The next morning, Mira dragged Darian to the hill overlooking the village. Thad was already there, stretching his arms and preparing for one of his infamous "strength tests."
"Come on, Darian," Thad said, grinning. "Let's see if you've been eating enough bread."
Darian rolled his eyes. "I'll pass. I'm more useful in the brains department."
"Yeah, yeah," Thad teased, grabbing a rock. "But brains won't lift a plow, will they?"
As they joked, Lila arrived, carrying a small basket of flowers. "You boys and your silly contests," she said with a smile, sitting beside Mira.
The friends spent the morning talking, laughing, and planning their future—each of them dreaming of a life beyond Green Hollow.
"I want to see the world," Mira declared. "Travel to the great cities, meet knights and mages…"
"I just want to make sure my family's farm survives," Thad said. "Not everyone has your fancy brain, Darian."
"What about you, Lila?" Mira asked.
"I don't know," Lila replied softly. "But I think something big is going to happen soon. Something… different."
Darian listened quietly, the weight of his scholarship letter sitting heavily in his mind. He wanted to leave, but the thought of leaving his friends behind was harder than he'd expected.