### Chapter Twenty-Four: The Edge of Freedom
The motorized chair opened a world Syan hadn't dared imagine, its quiet hum a key to spaces he'd only known through Lila's words. Each day, he ventured further—past the porch, down the ramp, onto the patchy yard where the mud had dried into uneven clumps. Lila trailed him at first, her laughter a guide as he tested the chair's limits, but soon she let him go alone, trusting the machine and his growing confidence.
One morning, with the sun climbing higher and the air thick with the scent of wet grass, he pushed the joystick toward the road. The wheels jolted over ruts, the oxygen unit bouncing slightly, but he kept going, the faint vibration under his hands a thrill he couldn't name. Lila watched from the porch, her voice carrying over the distance. "Don't get lost out there, dragon!"
"Not planning to," he called back, his voice steadier with the oxygen's help.
He reached the edge of the property, where the dirt met cracked pavement, and stopped, feeling the shift beneath him. It wasn't far—not even a hundred yards—but it was his, a stretch of freedom carved out by his own will. He sat there, the breeze tugging at his hair, and let the quiet sink in, unbroken by the weight of helplessness.
Back inside, his parents arrived with lunch—sandwiches, thick with meat and cheese, a luxury they'd never had before. His father set the bag down, eyeing the muddy tracks Syan had left on the floor. "Been exploring?" he asked, a gruff approval in his tone.
"Yeah," Syan said, wheeling to the table. "Made it to the road."
"Good," his father said, nodding. "Keep pushing. You've got more in you."
His mother smiled, softer now, her strength returning with each passing day. "We're getting a phone line put in," she said, unpacking the food. "For emergencies—or just to talk. Dr. Ellis suggested it."
Lila perked up, her suspicion giving way to curiosity. "A phone? Like, we can call people?"
"Yeah," his mother said. "You too, Lila. Friends, school—whatever you need."
Syan felt Lila's gaze on him, a silent check. "Sounds useful," he said, keeping it neutral. "Thanks."
They ate together, the table crowded for once, and the conversation stumbled but flowed—Lila talking about a school project, his father grumbling about a stubborn engine at work. It wasn't perfect, the past still a shadow between them, but it was a step, a thread of normalcy stitching them closer.
That night, Lila sat beside him, her voice quiet. "You're getting out there," she said. "Like, really out there."
"Trying to," he said, the chair's hum a soft echo beside them. "You okay with it?"
"Yeah," she said, leaning against him. "Just… don't leave me behind, okay?"
"Never," he said, fierce and sure. "You're still my wings."
She smiled, a warmth he couldn't see but felt, and the edge of freedom stretched wider—not just for him, but for them both.
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Let me know if you'd like Chapter 25 or any tweaks here!