Niu stirred. The first thing he felt was the pain—sharp, yet dull, as though it had been wrapped in layers of warmth. His body ached, but something was wrong with that pain. It felt muted, foreign.
He blinked open his eyes to find the canopy swaying gently above him. Dew rolled off massive leaves, each one glowing faintly from the forest's natural luminescence. The air smelled of wet soil and ozone—sweet, heavy, alive.
Then, he saw her.
Sitting quietly beside him on a bed of moss was the fairy —not larger than an adult's hand in size, though something eternal shimmered in her green eyes.
She was tracing circles in the dirt with a small stick, humming a tune that sounded almost like birdsong.
When she noticed his eyes open, she turned, smiling softly.
"You're awake," she said gently, her voice carrying a melodic warmth that both soothed and startled him.
