The sun was warm but not harsh, the kind of light that made colors richer. Bianca walked through the orchard with a woven basket in hand, even though she wasn't expecting to find anything worth harvesting yet.
Kaloy padded beside her, humming an odd tune that sounded like water trickling over stones.
"You're cheerful today," Bianca said.
"Because the land is cheerful," Kaloy replied, sniffing the air. "Can you feel it? The trees are happy you're here."
Bianca smiled. "Well, I'm happy they're happy."
She reached up to touch a budding branch. The moment her fingers brushed it, the green tip swelled and split into a burst of tiny white blossoms. She gasped.
"That—" she began.
"That's you," Kaloy said matter-of-factly. "You told it to grow, and it listened."
Bianca pulled her hand back. "That's impossible. I didn't tell it anything."
"You don't have to speak," Kaloy said, eyes glinting. "Your heart is enough."
---
They wandered toward the old poultry shed, its roof sagging in one corner. Inside, sunlight streamed through a gap, making a patch of gold on the dusty floor.
A faint sound made Bianca pause. A soft, pitiful chirping.
She followed the noise to a crate in the corner. Inside, huddled and trembling, was a tiny chick—fluffy but weak-looking, its breathing shallow.
"Oh no…" She scooped it up, cradling it in her palms. "Where did you come from, little one?"
"It's dying," Kaloy said simply. "Happens. Life and death live close here."
Bianca frowned. "Not if I can help it."
She cupped the chick gently, her thumb brushing its downy head. She wasn't thinking about magic or powers—only about the tiny life warming her skin, the way its heartbeat fluttered like a trapped moth.
And then she felt it: that same warmth she'd felt with the guava, spreading from her chest to her hands. It was subtle at first, then stronger, like the air itself was leaning in to listen.
The chick's breathing steadied. Its eyes opened wider. It let out a loud, healthy peep!
Kaloy grinned. "See? You called it back."
Bianca stared. "I… healed it?"
"You shared your spirit. The land gave you the rest."
She stroked the chick, still in awe. "So… what happens if I raise animals here?"
"They will love you," Kaloy said simply. "And some will help you in return."
---
Bianca decided to keep the chick for now, settling it in a small box lined with an old scarf. She placed it near the kitchen window, where sunlight poured in. Lydia fussed over her for wasting time on "a single bird," but Bianca only smiled.
It felt right.
---
End of Chapter 5