Coco wasn't a witch, not even an apprentice, until the moment she accidentally turned her mother into a petrified statue. Coco is a young girl who becomes an apprentice witch in Qifrey's atelier after a single mistake changes her life forever. She was born as an outsider, also known as the unknowing. In this world, the outsiders are ordinary people who are not supposed to know how magic truly works.
But after accidentally using forbidden magic and turning her mother into stone, or crystal, Coco is taken in by Qifrey. From that point on, she begins her journey not just to learn magic, but to fix what she has done and find a way to save her mother. Her goal is very clear. She wants to reach the Tower of Tomes and find the exact spell she used so she can reverse it.
To understand Coco, you have to understand where she came from. Coco grew up in a small village made entirely of outsiders, with no resident witches and very few magical tools. In this universe, outsiders are taught that magic is something you must be born with.
They believe witches are special people chosen at birth. Because of the Day of the Pact, outsiders are not allowed to learn the truth. Instead, they rely on magical items called contraptions, objects enchanted by witches that let normal people use magic in limited ways. Because of this, Coco's exposure to magic was rare. Most of it came from trips to the city.
What's wonderful is that even the smallest spell filled her with wonder. The moment that really made her love magic was when she saw a simple glowstone path spell. It was actually made by Olruggio, the watchful eye for Qifrey's atelier. To Coco, magic felt beautiful, mysterious, and very special.
One of her most important childhood moments happened at a castle festival. Her mother gave her money to buy a roasted strawberry treat, but Coco made a different choice. She bought a small picture book filled with magic drawings from a mysterious seller. That seller even gave her a free wand. What Coco did not realize was that the wand was actually a pen. The seller was a Brimmed Cap witch, and Coco would eventually become their child of hope.
That single decision gave Coco hope. Even though outsiders believed they could never become witches, she started to dream that maybe she could.
Another major part of her life is her work with her mother. Coco helped in the tailor shop, where she developed strong practical skills. She became very precise with measurements and could cut cloth in perfectly straight lines. Qifrey described her focus and steady hands as something close to magic itself. But to Coco, it was never magic, because in her eyes magic had to be something dazzling and extraordinary.
The real turning point came when she secretly watched Qifrey cast a spell. In that moment, everything she believed was shattered. She discovered that magic is not something you are born with. It is something you draw.
That discovery led directly to the worst moment of her life. Later that night, Coco tried to recreate the magic using the book and the wand she bought years ago. At first, her attempts worked. Simple spells activated successfully. Encouraged by this, she traced a more complex spell without understanding it. That spell was petrification.
The moment it activated, it turned her mother and her home into stone. Her biggest mistake became the moment that defined her life. Luckily, Qifrey arrived just in time to save Coco herself, but he could not undo what had already happened, and Coco's mother was not spared by the cruelty of the forbidden magic.
In this world, forbidden magic is a kind of magic that has been banned since the Day of the Pact. This rule says that magic drawn on the human body, or magic that changes the human body, is not allowed. Spells that can greatly change the environment are also banned. The only exception is a memory wiping spell, which is still allowed.
Qifrey explained the truth of the pact. According to him, outsiders who learn how magic works are supposed to have their memories erased. Coco panicked, knowing she would lose everything. But instead of following the rule, Qifrey made an exception. He gave her a choice, to become a witch and study in his atelier.
This decision made Coco both an apprentice and a risk. The book she used came from the Brimmed Caps, a group connected to forbidden magic. Because of this, Coco became a target. The Brimmed Caps began watching her, and her presence put the other apprentices in danger. At the same time, she became the lead Qifrey had to find them. That's why he made sure her memories could not be erased.