Fireside Philosophy

Kael stirred awake, the warmth of the tent wrapped around him like a comforting blanket.

But the air outside had somehow shifted.

It was cold now—a biting cold. Not the kind that creeps up on you, but the kind that punches straight into your bones.

A soft fire crackled at the center of the tent, flickering orange and gold. It was the only thing holding the bitter cold at bay.

Everyone else was still.

Liri lay curled up, snoring gently beneath a makeshift blanket. Seraphina sat in her corner, unmoving, staring into nothing like a statue guarding ancient secrets.

Niko and Rylen sat near the fire.

Rylen, as usual, was humming a quiet, cheerful tune and smiling to himself.

Niko sat rigid beside him, clearly annoyed by the incessant sound.

Theo was at the tent's entrance, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, arms folded, breathing in a steady rhythm.

Kael sat up slowly, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and walked over, dropping down beside Theo in silence.

Theo didn't bother opening his eyes.

"So," Kael whispered, "I've been wondering."

"About what?" Theo replied, his voice a low hum, eyes still closed.

"That ability of yours—the one that lets you read people."

Theo gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.

"You said you use it every time you meet someone new, right?"

"Yes."

Kael hesitated, then leaned in slightly. "So... what did you read from the others?"

Theo finally opened his eyes.

He stared at Kael in silence, his expression unreadable.

"Well?" Kael prompted, growing impatient.

"You don't want to know."

"I do."

"Why?"

Kael shrugged. "I guess because you said everyone hides something dark in them. And well… I don't quite believe that."

Theo stared at him for a moment longer, then sighed and looked back out at the moonlit dunes, which stretched endlessly under the pale sky. "I think you misunderstood me," he said quietly, his voice carrying just above the crackle of the fire. "I didn't say everyone is evil. I said their lifestyle is."

Kael frowned. "Isn't that basically the same thing?"

"No," Theo said, his voice firm. "Not even close. Someone can have good intentions and still do terrible things. Sometimes the worst acts are committed in the name of righteousness."

Kael scratched his head, genuinely perplexed. "You're gonna have to break that one down for me."

Theo turned to him, his gaze piercing. "Alright. Imagine two brothers. One is kind, fair, and honest. The other is ruthless, selfish, corrupt. They both run for the same political seat. The kind one realizes his brother is winning through bribery, threats, manipulation, and and he knows the people will suffer if his brother wins."

Theo paused, letting the scenario hang in the air. "So one night, fearing for the well-being of the people, he kills his brother in his sleep. But the brother's child witnesses it, so he kills the child too. Months later, he wins the seat, leads the country into an age of peace and prosperity. Saves millions of lives."

Theo leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Now tell me, Kael... what kind of man is he?"

Kael opened his mouth, but then closed it slowly.

He had no answer.

Theo chuckled softly, a sound devoid of humor. "See? You can call it noble. You can call it necessary. But that doesn't make it clean. Or right. Evil isn't always loud, Kael. Sometimes it hides inside good intentions." He looked out again, his voice low and distant. "That's what I meant. Every person here has something dark inside them. Something they've buried or ignored or rationalized. Even the ones who smile the brightest."

He closed his eyes again. "I've seen it in all of them."

Kael sat there for a long time, letting the unsettling words sink in. He glanced around the tent.

Liri slept peacefully, her face soft and innocent.

She looked like someone who couldn't hurt a soul even if she tried. Could there really be something dark in her?

He didn't want to believe it. He turned his gaze toward the others. Niko, still tense even in sleep.

Rylen, still humming faintly, his constant smile a puzzle. Seraphina, still unreadable, a silent sentinel of secrets.

He didn't want to believe it about them either. But the truth echoed inside him like a cold whisper, a new, unwelcome understanding of the world.

'This world is so messed up.'