Title: The Silent Gift

In the center of a very busy place, where the noise and traffic of the city were the main sound and the daily activities gave it a special pulse, lived a girl named Lyra. To those who didn’t know her, she would appear no different than any other face in the crowd, so she would merge effortlessly with the millions of people walking down the city’s avenues. However, what lay beneath the quiet smile and the warm eyes was a secret only her family and she knew about she was born with a power that was passed down through the generations, a power that enabled her to heal, protect, and help others without them even being aware of it.

Though Lyra's magic was subtle, it was not invisible. She used to sweetly influence her environment. A simple movement of her hand, a gentle word, and everything would be put right. For example, an item may be found just in time by the one who lost it to catch the final ride to his or her destination. As a result of a mother's loving embrace, the child may feel the fever break, or the worker who felt tired may finish the shift with much more energy without even acknowledging how it came.

Lyra was always careful. She knew that even her abilities, a gift though they were, could get out of hand if the wrong people found out about them. It was not only hers but also her family’s legacy, which used to be transferred from one generation to the other, but it was always kept secret. Magic was something that people at one time were afraid of and which Lyra, for her part, had decided to help without being noticed.

Liz, her closest friend, was the only person that was aware of Lyra’s powers.

They were the children who were raised in the city, and Liz was very supportive of Lyra all through her life, even though she had no clue why it was so natural for her to have strange things around. Whenever there was a mysterious disappearance of Lyra, Liz used to think, 'Oh, what a miracle! This girl just appeared out of nowhere.' Or when everything would be perfectly fine without any apparent reason, Liz couldn’t help but be amazed.

At one cozy evening when the sky was already pink, Liz and Lyra were sipping at their favorite café, discussing things and enjoying their hot chocolate. Liz, with her sake of the next day's presentation that she had to give at work, was telling Lyra how nervous she was while constantly fidgeting with her cup.

“Oh, I don’t know if I should do this, Lyra,” Liz confided. “Public speaking is not my thing, and this is a very important project.

What if I spoil it?”

Inside, Lyra was also smiling warmly, still feeling a bit sorry for her friend. She leaned towards Liz, her hand taking a place on Liz's other hand, which was lying on the table.

"You will do well," Lyra said in a quiet tone, speaking with a confidence that was not loud, "You have made the efforts. You just need to believe in yourself."

Liz offered her a mistrustful look, but before she could say anything, Lyra's eyes flicked to the window where she witnessed a man dropping his briefcase on the sidewalk, spilling papers everywhere. Lyra automatically started moving her fingers, and suddenly, the wind was just strong enough to blow the papers the spilled papers back to the man’s case. It was as if nothing undesirable had happened.

Liz was so preoccupied that she did not even notice, but Lyra did, and she was very much content. She really took to heart helping others, even in ways that they were not aware of.

That night, while Lyra was lying on her bed, worry started pulling at her. Liz’s upcoming presentation was the cause of her stress, and Lyra thought there was something more she might do to make her friend less anxious. However, how could she give support and not at the same time tell of her secret?

The following day, the conference room's back was Lydia’s spot from where she would observe Liz’s preparation for her speech. The tension in her friend's shoulders and the way her hands shook a little while she was adjusting her notes were visible to her. Lyra picked her pocket and without being noticed pressed a small crystal in her hand a gift from her grandma. The crystal was a good helper for relaxation. It was a simple act but it acted as a good control of the power she had.

Lyra muttered a gentle incantation under her breath as Liz moved to the front of the room, the magic coursing through her fingertips and out of sight of everyone else. She saw Liz's nervous energy transform into confidence as her posture straightened. Liz started talking, her words clear and her voice steady.

The presentation proceeded without a hitch. Liz did it flawlessly, her nerves vanishing as if they had never been there. With excitement in her eyes, she smiled at Lyra when it was all over.

"I succeeded! It's unbelievable! Liz jumped up and down with laughter. "I never imagined that I would finish it without fumbling over my own words."

Lyra grinned as pride filled her heart. "I anticipated that you would. You're incredible.

Liz talked excitedly about the presentation's success as they made their way back to their apartment, totally oblivious to the fact that Lyra had subtly led her through it. Lyra was overcome with a profound sense of accomplishment. She felt alive because of the small, unseen deeds of kindness that changed someone's life, not because of the cheers or the recognition.

And Lyra knew that she would keep helping, healing, and protecting always from the shadows, always unseen as the city lights flickered on. Ultimately, her power didn't need to be known to the world. All it had to do was sense the enchantment of her attention.