…
…
…
"Mui-Wah…"
…
…
"Mui-Wah…"
Emily's voice echoed as she continued her meditation. The purple sea lapping against the clouds was the only other sound that was heard in this little corner of her mind. The trees were absolutely still, unnaturally so…but what would you expect from a place with a purple sea?
"Muuui-Wah…" Emily chanted again as she cleared her mind of thoughts. This place was her sanctuary, her escape from reality. Times had been hard, and energies had shifted in unusual ways. Emily wasn't sure what was happening, but the balance had certainly shifted, and she wanted to know why. As she was going to clear her mind again, she became aware of another being in her realm. That was odd…no one was able to come in here before…not even her own sister. She opened her eyes and saw a familiar face looking back at her. She jumped in surprise, shattering her concentration. She walked a little closer, unsure if this was real, or an image of her mind's eye.
"Eve…" she muttered as she looked the farmer girl in the eyes. "Why are you here?" she asked. The farmer girl looked down and away, hugging herself.
"I don't know…I don't even know where here is…" Eve muttered. "I don't know why I'm here…what I'm doing…what's going to happen to me…" Eve looked up at Emily. "I'm scared that I'm doing something wrong." Emily's expression softened a bit as she approached Eve.
"You don't need to have all the answers right now." Emily said back. "It's okay to not be okay…everything happens for a reason. It's fate." as she spoke, streams of rainbows flew above them like comets across the night sky. Emily's face looked puzzled as she looked up at them, wondering what this meant. Then, a thought popped into her head. "This reminded me of something…even the tiniest, blandest, simplest light holds a wonderful secret." she smiled and looked over at Eve. "Now I know why you're here! It's a sign!" and then she let out a laugh. Eve looked a little confused but then smiled.
"I don't really get it…but if that's what you tHiIiInNnN-" Suddenly her body shook violently before she vanished into thin air. Now Emily was alone again in her dream.
"Eve…there's something special about Eve." she said as the world around her melted, which meant she was going to wake up soon. "Our destinies will intersect…" then blackness. It swirled and swirled into a new scene. From the back seat of a car looking forward, seeing a couple driving together. They were talking and laughing. The woman looked back at the passenger in the back seat with a big smile on her face.
"We're so proud of you Evey." the woman said to her. "You played so beautifully and didn't make a mistake!" Eve giggled and hugged the flowers she was holding. A gift from her parents after a lovely performance.
"Thank you Mommy!" she said back. "Mr. Beels was so happy too! He said I can go to the next level! I'm so excited to learn more piano songs!" the woman gave a thumbs up.
"Well, you're going to do great dear. And guess what? We have a surprise for you!" Eve looked a little confused, but that smile never left her face.
"Really? A surprise? For me?" she asked. The man who was driving nodded and looked back for a moment as they stopped at a red light.
"That's right! We're going bowling! Cosmic bowling is happening tonight, so we'll go play together!" Eve gasped after hearing this. She started bouncing in her seat.
"Really?! We can use the bumpers too? Cheryl doesn't let us use them when we play together." her Mother nodded.
"Of course we'll use the bumpers. We can't all be professionals like Cheryl." to which everyone started to laugh. Then, everything went dark. Eve looked around so confused. She couldn't move, she couldn't see…and everything was dark.
"Mom? Dad? Where are you?" she asked, trying to stand by the seat belt wouldn't budge. She kept looking around as she wasn't sure what was going on. "Mommy! Daddy! Where did you go?" she yelled, clutching onto the roses she was holding, only for them to wither and rot right in front of her eyes. Eve gasped and threw them away. "What is going on? MOMMY! DADDY!" she yelled again and then suddenly, she felt pain. She held herself and groaned. "It hurts! Mommy it hurts!" Then, she started to hear a beeping sound. Eve's vision was starting to come back…but she was in an unfamiliar place. She was in a room, in a bed. There was someone hanging over her.
"Oh my god, she's woken up. Quickly, call the doctor!" the person cried and then looked back at Eve. "Sweetie, it's okay, you're safe now." Eve groaned again. She couldn't move; it hurt too much. She looked over at the woman.
"Where's my Mommy and Daddy?" she asked. "I wanna see them…where are they?" The nurse's face was still a little blurry, but Eve knew a sad look when she saw one.
"I'm sorry honey…they didn't make it…"
—-
It was morning all too soon. Eve could feel it, the humidity was sticking to her, making her already feel like crap. Maybe it was because Stardew was so close to the beach, but she already dreaded the summer days. Miso was already mewing for his food, wondering why it was taking his Mom literally forever, in cat time, to get it.
"Miso please…" Eve groaned as she slowly got out of bed. "I just need a second…" she yawned and stretched as she finally stood up. Eve went to the mini fridge she had purchased and pulled out a can of wet food. "You're lucky you're cute Miso." she said as she walked to his bowl and knelt down. After opening the can, she scooped the food into the bowl. Miso took no time to start devouring his breakfast. It made Eve smile. She was happy she could give this cat a good…better life than he had before. Eve quickly got herself ready for the day and went outside. Almost immediately, the heat hit her. She wiped her brow as she pulled out her watering can and started to water her crops. A little bit of everything…for the community center of course.
"Drink up little guys." she said as she carefully sprinkled them with water. After she was done, she dumped the rest of the water over herself to cool off. She let out a refreshed sigh. "A little better." she muttered and decided to cut down some trees. As she whacked the trees with her ax, it occurred to her. She felt stronger; she had more energy. She felt good! Eve stopped as she watched one of the trees fall down. Last month, she could barely cut down a tree without having an attack…but now? She could cut down several trees and feel fine afterward.
"...is something…wrong with me?" she asked herself as she started to whack the stump into wood. "This newfound strength…it's come on too fast. I know it's not natural…" she let out a little sigh as she went to chop the next tree. "And these dreams…these dreams are my repressed memories…am I having these dreams now because I'm stronger? Like…I'm strong enough to face the truth?" She watched the next tree fall. "...I never really mourned my parents. I don't even know where they are buried…" she looked over into the distance toward the statue on the other side of the greenhouse. She walked over to it and looked at it. Was this…where her Grandfather was buried? She knelt down and placed her hand on the statue, closing her eyes.
"Thank you Grandfather. Thank you so much for this second chance…I promise…I will not let you down…I'm going to do my best." she opened her eyes, feeling a sense of confidence. No matter what, she wasn't going to give up again. She stood up and finished the rest of her chores without much more effort. Yes, she was tired, but the fact she wasn't in pain or having an attack was…cause for concern. "Maybe…I'll go visit Dr. Harvey. Just in case." she said and put her tools away. The walk into town was the same as always, though Eve was on the lookout for new forages. The Junimos wanted things from each time of year, so it was important that she be on the lookout. And lo and behold, on her way, she spied a pink sweet smelling flower. She knelt down and carefully plucked it up. She sniffed it for a moment and smiled. "That's really sweet…" she said and put it in her bag before walking.
Pelican Town was the same as ever, though she noticed people were out and about more. Maybe it was because it was summer, or just because it was nice out, who knew? Eve made her way to the clinic, her thoughts still swirling in her mind. She started to replay the memories she had witnessed. She remembered the piano recital and how happy it made her to play the piano. She remembered previous visits with her family to the bowling alley, and how much fun they would all have dancing and bowling. As she reached for the clinic door, it opened and the person leaving collided with Eve right at the entrance. Eve closed her eyes on impact and staggered back a few steps. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" she exclaimed.
"I apologize as well. Ms. Eve. I wasn't watching where I was going" Eve looked up and saw none other than Elliot! Why was he here right now? Her face flushed as she straightened herself up, getting out of his way.
"No no…I was lost in my thoughts…" she replied. Elliot chuckled and held the door open for her.
"Well, I'm sorry for knocking you out of your thoughts. You must have been thinking of some very intense things." Eve nodded as she walked into the clinic's lobby. Elliot was behind her and closed the door.
"A little bit." she said and rubbed her neck. "But…enough about me. Are you okay? Since you know…clinic! Right?" Eve shook her head as she tried to calm down. Elliot again let out a little chuckle.
"My, I certainly must have flustered you Ms Eve. My apologies once again." he said and then paused for a moment to gather his own thoughts. "But I am fine, I came to see the good doctor for a check-up. My back has been hurting and I was given some tips on how to avoid that in the future…and that I need to go out into the sun more often." Eve just couldn't help but smile. At least he was okay.
"Well…I'm glad you're okay. And hey, if you're ever in the neighborhood, I'd be up for a walk." Elliot thought about it for a moment and then nodded back to her.
"I believe I will take you up on that offer Ms Eve," he said and then opened the door again for himself. "Well, I must be getting back to my home. There is plenty more writing to be done. Until next time Ms Eve." he turned to leave but then stopped. "Oh right, I almost forgot. Do you have a cellular phone?" Eve nodded and pulled out her phone. "Would you give me your number? So we can make plans for those walks, I mean!" he turned away for a moment and Eve looked confused. Was he okay? But she nodded back.
"Sounds like a plan!" she said and the two of them exchanged numbers. Elliot then bowed and closed the door behind him, walking back toward the beach. As he got past the town square, he looked at his phone and smiled.
"...what an interesting encounter…it's always a surprise with you, Ms. Eve." he said as he pocketed his phone.
Meanwhile, back at the clinic, Eve walked over to the counter and waited for someone to come out from the back. It wasn't long before Maru came out and smiled brightly at Eve.
"Eve! Welcome! What can we do for you?" she asked. Eve smiled back at Maru.
"I was wondering if I could see the doctor. I have concerns about my health…" Maru started to look concerned, as she knew of Eve's condition.
"Are you feeling alright? Do you need to sit down?" Eve shook her head.
"No, I'm okay. There are just some things I'd like to discuss with the doctor. Does he have time?" Maru nodded at her.
"Our only scheduled appointment just left, so come on back!" she said and walked around to the examination room. Eve followed her and sat on the exam table. Maru quickly took Eve's vitals and went to give her folder to the doctor. It wasn't long before walked in.
"Well hello again!" Harvey greeted her with a smile. "I was thinking about checking in. How have things been going with the therapist? Had a few sessions?" Eve nodded as she held out her arm for Harvey to take her blood pressure.
"Yeah, I've had a few. I think they've been fruitful. Been…carefully negotiating my trauma." she said as the band tightened to the point of being uncomfortable. She waited for a second to watch it drain. "She's nice though…and I'm glad she is remote. I don't really have a way to go to her office directly." Harvey finished writing something down in Eve's file and then reached for another instrument.
"She does sessions with a few people here, myself included," he said as he tapped Eve's knee, making her flinch. "I guess that could be considered a little weird, but I still stand by the fact that she does good work." After a few more tests on Eve, he had finished the examination. "Well Eve, I have to say, I'm not sure why you came in today. You seem perfectly healthy to me. Why did you come into the clinic today?" Eve signed as she looked down at the floor.
"Well Dr. Harvey…that's what I'm worried about. I'm TOO okay." she looked over at the wall as she continued to gather her thoughts. "I've only been here for…a little more than a month now. I've been feeling less fatigued when doing my work. I feel stronger, like I can endure more. I don't think it's natural to have this kind of strength in a short amount of time, right?" Harvey was taking notes and glanced up once and a while.
"When was your last attack Eve? If you don't mind me asking?" Eve sighed and thought back to that night. Where she fell at the saloon and Linus had found her.
"It was last month. I had some smaller ones but…that was the last impactful one that put me on the ground." Harvey nodded and smiled at Eve.
"Well." he started. "I understand your concern…but I don't think it's anything odd. You came out of a rather toxic environment and came to one that is…more calm? You've become accustomed to this place quickly, which is good! It could also be that because you've become stronger, you're able to handle more. Your body is healing, your mind is healing. It's going to take more time for you to be fully okay…and your heart will most likely never return to its normal state. However, slowly, you're healing by being in a less hectic space. I know you have some routines while at the farm too, as you have your chores to do. And slowly, they don't take as long because they've become routine. I know it seems fast, but to me, this is very normal." he gave her a reassuring smile. "Though if you are concerned, I can do some tests and have them sent to a lab to ensure that everything is alright. Would that help ease your anxiety?" Eve thought about it for a moment and then nodded. Harvey nodded back and got some tools from the cabinet. He put on a new pair of latex gloves, got a vial and needle, and put a rubber band around Eve's arm. "Now, you're going to feel a pinch, a little pinch in 3, 2…" and without saying one, he started to draw Eve's blood. Eve flinched and tried to relax, but Harvey was quick. He pulled the needle out, took the needle part and dropped it into the box for contaminated items, and then put a cap on it. "There we are. I'll send this off. I'll go through your insurance and then get you a quote, alright?" Eve nodded again as he put a bandage over the incision area. Lastly, he untied Eve's arm.
"Thank you Doctor. When will the results come in?" Eve asked. Harvey put a label on the vial and then pondered a second.
"I think…a few weeks. I'll send you a letter, alright?" Eve nodded as she opened the door. "Have a good day Ms. Eve!" Harvey called and Eve smiled back. She went to the front where Maru was ticking away on a computer.
"Hey Eve! Your visit is 100g." Eve nodded and handed her the coins. "Thanks a bunch, have a great day!" Eve waved as she went to the door.
"You too Maru." as Eve opened the door, she was immediately face to face with a familiar purple bearded man. Eve covered her mouth to avoid screaming cause he was right outside the door. "Don't scare me like that!" she said in a hushed tone.
"What? Who scared you?" Maru asked from inside, trying to see outside. Eve nervously turned around.
"Oh! Uh…it was a rabbit! I nearly stepped on the poor thing!" she said with a little forced laugh. Maru let out a sigh and smiled.
"Thank goodness you didn't, or else we'd have to go visit Marnie!" she joked. Eve again forced out a laugh.
"Haha, right? Alright, see you later!" she said and finally closed the door. Then she huffed and faced the Wizard. "Seriously, you scared me! What is your problem, why were you right outside the door?" The Wizard's face was very stoic as he answered.
"I was merely waiting for you from here. No one else would have been able to see me. To anyone else, you talk to air. This is how to choose to walk among the Townsfolk…aside from Linus." he said and then started to walk. "Now come with me Eve, we have much to discuss…" Eve let out a sigh and followed. She didn't fully trust him, but…this seemed important. She decided to go along with him and take this walk.
At first, it was silent. Eve walked with the Wizard up the stairs and toward the community center. Eve felt a little uneasy. A visit from the wizard was a rare thing, and at the moment, she had no idea why he wanted to talk. Though she had to go to the community center anyway since she had some foragables to drop off and an iron bar. Why did this short walk feel like it was going to take all day? As they finally got to the building, the Wizard opened the door with his magic and gestured for her to go inside. She walked in and the Wizard closed the door behind him.
"Now then…" he started to speak. "How have you been progressing here?" Eve looked a little confused. Was this all he wanted to talk about? Maybe he just wanted a quiet place to talk about it where they wouldn't be interrupted.
"It's been going alright." Eve said back and walked toward the crafting room with the Wizard right on his heels. She went to the scroll and knelt down. Some of the junimos started to peek out from their hiding places, making the little sounds they made. Eve smiled at them as she placed the spice berry and sweet pea flower onto the scroll. "One more for this one…" she said and then looked at the Wizard. He seemed to be studying the scroll and then looking around the room at the junimos.
"So, this is what they have you do? You gather items from around the valley and you provide them to the junimos via the scrolls? Eve nodded as she left the room. She had a rather large bar of iron she needed to donate to the boiler room.
"It depends on the scroll. They ask for different items and they reward me with different things. Seeds, things like my furnace that produce other items, food, things like that. It really depends on the bundle." she explained as she walked down the stairs and into the broken and dank boiler room. She knelt down to that scroll and placed the iron bar on top of it. It sunk down into the paper and then Eve sat up. The Wizard walked over and looked at some of the other bundles.
"You're missing quite a few here." The Wizard said and looked over at Eve. "Have you been neglecting going to the mine because of that one bad experience?" Eve gave the Wizard a dirty look. Of course he would know about that.
"I nearly died down there! If it weren't for Linus, I would be dead." The Wizard nodded and crossed his arms.
"I'm going to tell you the truth, Eve. You need to finish these scrolls as soon as you can. While there is no initial rush, it is imperative that you complete this project." Eve sighed and pushed past him. She went up the stairs and sat down on the ground. A junimo waddled over to her and made their little sound. Eve smiled and picked up the tiny creature.
"I'm only one person Mr. Wizard." she said, now looking up and seeing him leaning against the wall. "I can't go any faster without any help." The Wizard was quiet for a moment, but then spoke up.
"Rasmodius." The Wizard chimed in. Eve looked confused yet again. Now he was just making up words.
"Pardon? Rasmus?" she tried repeating, making the Wizard chuckle a little bit.
"My name. You may call me Rasmodius. I think it will be easier for both of us, don't you think? Mr. Wizard is a bit of a mouthful." he looked up at the ceiling, giving a smile and a wink. Eve was even more confused.
"Okay?" Eve just sighed. Why did it feel like he wasn't taking any of this seriously? "I know if I told people, they'd think I was crazy. I've been trying to subtly get information on what I need. I wrote down a lot of it in my journal. But since I'm the only one looking, well, it's going to take some time." Rasmodius walked over to Eve and took the free hand that wasn't holding the junimo. He opened her palm and started to draw something on it with his finger. Eve watched in amazement as some sort of rune flashed for a moment and then disappeared. Rasmodius stepped back and let go of the hand.
"I believe that should aid you. I have connected the bundles progress to that rune. If you open that hand and draw that symbol, its magic will show you what items are missing from each bundle. This should help you better keep track of your progress." Eve just kept looking at her hand and let the junimo down as she stood up. She looked at the Wizard.
"Thank you. I think that does help." she said as she put her finger on her palm and drew the symbol. A little light shone from her palm and brought up the rooms that were still in progress. She touched one and the bundles came up. Then she touched a bundle and saw exactly what was missing and what had been given. As soon as she closed her palm, it all disappeared. She just stared at her palm for a moment and then looked up at the man. "Why are you helping me?" she asked. Rasmodius shrugged.
"If I am being honest, I want to see where this goes. I want to know why the junimos are here, why they want gifts from the valley. And what will happen when you complete one of these rooms. For me, this furthers my understanding of the junimos and their behavior." he said and turned to the door. "Now, there is another matter I wish to speak about. It is about you." he gestured to her to follow. "Come, let us walk. I wish to breathe in some fresh air." Eve thought that was a little weird, but followed after him.
"By my understanding, he never wants to go outside. Something else is going on…" she thought and followed behind him. Eve closed the door behind them and walked toward the mountain. This time, Rasmodius spoke to her.
"So…how have you been feeling?" he asked her. Eve looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.
"What…do you mean by that?" she asked him back. The Wizard paused for a moment to contemplate an answer.
"I mean your health Eve. You were at the clinic earlier today. Are you still feeling sickly?" he said back. Eve paused for a moment and shook her head.
"No…I don't feel sick." she paused to gather her thoughts. "I went because I thought my…recovery…was going too fast if anything. That I was starting to feel better faster. I thought it was abnormal so I wanted to make sure there wasn't an underlying issue." as they reached Robin's house, the Wizard answered.
"I can tell you why your health is improving so quickly," he said. Eve's head shot over to him, a surprised look on her face.
"You can? How? Why?" Rasmodius let out a little chuckle as he climbed the hill and stairs that were right next to Robin's house. Eve followed behind him and both stopped when they got to the top. Finally, Rasmodius spoke up again.
"Eve, do you remember the potion I gave you when you first got here? To help you read those scrolls the junimos left you?" Eve nodded. "Well, I've been studying you ever since that day. I know that sounds peculiar, but hear me out." he paused and cleared his throat. "I had a second reason for having you drink that potion. I wanted to see what it would do. I knew it would solve your issue, but I also felt like maybe there was more it could be capable of. And well, I've concluded something. It has changed you. The magic itself has merged with you." Eve looked scared and then started to study herself. She didn't feel different right now…and she looked alright. Was something really wrong with her, and the Wizard was the cause? "Your physical appearance has not changed. And I will tell you that no, you're not in mortal danger Eve. You can calm down." The Wizard continued to speak. Eve immediately let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding in.
"So…what happened to me?" she asked. Rasmodius shook his head.
"How do I explain this…well…the forest magic within you was supposed to just aid you with reading the junimo scrolls, but instead has done much more than that. More than I expected it to do." he explained and crossed his arms over his chest. "You've been feeling stronger, yes? Like you can handle more of the chores you do on the farm? That you don't get tired as easily? That every morning you feel refreshed and ready to take on the next task, no matter how daunting?" Eve nodded, and looked up at him with a scared expression on her face. "And…the dreams you've been having…the memories you've revisited. The times you were at your worst. You are able to face them and not become crestfallen. You have the strength to face them unlike before…even repressed memories of your past." Eve looked down at the ground. It did…make sense. It was only recently that she had these dreams. She used to not dream at all, and now she was dreaming almost every night. She closed her eyes for a moment to reflect what was being told to her. She was changing…and the reason for this change was the magic that Rasmodius had given her when she first got here. But then, a thought popped into her head.
"That doesn't explain why my attacks have gotten less…frequent." she said, putting a hand over her heart. "That magic can't heal my heart, right? Wouldn't I physically feel that? Every doctor I've ever been to has told me that it's not fixable without intensive surgery." The Wizard thought about it for a moment.
"Perhaps because your body is stronger now, it puts less of a strain on your heart. Though perhaps the magic could help with that particular problem, I am unsure if it can heal it completely…but then again…I wasn't expecting the magic to go this far with you." Rasmodius walked over to Eve and put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to me. There are things that can potentially help you further." he dug into his pocket and pulled out an old tattered page. On the page was a picture and some text in a language that Eve did not understand. "Have you ever seen this before?" he asked her. Eve took the page and looked at it. There was a picture of a star shaped item on it. Eve shook her head.
"No I don't know." she replied to him.
"This is called a Stardrop, a fruit with magical properties. I am sure that eating one could further enhance the magic that is already inside you, could make you even stronger." Rasmodius explained. She nodded and pocketed the page as the Wizard backed off. Maybe she could be on the lookout for them, at the very least. "I know I am a recluse, Eve, but you can trust that I am on your side. If you need aid, please know that you can come to me." Eve nodded at him.
"Th-thank you…this is a lot to take in suddenly…but it does kind of make sense, doesn't it?" the Wizard nodded and then looked at the rock wall for a moment.
"There is a little more Eve. If things continue the way that they have been, you may start to notice things you could not do before. You have a connection to this land; it will help you as long as you help it." The Wizard then walked in front of the rock wall. "Stand back and observe what I mean…" Eve nodded and took a few steps back. Rasmodius took in a cleansing breath and then closed his eyes. After a few moments, his hands started to glow. The ground started to quake and rumble around them. Linus came out of his tent and watched as the Wizard did what he was doing. Soon, the rocks shook violently before crumbling into dust. Eve looked amazed, her gaze transfixed onto what she was watching. Soon, the rumbling stopped and the Wizard let out another breath. "There. The path is clear." Eve walked over to see that indeed, a path was opened up…and Rasmodius had done that with his magic. She silently looked at her hands, wondering if this was something she could do. The thought scared her.
"I'm not so sure about this anymore…" Eve said in a quiet voice. "What…what if I can't control the magic? What if something goes wrong? What if I hurt someone?!" she said, now getting panicked about all this. The Wizard gave her a reassuring smile.
"You won't. Not anytime soon at least. And if and when you do have abilities like this, then you can always come to me. I will help you learn control." he said and looked over to see Linus. "Hello my friend. Sorry for the noise." Eve looked and finally saw Linus standing there. He waved at them.
"No bother, I heard most of what you spoke about, but I didn't want to interrupt." Eve looked mortified. She had completely forgotten about Linus' tent being right there! She turned pale as he walked over to them. "So, is this what you meant about things changing?" the Wizard nodded. Linus nodded back and looked at Eve. "I won't say anything. You know me, I don't go near the village unless I'm looking for food. I'm just glad to have my bath back. If you'll excuse me." Linus then walked past them both and up the path. Eve was just baffled and the Wizard laughed a hearty laugh.
"That's Linus for you. A grand confidant that one. You could benefit from getting to know him better, Eve." Rasmodius said as he watched Linus just walk up the path. Eve shook her head, finally getting herself out of her thoughts.
"What's up that path anyway?" she asked. The Wizard thought for a second before answering.
"Let's see…there is a spa with a hot spring in there, a handy tool for restoring your strength. A train station where trains often pass through Stardew Valley. Maybe now that the train station is accessible, people can travel by train again. And then…" he paused for a moment and then shook his head. "That's everything there. Nothing else of import." He started to walk away from there. Eve paused for a moment and then followed him. She only now noticed that it was night time, and she should be getting back home sooner than later anyway.
"What happens now?" Eve asked as she walked with the Wizard. On the path she noticed some grapes and went over to them. She picked them up and put them in her bag before catching up to the Wizard.
"What happens now is we wait and watch. I am now going home to rest. Using that spell took more out of me than I thought." he glanced over at Eve. "But be mindful of all we spoke about today. The future of Stardew Valley could very well be in your hands, Evelyn Turner." he said, making Eve shudder.
"I really don't like having my full name said like that." Eve replied, making the Wizard let out a chuckle.
"Noted." he replied as the two continued to walk to their homes.
—-
Later that night, when everyone should be asleep, an associate from Joja was on the radio with his partner.
"That's what I said man. The path is already opened up. Didn't you feel that earthquake earlier?" he asked into the radio.
"I was in Grampleton at the time, but I heard about it. The boss wanted that path cleared and it's cleared now. I don't see what the issue is." The man took off his hardhat and scratched his head.
"I don't know, what do we tell the villagers? They're gonna ask questions, right? Unless quakes like this are the norm?" there was a sigh over the radio.
"Alright, I'll call him. Hold on a second." the other guy said. Soon there was the sound of a phone ringing.
"What in the hell do you need that it couldn't wait until the morning time?" came the voice of Morris through the radio from the phone.
"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you. But did you feel that quake that happened today in the store?" Morris groaned and let out a sigh.
"Of course I did, it caused a huge mess. Took that janitor boy hours to clean it up, even with others helping. Why does that matter now?" he said, extremely grumpy.
"Well, it seems like the effects from that quake are everywhere. Tony is at the site where he was gonna survey the rock wall blocking the spa and train station. And the rocks are cleared out. It's like they weren't even there to begin with. People in the village are going to ask questions about it, right? What should we do?" Morris paused for a moment before answering.
"Say we cleared it. That the quake loosened the rocks and we did the rest of the work. That'll make those gullible villagers grateful to us, and perhaps we'll get even more customers in. Done deal. Is that all?" he asked.
"Yes sir." the man over the radio said. "You heard that Tony?" Tony looked at the rock wall and nodded.
"Yeah, sure, whatever you say." he said and disconnected the radio. He just looked at the cleared road for a second. "It couldn't just be a quake…could it?" he asked himself before shrugging and going back to his home to sleep.
Writers Note: I know it's been a hot second since I updated, and I apologize. life hit me in the gut and it put me down for a while. However, I wanna give a big shout out to Westee, who DM'd me out of the blue one day and said that they liked the story and was sad that there wasn't more. Well, now theres more, and I've already started to storyboard the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy!