Chapter 024: Shadows in Wonderland- Part one.

The weight of those shoddy, unconscious agents pressed down on me like a lead blanket. Their faces, even blurred and distant, swam before my eyes as I sat across from the skeletal figure. Guilt gnawed at me, a sharp contrast to the icy resolve I wore like a mask. These were people I knew, some I'd even shared a laugh with. But fear and twisted truths had turned them into pawns, their actions fueling a fire they didn't even understand.

The sting lingered, but my mind was laser-focused on one thing; Thomas. His life hung in the balance, and this bony bastard held the key.

"Trap? What sort of trap?" I demanded, my gaze boring into its empty sockets. But the skeleton remained tight-lipped. Mutes weren't my cup of tea today.

I tightened my grip on the card, sending a jolt of energy that crackled through its bony form. The sockets flickered with an eerie, almost malevolent light, and the raspy voice croaked out, "Alright, alright! I'll talk, but—"