The River of Miototo
I never intended to leave my world behind. One evening, as I wandered the empty streets after a long and heavy-hearted day, I noticed a door at the end of an alley — a door I was certain had never been there before. It was made of smooth white wood, carved with swirling symbols that seemed to shift when I wasn’t looking directly at them.
Curiosity pulled me closer. Without understanding why, I reached out and turned the handle. A soft, silver mist poured from the doorway, wrapping around me like a familiar song. In a heartbeat, I was no longer in my city. I had stepped into miototo — a place that felt at once foreign and deeply familiar, as if I had dreamt it a thousand times but forgotten until now.
Day 2: The Singing Forest
The first thing that struck me was the air. It shimmered as if filled with music too fine for human ears. I found myself standing in a forest where the trees were crystalline, their branches chiming softly with every breath of wind. Each note seemed to resonate inside me, calming the storm that had raged in my mind for weeks.
I wandered for hours, or perhaps days — time behaves strangely here. Beneath one great silver tree, I met a creature known as a Veilkin, a slender being woven from strands of light. It said nothing, but pressed a glowing orb into my hands before vanishing into the mist. The orb pulsed warmly, guiding my path through the endless forest.
Day 5: The Lake of Memories
Following the Veilkin’s gift, I found myself before a great lake, so still it looked like a mirror. As I peered into its depths, I saw scenes from my own life — moments I’d cherished and others I had buried deep inside. Faces of people I had loved, opportunities I had missed, dreams I had abandoned.
The lake spoke, not with words, but with feelings. It asked me to confront the parts of myself I had tried to forget. I wept by the shore until my tears became ripples on its surface. When I stood again, something inside me had shifted. I was lighter, though my path was still uncertain.
Day 7: The Endless Library
The orb led me onward to a city unlike any I had ever imagined. Towering above me were endless shelves, spiraling up into a starless sky. Each book radiated a soft glow and bore no titles. When I opened one at random, I realized it contained dreams — not written in language, but in vivid sensations, colors, and emotions.
An elderly librarian, whose face changed every time I blinked, told me that every soul had a book in Miototo’s library. Some books were thick with dreams realized; others were thin and sorrowful. Finding my own was a daunting task. It took days of searching before I found it — a slim, fragile volume hidden away in a neglected corner.
Reading it broke my heart and healed it at the same time. It reminded me of the wonder I had lost, the hopes I had once carried like treasures. I understood then: Miototo was not a place to conquer or escape. It was a mirror, reflecting the truth we often fear to see.
Day 9: Trials of the Hollow City
Beyond the library, I wandered into the Hollow City. Buildings made of shadow loomed overhead, and echoes of the past followed me down its empty streets. Here, doubts took physical form — dark, whispering figures that taunted me with my failures.
The only way forward was through them. I faced them one by one: the fear of being alone, the guilt of hurting others, the shame of wasted time. With every step, the city grew brighter, the shadows retreating until the streets shone like polished onyx under a golden sun.
In the heart of the Hollow City stood a massive gate woven from dreams. Beyond it, I sensed the end of my journey — or perhaps a new beginning.
Day 10: The Loom of Stars
At last, I reached the Loom, a towering structure of light and thread, hanging in an endless void. Beings of pure thought — the Aenari — worked tirelessly, weaving strands of fate into the vast tapestry of existence.
As I approached, the Loom responded, weaving a strand of shimmering silver that connected back to my heart. It showed me a glimpse of what could be — not a promise, but a possibility: a life full of meaning, of creation, of connection.
The Aenari offered no words, only a silent question: Are you ready to return?
I hesitated. Part of me wished to stay in Miototo forever, where beauty and wonder were endless. But another part knew that dreams, however sweet, are meant to fuel the waking world — not replace it.
I touched the silver thread. The Loom vibrated with a sound like a million soft voices singing. The light swallowed me whole.
Day 11: Awakening
I woke in my bed, the early morning light creeping through the window. For a moment, I thought it had been a dream. But there, on the table beside me, lay the glowing orb — now solid and cool to the touch — a reminder that Miototo had been real.
Something inside me had changed. The world outside my window seemed sharper, more alive. Colors were richer. Small joys — the laughter of a child, the scent of rain on pavement — filled me with a deep, quiet happiness.
Miototo had not erased my struggles. It had not promised me an easy path. Instead, it had given me a gift: the memory that even in the darkest places, wonder and hope could be found.