The sun had just risen over the hills of the village of "Virdale," and the gentle breeze flowed through the leafy trees. The village was experiencing a quiet day, as usual, with the sounds of birds echoing in the sky and the laughter of children in the courtyards reflecting a life full of hope. On this day, Darius was walking quietly through the village's stone-paved streets, under the soft sunlight.

  He was fifteen years old, his short black hair untidy as usual, and he was wearing a simple shirt and sturdy cloth pants. He carried a calm smile as he looked around at the daily scenes in the village he loved so much. In a time when he thought nothing would change, these moments of tranquility were the most precious.

  While wandering through the market, he bumped into Thalios, his close friend, who had a bag full of books around his waist and was holding an old book he had been searching for.

  "Do you see?" Thalios said eagerly, pointing at one of the stalls filled with old books. "This book contains ancient secrets about magic."

  Darius looked at the book and smiled, saying, "I think the magic you need most is the magic of endurance and the ability to live as things are."

  Thalios laughed and replied, "Maybe, but I want to learn more. This book might hold secrets that could be useful."

  As they were talking, Leila, the girl who was an integral part of Darius and his friends' lives, approached them. Leila had a bright face and sparkling eyes, and her long black hair flowed smoothly. Despite her apparent kindness, she possessed immense courage that set her apart from the other girls in the village.

  "I think you two are too busy with books," Leila said with a smile. "Haven't you noticed there's a race in the square?"

  Darius smiled and said, "A race?! I don't think we'll be faster than Zala in this case."

  At that moment, Zala, their mischievous friend, dashed through the crowd, smiling broadly. Zala was known for his high energy and love of adventure.

  "Did you see the race?" Zala said eagerly. "I've thought about the challenge, and I'm sure I'll win this time!"

  Darius laughed and said, "If you're ready for another loss, we'll join."

  "Loss? I never lose!" Zala responded with less than modesty.

  As they laughed, Elya, Thalios' older sister, approached them. Elya was known for her wisdom and sternness, and she had always protected her younger friends and managed the village affairs with skill.

  "Where are you headed now?" Elya asked, always taking charge of her friends' daily routines.

  Leila replied, "We're going to join the race, Elya! Will you join us?"

  Elya smiled and said, "I'm too old to join a kids' race, but I'll watch you. And remember, life is not a race!"

  Everyone laughed, then headed to the village square, where the other children were waiting for the race. The square was full of movement; there were vendors displaying their goods, and children were running and playing. Torven, the grumpy vegetable vendor, walked among the crowd, holding his heavy basket.

  "Don't dare ruin the race, this is the only place I can sell my vegetables!" Torven said playfully to his friends.

  Darius laughed, saying, "Don't worry, Torven. We promise we won't disturb you."

  Once the children reached the race area, the atmosphere was filled with excitement and noise. The ground was covered with green grass, and in front of them were small wooden hurdles they would have to jump over during the race. Everyone was chatting and laughing as "Old Garok" stood at the edge of the square, smiling and watching them carefully. Then he raised his hand, saying, "Get ready! Today’s race will be different, let’s see who reaches the finish line first!"

  The children gathered at the starting line. Leila stood next to Darius, a smile on her face, while Thalios seemed more focused, his hands on his knees. As for Zala, he stood confidently, leaning forward as if he wanted to prove himself in the race.

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  Leila said lightly, "It won't be easy to beat me today, but I'll leave you a chance to run behind me!" She smiled challengingly, making Zala laugh and respond, "You won’t beat me easily, Leila."

  The atmosphere became a little more tense, but banter remained dominant among the friends. The competition between Zala and Leila was clear, as Zala possessed great energy and skill in running, making him one of the favorites to win.

  Old Garok announced the start of the race, saying, "Get ready!" He then raised his hand to signal the start.

  "Go!" he shouted, and in an instant, everyone surged forward. Zala was the fastest of them all, as if the ground beneath his feet was devouring the speed. He effortlessly jumped over the hurdles and quickly distanced himself from everyone. Darius, who was trying to keep up with him, noticed that Leila was catching up with him and getting closer to Zala, but the speed difference was significant, and Thalios was at the back, not a major concern.

  Zala continued at his usual speed, easily jumping over the hurdles, while Darius was putting in every effort to match his pace. But as time passed, Darius noticed that Leila was getting closer to him bit by bit.

  "I won't let you beat me this easily!" Darius said, smiling as he picked up his pace.

  With each step, Zala noticed that the competition was intensifying. But in his heart, he felt something different, and he hoped to see her win. Zala gave a slight smile as he watched Leila get closer to him. When they reached the last hurdle, Zala deliberately slowed down to give Leila a chance to pass him.

  As for Darius, he kept running with all his might, but he misjudged one of the hurdles, tripping and falling suddenly. He paused for a moment to gather himself, while Leila continued to run quickly, and Zala smiled calmly as he watched her approach the finish line.

  At the last moment, Leila crossed the finish line first, and she jumped with joy, her hands in the air, shouting, "I won! I won!"

  Leila won first place, followed by Zala in second, and Thalios took third. Darius dropped out of the race because of the fall.

  Darius smiled despite his fall and stood up to head toward where Leila was celebrating her victory. As for Zala, he stood a few steps away, watching the atmosphere with a subtle smile on his face.

  Then Darius and Thalios looked at Zala with different expressions, not accusing glances, but there was something strange in their eyes, as if they knew he had let Leila win on purpose.

  Thalios, placing his hand on Zala's shoulder, said, "I think you deliberately lost today, didn’t you?"

  Zala's face suddenly turned red, and he smiled uncomfortably: "Stop it! I didn’t want to win this way, you didn’t push yourselves enough to make the race fun!"

  But the looks from Darius and Thalios revealed everything. They felt that Zala hadn’t been running at full speed and that he had purposely allowed Leila to win.

  "Zala, don’t think I don’t know!" said Thalios, laughing, while Zala smiled with a puzzled grin, unable to deny it.

  Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere became full of energy and fun as they celebrated together. But Zala couldn’t hide his embarrassment, as his feelings for Leila were clearer to the others than ever before.

  As they walked, with Leila boasting about her victory, they smelled a pleasant aroma. It was Marin, Darius' mother, who was busy preparing bread in the nearby bakery. Marin always greeted everyone with a warm smile, and the bakery held a special place in the heart of every villager. She was the reason the delicious smell of bread filled the streets all day.

  "Hello, Mom!" Darius said as he approached the bakery.

  Marin smiled and said, "Welcome, my son. Did you bring your friends again?"

  "Of course!" Leila replied. "Life wouldn’t be complete without your wonderful food, Mom!"

  "If you want something to eat after the race, you can take whatever you want, but you’ll have to help first," Marin said, laughing.

  Everyone helped in the bakery, and there was continuous conversation between Darius, his friends, and Marin about life in the village and the details of their day. In those moments, Old Garok, the village sage, entered, carrying his old bag.

  "Welcome, Old Garok," Marin said with a smile.

  "Hello, everyone. How are things going here?" Old Garok asked with a slight smile.

  "Just as usual, life is moving at its usual pace. Nothing new under the sun,"Old Garok said lightly, then turned to Darius and said in a serious tone, "Have you told your mother about those dreams you've been having at night?"

  Darius looked at him in surprise and said, "Dreams? I don’t think there’s anything special about them, maybe they were just passing dreams."

  Old Garok looked at him thoughtfully, then smiled and said, "Well, maybe you’re right. But don’t ignore anything in the future, because some things may be more than just dreams."

  While they were enjoying their conversation, Larn, Darius' father, entered, trying to maintain his calm despite his many duties as the village guard. Larn was a strong man, always wearing a serious expression, but his heart was full of love for his family. He worked hard to protect the village from any threat, and everyone relied on him.

  "You're here, Larn!" said Marin while cooking. "Hello, my dear. Is everything alright outside?"

  "Yes, everything is quiet," Larn replied with a smile. "But you must always stay vigilant, there are times when things get more difficult."

  "We won't feel any worry. And you are here guarding us," Marin responded.

  The atmosphere in the bakery was warm, and the conversations varied between talks of friends, Old Garok's advice, Zaynor's laughter, and Thalios' thoughts on ancient books. These small moments were what made life in the village of "Duralah" peaceful and reassuring.

  Nevertheless, those simple days and the quiet life were the foundation of the moments that would remain in Darius and his friends' memories forever.