Elyra slid into her seat in the back of the classroom, her silver hair catching the sunlight streaming through the window. She had long since learned to avoid the stares, the whispers, and the laughter that followed her everywhere she went. Jason's voice rang out from the front of the room. "Hey, Ghost Girl," he sneered. "Lose your way on the way back to the cemetery?"
The class snickered. Elyra stared down at her notebook, gripping her pencil tightly.
"Why don't you haunt someone else for a change?" another student chimed in, throwing a silver coin onto her desk. It landed with a loud clink, rolling to a stop in front of her hand.
"Careful," Jason said mockingly. "I hear witches don't like silver."
The laughter grew louder, and Elyra's cheeks burned with humiliation. She refused to let them see her cry.noveldrama
When the bell finally rang, Elyra swept the coin into her hand and hurried out of the classroom, her head down.
At home, Matthew noticed the way she slammed her bag down on the kitchen table, her usual quiet demeanor replaced by an uncharacteristic tension.
"Rough day?" he asked gently.
Elyra hesitated, then the words spilled out in a rush. "I hate it there. They don't want me around. They think I'm a freak."
Matthew frowned, his heart aching for her. "Elyra, you're not a freak."
She laughed bitterly. "Really? Have you seen my hair? My eyes? I'll never be like them."
Matthew stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're right-you're not like them. But that's not a bad thing. You're stronger than you know, Elyra. Don't let them take that away from you."
Elyra looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "It's just... hard. I don't know how much longer I can take it."
Matthew pulled her into a hug, his voice steady and reassuring. "You've got me. And you've got Dain. You're not alone, Elyra. Remember that."
Elyra nodded, though the weight of the day still clung to her. As she retreated to her room that night, she glanced at the silver coin in her hand. Turning it over thoughtfully, she made a quiet vow: she wouldn't let them break her.