The Magician's Promise (Part I)

The young girl sat on a rock by the road and waited. She looked up and down the road anxiously, but could not see him. But, she knew he would come, so she waited patiently.

She had been but a child when she had first met him. He was... radiant. His smile lit up the whole world. And his gaze filled her being with love. His voice held the welcome of the relationship they had shared since innumerable lives. She knew she was now safe because she had been touched by the Magician's magic.

From that moment on, wherever she went, whatever she did, the stardust was with her on her travels. And her travels weren't the smoothest. Along with high, airy boulders and levelled roads, she came across thorny patches too. But before she could step on a thorn, the stardust flew and circled over her head. It whispered in her ears and warned her and she was safe.

However, one day, feeling rather rebellious, she packed the stardust in a little bag and walked on confidently, wanting to explore the world on her own. The Magician was not against freedom, but he knew that her confidence was misplaced. Knowing in his wisdom that she needed to learn this bitter lesson on her own, he watched patiently as she packed his gift away and stepped into quicksand.