The train rocked gently as it sped through the countryside, the rhythmic clacking of the wheels on the tracks blending with the soft hum of fluorescent lights. John leaned his head against the cool glass of the window, watching the fading orange hues of the sunset give way to the deep blues of dusk. It had been a long day. No, a long year. His final exams were over, his dorm was packed up, and he was finally heading home. The thought of a warm meal and his own bed brought a small smile to his lips.

The other passengers were a blur of faces, their quiet conversations and occasional laughter creating a comforting background noise. John closed his eyes, letting the fatigue of the day wash over him. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was until now. His mind drifted to mundane things-what he'd do over the summer, how he'd find a job, whether his mom would pester him about his lack of a girlfriend. He chuckled softly at the thought.

But then, just as the train rounded a bend, a strange sensation prickled at the back of his neck. It was subtle at first, like static electricity building in the air. He opened his eyes and stat up straighter, glancing around. No one else seemed to notice it. The hairs on his arms stood on end, and a faint hum-low and resonant-buzzed in his ears. It didn't sound like anything mechanical. It was almost… alive.

The train lights flickered once, then again, and suddenly they went out entirely. The hum grew louder, filling his chest, his head, his entire body. Panic set in as he clutched the armrests of his seat. The other passengers were gone. The train was gone. The world outside the window had dissolved into an endless void of swirling colors-blues, greens, silvers, and blacks, like a storm trapped within a kaleidoscope.

"What the hell- "John muttered; his voice swallowed by the void.

The hum became a roar, and then a flash of silver light consumed everything.

---

When John opened his eyes again, he was lying on his back. The first thing he noticed was the smell-rich, earthly, wild, pine, moss, and damp soil. The second thing he noticed was the sky. It wasn't the familiar night sky he knew. The moon, impossibly large and glowing with an ethereal silver light, hung in the sky surrounded by constellations he didn't recognize. The stars seemed closer, brighter, as if they were watching him.

He sat up slowly, his head spinning. Around him was a dense forest, the kind you only saw in fairy tales. Towering trees with glowing blue leaves swayed gently in a breeze he couldn't feel. The air was thick with an otherworldly energy, and in the distance, he could hear the faint trickle of a stream.

"What… where am I?" John muttered, his voice trembling. He pushed himself to his feet, brushing dirt and leaves off his jeans. His backpack was nowhere to be found, and his phone, when he pulled it from his pocket, was dead. No signal. No battery. Nothing.

He turned in a slow circle, taking in his surroundings. The forest was both beautiful and terrifying. Shadows moved between the trees, but when he looked directly at them, there was nothing there. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or distant animal calls.

"Okay, John," he said aloud, trying to steady his nerves. "You're… dreaming. Yeah, that's it. You fell asleep on the train, and this is just some weird stress dream." He pinched his arm, hard. The sharp pain made him wince. "Not a dream. Great."

A low growl cut through the stillness, freezing him in place. It came from behind him, deep and guttural, the kind of sound that made the primitive part of his brain scream RUN. Slowly, he turned.

Standing a few yards away was a wolf. No, not just a wolf. It was massive, easily the size of a bear, with sleek silver fur that shimmered like liquid moonlight. Its piercing blue eyes locked onto him, intelligent and unyielding. Its lips curled back to reveal sharp, glistening teeth.

"Oh, crap," John whispered, taking an involuntary step back. His heart pounded in his chest as the wolf took a step forward, its movements graceful but predatory. "Nice wolf. I don't taste good, I promise."

The wolf stopped, tilting its head as if amused by his words. For a moment, they stared at each other, the forest holding its breath. Then, to John's utter disbelief, the wolf began to change.

Its body shimmered, the silver fur dissolving into glowing light. Its form stretched and shifted, limbs elongating, posture straightening. Within seconds, the wolf was gone, and in its place stood a woman.

No, not just a woman. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with long silver hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall of moonlight. Her piercing blue eyes remained the same, filled with the same predatory intensity as the wolf's. She was dressed in a simple tunic of woven fabric, her bare feet silent on the forest floor. But what caught John's attention most were the wolf ears perched atop her head and the silver tail swishing behind her.

"What… what the hell?" John stammered, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

The woman crossed her arms, her expression stern. "Who are you, human, and what are you doing in my forest?"

"I… I don't know," he admitted, taking another step back. "One second, I was on a train, and the next I'm here. I don't even know where 'here' is!"

Her blue eyes narrowed, and she took a step toward him. "Don't play dumb. Humans don't just stumble into this forest. How did you find it?"

"I'm telling the truth!" John insisted, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. "I don't know how I got here. This… this isn't my world."

Her ears twitched, and for a moment, she seemed to consider his words. Then she sighed, running a hand through her silver hair. "You're either a very good liar, or you're incredibly unlucky."

"Let's go with unlucky," John said, managing a weak smile. "Can you… help me? I just want to go home."

The woman's expression softened, but only slightly. "If you're telling the truth, then you're in more danger than you realize. This forest doesn't take kindly to outsiders."

"Yeah, I got the impression," John muttered, glancing around nervously. "So, what happens now?"

She studied him for a long moment before finally speaking. "My name is Lyra. I'm the guardian of this forest. If you want to survive, you'll come with me."

John hesitated. She was clearly dangerous, and this whole situation was insane. But what choice did he have? He nodded slowly. "Okay, Lyra. Lead the way."

As she turned and began walking, her tail swishing behind her, John followed, his mind racing. He didn't know what he'd gotten himself into, but one thing was clear: this wasn't a dream. This was real. And something told him his life would never be the same.