A/N This short was created to celebrate the 3rd birthday of the creation of the Duskwood game.
The air is crisp as you walk along the cobblestones toward the town center. The sun shines down on all the familiar landmarks. The old fountain, kids running happily around it. The Rainbow Café, the outside tables are still full even in the autumn weather. The Flower Bar, the library, and the little souvenir shop are all tucked in among the old buildings. The spire of the church rises into the sky in the distance. It all fills you with such warmth. How did this little town, tucked next to a forest in Germany, find such a home in your heart?
It all started with a text. A man looking for his missing girlfriend. A sister who accused you of being involved. The best friend who loves to bake and fills her Instagram with tasty food. A bubbly redhead and cheerful mechanic. A gruff, but lovable cynic who takes care of his mother and those around him. A flirty bartender and a police chief who is trying to figure everything out. And him, the mysterious wanted hacker who has changed your life even though you have never seen his face.
You did not know when you answered that text that it would lead to friendships around the world. That you would discover friends on the other side of a screen. That you would develop relationships with those thousands of miles away.
You walk into the Aurora, smiling at the barkeep as he nods and points you to the private room in the back. Here your friends are gathered to celebrate the birth of this town. There is just one person missing, but shortly after that thought passes your mind, your phone begins to glitch. A familiar eye logo appears before a video chat opens. The figure on the other end of the call sits in the shadows with his hood up. It is still unsafe to share his face. The computerized scrambled voice begins to speak, "Hello. I await the day I can gather with you in person and not through this screen."
Now that the group is complete you raise your glass and toast, "To friends, to Duskwood, and the town's founders!"