The Banquet of Seasons

The clearing is bathed in a perpetual twilight where the trees lean inward as if eavesdropping on the silent glade. At the center, four mossy stone chairs face a central stump carved with a swirling spiral. Each chair is engraved with a compass rose indicating its cardinal direction: North, South, East, and West. The air smells of damp earth and woodsmoke while the faint, teasing laughter of unseen sprites echoes through the canopy. Shimmering barriers of violet briars block the exit path, vibrating with a low hum whenever a creature draws near the perimeter.