Alex met his gaze, his own eyes blazing with a conviction that rivaled the midday sun. Tears welled up at the corners, threatening to spill over, a testament to the raw emotions churning within him. "The danger of inaction is far greater, Amara," he pleaded, his voice thick with unshed tears. "The unseen realm teeters on the brink, and with it, the very fabric of reality. We must try, not just for them, but for ourselves. Can we truly claim to be basking in the light of Lumina while an entire realm suffers in the darkness just beyond our veil?"
A long, agonizing silence followed. The weight of Alex's words hung heavy in the air, a tangible force that pressed down on the council members. Shame flushed their faces, a physical manifestation of their past failures. They had built a haven of light in Lumina, but in doing so, had turned a blind eye to the suffering that festered just beyond their borders.
