It was evening, on the usual way home.

Fatigue and hunger blurred together, and the outlines of thought were beginning to fray.

Suddenly, there was a very sweet scent.

The smell of butter and sugar browning, of fruit being simmered down—a deeply sweet aroma. A tired body reacts instinctively. Feet turn toward it of their own accord. One turn down an alley, then another, and before long, you are standing on an unfamiliar path.

The streetlights grow distant. The map on your phone shows no signal, and when you look back, the way you came is gone.

The sweet scent grows even thicker. An irresistible fragrance of honey, berries, and chocolate mixed together. As if being beckoned by an invisible hand, your feet carry you further and further forward.

Eventually, a faint light appeared between the trees. A small arch made of sweets. Walls of cookies. Windows of pulled sugar. A surreal sight unfolded, as if the word "fairy-tale" had been manifested into a physical space.

Stepping through the candy arch, the world changed completely. The ground was tiled with colorful macarons, the sky was white like whipped cream, and marshmallow clouds floated by. The trees bore branches of candy that clattered like bells whenever the wind blew.

In a place resembling a gazebo made of sweets, there were four silhouettes.