One of my favorite moments in Chapter 1 isn’t a battle or a dramatic reveal.
It’s an introduction.
Kali meets Gisenes — the Daughter of Mother Nature.
As a reader, we know she’s extraordinary.
But what I love most is watching Kali realize that the impossible might actually be possible.
I think that’s something we lose a little as adults.
Children are often willing to believe that the world is bigger than what they can see.
Somewhere along the way, we become convinced we’ve already seen everything there is to see.
Life has a way of proving us wrong.
Sometimes it’s through a new friendship.
Sometimes through unexpected kindness.
Sometimes through a conversation that changes our perspective.
Those moments remind us that wonder isn’t something we leave behind as children.
It’s something we rediscover.
Maybe that’s one reason I love this scene so much.
Because hope often begins with wonder.
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