As the sudden light from the lantern subdued, and darkness fell again on the forest, Robin felt every part of her body go cold.  The orange light was getting closer, accompanied by the scent of smoke and ashes, and the forest was suddenly filled with the distant sounds of fleeing wildlife and terror.  The metal platform below her shifted and groaned, and the hills ahead, highlighted by the flamed, seemed to tremble in warning.  

Lantern in hand, she ran to MC and the flower girl and was about to beckon them to follow her in the opposite direction of whatever forces were encroaching on them, when she noticed something odd; the foreigner seemed to be looking down at the platform in shock, and Robin peered down, seeing only a large emptiness where the metal platform once rested.  The man was nowhere to be found, but she did not dwell on his fate—there were more important things to focus on.  

Talons dug snugly into her shoulder, and she stilled, knowing that if she were to force sudden movement, the owl could easily tear some of her skin off.  It was a small animal that seemed to harbor no ill intent; it’s presence was strangely comfortable and she tilted her head slightly to brush her cheeks against it smooth feathers.

Lifting the lantern, her eyes widened when she saw the flower girl becoming increasingly translucent. The purple light seemed to shine right through her, and Robin stared unabashedly for a moment before MC put a hand on her back and urged them to move. 

She jerked away from the touch and briefly gave MC her an awkward, apologetic look.  There was too much going on—the sounds were approaching at an increasingly fast pace, and the forest itself seemed to be screaming at them to leave.  

There were more mushrooms surrounding the area above the gaping hole in the ground, creating a way for them to circumvent the hole and move forward into the forest.  The pathway showed itself naturally in her minds eye and she knew it would not be a problem to get across.  

Robin nudged at the owl, letting it know that it would have to fly off for her to jump.  She leaped to where MC was, avoiding her outstretched arms and continued moving forwards.  The flower child was already moving ahead, and Robin followed, beckoning MC to follow.  She covered her mouth and nose with her shirt to avoid breathing in the black dust, and began running across the mushroom tops. She kept from mushroom to mushroom, careful to avoid damaging the lantern, and reveled in the breeze that rushed by her with every leap.  She became much calmer and aware of her surroundings, fear no longer fogging her thoughts.  

She reached the opposite side of the the gap and lifted the lantern to illuminate further ahead.  Trees aggregated in tight clumps, fading into darkness the further they were.  They three girls would have to be careful moving ahead.  Robin put the lantern under her shirt, dimming it’s light to avoid attracting any unwanted attention, and pressed forwards, mapping out a path for the others to follow.