PlayerOliver

When you were a kid, you lived with your grandmother in the small town of Silvertree, on the edge of a magical forest. Grandma is a witch, and she taught you how to use your magic to affect the natural world, too. “Magic is a part of you,” she always told you. “Learning how to use it means figuring out who you are.”

Now you’re 19 and on your own. After years of living in the forest while you perfected your witchcraft, you’ve returned to take care of your grandmother’s house and crow-familiar while she’s gone. Figuring out who you are feels more important than ever - not to mention, figuring out what Silvertree is. A lot is just as you remembered: the friendly generous next-door neighbors with a kid just your age, the proud town council, the quaint little shops with quirky punny names, the gentle shadowy forest full of magic.

Stone in the shoe

Tobias frowns, fidgeting with his hands.


"I'm all for living my life, but I can't just not care if they think I'm a terrible person."


He picks at his fingernails, still avoiding your eye.


"It's not like they're just trying to insult me. They want to help me—that's what they're always doing. But I just want them to listen to me first. That's the point. It just feels like nobody's listening to me."


There's another silence—and then, out of nowhere, the phone you're holding buzzes in your hand. You jump, having kind of forgotten you were still carrying it—and glancing at the screen, you see a new message:


Hey, it's me (Marlowe), I just borrowed a phone. Somebody just got here, and I think they're about to open the gates. Is everything okay? Have you found him?


"I didn't know you got a phone," Tobias says, looking slightly bemused.


"Just borrowed it. They say they're going to open the gates soon—what should I say?"


Tobias bites his lip and glances over towards the gates, suddenly looking very anxious. When he turns back to you, it's with an almost pleading expression.


"Maybe just…ask if we can wait a few more minutes?"


You feel a sudden surge of emotion as you look at Tobias, asking to stay with you for a little while longer. After a moment, you smile and start to write the message.


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