The brave child

Previously

…"You have brought such joy back into this old house, my Clara," Elara said, her voice a melody of contentment. "I remember the fear in your eyes when you left, the weight of the world upon your small shoulders. And now… I see a strength in you that was always there, waiting to be awakened." Clara leaned her head against her grandmother’s arm, a wave of peace washing over her. The arduous journey, the chilling encounters, the gnawing fear – it all seemed like a distant dream, a tale spun from moonlight and shadows. Yet