uphemis' childhood was, as she would describe it, rather unspectacular. Miraculously, she always had an easy and carefree life growing up, and would never trade it for anything. Euphee and her brother Finnley were raised near the Forest Colony, though they were never really a part of them. Their parents, Toras and Cadis, never quite liked living among that many cats, so they kept their distance whenever it was possible. Aside from her parents, Euphee's grandmother Acani and grand aunt Theia also played an important role in her upbringing, telling her about the wildest of stories and greatest of legends. It was through them that Euphemis first heard about the first Trials and the Legendaries that came out of them. She had always been fascinated by them and used to come up with all sorts of wild theories about what it must have been like. However, her favorite part had always been that about her great-grandmother, Euphemia. She herself had been named after her - Acani and Theia's mother - who had once set out on an adventure herself, so Euphee was told. The mystery of it had her captivated every time. "Back in the old days, this feisty she-cat risked everything to find Paradise", explained Acani, going on and on about how the two sisters were raised in a terrible wasteland, about their mother's dream of a better life and how finally, when Euphemia's daughters were old enough to take care of themselves, she set foot into a larger world, to one day fulfill her dream. "But that was the last we saw of her", was how Theia usually finished the story. "We never found out whether she succeeded. But, then again... we do live in a big green forest now - so do with that what you want", she winked to Euphemis and Finnley, who were eagerly hanging on her lips. Finnley was not only Euphemis' brother, but also her best friend, her partner in crime, her fellow adventurer. The two of them were inseparable, be it on hunting trips or expeditions to the coast. The ocean had always been their favorite view. An endless horizon laid before them as they sat on the cliff, the edge of the forest, dreaming about what might be behind it. But Finnley never let his thoughts drift too far. He liked the forest. It was their home, after all. He could never imagine living anywhere else, and would never attempt to leave it. But he knew that his sister didn't think that way. What she would give to see the world, just like her great-grandmother once had...

Euphemis had always been a bright cat. She knew the names of every flower she found, knew the sound of every bird, and the smell of every tree. But she wanted more. When she was one year old, her parents finally allowed her to visit the Forest Colony on her own. Before that, she had only ever seen the edge of it, when her parents went there to trade food or herbs. She was excited like a little kitten when she got there. It didn't take her long to figure out how things were structured around here, and after she had spoken to a few cats, she found out where Bluebell, the leader of the Colony, had his den. She had overheard her parents talking about him once or twice, and she wouldn't have been interested in him if he had just been that, the leader - but a certain bit of information had caught her attention. Bluebell could read! He could look at these strange symbols and know what they meant. He could decipher the knowledge of cats he had never met before, just by looking at those carvings. Now, that was something she wanted to learn. So, she returned to the Colony whenever she found the time, waiting for the perfect moment to ask him. Her joy was immeasurable when he agreed to teach her. Every day she would come to the Colony now, waiting to catch him in a spare moment to learn new letters. And every night at home she would practice carving her own words into bark and stones, until after three months of daily learning, Bluebell said there was nothing left for him to teach her.

But Euphemis wasn't done yet. There was so much left for her to learn, just... maybe not in her old forest. More than anything, she wanted to explore the world, but she knew that it would break her parents' heart. However, her wish would soon lose its importance when something unexpected happened.

A stranger, a warrior from the Plains Colony, crossed her path one day. His name was Cedar, and he had come to the Forest Colony to find a new, more peaceful life. Little did he know that there was something else he would find... which was an enraged cat shouting at him for scaring up a squirrel. That enraged cat was Euphemis, and the squirrel had been today's drawing reference. Indeed, Euphee had picked up painting as a hobby after discovering how to mash berries to make paint. No, her drawings weren't good, but she didn't care. She was just fascinated by the thought of capturing a moment in time, and keeping it alive for years to come.

Now that Cedar had chased away her artistic subject of the day, she needed a new one. And there was a mysterious - and surprisingly pretty - dark tom right in front of her - ears ripped and fur covered in scars. She had found her new inspiration, and she didn't leave Cedar any chance to decline.

Soon, the minutes turned into hours, and before the two knew what was happening, night had set in. Neither of them realized how long they had been talking, and neither of them wanted to stop. So, they decided to meet again the next day. And the next. And the next. Soon enough, Cedar and Euphemis fell for each other, until their love overshadowed Euphemis' wish to explore the world. What good was any of that anyway, if Cedar wasn't there with her? And the black tom didn't seem to want to leave either. The Colony had grown on him, and so had Euphee's family. He was a part of them now. The couple even had their own den. Everything was perfect.

Then came the rumors. Rumors about a mysterious illness that spread among cats, seemingly without rhyme or reason. The descriptions sounded terrifying: A couple of days filled with various symptoms - then, inevitable doom. The worst part were the eyes. Those blank red eyes, staring into nothingness. The cats weren't dead, no. They were alive, but at the same time they were not. It was a deeply unsettling thought for Euphemis. When the first case was reported in the Colony, she asked Bluebell how she could help. In the next couple of weeks, she collected herbs, built nests and took care of patients in all the Plague's stages. And when she would come home, she would fall asleep at Cedar's side, her nose pressed deep into his flank, tears running through his fur. Bad things happening to her family had always been her worst fear. What if one of them caught the Plague? What if she lost one of them to it? She had to find a cure, somehow. Euphemis was convinced that none of these cats were truly gone. There had to be a way to bring them back. But how?

How. That had been the word chasing through her mind for all those weeks to come. Not why. Not where. How. She had to find a way to stop the Plague. Now more than ever.

She woke up one day to find herself in the worst day of her life. Opposed to what she had feared for the entire time, it wasn't Cedar who caught the illness. It was Finnley. Her brother, whom she had always seen as a part of her, had caught the Red Plague. Euphemis was going insane. She tried every herb she could think of, whether it had been done before or not. In the end, it wasn't enough. After five days of suffering, Finnley's eyes finally went red. Never before had Euphee cried this much.

The two of them were inseparable. Euphemis would not leave her brother's side, no matter what anyone said. No one could get her away from him. Not even Cedar.

What it took for her to find hope again was the Calling. The Legendaries, Euphee's childhood heroes, had called for help. And she was going to answer. Knowing what her parents would say, she didn't tell them about her plans. Cedar knew, of course. He had promised to take care of Finnley and her family while she was gone, and Euphee knew he would never let her down. When they said goodbye, he gave her his scarf. It still had his scent on it after a long time away from home, and never failed to give her comfort. But before she left for good, she said goodbye to Acani and Theia. The old she-cats had always supported her, and that's what they did now. From them, she received two dried maple leafs, which she stuck on Cedar's scarf. They came from her favorite tree in the forest. They would remind her of home, Acani told her.

And with that, she left for Paradise Valley. Fear coursed through her veins, but also determination. It was the first time she traveled. The first time away from home. It was a scary thought, and yet, Euphee couldn't deny her excitement to finally see the world. She missed her forest, sure, but who knew what she might find. And after all, she did this for Finnley. Her brother would have done the same.

The view on Paradise Valley was breathtaking. The mountains had already amazed her, but this? Wow. There were so many cats there, too. Excited and nervous, she waited for the Legendaries to tell them what to do.

But those guiding words never came. No instructions, no explanation. No hope. She was rejected, like many others. Euphemis couldn't believe it. She came all this way, for nothing. Dammit, she couldn't come back like this! Not without a cure! But what was there for her to do now? Her only trace had led to a dead end. She couldn't do this alone, not when she didn't know where to start. Who would help her now?

As it turned out, there were a bunch of cats who felt the same way. They couldn't go back to their old lives as if nothing happened. They had to go forward. These cats were the strangest group Euphee had ever come across. But they were also the best friends she could have ever asked for. Pura, the fluffiest ball of sunshine. Valentine, the wise father figure. Asher, free-thinking and wild. Ghost, always ready to give help to whoever needed it. And Peony, the sweetest little being in this world. Euphemis adored these cats with all her heart, and would have spent a lifetime with them if she could. But there was still her own family back home. She missed them so very much, but this group gave her comfort. The Drifting Stars. That's what they called themselves. Vale, the poet, was the one to suggest the name, and everyone was on board. They even painted markings on themselves to show the world that they belonged together: A different star constellation for everyone. Euphee chose Pisces, which she proudly wore on her shoulder ever since.

Traveling with the Stars was amazing. There were so many new things to explore, things she didn’t remember ever seeing in her forest. However, soon enough, she got homesick - and was ecstatic when Asher, Pura and herself decided to visit the Forest Colony. That meant she could say hello to her family! She could see Cedar again, and Finnley. Check if everything was okay. They left the other Stars, but agreed to meet them again after their detour.

The reunion was bittersweet. Euphee couldn't bring herself to visit her parents, or Acani and Theia. She couldn't look them in the eyes after being rejected at the Valley. But she also couldn't not visit her brother and mate while she was here. Hearing Cedar's voice again mended her soul, but seeing Finn's dead eyes destroyed it again.

After a way too short time, she finally said goodbye a second time to venture out again, still looking for a cure. At least, that was what she told herself. Was she really still looking? Or could she just not stand the sight of her lifeless brother anymore? It was a question she couldn't answer. All she knew was that she left with Pura when she was asked to.

Asher came back a bit later than them, bringing along the newest addition to the crew: Ven. A mischievous little cat, but one with a good heart. The Drifting Stars were back together, but as they continued on their journey, the world was falling apart. Not long after they came back from the Colony, the Storm started brewing. An unnatural, relentless storm that destroyed everything in its path. The group fled into mountain caves when it was getting too dangerous to stay outside, and with that, the hardest time in Euphee's life began.

Would things have been different if she stayed with her family back home? Maybe not, but at least she would've known how they were holding up. Now, she knew nothing. Only darkness. Food was nearly impossible to find down here. They were starving, looking for a way out, but even if they should find one... the storm was still raging outside. They could hear it roaring above their heads, growing louder each day.

Euphee didn't remember how they made it to Paradise Valley. Was it their plan all along? Was it destiny? Mere coincidence? It didn't matter. All that mattered was that they found themselves in the Legendaries' main cave one day. Starving together with all the other cats down here - some with powers, some without. At least it wasn't as dark here. At least Euphee could see past her own nose now. But things didn't get better, if any, they got worse. Knowing that even the Legendaries, Euphee's childhood heroes, were clueless, robbed her of the last hope she had left. They were lost, all of them. Without a goal, without an end in sight. All any of them could do now was survive as long as they could, and beg for a miracle to save them.