CYOA Wednesday 2025 #9 [Beyond the Woods 9]

This fantasy CYOA story continues today. Synopsis below:

When Derek, Jade, and Clara go camping, they stumble upon a portal to another dimension filled with strange creatures and sexy seductresses.

Our trio encounters giant, eldritch creatures that guard the world they’re in. Now what? You decide.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/123187182

Read the ninth segment below:

9 – The Guardians

The world seemed to unravel before them, the trees parting like a grand, velvet curtain to reveal a breathtaking vista that defied all logic and understanding. The earth beneath their feet shuddered and quaked, sending ripples through the soil as if the planet itself was alive and restless. The air became dense and heavy, infused with an otherworldly weight that pressed down upon them.

Above, the sky contorted into impossible shapes, swirling and dancing with colors so vivid and strange that they had no name in any human language. Jade clutched Derek’s arm while Clara stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide with terror and awe, unable to tear her gaze away from the surreal spectacle unfolding before them.

Before them yawned a monstrous chasm, its jagged and uneven edges slicing the air like the teeth of an ancient beast. The darkness within throbbed and writhed, and from its unfathomable depths emanated a low, thunderous hum that reverberated through every fiber of their beings. It was a sound that screamed of infinite vastness, and of forbidden truths that should remain forever unseen.

And then, they saw them.

Colossal eldritch abominations prowled the abyssal void, their forms undulating and morphing like some nightmarish liquid. These were not mere beasts, nor were they machines; they were entities beyond the grasp of human understanding, beings of unfathomable geometry and dimensions that mocked sanity.

Their bodies convulsed with grotesque appendages twisting in abominable ways no living thing should dare to imagine, and their eyes—endless, black, and ageless—burned with a malevolence that shattered the very fabric of time and space.

Jade’s grip on Derek tightened. “What… what are those things?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

The shapeshifter stood beside them, her form wavering as though she, too, were battling to keep her chosen shape amidst the overwhelming horror. “They are the Guardians. They patrol the edges of The Ripple and are tasked with ensuring that nothing slips through and escapes.”

“Escapes?” Derek repeated. “Escapes where?”

The shapeshifter turned to him, her eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity. “Anywhere but here. You’re in a prison. And what you see before you… it is only the beginning.”

As she spoke, the hum from the void swelled into a deafening roar, and the creatures surged forward, their grotesque forms writhing as they ascended. The trio felt an oppressive force bearing down on their minds, an icy, insidious dread clawing at the edges of their sanity, threatening to tear it apart. Clara stumbled backward, her eyes locked onto the void as if transfixed by some macabre fascination.

“We need to go,” the shapeshifter said, turning away from the chasm. “Now.”

But it was too late. The creatures had seen them. A low, guttural sound echoed from the depths, a sound that felt like it came from everywhere and nowhere at once.

Jade screamed as the world around them seemed to tilt, the sky spinning. Derek grabbed her, pulling her back from the brink, while Clara remained frozen, her mind reeling under the weight of what she had seen.

The shapeshifter reached out, her form shifting as she seemed to pull them away from the edge. “We must move,” she urged. “The Guardians will not hesitate to destroy anything that threatens the balance.”

As they stumbled back through the twisting forest, the trio could feel the weight of the void pressing against them, the hum of the creatures echoing in their ears. They knew, deep in their bones, that they had glimpsed something that was never meant to be seen. And they also knew that they would never be the same.

The forest swallowed them whole. The crystal trees, once twisted and gnarled in the presence of the void, now stood tall and steadfast. The earth beneath their feet was solid once more, the ground no longer trembling as if it might split open and swallow them. The hum of the abyss had faded into memory, replaced by a peaceful stillness.

Still, they moved with urgency. The shapeshifter led the way, navigating the terrain with an uncanny grace. She darted between the trees, her silhouette flickering like a shadow cast by a flickering flame. Jade and Derek followed behind, their hands still clenched together. Clara trailed at the rear, her eyes fixed on the path behind them as though she expected the Guardians to emerge from the darkness at any moment.

After what felt like an eternity, the shapeshifter stopped, her form stabilizing into that of a tall, lithe woman with skin like polished marble and hair that shimmered like the moon. She turned to face them, her eyes glowing in the dim light of the forest. “Here,” she said. “This place will offer us shelter.”

She gestured to a peculiar rock formation ahead of them. The rocks rose from the ground in a circular pattern, their surfaces smooth and unblemished. They formed a natural dome, the opening just large enough for the trio to squeeze through. Inside, the air was still and warm, the space illuminated by a soft glow that seemed to emanate from the rocks themselves. The walls were adorned with strange symbols, etched into the stone in a language none of them could understand.

Jade stepped inside first, her eyes wide with wonder. “What is this place?” she asked.

The shapeshifter followed, her form shifting once more as she settled against the wall. “A sanctuary,” she replied. “It will protect us, for a time.”

Derek and Clara entered last, their faces etched with exhaustion and fear. They sat down on the smooth stone floor, their bodies trembling with the aftershocks of what they had witnessed. The shapeshifter watched them, her expression softening. She reached out, turning into Sofia again. In this familiar guise, she placed a hand on Jade’s shoulder. The young woman flinched, then relaxed under the unexpected kindness.

“It’s okay,” the shapeshifter said, her voice gentle. “You are safe here. For now.”

Clara looked up at her, her eyes on the verge of tears. “What are we going to do?” she asked. “How are we going to get out of here?”

“I’ll tell you.”

To decide what happens next, head over to my Patreon (you can join for free), and vote on the poll there until next Sunday. 

If you’re new to these CYOA stories, here are the basic rules:

1) You can only choose one option;

2) If there’s a tie at the end of the poll, and the competing options can be combined somehow, I’ll do that. If not, I get the deciding vote to keep the tale going.

3) The process continues every Wednesday until the story runs its natural course.

Have fun.