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Chapter 206

eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings.

The small public school was a far cry from the isolation of the cabin, but Matthew knew it was time for the children to face the world beyond the woods. Dressed in plain clothes he'd picked up at a secondhand store, Elyra and Dain followed him into the building, their wide Elyra clung to her brother's arm, her silver hair catching the morning sunlight through the windows. Dain stayed close, his fiery orange eyes darting suspiciously toward every noise and movement.

The moment they stepped into the crowded hallway, the whispers began.

"Who's that?"

"Look at her hair! Is it dyed?"

"Check out his eyes are those contacts?"

Elyra kept her head down, trying to ignore the murmurs. But it wasn't long before the remarks turned cruel.

"Hey, Moon Freak!" a boy called out, snickering with his friends.

Elyra froze, her grip tightening on Dain's arm. Dain's jaw clenched, and his fiery gaze locked onto the boy.

"Say that again," Dain growled, stepping forward.

The boy laughed nervously but didn't back down. "What are you gonna do about it, freak show?"

"Dain, stop," Elyra whispered urgently, tugging at his sleeve.

It took everything Dain had to pull his glare away. The boy and his friends kept laughing, their voices fading as they disappeared down the hall.

Matthew, who had stayed just out of sight, watched the exchange with a sinking heart. He wanted to storm in, to shield them from the cruel reality of their peers, but he knew they had to face it. Elyra and Dain were different, and the world wouldn't always be kind to them.

By the end of the day, Elyra was quiet, her usual glow dimmed. Dain's mood was simmering just below the surface, his protective instincts threatening to spill over.

"You did good," Matthew told them on the drive home.

Elyra glanced at him doubtfully, her golden eyes reflecting the setting sun. "It didn't feel good."

Matthew reached over to pat her hand. "First days are always tough. It'll get better."noveldrama

He hoped he was right. But as the cabin came into view, and the shadows of the forest began to lengthen, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.