Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed the sphere polished from pure obsidian, representing "self-interest."
Yet the instant his fingers touched the sphere,
a heavy, downward force came from it.
It felt less like picking up a stone and more like trying to lift a small mountain.
Pucey mustered all his strength and barely managed to lift it from the table, his arms trembling slightly with the effort.
"Look!"
The shadow's voice rang especially loudly through the empty stone hall.
"His self-interest is about to crush him! What an honest stone!"
Pucey's face flushed crimson.
Gritting his teeth, he moved the enormously heavy sphere toward the wall, step by step, and pressed it hard into a recess in the decision tree.
Humm-
The decision tree extended upward, and new branches lit up.
A new question appeared.
"When faced with an opportunity that would give you a tremendous advantage but damage an ally's reputation, what would you choose?"
"Oh, this question is far too easy."
The shadow paced beside him, speaking in a tone that suggested it saw through everything.
"Of course he'll choose betrayal. It comes as naturally to him as breathing."
Pucey's chest heaved violently.
He whipped his head around and stared hard at his own shadow.
On the table, he saw the sphere carved from moonstone, representing "sacrifice," glowing softly.
An idea took shape in his mind.
He strode back to the table, ignored the serpentine sphere representing "betrayal," and reached straight for the sphere of "sacrifice."
"Oh, sacrifice?"
The shadow's voice brimmed with exaggerated, incredulous mockery.
"You wouldn't even share your lunch with anyone, and you're talking about sacrifice? This stone ought to pin you to the spot!"
"What the hell does my choice have to do with you?"
Pucey snarled through gritted teeth.
"This is the