The courtyard unfolded before them like a secret garden, and Lily felt a flutter in her chest. It was as if she had stumbled upon a page in a fairytale that she had never read before. The sound of the fountain grew louder, its gentle melody weaving through the air, and she knew that she had made the right choice.

"What do we do first?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"First, we must set an intention," Seraphina said. "What is it that you seek?"

Lily thought for a moment, her mind racing. "I just want to feel... alive," she admitted, her eyes searching Seraphina's for understanding.

The woman nodded sagely. "Very well," she said, her voice carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken stories. "Let's begin."

They approached the fountain, the water sparkling in the shards of light that pierced through the canopy of leaves above. Seraphina produced a coin from her pocket and tossed it into the water, the plink echoing through the courtyard. "Make a wish," she instructed.

"Into the unknown
Where words live on
I have desires that I tread on.
With courage and grace...