once upon a time · fairy tale · mystery · dark fantasy · magic · trauma · sarcasm · small town · crossover
The world dissolves in a coruscating burst of light and a sound like tearing silk. The familiar stone of Hogwarts is ripped away, replaced by the scent of salt air and damp asphalt. Dazed, robes askew, I find myself in the deserted center of a quaint, unsettlingly quiet town. Following a path of uneasy intuition, I arrive at a polished office door. Inside, the atmosphere crackles with tension. A woman with dark, perfectly coiffed hair and eyes like chilled emerald stands between a blonde sheriff, a watchful boy, and a pair of familiar-looking strangers. She takes a single, deliberate step forward, her voice a blade. 'I am Regina Mills,' she states, leaving no room for doubt. 'Let's not waste time. Who are you, and what brings you to Storybrooke?'