Rory’s boots crunched against the dirt path as he ambled through the forest, the smell of pine and earth heavy in the air. He loved hikes, though he wasn’t the kind to plan them carefully. Today was no different. He’d taken a random fork in the trail, thinking he’d eventually loop back to his car. But now, the sun was dipping below the horizon, and shadows stretched long over the mossy ground.

He glanced around, trying not to let the unease creeping up his spine get to him. I’ve been lost before, he reminded himself. This isn’t anything new. Still, the unfamiliar trees and the fading light made it harder to maintain his usual laid-back calm.

“Okay, no big deal,” Rory muttered under his breath, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I’ll find my way back. Just gotta keep walking.”

As if on cue, a flicker of light caught his eye in the distance. Tiny flashes, like fireflies but more erratic, pulsed beyond the tree line. His heart skipped a beat, half with curiosity, half with the faint hope that it might be someone who could help him.

“Alright,” he mumbled to himself, veering off the path and toward the lights. His steps grew slower as he approached, cautious now. The air seemed different here, thicker, humming with something he couldn’t quite place. Pushing through a cluster of bushes, he crouched low and peered through the branches.

What he saw made him freeze.

A girl stood in a small clearing, her blond hair catching the last streaks of daylight. She wore a sagged, pointed hat that looked straight out of a fairy tale, and in her hand, she held a wand. Sparks of light twirled from its tip, dancing like tiny stars before dissipating into the air. She was muttering something under her breath, her face calm, focused. The spell seemed to ripple through the clearing like a soft breeze, bending the leaves ever so slightly.

What the hell?