Shattered Reflections (Twisted Wonderland x Gojo Reader)

The Rose-Red Tyrant - Dreams of Red Roses and Hidden Scars

After returning to the Ramshackle Dorm, both (y/n) and Grim, weary from their adventure for the day, headed straight to bed. A few moments, the mirror in their room shimmered and rippled faintly. (y/n)'s eyebrows furrowed as her mind was pulled into an unusual dream.

"Hurry up and paint those roses red!" A Club card solider said as he painted a white rose on a bush red.

"Slather them quickly, as aforesaid!" another card soldier added, painting another white rose on the same bush.

"Hurry, hurry! There are still roses left to paint!" Ace of Clubs said

(y/n) was confused at the sight, 'They're painting... roses?'

Then a young girl with blond hair, wearing blue with a white apron appeared, "Why are you painting these white roses red?" She asked

The card soldiers looked at the blonde girl in disbelief, "Huh?"

"Why, you ask? It's quite simple." Two of Clubs said to her, "We planted the wrong color, you see"

The Ace then explained, "The Queen likes her roses red. If they're white, we'll lose our heads!"

The blonde girl exclaimed in surprise, "Goodness!"

The three of clubs turned to her on the ladder, "And so, we're painting the roses red"

And the dream began to blur and fade into darkness.

~~~

Meanwhile, over in Heartslabyul. Riddle retired for the night after another rigorous day of enforcing Hearslabyul's strict rules. As sleep claimed him, his familiar surroundings dissolved, shattering like glass and a new, unfamiliar setting took form.

Riddle found himself standing before an imposing traditional Japanese mansion - majestic, grand, and filled with an oppressive atmosphere he knew all too well. He gulped as the air felt hauntingly similar to his own childhood home, but this place carried a different, ancient power.

He now stood before the Gojo mansion.

Unseen by those around him, Riddle watched as the sliding doors open, revealing a long hallway lined with wooden panels and intricate scrollwork. At the far end, a small figure knelt in the center of the room - a girl, no older than five or six years old with snow-white hair and blue eyes. It was (y/n), the girl he had noticed at orientation. She was dressed in a traditional formal kimono, her face expressionless, yet her posture rigid and obedient.

"Recite it again" A cold, commanding voice echoed from one of the elders seated at a low table nearby.

Little (y/n) took a deep breath, clutching her kimono tightly as she began. "The laws of the Gojo Clan must be followed without question. A mistake in any of my duties will result in punishment."

Before she could continue, "Stop that." Another elder's sharp voice cut through the room like ice. "Do not clutch your kimono so carelessly. Such fidgeting is unbecoming of someone in your position."

(y/n)'s hands immediately loosened from the fabric, though her fingers trembled slightly. The scolding didn't end there.

"You hesitate, you fidget... these are signs of weakness," the first elder continued, his voice laced with impatience. "Recite it again, this time without faltering - or else."

Riddle's heart clenched as he watched. The heavy pressure on her was unmistakable, a mirror to the suffocating expectations he'd lived through himself. The relentless need for perfection, the looming threat of punishment. It was painfully familiar.

The dream blurred and faded, pulling Riddle back to consciousness. He bolted upright, his breath quickened, eyes wide, his mind still reeling from the unsettling vision of (y/n)'s past.