Rain drizzles outside the window, drawing silver rivers down the glass.

Rika sits curled in a blanket, a notebook in her lap and a pen trembling between her fingers.

The first page reads:

“Dear Me, I’m sorry I abandoned you. I’m ready to listen now.”

In the days that follow, Rika does something she hasn’t done in years: she feels.

She cries when she needs to. Laughs without guilt. Speaks to herself with kindness.

Every morning, Vini appears—sometimes balancing a motivational quote on her head like a crown.

“You’re not lazy, you’re just lost. And now we’re mapping the stars.”

They make lists together—“Things I love,” “Things I hate,” “Dreams I buried.”

Sticky notes bloom on the mirror like flowers:

I am not behind.

I am allowed to start over.

The world needs my colours.

One evening, Rika lights a candle, takes a deep breath, and writes a goodbye letter… to her old self.

“You were always trying so hard to fit in.

To please everyone.

To be ‘normal.’

But you don’t need to hide anymore.

You were never broken—just blooming in silence.”

With trembling hands, she fed the letter to the fire, letting go of everything it once meant.

That night, in a dream, she stands once more in the Garden of Forgotten Dreams.

But something has changed.

Where wilted trees and cracked toys once stood, now grow vibrant fields of glowing wildflowers, painted skies, and a crystal pond reflecting stars.

“See?” Vini whispers beside her. “When you love your inner world… it starts to bloom again.”

The next morning, Rika does something bold.

She opens her laptop.

Types into the search bar:

“Creative jobs abroad in art, design, or media.”

She doesn’t overthink.

Doesn’t let fear narrate.

She applies.

To a job in Austria, New York, Seoul, and Japan—in the same city as Naoki, the singer she’s admired for years.

“You’re insane,” Rika mutters to herself, grinning nervously.

“But maybe a little magic lives in madness.” Vini chuckled

Days pass. Then weeks.

Rejection emails.

Silence.

More silence.

Still, she wakes up every morning and works on herself.

She takes free online classes.

Reads books about mindset.

Practices digital illustration.

Watches videos about healing.

One night, after finishing an online art challenge, Rika collapses on her bed, exhausted—but smiling.

“You did well today,” Rika whispers to her reflection.

And then, just before sleep takes her…

her phone buzzes.

A new email.

Subject:

Your Application for Assistant Creative Curator – Vienna Art Archive

Status:

Congratulations. We’d love to schedule an interview.

Rika sits up straight, her breath catching.

Vini appears in a puff of glitter, already mid-squeal.“YOU GOT THE INTERVIEW!” Vini spins in the air, trailing sparkles.“THE UNIVERSE IS MOVING, BABY!”

Rika laughs—stunned, breathless.

“I can’t believe this is real.”“Oh, it’s real. Because you believed in it first.”- Vini landed softly on Rika’s shoulder.”

Rika clutches her phone to her chest.

She’s scared.

She’s excited.

She’s ready.

A spark has become a flame.

And the story is only just beginning.