In the bustling heart of a small town, a pebble lay unnoticed on the cobbled street, blending with the mundane life around it. It wasn’t an ordinary pebble. Ancient and magical, it held the power to grant a single wish—a fleeting glimpse of someone else’s life, a taste of their desires. Yet no one knew of its magic.

The pebble had been kicked countless times, mostly in frustration, as if absorbing the emotions of those who passed it. But it endured silently, waiting for those whose wishes it could fulfill.


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The Cat’s Wish

It was just another day when a skinny, ragged cat slinked into the alley. Its ribs were visible beneath its fur, and hunger gnawed at its spirit. Spotting the pebble, it pawed at it absentmindedly and sighed, "I wish I could be human. Then I wouldn’t have to steal fish or run from the market vendors."

In a flash, the world spun, and the cat found itself on two legs, staring at its reflection in a puddle. It was human—scruffy, with a mane of tangled black hair, but undeniably human. Elated, it ran to the market, confident now that it could simply buy the fish it once stole.

But the reality of humanity struck hard. Without money, it was shooed away from stalls, yelled at, and humiliated. The cat-turned-human...