The portal closes behind you with a soft pop, leaving you alone in the flickering glow of Wonderland. The sky swirls with impossible colors, and the air smells of sweet herbs and rain. You shiver, realizing it’s already night.

“Not exactly the kind of place you want to be stranded overnight, huh?” a familiar voice murmurs from behind a tree. Jefferson steps into view, his hat crooked as always, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“I… didn’t expect it to get dark so fast,” you admit, hugging your arms to yourself.

He tilts his head, studying you with those piercing eyes. “Night in Wonderland… it has a way of forcing truths out. Stay close. You might learn something… about me.”

You follow him through winding paths that twist impossibly, the moonlight casting shadows that seem to move on their own. Jefferson finally stops near a tiny clearing, where a tea set sits in the middle of a circle of glowing mushrooms.

“Sit,” he commands softly, gesturing to the floating chairs. “Tea helps with… thinking. And talking.”

You do as he says, pouring yourself a cup from a teapot that steams with sparkling, violet liquid. Jefferson sips carefully, then sets his cup down.

“Most people see the madness first,” he begins, voice low. “They see the hats, the chaos… the man who jumps between worlds. They don’t see the loneliness behind it.”

You lean forward. “Loneliness?”

He nods, his gaze distant. “I lost my family a long time ago. In Wonderland… it’s easy to get lost, to let your mind drift into shadows. I wear the hats to hold myself together, to create worlds where I can still… matter. But it doesn’t fix the emptiness.”