Nolan Graves never imagined that a quiet evening at the wildlife rescue center would split his life into two different worlds. The desert sun had already slipped under the horizon when he finished recording the conditions of the owls that were brought in earlier that day. The rescue center was quiet except for the soft rustle of wings from the recovery cages. The air smelled like dust and pine disinfectant a mix Nolan always liked. It made him feel grounded like he had purpose and direction even on days where nothing interesting happened.
He walked to the back shed to store the extra bags of feed. The shed door creaked the same way it always did and Nolan pushed it open with his shoulder because both hands carried the feed bags. Everything felt normally boring until the moment the light changed. It was small at first something like a reflection. Then it grew brighter and warmer like a breath of sunlight trapped inside the shed. Nolan stopped his steps wondering if the light was a malfunctioning lamp or a trick of his tired eyes. But the glow turned soft and rippling like waves passing through warm sand.
He dropped the feed bags on instinct because the light wrapped around his legs and chest. Nolan tried to step back but the glow slid under his feet pulling him forward with a gentle pressure that felt alive. His breath caught because the sensation was not painful or cold. It felt like the desert shifting beneath him like something natural yet not human deciding to move him.
His last thought before the darkness swallowed him was simple and honest. Maybe I am dreaming.
When he opened his eyes he was lying on soil that felt too soft to be earth from home. It smelled richer almost sweet and the air had a coolness that did not belong to Arizona. Nolan pushed himself up brushing dirt from his shirt. His first instinct was to check his pockets like a volunteer checking his kit. His phone was gone. His watch too. Only his desert boots remained.
He looked around trying to measure the place with the calm logic he had trained for years. Thick trees surrounded him stretching so tall that their branches twisted together like woven roofs. Blue mist drifted near the ground glowing faintly like it was breathing. Nolan stared at the mist for a long moment trying to understand if it was alive or simply reacting to the wind.
A deep sound rolled through the forest. Not a roar not a growl. Something between a distant drum and the rumble of shifting mountains. Nolan froze because the vibration crawled over his skin like static. Something huge moved beyond the treeline. Its outline passed between the trunks like a shadow bigger than a truck but silent enough to make his chest tighten.
Nolan swallowed and whispered to himself to keep his mind steady. Do not panic. Assess the area. Look for escape paths.
He took slow careful steps through the mist. With each step he listened for signs of predators or large mammals. The forest floor felt warm beneath his boots almost warmer than the air around him. A sign of geothermal activity or something else he could not guess.
He reached a small clearing. Something metal glinted on the ground. Nolan crouched. It was a collar a large one made for an animal far bigger than any he had worked with. The metal was smooth shaped with strange curves and symbols carved deeply along its surface. When Nolan touched the collar the symbols gave off a faint pulse like a heartbeat.
He jerked his hand back.
The ground trembled. Leaves shifted above him. The massive shadow from earlier appeared again. A beast stepped out from the trees its body covered in thick dark scales that reflected the blue mist. Its eyes were bright gold fixed directly on Nolan with a strange mix of curiosity and warning.
Nolan did what every trained keeper learned to do when facing an unknown creature. He lowered his stance kept his palms open and spoke softly.
I am not here to hurt you
The beast tilted its head. Its golden eyes flickered like it was thinking. Then it made a low sound that vibrated in Nolan’s chest. The sound was not hostile but it was heavy with meaning like the creature expected something from him.
Nolan noticed the same carved symbols glowing on the animal’s neck faint and broken. The creature wore a damaged version of the collar he had found.
He took a breath steady calm grounded.
You need help don’t you
The creature blinked slowly as if answering.
Nolan had no idea where he was no map no tools no contact. But a creature was hurt and confused. That was enough to decide his next step.
He lifted the collar gently and held it toward the beast. The blue mist curled around both of them like it recognized something ancient something connected.
All right buddy Nolan whispered let’s figure this out together
The forest rumbled again but this time it felt like the world agreed with his choice.