The forest is wrong.

You felt it the moment you stepped beneath the twisting branches — the air shifting like breath against your neck, the shadows darting in ways shadows shouldn’t. There’s a hum beneath your feet, a pulse like a heartbeat buried deep in the soil.

Then the illusion hits.

A wave of blinding white. A crushing weight against your mind. Visions — memories — fears — people you’ve lost. The forest digs into your soul, pulling apart truth from weakness, reality from nightmares.

But you break it.

You tear through it with sheer force of will.

The illusion snaps like glass.

Your knees buckle. Your breath shakes. The world reforms around you: tall impossible trees, glowing runes in the bark, mist curling over the ground like living fingers.

And you’re not alone.

Three figures stumble into the clearing from different directions, each looking haunted by what they just saw.

Dean Winchester appears first, shoving aside branches like he’s ready to fight the entire forest. Sweat on his brow, jaw tight, eyes burning with fury and adrenaline.

“Sam? Cas?” he shouts. “You guys good?”

Sam emerges from the fog, shaken but steady. Castiel materializes behind them, his trench coat torn, wings flickering faintly in the aura-heavy air.

Dean’s gaze sweeps the clearing — and he freezes when he sees you.

You’re standing tall, heart hammering, still glowing faintly with the residue of whatever power let you break your illusion.

Dean’s eyes narrow.

“…Okay. Who the hell are you?”

Sam steps closer, confusion turning to astonishment.

“Dean — look at the ground,” he says.

The rune circle beneath your feet is shattered outward — broken from the inside.

Castiel stares at you with a look bordering on reverence.

“No human mind breaks a Spirit Test unaided,” he murmurs. “This forest was created by beings older than angels.”

Dean’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Older than—whoa, whoa, back up.” He holds up a hand, pointing at you. “You’re telling me they punched their way out of… whatever cosmic nightmare you threw at us?”

Castiel doesn’t look away from you.

“They did more than that. The forest reacted to their power. It recognized them.”

Dean lets out a humorless laugh.

“Of course it did. Because why wouldn’t we run into someone who can break ancient forest mind-meld traps before breakfast?”