Chapter 1: Shadow Among Sunflowers

Sunlight spilled gold across the rolling meadow, painting Rumi’s boots in warm, shifting patterns as she wandered between tall, nodding sunflowers. The breeze smelled sweet, and bees murmured about their business. Rumi pressed her fingers against the hilt of her magic sword, the familiar weight a comfort at her side. In her other hand, she fiddled with a piece of bubblegum, its pinkness bright against the green.

She’d come here to clear her mind and maybe find a four-leaf clover for luck. The world felt wide and gentle—until a tremor of shadow flickered at the edge of her vision. Rumi stopped, heart thumping. Beyond the ring of birch trees, a giant shape loomed, too tall and too still to be a deer or even a bear. It wasn’t moving, but the air around it seemed to ripple.

She swallowed hard. A sensible part of her wanted to turn back, but curiosity itched in her chest. Rumi glanced at her bubblegum, remembering how she’d always believed it made her braver. With a swift pop, she unwrapped it and tucked it in her mouth, savoring the sweet, steadying taste.

“Here goes nothing,” she whispered.

The grass brushed her knees as she crept closer. Dappled light danced on her arms. The giant shape resolved into something stranger than she expected—an enormous, mossy stone, but with odd, symmetrical ridges. Had it always been here? Rumi circled slowly, eyes wide, sword held ready but low.

A sudden gust carried a low, groaning sound. Rumi froze. The shape shuddered, and a patch of moss peeled back, revealing a huge, blinking amber eye.

“Oh!” she gasped, stumbling backward. The stone wasn’t a stone at all.

The eye blinked again, slow and almost sleepy. Rumi realized her hands were trembling, but she forced herself to take a breath, chewing her bubblegum thoughtfully. The creature didn’t seem angry. Maybe it was just as surprised as she was.

“Hello?” Rumi called, voice wavering. “Are you…awake?”

The grass rustled as the creature shifted, revealing a broad, shell-like back and stubby legs tucked beneath. It looked ancient, part of the earth itself. Rumi’s fear ebbed, replaced by awe and a thousand questions.

She edged closer, her courage growing with each step. The creature watched her quietly, its massive eye reflecting the sky’s blue and the trembling sunflowers.

Why was it here? Had anyone else ever seen it?

Rumi reached out a tentative hand, her heart pounding. The creature turned its head the slightest bit, as if inviting her to come nearer.

A sudden, distant howl scattered a flock of birds overhead. Rumi jerked back, torn between curiosity and caution. The creature’s gaze flicked to the trees, then back to her, as if warning her of something more to come.

Rumi’s breath caught. Was something else out there—something even stranger?

She stood, rooted, the taste of bubblegum sharp on her tongue, ready to face whatever mystery the meadow held next.