Do Dreams Have an Expiration Date?

Emily waved goodbye to her husband as Shane disappeared into the building for his weekly appointment with Dr. Lynn. The sapphire-haired woman hummed happily to herself, driving around to find a parking spot so that she could explore a bit of the city while she waited. The seamstress intended to attend tonight's Night Market to find some of her gifts, but it would not hurt to window shop.

Parallel parking was not Emily's strong suit, so she explored the area a bit before spying something that interested her. There was an open-air market in a small park with a festive tree lit up in its center. Emily was weak to holiday markets, or really any small stand that sold homemade goods. There was an extra layer of charm to the unique qualities of something handcrafted that could not be replicated by a machine. Excited by the serendipity, Emily found a spot to leave her car nearby and wandered into the throng of makeshift shops.

Most places had little trinkets to decorate for the holiday season or dried fruits and candied nuts. But Emily found herself drawn to a stall decorated with brightly colored knit-wear. She found every color of the rainbow and even a few specialty shades that Emily knew were difficult to dye by hand. "These are exquisite!" the woman breathed, gently burrowing her fingertips into a large bowl of soft yarn to test its quality.

Smiling, a young woman greeted Emily, hoping to engage with a potential customer. "Why, thank you!" the blonde uttered appreciatively from under the aquamarine hat on her head. It matched her scarf and mittens, too. Emily wondered if the woman made them all herself.

"We have the softest wool in the Ferngill Republic!" the vendor went on, showing off the rainbow of yarn and swatches of impressively dyed fabric she had for sale. "Our cousins in the Owul Kingdom own a farm that produces silk, so we get some beautiful pieces from them, too!" The seller gestured toward the back wall of the tent where the more expensive goods hung.

Emily's warm eyes flickered toward the aforementioned silks. They were stunning - and all gem tones, her favorite colors. The seamstress was not practiced in working with such fine fabric, but she ached to try. "I've never worked with silk," Emily grimaced as she felt the slick material longingly. "I don't want to start out something too ambitious and waste all their hard work…"

"I've got just the thing!" The blonde rummaged in a crate behind her sales table and produced a small bundle of assorted fragments. She handed it to Emily. "This is a kit my cousin made for beginners," she explained, unfolding the accompanying how-to guide to show the mayor's wife. "It has a few small-scale sewing exercises you can do to get used to working with silk. It even has separate instructions for working by hand or with a sewing machine."

Emily was sold, but she could not allow herself to be taken in exclusively by the syren call of silks. She turned back toward the display of colorful yarn on the table and smiled softly. I can start making baby clothes for next Winter, Emily thought giddily. They're going to have a Fall birthday, after all. They'll need warm clothes, a tiny hat, and a few blankets. Emily was practically bursting keeping such a huge secret from Shane, but Maru was right that it was probably best to wait until she had physical evidence to show her husband. Shane provided balance in her life by both complementing and contrasting her personality in many ways, one of the latter being his hesitancy to acknowledge signs from the universe.

It was a shame that this shop would only be here temporarily, though. The more Emily chatted with the shopkeeper, the more she realized that they sold a wide variety of fabrics and embroidery supplies. "My sister does metal work and bead-making," the blonde explained proudly, showing pictures of her sibling's work to Emily on her phone. "And I do our textiles. We have a cute little shop attached to our ranch in Grampleton, but we need to do events like this in the city to stay afloat until we get popular enough."

Emily could not believe her luck. "I live in Pelican Town!" she shouted excitedly. "We're practically neighbors!" The two had an animated discussion about dyeing techniques when Emily brought up her love for making clothes, which led to another wave of tangential conversation.

Finally, the woman made a suggestion. "You know, you should swing by the shop once you've made something with the stuff you bought today. Who knows? We might be able to do some collaborative work!"

"I would love that!" Emily agreed, her mind reeling with ideas from the samples she saw in the woman's photos. The red-clad woman wanted to continue their conversation, but her alarm went off that signaled it was time to pick up Shane from his appointment.

Frowning, Emily informed her new friend that she would have to leave. "I really wish I could stay, but I need to go pick up my husband."

The blonde woman nodded understandingly, "I should really be trying to sell to other customers, too," she admitted sheepishly. "Otherwise, Katie will get mad."

Emily had not heard the woman mention her sister's name. "Katie's your sister?" she asked to clarify her assumption.

The blonde's eye widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry! We spent this whole time talking and I didn't even properly introduce myself!" She offered a mittened hand to Emily. "I'm Kayla. And yeah, my sister's Katie. What's your name?"

"Emily!"

"Well, Emily…" Kayla quickly wrote down her personal number on the back of a business card and gave it to the sapphire-haired woman. It read Kale Kitty Textiles & Beads, with a kitten napping on a bed of the dark, crimped leaves. "Let me know if you're ever in Grampleton."

The aspiring seamstress accepted the card and tucked it away neatly in her purse. "I look forward to seeing you again," she declared with a friendly grin. It had been a while since she met someone else with similar interests and now she had a new friend. Emily decided she would have to plan a trip to Grampleton soon. She had a feeling Shane would appreciate an excuse to unwind from all his stress lately. A little day trip date was exactly what they needed.

She was unusually lucky to be able to go explore the mines two days in a row, even if the spirits were displeased today, but Abigail was not about to complain. She needed to busy herself as much as possible to stop thinking about whether she would be late this season, and Rasmodius had canceled their magic lessons for the day anyway. The misogynistic old wizard had "business" with a few of the traveling merchants prior to tonight's Night Market, which was apparently more important to him than his daughter's studies.

Her boyfriend, Sam, joined her and Violet tagged along today, too. She probably wanted to do something with Sebastian back in ZuZu City for class this week. Even Alex volunteered since Maru had to run the clinic. It was a shame that Sebastian's little sister could not come. She and Alex were becoming a power couple when it came to resource collection. The four of them made a decent amount of money from selling their loot yesterday and Abigail hoped today would be just as successful. There were a few Feast of the Winter Star gifts she wanted to buy, and this was a way to make relatively quick cash.

"I wonder if we'll reach the bottom today?" the amethyst-haired woman wondered aloud, slipping on a pair of old athletic gloves she borrowed from Alex. Abigail liked that they matched the new Obsidian Edge sword they found in a chest yesterday. The gloves also provided the added bonus of helping her grip the sword better when her hands got sweaty. After the frozen castle, the temperature had gone up sharply, and now the descent was more like wandering around a humid jungle near the equator. Everyone agreed to bring layers into the mines in case of another sharp shift in temperature.

Violet, who was on monster slaying duties with Abigail today, shrugged. "It would be nice if the mines ended at floor one hundred, but I have a feeling nature doesn't like numbers that end in fives and tens nearly as much as we do."

Alex scratched his head. "I wanna say Gramps said this mine goes down past 100 levels…" he shared, a pensive look plastered to his face. "But I can't remember for sure."

Sam's shoulder rose briefly in a noncommittal gesture. "Eh, we'll find out either way." The four entered the elevator and the blond pushed the newly lit "90" button. "Let's go, fam!"

Abigail never liked how the machine creaked as it descended the elevator shaft, but it beat starting on the first level over every time they entered the caverns. After what seemed like ages, the elevator dinged to signal they had arrived. Breathing a sigh of relief, Abigail stepped out into the dull red light of the lanterns onto the empty stone floor of level 90 with her party members. She approached the latter downward into the unknown. "Are you all ready?" The others bobbed their heads in silent agreement, and Abigail climbed down into the darkness below.

The gang always aimed to get as far down into the mines as possible, but today that goal was superseded by a goal to make everyone money. So, the mining team, consisting of Sam and Alex, were to break any ores or precious stone nodes unless they did not find a ladder down by the time Abigail and Violet cleared the monsters.

As the floors above, level 91 was warm and humid. There was a strange purple fern growing out of the cracks in the stone wall and there was a low rumbling, almost moan-like sound echoing throughout the chamber. Abigail shook her nerves and signaled to Violet. As the men went for the gold vein they found, which to their luck, uncovered the ladder downward, the women only encountered one shadow brute.

They did a quick sweep to make sure there were not any other valuables on the floor and found several more gold ore and a cave carrot inside a pair of barrels and a topaz node.

Abigail recognized the layout of the next level immediately. When there were mine cart tracks like this, there was always a ladder at the end of the tunnel, so the sorceress ordered the mining team not to bother as she and Violet broke through a trio of walking helmets - which Abigail loved and hated at the same time due to their sturdiness - a shadow brute that got a few hits in on her, and a red slime. Their loot was not anything to brag about, but pretty much anything in these mines could be sold, so the warrior was not about to complain. Sam and Alex collected the coal from the mine cart and the four pressed onward.

As she and Violet fell into a battle rhythm fighting off a pair of lava crabs, Abigail consistently defeated monsters in fewer swings than the farmer. This new sword is amazing, she marveled, examining its beautiful black blade as Violet hacked away at her armored opponent. Abigail felt a little guilty that the Forest Sword could not quite compete, but it was worlds better than the steel smallsword Sam had been using.

The two defended the men, who were cracking open rocks and collecting valuable resources, in relative silence. Neither really wanted to risk making any mistakes because they were mid-conversation. Besides, Abigail needed to fully concentrate if she wanted to use her new skills on an enemy here in the mines.

It was not until they reached a floor with a shadow shaman that Abigail felt comfortable enough giving it a shot. They were slower than the brutes, and while they had some weird stat effect that they cast, they were not nearly as sturdy as their counterparts.

Abigail held out an arm to stop Violet from charging forward. "Hey, I wanna try something," she explained, lowering her sword and concentrating on the metal edge closest to the shaman. She could see the sheen form on the metal and the young sorceress smirked with satisfaction, slashing toward the walking shadow.

The fell instantly, its body sizzling where her sword made contact, signaling her success. Violet's mouth fell open in astonishment. "Abigail, that was amazing! How did you do that?" she demanded, rushing up to inspect the damage as the shadow dissipated.

Beaming, Abigail explained. "Well, I've been training with my dad - Rasmodius, I mean - and we made a compromise. I stop calling him embarrassing and disrespectful nicknames and he teaches me some cooler magic."

Violet laughed. "Man, who knew that being snarky would pay off so well?"

"You should come for my session tomorrow!" Abigail declared encouragingly. Violet already had some magic, though it seemed to be geared more toward healing and such. Still, maybe Rasmodius could help her friend find some more hidden talents.

"Okay, I'll be there!" Violet promised.

A few hours later, the four finally made it to level 100 after a grueling trial in which even the walls were covered in slime and the monsters swarmed their party immediately. Sam and Alex dropped their pickaxes in favor of the backup swords to help combat their foes and eventually the final slime had fallen. When they descended, tired and panting from exertion, there was a shift in the air that gave Abigail pause.

It was much hotter in this cavern and the strange, eerie echoes made the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stand up on edge. The low, constant sound reverberated in such a haunting way that she wondered if they might be hearing the far-off cries of enormous beings imprisoned at the center of the earth. The sorceress shook the feeling and went to inspect the room.

There was a chest in the center and further beyond, Abigail was convinced she heard bubbling sauce in a pan. As she approached, the woman discovered why the room was so hot.

"Is that a pool of lava?" Sam asked out loud in disbelief. Her boyfriend went to the edge of the walkway to inspect the molten rock churning and seething below.

Alex corrected the blond. "I think it's called 'magma' when it's still underground." When Sam regarded him with a confused expression, the jock clarified. "Uh, Maru taught me that…" the brunet replied, looking embarrassed.

The women joined the others at the ledge. "Yup, that's some hot rock," Abigail acknowledged, stating the obvious.

Violet kept more distance between herself and the end of the platform, however. "I'm good here, thanks." The farmer tilted her head back toward the chest. "Why don't we check out what we got?"

Anticipation built as the four crowded around the elaborately decorated box. "I'll get it," Alex volunteered to open the chest.

Inside were four purple, star-shaped items. Abigail had never seen them before but judging from the little green leaves on the top, she had to assume they were plants.

Violet was the first to pull one out. "I've had one of these…" she revealed quietly. "They give you more energy." Abigail was curious enough to ask about it later.

Alex's brow rose suspiciously. "Is it some kind of drug?"

The pastel-haired woman shook her head. "No, it's just a Stardrop," Violet insisted. "But I think it's magic somehow. I bought one at the Stardew Valley Fair - and from the way the seller reacted, only certain people could see it on the board." Ah, that explained it. If Abigail had known, she might have bought one, too.

"I don't do enhancers…" Alex stated stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest protectively. "It's cheating, and it messes you up."

Violet shrugged. "Suit yourself, but it's perfectly safe. I just have a bit more energy than I did before," she countered with a pout, as if Alex had accused her of something unsavory. "I didn't suddenly Hulk out or anything."

Abigail picked up the unnaturally purple fruit and eyed it curiously. "So, you ate one of these, felt more energetic overall, and you didn't keel over dead?" the woman asked, somewhat sarcastically. It was obvious Violet was just fine.

"Not to my knowledge!" Violet chuckled. The farmer immediately took a bite out of hers. Convinced by her argument, the others did the same. While both she and Sam were eager to eat the succulent fruit, Alex took small bites, testing out how his body felt as he went. He's serious about not wanting performance enhancers, she remarked to herself.

As she took another bite, the sweet flavor hit her tongue as the fresh juice flooded her mouth. Strangely, her mind wandered to the memory of waking up next to Sam in the morning.

Leah had encouraged Haley to participate in another photography competition, so the blonde sat at the table in her girlfriend's cottage, pouring over her most recent landscape prints to determine which of the Winter scenes she should submit. While Haley was still not entirely convinced she would even place, the woman decided to give it a shot. There were a few she felt good about - they followed the rule of thirds well, giving the scene depth. Right now, Haley favored one with a small bird puffing out its feathers against the cold among brightly colored Winter berries.

The sparrow was a whole mood and Haley imagined the feathered creature longed for Summer just as much as she. Still, she did not want to limit her options, so she revisited her other photos to give them a second look. Haley had chosen a few back-ups when she noticed Leah's grunts of aggravation from across the room. Her blue eyes turned upward to check on the artist. "What's wrong?"

Leah turned, holding her chisel - two separate pieces - in her hands. Haley did not know much about sculpting, but she knew that the tool was broken. Her eyes softened. "That sucks," the blonde sympathized, pushing out her chair to join Leah in her sculpting space.

The redhead slumped to the floor, allowing the shattered tool to clatter to the floor. Haley knelt beside her and pulled her in close for a hug. Leah grit her teeth. "I made such a stupid mistake! I should have sharpened it before I started, it's been getting harder to work with the edge being so dull. I know better!"

Haley could tell from the tears pouring from Leah's grey eyes that this was about more than just a wood carving tool. The blonde held her girlfriend close and stroked the back of her head, smoothing the silky strands of red hair.

"What's wrong, Leah?" she whispered gently. "You've been acting weird this morning." Not only had her girlfriend declined the lemon poppy seed muffin that Haley baked for her fresh this morning, Leah had also stared blankly at the block of wood for about an hour earlier.

The artist shuddered in Haley's arms, but eventually spoke. "I got a letter from my parents this morning…" Leah confessed, her body still shaking faintly. "They said they just want to meet and have lunch together to celebrate my birthday, but… I haven't seen them since I broke up with Kel and left the city."

Haley heard Leah's voice crack under the weight of her anxiety. "What if they try to convince me to move back home with them?" she asked, voicing her concerns. "I left home a few years ago and my art career is just as stagnant as it was back then. I can't even honestly say that I'm financially stable."

The curly-haired woman bit her lower lip. "You know, lots of artists don't make it big until they're old or dead anyway. It takes a long time to hone your skills."

Leah pulled back from Haley's embrace, sitting on her heels. "So, I'm just supposed to hold out on the slim chance that I'll make it big in 20, 30 years, and hope for the best in the meantime?" The ginger was angry, but not at her. Haley was just the only outlet right now. "Part of the reason I broke up with Kel was because I wanted to continue to pursue my dream while I'm young and single, but I'm not going to be young forever!" Leah exclaimed.

"Do I have to put an expiration date on my dreams? When I hit 40 or 50 years old, am I just going to have to cave and start on the bottom rung of some 'respectable career?'" Haley's heart broke at the look of defeat on Leah's face. "Maybe it's better if I just sell out now, while I can at least save enough for a modest retirement when I'm old."

Haley had no idea how to comfort Leah during an existential crisis, but she gave it her best shot.

The blonde sighed and glanced over to Leah sympathetically. "Look…" she began softly. "I've never had a real job in my life. My parents paid for college, my living expenses, and I even got to move back into their house for free while they're traveling the world until who knows when." Haley's gaze focused on Leah. "Does that make me a failure?"

"No, I don't mean it that way," Leah assured Haley, shaking her head.

"Then stop being so hard on yourself!" Haley's mouth twisted as she tried to pin down the right words. "Leah, I still don't know what I want to do with my life. So, I really admire that you've got a dream that you're working so hard to achieve," the photographer expressed. "Whether or not you make it as an artist, that effort means something. Okay?"

Leah did not respond, but she did not argue, either. The artist exhaled heavily. "I'm sorry, this isn't your fault. I just - I've been worried about all this since the art show. I know we talked about trying again next year, but I've felt so stuck."

While she did not know what else to say to make Leah feel better, Haley could think of a few things that would make Leah forget about her troubles for a while.

The blonde reached out to caress Leah's cheek. "Then don't think about it," she suggested, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she leaned in close to her girlfriend's face. "Don't even try to do anything artistic for a few days, let yourself recharge."

Haley's eyelids fell half-shut over her bright blue eyes. "Just focus all your attention on me instead…" she ordered, tracing Leah's lips with her thumb. Leah blushed furiously, clearly not used to someone being so forward with her. Haley smirked.

Leah succumbed to Haley's kisses. "I can do that."

Penny fidgeted slightly as she set the table in her little guest cabin with three place settings. Elliott convinced her to invite Pam over for dinner, just to prove that she was doing well on her own, but the schoolteacher already had her doubts.

While living in this cozy little house for the past few weeks had been pleasant, Penny was growing tired of being so far away from everyone else in town. Violet was sweet to offer this place as a temporary refuge, but the farmer was not home most days. Not to mention it took far longer for Penny to meet the children at the library for school and she was ravenous by the time she arrived home each evening.

The schoolteacher was grateful that Elliott offered to bring food from The Stardrop Saloon for dinner tonight. Penny felt awkward going over to Violet's to use the farmhouse kitchen, even if her host did not seem to mind. She missed the facilities in the trailer, even if they were modest. Honestly, the woman wanted to return home, but caution held her back. Penny and Pam could never go back to the way things were prior to "the incident," but the young woman hoped that her mother was willing to change for the better.

At least, that was the goal of this meal together. To extend an olive branch and find some way to compromise so that they two could coexist under the same roof once again. But is that even possible? Penny questioned. Their history as mother and daughter was twisted and complicated. The brunette felt a strong sense of obligation toward her mother, but lately Penny reflected on whether or not she loved Pam. After spending several days meditating on the idea, the young woman came to the conclusion that their relationship had not been a healthy one from the start and no real love could come from their family dynamic.

The idea made Penny uncomfortable, but she knew deep down that what she wanted more than anything else was to be loved unconditionally. Perhaps that was the reason she felt so strongly about Elliott. He knew how to make a woman feel treasured, as if he only had eyes for her. Penny knew she was not anything special - she was the daughter of a single, drunken mother who lived in a shabby trailer by the river - but her boyfriend treated her as preciously as a pearl. Disowned by his father or not, Elliott was a gentleman in more than name. He respected Penny.

The problem was, Penny wanted Elliott to look at her as a woman. Not that he did not see her as a lady, but sometimes he was almost too bashful around her. Like when she fell into the water after their romantic boat ride, he hardly looked at her afterward for fear that he would do something "ungentlemanly." It frustrated her to know that she was not the one pushing the breaks on their intimacy, as she had originally anticipated.

Elliott was everything Penny could have ever dreamed of in a potential spouse. He was tall, handsome, he treated her well and never raised his voice at her. They had shared interests, like reading and poetry, and they both wanted children someday. While their relationships with their parents were somewhat rocky, Penny and Elliott could commiserate about that as well. He was even the first to mention the idea of marrying one another one day.

A knock at the door alerted her that her guest had arrived, and the schoolteacher immediately went to answer it. There was her mother on the arm of Elliott, who had escorted her through the snowy farm grounds all the way here from the trailer, Penny assumed. On the other arm, Elliott carried a canvas bag that must have their food from The Stardrop Saloon.

Pam beamed at her. "Well, ain't this a cute little place you've got here!" Her mother stepped inside and peeled off her coat, though she did not bother to tap the snow out of her boots. Penny's eye twitched. Elliott, who had removed his outerwear, began to unload their food onto the dining table.

"Shall we dine, ladies?" the poet asked politely.

Pam eagerly claimed the seat that Elliott pulled out for her. "For your first, you sure know how to pick 'em, Penny," the unnatural blonde cackled with a wink toward her daughter.

Penny bristled at the comment, but the young woman knew this was her mother's way of telling her that Elliott was growing on her. If Pam did not already approve of Elliott now, she was sure to do so after spending a bit more time with him.

Elliott offered Penny her chair and pushed her toward the table once she was seated. As he took his own, he explained which dishes were contained in the to-go cups and doled out servings for everyone. Penny knew her mother preferred to serve herself - she always took larger portions to avoid the "embarrassment" of being the only one to go for seconds - but this time she simply smiled at Elliott.

At least mother is trying, Penny reflected as she accepted her plate and began to eat. The room was silent, save for the quiet sounds of chewing. The brunette was not sure where to start this conversation with her mother without resorting to small talk, which made Penny feel more awkward.

So, she decided to get straight to business. "Mother…" Penny uttered quietly, drawing Pam's attention away from her food for a moment. "I would like to move back home with you, if that's alright."

Understandably, her mother appeared stupefied. "That's… great to hear, Penny," Pam replied slowly. "But I thought you've wanted a place of your own for a while, kid."

Penny nodded, her fingers threading through one another in her lap as she anxiously stumbled through her list of reasons why living on the farm was inconvenient for her. Elliott wordlessly placed his hand on hers, calming her nerves as she told her mother everything. When Penny was finished, Pam looked less doubtful, but the young woman knew had to list out her conditions for moving back home.

"But I have some rules if we're going to live together again," the brunette stated firmly. Perhaps more than she meant, but otherwise her words would have come out in a mousy squeak from the tense staring on her jaw muscles.

Pam corrected her posture, listening intently. Penny was not used to her mother's undivided attention, it unnerved her. Still, she had to press on. "First and foremost, I am an adult and I will be allowed to come and go whenever I please."

Her mother frowned at the reminder of what she had done to Penny, but Pam did not object. "Seems fair…"

This was going better than Penny anticipated. Her next request, however, may prove her fears valid. "I also… I want you to take personal responsibility," the schoolteacher stressed, her voice trembling a bit. Penny hoped Pam would not notice.

"What the heck does that mean?"

Penny flinched, and Elliott intervened to soothe her. "It is not so bad as it sounds, Miss Pamela," he assured her.

Penny gave Elliott's hand a grateful squeeze. After a deep breath, she provided her mother with an explanation. "It means that I don't want you stumbling home drunk in the evenings, even on the weekends." The brunette glanced up at Pam, trying to gauge her reaction. While the bus driver did not look happy, she still allowed Penny space to speak.

"I know that you have used alcohol to… cope with many things in our lives, but I would appreciate it if you were to moderate your usage so that you don't wake up most mornings grumpy with a hangover."

Pam sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright, Penny. I'll give it a shot," she agreed hesitantly. "But I have a condition for you, kid."

Penny froze. What could her mother possibly want from her? The brunette looked at Elliott, who smiled at her reassuringly. Did her boyfriend already know what Pam was going to say? If he approved, she supposed it could not be so bad.

Across the table, her mother sniffed in amusement. "You've gotta get out of the house more often and socialize, Penny. And I don't just mean going out on dates with your boyfriend here," Pam clarified, gesturing toward Elliott. "Go to the saloon on Friday nights or something! Go out and be with people your age instead of sitting in your room all night reading when you don't have a date lined up. You hear?"

Penny blinked, surprised by the demand. While she did not enjoy seeing her mother drink herself into a stupor, she supposed if Pam were to cut down on the drinking, it might be alright. Besides, half the town would go to The Stardrop Saloon on Friday evenings. She could talk to her neighbors and that would satisfy her mother.

"We have a deal…" Penny said, extending her hand toward Pam.

Sebastian knew he would have to work ahead on his assignments tonight to make sure he could go to the Night Market in Pelican Town tomorrow. But as he settled down with a mug and carafe of freshly brewed coffee for the evening, he remembered that Violet lost her phone in the apartment. He scanned the rooms quickly to see if his girlfriend left it anywhere obvious, like on the coffee table or the nightstand next to the bed before he began to search in the couch cushions and other places it could have fallen.

Sure enough, Sebastian found Violet's cell phone among a handful of questionable detritus underneath the sofa in the living room. It was critically low on battery, of course, so Sebastian got up to charge the device on the side table. But when the dark-haired man plugged in the phone, he noticed something out of place.

Among the books on the shelf along the wall next to the table, there was a bright blue spine among his father's collection that had never noticed. The book stuck out like a sore thumb, so Sebastian was convinced he would have seen it earlier if it had been there the whole time, yet the book was covered in a thin layer of dust. The title was in a language that the man did not understand, but the script was neat even though it appeared to be hand-written.

Carefully, Sebastian pulled the book from the shelf to study it further. It was not bound like modern books and he could tell that the text was incredibly old, but someone had lovingly cared for the condition of the binding and the delicate pages within. There was a note stuck to the front of the book.

Greetings, Sebastian…

I noticed you made a 'chilling' impression on your classmates. Let's see if you've got what it takes to become extraordinary, kid.

- Mr. Qi

Sebastian frowned as he recalled the day he accidentally became a living air conditioning unit in his classroom last term. That was at least a whole season ago and Sebastian only moved to ZuZu City two weeks ago. How long was this book sitting on this shelf? He did not like the idea that someone broke into Jay's condo to leave him a cryptic note. How had this person even known Sebastian planned on moving in? Was this a joke Jay was playing on him?

Still, curiosity got the better of him. Sebastian sat on the couch and laid the book on the coffee table, allowing the pages to spread out fully for better viewing. It took him a while to realize that this book had been taken apart and put back together at one point. The original pages were on the left, written in strange, but beautiful letters that were completely foreign to Sebastian. On the right side were newer pages, with what appeared to be a translation of the original.

It was a spellbook. Specifically, it was a book of magic that seemed specifically tailored to Sebastian's abilities so far. Void energy, ice, and some generally useful cantrips and other minor spells. Silent portal. Looking back, Maru had mentioned several times that she did not hear him come home at night. Maybe Sebastian had invoked the cantrip without realizing it.

Next was Amanuensis, which copied a text automatically at 250 words a minute. Sebastian had already used that to successfully copy Demetrius' field notes once. Sebastian felt his heart race as he flipped through the pages.

"Summon undead?" he read aloud. Sebastian had to admit that piqued his interest. He had spoken to a pair of skeletons on Spirit's Eve. Maybe he could try contacting them again? As his obsidian eyes flickered toward the translation, however, his heart sank.

To his annoyance, Sebastian realized that only the first few pages had been translated and the rest were empty other than the name of the spell itself. This stranger expected the rookie magician to do the remaining translation work, presumably to prove himself worthy of the knowledge. Sebastian was both irritated and in awe of the spellbook, diminishing his initial uneasiness regarding its source.

The new sorcerer sighed. I'm never going to be able to focus on homework now…