The song of the forest, the chorus of rustling leaves… The sweet scent of lilacs, swaying in the floral fields… Even the ray of sunlight felt so real to him… His prior knowledge, his awareness, tossed aside as he remained fooled, lost to his own senses.

“A-amazing…” Matthew blocked the sun’s glare with his hands. Yet shards of its light slipped past his fingers, kissing his pale yet youthful face. Upon stumbling down for the third time, he finally had the chance to admire the hands held before him. They were his hands but not his hands, not really anyways. He could move them, flex them, wave them around just as he would his real ones but he knew they were not truly his.

“Ow…” He felt a sting on his legs as he kneeled. Scratch and bruises decorated them from his prior trip down the small ledge. The palm of his hand pressed the loamy soil as he welcomed the breeze under the shade of the oak trees… Bewildered, he stood in awe, unable to deny they were all genuine experiences…

And why shouldn't he when everything just felt so real—so alive? Of course, the presence of the creature that towered behind him was not an exception.

“Aahhhhhh! H-help— ” Matthew screamed, staggering back as his eyes caught the massive shadow creeping from behind him. Yet one blast of its thunderous roar shattered his voice. Stumbling on the ground, he resigned to stare at it with a slack-jawed expression, stunned by its paralyzing gaze.

Its eyes gleamed blue, cold and hair-raising. A snarl haunted its maw as webs of its drool smeared the grass near his feet. Black streaks decorated the grey fur covering its figure and the ground shook from the heft of its paws. It was intimidating enough for Matthew’s eyes to widen in fear as his body ignored his commands, his pleas, and woes.

Damn it! He cursed himself as he remained petrified, incapable of escape and powerless to fight back. The creature loomed over him as it opened its jaws, revealing an arsenal of daggers for teeth. Unable to quell its hunger any longer, it jerked its head in one swift attempt to devour the fool that served himself for breakfast.

Matthew closed his eyes. Unable to do anything else, he at least wanted to spare himself the sight of being eaten alive. He recoiled, awaiting the painful feeling of teeth piercing, tearing through his skin and gnawing at his bones. Yet moments passed and none of those thoughts befell him.

A low growl escaped the creature’s mouth, enough to make Matthew shriek in terror as the sound of an explosion ravaged his ears. Dumbstruck, the sound of striking iron greeted him along with a whimpering howl.

Reluctant at first, he opened his eyes and welcomed the sight of a girl zooming through the fields like a flash of lightning, pursued by the frenzied beast. “What the…” He gasped as he stared in shock, admiring the girl from a distance.

A brilliant smile accompanied her lips as if relishing in the thrill of combat. Her blonde hair, worn in a one-sided ponytail, danced along with her nimble movements as she evaded the sharp nails that sought after her head.

The creature sunk its claws into the earth as the girl slid and tumbled elusively. “Gotcha!” She shouted as a charming grin complimented her face and her eyes glimmered in ecstasy.

With its movements shackled by exhaustion from its mindless attacks, she rushed in, not allowing that chance to escape her. She climbed up, struggling, grasping at its fur and holding on with everything she had. “Woah! Hold still will ya?” She laughed as she pulled herself up, balancing her weight as if crossing a tightrope.

Triumphant in her endeavor, she stood between its broad shoulders and released a childish giggle into the wind. With a smile upon her face and an eager glint in her eyes, she twirled her iron-sword in whimsy and plunged it through the back of its skull.

“Game Over!” She shouted as the creature collapsed with a thunderous boom, dispersing clouds of dust throughout the lilac fields.

“A-amazing…” That single word escaped Matthews lips, awed by her victorious silhouette as the dust-clouds dissipated. The sight of her atop the creature’s carcass was inexplicably beautiful to him.

He felt breathless yet strangely invigorated. His heartbeat elevated from witnessing such an inspiring battle in his first day inside Wonderland. He envied everything about her… From her skillful movements to her courage and her strength…

He wondered who she was… Why was she there? Where did she come from? Countless questions swirled inside his head like a raging storm. Yet more than those… More than anything else… He yearned to know… 

What was it like—the view at the summit!