Around the Mountain

Once, in a quiet valley wrapped by blue hills, there lived a young hero named Arin. Arin wasn’t the strongest or the tallest, and no songs had ever been written about them. But Arin had something rarer: the courage to act when others froze.

One spring morning, the river that fed the valley began to dry up. Crops wilted, animals grew restless, and fear spread through the villages. The elders whispered of the mountain storm gate—a hidden place high above the clouds that could release fresh water—but the path to it was dangerous, and no one had returned from searching for it in years.

Arin volunteered.

The journey was long and lonely. The wind howled, the paths crumbled, and doubt followed every step. More than once, Arin thought about turning back. But each time, they remembered the valley: the laughter of children, the golden fields, the sound of the river as it once was. So Arin kept going.

At the peak of the mountain, Arin found the storm gate sealed by ancient stone. It didn’t open with strength or force. Instead, it responded when Arin placed a hand on the stone and spoke honestly—not with commands, but