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The bonfire was ready to light after adding the precut wood planks, the kindling, and retrieving a bucket of seawater for later extinguishing. Gray then checked in with the people setting up the tent to ensure everything was correctly assembled and anchored. It took a moment for him to realize that he was falling into his typical caretaker motions of look after everything similar to when he was home with his younger siblings. Eventually, he settled down at the campfire. As everyone gathered around the warmth of the flame, the sun finally fully set. At this time, Gray was downing his fifth beer. The bitter taste was strong, but it went down pretty smooth... Five was probably not a good number to drink when the teen had only drunk two max before. But the friendly atmosphere and his weird mood encourage his drinking habit. His head was fuzzy, and he was blankly staring into the fire and watching it dance before his eyes. He was barely following any conversations or answering anyone halfway through this drink.

[color=9e0039]"Yeah... fffriendsss fffforeverrr,"[/color] he suddenly slurred out as he snapped out of the void of his hazy mind and responded to Connor's statement. Gray's focus was pulled slightly from the orange illumination. [color=9e0039]"No matterrr where... lifffe takesss usss..."[/color] The repeated words absentmindedly slipped out of his lips. There was happiness in that statement with an undertone of sadness, but Gray smiled gently. The beginning of the meteor shower finally ripped Gray's eyes away from the fire. He stared up intensely. Someone grabbed his hand... Connor, he believed, was sitting on that side of him. There was no reaction. His surfer friend had always been more into skinship than most people, so this was something he was used to. 

With each smear of light racing across the night sky, Gray thought he should make a wish... But every single one that formulated in his foggy head seemed... too selfish to wish for. A stray thought passed through that it wouldn't come true anyway... [color=9e0039][i]'I wish...'[/i][/color] he began hesitantly. Before he could complete the wish, the sky started transforming. The shooting stars spiraled. There appeared to be a growing black hole was opening up right above them. He didn't even get a chance to respond to any of his friends' shocked voices as strands of light reached out and began ripping them away from their spots. Gray felt Connor's hand slip out of his when they were grabbed and being pulled in.

After being dragged through... falling into a vortex of... time? Space? He found his surroundings had suddenly changed. The feeling of gritty sand on the palms of his hands and the sound of rolling waves was now replaced with the delicate, slick grass, fuzzy moss, and forest ambiance. A rainbow of colors danced in the sky above them, and some plants cast a pale light around them. Gray was definitely feeling considerably more sober. He wiped his hand across his gray eyes as if that would fix his vision, but it was still the same out-of-worldly place in front of him.

[color=9e0039]"I'm fffine,"[/color] Gray still slurred his words a bit as he got to his feet. Staggering a bit before steadying himself, the eighteen-year-old immediately began surveying his surroundings. Look for dangers, safe passages, maybe something to defend himself with if it came to it. Blurry was his vision, but squinting made things a bit clearer. His eyes caught the end of Milo shoving something random and grass-covered into his mouth. [color=9e0039]"Lilac, don't eat random thingsss offf the ground. You'll get a ssstomachache."[/color] It was a firm yet mild scolding that he would give to his younger siblings. The realization sinks in that Gray wasn't talking to his little sister but to Milo. [color=9e0039]"Ah... sssorry Milo. Though it'sss probably wise not to eat weird ssstuff in a strange place."[/color] His stern brotherly demand turned into a soft suggestion of friend.
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[color=92278f]"Great... my fate is in the hands of this...  one might be somewhat competent."[/color] Reyenne, a black frog with brilliant red eyes, croaked. She floated just barely above the water's surface. But as she cast her eyes around her at the other creatures gathered nearby, the crimson spheres were equally disapproving. [color=92278f]"Might as well just get this over with as soon as possible. Staring at them is not going to cure my curse faster."[/color] The ex-shadow witch bluntly stated with annoyance dripping from her tone. It was plain to see Reyenne didn't even want to be in this company either. But she was still committed in the expectancy that her torture would be over as soon as possible.