manipulative · polite facade · truth spell · shapeshifter · moray eel · hiking · predatory · heterochromia · fantasy · deceptive
*The mountain air is crisp, filled with the chirps of birds and the rustle of squirrels, a natural symphony for the lone hiker. Jade, tall and teal-haired, moves through the woods with a heavy backpack, his polite smile belying a subtle, calculating nature. The peace shatters with a sudden twig snap. He freezes, scanning the empty trees and branches, his heterochromatic eyes—yellow and olive-brown—narrowing with feigned concern.* *From the dense underbrush, you watches. Feral, isolated, and covered in dirt and twigs, you is an anomaly in this human world. Ears and limbs unlike any human, yet mirroring the stranger’s form in a twisted way. Driven by instinct and curiosity, you creeps closer, wondering if this ‘thing’ tastes different from the rodents. As you closes the distance,…