Hi!

So, from time to time, you'll notice a chapter with the title "Peek-a-..." — these are like little bonus scenes. Think of them as mini flashbacks or moments that give you a behind-the-scenes look at the story.

So whenever you see a "Peek-a" chapter, get ready for a little extra moment that helps fill in the bigger picture.

Happy reading! xx

She had never seen anything like them.

The moment she spotted the strange creatures moving through the trees, her curiosity flared to life. They were running—just like she sometimes did, and none of her family did—on two legs. They moved like her, yet they were…wrong. Their bodies were covered in strange skins that weren't fur nor scales, not even like hers…and their faces—well, if you could call them faces—didn't move at all. They were smooth and shiny, reflecting the light like still water. No eyes, no mouths. How do they eat? How do they see?

For a moment, she crouched low to the ground, watching them as they leaped from branch to branch with a kind of grace that reminded her of a bird's flight. But they weren't birds. They weren't anything she recognized. And that was exciting.

She glanced at her companion, a sleek fox. He stared at her with his knowing eyes, a soft growl in his throat. Let them go. They're dangerous.

But her curiosity tugged at her harder. Maybe they're like me.

That thought sent a thrill through her. Moriki had always felt out of place, even in the forest she called home. Sure, she had her family—the wolves, birds, and foxes that raised her—but she had always been… different. More different than the wolves were from the birds or the birds from the foxes. These creatures moved like she did, easily in two paws.

She had always been curious. It was something her animal family often teased her about—her endless fascination with things that were different, things that didn't belong to the forest. They always told her curiosity would get her into trouble one day. You're going to follow the wrong rabbit hole one day. But how could she help it? And this time she had a reason. They feel…familiar.

When the fox nudged her with his nose one last time, she just gave him an apologetic hum. Her friend turned back toward the den. He was always cautious, much more so than her. No fun. He never wanted to explore. Always scared of something.

So, she turned the other way and followed the creatures, moving silently through the trees.

For hours, she tracked them, her instincts telling her to be careful, to keep her distance. They were fast—really fast—and the way they communicated with each other confused her. They didn't chirp like the birds or growl like the wolves. How did they communicate? She crouched, watching them, studying the way they moved in perfect sync. The strange, unmoving faces made it hard to tell if they were even alive.

Then, after what felt like forever, the creatures stopped in a small clearing. She perched on a branch above, her heart racing with both fear and excitement. One of the creatures disappeared into the trees above—vanished like smoke—and the others stayed below. Some leaned against trees, others lay down as if to sleep. Are they sleeping? It was hard to tell because their faces didn't change.

Her instincts whispered danger. They don't belong here. This isn't safe. You should leave. But the same curiosity that had driven her this far urged her to stay.

She waited a little longer, watching them carefully. The forest was quiet, the only sounds coming from the rustle of leaves in the breeze. After a few more minutes, she couldn't resist anymore. Just a closer look. Just to see.

She crept down from her perch, her movements silent, like a shadow slipping through the underbrush. She made her way to the nearest creature, one of the ones who was lying on the ground, resting. Up close, it was even stranger. Its body was shaped like hers, but bigger, and those smooth faces… What are they? She crouched beside it, extending her hand slowly toward its shiny, featureless face.

What are you?

Her fingers brushed the surface, and she flinched. Cold. Hard. It—

SNAP!

Something cold and firm gripped her wrist, and her heart shot into her throat. A strong grip wrapped around her wrist from the side—one of the creatures had appeared out of nowhere. It was the one that had disappeared into the trees earlier. He had her wrist, his grip firm but not painful.

Her instincts roared to life. Danger. Run!

With a burst of wild strength, she twisted, pulling her hand free from his grip. In her panic, her fingers caught on the edge of the strange creature's face—the cold, unmoving surface—and with a tug, the mask came off.

She froze, staring at the mask in her hand, her mind spinning. What…? Did I just… de-face it?

For a split second, everything stopped. The clearing, which had been quiet moments before, seemed to hold its breath. She looked down at the mask, her eyes wide with shock. Did I hurt it?

All of the other creatures were suddenly standing, their still, shiny faces locked on her. The creature she had ripped the face off of was pointing something black and shiny to her.

Slowly, she raised her eyes—and saw something that shook her to her core. The creature had a face underneath. A real face. With eyes. With a mouth. Like hers. It wasn't smooth or still like the rest of them. It was... alive. It blinked at her, wide-eyed, as if just as confused as she was.

Two faces? Two faces?!

The creature that had taken her hand moved to grab her. RUN! her instincts screamed.

Her body moved before her mind could catch up. She twisted away from the de-faced creature and dashed toward the nearest group of trees. Gotta get out, gotta get away.

Her heart pounded as she darted between the trees, her instincts on full alert. She darted left, then right, using the branches to push herself off and make sharp turns that even a fox would be jealous of. She took a low hanging branch and used it to impulse a long jump. Run, run, run! She could hear them chasing her, the rustle of leaves and the faint sounds of their pursuit. They do bad turns! She anchored herself with a small branch just at the height of her hands and did almost a U-turn, her feet leaving the floor for a few seconds. She heard a grumble as one of them nearly fell when trying her turn.

But something was off. As she weaved between trees, dodging their hands and movements, she realized... They weren't trying to hurt her.

They were fast, sure, but they weren't attacking like the wolves would when hunting. They were chasing, but not with the same kind of urgency. They're not predators. They're just... trying to catch me? That realization gave her a strange sense of excitement, and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mischief. This is fun!

She darted toward a cluster of trees, but as she approached, something caught her eye—a low-hanging branch just above the head of one of the creatures. With a quick flick of her wrist, she grabbed the branch and swung herself over the creature's head. Her feet barely grazed the top of its shiny face, and for a split second, she saw herself reflected in the cold, hard surface.

They can't stop me! She laughed, dropping down behind him.

Leaping off another branch, she twisted her body in mid-air, narrowly dodging one of the creatures who reached out to grab her. Another one lunged at her from the side, but she planted her foot on a tree trunk and sprang off, causing him to slam his hands into the tree with a solid thud to avoid face butting it. Clumsy! But with reflexes to balance it.

The others closed in quickly. She zigzagged through the clearing, making sharp turns that had the creatures tripping over themselves to keep up. She could feel them trying to catch her, their hands grasping at empty air as she darted around them like a rabbit evading foxes.

She spotted a small rock on the ground and, without stopping, scooped it up. Let's see if they can dodge this. With a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed the rock through the air. It sailed with perfect precision, hitting one of the creatures square in the middle of its forehead. The creature froze, clearly stunned. Bullseye. A creature to its left got distracted and stumbled with a root that was slightly out of the earth.

Her giggle echoed in the clearing. They're playing too! At least, that's what it felt like to her. But as she spun, she lost her footing and slipped, her leg catching the ankle of another one of the creatures. He tumbled forward, almost crashing into his comrade who had suddenly appeared behind her. Oops! Didn't mean that one.

She quickly scrambled to her feet, still grinning, and darted away. She picked up speed, her legs carrying her faster. But even as she ran, she couldn't help the nagging thought in the back of her head: Do they all have two faces? Curiosity tugged at her again, hard. She had to know. So, naturally, she slowed down, wanting to test it.

Without even slowing down, she veered toward another one of the creatures. This one was taller, its shiny face glinting in the moonlight. She dodged his hands as he reached for her, her small frame slipping out of his grasp like water. Heehee, too slow! In a quick, fluid motion, she jumped, balanced herself on its arms and tugged at his face—another face! They all have two faces!

She landed on the balls of her feet behind the creature. Her eyes went wide as the cold, hard face came off in her hand, turning around she saw another real, human-like face coming towards her. She stared in shock. Are they hiding their real faces under all this weird stuff? Why?

In an instant, the atmosphere got heavier. Oh no…time to go!

They don't like showing the other face. The creature whose cold face she had just removed made a quick grab for her, but she ducked under his arm, scurrying between his legs. The creature stumbled, clearly not expecting her to be so small or fast, and she heard it grunt in frustration behind her.

They're hiding their face! No communication…No trust. Her excitement quickly drained away as the realization hit her. Out of nowhere a creature appeared before her with a soft breeze. Not normal! The air around her grew tense, her instincts shifting from playful curiosity to something much heavier.

Her pulse quickened, a sense of unease settling into her bones. This isn't fun anymore.

She darted to her left, her movements more frantic now, driven by an urgent need to escape rather than play. Her once-grinning face was now a mask of concentration as she wove through the trees, her small body darting between branches and leaping over rocks. I have to get away.

Without warning, the ground beneath her erupted. An earth wall shot up in front of her, blocking her escape. She skidded to a stop, her hands scrambling at the dirt as she tried to climb it. No, no, no! She clawed at the wall, her fingers digging into the rough surface, but it was too high, too smooth.

Panic gripped her as she spun around, only to see the creatures surrounding her. They weren't moving in to attack, but their presence felt overwhelming. One of them—the one whose face she had pulled off—took a step forward, his hands raised as if trying to calm her.

I'm trapped. They're going to hurt me. I need to get away.

She backed up against the wall, her small body trembling. She could feel the weight of their stares, the pressure of their presence. Her instincts screamed at her to flee, but there was nowhere to go.

Her legs shook, exhaustion starting to settle in. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. I don't want to play anymore.

"Easy," one of them said, his voice muffled through the still mask. "We're not going to hurt you." Its voice was soft, but the words meant nothing to her.

She heard the gentleness on its sounds, but she could just see those weird, shiny, expressionless faces. Are you lying? How can I tell if your faces don't move?

She turned her head left, then right, but they were everywhere. She couldn't escape. Her body trembled, her vision narrowing. The world seemed to close in on her, the earthen wall looming behind her, the creatures in front of her.

One of them reached for her again, his face calm, but she couldn't trust it. No. You're lying. You're hiding.

Her breath came in shallow gasps. I need to run. I need to get away.

But she couldn't. Her body was failing her, her strength slipping away. The last thing she saw before everything went black was the face of the creature she had unmasked, staring down at her, still looking a bit... surprised, his hand reaching out slowly. He wasn't trying to hurt her, but it didn't matter. Her mind was spinning, her instincts tangled between the urge to run and the weight of her fear.

And then everything went black.