Mystar Moon diary entries
Day 39
I've reached the seventh level.
Only one remains.
A single level stands between me and leaving this island.
I ought to be happy. I spent so long dreaming of the moment I could finally return to Venore, see my family again, wear decent clothes, and sleep once more in a bed that doesn't smell of old wood and dust.
But today, as I walked through the village, I felt something unexpected.
It wasn't fear.
It was longing.
A longing for Rookgaard.
Perhaps I am beginning to understand what this curse has done to me. It stripped away everything I knew and forced me to discover who I am without my family, without my fortune, and without the privileges I had always taken for granted.
Day 32
Life in Rookgaard no longer feels completely alien to me.
That might be the most frightening thing I have written in this diary.
Today, I found myself choosing where to hunt, calculating how much food to carry, and checking my gear before heading out. I did it all without thinking. As if it were second nature.
I, Mystar Moon—heiress to one of Venore's wealthiest families—now know exactly how many creatures I need to defeat to earn enough money for my next meal.
If someone had told me this a few weeks ago, I would have laughed.
Day 25
Today I reached level five.
Five.
Three more to go.
It doesn't sound like much when I write it down, but I'm beginning to realize it won't be that simple. The island is becoming more dangerous, and my adventures are taking me to places where I could actually die.
I've been thinking a lot about the curse.
Why me? Why Rookgaard? And why level eight?
Perhaps there is some meaning to it. Perhaps someone did this to me. Or perhaps I am simply looking for meaning in something that has none.
In any case, I do not intend to stay trapped here forever.
Day 14
I'm getting stronger.
I don't know exactly when it happened. Maybe it was after so many fights, or simply because I started paying attention to what I'm doing. I no longer fear entering unknown places the way I used to.
I've also discovered something unpleasant: I'm enjoying this.
There's a strange feeling in achieving something using only my own hands. In Venore, almost everything came to me before I even had to ask. Here, every coin I earn and every creature I defeat feels like it truly belongs to me.
Perhaps I'm starting to change.
Day 11
I've reached level three.
It feels strange to write that. In my old life, I never thought about measuring my growth that way. Here, however, every small victory feels significant.
I can already walk around the area without feeling completely lost. I know a few paths, I know where to find easier creatures, and I've started to recognize some of the other adventurers.
I still miss Venore.
But today, for the first time, I spent a few hours without thinking about going home.
Day 7
I'm beginning to understand that Rookgaard has its own rules.
Everything seems to come at a price. Food, weapons, equipment—even a safe place to rest. And unlike in Venore, no one seems willing to solve my problems simply because my family has money.
Today, I spent a few hours exploring the area and facing smaller creatures. I'm starting to learn how to fight. I'm not good at it yet, but at least I no longer hold my weapon like someone who has never seen a battle.
Perhaps that is what the curse wants to teach me.
Day 2
Today, I killed my first creature.
It was just a rat.
Even so, my hands were trembling afterward. Not because of the difficulty, but because of how strange it all was. In Venore, I probably would have screamed if I found a rat inside the house. Here, I had to chase one through a dark tunnel just to get a few coins.
I returned to town covered in dirt.
I have never felt so miserable.
Day 1
I spent much of the day trying to understand how things work in this place. I quickly discovered that my surname impresses no one here. When I mentioned that I am a Moon from Venore, the man behind the counter simply went on with his work.
I never had to think about such basic things. Where to get food? Where to sleep? How to get money? In Venore, those questions simply didn't exist.
I managed to get a small weapon and a few coins. It isn't exactly the kind of equipment someone from my family should carry, but apparently, I have no choice.
Tomorrow, I'll try to explore the area around the village.
Day Zero
I don't know how long I was unconscious. When I opened my eyes, I was lying on damp earth, with the smell of salt in the air and the sound of waves very close by. My first reaction was to look for my belongings and call out for someone. No one came.
In the distance, there were some buildings and people walking about, but nothing that resembled Venore. I asked where I was and received an answer I still find hard to believe: **Rookgaard**.
I have no idea how I ended up here. The last thing I remember is being at home. Then I felt that strange sensation of cold running through my body, and after that, everything went dark.
I tried to go back to the harbor. I couldn't. The further I moved away from the island, the stronger the pain became. The curse is still upon me.