x
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox8ffsaMs4
Lumi had always felt different. It wasn’t just her wild, auburn curls or the way her cheeks flushed pink even in the cold—it was her eyes. Large and glimmering like a pond under the noonday sun, they shifted colors with the light, dancing between shades of green, gold, and amber.
The villagers whispered about them. Some said she was cursed, a child of the river spirits. Others thought her eyes held ancient secrets best left undiscovered.
But Lumi didn’t care. She spent her days wandering through the fields beyond the village, letting the wind play with her hair and the sun warm her skin. She loved nature, the way the trees whispered in the breeze, the way the earth smelled after rain. And most of all, she loved the river.
The river was her refuge. It shimmered like glass, its waters cool and deep, reflecting the sky like an endless dream. She would sit for hours at its edge, dipping her fingers into the rippling surface, humming little songs to herself.
One afternoon, as Lumi crouched by the water’s edge, she noticed something unusual. A single golden lily pad floated downstream, carrying a small, vibrant green frog on its surface. Unlike the dull brown frogs she had seen before, this one was speckled with gold, its skin glistening as if dusted with stardust.
The frog leaped onto the riverbank with a graceful ease, landing right at Lumi’s feet. She gasped, staring into its round, knowing eyes. They were the same color as hers—shifting, glimmering, filled with something more than just reflection.
“Hello there,” Lumi whispered, tilting her head.
The frog blinked once, then let out a soft, musical croak.
A strange warmth bloomed in Lumi’s chest. It wasn’t fear or surprise—it was something else. Something familiar. As if she had known this little creature all along, even though she was sure she had never seen it before.
Carefully, she reached out her hand. To her astonishment, the frog didn’t flinch or hop away. Instead, it took a small leap and nestled onto her shoulder as if it belonged there.
Lumi held her breath, her heart pounding.
For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel different. She felt whole.
And in that moment, as the golden sun dipped below the trees and the river whispered against the shore, Lumi knew—this was no ordinary frog.
This was a gift.
ns 15.158.61.16da2
