Chapter 1: The Dreams of a Little Girl
The afternoon was calm, and the sunlight was slowly fading, accompanied by the sound of crickets in the background. In the garden, a little girl with dark, pink-tinted hair and bright eyes played with a small stick she had found among the fallen leaves. The stick was her magic wand, the one that allowed her to summon fantastical creatures and cast spells at her will. She waved the wand back and forth, imagining she was controlling the wind.
— Look, Mom! — she exclaimed, looking towards the window while waving the stick. — I'm casting a spell!
From the door, her mother heard her and smiled fondly. The little girl had always been a whirlwind of imagination.
— Bianca, it's time for bed, — said her mother, with a soft but firm voice.
The girl made a little grimace. She knew it was time to go to bed, but she still wanted to play at being a powerful sorceress, so she did what any responsible child her age would do: ignore her mother.
That didn't last long, though, when she heard the most terrifying thing of her life.
— Bianca! If you don't come here, I'm taking away your magic books! — her mother shouted.
Little Bianca couldn't live without the magic books her parents had bought her.
It was the only thing that made her happy after her father's fencing lessons, and imagining being the sorceress who fights dragons.
Scared by the imminent threat, she ran into the house, throwing herself onto her bed as her mother turned off the lights and sat beside her, ready to tell her favorite bedtime story, as she did every night.
— Did you bring the little stick you found? — the woman asked the girl.
— It's not just a stick, Mom! It's my magic wand! — Bianca shouted angrily.
Her mother, amused by her daughter's imagination, apologized to her and to the "magic wand."
The little girl, content, settled into her bed, gazing up at her mother with eyes sparkling with excitement.
As it was time to sleep, her mother began a new story. Among all the books in her room, only her parents could reach the upper shelves. Bianca couldn't wait to grow up and be able to read any book she wanted without restrictions.
— Mom, your stories are incredible, always full of adventure, sometimes mystery, sometimes romance, but above all, fantasy. Stories of brave heroes, full of fun and mystery, they have it all. I wish our world were like those stories of magic, don't you? — she said, her voice full of longing and enthusiasm.
Her mother smiled as she stroked her daughter's head.
— Sweetheart, who says those worlds aren't real? — she asked, letting the words float in the air.
The girl looked at her, confused, waiting for an explanation. Her mother smiled mischievously.
— Let me tell you a new story, a story from a very distant time, when magicians walked among us.
The girl's eyes sparkled with excitement. She always loved stories about magic, where the impossible became reality.
— A long time ago, — began the mother — people lived in peace and harmony. The streets were a safe place, everyone knew each other, and they helped one another. There were no wars or disputes. Everyone was happy with their lives. One day, something extraordinary happened: some people began to develop supernatural powers. Some could fly, others could become invisible and speak with animals, and some could even control the elements, like fire, water, or wind. These people began to be called Magicians, — she said with joy.
The girl, fascinated, couldn't help but imagine those times, a world where magic existed.
— That sounds amazing, Mom! — she exclaimed, her eyes brimming with excitement.
Her mother sighed sadly before continuing.
— At first, people were amazed by the magicians, there were magicians who used their powers to help others, and they lived happy lives, until the people without magic began to change. —
Her daughter looked at her, confused by what she had just heard.
— Fear began to take over people. They feared what the magicians could do with such power. They feared that the magicians might use their abilities dangerously, or even dominate the weaker ones against their will. Humans decided to eliminate them. —
The little girl furrowed her brow, confused.
— But why, Mom? They're humans too, right? — she asked, her voice tinged with innocence.
Her mother smiled tenderly, stroking her daughter's face.
— Fear can make people do terrible things, sweetheart. You can't control how the people around you act, especially those who are trying to protect their families, — she said, looking sadly at a ring on her left hand, where a tiny yellow crystal sparkled.
— But it's not fair! The magicians wanted to live in peace too… Don't they believe in justice or rights? — the little girl said, feeling downcast. She looked up at her mother's warm eyes in silence.
With sadness, her mother continued the story.
— Then, suddenly, a group of people began hunting the magicians. They were called the "Magician Hunters." They started chasing and capturing them, one by one, until they had caught them all, regardless of whether they were men, women, or even children. The magicians who remained, afraid of meeting the same fate as their fallen companions, began to hide. Some did it out of fear for their lives, others from helplessness and the bitterness in their hearts. Slowly, the magicians disappeared, and over time, people forgot about them. The stories of magic became mere fairy tales, legends, things only whispered about—extraordinary people who vanished and were forgotten by humanity. To them, people who are different are the villains of the story. —
The girl grew quiet for a moment, her small hand gripping the stick as if she were trying to imagine that magical world, destroyed by the selfishness of bad people. Why had they destroyed such a beautiful and perfect world?
— So… the magicians don't exist anymore? — she asked, her voice tinged with sadness.
Her mother smiled softly and looked into her eyes.
— Some of them are still among us, hidden, waiting for the day the world no longer sees them as a threat. They still dream of a place where they can live without fear, where magic is accepted as much as they are. They all hope to fulfill their dreams, but due to fear or rejection, their hands are tied. —
The little girl sighed with emotion, looking at her mother with a big smile.
— Mom, I've decided. I want to help people! — the little girl said, leaving her mother surprised by her decision.
— If their hands are tied, I will be the one to free them! I want to give them the world they dream of, a world where they're not seen as the villains of the story. —
Her mother looked at her with tenderness and let out a soft laugh at her daughter's words.
— What an interesting dream, my dear. In this world, there are some very bad people. If you want to fulfill that wish, you must grow strong, to protect others. But don't forget, you must also think about yourself, — she responded to her daughter, gently removing the ring from her hand, looking at it with nostalgia.
— This ring is special to me, and I've always protected it with my life. If you keep it safe, it will protect you on your journey to your ideal world. — The little girl, accepting her mother's gift, hugged her immediately.
— Thank you, Mom. I promise I'll take care of it! I love you, Mommy! — The little girl looked at her gift with joy, touched by her mother's faith in her.
— I love you too, my little warrior, — said her mother.
With that, the night came to an end, and the story of a little girl with a dream where a fantastical world could become a reality continued.