"I am NOT doing this alone."
The fog was thick, curling around the trees like ghostly tendrils. Harry took a deep breath, shivering as the damp air clung to his skin. “Brilliant,” he muttered, brushing moss off his coat. “Dragged into a creepy, fog-filled forest by a sentient nightlight. Just another day in paradise.”
The wisp hovered a few feet away, its light pulsing rhythmically. It was almost mocking.
Harry pointed at it. “You! Are you going to lead us out of here or just keep being mysterious?”
The wisp pulsed once, then zipped deeper into the forest.
Harry sighed, glancing at the monster. “Looks like we’re following it again.”
The monster growled low, its glowing eyes narrowing as it scanned the trees. Despite its usual predatory confidence, even it seemed wary of their new surroundings.
“Don’t like it either, huh?” Harry said, falling into step behind the wisp. “Well, at least we agree on something.”
They walked in uneasy silence, the fog swallowing every sound except their footsteps. The forest was eerily still—no rustling leaves, no distant animal calls, just the faint hum of the wisp’s light.
“Where do you think we are?” Harry asked the monster, though he didn’t expect an answer. “Some forgotten magical forest? A dimension of eternal fog?” He frowned. “You don’t think we’re dead, do you?”
The monster snorted, a sound that might have been a laugh if it didn’t sound so menacing.
“Glad you find that funny,” Harry muttered.
Suddenly, the wisp darted ahead, disappearing behind a cluster of gnarled trees. The monster growled, its massive form tensing.
“Easy,” Harry said, holding up a hand. “Let’s not jump into anything—”
A low, echoing howl cut through the fog, chilling Harry to the bone. The monster straightened, its claws flexing.
“Okay,” Harry said, his voice tight. “That’s not ominous at all.”
The wisp reappeared, this time flickering rapidly as if in distress. It bobbed in the air, urging them forward.
“I don’t trust it,” Harry said, but the howl came again, louder and closer. “But I trust that less. Let’s go.”
They broke into a run, the wisp leading the way. Harry’s boots slid on the damp ground, and branches clawed at his clothes, but he kept moving. The monster stayed close, its presence both reassuring and unnerving.
The howls grew louder, joined by the sound of something crashing through the underbrush. Harry risked a glance over his shoulder but saw nothing.
“Whatever it is, it’s big,” he panted.
The wisp led them into a clearing, where a massive stone monolith loomed in the center. Strange runes glowed faintly on its surface, their light pulsing in time with the wisp.
“What is this?” Harry gasped, skidding to a stop.
The wisp darted to the monolith, circling it frantically. The monster hesitated, its glowing eyes fixed on the dark woods behind them.
The crashing grew louder, the howls deafening now. Harry’s heart pounded. “Whatever we’re doing, we need to do it fast!”
The wisp stopped circling and hovered near a specific rune, its light brightening.
Harry frowned. “You want me to—what? Touch it?”
The monster growled, stepping between him and the trees. The sound of splintering wood erupted as a massive shape burst into the clearing—a hulking beast with matted fur, glowing red eyes, and too many teeth.
“Right,” Harry said, turning to the monolith. “Touching it is!”
He slammed his hand against the glowing rune. The stone flared with light, the runes igniting in rapid succession. A deep, resonant hum filled the air, and the wisp shot upward, its light merging with the monolith.
The beast lunged.
The monster roared, meeting it head-on in a clash of claws and fangs. Harry stumbled back, shielding his eyes as the monolith’s light engulfed the clearing.
When the light faded, the beast and the monster were gone.
Harry blinked, his vision swimming. The clearing was empty now, the monolith cold and silent.
“Monster?” he called, his voice echoing in the stillness.
No answer.
“Great,” he muttered, sinking to the ground. “Just great.”
The wisp reappeared, flickering weakly. Harry glared at it. “You’d better have a plan, because I am not doing this alone.”
The wisp pulsed faintly, drifting toward the trees. Harry sighed, pushing himself to his feet.
“Alright, then,” he said. “Lead the way.”
And with that, he followed it once more into the unknown.