Such was the peculiar nature of this shell — it guarded him faithfully from the storms and sorrows of the restless world. Outside, distant voices whispered warnings, insisting that if he ever dared to step beyond its walls, danger would surely find him; that beyond the thick shell lay peril, and that he was far better off remaining where he was.

And even though there appeared to be nothing amiss, inside there was no light — only deep, suffocating darkness.
The little person struggled for breath, suffered, and shrank into himself, clinging to what he believed was safety. It was cramped, unnatural, and painfully uncomfortable, but at least it was familiar — here there was no surprise, no unpredictability, no threat.

Then, one night, he made a dream unlike any he had known...
The world around him appeared bright and warm, filled with kindness; there he felt radiant and free, with more space to move and breathe than he had ever imagined.

When he awoke, sorrow washed over him.

“What if it was real? What if the world is not as the outside voices have told me?” he wondered.

This thought stirred something fierce within him. He struck the shell with all his might, desperate to break free. His blows were wild and furious — yet the walls did not yield. If anything, they seemed to harden beneath his fists.

At last, exhausted and despairing, he sank to his knees and wept.
And in the quiet that followed, he heard a gentle, warm voice — so familiar it felt like a forgotten memory — whispering from nowhere and everywhere at once:

“Your home is not outside, but within. It has always been with you. Just remember.”

To his amazement, the words soothed him.
He placed his hands over his heart and closed his eyes. A soft, enveloping warmth blossomed through his whole being — and in that moment he understood:
I am home.

And as soon as he knew it, the shell that had guarded him for so long cracked, then gently split apart. From the center of his heart burst a light of indescribable beauty, spilling outward and transforming everything it touched.

From that day on, the little person became a great and magical being, weaving kind and wondrous worlds from the power and radiance of his heart.
Sorrow no longer clung to him, and there was no place in all existence where he did not feel safe — for now he knew: his home was within him, and there, he was forever at peace.