That night, I woke up early, feeling an irresistible pull to escape into the peaceful beauty of the night sky. The stars sparkled like faraway promises, and the gentle sound of leaves near the river whispered secrets only the night knew. Sitting by the riverbank, mesmerized by the vastness above, a sudden sweet smell surrounded me, awakening my senses.

The scent was familiar—it was coffee. But how could that be? There was no one around for miles. Curious, I followed my nose, walking away from the river. The aroma grew stronger, more enticing as if someone was brewing a fresh pot just around the corner.

Then, a sound broke the silence. I turned, and there she was—a cute corgi with a bright blue collar shining under the moonlight. But it wasn't the collar that caught my attention; it was the dazzling pendant hanging from it, shimmering like a tiny star.

With a playful bark, the corgi noticed me and dashed off into the night. I couldn't resist the urge to follow her. As I chased after her, the world around me seemed to blur, my heart racing with each step.

But the corgi was fast, much quicker than I expected. Despite my efforts, she vanished into the darkness, leaving me alone with my curiosity.

Refusing to give up, I pressed on, scanning the area with my eyes. And there it was in the distance—a train, bathed in soft, otherworldly light as if it had appeared from a dream.

Captivated, I approached the train, its grandeur pulling me closer. As I circled it, I realized I had never seen anything like it before, and there she was: the adorable corgi I had been chasing, finally within my grasp.

"Hey! Wait up!" I screamed at the corgi, but she ran away again.

I sighed; that corgi was really quick. Then, I heard a noise like breaking glass. I turned around to see several small bottles shattered on the ground. While chasing the corgi, I had yet to see the boxes piled with these bottles. I accidentally tripped over them, knocking one of the boxes over and breaking it.

"Oh, no," I mumbled to myself as I looked at the broken bottles.

I walked carefully to examine the bottles more closely and noticed a box labeled "Star Drops" As I approached, I could see a starry purple liquid seeping from the broken bottles. The liquid appeared to be filled with glitter, but this was no ordinary glitter; it shone as if it had its own light.

As I moved closer to the bottles to pick one up, I heard someone coming towards me in a hurry. I quickly ran to hide behind a nearby tree. I peeked out, I saw the gorgeous corgi I had been chasing again. But she wasn't alone; someone was following her. Their footsteps were so quiet that I couldn't hear them. I hid behind the tree again, my heart racing with fear of being caught.

“I don’t see anyone here” I heard someone talking to the corgi. “Oh no”.

I could hear the change in their voice when they saw the broken bottles. My heart raced, and I held my breath, not knowing what to say if they found me. I heard them sigh, disappointment clear in their voice.

“This was a brand new batch of Star Drops I just created…oh well I just hope they are enough for Sextant”

I listened as they moved the boxes; it seemed like the stuff in those bottles meant a lot to them, and I began to feel really guilty. Eventually, they loaded all the boxes onto the train and called for the corgi to come aboard. I heard the train engine start. I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down, my heart still racing. But then I realized something odd: there were no train tracks nearby, and the train was in the middle of nowhere. I started to feel suspicious, wondering if I was even awake at this point.

I stood up and carefully walked from where I was hiding, only to find the blue-collar the corgi was wearing before. I took it and looked at the pendant on the collar. As soon as I saw it, it was like watching a bright star inside the pendant. I looked around, unable to find its owner.

As the train rumbled to life, it reminded me that time was running out, I had to hurry if I wanted to be able to ride the train. I carefully navigated around the train, searching for an entrance. I had to move quickly. The train was already beginning to pick up speed, its engine humming with power. I spotted an open door at the back of the last wagon, where the boxes of Star Drops were stored. 

Before I changed my mind, I sprinted towards the open door, narrowly slipping inside before it closed behind me. Inside, the place was illuminated with the purpley starry light of the Star Drops. Taking a deep breath, I began moving carefully between the boxes, determined not to break more bottles than I already had. As I neared the door at the end of the wagon, voices reached my ears. 

Panicked, I hurried to find a hiding spot before they discovered me. I squeezed myself into a small space between two large crates, holding my breath as the voices drew closer. The purpley starry light from the orb cast ghostly shadows around me, adding to the tension of the moment.

I froze when I heard voices nearby. They sounded urgent, speaking in hushed tones. I stayed still, afraid to make a sound. Time dragged on as I waited anxiously, hoping they would leave without noticing me.

As the voices got closer, I tried hard to hear what they were saying. They were talking about a plan, something about stealing the Star Drops I had found. I felt scared as I understood the danger. 

I moved a bit, trying to see better without being seen. I could see shadows moving from where I was hiding. The people were talking eagerly and nervously about their plans.

One of them, a tall person wearing dark clothes, spoke firmly, explaining how they would carry out their plan. Another person, shorter and thin, nodded eagerly, clearly excited to start.

I held my breath, hoping they wouldn't find me. I thought quickly, trying to plan how to get away. If I could sneak away without being noticed, maybe I could tell the authorities before it was too late.

But just as I was planning my escape, I heard a noise behind me. Someone was coming from where I had entered. I was stuck, trapped between two groups of people who didn't know I was there.

I heard a soft whine, it was the corgi. She looked at me, trying to get my attention to follow her. I took a deep breath and silently followed the corgi, but for some mysterious reason, I trusted her.

We cautiously walked around the boxes in the storage wagon until we reached a corner where there was a small door.

“You seriously expected me to be able to walk through that tiny door?” I whisper the corgi, not sure if she will understand me.

But the way the corgi looked at me, with those big, bright eyes clearly reflected that she did expect me to walk through that small door. So I took a deep breath before walking to the tiny door. I look back at the corgi who looks at me with anticipation.

“I’m going, I’m going” I surrender and start walking through the tiny door closing my eyes. When I opened back I found myself in another room. I look back at the corgi who I can swear was smirking at me.

I shook my head, looking around the new room and I noticed more boxes but this time the boxes were labeled differently.

“Shadow Rise?” I murmured to myself and I heard the corgi whine as she tried to pull me by my pants, whining like trying to take me away.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, genuinely puzzled. I reached out to pet her, but she dodged my hand, her focus remaining on the bottle. She didn’t want me to touch it. Naturally, this only made me more curious.

Ignoring the corgi’s obvious distress, I grabbed the bottle. The glass was cool and smooth under my fingers, and as I lifted it, the label seemed to shimmer in the dim light.

The corgi yipped and jumped up, trying to reach the bottle, but I held it out of his reach. “What’s so special about this, huh?”

I pulled at the cork and poured a bit on my hand, the moment it touched my skin, everything changed. There was a rush of air, a dizzying sensation of being pulled in all directions at once, and then… everything was enormous. The bottle slipped from my grasp, clattering to the ground beside me, now a towering monolith.

Panicking, I looked around and realized with horror that the world hadn’t grown—I had shrunk. Everything was colossal—towering boxes, gargantuan glasses, and the corgi, now a massive, furry giant. I looked down and gasped, I was no taller than a pip-squeak, standing barely an inch high in a world that now seemed impossibly vast.

"Okay, this is not good," I muttered, trying to steady my racing heart. "Not good at all."

The corgi, now a giant in my eyes, sniffed the air and let out a low whine, she barked, this time more gently, as if to say, "I warned you". She nudged me gently with her nose, sending me sprawling. Her eyes were filled with a strange mix of apology and urgency.

“Okay, okay, I get it!” I shouted, though my voice was tiny and squeaky. “You were trying to warn me.”

The corgi barked, a sound that was now deafeningly loud, and nudged me again. She seemed to want me to climb onto her back. Figuring I didn’t have many other options, I grabbed hold of her fur and hoisted myself up. She stood still, letting me settle before taking off at a surprisingly smooth trot.

“Wait,” I said to the corgi “What about the two men in the other storage room?” but the corgi didn’t listen to me and kept running, it looked like I was her priority.

I hold myself tightly on the corgi’s fur, praying I’m not hurting her. We arrived at a small, hidden door at the back of the storage room. The corgi nudged it open with her nose, revealing a shimmering portal. My heart skipped a beat. What had I gotten myself into?

With a deep breath, I clung to the corgi as she stepped through the portal. The world around us dissolved into a swirl of colors and light, and when it settled, we found ourselves in a strange, otherworldly room. The wagon was made of gleaming crystal, and the air hummed with a faint, otherworldly melody, the smell of coffee I smelled earlier becoming stronger as we walked into the room.