Felix woke the next morning with a sense of purpose he hadn't felt in years. His meeting with the small dragon had left a mark on him—a promise that he was no longer alone, that maybe his fate was tied to something beyond the village that despised him.
He returned to the clearing every day, always finding the dragon waiting for him. Their connection grew deeper each time. The dragon, whom he named Ember for the golden-red glow of its scales, seemed to understand him in a way no human ever had. Ember's curious gaze and gentle gestures showed Felix a loyalty he'd never experienced before.
But the people of the village grew even more hostile. Felix's absences from work were noticed, and more than once he returned to the village to find his things tossed outside his small, rented room. One evening, after the baker refused to sell him bread and muttered insults under his breath, Felix could barely hold back his frustration. He was tired of being treated like an outsider. If only they knew what he was capable of now! If only they understood the power he felt stirring inside him, the bond that was slowly awakening something vast and fierce in his heart.