Omen's POV
Friday
It was the day of the meeting that Mike mysteriously set up without Ciel knowing. While we were waiting for Sebastian to prepare for the morning, there was a question that has been circulating around my brain that I couldn't help but asked Mike.
"There is something that I don't quite understand." I said. "If Undertaker was free from the Black Pearl's control, why did he still act like he was under Dark Shadow's control?"
"Do you not know?"
Sebastian stepped into the room as he closed the door softly. I yelped in surprise.
"Dark Shadow has already placed several of his spies in many of the Worlds. Given that the Library has fallen, he would have sent more to keep a closer eye on Undertaker. He would have to take extra precautions to hide from them."
"Then Undertaker was crafty enough to hide his cinematic record and the vial of substance." Mike commented. "So are the rest still asleep?"
Sebastian nodded his head.
"We will not be disturbed for the moment."
"Alright then." Mike shifted in his seat before he fished out a letter from his inner coat pocket. It was painted red and a symbol of a spade was stamped and sealed on it.
"That!" Sebastian exclaimed. "Isn't that one of the famed letters that contained the power to enter the Dream's Wonderland?"
"Isn't that the letter that mysteriously changed my letter for Ciel?" I eyed the letter warily. "Hold on, wait. Dream? What Dream?"
"I suppose you mean the Dream that created Wonderland." Mike looked at Sebastian for confirmation.
"Indeed, that is the Dream I am talking about. I am very sure you guys know the children's book "Alice in Wonderland" but there are rumours that Wonderland existed way before the story."
"Interesting..." Mike muttered as he leaned backwards in his chair.
"Ummm... I don't quite understand. What does this letter got to do with "Alice in Wonderland"?" I inquired.
"To put it simply, there is a story before "Alice in Wonderland". A darker and more sinister one that is called "Alice Human Sacrifices"." Sebastian elaborated.
"That title alone is already enough to give me shivers."
"The contents of the story are quite morbid, I heard but I don't know the exact contents of what it is about. In this story, "Alice" wasn't the name of the little girl who entered the Wonderland. Perhaps it was coincidental with her name but "Alice" is a name to call outsiders who stumbled into Wonderland. In fact, Alice was not the first Alice to appear in Wonderland. There were others before her as told in the story."
"What happened to them?"
"I heard they died." Mike said suddenly. "They were the representatives of different poker card symbols; spade, club, heart and diamond. Wonderland was a World too foreign and strange that it possibly drove them to their deaths."
"But those are rumours." Sebastian interjected. "There are no concrete evidence to prove them."
"Until this letter came." I stated. "Mike, how did you know there was such a letter?"
"One of my old associates, Xerxes Break said that his Organisation can lend a hand. But to get to them, we will have to go to Wonderland. He sent this and you know the rest."
"Xerxes Break from the Dark Horse Organisation?" Sebastian questioned.
"Yes."
Mike took off his spectacles to rub the bridge of his nose. His brows were terribly wrinkled at Xerxes's name. It seemed that he wasn't terribly happy to be associated with such a person.
"As much as I would like to cut off my acquaintanceship with this man, his Organisation is the only one willing to lend a hand."
Ever since the Library has fallen, there were no other Guardian Organisations who were willing to lend their power. They were too scared to go against Dark Shadow. Dark Horse Organisation was an infamous Organisation who lend their help to those in need and received impossible rewards in return. Obviously, the way this conversation was going, the task to get the letters of the other Alices was not going to be as simple as strolling in a garden.
"Unfortunately, Wonderland isn't really a place where anyone can come and go." Sebastian pointed out and I immediately tuned my ears to the conversation. "Only those who have the letters and are worthy enough can enter."
"As predicted, this will be difficult." Mike frowned.
"Soooo... in summary, Dark Horse Organisation is located in Wonderland. And to enter Wonderland, we must get all the letters with the card symbols and be worthy enough. Am I correct?" I concluded.
"Seems about right." Mike confirmed. "Sebastian, you need to attend the Young Lord, right?"
Sebastian clicked opened his pocket watch before he stood up.
"Indeed, it is about time he is waking up. Besides, I wasn't intending to stay with you guys to inspect the contents of the letter as much as I wanted to."
"Alright." Mike nodded.
When the door was closed softly, he tore opened the red letter and read the contents aloud.
"Dreams are Nightmares.
And Nightmares are Dreams.
Look closer, and all you see is just an illusion.
Death, is merely just the beginning."
He looked at me with a deadpan gaze.
"Are you sure that you didn't write this?"
"Well... I'm not exactly sure. The poem fits the scene of illusion that I showed to Ciel and Sebastian of the dead noble. So... maybe I did?" I gave a shrug while scratching the side of my head.
He shook his head before the letter in his hand began to shake. It fell out of his hand and landed onto the table before it folded itself into the symbol of a spade.
The letter then unfold itself before it began to narrate its story in a soft, luring feminine voice unlike the screeching Howlers from the World of Harry Potter. It also began to fold itself into the shape of the 1st Alice, clad in red armour and facilitated the story.
"The first Alice was a wrathful woman of the spade.
Righteously, she held a sharpened blade within her hand.
Never hesitating to slay all in her way.
Creating paths of blood that followed her through Wonderland.
Deep into the darkened forest, Alice walked the line.
Captured and imprisoned as an embodiment of Sin.
If it wasn't for the murderous wake left behind,
No one would have suspected she had ever been."
"So she was already insane by the time she went into Wonderland." I concluded. "Reminds me of the Red Queen in "Alice in Wonderland". She loves to find excuses to behead people in the story."
"Judging from her appearance, she's a soldier. Perhaps even a commander from the ranking etched into her armour." Mike added on. "An angry woman desperate enough to kill the inhabitants of Wonderland to go back home and help her brothers fight a war?"
"Maybe..." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "But where does this lead to? The next letter should be the diamond Alice so how does this link to the next letter?"
The letter on the table gave a flash of light. Mike bend down and read it out aloud.
"The Demented Singer can be found in the story of the soon-to-be amnesiac boy. The boy who could become the famed private detective. Alas, all that is expected spirals into the darkness.
The Mad Queen adored by all is found in the story of magic. A book about the golden trio.
Worry not if you have not figured out. The answer will appear when you least expect it. And hurry… before it is too late."
"That's quite deep." I commented quite sarcastically. "But I can't believe this letter gave 2 riddles for the other 2 letters."
"I know the first one. It's probably the one you wished to meet."
"Who wouldn't?" I winked. "The only famed Detective apart from Poirot created by Agatha Christie can only be the all-time favourite Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conon Doyle. But last I remember, Sherlock never got amnesia in the story."
"That is one of troubling points of this riddle. However, since the riddle has told us not to actively look for answers, then I think we should just follow what it said."
He abruptly kept the letter and stood up, his body language indicating his want to leave.
I opened and closed my mouth in disbelief as I watched him walked out of the room. There were still many factors inside the riddle that we have not solved and he was contented at not knowing? Is he not insanely curious where the next letters are? And judging by how shady this letter is, how is he not particularly cautious about it?
I shook my head with a sigh of resignation before I strode out of the room, nose stuck in the air to sniff out the pleasant smell that wafted in the air. My stomach growled excitedly with the anticipation of breakfast.
Guess it's time for food then before questions and answers.