The Second Wish — Meilin

I brushed my lips with my fingertips lightly, savouring the feeling while it lasted.

“Two years was far too little for this romance to bloom, huh?” A playful voice, sweet as honey, cheerful as a ringing bell, teased. It seemed to be coming from one place, but echoed from all around.

I was back in the strange, white room—the Intermundium.

A lady was meditating in the middle of the room. Despite having no wind, her silky hair flowed in the air, orange like maple leaves. She addressed me with a wink and strode towards me.

There was a halo on her head, decorated with flowers. Marigolds, anemones, irises, and orchids.

Her eyes shone a light cobalt blue. She wore a heavenly smile on her lips, one dazzling enough to charm a thousand men.

“Hello, Meilin. You might’ve learned of me from Haruki, but this isn’t the first time we’ve met before.” She gave a tiny wave, then gestured to me to accompany her. “I’m Cecilia. Or more widely known as the Guardian of Elysium.”

Cecilia is captivating. From up close, her hair was spotless, glistening like a heavenly maiden’s. She was human, but had the appearance and grace of a nymph. If you look carefully enough, you could see that her eyes resemble the sunset by the beach.

There was a celestial bridge ahead of us, radiating faint colours of the rainbow. Like a rainbow road. The path towards home.

“You know, if you had wished to return to Earth the first time, you wouldn’t have to take on this strenuous journey to make a second wish,” Cecilia remarked, marching along with long, graceful steps.

I quickened my pace to catch up with her. “But if I didn’t journey through Elysium, I would’ve never learned to love my life.”

She smiled, “Of course.”

“And now that your eyes have adjusted to magic, you’re able to see me.” Cecilia chuckled, gently raising my head to make sure I was listening to her. “Treasure your magic sight. Who knows, you might be able to notice weird things back on Earth.”

“That doesn’t sound one bit reassuring.” So this is where Haruki got his chattiness from.

Cecilia gave a small giggle, one that resonated through the Intermundium like an enhancement spell. “You might even be able to spot a god or goddess on vacation. I know some of them love traveling to Earth. You know, when I first arrived at Elysium, I could glimpse bizarre things as well.”

“I thought you were born in Elysium.”

“Oh no, I was born in a world with much more intense magic. The land of mages, they say.” Cecilia stared into the distance with a dreamy look in her eye. “The magic is disorderly—a land without the control of a god. Humans, in that word, are a lowly species. I remembered my mother sent me here for that reason.”

“Like how the strays are inferior to humans in Elysium?”

The flowers on her head glowed a faint scarlet red, “No. It was much worse. In fact, humans were feasted on in my homeland. Even humans have to consume their own species to survive. It was truly horrid."

I recalled reading a book about cannibalism. For some reason, horror books were a hit in high schools back then.

“But oh well, there are worlds worse than that.” We’ve reached the end of the rainbow road. “Now, it’s time for you to return. Hehe, I could hear your heart beating with anticipation already.”

There was a mirror in front of me, but I could not see my reflection in it. Instead, it was a mysterious, fairytale-like portal.

“Do you think they would believe me if I told them about this journey?” I asked Cecilia as I removed the ribbon from my hair. It was given to me by Himari, and it was red like raspberries.

“I think not.” Cecilia chuckled, taking the ribbon from my hands. “However, as long as it’s true to you, it doesn’t matter.” She tied the ribbon back in place. “Now, go on, dear.”

I extended my arms into the mirror, feeling my body leaning into the other side. With a gentle push from Cecilia, my head was submerged in the mirror.

“Wo—woah!” I fell headfirst into a bottomless void.

“Your mother’s waiting for you at the bridge.” She whispered, sending a kiss through the air. That was the last thing I heard from the Guardian of Elysium.

The void wasn’t dark.

It was filled with light and fragments of my memories.

With each shattered glass shard, there’s a piece of my memory.

I traveled down the abyss of remembrance, savouring every bit of my memories, both fond and averse ones.

I let my worries soar high to the sky, laughing and cheering in glee.

For a moment, I felt like a child again.

Hmm…

What a long dream.

Or was it?

I woke up in a hospital bed. The room reeked of chemicals, and glasses of orchids and roses were placed next to me, along with get well soon cards. There was a large machine next to me, constantly beeping. The sky outside was pink, signalling the start of the night.

I felt the fabric in my hand. A ribbon? It was red in colour and soft to the touch.

Somehow it felt important. I smiled to myself.

Then, a soft voice echoed in my mind, whirling around my heart, and magically wrapping the ribbon over my pinky. “Your mother’s waiting for you at the bridge…”

“Mom.”

I threw off my covers and ran out of the hospital ward.

“Wait! Please, wait!” A nurse shouted after me, but my pace never slowed. My heart pounded rapidly like a rabbit was hopping inside. I rushed into a lift and quickly pressed ‘Ground floor’.

Outside of the hospital, I noticed a quiet bridge perched on top of a river. The winter atmosphere had my toes frozen, but that didn’t stop me from dashing out barefoot.

A woman stood at the bridge, staring down at the cold waters, muttering something to herself.

“Mom!” I cried out, tripping over my toes and plummeting onto the frigid, solid ground.

“Meilin?” She twisted her head so fast it could’ve given her whiplash. “Meilin!”

I pulled myself back up with all the strength remaining in my body. “Mom, I’m sorry!”

Before I could react, she clutched me tightly in her arms. “Oh, Meilin. My Meimei, I’m so sorry.” I could feel her warm breath on my neck.

For an eternity, both of us said nothing.

But the silence had said everything.

No words were needed. We stayed warm in each other’s embrace, while bawling our hearts out. I had never cried this much, yet my heart was warm. It was tingling with so much joy it might explode.

I missed her so much…

“Mom, can I have sweet and sour pork for dinner?” I asked while sobbing. She squeezed my cheek playfully, “Of course, let’s go to your favourite restaurant.”

The curtains were drawn over the sky, and the night fell. Stars sparkled and danced around the galaxy, humming a soft tune as they flaunted their brilliance.

Beyond the Earth and skies, in a faraway galaxy, a singular star scintillated the most. Glistening more than any other star, it silently celebrated a victory. It wasn’t a victory of its gods, not even of a nation. It was simply the triumph of a group of travellers. However, it marks the beginning of something much more brilliant—the start of a brand new era.

And the name of the star, you wonder?

The world of ideal happiness, magic, and paradise—Elysium.

In the blink of an eye, five months passed, and so did the university entrance exam. After the exam, there was no more school. To help with my family’s financial situation, I was now on my way to my first day of work at a florist shop.

I tied a red ribbon in my hair and put on a stylish dress.

One time, I was walking through a shopping district with my mother, and this doll-like dress caught my eye. It was calling out to me, as a cat-like voice popped up in my mind: A witch must wear a witch’s proper attire, like how a student wears a uniform, nya.

That’s how I ended up buying this dress.

I arrived at the florist shop and was met by a clumsy girl holding a large basket of flowers.

“Please help me!” She squealed as the basket threatened to tip over and fall. I rushed over and took the basket from her. I suppose this is my new colleague.

“Phew! I can’t believe how heavy these flowers are!” The girl wore a rose-red uniform with a shining gold badge attached to it. It resembled the uniform of a prestigious girls' school.

“You have school today?” I asked the girl, who was busy arranging some flowers.

“No, I have a graduation party after work. I couldn’t decide on a dress, so I just put on my uniform, hehe.” She wrapped a bouquet of roses, “And also, you’re going to be my colleague for some time, so why don’t we introduce ourselves? I’m Yu Yangkwai. Yang as in the sun and kwai as in sunflower! But most people call me Cas. What’s your name?”

I’ve missed this feeling.

Does she remind me of someone? An image of a girl with ribbons in her hair flickered in my mind. 

Never mind, if I overthink too much, my hair will turn grey. Better answer her question first.

I smiled and shook Cas’s hand.

“My name is Mak Meilin.”