Echoes of Wonderland

We're all mad here

Chloe's POV

I break free from Red's embrace as my tears begin to dry. Maleficent is nowhere to be seen—she must have vanished when the blinding light filled the cave. My anger and frustration surge as I turn to Red, whose face is pale, her gaze fixed on the spot where Uliana had stood only moments before. The cavern's eerie silence amplifies my emotions, making every breath feel like a battle.

- God damn it, Red! - I shout, my voice cracking under the weight of my anger. - Why would you do that?

- Do what, Chloe? - Red snaps back, her voice tinged with defensiveness. - Save your fucking life? You're welcome, by the way.

- I didn't ask you to! - I yell louder, my frustration boiling over. - You should've stopped Uliana! Saved our families!

- And what, let you die? - Red retorts, her eyes blazing with hurt and defiance. - Is that what you wanted? For me to just stand by and let you die?

- Yes! Red, you should've! - I say, pacing back and forth, my hands gripping my head as if to keep my thoughts from spilling out uncontrollably. - You had a choice, and you chose wrong.

- There's no way we're arguing because I saved your life. - Red says in disbelief, her tone a mix of frustration and confusion.

- I'm not angry because you saved my life! - I shout, the cavern's cold walls echoing my rage. - I'm angry because you sacrificed everyone else's for no reason!

- For you, Chloe! I did it for you! - Red's voice rises with intensity. - There's no fucking way I was gonna let you die in front of my eyes.

- You had a choice, Red! - I turn away, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and despair. - You could've stopped Uliana and saved everyone. Instead, you chose me over the fate of countless others.

- You know what? No. - Red's voice cuts through my anger. - I'm not letting you yell at me for making the hardest choice of my life. I did what I thought was right.

Red moves towards me, her face a storm of conflicting emotions. She grabs my arm with a firm grip, forcing me to face her.

- Yes, I did have a choice. - She continues, her voice steady despite the pain in her eyes. - It was between you and Auradon. Forgive me if you think I chose wrong. But I'd rather kill every single person in this entire city with my bare hands than lose the love of my life knowing I could've saved her.

Her words hit me like a physical blow. I see the depth of her sacrifice, the raw, aching love that fueled her decision. Her eyes are pleading, filled with a sadness that mirrors my own.

- I'm no hero, Chloe. - Red says softly, her voice trembling as she steps closer. - I don't care about anyone else but you. And if I had to make that choice again, I'd make the same one. Because I'd rather you be alive and hate me than you be gone and me hating myself.

The cavern's cold emptiness surrounds us, amplifying the crushing weight of our failure. The anger still burns within me, but it's now tempered by the enormity of her sacrifice. Red's words hang in the air, piercing through my frustration with their raw honesty. I feel a deep, unsettling quiet inside me, struggling to reconcile the reality of what just happened.

Her sacrifice was monumental, and I realize, with a wrenching ache, that I would have made the same choice for her. I would have sacrificed every soul in this town if it meant keeping Red alive. The depth of her love and the painful truth of our loss sink in, leaving me grappling with a profound sense of grief and defeat.

- Red, I... 

As I begin to speak, a low rumble shakes the cavern. The ground beneath us trembles violently, and rocks start to fall from the ceiling, sending up clouds of dust and debris. Red's eyes widen with fear as she yells over the cacophony.