One summer, a girl who calls herself the Lake Goddess appears at thirteen-year-old Chiya’s family guesthouse, dragging a suitcase filled with muddy, moss-covered coins. She warns that the waters of Lake Seryue have been polluted, forcing her to escape onto land—but no one believes her.
Lake Seryue is famous for its stunning scenery—and its miraculously effective “wish stones.” Visitors come from far and wide to toss stones into the lake. But where do all these stones come from? Why is a strange layer of fine silt settling at the lake’s bottom? And whose skeleton lies hidden in an underwater tunnel?
One mystery after another disturbs the quiet lakeside village. When the rainy season fails to arrive, the lake dries up, revealing cracked earth and countless wish stones once buried beneath the water—and exposing the villagers’ long-held secrets. Can the Lake Goddess, Chiya, and the children of the lake district uncover the truth and protect their beloved home?