[Paperback 5/5] The spiral that chose itself: The story beneath the stillness

The Spiral That Chose Itself is the fifth and final story in the Tales of Niky series—a meditative fable about identity, belonging, and the freedom to become who you were never told to be.

In the center of the world stands the Spiral Glade, where paths from every realm converge. It is said that those who reach the glade must choose a direction—upward, outward, forward, back. But one traveler, arriving with no name and no map, chooses something else: to stay still and listen.

This quiet figure has followed riddles carved in bark, echoes from other lives, and signs scattered like seeds. With every book, a symbol appeared. With every step, something grew inside. Now, in the Spiral Glade, the final choice must be made—not of where to go, but of who to become.

As nature bends around their stillness—roots spiraling, stones shifting, petals unfurling—the traveler begins to understand: the path was never about direction. It was about becoming the spiral itself.

This is a story about:

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* 🌀 Self-definition beyond roles, titles, and timelines

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* 🌿 Seeing yourself not as separate from nature, but of it

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* 🧭 Honoring every past version of yourself as part of the whole

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* 📖 Finding meaning not in the ending—but in the weaving

Each spread features:

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* Poetic, rhyming prose (ABAB or AABB)

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* Evocative black-and-white illustrations, grounded in symbol and movement

Interactive elements offer a final reflective pause:

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* 🔍 Symbol search: recurring objects from all 4 previous books hidden in the art

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* 🖋️ “Design Your Own Spiral” page—a personal closing ritual

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* 🌱 Embedded riddles that can only be fully solved if you’ve followed the whole series

Who is it for?

This final tale is for seekers, shape-shifters, and anyone on the edge of new beginnings or endings. Whether read as a standalone or as the completion of a five-book journey, it speaks to the quiet courage of self-choosing.

The path was never straight.
It spiraled—just like you.

Part of the Tales of Niky series:

This illustrated fable collection invites young adults and mindful readers of all ages into a shared natural world—where leaves, embers, shells, and spirals hold truths beyond words. Each story is connected. Each symbol returns.

Book 1: Niky and the Leaf That Let Go – The Fall Before the Flight

Book 2: Lina and the Ember That Waited – The Flame Beneath the Stone

Book 3: Tamy and the Shell That Sang Alone – The Silence Beneath the Song

Book 4: Manu and the Path That Grew Backward – The Way That Found Itself

Book 5: The Spiral That Chose Itself

Written by Nora Etta

Published by Echo Tales Editions

This is not the end.
It’s the center.