The water and raccoon depths (ukiyo inspired cover)

The warmth

The days turned to weeks, and still, Rollo returned to the pool every evening. With each swim, the weight of the creature's words pressed a little harder on his chest, yet he didn't feel burdened—only curious. *Listen,* the creature had said. *The water has its stories.*

Rollo was beginning to understand. He had always been quick to act—chasing after food, darting through the shadows of the night, causing mischief wherever he could. But the pool, and everything it had shown him, required something different: patience, stillness, a kind of listening he had never known.

Some nights, he swam lazily around the edges of the pool, letting the ripples carry him wherever they would. Other nights, he dove down into the cool depths, his small paws feeling for the smooth, glowing stones at the bottom. Each time, the water would whisper to him in soft murmurs, like the brushing of leaves in a forgotten forest. He couldn't always make out the words, but there was a strange, comforting rhythm to it, as if the pool itself was breathing, pulsing with life.

Then one evening, something extraordinary happened.

Rollo had just finished a long swim, his fur slick with water, when he climbed out of the pool and shook himself dry. The moon was full, casting its silver glow over the yard, and the air smelled like fresh grass and damp earth. Rollo paused, as though sensing something was different. The stillness of the night was sudden... alive. His ears perked up, and he tilted his head toward the distant treeline.

There, near the edge of the woods, a faint glimmer of light flickered through the trees. It wasn't the same soft glow of the pool's glowing stones. This was something brighter, warmer—a golden light, pulsing in time with a heartbeat.

Rollo's heart quickened. He felt a pull, an instinct he could not ignore. The pool had always been his secret, his place of quiet, but now... it seemed there was more. Something was calling him.

He scampered toward the light, his paws tapping quickly on the soft earth. As he neared the trees, the light grew brighter, and with it, an odd feeling of familiarity washed over him. He had been here before. He *knew* this place, even though he couldn't remember when or how.

Finally, Rollo reached the clearing. It was a small, sheltered glen, the trees circling around it like sentinels. In the center of the glen, a shimmering pool of golden light hovered above the ground, casting an otherworldly glow across the grass. Rollo blinked in astonishment. It was as if the pool itself had come to life, its essence spilled out into the world beyond.

He stepped forward cautiously, his paws sinking softly into the moss-covered ground. The golden light seemed to welcome him, pulsing gently, and as he drew closer, the air around him seemed to hum with a quiet energy.

And then, as if in response to his presence, the voice returned.

"Rollo," it whispered, not from the water, but from the light itself. "You have come."

Rollo's eyes widened, his heart racing. The creature from the pool had spoken to him many times before, but now this—this was different. The voice was no longer distant, no longer just a whisper on the wind. It was here, in the light, as if the very earth itself had spoken.

"I don't understand," Rollo said, his voice trembling. "What is this place?"

The light shimmered, and Rollo felt as though he were being embraced by the warmth of a thousand stars. "This is the heart of the land," the voice explained. "The place where the memories of the world rest—hidden, waiting. The water of the pool holds those memories, but they must be protected, kept safe. You, Rollo, are the bridge between the forgotten places and the world you know."

Rollo's mind raced. *The heart of the land?* His eyes darted around the glen, taking in the ancient trees, the golden light, the stillness of the air. It felt... sacred, untouched, like something older than the world itself.

"But... Why me?" Rollo asked, his voice full of wonder and uncertainty. "I'm just a raccoon. I'm not... I'm not special."

The voice was kind, gentle. "You are more than you know, Rollo. You have always been more. You have the heart to listen, the courage to seek. The pool chose you, and with it, you carry the responsibility of the waters, of the memories. The balance must be kept."

Rollo stood still for a long moment, the weight of the words sinking into him. The memories of the land, the ancient power that flowed through the water—he had never known any of this. He had only thought of the pool as a place to escape, to be free. Now he understood that it was more than that. Much more.

The voice continued, its tone growing more insistent. "The land is in danger, Rollo. The balance is shifting. The memories of the world are being forgotten, and without the pool's protection, they will fade. You must protect it. You must keep the waters alive."

Rollo's fur stood on end. Danger? What did that mean? How could a small raccoon like him protect something as powerful as the pool and the memories it held?

"But how? What can I do?" he asked, panic rising in his chest.

"Listen," the voice said. "The water will guide you. You must protect the gateway, the secret of the pool, and keep its light from being lost to the shadows."

Suddenly, the golden light flared brighter, filling the clearing with a dazzling glow. Rollo squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, he found himself back at the pool's edge, standing in the familiar yard under the night sky. The moon was still full, the stars still twinkling, but the air was heavier, charged with something he couldn't explain.

The golden light was gone, but the pull of the water, the call of the pool, remained.

Rollo stood at the edge, his paws gripping the stone. He looked at the pool, now still and silent, the ripples of the night breeze gently stirring the surface. His heart raced, the weight of the creature's words heavy in his chest. The pool wasn't just a place for swimming anymore. It was a part of something much bigger—something ancient and powerful that he now had to protect.

The water was waiting. The stories were waiting. And Rollo knew that his journey was only just beginning.

With a deep breath, he slipped into the pool once more, letting the cool water wrap around him like a promise.

And as he swam, he listened.