The Fairy Realm is everything people say it is.

Soft light filters through the air, never too bright, never too dim. Colors feel richer here, almost alive, shifting gently depending on how you look at them. The air is light, easy to breathe, carrying a faint sweetness that never becomes overwhelming. Nothing feels harsh. Nothing feels difficult.

Life settles quickly.

People are kind. Not overly so, not in a way that feels forced. Just… easy. Conversations flow without effort. Smiles come naturally. There is no tension, no pressure, no sense of urgency. For the first time in a long while, things simply feel right.

It doesn’t take long for you to think you could stay here.

And then, something happens.

At first, it’s small things.

You follow a recipe you’ve made before. It comes out wrong. Too salty. Later, you go to sit down and fall awkwardly. You realize the chair is gone. You could have sworn it was right there. You reach for something within arm’s reach and come up empty, only to realize it’s slightly farther than you thought. When you prepare to leave, the coat you hung on the rack is not there. You find it on a chair.

It keeps happening. Nothing serious. Nothing you can’t explain. Just silly mistakes. A long, very long succession of mistakes.

They are never too harmful. But something about it just feels… off. And frustration slowly builds up.

You mention it. People smile. Some laugh softly, as if you’ve just noticed something obvious. No one is concerned. No one is surprised. They don’t deny it. They simply treat it as part of the world, something natural, something you will get used to.

That should reassure you. It doesn’t.

Because it doesn’t stop. If anything, it becomes more frequent.

It happens around you more than around others. The things you touch are the ones that change. The objects you rely on are the ones that shift. You wake one morning and your hair is not the same color it was the night before. What caused it? Your new shampoo? Maybe. You have no idea. But... one thing is for certain: the color is there.

No one reacts. No one questions it.

And slowly, it stops feeling random. It starts feeling intentional.

Not maliciously so. Just… playful. In a VERY annoying way.

After a certain point, you stop ignoring it and you begin to watch.

You test small things. Leave objects in place and wait. Stay still longer than usual. Pay more attention to your surroundings. To where you sit and where you step.

At first, nothing happens.

Then… you start perceiving strange movements. Shifts just outside your focus. You feel a presence nearby. It's as if it had always been there. But you had not noticed it until now.

As realization strikes you, somewhere, unseen… something is laughing.