Mira gave a solemn nod. "Lilly's right; the Shattered Ones will stop at nothing to spread negative emotions. Fighting them will take more than a magical weapon and a good transformation sequence--you must build a mind like a fortress! Not only will you need to crawl out of the jaws of despair, but you'll need to kick out its teeth, too!"
Mira closed her eyes and sighed. "You probably already noticed the first changes to your personalities. I understand why you might feel angry and afraid."
Like hell you do, Sam thought bitterly.
"But you have our promise that you'll never lose who you fundamentally are. The process won't change your memories, and your flaws won't be erased. Instead, the transformation will use your passions as forces for good. Those who sought a name for themselves will become symbols of hope to the world. Those who wanted wealth will find treasures far more meaningful than money. And those with a penchant for destruction will learn to relish wreaking havoc on the enemies of love and justice!"
Sam bit his lip. This shit was beyond insane...and yet it was already getting harder for him to outright dismiss it like the day before.
"Nevertheless, we need to check and make sure your first adjustments have gone correctly. There's one final test we need to do for the day; do any of you know what a Rorschach test is?"
"An inkblot test that no one uses anymore?" said James, a geeky-looking guy who was the only one sitting in the front row.
"Correct," chimed in Moonbeam as Mira passed along another series of papers through the room. "But you guys will be doing something a little bit different. It's called the Urobuchi test...a lot like the Rorschach, but with some important differences. You'll see for yourself."
"Begin whenever you're ready," said Mira.
The room went quiet as everyone looked through the packets. On each page was an abstract inkblot accompanied by the question, "What does this image make you think of? Answer honestly and to the best of your ability."
Sam jotted down the first four answers with no intention except to finish the test as soon as possible.
"A cloud."
"A soccer ball."
"A mountain."
"Another cloud."
As the test went on, he found himself staring much longer at the pictures. He didn't know why, but he felt like there was something important about them.
"A man running from something."
"An outstretched hand."
"A shooting star."
"A light in darkness."
The final picture was the most complex of all. He began to see the image as a robed figure with its arms outstretched, like a priest welcoming a congregation. Its face was featureless save for four circular spots, arranged symmetrically so a perfect cross could be drawn connecting them.
He shivered. The more he looked at it, the more it seemed like he could impossibly discern colors from the black and white image. Green. Those spots on its--no, his--face were green eyes. He had such horrible green eyes, the shade of a night sky polluted by lights.
Sam's hand quivered on the page before writing on its own.
"Evil."