During a class reunion, a voice suddenly echoed in my mind: “Welcome to Alice's Castle.” “Only by successfully wooing the Red Queen can you survive.” In the blink of an eye, the surroundings shifted. The Red Queen was scouring the city for the person who stole her tarts, and the sketch of the suspect looked exactly like us. As more and more Card Soldiers gathered, the voice returned: “Those wearing red can escape suspicion.” The next second, everyone scrambled to find red paint. 1 Penny, our class president and the girl who always seemed to have the devil's own luck, was the first to find a bucket of red paint. She dragged it over to us. "Quick! Find brushes! There's not enough paint to go around if we don't use brushes!" "Paint your clothes red, and we might just survive this!" Everyone got the message. But before we could even take a few steps, dozens of Card Soldiers and a massive hound found our hiding spot. The hound spoke, its voice deep and guttural. "Take them all to the castle. Her Majesty said dead or alive." It seemed to sense our urge to run. "If anyone disobeys, bring back their corpses." We exchanged terrified glances. We all knew the Red Queen's temper. Going to the castle like this meant risking decapitation before we even started the mission. Painting ourselves red was the priority. Just as the thought crossed my mind, Bella, the class beauty, lifted the heavy paint bucket. Pinching her nose, she dumped the contents over her head. She was drenched in red instantly, coughing and sputtering. "Cough... cough... this isn't paint! It's blood! It's blood!" So that explained the metallic stench. Penny rushed over to confront Bella for wasting the "paint," but the Card Soldiers pinned her down and shackled her. I signaled Penny not to resist. She sighed, defeated. We were all marched to the castle. The moment the Red Queen saw us, she roared, "Speak! Who stole my tarts?!" Bella, covered head to toe in blood, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, it wasn't me. You've misunderstood." "I love the color red too. If it pleases you, I'd like to stay in the palace and paint your white roses red." The Red Queen looked Bella up and down. "Hmm. Card Soldiers, unchain her." "And bring me my paint bucket." We all looked at Bella with envy. The system wasn't lying. Wearing red really did clear suspicion. If she could stay here, she'd have plenty of chances to complete the wooing mission. Bella turned to us, a smug look on her face. The paint bucket was placed in front of her. She picked it up, ready to leave. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." But as she passed me, I realized something was wrong. The bucket was empty. Why would she send her to paint roses with an empty bucket? Before I could warn her, the Red Queen stopped Bella. A shrill scream made me shudder. "You dare steal my paint! A mere commoner! Daring to like the same color as me!" Bella froze, kneeling to beg for mercy. But it was too late. The Red Queen sat on her throne, voice calm. "Off with her head." Bella was bled dry right in front of us. Her blood filled the paint bucket. A chill ran down my spine. Did the system give us a false hint to mess with us? 2 I swallowed hard and looked around at my classmates. Some were paralyzed with fear; a few had even wet themselves. But the bolder ones were whispering: "What do we do? If the system lies, how are we supposed to survive?" "Who the hell drew our portraits?" "Shh, keep it down. From the Queen's question, she doesn't actually know who ate the tarts." "So, if we push someone forward as a scapegoat, can we save ourselves?" ... The Queen's voice boomed again: "Who stole my tarts!" "If no one clears their suspicion, you'll all become red paint for my white roses!" I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. To survive, I had to pretend I didn't hear my classmates' plotting. Sure enough, someone stood up abruptly. "Your Majesty, I know who ate the tarts." His gaze landed on a corner. I followed his line of sight. It was Sarah. She was often bullied by the guys in class because of a large black birthmark on her face and neck. My heart pounded. The Red Queen waved her hand, and Sarah was dragged to the front. She was sobbing with fear. "Your... Your Majesty, I'm innocent!" "I didn't eat your tarts, please spare me." "I wouldn't dare, Your Majesty!" The Red Queen pointed a finger lazily. The guy who accused Sarah was immediately dragged away. His fate was the same as Bella's. I broke out in a cold sweat. What was going on? Why did the accuser die? I watched the Red Queen nervously, only to see her order Sarah's release. "Hmm, I like ugly people. I hate liars." Sarah was saved by her "flaw." Not only did she clear her name, but she also got to stay. I realized the system's hint was correct. Bella died because she lied. She didn't like red; she just said it to curry favor. Then I realized Sarah wasn't wearing red. Did that mean there was another way to survive? Honesty. "And you? Did you steal my tarts?" "Hmph, guilty silence! "Guards! Off with their heads!" Her words snapped me back to reality. As the Card Soldiers advanced, our Class Monitor slammed his head on the floor before I could. "Your Majesty, I've never even entered your castle before! I swear I didn't eat them!" I followed suit instantly, tears streaming down my face. "I swear on my family's life, I didn't eat them!" Everyone caught on and started swearing their innocence. Just when we thought we were safe. The Red Queen stood up abruptly. "I like your honesty, but I hate your faces!" "My patience has run out!" "Off with their heads!" 3 My eyes widened. So looks mattered too! The castle erupted into chaos. Waiting for death now would be idiotic! The system's voice chimed in: [The White Rabbit often lends a helping hand.] I looked around frantically. Everyone was scrambling out of the main hall. Several Card Soldiers were chasing me. I sprinted through corridors and rooms. I couldn't stop. The thought of their spears piercing me was enough to keep my legs moving! "Mr. White Rabbit! Mr. White Rabbit, where are you?" I whispered as I ran. Suddenly, someone pulled me into a room around a corner. It was Penny. She pointed to the floor. "You really are lucky! You found the White Rabbit!" I gasped. The White Rabbit bowed to us. "Oh my, how may I help you?" Penny said anxiously, "See? He says he'll help, but we have to choose how. I asked him to take me out of the castle, but he said he couldn't." The footsteps outside were getting louder and closer. I asked quickly, "Is there any way to clear us of suspicion?" The Rabbit replied, "I cannot." How the hell were we supposed to use him? Penny and I paced the room. A familiar voice boomed outside the door. "They're in here! Break it down! Seize them!" It was the hound. The door shook under heavy blows. Just as it was about to give way, I saw the Monitor running into the garden outside the window. His head had swollen to a massive size. It clicked. The cakes! "Mr. White Rabbit, do you have the cakes that make you grow?" The Rabbit produced a cake and vanished. Penny and I split it. Instantly, we started to grow. The Red Queen spotted us. She ordered the soldiers to stop. Her rage turned into a smile. "So you're Big-Headed Dolls too! I love it! Stay in the castle and work for me." "I need Big-Headed Dolls for my amusement." Turns out there was more than one White Rabbit. Around thirty of us had survived. Finally, a moment to breathe. Night fell quickly, and the Red Queen sent us to rest. But as I tried to sleep, I felt eyes on me. I opened my eyes a sliver and saw a grotesque face grinning at me. 4 I lay there, paralyzed with fear. Who was staring at me? I closed my eyes again and pretended to turn over. [The Mad Hatter has gone mad. He sews hats onto people's heads at night.] The system's message jolted my brain awake. I felt someone trying different hats on my head. This world was full of traps. If he sewed a hat onto my head... Calm down. I forced myself to stop imagining the worst. I turned over again. The Mad Hatter was still there. I took a deep breath and peeked again. Something was wrong with him. The hat on his own head was missing. But I couldn't find it in the dark. "This hat suits you." "Best to sew it on." The Mad Hatter spoke suddenly. I sat up in terror. I turned on the light, but it was Penny I saw. Looking around, the Mad Hatter was gone. I patted my chest, letting out a breath. Penny, seeing my pale face, squeezed into my bed. "I heard the system voice and got scared, so I came to find you." "Why was your door open?" "Did you meet the Mad Hatter?" I didn't want to scare her, so I shook my head. We slept together, terrified. Thankfully, the Mad Hatter didn't return. The next morning, the survivors discussed strategy while painting white roses. "So how do we woo the Red Queen? She's so moody; she might chop our heads off on a whim." "Does playing ugly work? Sarah is her favorite now. Her progress must be higher than ours." "Shh, she's coming." We bowed to the Red Queen. She looked at our oversized heads with satisfaction. "Hmm, go to the kitchen and get some tarts." "Follow the soldiers and help me feed my new pet." Eager to gain favor and progress, we rushed to obey. Each holding a large tray of tarts, we followed the Card Soldiers. The path grew darker and gloomier. At the end was a small dungeon cell. The soldiers opened the door. Penny went in first, and I followed. But before I could enter, screams erupted from inside. I ran forward. Inside, tarts were scattered everywhere, surrounding a grotesquely obese White Queen.
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