WEBVTT

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The air smelled of melted beeswax and crushed

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river mint.

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Kyan knelt on the slick, mossy stones of

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the embankment, his fingers tracing the delicate

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bamboo ribs of his lantern.

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Around him, the riverbank was a sea of

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murmuring voices and flickering amber shadows, all gathered

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for the annual night festival.

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This was the moment the village let go

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of its heavy griefs and unspoken wishes, sending

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them drifting into the dark.

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He struck a wooden match, shielding the tiny

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flame from the autumn breeze until it caught

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the wick inside the paper vessel.

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As the interior warmed, the translucent sides bloomed

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with a soft, detailed lantern glow,

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casting a warm halo over his hands.

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Painted on the paper was a single winding

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path, a symbol for the journey his late

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grandfather

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had always urged him to take.

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With a gentle push, Kyan set the creation

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onto the water's surface, watching it bob

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twice before catching the invisible current.

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He stood up, joining hundreds of others who

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lined the banks of the winding night river.

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As far as the eye could see, a

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constellation of lights detached from the shore, turning

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the dark water into a mirror of the

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cosmos.

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The fiery reflections shimmered and danced across the

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ripples, stretching into long,

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golden ribbons that dissolved into the distance.

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A collective hush fell over the crowd as

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the sheer, magical atmosphere took hold, the weight

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of a thousand glowing hopes drifting silently toward

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the horizon, carrying their dreams

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into the unknown night.