The door loomed before you, unassuming beige against the gray sky. You raised your hand to knock—

A second figure appeared from the hallway, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. His hair was still mussed from sleep, his eyes barely open.

He was smaller than the others, with sharp, cat-like eyes and pale skin that seemed almost luminescent in the morning light. His hair was dark, slightly disheveled, and he looked like he’d just rolled out of bed. But none of that mattered.

Because the second his eyes met yours, the world went gold.

A warm, radiant light bloomed between you, casting the entire room in a soft amber glow. It was like standing in a sunbeam, warm and impossibly bright, pulsing with a warmth you could feel in your very bones.