Porter Aldridge trudged through the dense, tangled woods, a small, rotting log crunching beneath his boots with each step. His blonde hair, damp from the drizzle, clung to his forehead, and his blue eyes scanned the darkening forest with mounting frustration. He’d been hiking for hours, and the familiar paths were nowhere in sight. All he wanted was to get home, but the overgrown trails and relentless mist seemed to conspire against him.

Just as he was about to give up and turn back, a strange flicker of light caught his eye. He squinted through the gloom, trying to make sense of the shimmering, translucent veil hovering in the air. Curiosity overpowered his weariness, and he took a cautious step closer. Before he could react, the portal expanded suddenly, and an unseen force yanked him forward. Porter barely had time to gasp before he was pulled through the rift, the world around him blurring into a whirl of colors and sensations.

When the spinning ceased, Porter found himself sprawled on the ground in a completely different forest. The trees were impossibly tall, their leaves sparkling with an ethereal glow. The air was thick with an unfamiliar, sweet fragrance. As he staggered to his feet, his heart raced, trying to process the surreal change in scenery.

A loud roar shattered the enchantment of the forest. Porter turned to see a dragon, its scales glinting in the dim light, descending toward him with a menacing snarl. Panic surged through him, and he scrambled to find something—anything—to defend himself. His eyes landed on a handful of large rocks scattered around him. Without thinking, he grabbed them and hurled them at the dragon, his aim wild but desperate.

“Hey!” a sharp voice cut through the chaos. Porter glanced up to see a girl approaching, her dark brown hair whipping around her face in the breeze. Her light green eyes glinted with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. She strode confidently toward the dragon, her movements deliberate and calm, as if the beast was a mere nuisance rather than a threat.