The air in Agrona's underground lab was thick with a mixture of energy—the crackling hum of arcane magic intermingling with the steady whir of technological devices. The lab was an odd fusion of science and sorcery, with machinery woven seamlessly into the ambient mana that permeated the atmosphere.
Floating orbs of blue light cast a dim glow, illuminating a vast array of arcane symbols etched into the walls. Various devices, half magical, half mechanical, hummed with life, scanning, analyzing, and collecting data in real-time.
Denwen lay on the scanning table, his body surrounded by a network of ethereal light as Agrona worked on her terminal. The device hummed as a stream of data passed through his aura, a soft glow surrounding his core as Agrona's gaze remained fixed on the readings. The soft beep of the scanner signaled that the scan was nearing completion.
"A breakthrough is imminent," Agrona murmured, her fingers tapping against the console. "You're so close to reaching the peak of Rank 1. After the upcoming dungeon exams, you should seriously consider trying to break through. I can provide you with some extra cores and resources to help you along." Her voice was clinical, yet there was a slight sense of pride in her tone.
Denwen shifted slightly, trying to ignore the discomfort of the scan. He had always found the process invasive, but the data it provided was invaluable. As the scan concluded, Agrona turned her attention back to him, the faintest furrow in her brow.
"I... appreciate it," Denwen said slowly. "But there's something I've been wondering." He paused, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Ever since my talent increased to grade C, we do this every week, but have you been able to figure out why that happened? You know, the anomaly that triggered it?"
Agrona's eyes flickered, her hands moving swiftly across the console. She paused for a moment, studying Denwen's core energy once more. "I haven't found anything definitive yet," she replied, her tone thoughtful. "The data we have doesn't match anything in our records. It's... strange. I've been running tests and cross-referencing all known anomalies, but none align with what we observed in your case. I need more raw data to understand it, something more than what you've given me so far. Until then, it's a mystery."
Denwen frowned, his brow furrowing with frustration. "So, it's just a fluke then?"
She shook her head, eyes momentarily distant. "I don't believe it's a mere fluke. Your awakening... it was unlike anything I've ever witnessed. The fluctuations in your mana core during your awakening were... uncharted. No one has reported anything like it before. Even the story you told me about your awakening—it doesn't line up with anything I've encountered in my studies."
Denwen exhaled slowly, leaning back on the table. Agrona was one of the few people he trusted with the truth of his awakening, but her inability to uncover its origins only added to the weight of his own confusion.
"Then, what does that mean for me?" he asked, the question lingering in the air.
"It means we're operating in the dark," Agrona said, turning to face him fully. "You're part of something unprecedented, and I can't even begin to guess where this path will lead you. But that's the nature of research, Denwen. We're always pushing against the boundaries, and more often than not, we're limited by the very systems we seek to understand."
Denwen sat up, eyes meeting hers as she spoke further: "Limits, what do you think about those?" she asked pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"Well, I would say limits are rule imposed on people in other to keep them within bounds and away from the wrong path. Personal limits build self-control" he responded calmly.
"Hmmm, I really love your point of view kid" she said as she moved away from a set of equipment to another "But you know, in the search of the things we truly need and deserve we need to breakthrough from this invisible restriction that keeps ups bound"
"I love researching and trying to make a difference in the world, but the rules have kept me from truly trying to further this. There are deeper problems in the world and they don't care about such limits or control, or they care about is how prepared you are to face them"
"Would you be strong enough; would you be knowledgeable enough to stand against your opposition or would you still be bound by your rules."
She turned away, walking over to a nearby shelf filled with ancient tomes and crystalline containers. The glint of light reflected off a few of the bottles, some containing strange essences, others filled with liquids that shimmered with magical properties.
Denwen frowned, sitting up straighter. "But those limits are just holding us back from going across the line into the wrong path don't you think"
She turned back to him, her eyes piercing through the dim glow of the lab. "And what, Denwen, is the 'wrong path' to you?" she asked, her voice calm but tinged with curiosity.
He hesitated. "The wrong path is... well, things like killing, stealing, hurting people just to gain power. Things that go against basic morality, right?"
Agrona let out a soft chuckle, not cruel, but laced with a certain amount of weary experience. "Morality is such a fluid concept, Denwen. We like to think of life in black and white terms—good and bad, right and wrong—but life doesn't work that way. Let me give you an example. Let's say there's a town ravaged by a deadly disease, and the only cure available requires testing it on three healthy individuals. The survival rate is not guaranteed. What do you do? Do you withhold the cure and let everyone suffer because it might kill three people? Or do you test it, knowing that you may sacrifice three lives to save many others?"
Denwen's face tensed, caught in the complexity of the question. Agrona didn't wait for him to answer, continuing with an even more perplexing scenario.
"Imagine there's a train with two tracks. One track has ten people, the other has two. You're the one in control of the switch. If you redirect the train, the ten people will die. If you do nothing, the two will die. If you totally derail the train countless on board would die. What do you do? You can't save everyone, but you can choose who lives and who dies. The question is, who gets to decide?"
Denwen was silent, the weight of the questions pressing on him. Agrona's voice grew more intense, her words like a slow-moving tide, pulling him deeper into her perspective.
"I… don't know," Denwen murmured, his voice uncertain. "I mean, we can't just abandon basic morals. If we start thinking that anything goes—where does it stop? What's next? We could end up destroying everything we care about."
Agrona's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. She crossed her arms and leaned back, her gaze unwavering as she considered his words.
"Basic morals, huh?" She shook her head slightly, her voice thoughtful. "You know, Denwen, I've spent years researching, studying the very limits of what we can understand and control. And here's what I've found—what's 'right' or 'wrong' is often just an illusion. A construct to keep people comfortable. But the truth? The truth is that comfort doesn't always lead to progress. Sometimes, it stops us from achieving what's truly necessary."
Denwen clenched his jaw, trying to hold onto his sense of right and wrong. "But without those lines, the world becomes chaos. People can't just—do whatever they want without consequences."
"Life is never as simple as we like to believe, Denwen. There are no easy answers. Should we let the weak die off because they can't keep up with the rest? Should we make choices for the greater good, even if it costs lives? Should we take risks and break boundaries, even if the consequences are unknown? Every decision carries a weight. And as much as you want to keep your self-control and limitations, you have to ask yourself—are you ready for the cost?"
Denwen looked at her, his mind racing, trying to reconcile the lessons he had learned with the reality she was presenting.
"If we never take the risks, if we never push the boundaries, how do we grow? How do we change the world for the better?" Agrona's expression softened, her gaze distant. "Perhaps that's the hardest part of being a researcher... or a person of ambition. You never know if the change you're striving for will be worth the cost. But one thing is certain—the limits you face, the questions that arise, they're what shape you into who you are. They make you think, they make you grow. But don't mistake growth for morality. Just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be."
Denwen sat quietly, absorbing her words. The lab around them seemed to pulse with energy, but in that moment, the silence between them spoke volumes.
Agrona glanced at him, her voice softening. "The world doesn't always give us answers, Denwen. Sometimes, the answers are hidden in the very questions we ask. Don't be rigid in your think to always be in the right or the hero—be sure that you understand what's waiting for you on the other side."