The sun rose gently over the rooftops as Aarav packed his bag for school. In a swirl of golden sparkles, Lumi emerged from the dreamlight mist, wearing her tiny magic gloves — an enchanted gift from the Elderly Fairy herself.
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These gloves gave Lumi the ability to lift, move, and manipulate objects in the real world — without being seen by human eyes. And today, she was going to use them.
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She followed Aarav quietly as he sat down at the breakfast table. His face still looked tired, his eyes dull. Across the table was a school noticeboard poster announcing a poetry competition.
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Lumi, fluttering unseen above, reached into her tiny bag and carefully placed a small photo — a picture of Dhruv, Aarav’s late brother — right on top of the poetry competition poster.
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Aarav paused.
He looked at the poster.
And there it was — Dhruv’s smiling face, resting beside the words “Write from the heart.”
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His eyes widened. A chill passed over his skin.
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> “Is this a sign?” he wondered silently.
“If Anna was alive… he would’ve asked me to join.”
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His fingers trembled. He folded the poster and photo gently into his notebook.
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---
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Outside, the school bus pulled up. Lumi followed from above, flapping her wings fast. As Aarav approached the bus, Lumi noticed something that made her wings freeze for a second —
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The bus driver was on his phone while waiting.
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And worse — Kali and David, the two bullies, were walking toward Aarav with their usual smirks.
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> “Uh-oh,” Lumi whispered. “Not today.”
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With a quick flick of her gloved fingers, Lumi summoned a small gust of magic — just enough to knock the bus driver’s phone out of his hand and onto the road.
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“Eh?” the driver blinked, stepping outside to grab it.
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That’s when he saw it — Kali and David pushing Aarav.
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“Oi! What are you two doing?” he shouted.
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The boys froze, then ran.
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The driver rushed to Aarav’s side and dusted off his shirt. “Hey… you okay? I’m sorry I didn’t see that earlier. That’s on me.”
He gave Aarav a small chocolate bar, smiled warmly, and added,
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> “Be brave, boy. You got more strength than you think.”
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Aarav nodded slowly. Something shifted inside him.
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Back in the fairy realm, Lumi’s emotion meter blinked green.
---
Later in school, the teacher stood before the class.
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“This is the final call,” she said. “Anyone else want to register for the poetry competition?”
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Aarav raised his hand.
“Miss, I… I want to join.”
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The teacher looked uncomfortable.
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“I’m sorry, Aarav. It’s a bit late now. The list has already gone to the management.”
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Aarav lowered his hand, disappointed.
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But Lumi wasn’t done yet.
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She followed the teacher as she walked through the hallways later that day — holding the list of names in her hand.
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The fairy hovered behind her.
One quick flick of her glove… and a floating pen lifted quietly.
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It wrote one more name: “Aarav”
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The teacher didn’t notice. She handed the paper to the management.
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Aarav was in.
---
That evening, Aarav walked home, chocolate in hand, telling his friends Rajiv and Hari about how the bus driver apologized and even promised to keep an eye on him from now on.
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That night, Aarav erased a fear from his mind — the fear of the bus driver.
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He drew a picture of his teacher scolding him and stared at it. That fear was still there. But one fear gone was a step forward.
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From the edge of the ceiling, Lumi watched.
Her wings glowed softly.
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> “Tomorrow,” she whispered, “we call Shila.”
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---
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High above the clouds, hidden behind the shadows of an old building…
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Timbon the troll watched it all.
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Every movement.
Every flick of the meter.
Every time Lumi used her gloves.
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He narrowed his glowing green eyes.
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> “So… she’s healing the boy,” he muttered.
“One fear at a time. Clever… but not clever enough.”
Lumi didn’t know.
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But Timbon was beginning to understand her plan — and the clock was ticking.
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The Red Moon was only two nights away.
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---
ns216.73.216.240da2
and then Add to home screen.