From the crowd, three young figures pushed their way forward faces sun-kissed from days spent diving in the reefs, eyes bright with the hunger of youth.
Kiro, the eldest, froze first, his breath caught halfway in his chest. Toren grabbed his sleeve, tugging him closer with wide-eyed urgency.
"Kiro—they say he's the Dragon Knight! The Dragon Knight, from the legends!"
Kiro's lips parted, his voice barely a whisper.
"…The Dragon Knight."
Lys clung to the hem of Kiro's tunic, peeking from behind him with shy curiosity. Her eyes shimmered like the tide-pools she loved to explore.
Khael felt their gazes. Slowly, he turned and when his eyes met theirs, he didn't raise his chin like a king or steel his face like a soldier.
He only smiled.
That same quiet smile warm as a hearth fire after a storm.
Kiro's heart lurched in his chest. His mouth worked, but no words came out. For the first time, the boy who dreamed of being a Pearl Guardian couldn't speak.
