[ The group's patience is rewarded. The scenery goes on for a time, and the further away they move from the village the more the scenery will change, and then the world subtly shifts. It's the same feeling one might get when passing through a sheet of water, a cold splash that marks the boundary between one piece of reality and another. There's the sight of the forest, the end of a pathway, and then it blurs and changes entirely.

It's almost like being in a dream for how seamless the transition is, that dreamlike way in which the dreamer moves from one scene to another without even realizing it, and they're now on a beaten path in the forest. It's a clear and crisp day, the sun shining down through the trees, the sound of birds chirping. The counselor walks along with the boy on his back, who seems to have finally stirred, his arms loosely wrapped around his neck. The group trails behind him, and they may catch themselves mid step upon developing awareness once more.

It seems that he's been speaking to them all this time - ]

-others there too, so you won't be alone... You can stay as long as you'd like, whether it's a year or three, or even longer.

[ It's a kinder voice than they're used to. The counselor is never particularly cruel, but nor does he tend to be kind - he listens and watches without ever truly interfering, doing little more than tapping the glass here and there to see what will come of it. ]