Most girls get a pony or a party for their tenth birthday.I got an entire forest and a haunted tower.
Honestly? 10/10. Would move in again.
The Forest of Lomendil was everything I dreamed of—isolated, overgrown, untamed. A little spooky. A lot magical. Four seasons bloomed across its cliffs like someone had spilled nature's paintbrush and walked away.
And in the middle of it, rising out of ivy and mist like a storybook secret…
My tower.
"You'll be safe here," Mother said, her hand on my shoulder.
"Alone," Theo corrected, arms crossed, still pouting.
"Alive," I replied with a small grin. "Which, if you recall, is the goal."
The tower was an architectural flex.
Three stories tall, made of silverstone and spiritwood. Warding glyphs pulsed faintly along the walls. A garden coiled around the base like a lazy cat. No front gate. No path. Just enchantments that allowed only me to pass freely.
When I stepped inside for the first time, it felt like… home.
The interior immediately responded to my thoughts.
The kitchen morphed into a cozy modern setup—enchanted stove, floating fridge, herb garden in mason jars.
The living space adjusted the lighting and summoned a soft jazz spell.
The bath filled itself with warm lavender bubbles the second I thought about relaxing.
And the bedroom?
Queen-size bed. Mountain of pillows. Self-warming blankets.A ceiling charm that projected the night sky—even during daytime naps.
I spun in a slow circle, arms wide.
"I am the queen of Nothing and I regret absolutely nothing."
My parents stayed one more day, casting protective spells and giving me that look.
The one that says "you're still our child, even if you're being extremely weird about this."
Theo gave me a bundle of letters.
"Open one each week. Or when you get lonely."
"I'm never lonely," I said confidently.
Then immediately cried the second they left.
Loneliness hits different when it's your choice.
But I learned to live with it.To love it, even.
The forest became my new world.
Every morning, I brewed tea with sun-heated water and read ancient books beside a floating spirit lamp.
At noon, I practiced spells in the clearing—elemental ones, nature-based ones, even silly ones like "summon fluffy socks."
At dusk, I cooked meals using ingredients I grew or summoned—glow mushrooms, sunbeets, something that looked like a carrot but had caffeine in it (my personal favorite).
The spirits liked me.
I didn't see them often, but I felt them. Whispers in the wind. Warmth in the air. A spark across my fingertips when I cast with intention.
"You're strange," a spirit once whispered during meditation.
"You're nosy," I whispered back.
It didn't answer, but the next morning, the entire garden had weeded itself. So I considered it a win.
Occasionally, a letter from Theo arrived via enchanted hawk.
He asked how I was, if I needed anything, whether I still ate "those weird mushrooms."
I answered:
"Alive.""No.""Yes. And they slap."
By month three, I had:
Invented a spell for instant popcorn
Created a magical playlist that sang lullabies in four languages
Grown an actual tomato that sparkled when sliced
By month six, I realized…
I hadn't thought about the original story in weeks.
No Lilith.No demon invasions.No prophecy.
Just me.Just peace.
Until the day the wind changed.
I was in the middle of enchanting a teacup to refill itself with chamomile when the air shifted—sharp and unfamiliar. Like a magical signature brushing against mine.
It didn't enter. Just… observed. Flickered. Gone.
I froze.
That wasn't a spirit.
That wasn't mine.
"...That's not good," I muttered, backing into the tower.
I thought I had more time.
But maybe the story I'd hidden from had finally started without me.