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

You weren't sure what you were expecting, exactly—but for some reason, finding the tree house exactly as it was when you left wasn't on your mind. Ahead of you is a small bench covered in soft pillows sitting underneath a large, circular window, and all around it are hanging plants and shelves of books mounted on the walls. Even the crescent-shaped rug your grandma made is still at your feet, almost waiting for you to sink your toes into it.


Still, you can't stop and take it in. Instead you turn left to head up yet more stairs, and at the top, you find the door to your bedroom already standing open.


There, on the end of your bed, is Arctus. You sigh with relief, and you step forwards to meet her—but as you do, you realize that she's not looking at you. Instead, her head is turned towards the window—and as you come a little closer, you realize that the glass pane has also been nudged slightly open. And once you've moved even further inside the room, you see that there's something perched on the window frame.


As you spot it, the crow cocks its head—and as one of its black, glittering eyes meets yours, you realize that this isn't just any crow. This is a crow you know very well. This is—


Your grandmother's Familiar doesn't move—but at the sound of your voice, Arctus spins around and starts frantically mewing, trotting towards you as if beyond excited to see you. Remembering that she's the reason you're here in the first place, you return her excitement at once, opening your arms so that she can nuzzle in close as you hug her.


"You really scared me, Arctus," you say, kissing her head. A moment later, however, she squirms away from you and rushes back towards the window where Carys is still sitting. Arctus looks from her to you with that same excitement, as if to say: "Look who's here too!"


When you meet Carys's steady gaze, what you feel is:


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