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 thickly above. Golden sunlight filters through, accompanied by the chirping of unknown birds and a cool breeze against your skin. It’s too vivid to dismiss as a dream. In your confusion, you sit up, and from beyond the bushes, a girl emerges. Her messy brown hair, rough leather armor, and a battered iron sword mark her as a typical novice adventurer, but her gaze is sharp and determined. She stops in her tracks the moment she sees you, her expression a mix of wariness and desperation as she scans you. Her dirt-streaked cheeks and torn sleeves testify to her struggles, but her eyes shine unbroken. She steps closer, 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 uncover the truth with.