Stecia Emberlynn Jemima Ashford, or also known as; Stecy, Cia, Mima, Miam— and countless others. Cia never minded. She embraced the diversity of her monikers, much like she cherished the collection of seashells she gathered from various beaches.

Cia’s love for the beach was deeply rooted in her childhood. Growing up in a coastal town, she spent countless hours frolicking on the sandy shores, her spirit as boundless as the ocean itself.

Her fascination with the sea was matched only by her love for old fairy tales. She would eagerly devour the stories her granny brought home from flea markets, her imagination soaring as high as the seagulls that danced above the waves.

Since then, Cia’s love for storytelling blossomed, she became interested in writing her own works. Or maybe more precisely, a diary. In the absence of traditional places of worship, no church, temple, monastery, or mosque— Cia’s granny instilled in her the belief in a higher power, a force far greater than anything humans could control. This unseen power, her granny explained, was the source of both good and bad fortune. All one could do was ask for guidance and hold onto faith. Perhaps influenced by the fairy tales she devoured, Cia linked this higher power to the sea god of those stories.

The next day, Cia began scribbling her stories onto sheets of paper, folding them into the shape of boats, and setting them sail into the ocean. Why? She couldn’t say for sure. She just had a deep-seated belief that her stories would reach the sea god. Day after day.. Cia continued this ritual, as if it were an integral part of her daily routine.

As she transitioned into adolescence, this practice gradually faded away. Cia finally realized that the sea god was nothing more than a myth, and the boats she had set adrift never reached their intended destination. In fact, they likely disintegrated within seconds or even posed a threat to the turtles that inhabited the coastal waters.

Cia’s life took a turn when she had to leave her hometown and her beloved granny behind to pursue a degree in a distant city.

Dear Neptune,

Today, granny brought me another storybook! Woaaaah, the cover is so beautiful. :D I wonder if I could ever draw like that someday??? Do you think I’ll be able to? Hm..

Oh yeah.. granny also brought some strawberry cupcakes. Granny is the best!!! >_____< They’re so cute, but granny’s baking always tastes better, hehe

Sorry I can’t share the cupcakes with you because granny always gives them out to the neighbors. But if there’s any leftover, I’ll send you some later, but no promises! 😋 Granny’s baking is just that good~~ Yum, yum.

What else is there to say? Um.. I think that’s all for now! I’m going to go back to reading my book. See you tomorrow! ᡣ𐭩

Her heart pounded incessantly. It had been far too long since Cia had last visited her granny. The journey took approximately 11 hours, yet Cia couldn’t manage to close her eyes for even 30 minutes. She was simply too excited.

Sand, the melody of waves, and Cia sitting under a palm tree on a thin fabric.. a very familiar scene. Except little Cia never went to the beach at night because granny never allowed her to.

Granny was already fast asleep in her room. It wasn’t even that late, but granny seemed exhausted from overexerting herself to prepare everything to welcome Cia.

From the earbuds plugged into both her ears, “Hai Cheng” played softly. She had probably played it about 5 times already. Armed with a notebook and a wooden pencil that was only an inch long, Cia tried to capture the beauty of the night beach on a piece of paper.

Cia then laughed at her handiwork, “I guess this isn’t my forte."

At the same time, a sudden flicker of light pierced the darkness from behind the dunes, drawing Cia’s gaze. Which turned out, upon closer inspection, to be from a glass bottle illuminated by moonlight. Complete with its cap.

For a moment, her memories of little Cia who liked to write letters to neptune swirled back. Leading her to pick up the bottle, then write something on a piece of paper, roll it up to fit inside the bottle, and throw it into the sea.

I’m sorry, turtle. I promise this will be my last piece of trash. She thought to herself.

Hey, Neptune. How’s it going?

Hahaha it’s been a decade since I’ve given you a report. Don’t be mad, but after growing up, I finally realized that you’re nothing more than a fictional character from those old fairy tale books I used to read.

But if it’s not too much to ask, could I ask for one more favor?

Please tell Cia in the future to always take care of her granny. Yeah.. granny isn’t getting any younger, and I cherish the time we have left. Please make sure she’s well looked after.

Also, I’m happy with the person I’ve become. I hope future-me keeps that kindness and strength, using it for good whenever possible. Being kind doesn’t mean being naive, but it’s a great foundation to build on.

I also hope you can be someone who inspires others instead of causing trouble. Life throws curveballs, and they might get trickier in the future. But remember, everyone faces challenges. These bumps in the road can actually be stepping stones to becoming a stronger, more capable you!

Like plants that have to fight zombie robot in the final round. Outmatched in size and armed only with cabbage and corn, they could still emerge victorious.