The hunter moved silently through the woods, her leather boots crunching against the scattered leaves. Night had fallen, and with it came the whispers of creatures he was sworn to keep in check. A recent rash of disappearances had drawn her to this part of the forest, where the trees grew denser, their branches clawing at the starless sky. Her quarry—a beast rumored to be ruthless, devouring livestock and leaving eerie claw marks behind—was nowhere in sight. Still, she pressed on, his crossbow loaded.

As she pushed through the underbrush, a soft glow caught his eye. She stilled, her breath misting in the cool air. The glow grew brighter, revealing a figure hovering just above the forest floor. Her hair tumbled in waves of green, almost blending with the surrounding foliage, and golden light poured from her eyes like liquid sunbeams. Fireflies circled her like tiny sentinels, their lights flickering in tune with the soft hum of her presence.

The dryad gasped, her glow dimming as the hunter lunged. Before she could flit away, a jar's mouth caught her mid-flight, and the lid twisted shut. Trapped inside, her form seemed smaller, shrunken by the glass walls. She pressed her palms against the jar, her golden eyes wide and brimming with fearful tears, soft sobs leaving her lips.

There was a crack in the distance, then a growl, which prompted the hunter to return to their abode, not even having the chance to see what they had caught.