The swamp was alive in ways it had never been before, and it was glorious. The trees danced, their branches reaching like bony fingers. The water shimmered with strange colors, ripples forming mesmerizing patterns. It must have been the mushroom. The moment Astrid swallowed it, the swamp had shifted. Now, every shadow had a heartbeat, every sound seemed alive.
From the fog, a figure emerged, a hulking mass of vines and bark. Its body draped with moss, eyes glowing like fireflies trapped in amber. Astrid stared, utterly fascinated, as it moved closer to her.
