Autumn. The maple leaves were turning into a brilliant red, like flames quietly burning within nature. Along a winding path through the forest, maple leaves gently fell, covering the road like a smooth, peaceful carpet. The scene was like a moment frozen in time, where nature gifted humans with serene, poetic moments. Faint light pierced through the thick foliage of the late afternoon, creating shimmering patches of light and shadow. Everything seemed to pause, with only the rustling sound of dry leaves underfoot, like the earth and sky whispering, inviting quiet souls to admire the mystical beauty...

Suddenly, an old, rusty four-door car, its engine rasping as if it had run out of energy, rushed into the tranquil road. Then, abruptly, the engine let out a final groan and died. The car crawled forward a few more steps before coming to a halt, silently, in the middle of the still forest.

A woman in her forties sitting behind the wheel suddenly threw the door open and rushed out to lift the hood. A thick cloud of smoke rose, making her already pale and pained face look even more distressed.

She ran around to the passenger seat, flung the door open, and shook her six-year-old daughter violently.

“Sophie! Don’t die! We’re almost at the hospital.”

The child, pale-faced, tried to open her tired eyes to look at her, then closed them again. The woman screamed once more.

“Sophie! Don’t leave me! You’ll be fine.”

She pulled the child out of the seat. Both of them collapsed. She struggled to crawl back and prop the girl up, leaning her against the car.

“Sophie! Wake up. Please wake up.”

The woman held the child’s face tightly in her hands and shook her. The child managed to lift her weary eyes to look at the woman and whispered:

“Mom! I chose you. Whether you’re rich... or poor... I still want to be with you.”

“I know. I’m sorry… From now on, we’ll always be together. I promise you. But don’t leave me now. Stay with me… Stay…”

The woman turned, pulling the child onto her shoulders, and struggled to her feet. Though staggering, she managed to carry the girl on her back and took several steps forward.

“Sophie! Talk to me. Say something…”

“I… love… you…”

As the child spoke her last words, her arm went limp, and her head tilted to one side, slipping off the woman’s shoulder, causing her to lose balance and kneel to place the child down.

The woman cradled the child’s body, crying out loud, screaming incessantly.

“Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me, Sophie!”

Only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves responded to the woman’s frantic gestures and cries, as it stirred the branches in the serene forest. Faint light from the setting sun flickered through the leaves, casting mottled patches of light on the ground covered in brilliant red and gold hues of the twilight.

The space sank into silence, with only the soft sound of the wind and the rustling leaves on the ground, as if offering a final farewell to the arduous journey of this unfortunate mother.

The woman kept holding her child, crying. The sun had now completely set, and the full moon had risen in the distance. The trees continued to rustle, but the mother’s eyes had now shifted to anger, with an intense, resentful glare.

“Daniel, may you die. Michelle, may you go to hell. Anna, Lucinda, Fel… all of you will pay. Oh God... why is life so unfair to me? Why?”

A strong gust of wind swirled the leaves on the ground into a small whirlwind, which dissipated, revealing a young man in his mid-20s. He was tall and slender, with a sharp, delicate face that was both cold and enigmatic. Dressed in a deep purple cloak, he stepped in front of the woman, speaking in a clear, commanding voice filled with authority.

“If you have any wish, say it now and begin with ‘Dear Mr. K.’”

The woman, in her rage, now turned to confusion at the strange things happening before her.

“Who are you? Where am I?”

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She looked around, as if doubting her own sanity. The young man smiled a mysterious smile, stepped closer, and squatted down, raising his hand before her. In his hand appeared a glass orb, inside of which was a small, cold, isolated house.

“You are Jun. Your father was Japanese, and your mother was an American of Portuguese descent. You’ve just endured 16 years of failure because no one saw your true worth. You’re desperate, and you can’t provide for your only child. You feel life is unfair. You want those who put you in this position to pay…”

The young man’s words struck a deep chord in Jun. Her facial muscles trembled, and her hostile eyes flared up again.

“Yes. I don’t deserve to live in such misery. They need to pay.”

“Then wish for it. Begin with ‘Dear Mr. K…’”

Jun lifted her head to look at the young man, her eyes now filled with hope mingled with anger.

“So...You’re...?”

“Hello. I am Mr. K.”

The young man smiled and nodded slightly. Jun didn’t hesitate any longer. She angrily said:

“Dear Mr. K, I want Daniel, my boss, to be utterly ruined. I want Michelle, my best friend, to live in poverty. Lucinda…”

Jun unleashed a long string of wishes without a second thought. When she finished, Mr. K asked:

“And what will you give in return for this?”

“I... I have nothing left to lose!”

“You still do.”

“You mean... my life?”

Mr. K smiled with satisfaction and stood up.

“Everyone says you’re very smart.”

“Hmph! If I have to die for them all to pay, then I’ll accept that.”

“Good!”

Mr. K’s eyes suddenly flashed with a devilish gleam. He stood up straight, swung his arm in a circle, and an oval-shaped light appeared between them.

“I, Mr. K, grant you your wish. Everything you just said before me today will come true.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a strong wind blew, lifting everything into the air. Jun squinted, standing up, shielding her face as the swirling leaves flew toward her. Then, suddenly, the wind stopped. When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing on the bustling avenue of downtown, and in front of her was a large bank.

A limousine suddenly pulled up across the street, where she was standing. The driver hurried out to open the back door for a round, powerful man in a black suit to step out.

“Daniel!”

Jun whispered as she crossed the street to follow her boss, Daniel…

***

Jun found herself back in familiar places, witnessing first hand those she wished to suffer meeting fates far worse than she had ever hoped for.

But after everything came true, she didn’t feel any joy at all.

***

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves and swept through Jun’s hair. She realized she was back in the maple forest, sitting next to her lifeless daughter.

Jun let out a heavy sigh, her face filled with sadness. She turned to look at Mr. K, who was sitting perched on a branch, stroking a sparrow that rested on his hand.

“Are you an angel or a demon?”

“No. I’m a demigod. But I have the power to grant wishes to anyone.”

Jun, devastated, cradled her daughter, burying her face in her child.

“If I could go back, I would wish for my daughter to live, no matter what happens to those wicked people, whether they pay or not.”

Mr. K laughed heartily. He suddenly grabbed the sparrow in his hand and swallowed it whole. Then, in a flash, he appeared in front of Jun, his face close to hers.

“Your daughter hasn’t died yet. She only fainted from exhaustion. In a few minutes, a van carrying a group of WHO workers will pass through here. Among them is a good doctor. He will save the child. After that, they’ll offer you a job. By next 9 months, you and your daughter will move abroad and start a new life.”

Jun was startled, checking on her daughter again. She found the child still breathing. Terrified, she turned to Mr. K.

“So… what I saw earlier hasn’t happened yet? Can I take back my wish?”

Mr. K suddenly let out a chilling laugh, his lips curving into a sly smile, his shoulders shaking.

“It’s not that simple. Be careful what you wish for.”

Suddenly, the smile on his face disappeared. His head began to rotate 180 degrees, quickly transforming into a large white owl, which flew up to a branch, watching over the mother and daughter.

While Jun clutched her daughter in fear, the headlights of a 16-seater van grew brighter as it approached. She squinted as the van stopped behind her car, and a group of men and women stepped out. A man in his fifties with a kind face and a warm, deep voice walked up to her.

“Hello. Are you alright? I’m a doctor…”

Jun’s face grew paler. She glanced at the branch where the owl had been, but it was gone. Confused, she looked around while the man, claiming to be a doctor, examined her daughter with his stethoscope, then called for the group to help carry the child into their van. A woman from the group also approached, supporting Jun and trying to reassure her.

"Are you alright? We’ll take you and your daughter to the nearest hospital..."

Jun walked like a ghost, still turning her head to search for the owl and Mr. K but she found nothing.