That morning, the weather was so bright it looked as if someone had polished the sky. Sunlight sifted through the treetops outside the wooden cabin Snow and Red had built together in the forest. Snow, a white rabbit with soft fur and boundless energy, bounced around the kitchen packing snacks. Red, a calm and sharp-eyed fox, secured a water flask in his travel satchel.
"Red, we haven't gone hiking in weeks," Snow said, stuffing dried berries into his snack bag. "Today we explore the upper ridge."
Red eyed the mountain path outside the window. "Fine, but no running off. Last time you chased a butterfly and fell into a bush."
"That bush ambushed me," Snow corrected with dignity.
The two set out, walking paw in paw along the narrow trail. Birds chirped in the branches, and the air smelled like pine and morning dew.
Halfway up the mountain, Snow suddenly halted and pointed. "Red! Look! A cave!"
Red stared at the dark hole in the cliffside. "That's definitely a cave. But you're not thinking of going in."
Snow's ears perked higher. "Of course I am! What if there's treasure?"
"What if there's a monster?"
"Then I'll hide behind you," Snow declared, already hopping toward it.
Red sighed deeply. "I'm not sure if I'm dating an adventurer or a disaster waiting to happen."
The cave entrance was narrow, but it expanded the deeper they walked. The air grew cooler, carrying an odd sweetness, something floral but unfamiliar.
Snow sniffed the air. "Smells nice, like someone sprayed perfume in here."
"Or like something is trying to lure prey," Red said.
"Prey like us?"
"Exactly."
Snow blinked. "Well, I don't feel lured."
"You already entered the cave without thinking. I'd say you're lured enough."
Before Snow could answer, a faint glow appeared ahead.
"Look!" Snow pointed. "It's shining!"
Red hesitated. "Light in a mysterious cave usually means trouble."
Snow started moving anyway. "Good thing we brought you."
As they approached, the glow thickened into swirling white mist that swept around them entirely. Snow yelped and grabbed Red's arm. Red pulled him close, claws flexed, but the mist enveloped them before either could retreat.
When the fog finally dissipated, they were no longer in the same cave. They stood beneath an impossibly blue sky. Towering trees stretched so high they bent slightly under their own height. Floating mountains drifted through the distance like pieces of a broken continent suspended by unseen forces. Grass chimed softly with each step, clear and bright like tiny bells.
"Red…" Snow breathed, eyes wide. "We're not in our world anymore."
Red took a slow breath. "We've likely crossed into another realm."
Snow immediately began hopping. "This is a cultivation world, right? I want a flying sword, and spirit fruits, and I want to get stronger, and I want to fly."
"Put spirit fruits back at the end of the list," Red said.
"But they're tasty!"
"You haven't even eaten one."
"I can sense these things," Snow said with confidence.
Before Red could respond, a rustling sound came from a nearby tree. The branches shook violently, and a round furry creature popped out. It had golden eyes and soft fur that made it look like a living plush toy.
Snow gasped. "It's adorable! I'm going to pet it!"
Red grabbed him by the ears. "Do not touch mysterious animals."
"But look at it!"
The creature opened its mouth and released a sudden roar, not loud but startling.
Snow jumped straight into Red's arms. "Help! It's fierce!"
Red stared. "Snow, it just sneezed."
The spirit beast blinked innocently.
Snow peeked out. "Oh. Sorry."
Before either could approach it again, a streak of light descended from the sky and landed on the grass. A white-robed cultivator materialized, sleeves drifting elegantly even though no wind blew.
His gaze swept across the rabbit and the fox. "Strange. You two possess no spiritual roots. How did you enter this realm?"
Snow raised his paw. "We were just hiking."
Red nodded. "Then we fell into a cave."
The cultivator considered this. "A mortal-world passage must have opened. Your arrival is a coincidence of fate."
Snow's ears perked again. "Can we cultivate?"
The cultivator studied them closely. "You lack spiritual roots, but you may walk the spirit-beast cultivation path."
Snow's tail quivered with excitement. "Red, did you hear that? I can get stronger!"
Red muttered under his breath, "I worry what you'll use that strength for."
The cultivator flicked his sleeve, summoning two glowing fruits that hovered beside him. "Eat these. They will stabilize your existence in this realm and grant you the foundation to cultivate."
Snow snatched one immediately and ate it. "Delicious! I knew spirit fruits would be tasty!"
Red watched helplessly. "You didn't even wait to check if they were safe."
The cultivator raised an eyebrow. "They are safe."
Red sighed and consumed his fruit as well.
Warmth spread through their bodies. Snow's ears grew longer and softer, his tail fluffier and shimmering faintly. Red's tail glowed with a subtle red hue, his fur turning sleek and radiant as if he could release some new skill at any moment.
Snow twirled. "Red! I look cuter!"
Red examined his own tail. "And I appear to glow."
The cultivator nodded. "Your transformation is normal. Your foundations are now stable. From here onward, your future depends on your choices."
Snow hopped forward. "So we can explore?"
"Yes. This realm is vast. Danger and opportunity coexist." The cultivator stepped back, ready to ascend again. "Walk your path well."
"Wait!" Snow called. "Where's the nearest flying-sword shop?"
The cultivator blinked. "…The Skywind Market lies east of here. Flying swords are not toys."
Snow saluted with exaggerated seriousness. "Understood."
Red tugged him back. "What he means is thank you."
The cultivator vanished in a beam of light.
Snow immediately grabbed Red's paw. "We have to go east!"
"Snow, we need a plan first."
"Right, right." Snow nodded solemnly. "First we go east. Then we find the sword shop. Then I buy a sword. Then I fly. Perfect plan."
Red pinched the bridge of his nose. "That is not a plan. That is a list of increasingly dangerous ambitions."
"But we're cultivators now!"
"You're a rabbit who once tripped over his own ears."
"That was one time."
"It was three."
Snow puffed up. "Red, have some faith in me."
Red looked at Snow's glowing tail, his bright eyes, his unshakeable enthusiasm. "I do. That's why I'm going with you."
Snow's expression softened. "Then let's go together."
They stepped into the shimmering forest, the strange grass chiming with every step. A rabbit and a fox who had lived quietly in the forest walked hand in hand into a realm of cultivation, dangers, and miracles. Their journey had only just begun.