Alice held up the flower crowns she'd woven, her face glowing with pride. "Father! Look, Alice finished! Now you have to teach me that magic you showed earlier!"
Spark chuckled, taking the delicate crowns from her hands and placing them gently on the gazebo steps. "All right, a deal's a deal. Let's start."
He knelt before her, holding up one finger. A faint shimmer of light flickered at its tip, like a tiny star. "First, you need to feel the magic at the tip of your finger. Like this."
Alice's eyes sparkled with excitement as she lifted her small finger to mimic him. "Like this?"
"Not yet," Spark said, his tone patient and steady. "Close your eyes. Focus. Imagine the magic flowing from your chest to your fingertip."
Obediently, Alice closed her eyes, her face scrunching with determination. For a moment, there was only silence, broken by the faint rustle of leaves and the chirping of birds.
