Fascinated eyes of blue glanced into the morning sky above, admiring a fanciful descent of the first to fall before her eager presence. This pure white feather gently landed upon her open palm, minding its own until reaching a safe arrival in human hands. With only the trees around her as witness to such a simple yet peculiar acceptance, Liza followed along without a worry. Not even the sudden shift of a hand to harpy talons did her intent waver at the unexpected sight. A feather just wasn't dangerous by itself, even if that did lead to the unintended transformation of her left hand. 

Attempting to comprehend the possibility, Liza continued to stare, determined to discover a clue. Her futile attempts left only a palm full of frost in its delicate wake, the dissolving feather leaving behind an icy residue. Questioning nature itself, she walked along with added motivation, seeking out another. Not that this happening again was at all possible. Yet, what if trying was good enough to get a second to appear from the sky above. Just like the first, she reached out, welcoming its descent. The proof of change resided before her speculative eyes, impressed by another frosty occurrence. 

Amused by the moment of it all, Liza furthured her pursuit at the thought of a third. Curiosity was not one to disappoint, leading to the finding of not only a third, but a fourth, and a fifth, and even more beyond that. Like a well marked trail, these same white feathers were leading the way, falling in a sparkling line for wandering minds to follow. Giving no thought towards any other direction, she walked further ahead, through the thickening trees, nearing in on the entrance to an unfamiliar cavern. To direct her attention to this secluded area of all places was not to be expected, and a deadened trail provided little reassurance outside of venturing inside the darkened confines. 

A deep breath preceded a hesitant step inside, all while tightening talons braced for anything to happen. Using only her own perceptive eyes, Liza traversed through the narrowing cavern, searching for something of use. Almost ready to backtrack at a diverging path, a bluish glint caught her by surprise. Closer inspection of this unusual hue revealed the scattering of blue feathers all along the rocky surface surrounding her advancing feet. Each feather gave off a luminescent glow, assisting in the proper direction ahead. With luck on her side, Liza stumbled upon a large chamber, containing three significant eggs resting quietly in an unattended nest. Each one of them had to be as long as the length of her forearm. 

Unknowing as to their species, she moved in closer, hovering over in consideration. Not until she found herself at a kneel did she feel more concerned, the ground below cold beneath her knees. What if these eggs had been abandoned or something happened to the mother. And why did Liza feel a strong connection between these eggs and herself? Was it because of this harpy instinct deep within her? Unwilling to keep her talons off, she reached out and touched one of the three, quickly finding the shell frozen cold. This wasn't normal, was it? And what was there to explain about all of this new forming ice spreading from her selected egg. Every inch of rock formation that made up the cavern turned to ice; the nest and eggs included. 

Was this all her fault? There was no way possible she had that much control over her talon freeze. The eggs had to be the reason behind this frozen creation. Desiring to figure out a way to reverse the effects, she touched the other two at the same time, one in each palmful of talons. Holding them tightly brought only the shattering of the pair, and the cracking of the weakening cavern floor. Unable to hold herself steady, she shifted a nervous leg to the side, and cracked the ice even further. 

There was no use in keeping still, for the ice was well on its way to shattering entirely and giving way on its own. Bracing for the worst, she held the last egg firmly between her arms. A quick gasp led to a blackened freefall into an endless abyss. Wing formation seemed impossible no matter how hard she tried. Left with no choice but to hang on to another cracking egg, facing the inevitable was all that remained. Widening cracks foreboded the inevitable, closed eyes prepared for the unavoidable, and an explosion of light concluded the unimaginable.

---

Startled out of her wits, Liza's deep blue eyes sprung open, seeking for any sort of a lingering solace. Unwilling to pick herself off the ground, she remained lying down, staring off into the brilliant blue sky. After that ridiculous dream of hers, what were a few minutes more to recover? Besides, wasn't like that comforting summer breeze was any less enjoyable. Having her fill of soaking in the sun for all it was worth, Liza lifted herself upwards in attempt to get a better look of her unfamiliar surroundings. Her bedroom or that cavern was the likeliest of places to awake to, but this place proved to be neither of the two. Part of her couldn't shake the possibility of this being her same dream continued. Let her not forget about the troublesome curiosity that probably led her here. Desiring to forget about how this was possible, she moved towards focusing on where she was and why so many people. She didn't know a single one of them from her initial glances. 

Acquiring enough motivation, Liza stood up and brushed herself off. A quick glimpse of her attire proved passable. As far as she could tell, she was wearing some sneakers, a pair of blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a dark grey windbreaker. As for her messy brown hair, that part was pretty much a given. What wasn't certain was whether anyone around here would be of any assistance. One could also wonder the same about those in it for themselves. Either way, surviving reality just got a whole lot more challenging.