A wish on the fountain

Merinda has no intention of coming over to this place. But she has cried enough for a tough day. Bad weather, bad people, and bad news. Her boyfriend, a Stydian, was just texting to break up their relationship, and she was longing more than anyone in this world to know the reason why. He is not the first one to leave; she also dated lots of men before, but her mood is still like the first days to crumbs into pieces when they leave. Her friends are nice people. They want to help her out like the best of friends when they see her red eyes and wet eyelashes. But Merinda is not someone who is into hangouts or anything they can do. She is an introvert who loves keeping all the venting to herself and, rather, not bothering anyone. She has enough time for herself inside a dark room, and when she picked up the phone to call them, they recommended that Merinda visit this place for a tranquil moment for her soul. She is at the very beginning of another path, yet she still wants to collect a little bit of luck to stay by her side this time.

After spending hours having some shots of cocktails alone to wipe out all the tears, she got her messy thoughts all in place. Leaving a femimine-concept bar in Prismacity at 1 a.m., Merinda returns to her origin location: Meadowing. It is quite a long time since she left this land for some chance of a job, and then another 5 years passed away in a blink. The quick and busy waves of work keep coming in, and Merinda does not have time to revisit her hometown at all. Her parents, who adopted her, are not here anymore. They might have moved to another side of Meadowing or Redwood without telling her. It is fine, though; she does not want to waste time paying a visit to their place. That is enough to say they should not have taken her in the first place. But to enjoy the nostalgia, Merinda let those bad memories slide.

The forest welcomed her with its open arms of large trees covered in moss, vines spreading everywhere without a sign of being intervened. Even though the sun has not yet risen, the magical particles are still floating around, acting like the natural sources of light that lit up the way for her. Being in a forest all alone when it's dark everywhere sounds like a terrible experience to anyone, but the excitement and warmth of welcome she felt wiped away all her fears. Merinda closed her eyes and let her feet guide the way for a short while, and it is like she could return to the carefree childhood days playing with the beautiful nature just by opening up her eyes. A cool breeze embraced her face quickly before continuing its way into the woods. Merinda stopped and looked at the direction it was going. She realizes something as the environment around her slightly changes.

- Just like the wind leaving for continuation, I should let him go.

The sounds of flowing water slowly invade the silent world of Merinda and the forest. It pulls her back to reality, not to face the harsh life but to gently rub on her wounded heart and give out calming sounds. Slowly, as she feared this serene and fragile scene would end if she moved too fast, Merinda turned back to land her vision on a stunning fountain.

It is unknown who built it, why is it here, or what profit it can make. There lies a large fountain inside the Meadowing Woods where the beautiful blooms reside, and a wish could be granted if you come pay it a visit. That is all they have to say about this fountain. Merinda is not a big fan of spirituality or the idea that a mysterious force could give you something if you do this or that, but she believes in her own mentality and feelings. Right now, it gave her tranquility inside her soul, like an invitation to try something new. If she has been with her Stydian boyfriend and his human colleagues for too long, she might have lost faith in magic. Now is the time to live and believe as any Lopilu would have always been.

- O' holy fountain of the... umm... the Lopilands residents? Please listen to and... fulfill my request?

It's hard to say something so formal and make it sound magical in every fantasy story available. Lucky for her, there is nobody around, or Merinda would die of embarrassment. It takes so much to remain calm and unchanging like her usual attitude, and now is the moment for her to be more genuine with her own emotions. The flowing water, stunning scene, and all alone are enough to make her feelings much more sensitive.

- Alright, I don't know how I should speak to activate this magic, but well, if it works, it works. I only have a wish—a simple one, maybe. I want to meet and love a man I can take care of and rely on. Someone who's ready for a long-term relationship and is responsible for what they have done. Is that too hard?

A question unanswered. It's just like the future, which cannot be foreseen or predicted. Merinda knows it's her own actions to help get the goal closer, but everything else is beyond her ability. She'll wait for fate to complete it. With a cleared mind, she dips her hand into the cool fountain water, slowly waves it, and picks up a flower. So gently, Merinda placed a kiss on it as a thank-you.

She returned to the path that leads out of the forest. The sun has risen yet still chooses to hide behind thin lines of clouds, giving shiny ray lights to the world that's slowly waking up from last night's dream. Merinda still has no plan inside her head, but she knows that her life will change today.