Ren Vireo had many questions.
Why was the sun shaped like an hourglass?
Why did the birds shimmer like living lanterns?
Why, when he took a breath, did the air taste like warm vanilla and electricity?
But most of all—why the hell did the mushroom he landed on feel like it was breathing?
He stood up slowly, boots sinking slightly into the warm, rubbery surface of the fungal dome. Around him, a jungle stretched outward in wide, spiraling shelves—like the world had been built vertically, not horizontally. Trees floated midair. Islands drifted lazily through the sky like sleepy whales. Waterfalls curved upward.
"I… either died and hit heaven," Ren murmured, brushing mushroom spores off his jeans, "or someone dropped me into a Lisa Frank fever dream."
He turned in a slow circle.
The forest below pulsed with faint mana-light, glowing blues and greens drifting upward like reverse snowfall. Vines curled around levitating stones. A herd of six-legged deer galloped between hovering tree roots. Somewhere in the distance, a chime rang out—long and low, like a cathedral bell underwater.
This isn't Earth, his thoughts whispered.
This isn't even close.
And then something else whispered.
No, really. Something whispered.
"Welcome, Ren Vireo."
He spun.
Nothing.
Then, a flicker. In the corner of his eye, a glyph—drawn in soft air-light—spiraled into existence above his journal.
Ren pulled it out. The cover, still warm from when he found it, now pulsed like it had a heartbeat. The first page was no longer blank. Glowing script crawled across the parchment in a delicate, dancing font.
----------------------------
Traveler Log, Entry One
Cindale – The Dreamwoven World
"You have entered a Realm of Untethered Wonder. Mana flows freely. Curiosity shapes destiny. Be wary of Thoughtbeasts. Write wisely. The world listens."
----------------------------
Ren blinked. Then laughed.
"Thoughtbeasts. Right. Of course. Why not."
He sat cross-legged, letting his legs dangle over the mushroom's edge. The jungle below pulsed with light like a breathing city. He looked at the book again. The page had changed.
New Trait Acquired:
[Curiosity Kindled]
✦ The world responds to your questions.
✦ Answers may not arrive gently.
"…Okay," Ren said. "I'm definitely in some kind of living video game. Or I hit my head really hard."
He flipped to the next page.
A map unfurled itself—drawn in real time, glowing with fluid ink. Not a static map. This one… breathed. Regions shimmered in and out. Mountains moved. Names rearranged themselves as he stared:
Wyrmglen
The Lullstep Veil
Taleshore
The Echoing Spire
None of it stayed still. It was like watching a dream rewrite itself every second.
The world evolves as you do…
Ren swallowed.
A shadow passed overhead.
He looked up.
Something massive flew between the clouds. Wings the size of buildings. A tail like a comet. It vanished into the sky, leaving behind shimmering trails of mana.
Ren stood slowly.
"Okay," he muttered. "No more waiting."
He looked at the map. One region glowed softly—Taleshore—and seemed to pulse in sync with his heartbeat.
"Guess that's the tutorial zone," he muttered. "Please don't be full of giant spiders."
He took a deep breath. Then he took a step forward.
And the mushroom beneath him launched.
A soft BOOMPF echoed, and the entire fungal platform folded like a springboard. Ren yelped as he was flung skyward—arms flailing, hair flying, journal in his teeth.
Below, the Dreamwoven jungle unfurled like a living canvas.
He soared.
✦
He crash-landed in a tree.
Face first.
"AAAAGH."
The tree, thankfully, was made of something like soft rubber and bark-moss. He bounced, tumbled, rolled off a branch, and landed in a patch of sparkling flowers.
The flowers giggled.
"Did that flower just laugh at me?"
Yes. It did. One of them winked.
Ren groaned, pulling himself upright.
The journal landed next to him with a thud. Another glowing message appeared.
Impact Registered.
You have unlocked:
[Traveler's Luck]
✦ Clumsy grace protects you from fatal landings.
✦ You will still look stupid doing it.
Ren cracked a smile. "At least you're honest."
He looked around.
This new region—Taleshore—was calmer. Quiet. A lake shimmered nearby, reflecting upside-down mountains. Little huts made of woven leaves floated midair, bobbing gently. A creature that looked like a squirrel-wyvern zipped past, chittering.
He stepped toward the path.
A voice called out.
"Hey! You there! With the weird hair and the what-the-heck-is-that book!"
Ren turned to see a girl, floating on a leaf the size of a truck. She had mossy-green hair, sharp ears, and a spear strapped to her back.
"You're not from here," she said, landing lightly beside him. "You've got that… 'accidental protagonist' look."
"I… guess I do?"
She nodded. "Cool. I'm Keeri. Welcome to Taleshore. You're gonna love it. Or die. Possibly both."
Ren blinked. "…thanks?"
She grinned. "First rule of Cindale: never trust a forest that hums back. Also, don't step on glowing mushrooms unless you want temporary flight. Or random personality shifts."
Ren looked down. He was standing on a glowing mushroom.
"…Son of a—"
---
And somewhere, unseen, the world shifted.
Trees twisted. Roads realigned. A mountain uncurled from sleep.
Because a new traveler had arrived.
And Cindale was listening.