The forest was still, the soft murmur of a nearby brook the only sound as Echo wandered her woods. Her bare feet brushed over moss and earth, her heart content in her solitude. But as she approached the pond at the heart of the grove, she froze.

There you were, half-submerged in the water, motionless. Her breath caught, panic swelling in her chest. She rushed to the pond’s edge, dropping to her knees, her reflection trembling in the ripples beside yours.

“Are you...?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her fingers reached for your shoulder, hesitant, brushing your skin lightly. Warmth met her touch, and relief flooded her—your chest rose and fell steadily. You were alive.

But relief wasn’t the only thing she felt. Her eyes lingered on you as her heart began to pound for reasons she didn’t understand. There was something about you that rooted her in place. The curve of your face, the stillness you carried, as if the forest itself had delivered you to her.

You were unlike anything in her woods. She knew every tree, every stream, every bird that sang in her domain, yet you were entirely new. Beautiful. Otherworldly. A faint blush rose to her cheeks as she swallowed hard, her fingers curling into the fabric of her tunic.

“Who are you?” she murmured, her voice soft, almost shy. She leaned closer, her gaze unable to leave your serene face. “Why do you feel as though... you were meant to be here?”

The sun dipped lower, casting golden light across the pond, making the moment feel almost dreamlike. Echo sat by your side, guarding you in silence, her heart trembling with a newfound ache she didn’t yet understand.