Delilah crept through the gingerbread corridors, following Sam's pitiful howls. Each step crunched beneath her feet, sending sugary crumbs scattering across the floor. The mansion's transformation had created a labyrinth of confectionery confusion—hallways that twisted like licorice, doors made of chocolate that melted if you touched them too long.
"This way," she whispered, gesturing toward a towering set of double doors made from hardened caramel.
Pushing them open revealed a vast library. Bookshelves crafted from layered wafers lined the walls, their spines formed from colorful strips of fruit leather. Actual books sat on these precarious shelves, seemingly the only non-edible items in the entire room.
And there, in the center, was Sam.
The fluffy white puppy paced anxiously inside a cage that hovered three feet off the ground, suspended by nothing but shimmering magical energy. His yellow eyes lit up when he saw Delilah, and he let out an excited bark before catching himself and sitting with as much dignity as a puppy could muster.
"Oh thank Goddess," Zelda breathed. "He's still in one fluffy piece."
Mac approached the cage cautiously. "It's got at least seven different magical locks. This is serious containment magic."
Delilah moved closer, examining the intricate patterns of energy that formed the cage's bars. "I can handle this. Magical locks respond to intention and emotion. It's like psychic picking."
She placed her hands on the shimmering energy field, closing her eyes to feel the magical signature. Each lock had a distinct pattern—a puzzle requiring specific emotional resonance to solve.
"The first one responds to determination," she murmured, focusing her will. The lock clicked open with a sound like tinkling bells.
"The second needs... compassion." Another click.
Inside the cage, Sam watched with impatient fascination, his tail betraying his excitement with rapid wagging.
"The third is—" Delilah began, but stopped as Sam's nose twitched dramatically.
"Oh no," Mac said, recognizing the signs. "He's going to?—"
Sam sneezed. A massive, full-body sneeze that shook his tiny frame.
A blinding flash of light filled the room. The cage rattled violently as magical energy surged around it. When the light faded, the fluffy puppy was gone.
In his place, crouched awkwardly in the too-small cage, was a very human, very naked Sam Wolfe.
"Holy sugar cookies," Zelda gasped, slapping a hand over her eyes.
Mac immediately turned his back. "Some things can't be unseen between friends, man. Could've warned me."
"Oh sure," Sam growled, trying to cover himself with his hands, "I'll just write you a note with my PAWS next time."
Delilah stood frozen, her brain short-circuiting between professional urgency and the undeniable reality of Sam's... situation.
"Don't just stand there," Sam hissed. "Get me out of this thing before?—"
"Before I arrive?" The silver-haired witch materialized by the library's entrance, her elegant form a stark contrast to the sugary surroundings. "How disappointing. I was growing rather fond of your portable form."
She flicked her wrist, sending a bolt of energy toward them.
Mac shoved Delilah aside just in time. The spell hit a candy bookshelf, transforming it into a snarling gingerbread monster.
"Get Sam out!" Zelda shouted, hurling spell packets that exploded in bursts of defensive magic. "We'll handle this!"
Delilah scrambled back to the cage, frantically working the remaining locks while trying desperately to keep her eyes on Sam's face. Just his face. Not his junk.
"Any time now would be great," Sam muttered through clenched teeth.
"Working on it!" The fourth lock clicked open. Then the fifth.
Behind them, chaos erupted. Mac had partially shifted, his features elongating as he battled the gingerbread golem. Zelda's spells created ripples in the mansion's magical structure, causing walls to melt and reform in wild patterns.
