The fire in the chimney crackled, sending a warm gold glow across the room. The glow mixed with the bright light of the moon that shone through four round windows above a large circular window on the wall above the chimney.

Below these round windows, two large glass windows on each side of the chimney were framed by hanging plants. More plants sat on top of the chimney, some hanging from the wall near a shelf filled with books. Between the windows hung a portrait of a younger elf, resembling the calm elf sitting in front of them, drinking tea.

In the reflection of the tea in the teacup, Andrew's face is visible, scrunching up in a way that clearly shows he doesn't want to drink it. You can see the sweat slowly forming on his forehead.

He looks at Rowan, whose questioning eyes seem to ask, What are we going to do now?

Rowan, on the other hand, seems stiff, unable to move. His legs are pressed tightly together, and his mouth is firmly closed in a straight line.

“Come now, don’t be shy” the elf smiled before placing the cup down on the table in front of them. “You weren’t shy when you stole my peaches” he added, his smile now accompanied by a sharp glare at both of them. “Drink your tea. It comes from my homeland” he said, crossing his legs

The tea seemed to emanate a calming scent, filling the air with a rich, earthy fragrance that soothed the senses. The nutty aroma lingered, its warmth curling around Rowan’s chest like a soft blanket.

Rowan slowly took the cup from the table, then looked at Andrew. The two of them exchanged glances, Andrew’s hands trembling, which was evident in the slight swaying of the tea in his cup. They were waiting for each other to drink first.

The elf, amused, looked at them with a smirk on his lips and said,

“In my homeland, thieves are trapped in a time loop for 60 years, where they must run from large carnivorous insects. Either run... or die repeatedly”

As Andrew trembled, he put the tea back down on the table, causing some tea to spill. Andrew's eyes widened as he looked at the elf in front of him. Rowan, on the other hand, was watching Andrew’s tea, waiting to see what would happen next.

“Hmmm" was the elf’s only reply as he continued to stare at Andrew.

Suddenly, the elf stood up, and his height was clearly noticeable. Andrew, still holding the tea on the table, quickly drank it all in one gulp, despite it still being hot, draining the cup completely. Rowan was surprised by what Andrew did, and when the elf’s gaze turned to him, he too drank the tea nonstop until it was all gone!

The elf leaned forward with a curious expression, his voice calm but with a hint of amusement.

"Why did you steal my peaches?" he asked, eyeing both Rowan and Andrew.

Rowan opened his mouth to respond, but when he spoke, the voice that came out wasn’t his at all. Instead, it was a squeaky, rat-like sound that filled the room. He paused, blinking in confusion, and tried to speak again, only to hear another high-pitched squeak escape his mouth.

"Skrreek eeek"

What in the world? Rowan thought frantically, Why does my voice sound like this?

But as he tried again, only more squeaking emerged, higher and more frantic. He squeaked, his face flushing red.

Meanwhile, Andrew’s eyes widened, and he stared at Rowan, looking bewildered. He opened his mouth to speak, but to his horror, the voice that came out was deep and slow like an old man, a gruff, worn-out voice that didn’t belong to him.

“Wh-what? Why, why do I sound like this!?” Andrew’s voice thundered like an ancient giant, deep and rasping.

Oh no! Rowan thought, his squeaks mixing with his growing panic. He looked at Andrew, desperate for help.

"I can’t believe this!"

Andrew froze, his wide eyes locked onto Rowan as if to confirm his own disbelief. Then, Andrew tried to speak again, his voice coming out like the gravelly shout of an elderly giant, startling both of them. “I-I’m not... this is not right!”

Rowan, still squeaking uncontrollably, turned to the elf for some kind of explanation. His internal thoughts raced, This isn’t real, this isn’t happening...

Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed from the plants, and a long vine from the plant on the wall snaked down to tap gently on Andrew’s shoulder. Rowanjerked, his heart racing as he felt the vine’s touch. He froze, unsure whether to be amazed or terrified. His legs locked in place, and he couldn’t move. The vine was warm and oddly soft, but the whole situation felt unnatural.

The elf looked amused by their reactions, as if he were watching a comedy unfold. “Ah, seems you’ve both received a little taste of my magic” he said with a smirk. “One sounds like a rat, the other like an old giant. Fitting, don’t you think?”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Rowan, on the brink of complete panic, squeaked again in disbelief. What’s going on? Why am I—AHHH!—squeaking?

As the vine lightly tapped his head, like a mother comforting her child, Andrew was too shocked to even blink. His whole body tensed, and he was this close to making a very unfortunate mistake, frozen between fear and awe.

Andrew, still shouting uncontrollably, turned to the elf, his eyes pleading. “Please, W-we didn’t mean to steal anything!” His voice was a mixture of panic and a giant's deep rumble

The elf leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand as he watched Rowan squeak in frustration and Andrew groan in his booming, elderly voice. His golden eyes gleamed with amusement.

“Oh, this is simply delightful” he chuckled. “I should have guests more often”

Andrew flailed his arms, looking like he was ready to have a full-blown crisis. “This is not funny! Fix my voi—” His deep, ancient-sounding voice cut through the air, making him stop mid-sentence in horror.

Rowan, still squeaking in panic glared at the elf. I swear if he doesn’t fix this, I will— But before he could even finish the thought, he was interrupted by a sudden movement from above.

The plants hanging from the walls and ceiling rustled to life again. Vines slithered down like snakes, moving with an eerie grace.

“Alright, alright, I suppose that’s enough fun” the elf finally said, stretching lazily. “Give them the potion"

The vines moved fast. Too fast.

Before Rowan and Andrew could react, the vines wrapped tightly around them, pinning their arms to their sides. Another vine gently but firmly pried their mouths open, making sure they had no choice but to comply.

“W-wait, hold on a second!” Andrew’s old-man voice rumbled in protest, but the vine wasted no time.

A small glass vial hovered before them, held by another vine. It uncorked itself with a pop, and a shimmering liquid swirling between deep blue and silver

poured directly into their mouths. The taste was oddly sweet, like honey mixed with something floral.

Rowan gagged at first, startled, but the vines held firm until every drop was swallowed. Andrew, meanwhile, made a muffled sound of protest before the vine finally released him.

And just like that, it was over.

The vines uncurled, slinking back to their places on the walls as if nothing had happened. Rowan and Andrew collapsed back onto the wooden couch, breathless and shaken.

“There” the elf said cheerfully. “Your voices will return in a moment. No need to thank me”

The taste of the potion lingered on their tongues, sweet yet strangely floral. The calm of the moment was shattered when their voices began to twist in unnatural ways.

At first, a sheep-like bleat escaped Andrew, followed by a clucking sound, like a chicken. Rowan’s voice soon followed, now echoing the low moo of a cow. Their eyes locked, panic rising as they realized their voices were no longer their own. Rowan let out a high-pitched squeal, sounding like a pig, and Andrew’s voice rumbled like a horse.

In a dizzying whirlwind of animal noises, their voices shifted rapidly. The pig turned into a bleat, then a cluck, then a low rumble of a cow. The sounds were disorienting, both of them unable to grasp what was happening. Just as the tension reached its peak, their voices shifted again, and Rowan’s became Andrew’s, while Andrew’s took on Rowan’s familiar tone.

They froze, staring at each other in disbelief, hearing their own voices coming from the other. Rowan tried to speak, but his voice still sounded like Andrew's. Andrew, in turn, was stuck with Rowan's.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of animal sounds, whinnies, bleats, and squeaks, their voices returned to normal. They were themselves again.

Rowan shot the elf an incredulous look, rubbing his throat as he cautiously tried to speak again. No squeaking. His voice was back!

Andrew, still wide-eyed, cleared his throat. Gone was the elderly giant’s voice it was his normal voice again. He exhaled in relief.

Then, before they could even celebrate their freedom, the elf leaned forward once more, his sharp gaze locking onto them.

“Now” he said, a playful but knowing smirk on his lips, “let’s try this again. Why exactly were you stealing my peaches?”

As they made their way across the hanging bridge, the late night air was unexpectedly cold, a biting wind that cut through their clothes. The crow’s caw echoed louder than usual, The eerie sound of its call felt out of place in the stillness of the night.

Rowan and Andrew didn’t seem bothered by it. The conversation was lighter, though, as Andrew kept bantering about how they had gotten caught because of the peaches. Rowan, however, seemed distracted, his mind still lingering on the bizarre events at the elf’s house.

“We should be thankful" Rowan said quietly, his voice betraying a hint of disbelief. “The elf might seem strict, but he’s not as bad as he appears. I can’t believe those vines, though. It’s like they were alive”

Andrew, half-laughing, shook his head. “Yeah, weird. But if he’s so kind, why’d he ask us to come to his house twice a week? Piling books or something. I mean, who even needs that much help with books?”

Rowan glanced at him with a small smirk. “I guess it’s better than being dead for stealing"

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “Well, he did give us peaches. Can’t say no to that"

The two continued their walk, climbing the narrow path back home, their boots making faint echoes in the stillness. The night felt heavier than usual, the darkness pressing in around them. But thanks to the glowing mushrooms clinging to the trees, there was still some light. Their soft, bioluminescent glow lit the way, casting an ethereal shimmer across the path. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep the growing shadows at bay.

"But good thing he believed our reason for why we took the peaches. Not that we lied, our reason was actually true" Andrew said.

Rowan, lost in thought for a moment, glanced up at the mushrooms. The soft blue and green light seemed to pulse, as though the forest itself was alive, watching them.

Andrew didn’t notice the shift in the air, his mind still focused on the weirdness of the elf’s request. “It’s still strange, though. Why didn’t he just take the peaches back? I mean, it’s not like we were trying to cause trouble. And then—”

Before he could finish, Rowan suddenly stiffened, a deep chill crawling up his spine. He glanced over at Andrew, but his friend was still talking, oblivious to the feeling that had settled around them like a thick fog.

Something was wrong.

They continued walking, but the hairs on the back of Rowan’s neck stood on end, and a creeping unease began to seep into his thoughts. Though the glowing mushrooms provided light, it didn’t seem to reach far enough, and the trees loomed like silent watchers, their shadows stretching unnaturally long.

Despite the calm banter, there was something unsettling about the night. An undercurrent of darkness that neither of them could shake. The wind seemed to grow heavier, more oppressive, as if something was waiting, hidden in the shadows, watching them.

But they didn’t notice. They were too caught up in their conversation, unaware of the presence that lurked just beyond their awareness.