Surrounded by towering trees, Astra found herself in the heart of the vast and seemingly endless forest. The trees rose majestically towards the sky, forming a dense canopy that filtered the dappled sunlight. Shafts of light pierced through the foliage, creating a play of shadows on the forest floor. The forest was alive with the sounds of chirping birds, rustling leaves, and distant animal calls, giving the place an enchanting and mysterious atmosphere.
"Where am I?" Astra wondered, looking around, her eyes laying on the creature she had been chasing.
It looked out of place with its snowy white fur and a subtle, mesmerizing blue fade along its coat. Its large, curious eyes hinted at an otherworldly quality. It seemed both fitting and strangely surreal, as if they were in a realm that defied the laws of her world.
"Oh, there you are," Astra said as she picked up the fox and started to pet it. "Totally worth it!"
Her eyebrows furrowed as she lowered her arms, realizing the predicament she was placed in.
"Wait, where am I?" She wondered, her head tilted to the side, the fox soon mimicking her actions
She got up and began to explore the forest, hoping to find a way out or perhaps a village or city, but she didn't get far, becoming lost in the forest she didn't know what to do or where to go.
Exhausted, she slumped against a tree, its wooden bark supporting her back, the fox soon nestling in her lap as she groaned and complained.
"Weren't you running away from me a few minutes ago?" Astra teased as she patted the fox, a spider landed on her nose, its tiny legs tickling her skin. Her lips quivered at the sudden intrusion letting out a blood curdling scream once the situation had settled in.
Her scream frightened the near by animals the fox on her lap included, a deafening silence befell on them before heavy footsteps started to echo through the forest.
"What's that?" Astra wondered, looking at the fox. The footsteps grew closer and louder.
"Maybe we should go," Astra suggested, picking up the fox and starting to move. However, the footsteps continued to approach, and Astra looked back to see a massive golem chasing her. She started screaming and running even faster. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Suddenly, four arrows struck the golem in its eyes, blinding it. The pain made the golem stagger and fall.
Astra stopped running and looked behind her to see a girl standing on the fallen golem.
"Wow, thanks a lot," Astra said, out of breath but grateful to be alive.
"Don't mention it," the figure on the golem replied, removing her hood to reveal fair skin, short black hair, and brown eyes.
"So, what's your name?" the girl asked as she got down from the golem.
Astra stammered, "Oh, um, Astra."
"Astra... Astra," the girl muttered to herself, as if the name sounded familiar. She then asked, "How about you?"
"Me? It's Faye," she responded.
"Oh, okay," Astra said, still somewhat breathless.
"Cute fox you've got. What's its name?" Faye asked as she petted the fox.
Astra didn't have a name for the fox yet, so she thought for a moment. "I'll name her Lumi."
Lumi wagged her tail and licked Astra's face.
Faye led Astra out of the forest, and they eventually arrived in a small town filled with lively people and children playing.
"Welcome to Azalea Town," Faye introduced. "Follow me."
Astra nodded and followed Faye into an inn made entirely of wood. There were people waiting in line, likely to visit relatives or friends.
"Talk to that lady over there to get a room," Faye instructed, pushing Astra toward the counter.
Astra began to stammer as she spoke to the lady at the counter. She was worried about not having enough money, but the lady assured her.
Faye paid for Astra's room for the first month, and Astra thanked her. Faye suggested she should find a job soon and walked away.
The next day, Astra spent her time searching for jobs, from cleaning up slimes to dealing with human-sized roaches. She eventually found herself on a rooftop, tasked with cleaning it. It was covered in mutant bird poop.
Astra tried to stay positive. "Don't get discouraged, Astra. You can do this." She began to clean the rooftop but couldn't help wondering how people lived with these monsters.
After finishing her work, she put most of her money into a savings bin for later. She returned to her room and found herself tired. She dozed off while contemplating her situation.
"I want to go home," Astra whispered to herself.