Aurora Hallow was a forest paradise. Untouched. Serene. In all my years as the leader of the Hallow, no one had ever left—why would they? And yet, Fawn was different. She felt a pull from beyond the trees. Since her earliest days, she'd had a recurring dream about a human who needed her. Fawn would hear them calling out for her, but every time she tried to reach out for their hand, she would wake up just before they touched.

One day, after a particularly vivid dream, she came to me. 'Prose, I do not see my path or purpose here in the Hallow… I think I'm different… like maybe I'm supposed to be with the humans?', her voice carrying both longing and fear.

That morning the humans had also been weighing on my thoughts. I could feel their sorrow brewing like a distant storm. I think the Aurora sent Fawn to me on purpose that day, guiding her to where she was needed most.

But before I could speak, the Hallow itself was shaken. The humans had come. Not as seekers, nor as friends, but as takers. Their presence was sudden, like a sickness in the air. Fawn and I sensed them before the crack of snapping twigs, before the cold scent of iron and smoke. And then, in an instant, the peace we had always known was shattered.

We turned towards a sharp sound. A trap snapped shut. A pained cry followed—we ran towards it. A young fox, his leg crushed, was writhing in agony. There was nothing we could do. Slowly, his breath stilled as Fawn held his paw. Then he was gone.

Fawn looked at me, her heart shattered and asked, 'Why? Why would they do this to us?'

I told Fawn, 'Once, the humans were like us—deeply connected, feeling seen, feeling known. But now, they drift. They speak, yet do not hear. They stand together, yet feel alone. They're in pain and it's caused them to act without awareness of their actions.'

That was the moment she understood. She felt it in her soul. The humans were lost. And if they did not remember soon, the Hallow would not remain the paradise she loved.

I continued, 'They do not need a leader. They do not need a teacher. They need a friend to help them love themselves and each other again. And that friend is you, Fawn.'

Fawn's voice was barely a whisper, 'why me?' I answered, 'Because you understand connection, warmth, and presence. You can bridge what has been broken and bring them back to who they are like no one else can. Remember the dreams Fawn? Deep down you've always known this was your destiny.'

Fawn wrestled with the choice. She went to her father's shrine, whispering her fears to the wind. She did not want to leave. It would break her mother's heart. And the thought of leaving her friends was almost too much to bear.

The fireflies gathered close, their glow wrapping around her like a silent promise. And then the wind stirred and whispered, 'If you do not walk your path, who will?'. In that moment she knew she had to go.

That night, at the center of the Hallow, the Aurora Borealis shone down on Fawn brighter than it ever had before. The fireflies circled around her faster and faster; becoming a halo of light around her. Then she passed through the veil of Aurora, carried on the breath of the sky itself. Fawn, the first of her kind, had finally found her human.

This was the first match ever made between Aurora Hallow and the human world.

Now, every day, fawns leave the Hallow, seeking the humans who need them most. They do not go to just anyone—they go only to the right ones. The ones whose hearts, though weary, are open to the whisper of their bright and loving future.

The humans may have lost their way, but they will not wander alone forever. The Hallow has chosen its messengers. And if you choose your courageous path, it will choose a Fawn for you.