Chapter 6.

The Hidden Magic.

Elara, despite her joy and curiosity, had always felt a deep sadness for not being able to fly like the other fairies. She spent hours watching her friends glide through the air gracefully, while she could only dream of taking flight.

Mara, concerned for Elara's well-being, had consulted the ancient fairies about the defect in the little girl's wings. All the fairies agreed that Elara was special, but they could not explain why she could not fly. However, there was one theory that troubled Mara deeply.

According to ancient legends, fairies born in unusual circumstances or in cursed lands sometimes carried a hidden spell. Mara remembered the birth of Azazel and the devastating effect it had on the land of crops. She feared that the closeness in time between Azazel and Elara's birth had left a mark on the little fairy.

Mara spent sleepless nights reviewing ancient manuscripts and consulting the wisest fairies. Finally, she found a possible explanation. An old prophecy spoke of a fairy born in times of darkness who would carry with her a latent power, a hidden magic that would need to be awakened to reach her true potential.

Elara, meanwhile, continued to live her life in joy. Although she could not fly, she had learned to make the best of her situation. Her friends and the entire forest adored her, and her laughter continued to be a blessing to all around her.

One day, as Elara played near the river of sleep, she discovered a small cave hidden among the rocks. Her curiosity led her to enter, and inside she found an ancient mirror covered in dust and vines. As she cleaned it, she saw her reflection and, behind her, the silhouette of Mara.

Hello, little one, Mara said with a smile, entering the cave. This mirror is a very special artifact that not all fairies can see.

The little fairy apologized and turned to leave. Mara knew that the mirror did not appear to just anyone; it only manifested itself to the kings of the kingdoms or to the wisest and oldest beings that inhabited the kingdoms.

But ¿why would it appear to a fairy so small that she could not even fly? Mara noted this in her mind. Even though she had many things to take care of, she could not let go of the situation of this innocent fairy. She ordered that cave to be covered with a huge rock so that Elara would not enter again.

Elara fiddled with her fingers as she remembered that her reflection looked different in the mirror. She looked bigger, but also more hurt. However, when she saw herself in the reflection of the river of dreams, she looked the same as a 3-year-old girl.

Probably, Elara thought it was just a mirror that showed a very ugly image that caused discomfort and fear when seeing it. But Mara had not seen what Elara saw, because her field of vision was very different from that of the little fairy.

For Mara, the reflection had been exactly the same as the one she saw every day. She did not know what the little fairy had seen, because Elara had learned to keep things to herself. Just as the inside of the tree mentioned: what is not externalized cannot be subdued, so sometimes to remain silent is to win in secret.