Prologue

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This is not a story about me. In fact, this is a story about someone far greater than I could ever hope to be. The moment Kianti stepped into my life, I knew nothing would ever be the same. People crowded around her like moths to a flame. No, that's the wrong analogy - A flame is chaotic, uncontrollable, and deadly, the bane of all who step too close. Rather than destroying those around her, though, she gave them her light, her life. She had a lot of it, too. There was a certain effervescence to her, something that I couldn't describe if I had a hundred years to do it. Simply put, Kianti was different, and instead of using that to her advantage, she used it to help others. I wasn't looking for her when she found me, but nobody ever is. I suspect she has this ability, almost like a sixth sense, that pulls her to the people who need her most. I'm not sure if it's even a conscious effort or if it comes to her naturally, but I doubt it matters. The fact of the matter is simple: When you need her, she will come, whether you call for her or not, even if you don't realize you need her. She'll come, and you'll think an angel has just taken the time to come down and greet you, a lowly mortal. You'll stare into her brilliant blue eyes, sparkling with the same electricity that flows through her, and you'll watch her strawberry blonde hair dance through the air with the same grace her voice holds. You'll cling to every word she says, from the first "Hello" to the last "Goodbye", and you'll hold it in your heart for eternity, because it's all you want to hear for the rest of your life. You may suspect that I make too much of her reputation, or perhaps am stretching this description, but if you do, that is simply because you have never met her, never been fortuitous enough to be granted a moment in the cloak of joy that shrouded her so thickly. I suspect there isn't a soul in the world that can withstand her charming grace for very long. After all, she managed to tear through the thick skin of darkness and apathy I had been using to keep myself from creating meaningful relationships throughout the years, tore down my guard, and showed me an entire new world, one built up from light, hope, and dreams – a world long forgotten.

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