Leaving the Forest

Kael paused at the entrance to the passage, casting one last glance at the room where the majestic dragon had been. Something still felt off. He looked at Umbra, who was floating cheerfully by his side, and couldn't hold back the question that had been echoing in his mind since he first met her.

"Umbra, that dragon up there... What was that? I mean, it seemed so real. And that whole talk about you and the forest... It was all true, right?"

Umbra stopped mid-air, turning to him with a mischievous look that immediately put him on alert.

"Oh, the dragon?" She started, suppressing a giggle. "Well, about that..." She paused dramatically, as if holding back an impending laugh. "It's just an illusion. Something I created to make things more... interesting."

Kael blinked, incredulous. "What?! You're telling me all that drama, the pressure, even the deep conversation with her... it was all fake?!"