Quote:
Truth or Dare has always been a fun and thrilling game that a youngling experienced as they grew up. But even adults may find themselves challenged to tell a secret or take on a dare. Which one will you pick, and how does it all play out?
Jianyu sat amidst a circle of healers, his posture straight-backed and his expression composed. He didn't know them personally, they were just other healers who had come for the convention. The fire crackled softly in the center, casting flickering shadows across the faces of everyone around the fire. Truth or Dare, a game that often brought laughter and revelry, now held a weighty anticipation in the air.
The question lingered in the minds of the group, waiting to be chosen. Jianyu, with his usual calm demeanour, contemplated his decision. Truth or Dare? He had always preferred truth. Truth was steadfast, unwavering, like the mountains he had grown up beside. Dare, on the other hand, held an element of unpredictability, a realm he preferred to tread cautiously. This was his least favourite game, but he'd been roped in by an old acquaintance and now regretted his choice. He should have been sensible and simply gone to bed like his master had told him to do.
When the question came to him, Jianyu's dark eyes met those of his companions. "Truth," he said simply, his voice low but firm.
The question hung in the air, heavy with implications. "Do you really hate all Earthlings as much as they say you do?"
Jianyu's gaze didn't waver as he considered his response. It was a question he had anticipated, one that had followed him like a shadow throughout his years among the healers. His reputation for stoicism and a certain degree of aloofness had earned him whispers and speculation. Now, faced with the opportunity to lay bare his truth, he felt a sense of resignation settle over him.
"Yes," he said, at last, his voice steady. "I do." Simple and straight to the point.
A collective gasp rippled through the circle, mingling with murmurs of surprise and disbelief. Jianyu remained unmoved, his expression unchanged. He had spoken his truth, and he had no intention of retracting it. One of the healers, a hybrid girl that seemed like a mix of Yaeli and lightning Earthling, leaned forward, her brow furrowed in concern.
"But why, Jianyu? Surely there must be someone you don't hate?" Jianyu regarded her with a cool detachment, his features unreadable.
"Hatred is a strong word, but I find it fitting for the sentiments I harbour towards many that are not Yaeli. Many Earthlings are inherently flawed, driven by selfish desires and petty grievances. It is difficult to find genuine connection amidst such superficiality." The hybrid girl's expression softened, her empathy evident in her gaze, he hated the way she looked at him now. He knew some Yaeli were like that, but the others he felt had a particular penchant for acting that way.
"But not everyone is like that. There are good people out there, people worth knowing and caring for. You just have to give them a chance." Jianyu's jaw tightened imperceptibly, his stubbornness asserting itself. Why was she questioning him so? Who was she to even ask these questions? A Hybrid of all people!
"Perhaps," he conceded, though his tone remained skeptical. "But I have yet to encounter such individuals in my experience."
The healer's words seemed to spark a fervour among the group, each member eager to sway Jianyu from his stance. They shared anecdotes of kindness and compassion, recounting moments that had touched their hearts. Jianyu listened in silence, his expression betraying none of the turmoil brewing within him. He could see where they were coming from, however it was hard to change his mind on something he'd practically set in stone many moons ago. They also weren't the first ones to try and change his mind and he had not been swayed previously.
As the night wore on and the fire dwindled to embers, Jianyu remained steadfast in his convictions. The healers, though they had failed to change his mind, found solace in the knowledge that they had at least planted a seed of doubt within him.
As they bid each other goodnight and dispersed to their respective quarters, Jianyu lingered by the dying fire, lost in thought. The words of his companions echoed in his mind, stirring a tumult of emotions he had long sought to suppress. Perhaps there was truth in what they said, a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness of his cynicism.
With a heavy sigh, Jianyu rose to his feet, the weight of his truth pressing upon him like a burden. Tomorrow was a new day, and perhaps, just perhaps, it would bring with it the opportunity for a change of heart. However, would it really make a difference?
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