## Story 1 ![bg0023002000001.png](/uploads/bg0023002000001_0a713d0b14.png) Crunch... Crunch... Crunch... The sound of feet on fallen leaves echoes through the forest. Two girls blaze a noisy path through the tall, shadowed trees. When they laugh, they sound like a pair of merry songbirds. Suddenly, the girl with silver hair poses a question to the girl in glasses: "Hey, so why are we out in the forest anyway?" "Um, I guess I just wanted to come on a walk with you." "Seriously? That's it?" The girl with silver hair chuckles as she waits for a response. Though she sounds slightly annoyed, she's actually quite content—for any time spent in the company of her best friend is precious to her. Both girls are witches in training at the local school of magick. They have been inseparable since they first met. Their life at the school is a stressful one; the professors are harsh, the research topics difficult. And this is why they are both so pleased to spend an afternoon in nature, where nothing is demanded of them except to be in the moment. Rays of gold spill through gaps in the stalwart trees. The two girls weave in and out of the light, enjoying its gentle warmth. This moment—though fleeting—enfolds them both in a dreamlike calm. The bespectacled girl compliments the way her friend's silver hair glitters in the setting sun. In response, the friend plucks a marble-sized piece of fruit from a nearby tree and holds it in her hand. "Wanna know the secret? It's this. I put oil from this fruit on my hair every night." "Really? Oh my gosh, you have to teach me how to make it!" "Wait, hang on a second. Isn't it your birthday today?" Though the bespectacled girl blushes and turns away, the joy at her friend's remembering is clear. She has never been one to speak about herself, so most of her birthdays come and go without fanfare or celebration. But this day, she woke up wishing only for one thing: To spend time in nature with her best friend. That moment—that memory—would be present enough. Suddenly realizing she has forgotten until this instant, the silver-haired girl pauses, her hands frozen in midair. "Uh, sorry. I didn't really...get you anything?" "I'm just happy you remembered," replies her friend. Her smile is genuine. Radiant. Seeing her joy, the silver-haired girl begins to feel guilty all over again, and quickly asks her friend if there is anything she wants. The other girl stares at her, thinking. Finally, she decides to speak what has been on her mind all afternoon. "Could you...take me to the Land of Magick?" ## Story 2 ![bg0023002000004.png](/uploads/bg0023002000004_60a8133de3.png) Two girls walk through a forest bathed in the light of the afternoon sun. One wears a pair of thick glasses, while the other boasts a head of beautiful silver hair. As they walk, the silver-haired girl ponders what her best friend said to her a moment before. She wants to go to the "Land of Magick"? How am I supposed to take her there for her birthday when I don't even know what it is? The bespectacled girl had always been a bit of an odd duck compared to the rest of her classmates, so having her blurt out such a request wasn't totally unexpected. "I'm sorry," she says. "Was that a weird thing to ask for?" "I mean, I guess I've heard weirder," replies her friend with a small chuckle. "So tell me about this Land of Magick. What kind of place is it?" The girl pauses before replying, considering what the place means to her. "It's... Well, I guess it's a place where everyone can just live as themselves. There's no war. No fighting. No poverty. It's a place where people can live out their dreams, no matter who they are!" Uncomfortable with talking at such length, the girl hastens to finish her tale. "I know it doesn't really exist. I just thought it might be fun for us to...you know? Pretend?" Her friend nods as she considers this, then grips her staff with enthusiasm. "Well, if we're just playing pretend..." A brilliant light suddenly floods out from the staff. A rainbow of colors explode in the air, winding their way around the trees. After a moment, an archway shimmers into existence before them. The bespectacled girl is captivated by her friend's ability. Lowering her staff, the other girl stands in front of the arch and extends her hand. Her friend takes it shyly, almost as if she's afraid it might fade out of existence. As they step through the archway, they find themselves in an infinite white space without borders or decoration. "So, um...here you go!" says the silver-haired girl. "This is where we'll found the Land of Magick!" The pair erupt in a series of giggles as joy floods across their features. Then they lift their staves and begin to paint. Fish swim across the sky. Flying carpets explode into view. Rainbow canopies hang overhead. We can do whatever we want. There's no one here to stop us. I can sing as loud as I like. I'm free here. We're FREE! The arch connecting them to the real world grows smaller and smaller as they cavort through their new playground. Finally, they both collapse on a flying carpet, lying on their backs and looking up at the multicolored sky. "This is the best present ever," says the bespectacled girl. "I'm glad you like it," replies her friend. Time becomes a slippery thing as they lie there. One minute passes, and then many more. The silver-haired girl thinks back to when they were standing in the wood. She recalls what her best friend said to her. She wanted this to be a place where you could just live as yourself. If that kind of thing was possible, what would it be like for the people who lived here? What's it like to really embrace your true self? To have that kind of freedom? And how would I feel if I had a chance at that kind of life? Having considered this, she turns to her friend and props herself up on an elbow. "I think living in the Land of Magick would make me super nervous." Her friend makes a small hum of response. "I'm already nervous all the time. I guess I've never been much good at...you know? Living. Especially at school—nothing ever goes right for me there. I think that's why I wanted to just get away from it for an afternoon." An easy silence settles over the pair. In it, the bespectacled girl's mind whirls. The future is so big and scary, but I'll have this moment forever. But I wish there was a way I could make it perfect—the kind of perfect where I could always look back on it without any regrets. ## Story 3 ![bg0023002000007.png](/uploads/bg0023002000007_727a103dea.png) A disembodied melody drifts through the air. The scent of flowers floats on the breeze. Soft sunlight envelops them like wisps of cotton candy. The bespectacled girl is walking with light, airy steps. The silver-haired girl follows close behind. They are in the Land of Magick—a place created by their own hands. They used their magic to paint the land however they liked, filling it with vibrant color and images. A rainbow canopy stretches across the sky, illuminating the world in colors so beautiful the mind lacks words to describe them. As they walk, the girls leave two sets of perfect footprints in the star-shaped sand covering the ground. "So how far does this go?" asks the bespectacled girl. Her friend considers this for a moment. "Actually, I don't even know." The other girl nods and keeps walking, as if the answer was inconsequential one way or the other. Her friend smiles to herself and maintains her pace. As they move, the scenery slowly begins to change. Ten minutes ago, they had been walking on the shoreline of an endless blue ocean. But now it has transformed into a field of brilliant white flowers that stretches off to the horizon. The flowers are shaped like little trumpets. Halting for a moment, the bespectacled girl plucks one and tucks it behind her friend's ear. The other girl reaches up to touch it, a sense of wonder on her face. "It looks great on you." "Really?" "Oh! That gives me an idea! We should make a flower crown." The girls grin at each other and clasp each other's hands tightly. They then drop to their knees and begin assembling their new creation. It begins taking shape in a flurry of petals and stems and roots. The expression on the girls' faces is one of utter joy. As always happens with simple, repetitive tasks, they begin to talk as they work. The volume soon heightens as they chatter on about this and that. But eventually, the topic turns to the Day of Pledging. It is a traditional ceremony for all who practice magick. The purpose is to bring two magick users together in order to share their talents and create an even more powerful system. But for a pledge to work, the pair must already share a deep spiritual bond. They must have each opened their hearts to the other. The two girls imagine what that day will be like. A picture of the occasion forms in their minds. Two people dressed in ceremonial finery stand across from each other. They exchange Avowal Rings, the symbol of the pledge. Perhaps they even kiss when it is complete. This is all speculation; pledges occur in secrecy, so neither girl has ever seen one. But that secrecy only encourages their imaginations to run even wilder. As they talk, the flower crown comes to a sort of completion. While not the prettiest thing ever made, it comes from the heart, which makes it precious. The silver-haired girl gently places it atop her friend's head. "It looks lovely on you. I bet you'll wear something like this on your wedding day." The other girl smiles clumsily in response. "Hey, so maybe we should practice our own Day of Pledging?" she says in a rush. "I mean, since we're here and all." "Didn't some dead guy decide that a pledge can only be made between a boy and a girl?" responds the silver-haired girl. "Well, um, I could be the boy. I mean, if you want?" The other girl nods, and the pair climb to their feet. They then begin preparing for the event. ## Story 4 ![bg0023002000010.png](/uploads/bg0023002000010_9d5137e789.png) In the Land of Magick, existence is limited only by one's own imagination. And as the two girls stand facing each other with staves in hand, a new reality begins to emerge. After a moment, a white chapel slowly comes to life in the middle of the flower field. This is where they will practice for the Day of Pledging. "So what do you think?" asks the silver-haired girl. "It's nice," responds her friend. "But I might change one thing..." She offers a suggestion, and her friend responds with one of her own. In reality, neither of them have any idea if pledges are sealed in a chapel or not. But that unknowing does not bother them in the least. After a bit of back and forth, they decide to create a slightly more formal setting—one that holds a better sense of atmosphere. They end up simplifying the chapel, giving it a cozy gabled roof and a series of bright windows. The light filtering through the glass plays over the girls' features as they stand at the back of the chapel. Smiling nervously, they begin walking side-by-side up the aisle. "It's comfortable in here," says the silver-haired girl. "I really like it." Her friend nods, then turns to face her. "Hold on," she says. "You need a different outfit." She imagines a beautiful dress, one both classic and shapely. Seconds later, the garment materializes on her friend. "Holy wow," breathes the silver-haired girl as she looks down at her new finery. "I look...good. Hold on. I'll make something for you." After a pause, a formal, princely garment shimmers to life on the bespectacled girl. It looks like something from a fairy tale, and is so perfect she begins to giggle in spite of herself. "What?" demands her friend. "What is it? What's wrong?" "N-nothing, I swear!" says the girl between giggles—but her words do not seem to reassure her friend. To the bespectacled girl, her best friend is someone wiser and more mature than she could ever be—so seeing her childish imagination take flight fills her with indescribable joy. "I'm sorry for laughing," she says. "Can you ever forgive me?" As she says this, she produces a silver Avowal Ring and holds it out to the other girl. It is the most beautiful thing she is capable of imagining, and it takes her friend's breath away. She can do nothing but stare at it, enthralled. "It's...perfect." she says finally. "It makes me feel like this will actually happen someday." The bespectacled girl smiles and slips the ring onto her friend's finger. The other girl holds it up to the light, turning it this way and that. "Perfect..." she murmurs again. "It's like I can actually feel it in my heart. This must be what it's like to get a real Avowal Ring." Her eyes sparkle. Her smile beams. It is the exact moment the other girl has been hoping for. But then, the smile shatters. The chapel, the dress, the windows—all of it breaks apart into tiny motes of light before vanishing. The bespectacled girl reaches out. As the tips of her fingers brush her best friend's cheek, it too melts away into the dark. And when it is gone, all that remains is a pitiful beast standing in the gloom of an endless twilight wood...and a small silver ring. The silence is deafening. The beast drops to her knees, scoops up the ring, and clasps it to her breast. A pained smile crosses her face as she does so. "I'll see you again," she whispers. "I'll see you again when the sun rises."

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