Sometimes, even in a world filled with magic and light, the quiet days were the most precious ones.
For everyone—
except me.
I was born for silence.
---
That morning, a gentle breeze moved through the heliconia flowers of the inner courtyard.
The sun rested softly on the white stone tiles, and the air carried the sweet, floral scent released by the magical orchids as they bloomed.
In the distance, the faint song of a magical bird echoed through the pale walls.
Johana carried me on her shoulder, walking slowly across the terrace as if she didn't want to disturb the softness of the morning.
"He's so quiet…" she murmured with a tender smile. "My baby rarely cries."
Liora, watering some glowing plants further ahead, laughed softly, her eyes relaxed.
"Not quiet," she corrected. "Observant. Look at how he watches everything… like that little head of his never stops working."
She approached and guided my tiny hand toward a pink leaf that pulsed gently with light.
I stared at it in silence.
"See?" Liora said softly. "He doesn't just touch it… he studies it.
He's a little thinker."
Johana nodded with a happy sigh.
"He never throws tantrums. Never demands anything.
He just watches… listens… understands."
They shared a look full of pride and warmth.
I kept watching the soft movement of the light along the leaf.
---
We walked toward the outer garden.
Selene sat in the grass, making a toy dragon float. It puffed small reddish sparks each time she laughed.
When she saw us, she ran with her arms wide open.
"Nii! Come!"
My mother set me down gently, and Selene immediately grabbed my hand.
I followed her without fuss, without confusion, without sound.
Just attentive.
She showed me her treasures:
• a stone that held blue light
• a crystal butterfly fluttering lazily
• a flower that changed color when she touched it
I looked at each one quietly.
No crying.
No babbling.
No sounds.
Just seeing everything.
Selene placed a pink flower in my hand.
"Do you like it?"
I examined it, then held it out to her.
She beamed.
"He likes it!" she shouted proudly.
---
Later, in the resting room…
It was a warm, wide space, lit by floating lamps and a large window where the mountain breeze slipped inside like a whisper.
Johana knitted on a big cushioned chair, her needles moving with practiced grace.
Liora read an old book, magical letters drifting above its pages like tiny fireflies.
I sat on a soft blanket, pushing around enchanted wooden blocks that changed color under my touch.
Every now and then, they glanced at me.
"Sometimes I think he understands me," Johana said.
"So do I," Liora added. "He has a way of looking at you… so aware. Like he's listening to more than just sounds."
Johana giggled softly.
"And he never makes a fuss. If he needs something, he just gives me this look…"
She gestured toward me.
I lifted my head.
They both smiled.
"Exactly," Liora laughed. "That's his 'yes.'"
Selene crawled over, dragging a blanket behind her, still trying to make a small block float.
"Nii is calm," she declared proudly. "And he looks pretty."
I kept gently rolling the block between my fingers.
---
Then the most ordinary topic of the day came up.
Still knitting, Johana said lightly:
"In two months, it will be Selene's three-year exam."
Liora's smile softened with pride and excitement.
"My father will come," she said. "And several of my relatives too.
The Falkenray patriarch would never miss his granddaughter's exam."
Johana laughed softly.
"Nor mine. Dad already confirmed he'll come with part of the family.
You know how he is…"
—her eyes shone with pride—
"He loves her as if she were his own blood."
Liora pressed a hand to her chest, touched.
"I know. And I'm glad. Selene adores them."
Johana continued:
"The exam will take place in the main residence, right?"
"Yes," Liora nodded. "Manuel said his father approved it personally.
And they'll come to watch Selene's exam—"
—her eyes lit up—
"Jhosep will finally meet his grandparents."
Johana smiled warmly.
"Some trusted reporters will cover the event too. Nothing invasive."
Liora nodded happily.
"It will be an important day for Selene."
The conversation flowed freely.
No tension.
No worries.
Just excitement for the little girl of the house.
---
In the evening, Manuel arrived.
His presence filled the room—steady, calm, protective.
Selene ran to him, hugging him tightly.
I watched from my blanket.
Manuel lifted me gently, settling me on his shoulder.
"How was he today?" he asked.
"Calm," Johana answered. "Very attentive."
"He's a serene child," Liora added. "Special, I'd say."
Manuel looked at me with an expression few ever saw on him:
gentle calm, and deep affection.
"A good day, then," he said.
He held me with more care, as if I were something fragile and precious.
---
That night, everything was peaceful.
Selene slept curled around her little dragon plush, which exhaled soft red lights in rhythm with her breathing.
Liora closed the windows while humming an elven melody.
Johana folded her finished knitting with satisfaction.
Manuel carried me slowly toward my crib, rocking me with quiet steadiness.
I rested my head on his shoulder.
It was a simple day.
A calm day.
A safe day.
Johana brushed my forehead with her fingers.
"You're so quiet, my love…" she whispered. "So attentive."
Liora kissed my cheek softly.
"Good night, little one."
Manuel tucked the blanket around me.
"Rest," he murmured.
I closed my eyes.
And slept.
No haste.
No noise.
No worries.
A warm day.
A family day.
A peaceful day.
---