The forest never ended.
That was the first realization after they had walked long enough to understand that their steps could no longer be measured by ordinary logic. The green light overhead never changed. The mist remained just as thick. Roots crossing the ground felt disturbingly familiar, as if they had passed the same place more than once, only from different angles.
Alicia stopped floating.
"…Wait."
She slowly turned in midair, her translucent hair rippling like thin smoke. "I'm sure we've passed that tree before."
Stacia turned at once. She closed her eyes, her pupils rotating slowly as she traced overlapping layers of time and space. A few seconds later, her brow furrowed.
"…You're right," she said quietly. "We're circling. But not because we chose the wrong path."
Sofia scanned their surroundings cautiously. "You mean… the forest itself is changing the route?"
Sylvia already knew the answer before Stacia spoke again.
