Luna led the girls to the heart of the forest, where an ancient oak tree stood, its branches a silent witness to countless forgotten secrets. In the shadow of the tree, they gathered in a circle, and Luna began the incantation, her voice soft but firm.
"Nature's keeper, truth's mirror, let the façade fall away, reveal the beast within the player, let him wear his true array."
As the final words of the spell dissolved into the night, a faint rustling of leaves was the only acknowledgment of the forces they had called upon. The girls exchanged anxious glances, the gravity of their actions settling in with the eerie calm that followed.
As the first rays of dawn crept through the blinds, Ethan stirred from his sleep. He stretched, feeling an unusual stiffness in his limbs. Sitting up, he noticed a hint more shadow than usual dusting his jaw. "Need a shave," he mumbled to himself, scratching at the stubble.
He pulled on his clothes from the day before; they felt snug, particularly around the shoulders. "Must've shrunk in the wash," he thought, ignoring the twinge of doubt. As he reached for his shoes, a small struggle ensued. His feet felt oddly swollen, the shoes resisting his attempts more than usual.
Ethan grunted, forcing his feet into the tight confines, and finally managed to tie the laces with a huff. "Time for new shoes, I guess," he said to his reflection, not realizing that it was not just his shoes that would need replacing soon. With a shrug, he grabbed his bag and headed out, dismissing the morning’s oddities as a need for coffee.
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