The crk beasts...

From the outside, it looked like an impossibly tall, ancient tree—its bark etched with glowing runes, its roots buried deep in the soul of the world. But within, past the veil of bark and moss, the tree opened into a vast inner world. Rolling fields of golden mist stretched out beneath a lavender sky. Rivers of light flowed where sap should be. The air shimmered with magic.

In the heart of this inner realm, the five Cookies had found home.

🌑 Shadow Milk Cookie sat perched on a gnarled branch that spiraled like a staircase over the central glade. Cloaked in silence, they watched the horizon where the light bent strangely around the edge of the tree's world. One hand rested on the hilt of their blade, fingers tapping in a steady rhythm.

Shadow Milk Cookie (low voice): "The winds are shifting again. Something stirs beneath the roots... I can feel it."

🔥 Burning Spice Cookie paced near a glowing stream, firelight flickering off their armor. They paused only to toss a spark into the water, watching it hiss and dance.

Burning Spice Cookie (grinning): "Whatever it is, I hope it shows itself soon. I’m tired of quiet days. Give me a blaze worth burning."

🌊 Silent Salt Cookie sat alone on a smooth stone at the edge of the reflecting pool. Their expression unreadable, they watched the ripples distort the stars reflected in the water. Not even their breathing made a sound.

Silent Salt glanced toward Burning Spice for a moment, then looked back at the water. No words—just the quiet presence of one who knew silence was sometimes the loudest answer.

🌾 Mystic Flour Cookie floated just above the mossy ground, surrounded by drifting particles of floury light. They stirred the air with their staff, leaving symbols that hung like constellations.

Mystic Flour Cookie (softly, as if reciting an old poem): "The Tree dreams again. Each ripple, a breath. Each whisper... a prophecy. We are not alone within her heart."

🍬 Eternal Sugar Cookie appeared from between two silver-leafed branches, moving like a wisp of memory. Their robe shimmered like crystallized dew, and every step echoed like a lullaby forgotten.

Eternal Sugar Cookie (smiling faintly): "The world changes, but this place remembers. We are its keepers—each of us a note in the melody it sings."

The five of them stood apart, yet bound—guardians, wanderers, and relics of their own stories. The World Tree pulsed faintly beneath their feet. Somewhere deep within, something ancient turned in its sleep.

A light flared in the distance, then flickered out.

Mystic Flour Cookie (glancing toward the light): "A guest... or a warning?"

Burning Spice Cookie (already stepping forward): "Only one way to find out."