will said without an ounce of emotion in his voice.

It wasn't long after that when Jafar held his staff out in front of him, causing the Scarlet man to lean forward and let out a painful scream. The Jabberwocky let out a laugh as she grabbed the Knave's head and forced him to look back up at Anastasia. "Wish for your crown, and all his suffering goes away."

Kaden was shocked to find Anastasia staring at the floor with a pained look in her eyes. It wasn't long after that when the Red Knight noticed a drop of blood coming from her ear. The blonde woman continued to fight against the Jabberwocky's power for another moment before Kaden witnessed something he never thought possible. The Red Queen gave up.

"My crown. I wish for my crown!" Anastasia sobbed while keeping her eyes glued to the floor. A gust of wind immediately filled the dungeon before a familiar ruby crown appeared on the blonde woman's head.

"Good," the Jabberwocky told her as she helped Will back into a sitting position while keeping her hands on his head and shoulder, "now, wish for...your jewels. Go on."

Anastasia tried her best to fight against the woman's magic but hopelessly failed as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I wish for my jewels."

Another gust of wind blew past them until the Red Queen's rings appeared on her fingers. More tears streamed down Anastasia's cheeks as she let out a loud sob. Kaden kept his eyes on the blonde woman before his attention fell on Will, who was staring back at him with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Now," the Jabberwocky said as she walked back over to the woman in red and kneeled next to her, "wish for me to stop. Go on."

"I wish for you to stop."

As soon as Anastasia finished speaking, an orange cloud appeared at Will's feet and began circling around him. Kaden watched in horror as the smoke continued to rise until it covered every inch of his brother's body. Once the Knave was no longer visible, the cloud formed into a snake-like shape. It wasn't long after that when it moved through the air until it was back in the bottle and out of sight.

"Will!" the Red Knight shouted without thinking as he rushed forward and wrapped his hands around his cell bars.

"Wish granted," Jafar announced as if Kaden hadn't said a word while taking the bottle into his hands and looking over at Anastasia, "as I said, I always get what I want."

The vizier stared at the Red Queen for a moment longer before he slowly turned around to face Kaden. The Scarlet boy immediately moved back against the wall as Jafar made his way toward him. When the raven-haired man reached the knight's cell, he used his magic to open the door. All Kaden could do was watch as the man walked toward him before stopping a foot in front of him. The sorcerer kept his eyes glued to the knight for what felt like an eternity before a sinister smile appeared on his face.

"And now it's your turn to help me get what I want," Jafar stated before plunging his hand into Kaden's chest without a second thought. The Red Knight let out a gasp as a wave of pain washed over him. It wasn't long after that when the vizier did the same thing that Anastasia did all those years ago. Jafar ripped out Kaden's heart. The sorcerer just stared at the glowing red object in his hands before moving his gaze back to the gasping boy. "Now, summon Kidagakash Nedakh."

Kaden tried to resist the order given to him, only to miserably fail. A tear managed to escape him as he reached for the necklace hanging around his neck. Despite wanting nothing more than to destroy the object, the Scarlet boy brought it up to his mouth.

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Indigo stood guard outside the door that led to the Well of Wonders. Not much time had passed since Alice followed Cyrus after both girls agreed something wasn't right. Instead of going in with the Kingsleigh woman, the Spade decided to wait outside for them. She needed some time alone after hearing Kaden's message to get her thoughts together. As she paced around the clearing, her mind went over all the information she had on the Jabberwocky. But that only made her more terrified for her missing friends.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a familiar voice ringing through her ears. And what he said made her heart stop completely. "Forget what I said, Didi. I need your help. I'm hiding in the Red Queen's throne room. Come find me."

A single tear ran down Indigo's cheek after hearing the fear in Kaden's voice. She had never heard him that scared before in her entire life. Not even when they were being hunted down by the Red Queen and her guards. After standing there for a moment longer, the Lark girl found herself glancing back at the door to the Well of Wonders and let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Alice," Indigo muttered under her breath before turning in the direction of the Red Queen's castle.

"You know this is most likely a trap, right?" Jefferson said after listening to what was happening with his friend in Wonderland, "you and I both know that Kaden wouldn't call you for help with the Jabberwocky involved."

"I know. Someone forced him to call me. He's in even more danger than I thought," the Spade whispered as another tear streamed down her cheek, "I love you, Jay."

Indigo didn't wait for a response from the Mad Hatter as she waved her hand through the air. Her emotions were on overdrive as a cloud of blue began to wrap around her, cutting off her vision of the Wonderlandian forest. When the smoke finally cleared, the Lark girl found herself standing in the middle of the Red Queen's throne room. Her heart immediately stopped in her chest at the sight of Jafar standing across from her with a smirk on his face and a heart in his hand. It didn't take a genius to figure out who the heart belonged to.

After staring at the heart for a moment longer, the Lark girl's attention fell on Kaden, who was standing beside the Jabberwocky on the other side of the room. Indigo did her best to hold back a sob when she saw the pained look on the Scarlet boy's face. The curly-haired girl kept her eyes glued to Kaden for what felt like an eternity before she finally moved her gaze back to the sorcerer.

"Let him go, Jafar," Indigo pleaded without even attempting to hide her emotions while another tear streamed down her cheek, "let him go and I will do whatever you ask of me."

"That's not how it works, princess," Jafar responded after placing Kaden's heart in his bag, "I will only free the knight after I get what I want."

"And what is it you want?" the Lark girl questioned, completely unaware of her clenched fists beginning to glow.

The smirk on the vizier's face did nothing but grow before he began walking toward a nearby cabinet. After grabbing what he needed, he turned back around to face the curly-haired girl. Indigo had to muster all her strength not to gasp at the sight of two more genie lamps in his hands. Her eyes stayed glued to him as he walked across the room before placing them next to the lamp that held Will prisoner. It wasn't long after that when Jafar gestured for Indigo to join him, and the girl unwillingly obeyed.

As soon as the Spade was standing by the sorcerer's side, Jafar grabbed Indigo's glowing hands and held them over the three bottles. Not even a second after that passed when the lamps began to glow and the world started shaking. After letting out a shaky breath, the Lark girl managed to look up at the man next to her, only to find him already staring back at her.

"I want everything."

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