Submission (#6449) Approved

Mio and River were still lost in the forest of Kyendi. They crossed the overwild border a while ago; it was now evening and the forest grew darker.
They decided to not take any chances and made a makeshift shelter, to rest for the night. Since River had gotten them into this mess (mostly), it fell onto him to make sure their surrounding area was somewhat safe and to see if he could collect some food while he was out and about.
As Mio rested in their shelter, nestled within the embrace of big leaves and lush foliage of the forest, Rivers’ adventurous spirit led him to explore the area. The last rays of sunlight filtered through the tree leaves, casting a glowing pattern on the forest floor. The dense treeline unfolded before him, revealing ancient ruins adorned with moss-covered stones and overgrown vegetation. “No way!”, he laughed, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he traced the intricate carvings on the weathered ruins. Nothing could dampen his spirit that easily, he still enjoyed the time he got to spend with Mio in the forest, despite everything that had happened - and he soon got a little too distracted and got lost in his thoughts, and time flew by without him noticing…

Meanwhile, back at the shelter, Mio stirred from his rest, sensing the magic that lingered in the air. He wasn’t even aware that he fell asleep at some point. The sun had set and it was quickly getting dark. Nervously he glanced around, feeling uneasy.
River should have returned by now.
Where was he? Did something happen?
“River?” He called out for the other one, hoping the elder was nearby somewhere.

But nothing.

Only the wind grew louder and wilder, as the night drew near. Mio began to shiver; they hadn’t made a fire yet and it was getting colder. He felt uneasy and every noise in the forest made his ears twitch and his head turned around, trying to locate the source of the sounds.
The feeling of loneliness was suddenly overwhelming and it felt like he could hear faint whispers coming from the forest around him.
Without warning, a shadow flickered in the dense foliage, casting an eerie silhouette. Mios cautious nature kicked in, and the sense of unease intensified. He rose from the shelter, his white fur bristling as he surveyed the mysterious presence. The jungle, somewhat safe and familiar in the daylight, now seemed to harbor hidden mysteries that teased his imagination.
The air seemed heavy and the shadows danced in a way that defied the natural order. An irrational fear clawed at his instincts, urging him to retreat.

In a sudden moment of panic, Mio turned on his heels and sprinted into the depths of the forest. The foliage blurred around him as he sought refuge from the unseen threat. Irrational hope that he would run into River by some miracle was better than being a sitting duck in their shelter. He kept running into the dark, twigs scratching his face and roots appearing out of nowhere, making him stumble and fall over and over.

With each step, the surroundings transformed into a surreal landscape and before he realized it, Mio had wandered into a realm where the dark forest of Kyendi collided with vibrant crystalline formations and patches of rocky desert - Zevija. On one side, the landscape sparkled with the iridescence of colorful crystals, and on the other, an explosion of vivid flowers and pink trees created a surreal, dreamlike scene; Faerindell.
“Wait, wha-?”
This made him stop dead in his tracks and deeply confused, he looked around frantically, his heart was pounding. What happened? Where was he?
The air was thick with the overwhelmingly sweet scent of the flowers that weren't supposed to be there, and the disorienting clash of landscapes left him feeling vulnerable and highly disoriented. The energetic destabilization caused by the pocket dimension gripped him, and he felt nauseous. Mios breath quickened, and his cautious instincts were thrown into disarray. The crystals glittered ominously, casting peculiar shadows that seemed to dance with a life of their own and the white elnin constantly turned his head because he felt like he was seeing movement out of the corner of his eye. The rocky desert patches felt cold and unwelcoming under his paws and he desperately wanted to turn back, but Mio was already lost and turned around.
The pocket dimension left him frozen in place and overwhelmed; thinking straight suddenly seemed impossible. The sweet scent engulfed him completely and dulled his senses, further intensifying the surreal experience.
The nestling was completely unprepared for any of this; the normal forest of Kyendi was already too much of a challenge for him and now the boundaries between reality and the mystical had blurred, leaving him stranded in a realm where no elnin had reported successfully crossing through to reach their destination.

This was an impossible task and fear truly sunk in now.
What should he do?!
His ears twitched at every rustle, and his eyes darted nervously from one half of the pocket dimension to the other. Everything felt unreal and the pocket dimension seemed to play tricks on Mios senses that were already going into overdrive. The colors were vivid and almost too vibrant. The crystals reflected the smallest amount of light, casting a glittering pattern over everything. The fear that gnawed at Mio was not just born from the visual spectacle around him but also from the unsettling energy that permeated the pocket dimension. It felt as if the very fabric of reality had twisted around him, keeping him trapped in a place that defied the logic of the normal world. He felt dizzy and the thoughts in his head kept circling back into each other. The surreal clash of the dark forest, crystalline formations, and vibrant flowers created a maze of uncertainty and as he moved slowly through the pocket dimension, trying to find his way back, Mios steps became increasingly more cautious and unsteady. His gaze flitted nervously between the contrasting landscapes, never fully settling on one as if expecting a hidden threat to emerge. Everything looked too beautiful and paranoia sneaked up on him; he felt an invisible weight on his shoulders, the fear of the unknown pressing down on him with each passing moment.

Out of absolutely pure luck he stumbled upon a way out. The forest seemed denser here; less crystals and less flowers. It looked promising. Instinctively drawn toward this potential exit, Mio approached the fluctuating boundary with a mixture of hope and apprehension.
The air shimmered as he crossed the threshold, and the disorienting sights and scents of the pocket dimension gradually faded away. The crystals and vibrant flowers receded, replaced by the familiar canopy of trees and the soft rustle of leaves.

A wave of relief washed over him, and he didn’t even realize that his breath had become shallow. For once, the darkness of the forest felt welcoming and he stumbled over roots, as he left the wretched pocket dimension behind.
But it wasn’t too long until he simply fainted into the lush greenery; his body was too exhausted from the whole ordeal and he couldn’t keep himself awake any longer. Once the fear and adrenaline left his body, Mio felt like a mountain buried him and his mind slipped into unconsciousness.

River on the other hand was still full on in panic mode - he had returned to the shelter, only to find it empty; Mio nowhere in sight. The older elnin had no idea where the Nestling could’ve wandered off to. Something must have spooked him.
The purple elnin had spent the last hour frantically looking for his friend; but the darkness and the dense forest were against him. He had no idea where Mio had run off to, so all he could hope for was randomly finding Mio.
Eventually, he started to notice disrupted leaves and spotted some paw prints in the ground. His ears perked up; he was sure he and Mio were alone in this part of the forest, so it could’ve only been the younger one who came through here - right?

//Please be alright-//, River thought worryingly and darted through the woods.