Born in the enchanted glades of Eldoria, Dawn Starling’s life was destined to be extraordinary—and heartbreakingly fraught. Her parents, were no ordinary elves; Her mother was a Celestial Weaver, gifted with the ability to channel starlight into magic, while her father was a Guardian of the Verdant Circle, a sacred order that protected Eldoria’s balance of life and magic. They were celebrated figures, their powers revered by their kin, but with greatness often comes peril.

One fateful night, when Dawn was only six, an ancient menace known as the Nightblight returned from its dormant slumber. A dark, consuming force that thrived on despair and chaos, the Nightblight unleashed horrors upon their village. Creatures born of shadow—twisted beasts with glowing crimson eyes—descended upon the villagers like a plague. Her parents fought valiantly, their combined magic a beacon of hope against the encroaching darkness. In their final act of sacrifice, her mother cast a protection spell that shielded Dawn, while her father struck a fatal blow to the shadow beast’s leader. But their victory came at the ultimate cost—both perished, leaving their daughter to bear the weight of their loss.

The protective ward that encased Dawn saved her life, but not without consequence. The lingering energy of her mother’s magic seeped into her, amplifying her innate gift for healing but tethering her to the echoes of the Nightblight. For years after the tragedy, Dawn would hear whispers—fragmented voices from the shadows—and feel an unshakable pull toward the darker corners of the world.

Raised in the Oakshade Abbey orphanage, Dawn lived in isolation despite the monks’ kindness. Her healing abilities often frightened the other children, for her magic glowed not only with the warm light of life but also flickered with an unsettling shade—remnants of the Nightblight’s touch. While the abbey provided her with safety and learning, Dawn longed to leave its confines and uncover the truth about her powers, her family’s legacy, and the world beyond the forest.

By the time she turned 20, Dawn had spent years combing through the abbey’s ancient texts, many of which spoke of the human realm—a place untouched by Eldoria’s magic. Among these writings, she found mention of Woodcrest, a bustling human town known for its university and its devotion to the art of healing through science and medicine. To Dawn, Woodcrest represented a chance to start anew, to blend her magical gifts with human knowledge, and perhaps even to find answers to her lingering connection to the Nightblight.

The journey to Woodcrest was not a gentle one. On her way, Dawn encountered trials that tested her resolve. In the depths of the Enchanted Hollow, she was ambushed by shadow creatures bearing the Nightblight’s mark. Though wounded, she unleashed her healing magic in a way she had never before—melding life and starlight into an explosion of energy that banished the shadows but left her near unconscious. She also crossed paths with an enigmatic wandering sorcerer who hinted that her mother’s pendant, the crescent moon entwined with ivy, was a key to unlocking forbidden magic—but at a great risk.

By the time she reached Woodcrest, Dawn was weary but unbroken. The town was unlike anything she had imagined—its streets bustling with humans, its air alive with the hum of machinery instead of magic. Finally finding her way to Woodcrest University to apply for enrollment so her new journey in the human world could begin.