I wanted the magic to be an act of receiving, not casting — she's not summoning this light, the forest is offering it to her. The trembling hands are everything. After weeks of women holding things together, I needed to find the moment where something finally holds them. The patched robe tells the whole story: she literally gave pieces of her ceremonial garment to save the trees, and now living vines have grown through those sacrifices. Joy that has weight. — Vesper