#to become the god solaris and blow up the world sjdhfksdjfhsd

[fortruechaos]

Oh, a cursed forest. Is that all? Shadow's not scared of curses. Sonic's had more direct experience with that kind of thing, but after the planet was shattered, Shadow can't say he finds the arcane particularly intimidating. Just annoying. "What does this rift look like?" He's still staring out the frostbitten window, sipping idly at his cocoa. The storm picks up while Robin offers insight as if to prove how truly cursed these woods are--until Shadow can only see thick specks of white snow sticking to the window like debris.

He turns around. What was he doing? He was... "I was running." Which doesn't narrow anything down, he's running at practically any given moment. "I was cutting through Kingdom Valley." But why?

Suddenly, Shadow reaches up into his quills and reveals a strange-looking scepter. The word Mephiles springs to mind. A name, he knows that, but that's it. "What...is this?" Obviously the stranger won't know what it is so he's asking himself more than anything--Shadow is bewildered that he could have picked something up and not know what it is or remember what it does.

Most visitors to the Lost Woods were humans. They were more likely to blunder and fall through time and space, to see a door they didn't need to open but feeling as if they had to. Curiosity killed the cat, and all.

But this creature is no human, but she cannot discern if he is yokai either. He certainly has the energy scent of one, but... Somehow, his soul feels... Warm.

Questions can come later. Instead, the guardian just settles down on the old couch, the springs creaking in protest.

"You're going to need a guide out of here. This place is cursed... It likes to sink its claws into you and never let go, not unless you find another rift to leave through." A pause. "Do you remember what you were doing before you wound up here?"

Openings didn't often appear where they had just been closed. But the Lost Woods did like patterns.

@fortruechaos