The Carousel’s tune faded. Bare birch branches merged into black, silhouetted against the rippling sky.
“This way.” Sam took the lead from Ali, boots crunching through the thin layer of ice covering the path at 1:00 on the Kreisfirth map.
Peter followed. Uphill. Legs burning, his backpack heavier with each step.
Focus. He repeated the Challenge Puzzle in his head:
MINT | CONIFER SHROUDS
CRYSTALLINE CHAMBERS | FETID DAMP
COLLECTIVE | COMBUSTION
Ali inhaled deeply. “We must be close.” She spun in a circle—arms wide open. “It smells just like a fairyland.”
Aaa-aachoo. Peter’s nose confirmed. Kreis Forest—Conifer Shrouds.
They entered—single file—brushing against textured trunks. Needled boughs whispered overhead.
He felt small. The forest immense. Enveloping them.