"Do you always travel like that?"
Keeri's leaf-board drifted beside Ren as he brushed mushroom glitter out of his hair. He was still slightly vibrating from the launch.
"Only on weekends," he said, deadpan. "And during unexpected portal events."
She snorted. "You're lucky you landed in Taleshore. The last newcomer dropped into Screechfang Ravine. We only found half of his boots."
Ren blinked. "Just the boots?"
"Don't ask," she said, then pointed. "Come on. You need orientation."
They followed a winding path made of glowing reeds and soft moss, weaving through the treetop village. Huts floated midair, tethered to thick vines like balloons. Mana-lanterns bobbed lazily overhead, pulsing in rhythm with the ambient hum of the world.
The air smelled like rain, cinnamon, and static. Somewhere, a melody played from wind chimes that weren't moving.
"This place is insane," Ren whispered.
"Insanely beautiful," Keeri corrected, leaping onto a vine swing and gesturing for him to follow. "Taleshore's one of the gentler regions of Cindale. Good vibes. Weird physics. Occasionally exploding birds."
Ren paused. "Come again?"
As if on cue, something chirped overhead. A small, rainbow-colored bird blinked at them. Then spontaneously combusted into sparkles and reformed mid-flight.
"Oh," Ren muttered. "Okay. Cool. Totally normal."
They arrived at a floating gazebo carved from dreamwood. A gentle wind spun its spiraled roof. Glyphs danced around the pillars like living calligraphy.
Inside, a figure waited.
An old man—maybe. Or a tree. Or both.
His face was bark and beard. His eyes glowed with golden roots. Moss grew along his arms like sleeves. He held a curved staff topped with an orb of liquid light.
He smiled as they approached.
"Ah. A new traveler. And your soul's still humming. Good."
Ren opened his mouth, but the tree-man raised a hand.
"I am Eldroot, Keeper of First Sparks. Do not panic. You are not hallucinating. Cindale welcomes all."
Ren glanced sideways. "Define 'not hallucinating.'"
Eldroot chuckled. "When the sky turns upside down and your thoughts sprout legs, then panic. For now—listen."
The gazebo's floor shimmered, and a glowing projection bloomed beneath them—a living map of Cindale.
"Each region in this world," Eldroot said, "was born from an idea. A dream. A question. Yours, perhaps."
"Mine?" Ren asked.
Keeri elbowed him. "Told you. You scream 'accidental ripple-event.'"
Eldroot nodded. "Taleshore is a realm of stories that echo. Your presence is rewriting part of it already. The mana here responds to intention, curiosity, and resonance. You think, it shifts. You dream, it stirs."
"So I'm influencing the world just by existing?"
"Existing curiously."
Ren's mouth went dry. "That… sounds like a lot of responsibility."
"Or," Keeri said, "a lot of fun."
The orb at Eldroot's staff pulsed, and the floor map zoomed in to show a dense forest nearby, marked with a glimmering spark.
"This," he said, "is your first choice. A Flicker has appeared in the Hollowink Glade. A spark of narrative potential. Your arrival woke it."
"What happens if I ignore it?"
"Then someone else's story takes root. Maybe benevolent. Maybe not."
Ren narrowed his eyes. "So you're telling me I need to investigate a glowing forest full of maybe-plot-devices because my soul 'hummed' when I got flung here by a mushroom?"
"Yes," Eldroot said, completely serious.
"Fine. Sure. This is my life now."
The Hollowink Glade wasn't far, but the air changed as they approached.
The trees whispered secrets. The ground rippled like ink. A pulsing light drifted between branches—a tiny flame that shifted colors with each beat.
"That's the Flicker," Keeri whispered. "Touch it with your intent."
Ren stepped forward, slowly. The flame hovered.
He reached out.
And the world held its breath.
Essence Chosen: [Adaptation Spark]
Trait Gained: [Improviser's Bond]
✦ You learn faster from the unpredictable.
✦ Your presence may cause unlikely events to synchronize.
"Whoa."
The flame vanished—into him.
And suddenly… he felt different.
Not stronger. Not faster.
Just… possible.
Like the world had stopped waiting for permission.