"As Roland said... we need to leave this place."
A new voice echoed through the gathering.
This time it belonged to a woman.
She had dark burgundy hair and looked like a human. Her age seemed to be somewhere in her mid-forties. Her name was Karen.
She stepped forward slowly and looked at the villagers with calm but determined eyes.
"I am someone who was born in this village," she said gently. "I have lived here for more than forty years now."
Some of the villagers nodded slightly. Many of them knew her well.
Karen continued with a soft but steady voice. "I understand your worries... your fear... and your uncertainty about going outside... about seeing the world beyond this place."
Roland quietly stepped aside, allowing her to speak.
Karen looked around at the villagers, at the elders, the young people, and the children standing beside their parents.
