Hamed was amazed by the man’s pomposity: behaving as if he were lecturing first-year students at university—and not speaking to agents of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1)

Importance: When Agent Hamed first meets Superintendent Bashir, he is appalled that the man lectures him like a child. This quote is important because it foreshadows the eventual reveal of Bashir as a deceptive liar.

Corded cable lines stretched across the skyline in every direction, metal vines that curved and bent as they went, interwoven and overlapping the breadth of the city. Aerial trams zipped along their length—leaving bright electric bolts crackling in their wake. The tram system was Cairo’s lifeblood, running on a network of arteries and transporting thousands across the bustling metropolis.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1)

Importance: The tram system is developed with magic after al-Jahiz opened the portal. This quote is important because it demonstrates how important the tram...