Lena had never felt more alone.
The whisper of Winter's cloak in the wind had long faded, leaving her with nothing but the crunch of dried leaves under her boots and the distant call of unseen birds. The ruins behind her seemed to sink into memory as she walked, guided by nothing more than instinct and the occasional flicker of light through the thick canopy.
Twisting trees loomed overhead, tangled like dancers frozen mid-movement, and the deeper she went, the more surreal the forest became. Vines shimmered faintly in the shade, and strange mushrooms blinked softly like stars fallen to earth. The air smelled like moss and magic.
She had to find the city.
If there even *was* a city.
Her stomach grumbled again—she hadn't eaten since crossing into this strange world. Every so often, she rubbed the snowflake pendant Winter had given her, feeling the calming thrum of cold magic pulse beneath her fingers.
*Not yet,* she thought. *I can handle this.*
Lena pushed forward, ducking beneath a fallen branch, brushing aside leaves, until she stepped into a small clearing. She froze.
There, just a few feet ahead, was a girl. Small, maybe ten or eleven years old, balancing a bundle of bamboo sticks across her back. Her long black hair was tied into twin puffs that bounced with every step, and her ears—
Lena blinked. The girl had round, black-and-white *panda ears* perched on top of her head.
She wasn't wearing a costume. The ears twitched.
The girl paused, sniffed the air, then turned abruptly toward Lena. Her large, rounded eyes widened in surprise. The bamboo bundle tumbled to the ground with a clatter.
"Who—who are you?" the girl asked, stepping backward quickly, almost tripping over her own feet.
Lena raised both hands, trying to appear harmless. "I'm not here to hurt you. I—I'm lost."
The girl narrowed her eyes, still clearly unsure. "You don't smell like you're from here."
"That's because I'm not. I… came from somewhere else. I'm trying to get to the city."
The girl's panda ears twitched again, visibly conflicted. Then, after a beat, her shoulders dropped a little. "The city's far from here. You're going the wrong way."
Lena's heart sank. "Oh."
The girl tilted her head, studying Lena with cautious curiosity. "You're human. But there's something weird about your aura."
"I get that a lot lately," Lena muttered.
After a long pause, the girl stepped closer and pointed to the pendant around Lena's neck. "That's witchcraft. You know Winter?"
Lena blinked. "You know her too?"
"Everyone does. She's kind of scary," the girl said, then added in a whisper, "but I like her."
A hesitant smile pulled at Lena's lips. "She helped me. Gave me this to protect me."
The panda-eared girl's eyes lit up. "Then… you're probably okay." She bent and lifted her bamboo sticks again. "I'm Mai, by the way."
"I'm Lena."
"Well, Lena-from-somewhere-else," Mai said as she adjusted the bundle on her back, "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers, but you look like you'd get eaten by tree shadows if I leave you alone."
Lena raised a brow. "That's comforting."
"You're welcome." Mai grinned, then started walking. "Come on. There's a safer path not far from here. It won't take you to the city, but it'll get you to a village where you can rest."
Lena followed, grateful and curious. "So… are you… part panda?"
Mai giggled. "You could say that. My mom's from the mountain clans. My dad's… well, he's just human."
Lena blinked. "That's… possible here?"
Mai shot her a mischievous look over her shoulder. "Anything's possible here. This world doesn't play by the same rules you're used to."
The girl smiled brightly, then reached into her satchel and pulled out a small charm—a tiny carved panda made of smooth wood.
"Here," she said, handing it over. "If you ever get lost, or feel scared, hold this and think of me."
Lena accepted it, her throat tight. "Why are you being so kind?"
Mai's expression turned surprisingly serious. "Because one day, you'll need to remember that not everything in this world wants to use you."
With that, she turned and skipped away into the forest, vanishing between the trees like a dream.
Lena stood in the clearing for a moment, clutching the little panda charm and feeling—for the first time since arriving—not quite so alone.
---
They walked together beneath the rustling trees, Mai surprisingly agile despite the bundle on her back. Every now and then, she would pause to listen or sniff the air—like an animal sensing predators. Lena couldn't tell if she was being overcautious or if there really *were* things lurking nearby.
"So what's your deal?" Mai asked suddenly. "People don't usually just *fall* into this world."
Lena hesitated. "I… wished for a simple life. Something real. Then I started hearing a voice, and… one night, I woke up here."
Mai let out a low whistle. "Yikes. That sounds like fate got bored again."
"Fate?"
"Oh yeah. She likes to stir the pot sometimes. Or maybe it's Destiny. They argue a lot."
Lena stared at her, trying to figure out if she was joking. "You're… a very strange child."
"Thank you," Mai said proudly.
They reached a fork in the trail. The path to the right sloped upward and was lit by faint golden orbs floating between the trees.
"That way leads to Willowend village," Mai explained. "You'll find food, shelter, and a lot of gossiping aunties. Be careful what you say."
Lena nodded, then looked at her. "Will I see you again?"
Mai shrugged. "Maybe. I wander a lot."
"Still… thank you."