I was ripped out of the strange trance when my back was slammed harshly against the grass, I was left coughing and spitting up water, my chest aching and burning, and my ears ringing.

I peeked through my curled twists to look at whoever saved me. I couldn’t tell; they wore a white porcelain mask that covered their entire face with a silver design around the eyes, cheeks, and chin.

 “Hey.” The voice shocked me at first. I hadn’t expected them to talk, but it was soft but firm all at once, “You alright?” I nodded wordlessly. 

“What are you doing out here? Restless minds are swallowed whole in this place, did your parents not read you bedtime stories---y’know, warnings about this place?”

“Sure...” I had no clue who my parents were, but I knew the tales of those who found this place, how they never left; I’d been here before, presumably thinking I was different, what a way to be humbled.

“Anyhow, since I helped you, do you think you could do me a favor?” I quirked an eyebrow. “If you don’t, I could always...” He didn’t finish his sentence, simply pulling out a card, holding it as if he were about to rip it. I squinted it’s mine.

“Give that back!” I panicked, lunging for it, but he stepped back.

“Ah ah ah...Help me first, Ms. Ace.” My head throbbed.

“What the hell?!”

“A card. Six of hearts, help me find it, and this card’s all yours. Kay?”

“Alright, fine...” I swallowed my pride in favor of cowardice and began moving around, hoping to sense the card, feeling it close near the tall grass, digging through it. I finally found it. I called to the man from before, and he rushed to my side, reaching for it, but I held it away.

“My card first.” He gave me mine, and I handed him his, along with a quick kick to his stomach, causing him to cough and keel over. “Don’t ever threaten my card again, do you understand?” My voice was stern, very thinly veiling the panic I felt. However, his reaction was very unexpected; the same wide smile from earlier slithered on his face.

“Yes ma’am.” I no longer wanted to continue this conversation, so I left, walking deeper into the forest until I was out of view, then creating a burrow back to my room. Tonight was far too eventful for tomorrow to be the first day back at the academy.