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Genesis glanced curiously at the town news board, noting a fading ad on the side. “‘Wanted: helpers to collect wood from the Deep Forest. Reward: magical broom’...” She read softly under her breath. “That doesn’t sound too hard, so why would this still be here?” Pursing her lips, the red-haired femme considered the advertisement thoughtfully. There must be something about the risk involved, otherwise this type of job sounded pretty straightforward and easy. “The Deep Forest, hmm...”
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“Hey, missy, you new around here?” She turned around to see a local frowning down on her. He pointed to the ad which she had just been reading. “Everyone who lives here in Kikka knows that the Deep Forest is not to be trifled with.”
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She cocked her head, studying the man closely. How did he know that she was new to the town? She had just passed by, looking for some odd jobs to earn yul, which was the reason why she was here in the first place. “May I ask what’s the reason for this concern?” She questioned, keeping her tone emotionless so he does not pick up on her interest and curiosity.
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“We don’t know, but those who go in always come out mad...if they even manage to make it out.” The man shook his head. “Whatever is in the Deep Forest, it causes those poor souls to go crazy and become violent.” He sighed, spreading his palms out to show his sincerity. “My niece was playing and got lost in there, and thankfully, we found her in one piece. But...she was not in her right mind. The poor girl is now bedridden with shadows and nightmares, and she would go on and on about seeing her mother, who had passed away a few years ago.”
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“Shadows and nightmares, you say?” Genesis kept that note in the back of her mind. That might perhaps prove useful later on. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” She said with more warmth and sympathy in her voice. She may not understand how the little girl felt about nightmares, but she could relate to fear. She herself was subjected to occasional phantom dreams about her birth parents, whom she has never seen, either in dreams or in life.
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“Just stay away from the forest. Nothing good ever comes from it. Honestly, I don’t even know why that ad is there. That old broom maker must really be desperate if he still keeps this here.”
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“I see.” Whether he knew it or not, the man had provided her with quite a bit of information. “Thank you for your warning, sir. Is there another job here that you would recommend?”
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He pointed to a few more possibilities, which she nodded and feigned interest. As soon as he left, however, she went back to the faded notice. In truth, she was even more intrigued now about this job in the forest. What was it that terrorized the locals so badly? And what was it that made those people fall into madness? There must be a reason, and she wanted to find out. Nay, she needed to find out. For the sake of all those poor souls.
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Making her way to the outskirts of town, she found the home of the broom-maker. She knocked the door firmly, and heard some shuffling inside. “Coming...” came an old and tired-sounding voice from the other side. The door swung open to reveal a bent and wizened man. “How may I help you today? Are you looking to buy one of my brooms? Unfortunately I only have the regular kitchen ones, since I’m all out of magical wood.”
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“That’s what I came to ask you about.” Genesis peeked inside, and saw that it was quite bare inside, with only the few necessities for living. She figured the poor old man must be living alone, which was curious, as most occupations she knew would have an apprentice to carry on the trade. “I saw your notice on the board at the town square. What do you need me to do?”
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No spells used in this post.


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The old man had seemed doubtful of her ability to do whatever he was about to assign her. “Oh?” Genesis folded her arms and cocked her hip. She was not cocky, but she was confident in her skills and knew exactly what her physical and mental conditions were able to handle. She would decide whether she was up for the task or not, but first she had to hear exactly what it entailed. The deterring hesitation from the broom maker had only piqued her interest even more, even though she did not show it outwardly. To the onlooker, she kept her facial expressions perfectly smooth and unruffled, even if she was brimming with something else inside. “What is it that makes everyone so afraid?”
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However, she did not get a response, as from the corner of her eye, she sensed movement. The elderly man had also noticed the newcomer, and was gesturing to him to come closer. He then called out to the other man, inquiring whether he was there for the same reason. Did he see the ad, too? Genesis stepped to the side, allowing plenty of room for whoever this new person was. She glanced at him from the side of her eye, noting that he wore no mantle. Another wandering citizen, perhaps? She focused back on the broom maker as he started speaking again.
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“All you two have to do is to bring back some pieces of blessed magical logs. Four apiece should be enough.” He rubbed his old gnarled hands together, and the young woman could not tell if he was nervous or if he was afraid--or both. “That’s all I need to make a magical broom.” He sighed, his bent back drooping more if that was even possible. “Business has been low and slow recently. Making magical brooms will surely bring back some joy at least.”
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Genesis felt for the old man. They each had their own different obstacles and difficulties, but in the end, everyone was the same - they all struggled with something. Even if there was no promise of a reward, she would still go and fetch the wood for the elderly man. “I’ll do it.” She said, dipping her head in respect to the man. Then she raised an eyebrow at the man besides her. Whether he had decided to go with her or not was up to him, but she as sure as heck was going.
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As she turned to go, the old man called out feebly, “Good luck.”
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“I make my own luck.” She muttered to herself. Her companion may have overheard it if he had followed and was listening closely, but it was mostly for herself. The red-haired femme was more interested in finding out what was terrorizing the townsfolk, and this side job would be her excuse. The broom maker and local man had both said it was dangerous, but how? Was it a creature? Or some sort of strange magic that could mess with the mind, leading to madness and hysteria?
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She followed the path that led towards the forest. As she started to enter into the midst of the woods, she could feel a prickling on the back of her neck. It felt like she was being watched. Immediately, she whipped her head back, long red hair flying in a perfect arc. If it was her companion that was staring, she would only roll her eyes and continue onward. However, if it was not...perhaps they were about to uncover something sinister, something that dwelled within the trees...
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The forbidden forest, more like. Today, her grey eyes looked more green than blue, and those eyes swept through their surroundings, noting where they were and what clues or abnormal traces she could possibly pick up. The outer perimeters of the forest had looked innocent and harmless enough. What could possibly be in there? Judging by the place’s name ‘Deep Forest,’ Genesis figured it must be near the center of the woodlands. Those were the places where nightmares and shadows abound, and for this shadow mage, it could very well become her playground.

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No spells used in this post.


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Genesis carefully picked her way along the path, which was becoming more and more unlike a path the further they went. Here the trees grew closer, and not as much sunlight was able to filter through the lush layers of foliage. The place had a sharp and chilly smell to it, and though she could not tell what or how, it smelled ominous. She could hear the squeaky wheels of the wheelbarrow behind her. Apparently the old man had thought ahead, which was a good thing, as she would have just strapped the pieces of wood on her back and carried it back like that. Brambles and bushes were growing closer, and the way became more narrow. She broke off some branches that were starting to block their way, making sure the wheelbarrow had enough space to go through.
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One more than one occasion, she could feel a slight breeze on her skin. She frowned, eyes darting from side to side. They were already a good distance from the outer perimeters, so how could there still be wind? Especially when the trees grew close and thick together here? The young woman turned her head back towards her companion, making sure he was doing all right. She wondered who he was, and what he did, but she was not one to prey--she had her own secrets, after all. There seemed to be something about him that felt familiar, but she could not put a finger on what. She had yet to see what his element was, but she figured she would know soon enough.
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On certain instances, she felt the same pricklings of being watched. When she had first thought it was her companion, nothing had looked out of the ordinary, although he looked disturbed. Reaching out, she felt out for the shadows around her. They were there, yet...something felt amiss. It was like they kept changing shapes, and did not stay in their true forms. Hmm... Genesis instinctively formed her knives from her own shadow. At least her own would obey her, though she could feel them quiver, something that had never happened before.
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Then up ahead, she saw a dim outline, and her guard came up more than ever. She kept her knives up and ready as they drew closer. The shape wavered into a masculine shape, oddly familiar. Genesis squinted and blinked furiously. How did he get there in front of her? She looked back. Yes, the other mage was right behind her, still pushing the wheelbarrow. What was going on? When she turned back forward, the ghostly apparition had disappeared. Strange. Was this some sort of shapeshifting trickery? She spat at where the form had been, then made a sign in front of her. There was some sort of evil spirit roaming this place, she was sure of it.
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As they pressed into the heart of the forest, Genesis grew more and more wary. Then, a pale figure appeared on the path a little ways from them, and the young woman gasped. “M-mother?” What seemed like her mother beckoned her closer, and she followed, like she was in a trance. Even to the wrinkles on her hands and the harsh lines on her face, the figure had it all in the right place.
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Then gripped her knives and gritted her teeth. Her palms had red marks from how tightly she was gripping her blades. Her mother had passed away already - that form, whatever it was, was not her. She shook her head. This place was really messing with her vision. However, her mind was still clear. This must be how the poor souls went crazy. It must be to her favor that she did not grow up with many people around her, otherwise she was sure the ghosts of the past would appear in front of her. She figured that all they had to do was to focus on their goal and trust what they knew to be true. An idea crossed her mind.
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“Hey,” she called out softly over her shoulder, “If you see something weird, just ask me something. If I don’t respond, you’ll know it’s not me.” She was by no means a conversationalist--in fact, she was the opposite--but one thing she did know: if talking was going to ground her to reality, she would do it.

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Couteaux (Knives)


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If she ever was to say that hearing a wheelbarrow’s squeaky wheels brought her peace, Genesis was sure she would become the biggest laughingstock of the decade. Besides the man with her, no one else would ever understand. One, it grounded her to reality. Second, it meant her companion was still following behind her. That normal, every day sound was, at the moment, the most comforting thing she can listen to now.
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She had also noticed that besides that tell-tale sound of the wheelbarrow and their footsteps, the forest was strangely quiet. Where were the birds, the wildlife? She frowned. The locals were right, something was wrong with the forest. Terribly wrong. This cannot be the work of a single individual—can it? Even if it was, this would require some top tier magic and control in order to summon all these illusions. These illusions were something else, almost like the caster knows about her past and was set on resurrecting memories of those who have passed away. Was this the work of some master illusionist? Or perhaps—Genesis shuddered to think of it—a necromancer? Despite her natural affinity towards the dark and mysterious, that forbidden art is something even she would stay far away from.
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Genesis stopped abruptly. The other mage had agreed to her idea, but that was not what made her stop. It was his question as to where the wheelbarrow went. Her eyes noted that indeed, the wheelbarrow, which was supposed to be on the path, was not there anymore. However, those squeaky wheels...the sound was now coming from another location. She ran after it with the guy, but stopped when he unsheathed his sword. It was a beautiful weapon, and she stared at it in wonder. She had basic training on the sword, but her specialty was in blades and close combat. Nonetheless, it did not stop her from admiring the katana that the other whipped out.
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Focus! She chided herself. You can go mad here if you don’t keep it together! She did not see anything out of the ordinary besides the wheelbarrow, although she could have sworn it was moving by itself… No, that was not possible. That was unnatural. What was also unnatural was the sudden change of demeanor in her companion’s face. He had yelled a frenzied “No!” and unleashed one of his spells. The red-haired woman had to duck to avoid the spell, narrowing missing the dark burst of power. Darkness, eh? No wonder his magic feels familiar. Darkness and shadows—what an irony, considering the situation they were in.
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“Hey.” She cautiously stepped towards the dark mage, not knowing if he would make another sudden move. But seeing how his sword and his grimoire were on the ground, she figured she was safe. For now. “They can’t hurt you. They’re only illusions.” She did not know what he saw, but would guess that it was some traumatic memory from the past. She reached out a hand to pull him up from the ground, if he would accept it. “I don’t know what happened to the wheelbarrow, though. Illusions should not be able to move physical objects.” For the first time, there was a trace of fear in her tone. After all, if they—whoever or whatever it was—could move the wheelbarrow at will, who knows what it could do to them?
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“We have to keep it together.” Her chin jutted out in determination. She was not going to go mad here. She repeated her earlier words. “They’re only illusions. They can’t hurt us.” At least, that was what she hoped. She had a suspicion that these things prey on one’s weakness, and if they do not give in to their whims, they cannot touch the mages. “Come on. Let’s get that wood and get out of here.” She grabbed hold of the wheelbarrow. “Maybe I’ll also hold on to the wheelbarrow.” She pushed it back unto the path, and since the way would be a little too narrow for two people, she started hacking away at the bushes when it got too tight, making room for herself. She would hold on to the side of the wheelbarrow while they continued on, assuming that the guy would be right behind her.
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Still keeping her knives out, Genesis kept her eyes straight ahead. From the corners of her eye, she could see so many shadows fading in and out, but she narrowed her vision, unwilling to be distracted. She had figured that she had no chance of overcoming whoever or whatever was behind all this, but she was determined to make it out of the forest with a sane mind. Up ahead, she spotted a dim glow of light. That must be where the blessed magical wood is! She picked up her pace, like a moth being drawn to light.
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However, a dark mass suddenly blocked her view. “W-what?” Arms flailing, she tried to cut the shadowy mass away. However, her blades ran harmless through them, as if they were trying to cut through smoke. She gritted her teeth. “So you’re gonna play like that, huh?” She could still see the light shining from the back of the dark mass. Where there is light, there are shadows... Even if the mass was like smoke, it would still cast a shadow. A grin appeared on the femme’s lips. Grabbing onto the said shadow, she manipulated it, using the blob’s own shadow to fling it backwards, right into the ring of blessed light!
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The shadowy mass shrieked, a high-pitched scream that made the young woman cover her ears. Just as she was about to yell something back, it dissipated into the light. However, she could see more dark blobs were slinking into view. Oh no, there are more of them? Apparently the wail had attracted its allies, whatever they were. Genesis tugged at the wheelbarrow, trying to make it move. “Into the light!” She called, hoping her companion could hear her. Their best bet was to get into that circle of light, which the illusions apparently cannot touch or they will evaporate.

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Couteaux (Knives)


Repousser (Repel)

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Genesis could not help but feel a tinge of pity when the man was down on his knees and had his face covered. Whatever he saw must have been something from his past, and judging from his body language and the sudden spell he threw, it must have been something negative. However, she was unfamiliar with giving words of comfort or encouragement; all she could do was to awkwardly stand there and remind him of their goal. But as they were running towards the light, she could feel his dark power lashing out at those shadowy blobs, whatever they were. He was powerful, much more than she realized. Then again, everyone had their own weaknesses. That was something she would not put against him, even after witnessing his breakdown from earlier. It was not his fault that he was seeing his past in these nightmare-inducing shadows.
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Illusions, only illusions. That was what she kept trying to tell herself. Perhaps if she believed it hard enough, it would come true. After all, she herself had an illusion spell, and she grew up with shadows. She knew enough not to trust them and the things they project. Most were only tricks on the mind, brought to life by one’s active imagination and memories. Again, she had something to be thankful for, that she does not have many deep connections with people in her childhood. That was certainly saving her from the possible bouts of madness.
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They were so close to the light...so close...
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With a final burst of speed, born out of desperation and adrenaline, Genesis pushed herself and the wheelbarrow into that ring of light. She fell down on her knees to the soft emerald-gold grass. Every blade was perfect, and was such a soothing and serene sight compared to the nightmares just a few meters away. Grey-green eyes looked up, beholding a clearing saturated with blessed light. Everything the light touched glowed with an unearthly light, and even the trees were tinted with a golden hue. She threw a glance over her shoulder. All she could see behind her was wavering shapes. A smirk appeared on her face. Who would have thought that shadows would become her worst enemy? Little did she know that this would not be the last time she would find herself in such a similar situation.
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“You okay?” She hoped her companion was doing all right, assuming that he had made it into the bright clearing. She got up to her feet and brushed herself off. Her hand went to her belt, where she usually kept her blades, but came away empty. Her eyes widened in shock and fear. Where are they? Back out there, when they were fighting their way over here, she had not felt as much fear as she did now. Without her trusty blades by her side, she felt that her safety net had been snatched away from under her. Then it dawned on her.
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I see... How unfortunate. Now that she was in this clearing, her shadow magic has been nulled. Turning to her companion, she raised an amused eyebrow. “I don’t suppose you have an extra sword on hand, do you? Otherwise,” she nodded towards the golden trees, “I’m quite useless at the moment.”

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Couteaux (Knives)

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“Yup. Just illusions.” Genesis gave a short nod to the man’s comment, although she was also relieved and it was her lame attempt at a snide joke. This blessed place was like paradise in the middle of hell. Here, life abounded and everything was normal. She could even see the sun above them, and it was such a welcomed sight after what seemed like an eternity in that dark chaos back there.
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Her lithe figure leaned against the wheelbarrow, watching the dark mage hack his way through those glowing trees with his katana. The first time he did it, the dark magic he used seemed to nullify the light from the trees. It made sense, though, since just like how light overpowered her shadows, darkness nullified the light. She walked over to one of the trees and touched the glowing bark. She could feel the honeyed warmth of it, and here, there were no shadows at all. In weaker lights, there would always be a shade cast from any physical object. But in this case, even when she looked behind her, there was no trace of a single shadow, down to the grass beneath her feet. Light was both her friend and enemy, in regards to her element. That just showed how her magic was secondary and beneath this pure essence. Not that she was bothered, as she knew there were limits to her magic, and this only confirmed her knowledge.
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On the other hand, the man really was on a different level, seeing his magic cancel out the powerful natural light of this place. It was only now that she saw the tell-tale four clover signal on his grimoire. That explains a lot. She watched him fall one tree after the other, and helped him gather the wood onto the wheelbarrow. Eight pieces. They were good to go. She looked back out of the protective circle. She was not so keen on going back through that nightmarish place, but it was necessary. She threw her companion a small grin. “Second round. See you on the other side.” She took a deep breath, and assuming that her companion was going to do something similar, gripped firmly onto the wheelbarrow and pushed it out, back into the chaos.
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Immediately she could feel her shadows again, and though she knew it would do nothing, she still felt better with a knife in her free hand. The wood pieces in the wheelbarrow kept their light, and amazingly, it seemed to envelop the duo in a protective ward. As long as she stayed within its glow, the shadowy shapes dared not touch them. She glanced over at the dark mage, wondering if he was as relieved as she was. Knowing this did not slow down her speed, however, as all she wanted now was to get back to reality as soon as possible. She already felt like she had aged a few years in this little trip.
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After what seemed like an eternity and a half, she could make out the dim outlines of the outside world. Just seeing that gave her an extra prep in her step. For all she knew, she was never going to take light for granted ever again.

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Couteaux (Knives)

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As the duo burst back out to the outside world, Genesis was tempted to let a triumphant whoop. However, she kept it in, but did allow herself to punch the air in victory. The green of the hills before her, the blue of the skies above, the bright blooms of spring flowers—this was reality, this was the beautiful world she lived in. The young woman let out a sigh of relief, then patted the glowing pieces of wood in the wheelbarrow. They had seemed so insignificant, yet had repelled the shadows so effectively.
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Speaking of which, she had not found out what was causing the shadowy disturbances. For all she knew, it could be an experiment gone wrong, or something sinister that was growing. But for now, she could appreciate living another day, and with her mind still clear and rational.
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Their trip back to the broom maker was quick and uneventful, and Genesis almost smirked with satisfaction at the old man’s look of surprise when they approached him. She would not presume that the broom maker did not think they would come back, although the idea did cross her mind. After all, she figured that not many could boast that they had gone in and out of the Deep Forest with their sanity intact.
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She was glad when Hans got straight to the point in regards to payment. She was of the same mind, but did not mind when the other spoke up about it first. She took the broom that was handed to her, admiring the smooth and polished feeling of the wood in her hands. “Thank you.” She nodded at the old man. This flying broom would definitely come in handy in the future, she just knew it. Now, all she needed was to practice flying it.
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At the man’s compliment of her knives, Genesis only nodded. “Cool katana.” She was not good with words either, and besides, there was not much left to be said. As he left, she called out after him, “See ya around.” Come to think of it, she never got his name. But no matter, she would remember his dark magic and his sword. The red-haired female was fairly certain their paths would cross again.
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Little did she know just how soon she would meet the dark mage again.
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No spells used in this post.
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