Light the Way

The two halves point in opposite tactical directions, and that split is the entire pitch for a one-mana modal instant. The first mode is a combat trick that also pulls a creature out of harm's way: the +1/+1 counter sticks around after cleanup, unlike a pump spell that evaporates, and the untap lets an attacker turn around to block or a blocker survive a second combat step. The second mode leaves combat behind entirely. Returning a permanent you control to hand is protection dressed as a bounce spell: save a creature from a removal spell on the stack, replay a permanent to fire its arrival ability a second time, or rescue a Vehicle before it dies crewed. At instant speed it slots into the same window you would hold up a counterspell for, which is what lets a single card cover the offensive line and the defensive line depending on what the turn asks. Neither mode is expensive or flashy; the value is in never being a dead draw, since almost any board state gives you a use for one half or the other.