Grimm unsheathed his sword without hesitation.
There were no questions, no hesitations, no room for uncertainty.
His body reacted before his mind, as if something inside him already knew that kind of danger. The white rabbit continued approaching slowly, dragging its paws in an unnatural way, with that unsettling creak that seemed to come from the deepest part of its bones.
Then it happened.
A dry sound.
Wet.
The rabbit's body inflated for an instant, as if something inside it expanded all at once. The skin stretched to an impossible point, and in the next second…
It exploded.
The flesh opened from within, tearing in multiple directions, splattering blood and remains into the air. But it was not a death, it was not an end.
It was a birth.
From that broken mass something much larger, much more grotesque began to form. The body expanded uncontrollably, lengthening and deforming until it acquired a completely different shape. Its size increased in an absurd way, breaking any logical proportion, until the creature was fully formed in front of Grimm.
A monster.
A rabbit… but it no longer was.
Its teeth were enormous, irregular, sharp as worn blades, protruding from its jaw in a perpetual expression of hunger. From its mouth flowed thick saliva mixed with blood, sliding slowly in viscous threads that fell to the ground with an unpleasant sound.
Its four legs were long, too long, and ended in disproportionate claws that scratched the surface with every slight movement, as if constantly testing the resistance of the world.
Grimm raised his shield.
He positioned himself.
His gaze fixed on the beast's eyes.
He could not look away.
He could not turn his back on it.
There was something in that creature that made it clear without the need for words: a single mistake… and everything would end.
He began to move in circles, maintaining the distance. His steps were firm, measured, while he analyzed every small gesture of the monster. The beast did not move, but it was not calm.
It was waiting.
And its eyes confirmed it.
There was hunger in them.
A violent need to tear apart, to consume, to reduce him to nothing.
Time became heavy, thick, as if the air itself refused to flow.
Until something changed.
A slight movement in the creature's head.
Unnatural.
And then it attacked.
It did not run.
It lunged.
Its body advanced like an uncontrolled mass, breaking the air in its path with absurd speed. Grimm reacted at the last instant, spinning his body with precision.
He dodged it.
By centimeters.
He felt the force of the impact pass beside him while the beast crashed against the wall, opening a huge hole in the bricks. Fragments of stone flew in all directions, but the creature did not stop.
It suffered no damage.
It did not hesitate.
It turned.
And attacked again.
Faster.
More violently.
This time, when it collided with the wall, it did not stop. It rebounded with brutality, propelling itself once more toward Grimm, chaining attacks without giving him space to breathe. It charged again and again, as if it felt no pain, as if there were no limit to its body.
Grimm resisted.
He dodged.
He retreated.
But each impact brought him closer to the end.
Until one reached him.
The beast impacted against him with all its force, throwing him against an already weakened wall. The sound of the collision was dry, accompanied by the cracking of his bones.
The air left his body.
His vision blurred.
The pain pierced him completely.
He tried to get up.
But it was no longer the same.
He had lost too much blood.
And then the shadow of the beast fell over him.
Its jaws opened.
And they caught him.
The teeth closed over his left arm.
One instant.
A pull.
And the arm was torn off.
The blood gushed immediately, uncontrollably, staining the floor while his shield fell without an owner. The pain was unbearable, but Grimm did not scream.
He did not allow himself to.
His breathing became unstable, his vision fragmented… but it was not over yet.
He could not die like this.
Not without killing it.
With the last strength he had left, he lunged forward.
Not to escape.
To attack.
His sword rose once more, and in a desperate but precise movement, he sank it into the beast's right eye. The blade pierced the flesh, making its way until it reached its brain.
The creature shook violently.
But Grimm did not stop.
He stabbed.
Once.
Again.
Once more.
Each blow in the same spot, without deviating, without hesitation.
Until the beast stopped moving.
Its body collapsed.
Heavy.
Dead.
The silence returned.
Grimm remained a few seconds longer, holding the sword embedded, as if he needed to make sure everything was over. Then he released it, retreating with difficulty.
His legs gave out.
He fell.
The blood continued to flow.
His breathing weakened.
The world began to fade.
And this time…
He did not fight.
The darkness enveloped him.
And consumed him.
…
But he did not die.
When he opened his eyes, he was no longer on the battlefield.
There was no blood.
There were no bodies.
He found himself in an enormous library.
The shelves rose to impossible heights, filled with ancient books. Some were arranged with precision, others piled without sense, as if knowledge had been abandoned to its fate. The air was dense, charged with the smell of old paper and ink.
In the center, a large wooden table.
And around it, several chairs.
In one of them…
A woman.
Dressed completely in white.
With rabbit ears.
She read calmly, turning the pages as if nothing in the world could disturb her. But when she noticed Grimm's presence, she raised her gaze and observed him with a slight smile.
—It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Grimm.
Her voice was calm, too calm for that place.
—I am Node… the librarian of this place.
Grimm remained silent for a few seconds, observing her. There was something strange in the way she pronounced his name, as if she had known him for a long time.
—Nice to meet you, Node. I would like to ask you where you heard my name before… but I don't have time for that. I only want to know one thing… where are we?
Node did not hesitate to respond.
—This place is Wonderland… a site where madness and desires intertwine without limits. But it is not a free place, Mr. Grimm. It is ruled by four nightmares.
She made a brief pause before continuing.
—The Frumious Bandersnatch… the Mad Jubjub Bird… the Jabberwock Corpse Dragon… and… the tyrant of the Red Castle, Frissel… the Queen of Hearts.
Her gaze became slightly more serious.
—If you encounter any of them… be very careful.
Grimm nodded slightly.
—Thank you for the information. One last question… have you seen Alicia?
Node remained silent.
Then she shook her head.
—No.
Grimm did not insist.
—I see… thank you very much.
Without wasting any more time, he turned and walked toward a bonfire that burned at one end of the library. The flames danced with a strange calm, as if they were waiting for him.
He approached.
And without hesitation, he lit it completely.
In the instant that the light enveloped him, his body disappeared.
And he was transported back to the place where everything had begun.
Where he had awakened for the first time in that world.