Echoes of Wonderland

Favorite crime

Chloe's POV

I've been searching for hours, driven by a relentless need to find Red, but she's nowhere to be found. My heart pounds with each step I take, hoping against hope that I'll catch a glimpse of her somewhere. As I walk past the ruins of Auradon Prep, memories of where it all began flash through my mind—how everything seemed so full of promise and potential. Now, the building stands in ruins, a dark shell of its former self, mirroring the chaos that seems to have consumed Red.

Just when I think my hope might be completely lost, I hear her voice—angry, hollow, and challenging. It sends a shiver down my spine. I follow the sound, my heart racing.

- Is that all you've got? - Red's voice rings out, full of anger and determination.

I don't know what I was expecting when I finally found Red, but it sure as hell wasn't this. The alleyway is a grim tableau of violence. Red is in the middle of it all, her fists flying with a savage intensity as she demolishes a guard. The sounds of her rage—the sickening thuds, desperate grunts, and the guard's choking gasps—slice through the silence like a blade. Blood splatters across the pavement, and Red's face is a mask of feral triumph. A shiver of horror runs through me.

- Red! - I shout, racing forward to stop this madness.

She barely acknowledges me, her focus solely on the guard she's pounding. My heart pounds in my chest as I shove the guard away and pull Red back with all my strength.

- Get off her! - I command, my voice trembling.

The guard stumbles away, clutching his side, and Red collapses to the ground, her breath ragged. I drop beside her, desperate to help, but she pushes me away with surprising force.

- Leave it, Chloe. - She growls, her voice dripping with disdain. - I had it under control.

- Red, what the hell are you doing? - I ask, my voice laced with desperation. - This isn't you. What's happening to you?

Red's eyes are fierce, her face smeared with grime and blood. She looks at me with a twisted smirk that chills me to my core.

- What's happening to me? Oh, Chloe, you really have no fucking clue, do you?

- Red, please— . - My chest tightens.

- Please what? - She snaps, her voice harsh and biting. - Please forgive you for ruining my life? For dragging me into this mess?

My heart sinks as if it's been ripped out.

- I didn't ruin your life. I just wanted to—

- You just wanted to what? - Red interrupts, her voice rising with venom. - You wanted to save your stupid fucking mother and play the hero? Well, congratulations, Chloe. You got what you wanted, but look at the cost. You destroyed everything I was.

I flinch as if she's physically slapped me, the weight of her words hitting me like a punch to the gut.

- Red, I'm sorry. I didn't know—

- Oh, spare me! - Red's laugh is bitter and mocking. - You think 'sorry' fixes everything? You think 'sorry' is going to undo the damage you've done? You're pathetic.

- I never meant to hurt you. - My throat tightens, and I struggle to hold back tears. - I thought we were building something real.

- What a joke. - Red's laughter morphs into a snarl. - You turned me into a fucking puppet, Chloe. I had to be the one to come up with all the solutions, to make all the sacrifices. And for what? To be your fucking sidekick?

Her words cut deeper than any physical wound could. I stand there, trembling, as she continues, her voice a relentless stream of bitterness. The metal bracelet on my wrist, which was once warm and comforting, now grows colder with every hateful word Red spews. Its once fairy-like glow dims and shifts to a menacing, hellish hue, the chill creeping up my arm.