“Okay, that’s adorable,” I said.
“Wait until you see the rest.” Kaelren held out his hand. “Come on. If we’re going to be trapped in a magical fever dream, we might as well enjoy it.”
I took his hand, and the moment our fingers touched, the world shifted.
We were standing on the edge of a clearing filled with mushrooms—not the normal kind, but massive toadstools the size of houses, glowing with bioluminescent patterns that pulsed like heartbeats. Some were as tall astrees, their caps broad enough to use as platforms. Others clustered in groups, creating natural steps and ramps between levels.
“No,” I said, immediately understanding what he was suggesting. “Absolutely not.”
“Absolutely yes.” He was already grinning, that rare expression that transformed his entire face. “When’s the next time you’ll get to jump on magical mushrooms in a dream?”
“This is ridiculous.”
“This is perfect.” He tugged my hand, pulling me toward the nearest mushroom. “Trust me.”
Before I could protest further, he stepped onto the mushroom’s cap. It compressed slightly under his weight, then launched him upward with a springing sound that was somehow both musical and hilarious. He flipped in the air—showing off—and landed on a higher mushroom, which sent him bouncing to another.
“Your turn!” he called down, grinning.
I couldn’t help it—I smiled too. Then I ran and jumped.
The mushroom caught me with a bounce that sent me soaring. My stomach dropped in that wonderful way of freefall, and then I was flying, the wind rushing through my hair as I arced through the air. I landed on another mushroom with a giggle that surprised me.
“This is insane!” I shouted, bouncing to the next one.
“This is Wynmire!” Kaelren bounced past me, graceful as a cat. “Everything’s insane!”
We bounced from mushroom to mushroom, the bioluminescence leaving trails of light in the air. Each landing sent up puffs of glowing spores that tasted like lavender and sweet wine. I found myself doing flips, trying increasingly ridiculous aerial maneuvers just to make Kaelren laugh—and gods, when he laughed, really laughed, it was like the sun breaking through clouds.
“Catch me!” I called, launching myself from a particularly tall mushroom toward him.
He did, arms wrapping around me as we both landed on a mushroomtogether. The momentum sent us bouncing higher, tangled together, laughing so hard we could barely breathe. When we finally landed on solid ground, we were both glowing with spore-dust and grinning like idiots.
“That was—” I started.
“Amazing,” he finished, still holding me. “You’re amazing.”
The clearing around us shifted, reality bleeding into something new.
Now we stood at the edge of a vast meadow that stretched to a horizon made of dreams. The grass wasn’t green—it was every color of the rainbow, each blade a different hue that shifted when the wind touched it. And the creatures…
“Oh my gods,” I breathed.
The meadow was alive with impossible animals. Deer made of porcelain and pearl pranced past, their antlers branching into trees that bloomed with tiny stars. Rabbits with butterfly wings hopped between flowers that were larger than they were. A fox with four tails watched us with knowing eyes.
Overhead, sprites danced in spirals—tiny beings of pure light that left trails of laughter in the air. They wove between each other in patterns that made my throat tight with wonder, their joy so palpable I could taste it.
“It’s like every fairytale I ever read as a kid,” I said, unable to look away. “Every magical creature, all in one place.”
“This is the Wynmire I grew up knowing,” Kaelren said softly, and there was something raw in his voice. “Before all the rot and corruption. This is everything I hoped I could show you.” He turned to me, and his expression was more open than I’d ever seen it. “I don’t know how much longer we have in this dream, but I have one more place I would like you to see before this is over.”
A unicorn approached us—not the white horse kind, but something stranger and more wonderful. It had the body of a stag, scales instead of fur that reflected light like opals, and a spiral horn that seemed to be made of frozen lightning. It lowered its head to me in a gesture that felt like a blessing, and when I touched its nose, I felt the entire realm pulse through my fingertips.
My breath caught in my throat. This wasn’t just a dream—this wasKaelren showing me what he was fighting for. What he’d lost. What he wanted to protect.
“Thank you,” I whispered, not sure if I was thanking the unicorn or him.
The unicorn dissolved into mist that spiraled upward, joining the dancing sprites.
