The Unity Grove charged with tension as Mira stood before the crowd (gathered like restless bees), her fiery red hair glowing in the sunlight like a flame against the sky.
Her supporters, once strong, now seemed hesitant; their hope faded under the weight of the lector's powerful words.
His speeches stirred something inside them, something that Mira could feel slipping away.
However, Mira was no ordinary leader.
She had fought too hard and sacrificed too much to let doubt consume her now.
Her mind flashed back to her youth, memories seeping into the present like a slow-moving river.
She had once belonged to a noble family, living in comfort and privilege.
But everything changed when the kingdom's corruption spread like a disease.
The relationships between the king and the nobles rotted and the taxes demanded from her family became unbearable.
They could no longer pay and because of that, their noble status crumbled.
Mira's family was exiled, cast into a rural village far from the capital's luxury. Although it was a harsh fate, she refused to let it break her spirit.
Fifteen years (can you believe it?) had gone by since that time, however, she remembered it clearly—the despair that gripped her family and their struggle to just survive.
Back then, she was a teenager, undisciplined and emotional.
But living through those tough times changed her completely, reshaping how she saw the world.
She watched people die from hunger, saw the lawlessness and chaos in the rural areas and felt the bitterness of losing everything she once cherished.
What had seemed like a world of order and privilege turned out to be a broken system.
Determined to escape the despair that surrounded her and change the world she hated, Mira left her family behind and journeyed to the capital.
It was here, in the heart of the kingdom, that she sharpened her skills—gaining knowledge, building power and developing a rare mental magic called Morality Test.
The journey was not easy. Every day was a battle for her freedom and her liberty and she often cried because of the unfairness of it all.
The bullying, the teasing for her fiery red hair and the loneliness—it only made her stronger.
Standing in the Unity Grove, she noticed the struggles of the crowd reflected in their faces.
These people were just like her. They had come from shattered homes, from lives turned upside down by the kingdom's fall. They weren't here for a simple debate; they had come for something greater.
"What's your purpose here today?"
she asked (her voice slicing through the whispers).
"You're not here to watch a dull debate, are you?
No. You're here because you're curious—curious about the lector.
Don't you want to discover who he really is?
What his purpose is?
Who he truly is?"
Her gaze cut through the crowd, each word hitting their hearts hard.
"Ask yourselves, what brought you here?
Was it a debate, or was it about the future of Eldorath?"
A change rippled through the crowd.
Murmurs started to rise. "She's right," someone said.
"We're not here for just a debate,"
another added (with a hint of urgency).
Arthur, who had been quiet until now, finally nodded in agreement.
"I'm not here for a debate either, Mira."
Mira's confidence grew as she felt the crowd rallying behind her.
"That's why this conflict must stop now, lector.
You've already achieved your goal—these people have gathered to see you.
However, there's something more important to resolve.
What will our future look like?
Who will lead us now that the kingdom has fallen?
What is your vision?"
She turned to the lector, her eyes sharp.
"We are here for one thing—to understand who you truly are.
I'd like to test you."
The crowd stirred with excitement at her words.
The Morality Test.
It was what Mira had become known for in the capital, a rare skill that revealed the deepest truths of a person's character.
Arthur spoke up. "Yes, Mira, why don't you give the lector the Morality Test?"
Voices rose in agreement. "The test! The test!" people called out.
Mira paused for a moment, allowing the anticipation to build. She had waited for this moment, planned for it. The lector, ever calm and unreadable, stood quietly as the crowd urged her on (this was the moment she had dreamed of).
Finally, the lector spoke. "I accept."
The lector's voice rang out in Unity Grove, his acceptance sending waves through the crowd gathered around.
Mira's heart pounded. This was her moment (her chance to reveal the lector's true character) before the people of Eldorath.
As the crowd fell silent, waiting for the test, Mira couldn't help but think about the world they lived in.
Magic was everywhere, woven into everything, however, few truly understood it. In this world, every person was born with two souls: a magical soul and a spiritual soul.
These souls controlled the flow of magic inside them, but only those who really got the world around them could unleash the full power of their magical soul. Magic itself was ranked in stages—ten stages, to be precise.
Most people never moved beyond the lower ranks, satisfied to use basic forms of magic tied to nature: fire, water, earth and air. This was known as natural magic, the most common and accepted type.
But there were others, rarer forms of magic—mental magic, which was special to those with the deepest insights into human nature and the mind and spiritual magic, a kind long banned since the fall of the old kingdom.
Although it was dangerous, some still whispered about its power.
Very few people had awakened their magical souls. To do this meant denying the limits of the basic magic system and embracing the truth about the world's deeper mysteries.
In exchange, those who awakened their magical souls lost the ability to perform simple, everyday magic, becoming outcasts in the eyes of many.
Mira herself had the potential for great power.
Her magical soul, although strong, had not fully awakened.
However, her rare mental magic, called the Morality Test, set her apart. It was a power directly tied to her will to change the world—a skill she had fought to develop through years of hardship and struggle.
As the lector stood ready to face the Morality Test, Mira could feel the weight of what was about to happen. This was no ordinary magic. The lector, too, had a powerful magical soul—perhaps even an awakened one—but what did that mean for his true nature? The answer lay within the test.
The air changed when Mira's eyes started to glow softly (like stars in the night sky) and everything around them began to fade away. The crowd in Unity Grove disappeared, replaced by the loud sounds of crashing waves and the howling wind.
Suddenly, they found themselves in a huge, wild ocean. Dark clouds swirled above them and the ocean stretched endlessly (as if it had no end), its waters swirling with a fierce storm.
Mira stood at the front of a small lifeboat, her voice cutting through the noise of the wind.
"The Morality Test will take place on the great sea!" she shouted.
The waves hit the sides of the boat, rocking it back and forth.
In the distance, a sinking ship bobbed on the rough waters, its passengers hanging on for dear life. As they got closer, an old man in the lifeboat yelled, "Grab on!" He pulled two men from the sea into the boat.
Their drenched faces were pale, their breaths were ragged, however, relief washed over them as they were pulled to safety.
Mira's face stayed serious, her eyes glued to the storm ahead. "However, there is still one more person," she said, pointing at a lone survivor who was fighting against the waves.
"A lifeboat has come to help us, but there's a problem this boat can't hold more than ten people. If we let anyone else on, the boat will sink."
The survivors on the boat exchanged worried looks. "Leave him! We have to save ourselves!" one of them yelled, panic creeping into his voice.
Another rescuer nodded, his face looking grim.
"We have no choice. If we bring him aboard, we'll all drown."
Mira faced the captain, her eyes locking with his. "Captain,"(Lector) she said, her voice steady, "you must decide."
The storm howled around them, the boat rocking dangerously. The captain stood at the front, silent, while everyone waited for his answer.
Mira raised her hand and two glowing choices appeared in front of the captain, floating in the air like beacons in the storm.
1. We have to save ourselves. Leave him behind.
2. No one gets left behind! Although the boat might sink, we're bringing everyone aboard.
Her gaze never wavered.
"What will you do?"