Twisted Wonderland Book 1: The Rose-Red Tyrant

Chapter 1: The Desperate Heart

She suddenly mutters, "...Alice? Is that her name...?"

The girl, believed to be called Alice, walks to the cards and asks, "Why are you painting these white roses red?"

"Huh?" The cards reply, coming to a stop.

The Two of Clubs say, "Why, you ask? It's quite simple. We painted the wrong color, you see."

Then the Ace of Clubs say, "The Queen likes her roses red. If they're white, we'll lose our heads!"

Alice rushes past the two and to a rose bush that has some roses painted red while others are still white.

"Goodness!" Alice replies.

Just then, another playing card appears. This one has black three of clubs on it. This card is on a ladder and holding a paintbrush.

The card says, "And so, we're painting the roses red."

Briar searches around and wonders, "Where... where was I? I could have sworn I was in the dorm... And what is this feeling...? And who are these playing cards... and that girl... What's going on...?"

Ramshackle Dorm Room:

Moments later, Briar slowly opens her eyes to find herself facing the mirror in the room.

"Huh?" Briar says, confused. Then wonders, "How did I get here? I thought I was sleeping in bed?"

Briar then yawns and says, "Oh well, I better get back to bed."

She walks to the bed and gently removes the covers to climb under it. Then she lays down, covering herself.

"That has to be the strangest dream... It's best that I sleep it off and think about it in the morning," Briar says to herself.

And with that, Briar soon begins to fall back to sleep. Just as she is about to go back to sleep, she hears knocking sounds.

"Huh?" Briar says to herself with a confused look.

Briar tiredly sits up and hears the knocking sound again.

"Is someone knocking at the door?" Briar asks herself.

Just then, Sereia, and Trinket begin to wake up. Trinket lets out tinkering sounds as she lets out a yawn.

"Wha-what's that noise...?" Sereia asks, feeling tired.

"I'm not sure," Briar says.

Briar then walks out of her room to hear the knocking noise. At the same time, Grim, Jasper and Tanzanite walk out of the room with tired looks on their eyes.

Then Grim says, in a sleepy tone, "Myaaah... Hey, Briar... I know it's the middle of the night, but I think we've got a visitor."

Then the knocking appears again.

Grim yawns and says, "Maybe it's those pesky ghosts again? They just don't know when to quit."

"I don't know. It sounds like it's coming from down stairs," Briar says.

Jasper yawns and asks, "Who would be coming here at this hour?"

"I have to agree. It's really late and I'm still tired," Tanzanite says.

"Well, we won't know until we see who's knocking," Briar says, and lets out a yawn.

And soon, Briar begins to walk down stairs, with Grim and the others follow from behind. She walks down the stairs as she continues to hear the loud knocking sound. She walks down the stair to the lounge and then she walks to the entry hall.

Briar walks to the door as she asks herself in thought, "Who would be here at this hour?"

Briar calmly calls out, "Hellooo? Who is it?"

Just then, a familiar voice calls out, "It's me, Ace! Just let me in, all right!"

"Ace?" Briar says to herself.

Then calls out, "Okay."

Briar walks to the front door, unlocks it, and opens the door.

"Ace, do you know what time it is..." Briar says, but stops in shock.

Just then, Grim, Sereia, Trinket, Jasper and Tanzanite walk towards the entry hall to hear the conversation.

Tired, Grim says, "Ace? It's the middle of the night!"

When they arrive, the others come to a stop and are shocked.

Grim reacts, "B-bwah! That collar!"

To their shock, they see that Ace is wearing a heart shaped clap of some kind metal collar in the shape of a heart, that is red and black, and has a lock at front.

"Ace... what is that thing you're wearing?" Sereia asks, shocked.

"Whar happen?" Jasper and Tanzanite ask, surprised.

Trinket even expresses her shock.

Ace walks inside and slams the door behind him with a scowl look on his face.

Then Ace says to them, "I can't go back to Heartslabyul House. I'm joining your dorm. For good."

"Myah?! Come again?!" Grim exclaims and the others express their shocked expression, "Eeh?!"