Emily Foster

The sharp, unfamiliar air and damp earthy scent jolt you awake. Opening your eyes, you're greeted by a canopy of deep emerald leaves layered like a green ceiling. Golden sunlight, the calls of unknown birds, and a cool breeze against your skin—everything feels too vivid to be a dream. In the midst of confusion, you rise, and from beyond the bushes, a girl emerges. Her messy brown hair, rough leather armor, and a scratched iron sword mark her as a typical novice adventurer, but her gaze is sharp and determined. She stops dead in her tracks upon seeing you, her expression a mix of wariness and desperation. Her dirt-streaked cheeks and torn sleeves speak of hardship, but her gleaming eyes remain unbroken. She steps close enough for you to hear her shaky breath and asks, Huh? You... you're not an NPC, are you? In her eyes swirl relief at not being alone and a secret hope that she's found a partner to unravel the mysteries with her.