Once Upon a Choice

Previously

…She began to speak, her words painting vivid pictures of the lessons she had learned. She spoke of Flicker, the playful guardian of the Whispering Woods, and the riddles that had once seemed like mere games, but now revealed profound truths. "Flicker taught me that the forest breathes, that every leaf, every root, is a part of a grand, interconnected system. They showed me how to listen to the whispers of the wind, how to read the language of the soil." She described the ancient groves, where water, though scarce, was managed with a wisdom honed over centuries. She