The Bookish Dreamer +

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Meet Charlene Willow, a young woman who had long been enchanted by the wonders of magic but now faced the daunting reality of her impending arranged marriage. Since childhood, Charlene had felt a profound connection to the magical realm around her, utterly captivated by the warm glow of flickering candlelight dancing across the pages of ancient tomes filled with enchanting spells and marvellous tales of wonder. 

However, as the date of her father's announcement regarding her engagement to Albert Smith—a rather dull and uninspiring heir to a wealthy artifact merchant family—drew nearer, the comforting walls of her home in Eldergrove begin to feel as though they are closing in around her like an unyielding prison. Seeking solace, she often found herself nestled by the fireplace, cherishing the familiar scent of old parchment wafting through the room, yet her heart remained restless and filled with an unshakeable sense of foreboding. She knew Albert Smith growing up, he was not at all the man she wanted to get married to!

Charlene knew that Tamara had learned from her father, who was her father's best friend. Unlike Charlene's father, Tamara's father would never force his daughter into a marriage for business gains.

Albert never despised Charlene's lack of magic; he would occasionally flirt and tell others she was the one. Although there were rumours of Albert having the blood of the previous immortal king, Charlene remained unbothered, seeing him only as a friend.

One breezy afternoon, while meticulously exploring a dusty tome of forgotten spells tucked away on a neglected shelf, both her and Tamara stumbled upon a particularly intriguing incantation known as the Wishing Whisper. This spell tantalizingly promised to transport its caster to a realm filled with their deepest desires and wildest dreams. Overcome with excitement and yearning for freedom, both eagerly agreed to try out the spell together to see if Charlene could for once in her life, take part in a magical endeavour.  Tamara possessed genuine magical abilities so she would try out the spell for both of them.  ''Let's try this together and see what happens?''

Charlene's eagerness quickly faded. "It never works."

"It could this time. Come on," Tamara encouraged with a cheeky smile. "Charlene Willow is not a quitter after a thousand failed attempts."

What did Charlene have to lose? "Okay." She agreed, ''I am not a quitter.''

So they tried.

As dusk settled gently over the horizon, they began gathering the necessary ingredients for the incantation: a fresh sprig of moonflower, a drop of honey skilfully harvested during the glow of a full moon, and a delicate blackbird's feather. Tamara lit a fragrant candle infused with lavender, enveloping them both in a calming aroma that hopefully would enhance Tamara's magic enough so that it would be strong enough to include her friend as well.

Together, they fervently recited the incantation, their hearts and spirits intertwined with the powerful magic that enveloped them.

Suddenly, with a rush of warm wind enveloping Charlene, she felt herself being lifted from her earthly confines in an exhilarating wave of energy. The familiar world around her begun to dissolve into nothingness, revealing breath-taking, lush green hills and a cobalt sky filled with countless twinkling stars, all teeming with mystical creatures and pristine sparkling lakes. Overwhelmed by a sense of magic and the thrill of newfound freedom, she begun to wander and explore this captivating new world. Soon, she encountered a striking young man dressed in flowing green robes, who captivated her with his mesmerizing grey eyes and wild, untamed hair, igniting an unexpected spark within her heart that she never knew existed...

Their magical moment was interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door as a maid delivered a letter. After closing the door, she and Tamara sat on the bed, and she tore open the envelope. "I've been accepted!" she screamed with joy, and they both jumped up ecstatically to embrace.

In the days that followed, driven by her sense of urgency, Charlene and Tamara begin to carefully devise a bold escape plan: while Tamara chased her dream of becoming a celebrated singer, Charlene prepared to start her new job at the castle of the enigmatic Lincoln Flint—a strategic move aimed at providing her with a much-needed escape from her controlling adoptive parents, who have long harboured plans to marry her off for their own business interests, leaving her feeling trapped and suffocated.  

Charlene, a hopeful dreamer raised by affluent parents deeply entrenched in the magic trade, had always felt out of place in their world. Surrounded by shimmering gowns and enchanting soirées where illusions were commonplace, she found herself yearning for something more profound than just the spectacle of enchantment. While her parents dazzled high society with their elaborate spells and daring escapades, Charlene's heart thrummed to a different rhythm, one that sought authenticity over artifice. In quiet moments spent wandering the opulent halls of their lavish estate, she would often watch the flickering portraits of the Willow ancestors, their faces aglow with prestige yet shadowed by the demands of their legacy.

Despite the wealth that surrounded her, the glittering masks of the magic trade felt impossibly heavy, suffocating her spirit and dimming her dreams. She longed for genuine connection, a world where sincerity reigned over illusion. While her parents viewed magic as a means of power and status, Charlene saw it as a conduit for empathy, a way to forge bonds rather than flaunt superiority. Nights were spent by candlelight in her secret sanctuary, a small attic nook brimming with tattered books and sketches of far-off lands, where she could escape to a realm of possibility that transcended the confines of her gilded cage. Driven by a fierce desire to carve a path uniquely her own, she began to experiment with her own version of magic—not for show, but as a means to inspire wonder and hope in those who truly needed it. But she soon learned that the magic she had felt before was only because of Tamara's presence and magic, by herself she could never summon any magic. 

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember his face or any details about him; she only recalled how he made her feel.




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