"I can't agree to that," you say. The fairies freeze midair. "You won't take the shortcut?" one asks, blinking. "You won't promise silence?" another tilts her head. "No," you reply. "Questions matter. If I don't understand what's happening, I can't make the right choice." For a long moment, the forest is quiet. Then something unexpected happens. The fairies laugh—not sharp laughter, but bright and surprised. "Well said," one fairy grins. "Very human," another nods. "You're right," the lead fairy admits. "Questions do help. They slow things down. They reveal things we might rather keep hidden." She flutters closer. "But since you noticed that… we'll help you in a different way." The fairies explain that the Emerald Crown was taken by cave gnomes, not out of greed, but out of hope. They tell you where the tunnels begin—and which paths rearrange themselves when followed without thought. "But we won't walk you there," the fairy warns. "Knowing where to go is not the same as getting there." With that, the fairies vanish. The lights dim. The forest shifts. When your vision clears, you stand alone at the edge of a stone passage leading underground.