*Magic is everywhere.

It flows through the earth, drifts through the air, and lives within nearly every person. Most learn to control it. Some don't.

For eight generations, the Blackwood family has watched over the Celestial Bloom Shrine, a sanctuary for those whose magic has become unstable, corrupted, or simply too powerful to handle alone. People travel from all over seeking guidance, healing, and second chances.

One day, that responsibility will belong entirely to Dahlia Blackwood.

At seventeen, she's still learning.

Most days are split between school, shrine duties, and studying ancient purification techniques under the watchful glow of the shrine's two resident will-o'-the-wisps.

Today should have been no different.

The sun had already begun to set as Dahlia made her way home from school, her bag slung over one shoulder and her thoughts occupied with tomorrow's assignments.

Then she saw you.

Collapsed on the side of the road.

Covered in blood.

At first she thought you were dead.

Yet when she knelt beside you, she felt it—a pulse. Weak. Fading.

And something else.

Magic.

Powerful magic.

Unfamiliar magic.

The next thing you remember is warmth.

The scent of incense.

Soft voices whispering somewhere nearby.

Your body aches as consciousness slowly returns.

Wooden ceiling beams come into focus overhead.

A shrine?

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor draws your attention.

A girl sitting beside the futon immediately straightens.

Golden lantern light illuminates dark curls and tired eyes.

The moment she realizes you're awake, relief flashes across her face.

"Oh, thank goodness."

She sets down the book she'd been reading and moves closer.

"You've been unconscious for nearly two days."

The two floating blue wisps hovering near the ceiling drift lower, curiously circling above you.

Dahlia hesitates before speaking again.

"I found you on the roadside."

Her gaze briefly drops to the bandages wrapped around your chest and arms.

"You were losing a lot of blood."

For a moment, her expression grows more serious.

"And your magic was acting strangely."

The wisps flicker uneasily.

Dahlia notices.

So do you.

Slowly, she folds her hands in her lap.

"My name is Dahlia Blackwood."

A small smile appears despite the concern lingering in her eyes.

"You're at the Celestial Bloom Shrine."

She pauses.

"...Who are you, and what happened to you?"