The passage to the secret library was nothing like Alice had imagined. It was cramped and dimly lit, the flickering glow of enchanted sconces casting long shadows along the stone walls. Alice trailed behind Mirana, her footsteps echoing softly as the air grew cooler and the space narrower with every step.
“This is… cozy,” Alice said, her voice tinged with sarcasm as she ducked to avoid a low-hanging arch.
Mirana glanced back at her with a faint smile. “A secret library must remain just that—secret. The passage was designed to deter those who do not belong.”
Alice glanced at the winding turns ahead, the countless forks and branching paths that seemed to lead nowhere. “I can see why. Does anyone besides you even know about this place?”
“No,” Mirana replied simply. “And you must promise never to come here alone.”
Alice frowned. “Why?”
Mirana’s expression grew serious. “The passage is enchanted to protect the library. Only I know the true path. If you were to take a wrong turn, you could trigger a trap.”
“Trap?” Alice repeated, her voice raising slightly.
“Nothing fatal,” Mirana reassured her, though her tone was grave. “But certainly… unpleasant. It’s not a risk worth taking.”
Alice swallowed hard, glancing uneasily at the endless maze of stone. “Noted. You’ll have to forgive me if I stick close to you.”
Mirana’s lips twitched in a barely concealed smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
---
After what felt like an eternity of winding corridors, they reached what seemed to be a dead end. Alice frowned, about to ask if they’d gone the wrong way, when Mirana stepped forward and placed a hand against the smooth stone wall. She began to chant softly, her voice melodic yet firm, each word resonating with an ethereal power.
The wall shimmered, then shifted. A doorway carved itself into existence, ornate and gilded, with intricate designs of stars and vines etched into its frame.
Alice blinked in awe. “Well, that’s not something you see every day.”
Mirana smiled faintly, gesturing toward the newly revealed door. “Shall we?”
With a deep breath, Alice stepped through, and her breath caught at the sight before her.
---
### **The Library**
The library was massive, its high vaulted ceilings seemingly endless, with shelves stacked with books stretching farther than Alice could see. The air smelled faintly of parchment and something sweetly floral, and the room was bathed in a soft golden light that seemed to emanate from nowhere and everywhere at once.
“This is… incredible,” Alice murmured, turning in a slow circle. “How does something this big even fit inside the palace?”
“Wonderland does not follow the rules of the Aboveland,” Mirana said lightly. “Space is not constrained here as it is there.”
Alice walked to the nearest shelf, her fingers brushing lightly against the spines of books that looked as ancient as time itself. “There must be thousands of books in here. No—millions. It’s going to take forever to find anything useful.”
“It won’t,” Mirana said gently. “Time in Wonderland flows differently than it does in the Aboveland. One hundred years here would be little more than one hundred minutes there.”
Alice paused, turning to look at her. “Wait, really?”
Mirana nodded, her gaze steady. “Your family won’t even notice you’ve been gone.”
YOU ARE READING
Of Tea Leaves and Stardust
FanfictionOn the day Alice defeats the Red Queen's Jabberwocky, she's given its blood to return to the Aboveland. But when the blood doesn't work as expected, Alice finds herself stranded in Wonderland once more. As her friends race to help her find a way h...
