Chapter 1

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DEDICATION For every young person brave enough to build bridges instead of walls.

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Darian Taheri was twelve, and the Lightbringers Club had a problem.

What had started as four kids under a tree had grown into something much bigger. There were now twenty-three Lightbringers at Maple Grove Elementary and Middle School, and they were doing amazing things — welcome committees for new students, compassion check-ins, neighborhood service projects.

But growth had brought complications.

Some kids had joined the club because they genuinely wanted to serve. Others had joined because it looked good on their school record. And a few — Darian suspected — had joined because they liked the power of being part of a popular group.

The conflict came to a head on a Thursday afternoon when Marcus, one of the newer members, posted on social media about a Lightbringers project — and included a photo of a family they'd helped, without asking permission.

"We got fifty likes!" Marcus announced proudly at the next meeting.

Darian's stomach clenched. "Marcus, did you ask the Rodriguez family if it was okay to post their photo?"

"Why would I? It's positive! We're showing what the club does."

"Because they might not want the whole school knowing they needed help. That's their private business."

The room divided. Some kids agreed with Darian. Others thought Marcus was right — positive publicity helped the club grow.

Darian could feel the tension mounting. This was exactly the kind of situation his junior youth animator, Tomas, had prepared him for. Constructive forces pulling toward service and humility. Destructive forces pulling toward ego and image.

"Let's consult," Darian said. "Real consultation. Not arguing. Consultation."

Marcus was quiet at first. Then he said, "I think I joined this club for the wrong reasons. But I want to stay for the right ones."

Darian shook his hand. "That's the most Lightbringer thing anyone's said all day."

Growth always came with growing pains. But growing pains meant you were growing.

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Two weeks later, Darian faced a different challenge — one that tested him personally.

There was a boy in his grade named Ethan who had been bullying a sixth-grader named Amir. Not physical bullying — the subtle kind. Excluding him from groups, making comments about his accent, laughing when he mispronounced English words.

Amir was from Syria. His family had come to the US as refugees two years ago. He was quiet, studious, and trying so hard to fit in that it broke Darian's heart.

"Ethan isn't evil," Darian told his junior youth group that Saturday. "He's ignorant. There's a difference. Evil means you know something is wrong and do it anyway. Ignorance means you don't see the harm you're causing."

"So what do you do with ignorance?" asked Tomas, the animator.

"You bring light to it," said Darian. "That's literally what Lightbringers do."

It took courage — more courage than any service project. Darian invited Ethan to sit with him and Amir at lunch. Not a confrontation. Just lunch.

At first it was awkward. Ethan was wary. Amir was nervous. Darian was sweating.

But then Amir started talking about his family's restaurant, and the food his mother made, and Ethan — who, it turned out, loved food — started asking questions. Real questions. Curious questions.

And when Amir described the spices his mother used and how she'd carried the recipes from Damascus, Ethan said, "That's actually really cool."

It wasn't a dramatic transformation. Ethan didn't become Amir's best friend overnight. But the comments stopped. The exclusion eased. And slowly, over weeks, something shifted.

His little sister Ayla, who had started it all with her heart-eyes and her courage, would have been proud.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bahá'í Inspired Books creates connected series about ordinary heroes.