The Promise of the Meteors🔊

Long ago in a land of mystic wonders and enchanting forests, there lived a twelve-year-old girl named Mariah. She was an intelligent child who had a deep interest in the cosmos and its enchanting mysteries. Orphaned at a young age, she lived with her aged grandfather, a renowned astronomer who sparked the young kid's curiosity about the starry abyss.

Mariah's grandfather was a wisened, kind-hearted man. He had an affectionate affection for the cosmos, which he passed onto Mariah. Often, he would regale her with stories of the constellations, celestial bodies, and magical events in space. One such tale was the legend of the Promise of the Meteors.

The grand old man told her that once in every thousand years, the cosmos grants a single wish. When the showering meteors appear, the cosmos listens, ready to bestow its bounty on the wisher. This phenomenon was witnessed only by those with determination and a pure heart. With stars in her eyes and curiosity in her heart, Mariah decided to witness this miraculous event in her lifetime.

Years passed, and Mariah's grandfather, her only family, passed on, leaving Mariah even more alone than before. His departure was a severe blow to the young girl, but she remembered his stories and her promise to see the meteor shower.

Time wasn't always fair, but Mariah grew to be a young woman armed with her grandfather's knowledge and her unyielding spirit. She became an astronomer, trying to decipher the mysteries of the cosmos that she had grown to love. As the titled day arrived, Mariah prepared herself, believing the myth her grandfather had once told her, waiting for the spectacular meteor shower.

It was a clear, midnight sky, the perfect canvas for the showering meteors. They cascaded elegantly from one end of the horizon to the other. Her gleaming eyes took in the view; heart pounding with enthusiasm. It was a spectacle to behold, majestic and surreal, just as grandpa had said.

Then, holding the silver locket that her grandfather had left her— as shiny as the moon itself— she made her wish, closed her eyes, and whispered to the cosmos. Suddenly, she felt a gust of wind brushing against her, the stars shimmered indicating something unusual, and the sky sparkled more intensely.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a celestial figure materialize in front of her. He was the Guardian of the Cosmos, protector of the celestial order, and granter of the once in a millennium wish.

With a voice as deep as the endless void, he said, 'Mariah, your wish has been heard. As the cosmos have decreed, it shall be granted.' The figure melded back into the cosmos as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Mariah in awe.

Her wish wasn't for riches or power. She had wished for her grandfather's knowledge to be spread, for every child to learn about the skies, the stars, and their mysteries. She wanted her grandfather's stories and love for the cosmos to live on.

In a few days, Mariah received immense recognition. Her research papers, based on her grandfather's theories, were posthumously appreciated. Funds and resources suddenly flowed in to expand her research work, establish a center for learning about the cosmos, and more importantly, an orphanage was built where children were not only taken care of but were also taught about the mystical world that exists beyond the Earth.

And so, the Promise of the Meteors came true. Mariah's wish was made reality, and the love for the cosmos fostered by her grandfather was spread across the world. Each child that learned about the stars became a testament to her grandfather's life and love for the cosmos, and Mariah was content that her grandfather's legacy lived on.