"You named her Jade? Isn't that the name of the girl who transferred here three months ago?"

Rose groaned as she attempted to snatch her notebook back. For goodness sake, why does she even bother to have Dave read her writing if he wasn't going to give proper advice. "I don't know. Her name came up in a conversation, I thought the name fit the character, I used it. End of story," Rose grumbled.

"Rose, gossip isn't pretty," Dave said while he shook his head slowly.

"Good, because neither is your face," Rose shot back. "Can I have the notebook now?"

"Ouch. That hurt my feelings," Dave replied with no change to his expression at all. He slid the notebook back into Rose's hands.

"You know she stares at you—"

"Shut up, Dave," Rose said with a glare. She couldn't help the reddening of her cheeks. Rose knew she had a tendency to ignore the world around her if she was caught up in her writing, but for this many people to notice something Rose herself was oblivious to was unnerving to say the least.

"Just stating facts, Rose," Dave said, the hints of a smirk gracing the boy's usually flat facial expression. "No need to be so aggressive yo."

"Enough of this," Rose grimaced as she waved her hand. "The story. Any notes?" Rose asked as she ignored the previous conversation entirely.

"Yeah, a few," Dave said after he realized that his attempts at psychoanalyzing was failing desperately. "You keep writing about how this witch is going to be happy in this new world but jesus she's just talking to herself most of the time. Give her a dog or something, the poor girl is drowning in loneliness, Rose. Also, what the heck is this light and why is she so obsessed over it? I mean, I like shiny things too, don't get me wrong but really. 'A light?' You should outta fix that. Be more specific. And another thing—"

"It's not done, Dave," Rose replied curtly.

"Pfft, I know. But hear me out. Okay, you know how you took away her magic? Just let her keep it," Dave said.

Rose had to turn back to give Dave a confused stare. "But the new world doesn't have magic."

"Why? It doesn't really make sense if you think about it. I mean technically the only thing she's doing is moving to another planet, not the 7th circle of hell. There's so much drama about it too. If she was so miserable then she should have been ecstatic to leave the magic behind. But you made her sad about it, Rose. You made her sad. So this is my advice, my dearest author, let her keep the damn powers. Besides, it makes for a good cop-out if you have to end the thing prematurely."

"Must you always ask questions, Dave?" Rose said with a sigh.

"Must you always give your characters some sort of arch that'll be pointless anyhow since you never finish your stories?" Dave chimed back.

What was Rose expecting? Dave's actually a decent storyteller if one would take account of how he successfully depicts common story tropes in a surreal yet satirical nature. (Then again, it all can be complete bullshit but since Rose is prideful she isn't going to admit that she just can't tell anymore.)

"It says in the beginning, Dave. Ink: The story about a young witch in a world without magic."

"What about this instead? Ink: The incomplete story about a young witch with magical powers in a world without magic. Just add the magic in later, you know after she finds true love and what-not. Now that summary feels more like a fairy tale and less like a Shakespearean tragedy."

"It's not a fairy tale!" Rose huffed.

"Then, what the heck are you writing? It looks like a fairy tale to me. Witches, self-banishment, the implication of a happy ever after, the works," Dave replied. Rose desperately wanted to roll her eyes and simply ignore Dave for the rest of the period.

"I don't like fairy tales with happy endings," Rose said, her mouth mimicking the similar flat line expression of her editor.

"Make it abstract, let the reader interpret the ending themselves," Dave supplied.

"That's stupid," Rose said dejectedly. "I want this story to end the way I envision it to end."

"Whatever, fine. How do you want it to end?"

Rose looked away from Dave's knowing stare and glared at her notebook as if it had personally offended her. "Happy. I want it to end happy," she said with a long sigh. "I want this character to have hope in herself. I want her to find a family, and friends. I want the best for this character so much, it feels like I'm losing my mind over this. I really want to her story to be some sort of happy fairy tale bullcrap, but I don't want any part of this story to feel fake, Dave. I took her magic because I want her to feel like she could be a real person in our world. I think… I just want her to be real," she confessed.

Rose sought advice, which her friend had provided. Dave dared to question, but Rose was not always willing to give the answer without a fight. Indeed, why did Rose decide to take away the witch's magic? What was the purpose of this misery, when all Rose wants to do is to write a happystory. But real life was never happy. It's never always good.

"Then write that story, bro," Dave declared with his infinite wisdom. "Make her real."

"It's not that easy," Rose replied.

"Why?"

Rose attempted to answer, but found that she's been left speechless. Damn you, Dave. Rose can see the tiniest corner of his face twitch, and she instantly recognized it as a smirk.

"I suppose I can keep your notes in mind during my revision process," Rose mumbled.

"Awesome possum," Dave said in agreement. "Now if you have time, check out my latest comic entry. It's a fucking gold mine I tell you."

"You're such a unique person, Dave. I wish there were more people like you."

"Right?"

Rose can't help but feel exasperated. She's been writing the intro for ages, only to have it ripped apart by a few questions. But at least now, Rose felt a little more inspired to make this story come to life.

Jade felt empty, but at the same time she has never felt so calm. The grass is soft, and pleasant. The witch opens her eyes slowly and is happily surprised to have woken up in a forest. She rises quickly, and stumbles on her legs as she gains her bearings. Yes! She was in the new world. She can finally begin a new life.

Jade reaches with her arm and attempts to call a portal to the other realm, only to remember that this world does not have magic. It was drained, and released into the dark sky above. Suddenly, Jade shivers and remembers that she was alone in the forest.

Was this world dangerous? Did it have other creatures? She decides to be silent and listen to the world around her. In a world without magic, was there anything she can call a friend? However, the forest was quiet. Jade can only hear her own breathing and the sway of the tree branches caught in the breeze.

In her old world the sounds of nature were comforting, but now it was dreadful. It was agonizing reminder to how lonely Jade was.

Jade hates this.

Jade feels herself moving quickly through the woods. She navigates smoothly through the vegetation, avoiding the low branches and maneuvering around the jagged rocks. Her clothes were still burnt and one of her slippers had been lost in the sky. She ran faster.

She was tired of isolation. Tired of living in the forest alone. Jade wanted a warm bed. Jade wanted a friend. Jade wanted someone to call her by her name, and not the cursed one she's been known for all her life. Jade wanted to go home.

Finally, her feet reaches the end of the woods. Beyond it was a road, but it was different from the roads the village used. First of all this, road was smooth and completely clear of rough rocks. Secondly, it doesn't reek of horse or cattle. Cautiously, Jade stretches the shoeless foot forward and plants it on the foreign material.

It was surprisingly cool, and Jade couldn't resist the urge to smile brightly.

Roads must mean people! Someone made this. People are living here! Relief floods through Jade and she excitedly begins walking along the road.

School drones on, and Rose can feel nothing but agitation. The story is going great! (It's almost as if it's writing itself.) However, the author of said story is restless.

There's a storm of questions and the answers are taking shelter from the impending doom. She hasn't met the infamous Jade Harley everyone was so inclined to talk about. Then again, Jade has attended their school for a few months, so it's amazing how long Rose has gone without noticing her.

But apparently Jade notices Rose? What the heck was going on with Rose's (apparently active) school life? She was normally so attentive to the world around her. The only possible explanation to this was Jade avoided Rose, but still maintained a close enough distance to observe her. The theory is farfetched but it was the only one Rose could come up with.

Rose stopped all her actives and rested her head on the cool desk. She's been distracted before, but it was never this bad.

Rose opened up her personal notebook and flipped to the back. Tucked in the back of Rose's writing journal was the note Kanaya had found near Jade's locker. Rose lifted her head off from her desk and studied the paper carefully. It was creased and very worn out. It actually seemed to be a few years old, judging by the fading ink. Why would a teenage girl be caring this around so casually?

Then again, Rose did bring an old summoning tome to school when she was twelve. Okay, so maybe Jade had a similar interest in arcane arts. That should explain the girl's curious fascination with Rose, and the note found in her locker. Mystery one: solved.

Now, what do these symbols mean? And what is this intended to do?

Rose hated not knowing, and more than anything Rose hated her own curiosity. She had so many questions, and can only make so many theories before she loses her patience and forces the answers from someone. Particularly the person who's the cause of all of this. Rose's head is spinning, and she absolutely hated how stressed she felt.

Great. It's best to ask Kanaya or John to teach her today's lesson over lunch. It's getting hard to think. Rose's eyes become blurry, then she see's nothing but black.

"What do you mean she disappeared?" A woman shrouded in gold. She's angry. (She's horrified.)

This is not what she had predicted. No, this isn't right. It shouldn't be like this at all.

The villagers push out a child covered in soot, and the woman scoffs. "Speak, boy," she commands. "And don't bother telling me about the wicked deeds you have done. It's evident in your eyes, in your hands. You beg for forgiveness but even a blind man can see that your soul is pitiful and no water can cleanse it. "

He trembles, and cries. "Oh great Seer! We have done nothing wrong! The witch had stolen the children, and has tossed them into the forest without any care. If it weren't for the search party, we wouldn't have found them. Look how evil that woman was. Oh, great Seer! We have done nothing wrong! The witch lives with the Fae now, and we, the people of the living, are now free from her evil powers. It is not us! We have done nothing wrong!"

The Seer turns her back. She should have done something to prevent the witch's fate. Her fist clenches, and her eyes fill with sorrow. She ignores the rest of the villagers and their pitiful calls for forgiveness. How could she have not seen this? Her vision was cloudy for she had been blinded by her foolish feelings.

"This village will no longer be prosperous!" the woman roared. "You ignorant people. You, the people of the living, will no longer have peace and joy across your land. A dragon, a pirate, a thief, and a puppeteer will invade this place. Your witch, the one who has been banished, has been hiding this oasis for years with her powers. Now, you will live like us, the people of the Empress. And trust me when I say this, the Empress will not protect you like your witch has. Now, I will go! And you will never hear prophecies of fortune again."

And the Seer mounted her white horse, and rode off into her tower hidden in the light.

Deep in her mind, the Seer grieved. "My lovely Jade… Where have you gone?"