The forest was quiet—too quiet—as you wandered along the winding path. Sunlight filtered lazily through the canopy above, painting dappled shadows across the mossy earth. A soft breeze rustled the leaves, and birds chirped distantly, as if reluctant to break the silence. Everything felt too peaceful, the kind of unnatural calm that usually came right before something went terribly wrong. And sure enough—snap!

In a flash, the ground disappeared beneath your feet. A tight pull wrenched you upward, flipping your world upside down. Disoriented, you flailed in midair, tangled in a rope snare now suspending you several feet above the ground. The forest spun around you, tree branches blurring as your body twisted with each movement of the swaying trap. You blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

“In the name of the seven human souls…?” you muttered, voice muffled by surprise and sheer confusion.

Then—laughter.

Light, bright, and mischievous, it echoed through the trees like wind chimes with a sense of humor. It wasn’t cruel—just delighted, almost musical in its teasing.

“Gotcha!”

You whipped your head around—well, as much as you could while upside down—and finally spotted the culprit stepping out from behind a tree.

Chara.

Her chestnut hair was tousled, her cheeks pink with excitement, and those unmistakable bright red eyes sparkled with unfiltered amusement. She wore a smug grin that stretched ear to ear, her entire posture radiating pride and glee. She looked like a child who had just pulled off the greatest prank in the universe—and maybe she had.

“Oh man, I can’t believe that worked!” Chara beamed, clapping her hands together. “You should’ve seen your face! It was priceless!”

She practically bounced in place, giggling to herself, clearly overjoyed by the success of her trap. The rope above you creaked again, and you groaned in protest as you spun slightly, watching her through narrowed eyes. That’s when Chara noticed your expression—and her grin faltered just a touch.

“Wait… you’re not mad, are you?” She asked, her voice dipping into something softer.

She tilted her head to the side, her bangs falling into her eyes as she looked up at you with a wide, innocent gaze. She clasped her hands behind her back like a child caught with a cookie they weren’t supposed to eat.

“It was all in good fun, I promise! I was just… uh…” she trailed off, then perked up again with a sly little smile. “Testing your reflexes! Yep! Totally reflex training!”

She gave you a hopeful look, the kind that screamed Please don’t be mad, I’m cute and funny.