meeting you at dawn

The Shimmering Woods

Elara stood at the edge of the clearing, her breath caught in her throat. The air shimmered with golden motes, and the light seemed to bend and sway around the figure standing before her. Draped in silver radiance, the being almost looked as though she were woven from the dawn itself. For a moment, Elara thought her heart might burst with wonder.

The figure turned, and Elara saw her face clearly for the first time. Her hair moved like butterfly wings, translucent and iridescent, while her eyes sparkled like gems reflecting starlight. When she smiled, the entire clearing seemed to brighten.

Elara’s voice trembled as she spoke. “Who… who are you?”

The being’s voice was soft and melodic, like a lullaby carried on the breeze. “I am Liora,” she said. “A guardian of dreams.”

The words seemed impossible, yet something about them felt deeply true. Elara clutched her basket tighter, searching for courage. “A guardian of dreams? Do you mean the stories the elders tell? The ones about lights in the woods?”

Liora’s smile deepened. “Stories are never just stories. They are memories, truths wrapped in wonder. The elders remember fragments, but they have forgotten the heart of it.” She tilted her head, her silver hair shimmering like water. “You, Elara, are different. You can hear the forest’s call.”

Elara blinked, startled. “You know my name?”

“I have always known it,” Liora replied, stepping closer. The air around her glowed warmly, and Elara felt her fear slip away like mist in the sun. “I watch over those who dare to wish. And you, brave child, have a wish burning inside you.”

Elara’s cheeks flushed. Her heart raced as if Liora could see into the deepest part of her soul. “I… I want to tell stories,” she whispered. “Not just little tales for the village children, but stories that make people believe in magic again. I want to share wonder.”

For a moment, silence filled the clearing. Then Liora laughed softly, a sound like wind chimes stirred by a gentle breeze. “Yes,” she said. “That is your truth. That is why you were called here.”

Elara hesitated, glancing back toward the direction of the village. “But no one listens to me. They say I’m silly, always daydreaming. How can I ever share stories that matter?”

Liora extended her hand, her fingers glowing faintly like threads of light. “Because you will have what many do not—courage. Courage to follow your heart, even when others doubt you. That is the gift I bring.”

Elara’s eyes widened. “Courage?”

“Yes,” Liora said simply. “Dreams without courage fade. But dreams carried by bravery take root and bloom. You have the gift of imagination, Elara. Now you must learn to carry it proudly.”

Elara stepped forward, almost without realizing it. When her small hand touched Liora’s glowing fingers, a rush of warmth filled her. It was as though light poured into her veins, flooding her with strength and joy. For the first time, she felt as though she truly belonged—not just in Eldergrove, not just in her family, but in the wide and wondrous world of possibility.

She gasped, clutching her chest. “I feel… different. Like I could climb mountains, or… or speak to the stars.”

“That is courage,” Liora said softly. “And it will stay with you, if you nurture it.”

Elara’s eyes brimmed with tears, but they were not sad tears. They were tears of relief, of joy. “Thank you, Liora.”

The guardian knelt slightly so that their eyes were level. “No, Elara. Do not thank me. Thank yourself. It was your wish that called me, your bravery that brought you here. I am only the messenger.”

For a while, the two of them sat together in the shimmering clearing. Elara asked question after question, her curiosity spilling out like a river.

“Do you come every day?” she asked.

“At every dawn,” Liora answered. “For as long as dreams are born in sleeping hearts, I will be here to gather them.”

“And do others see you?”

Liora smiled wistfully. “Some do. But only those who listen. Only those who believe.”

Elara thought of Dain waiting nervously at the forest’s edge. “My friend doesn’t believe. He thinks it’s dangerous. Will he ever see you?”

“If his heart opens, perhaps,” Liora said gently. “But each soul has its own path. You cannot carry another’s courage. You can only show your own.”

Elara nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. She thought of the stories she longed to tell—the ones about glowing forests, guardians, and hidden wonders. She realized that they weren’t just stories anymore. They were real. And if they were real for her, perhaps she could make them real for others too.

“Will I see you again?” she asked at last.

Liora’s form began to shimmer, her edges growing faint as the sun rose higher. “Perhaps. Or perhaps you will only hear me in the wind, in the whisper of the leaves. But remember this, Elara: you are never truly alone. The courage I gave you is yours forever. Guard it, nurture it, and your stories will bloom.”

Elara reached out, desperate to hold onto the moment. But as the light grew brighter, Liora’s form dissolved into the dawn, leaving only a faint trace of silver motes drifting through the air.

For a long time, Elara stood in the clearing, her heart full. She touched her chest again, feeling the warmth that still lingered. Something inside her had changed. The pull of the forest no longer felt like a mystery—it felt like a promise.

At last, she turned back toward the village. Dain was waiting for her near the treeline, his face pale with worry. When he saw her, he rushed forward. “Elara! What happened? I thought you were lost!”

Elara smiled, her eyes shining. “I wasn’t lost, Dain. I was found.”

Dain frowned in confusion. “Found? By what?”

Elara only laughed softly, her heart too full for words. “By courage.”

And as they walked back toward Eldergrove together, the forest whispered softly behind her, as though it were blessing her journey.

Elara knew her life had changed forever. She had met the Guardian of Dreams—and her story was only just beginning.

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