Prologue

How to catch a criminal:

Step 1: Examine everything.

Step 2: Explore the suspects and understand their ties with each other.

Step 3: Find evidence of one is connected deeply.

Last step: Get the truth peacefully or by force.

That's how people solve crimes on TV. It's all the same but effective. Me and my best friend Sayuri figured out the process. We would read mystery novels and figure out who was the culprit before we even found out.

I would always guess right.

I thought I would have never be able to use it in real life. All I wanted was to forget about the past and continue with a life that I at least have but...

She didn't let me.

She led me here and got me into this mess. I stared at the crowd with masks on their faces with utter terror and irritation.

"Use her a a pet, slave, anything thing oh wants! Bid starts at $500,000!" the Mad Hatter looking auctioneer shouts to the crowd.

I got here by accident. This wasn't supposed to happen at all.

It all started this morning...

I was covered in sweat from my recurring dream.

I was standing in a classroom, holding a pair of bloody scissors. I was looking at the cold floor with an emotionless gaze. My dark brown hair would cover most of the floor as just looked down. There was a school girl laying in front of me, not moving. She was in a middle school uniform. Her short black hair was wretched with her own blood. Her blue eyes were lifeless. She was covered in blood, staining her body.

Suddenly there would be the same girl standing in front of me crying. She would look at her body, then back at me.

"Why would you do this to me? Why? Why? Why?" she would ask over and over again. With every why, it became some sort of a harsh mantra. She would spat it out and her face would become pale and tired looking. I would down on myself, seeing that I was covered in blood as well. Then she would grab my shoulders and dig her nails into me.

"Did you really do this to me?" she asked as her voice went hoarse. 'Did I? Did I really?' I would ask myself because...

I don't remember.

When I've establish that, I woke up in a sweat every time. For the past 10 years, it hasn't changed. I don't remember anything about it. After that she would haunt me, watch me, mocked me from afar or in front of my face.

I don't know what happened to my childhood friend Satome Sayuri.

With that, I was locked up in one of the worst prisons in Japan for 10 years, charged with first degree murder.

As I looked at my clock, I saw that I would be late for work so I hurried up and got ready to start my first and my only job. A maid working at the famous Tres Spades Hotel and Casino.

"Hey Tamaki!" my friend and co-worker Sakiko greeted me in the changing room.

"Morning." I greeted softly.

"I'm so excited for the V.I.P party! I get to work and meet all the famous people!" Sakiko screamed with excitement.

"Goodness, someone is really happy this morning." my other friend and co-worker Chisato said with a calm smile. "Let's work hard today alright?" she said and we all would agree.

We lined up at the door to greet the guests. Anyone who is famous comes here for the V.I.P party that happens every month. Rich people must really parties.

"Eisuke!" the women cry out. 'Oh man the boss man is here!' I fretted. Ichinomiya Eisuke is the CEO of the Ichinomiya Corp. He is also the boss of the hotel. Everyone at work refers him as "The King". As I stood in line, one of the woman ran into me and I fall over but I felt two arms around me, stopping my fall. I looked up and saw the face of "The King".

"Hey get off Eisuke!" one girl yelled at me. I quickly jumped away, apologized, and hurried back to the line.

"Good job Tama, you've had made a fool of yourself." one of the maids next to me said as she elbowed me jokingly. The maids around me snickered.

"Oh shut up..." I pouted at their remark and went back to greeting the guests.

After the morning greet, I was assigned to clean the guestrooms.

"Make sure you make it spotless!" Erika laughed at me.

"Spotless!" her helpers, Rina and Kana repeated. I faked a smile and quickly receded into one of the guestrooms. 'I hate them so much! How is she even in charge again?'

"You shouldn't scrunch up your face, you'll get wrinkles." a familiar wispy voice said in my ear. I turned around and see that no one was behind me...again. I slowly retreated back to work with a feeling of her watching me.

After I was done, I went to dust the furniture in the hallways. As I did my job, I witnessed a couple having a fight near the elevator.

"Baba how dare you do this to me!? I thought we had something special!" the tall blonde woman in a red dress cried out to a man with a fedora in a red suit.

"Oh don't be like that honey." he said smiling, seeming like he didn't mean it.

"I'm done! Go to the party by yourself!" she ran off crying. The man sighs and runs the back of his neck. Then he notices me watching. I quickly avoided my eyes and tried to run away but he grabs my arm.

"You're cute! Would you mind going to a party as m date?" He asked happily. Without my answer he pulls me to the elevator and presses the down button.

I'm am so tired.

He slides up next to me but I quickly stepped away. He slides up to me again and I took a step back.

"What is wrong?" he asked with a charming smile. I have him a glare and he stiffened at the sight. I'm pretty good at glaring.

Prison teaches you a lot of things.

Then the elevator opens and he pulls me out.

"Well thank you for coming with me!" he said and walked away, leaving me in the middle of the room filled with celebrities.

"Oh my, looks like Alice fell down the hole." a voice said behind me. I looked over and saw a man about my age with orange hair and had an angelic smile. I looked at him curiously trying to understand what he is even talking about.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" he asked politely.

"...should I sir?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. His face goes into shock. He was silent for a minute or two and just stared at me.

"You should be careful of what you say. Be careful. Don't get lost in Wonderland Alice." he said walking away. I watched him walk away, still trying to process what he is talking about. Suddenly a little glove on the floor caught my eye.

I picked it up and see the initials I.E. on the bottom. There was a symbol next to it that was the Ichinomiya Corp. I looked around and say Mr. Ichinomiya walking through double doors. I also saw her leaning against the side of the door. She motions her head, telling me to follow her.

I carefully followed her until she just disappeared in a large hallway in front of another set of double doors. I sigh in frustration and stood where she disappeared. I looked over and see the doors a little open.

I peeked inside and see a few people, examining so objects. They look like artifacts. Suddenly I felt someone push me up against the wall. I looked up and saw a man glaring daggers at me. He wore a silver suit and his hair was slicked back.

"Forget what you saw and go...now" he says threateningly. I stepped back and tried to run. I turned the corner and ran into something hard. Then I heard it crash on the ground. I looked at the thing I bumped into. It was the statue of Venus that was stolen a week ago.

"You stupid bitch! She broke the statue! The boss is going to kill us!" a man in black said angrily.

"Looks like she will be the replacement." another man in black said and grabs my and knocks me out.

With that, it takes us here on a stage in front of a hundred people in mask, bidding money on me. I shiver a bit as I heard the price going up and up.

"Well I guess that changes the plan by a lot huh?" she said smirking.

"Sayuri...what is this?" I whispered faintly to her.

"Let me ask you a question. Did you really kill me?" she said squatting on the ground with a serious tone and expression. Then her seriousness goes away and she laughs hysterically. "I guess we'll find out." she socks her head to the side and disappears.

"Sold for $20 million!" the auctioneer shouted, bringing me back into reality. My eyes go wide at the price as they drag the birdcage off the stage. They put it down in front of two men with mask on. ' The seem familiar. Who are they?' I thought as they gently take me out of the cage.

"Relax and follow us." on of the men said to me calmly and they took both of my arms and wrapped it around theirs. They led my to an elevator and presses the up button.

As we landed on a strange floor, the gently led me to a room in the back of the hall. They opened the large red double doors and I saw familiar men sitting on couches.

One man was Eisuke Ichinomiya himself, the other as the man who threatened me in the hall earlier, and one that I don't recognize. He was lying back on the couch, smoking a cigarette. The two men around me let go of my arms and took off their mask as they went towards the couch. One was the man who forced me into the party and the other who spoke about Alice to me.

"Ooo how handsome they are but only one is a lead..." Sayuri said singly. "Chose wisely..." she continued and disappeared again.

"How did you find out about the auctions?" Mr. Ichinomiya spoke up first, making the room vibrate.

"She got lost probably." the orange haired man laughed a little.

"Stupid girl..." sighed the tall man with the slicked back black hair.

"Oh she's scared!" the man in the fedora smiled.

"I'm going to tell the police about this!" I managed to speak up. The men looked at each other and laughed.

"There's a detective over there." the slick haired man pointed to the man with the cigarette.

"I didn't see anything." he smiles and pushes his hair back.

"We've bought you for $20 million. So now you belong to us." Mr. Ichinomiya said crossing his arms. "Who do you pick to own you?" he said demandingly.

"Remember what I said? Only one knows the truth. Who do you chose?" Sayuri reminds me. I looked back and forth between the five men.

I slowly raised my hand and randomly pointed at...