Emma, always the leader, points ahead as she consults a crumpled hand-drawn map. Elisa, whose wild curls bounce with every step, carries a camera and snaps photos of mushrooms along the path. Sophia lags behind, her gaze caught by a fluttering blue butterfly.
"Come on, you two! The map says the fountain should be just beyond that old oak," Emma urges, voice brimming with excitement.
"If this is another of your imaginary quests, Maya, I swear..." Elisa teases, but a spark of curiosity lights his eyes.
The three friends stand gaping as they stumble into the clearing. The water in the fountain is impossibly clear, radiating a faint silvery glow, while dragonflies skim across its surface. Sophia kneels to peer at the symbols on the stone, tracing them with her fingertip.
"It looks like a secret code. Maybe it means something important," she murmurs, awe in her voice.
"Or maybe it means 'do not touch,'" Elisa jokes, but his hand already hovers over the water, entranced.
Emma grins, daring the others to jump in. Elisa and Sophia hesitate only a moment before joining her. Water envelops them, cool and tingling, swirling around their limbs as if alive.
"Let’s pretend we’re explorers discovering the fountain of youth," Emma laughs, wading deeper.
"Or maybe the fountain of elders!" Sophia replies, splashing.
Confusion flickers as Elisa's voice suddenly booms, startling them all. Sophia stares at her reflection, wide-eyed at the adult woman gazing back. Emma touches her face and gasps, her hands now strong and large.
"Uh… guys? I think something weird just happened," Elisa says, his voice a deep baritone.
"We’re… grown-ups? This can’t be real," Emma whispers, awe and a hint of fear threading her words.
Sophia examines her hands, flexing her fingers as she tries to process the impossible. Elisa pulls at his now-oversized shirt, while Emma studies the ancient carvings, searching for a clue or reversal.
"Maybe the symbols say how to turn back. What if we’re stuck like this?" Sophia worries aloud, voice trembling.
"We’ll figure it out together. It’s just another adventure, right?" Emma tries to sound brave for them all.
They sit together on a mossy log, sharing nervous laughter and wild theories about what comes next. In the distance, the forest feels both more familiar and more mysterious than ever before. Determined, they vow to unravel the fountain’s secrets and—maybe—find a way back, but for now, they face their new reality side by side.
"At least we’ll always have the wildest story to tell… if anyone believes us," Elisa says, a rueful smile tugging at his lips.
"Let’s stick together. No matter what age we are," Sophia replies, and the others nod, united by friendship and the adventure that changed everything.
