The Light of Vergaia
Once upon a time, in the secluded village of Vergaia, bathed in eternal twilight due to the spectacle of the northern lights, a dazzling phenomenon came to life only every fifty years. This was 'Aurora's Tear', a radiant stone said to bear a piece of Aurora Borealis's beauty. The rare occasion when this gemstone fell from the heavens was celebrated with exuberant joy as it was believed to bestow upon the village endless prosperity.
Dalia, a child with a heart like a lion and the curiosity of a cat, was the carpenter's daughter. She was enchanted by stories encircling Aurora's Tear narrated by her grandmother, herself a witness to the stone's fall twice. Dalia longed to behold the magic herself and firmly believed that the stone held some mysterious power.
The fiftieth year since the last fall had approached. The ecstatic villagers prepared for the grand festival, expecting the miraculous event. But when the day came, there was no sign of the spectacle. The next day and, then, the whole week passed, yet Aurora's Tear failed to grace them. The initial joy gradually turned into grim silence, with villagers whispering about ill-omens.
No one was more disappointed than Dalia, who decided to solve the oddity. Armed with only her lantern and her steadfast courage, she ventured into the obsidian forest that draped Vergaia. The elders said that the stone first touched the earth in the heart of this forest. It was a treacherous path, but Dalia's resolve proved stronger than her fear.
After countless hours bathed in the ethereal glow of the northern lights, she reached an ancient, glowing tree — the heart of the forest. There, enmeshed in the roots, was a twinkling gem, the magical Aurora's Tear. But it was dim, its usual resplendence missing.
Suddenly, an ethereal figure materialized before her. It was Aurora, the spirit of the northern lights. She was aged and her lights flickered. The surprised but brave Dalia learned from Aurora that her essence had been waning as the villagers, in their pursuit of prosperity, had gradually forgotten to pay gratitude to the beauty and mystery of nature.
Aurora confessed that she had held back Aurora's Tear to wake them up from their heedless vegetative state and bring back the harmony between humans and nature. Dalia, realizing the gravity of the situation, vowed to become Aurora's beacon.
Rushing back, she told everyone about the encounter. Initially met with skepticism, her radiant determination finally convinced them. They followed her back to the tree, pleaded for forgiveness, and promised to revere nature.
Humbled by their sincerity, Aurora decided to give them another chance. She restored Aurora's Tear and rejuvenated herself. The immediate change in the village was palpable as the stone showered prosperity. Dalia, now hailed as the village hero, went on to help maintain the bond between nature and Vergaia, making sure the story of Aurora’s Tear would reverberate through generations.
From then on, Vergaia flourished, adorned by its eternal twilight and the spark of Aurora's Tear, the dazzling symbol of an enduring promise.