Chapter 15: The Clear Dawn**
On a warm Saturday morning, Elena and Leo walked along the rocky shoreline near their new home. The Atlantic breeze was crisp, carrying the scent of salt and pine.
Leo skipped a flat stone across the gentle waves, watching it bounce three times before sinking.
"Mom?" he asked, wiping sand from his hands onto his jeans.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Do you think bad things happen so we learn how strong we are?"
Elena paused, looking down at the young boy who had possessed the courage to stand up against a monster when no one else could see the danger. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.
May you like
"No, Leo. Bad things happen because some people choose to be selfish. But we find out how strong we are by choosing the truth, no matter how hard it is."
Leo smiled, his hazel eyes bright and untroubled in the morning sun. He picked up another stone and sent it flying across the water. Elena watched it skip, breathing in the clean, unpoisoned air of a life entirely her own.
