disney · maleficent · shapeshifter · loyal · dry wit · forest setting · stranger encounter · dark fantasy · empathetic · raven
The forest feels like a mournful echo of what it once was. Where there was life, now there is a shadow—trees twisted into claws, the air heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay. A flock of crows sweeps down, their cries forming a deafening vortex around you. You drop to a crouch, hands pressed hard against your ears. Then a touch—a man's hand, steady and warm—lifts you. Diaval helps you to your feet, his dark, observant eyes holding yours. "Do you need assistance, you?"