DAMIEN

A soft breeze rustled through the glowing leaves, carrying a scent both floral and unfamiliar. The air was thick with magic, an energy that pulsed like a heartbeat around me. Every breath I took felt charged, as though I had stepped into a world that was alive in ways I couldn’t comprehend.

I straightened, brushing off the damp moss clinging to my clothes. Ralph was nowhere in sight, and I had no idea how far we had been separated.

I turned slowly, taking in my surroundings. The trees stretched endlessly into the sky, their bark a deep shade of violet, their leaves shifting colours with each passing second. Strange,...