The quiet kid

Previously

…They felt like a gentle invitation to rest, to reflect. Elara, sitting amongst his new friends, felt a contentment so deep it settled into his very bones. He had spoken. He had been heard. And in the symphony of their shared laughter and excited chatter, he had found his own voice, and with it, a place to belong. The village of whispers was still there, but for Elara, it was starting to sound like a chorus. He looked at Lyra, who caught his eye and winked. He smiled back, a genuine, uninhibited smile that reached his eyes. He was no longer just Elara, the quiet kid. He was Elara, the friend. And the dragons, real or imagined, had no power against a heart that had finally learned to sing.