Officium.
Duty.
A word that carried different weight depending upon who spoke it, who heard it, who lived beneath its shadow.
For some, duty was nothing more than chains disguised as purpose...obligations imposed by others who claimed authority over your existence.
These beings viewed duty as surrender, as relinquishing the freedom to determine one's own path in exchange for the comfort of being told what to do.
For others, duty was sacred covenant- a binding agreement between self and something greater that transformed mere existence into meaningful purpose.
These beings viewed duty as elevation, as recognition that individual desires paled before collective necessity.
And for a select few across existence's infinite expanse, duty was neither chain nor covenant but choice...deliberate decision to serve something beyond self because that service aligned with personal values rather than external compulsion.
