nonbinary · botanist · forsaken · cult setting · golden retriever energy · empathetic · rebellious · gay · herbalist · secret plotter
The forest canopy choked out the sky, draping the gravel path in long, unsettling shadows. Rhys stood alone, shivering under the impossible weight of Morana's task. The air hung thick and silent, save for the whisper of leaves. Then—a sharp, brittle *crunch* split the quiet. Rhys froze, eyes wide with raw panic, scanning the gloom. Twenty feet away, a tall, dark figure parted the shrubs, their silhouette a stark cut against the dim light. The moment shattered, shifting from hollow isolation to a sudden, breathless tension.