Chapter Text
The sunlight barely pierced through the dense emerald canopy of the trees.
And yet, the forest seemed well-lit and glowed with an unusual radiance.
The breeze carried a scent that lingered around the vast expanse of trees, which hummed with the sound of life.
There was no room left for uncertainty: this was indeed an enchanted forest.
Shadow Milk walked through the rows of tall trees that looked like pillars holding up the endless sky.
He paced through the grass as he walked towards the edge of a meadow.
He saw a Cookie with green butterfly wings seated on top of a wooden stump.
Their eyes locked as he began closing the distance.
The stranger was surrounded by tiny sheep, grazing on the fresh grass as their white fleece glowed under the sunlight.
The shepherd looked up at him and finally spoke.
"Are you perhaps a lost traveler?" His eyes gleamed with a spark.
"No," Shadow Milk replied, looking into his eyes. "I believe it depends on one's perspective."
The shepherd seemed naive—harmless at best. But something about the way he spoke, with a practiced expression, seemed to prick at Shadow Milk's intuition in an unusual way.
The stranger's wings fluttered gently, which made Shadow Milk wonder: What kind of creature was he?
"Do you happen to know the way out?" he asked without hesitation.
"Out of this meadow, I mean. You seem like someone who knows his way around here."
The Cookie chuckled.
"Indeed, I do live here."
His eyes seemed to gleam with a smile of their own.
"The forest is my home."
He gently placed the tiny creature from his lap onto the grass.
"But why leave the forest when you can be my guest?"
Shadow Milk eyed the sheep suspiciously; something about them seemed off.
Something about them felt familiar.
"You have a way with your words," he said with an amused smile.
"But I'm afraid I'll have to reject the kind offer."
He looked at the Cookie, who smiled and gave a courteous nod.
His pointy ears twitched when the breeze grazed his skin.
His robes were too extravagant to belong to a mere shepherd.
Shadow Milk knew what creature stood before him.
He knew it was a Fae, trying to seek out its next prey.
He glanced at the sheep and wondered how many poor, innocent souls had fallen victim to this wicked creature.
His eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked at the creature with a pitiful expression.
How did this poor Fae end up with a Cookie like me? he wondered with an amused smile.
This was going to be a "fun" game.
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The said creature accompanied him as he inspected the forest.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Shadow Milk asked with a growing impatience.
The Fae looked at him, his golden hair glistening under the sun as he smiled.
"Yes, we are headed the right way. What may I call you?"
Ah, what a sly bastard, Shadow Milk thought. Already asking for a name. Alas, Shadow milk knew better.
"You may address me as whatever you like."
Shadow Milk smirked cockily, though the expression faltered when he saw the Fae's eyes light up with a pleased expression.
Shadow Milk's heart clenched with a frightening sensation, oblivious to the fact that the Fae's mind bubbled with a string of ideas.
"Very well. May I address you as Bluebird, then?" the Fae asked gently, hiding his motives behind a timid facade.
"Do I look like a bird?" Shadow Milk scoffed with annoyance as he tried to walk ahead of him.
"So, may I?" the Fae insisted further, his wings fluttering slightly as his pointy ears twitched.
"I told you, you can call me whatever you like!" Shadow Milk raised his voice, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"How thick is that skull of yours?"
The Fae smiled with an unfaltering expression.
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"I'm not going home, am I?" Shadow Milk huffed.
He plopped onto a stump, trying to breathe as he collapsed from exhaustion.
"The forest has everything you need. Be my guest," the Fae smiled gently.
"I'll have to turn you down," Shadow Milk stated.
He knew the Fae was persistent.
"I don't need your hospitality. I would like it if you could just show me the way out."
His voice masked his true emotions, even as his jaw clenched.
Somehow, it felt like the forest kept bending, looping around to continue the illusion of a never-ending, vast expanse.
He knew a great amount of time had passed, but the sky showed no hint of it.
Clear blue skies were all around; the weather felt like an endless spring.
He couldn't confront the bastard directly, even though he had a hunch that he was conspiring.
Faes are dangerous creatures, even if they don't have a name yet.
Dance with them, and you waste away in the real world.
Say "thank you" or "sorry," and you owe them an unspoken debt.
Be their guest, and you might get too lost for too long.
"Stay, Bluebird. Stay in the enchanted forest with me," the Fae said with a wicked smile.
Shadow Milk was unable to move.
He wanted to run away but was left immobile.
His expression paled as his breath became ragged with frantic pants.
No, he thought.
No, no, no.
This is insane.
This must be a sick joke.
He hadn't given the Fae his name.
He had thought thoroughly before making each reply, yet somehow this creature possessed power over him.
"And now, Bluebird, you will tell me your real name."
The mask of innocence slipped as a victorious smile emerged in its place.
The Fae had won all along.
He had been testing how much Shadow Milk knew.
Faes did not need a name; they just needed an opportunity to define a name to control their prey.
And Shadow Milk had set foot into a trap he didn't even recognize.
The Fae inched closer, looking at him with amusement and admiration.
He gently tucked a few strands of hair back and traced Shadow Milk's cheek with sharp nails, ever so carefully.
Shadow Milk's breath hitched with fear and a hit of adrenaline.
He felt an electrifying pulse run through his body.
Was it fear... or was it attraction?
The thought of being trapped felt dangerously appealing.