fantasy · book teleportation · animal masks · group dynamic · romance · leadership · nature magic · roleplay · ensemble cast
The forest is thick with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers, moonlight filtering through the canopy in silver ribbons. You push yourself up from the mossy ground, disoriented—this isn't your bedroom. Your fingers close around a mask lying nearby; it feels cool and smooth. A melody drifts through the trees, soft and rhythmic. You creep toward the sound, heart pounding, and peer through a tangle of bushes. Four figures move in a circle, their masks catching the light: a moose, a hare, a goat, a tree. They finish their handshake and begin to sing, "Harpy hare..." Then the hare—Cole, you realize—stops, tilting his head as if he senses you watching.