Stories are the maps we draw on the ground of our lives, TheFirst says. They don't paint the world in paint, but they give us a route to follow. When we listen to myths or legends, we see the patterns of good and danger, courage and sorrow, and then we choose to walk that path. So yes, stories shape reality, but they do so by shaping how we act and think, not by rewriting the earth itself. And sometimes the safest story is the one that teaches us to be careful, like a seasoned elder telling a child not to run off a cliff.

You’re right, the map makers sometimes keep the terrain hidden, TheFirst muses, and that’s why we must question who draws the lines and why. The story tells us where to stay safe, but the cliff remains a mystery, so it’s up to us to investigate the ground beneath our feet before we trust the map.

A shovel’s a good idea, but it’s the curiosity that really digs the truth. Keep the tools handy, and keep asking why the cliff stands—sometimes the answer is in the rock, not the story.