Chapter 3: Meeting Ethan

The dense forest stretched endlessly before Lily, its towering trees humming with an unfamiliar energy. She had been walking for hours, drawn forward by an unexplainable pull deep in her core. The more she moved, the more the world around her felt... alive. The leaves whispered, the wind carried distant voices, and the sky itself shimmered with faint golden streaks.

But as magical as it all was, one thing was clear—she was lost.

Lily sighed, running a hand through her silver hair. "Great. First I die, then I wake up in a strange world, and now I'm wandering aimlessly."

She stopped near a small stream, kneeling to cup the cool, glowing water in her hands. It felt refreshing against her skin, the magic in it tingling faintly. Just as she was about to drink, a rustling sound came from the bushes behind her.

Lily tensed. Something—or someone—was watching her.

"Who's there?" she called, standing quickly and raising her hands, her fingers tingling with magic.

Silence. Then—

"Whoa! Don't attack!" A voice, young and frantic, cut through the air. A figure stumbled out from behind the trees, hands raised in surrender.

Lily blinked in surprise. It was a boy, about her age, with messy brown hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a simple, slightly tattered tunic and pants, and his boots were caked with mud. His expression was one of pure panic.

"Who are you?" Lily demanded, not lowering her guard.

"I'm Ethan!" he said quickly, panting slightly. "And you're—uh—really glowing."

Lily frowned. Glowing? She glanced down and realized the silver magic around her hands hadn't faded. With a deep breath, she willed it away, the energy dissipating like mist.

"Better?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Ethan nodded, relaxing a little. "Yeah. But, uh… you're not from around here, are you?"

Lily hesitated. Should she tell him the truth? That she had been reincarnated into this world with magic she barely understood? He might think she was crazy.

"Let's just say I'm new," she finally said. "Now, why were you hiding in the bushes?"

Ethan scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Well… I saw you earlier, walking through the forest alone. And then you started glowing, and I thought—hey, maybe she's one of those powerful witches or something!" His eyes lit up with excitement. "And I was right!"

Lily narrowed her eyes. "You were spying on me?"

"More like observing from a safe distance," Ethan corrected. "I mean, it's not every day you run into someone with magic."

Lily's curiosity piqued. "You don't have magic?"

Ethan's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly covered it with a forced smile. "Nope. Not a drop. Everyone else in my village can use at least some magic, but me? Nothing. It's kind of a sore subject."

Lily studied him. There was something about his determination, the way he spoke about magic as if it was something just out of his reach. She could understand that longing—to have power, to change one's fate.

"So, what do you want from me?" she asked.

Ethan grinned. "Simple. Teach me magic."

Lily's eyes widened. "What? I barely know how to use it myself!"

"Yeah, but you have it. And that's more than I can say for myself." Ethan stepped closer, his blue eyes full of hope. "Look, I get that we just met, but I need this. Magic means everything in this world. Without it, I'm... nothing."

Lily hesitated. She hadn't asked for a companion. In fact, traveling alone seemed like the safer option. But Ethan's desperation reminded her of her own fears—of being powerless, of being left behind.

And besides... something told her that their meeting wasn't just a coincidence.

She sighed. "Fine. You can travel with me. But no promises on the magic part."

Ethan's face lit up. "Really? You won't regret this!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I already do."

As they walked together into the unknown, Lily couldn't shake the feeling that their journey was only just beginning. And with Ethan by her side, things were bound to get even more complicated.