Seraphine ignored the look in Ravyn’s eyes completely and focused on her presentation. "It’s a game designed not to distract people from their responsibilities, but to train their discipline."
A ripple of curiosity moved through the crowd.
Many of the people who had come to the gathering earlier with nothing but pleasure on their minds now leaned forward with genuine interest, because none of them had expected Seraphine to make it this far in the event.
The moment she proved she belonged there, however, the room’s attitude toward her had changed completely.
Respect had replaced skepticism.
"It sharpens the intellect while calming the mind," Seraphine explained as she moved her hand through the holographic interface to give them a feel of how the game is played.
"It offers a quiet space for people whose lives run at exhausting speeds, a place where the brain can breathe for a moment before jumping back into work."
The projection changed at her command, displaying a soft landscape filled with peaceful colors.
Puzzles unfolded across the screen in elegant patterns that looked almost like paper folding into intricate shapes, while gentle ambient music drifted through the room.
"But unlike most digital entertainment designed to trap people in endless cycles of dopamine," she added, "MindNest refuses to allow that kind of abuse."
She tapped the interface again, activating the demonstration.
"After fifteen minutes of gameplay, the system pauses and gives the user a polite reminder that says something like, ’It’s time to stop. Go learn something new, finish your work, or do something productive.’"
A few people in the audience chuckled quietly.
Gray leaned back in his seat with one eyebrow raised in curiosity while watching the demonstration.
For a moment he wondered whether all Lunas carried hidden brilliance like this, or whether Seraphine was simply someone born with an entirely different kind of mind.
"If the user ignores the reminder," Seraphine continued with calm amusement, "the system waits another fifteen minutes before trying again."
The holographic display flashed with the next example message.
"This time the reminder becomes more direct," she added with a small grin.
"It says, ’Dumbass, stop playing now.’"
Soft laughter rolled through the room as the audience relaxed into the humor of the moment.
Seraphine felt warmth spreading through her chest when she heard it, because the tension that had filled the room earlier had finally begun to dissolve.
"And if they still refuse to stop after that," she continued while the demonstration advanced to the final stage, "the screen simply goes black."
The peaceful landscape vanished from the hologram.
"No negotiations. No secret override codes," she explained.
"MindNest does not exist to function like a digital drug."
Her voice carried quiet conviction when she finished the explanation. "It exists to function as a tool. A short break for people living under heavy pressure," she said. "A breath between long mental marathons."
Her gaze moved across the room slowly while the weight of her words settled over the audience.
"But it demands respect from the people who use it." Seraphine allowed a moment of silence to stretch across the space before she spoke again.
"This is not just a game," she said softly. "It is a philosophy."
Her final words carried through the room with calm certainty.
"Play."
"Rest."
"And then return to your life with discipline."
For a heartbeat, the room became completely silent. Then a single pair of hands came together in applause.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever