Elise pulled out one of the books. ‘The Legend of the Stardust Rose.’ It had been her mother’s favorite. The book was about  a glorious kingdom filled with magic ruled by a beautiful queen and her daughter, and four other princesses who were always at the main Princess's side, and the doomed love between the Princess and the Prince of a rival kingdom. Such a beautiful sad story. And somehow, every time Elise heard it,  she felt a strange sense that something was missing, that maybe the story wasn't really a legend. But that wasn't possible. Magic just didn’t exist outside of fairy tales. Elise slipped the book onto the shelf.

As Elise put the books away, one by one, a yawn overtook her. There was another reason she was so cold and was grumpy. Elise hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in the last few months due to vivid dreams. They started the night her mother  passed away. Elise could still remember the first one.

She had woken up in a unknown yet somehow familiar place. She was lightly armored and fencing with a sword that appeared to be made of stone, yet it was not heavy to her. She would practice swordsmanship, and the use of magic.