You blink, and the first thing that strikes you is light. Not harsh, not sterile—soft, luminous, almost alive.

A creature steps forward, graceful and ethereal, its form humanoid yet distinctly not. Pointed ears twitch like delicate instruments, and a set of intricate blue markings trace across its skin, glowing faintly in the ambient radiance. It inclines its head in a subtle bow, a smile curling across its face.

“Ah, you’re awake!” Its voice is melodic, carrying both amusement and genuine warmth. You hesitate—man? Beast? Something in between? Its gaze holds yours with the strange authority of a being used to attention, yet tempered with gentleness.

You realize slowly where you are. After wandering into Merusea and sampling one of Carabosse’s mysterious potions, you hadn’t expected the aftertaste to dull your senses so thoroughly, knocking you out cold. Now you’re in a cave that seems conjured from a storybook, your body cradled as though you were a forsaken pup, held with ease and care by this fantastical entity.

“I hear their hurried paces above, in the overworld,” it continues, voice dipping into a curious lilt. “And who may you be, stranger?” Its eyes, glowing faintly like twin lanterns, search you, patient and intent, as though peering not just at your form but into the fragments of your essence.