The Garden of Delights

In the city of Sirvassa, where petals are currency and flowers are magic, the Caretaker tends to the Garden of Delights. He imparts temporary magical abilities to the citizens of Sirvassa, while battling a curse of eternal old age. No Delight could uplift his curse, and so he must seek out a mythical figure. A god. When a Delight allows a young girl an ability to change reality, the Caretaker believes he's at the end of his search. But soon a magical rot takes root in his Garden, and the Caretaker must join forces with the girl and stop it from spreading. Even as he battles a different rot that plagues Sirvassa, he learns that Delights are always a precursor to Sorrows. AUTHOR: Amal Singh is a writer from Mumbai, India. His short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Tor.com, Asimov's, Clarkesworld, and F&SF, among others. He is the author of 'The Garden of Delights' and was longlisted for the BSFA Award in 2021. His epic fantasy audio-drama is currently streaming on Audible.