Zephyra Point of View

Yiyaa!

I was so excited about this debate but now all the air in my balloon is psh-ed out.

For some time, I deleted all the data about my grrrgal from my mind and just went along with my teammates to construct the arguments and defenses with evidences as much as possible.

The debate is open to the students of other departments as well and even family can come and watch the activity because our debate is the not the only activity going on today, there are other activities of other departments as well.

So, basically, this kind of activities fest happens in our university for two times a semester. The results of the activities are calculated as average and added to the final grade sheet.

"Why is our university going ballistic over marks and grades suddenly? Isn't university life supposed to be one with freedom, campus romance and fun?" Julian, one of our teammates grumbled.

"It was not like this initially." Jasmine, another teammate said in a gossipy whispering tone as she shared her prepared notes with everyone.

We need to share our notes and points with other teammates of the team so that we can prepare for the debate together.

"Hmm? Why not?" Julian asked, highlighting common points from all our notes.

"It is said that one of our university directors went to India to give a lecture in a college there. It is said to be one of the best colleges in the whole country and after he came back from giving lecture, he changed a little of our curriculum." Jasmine said and sighed.

"No wonder." Issac nodded as if he understood something.

"Huh?" Looking at the question mark hanging on my face, my teammates Julian, Jasmin, Issac and Maya looked at me with gasp. "Why?"

"You really don't know?"

"What?"

"You never met an Indian student, did you?" It's not like I did not meet them; but there was no Indian student in our department so I don't have a very deep impression on them.

"If you share a class with them, you would know that they are very competitive when it comes to their studies. They take grades too seriously. When our director saw this quality when he was in India, he realized that our system is a little lax which is good but too good as well. So, he introduced this current system of points. Points for attendance, points for extracurricular, points for minor projects and major projects, points for participating in annual fests etc.,"

"But, wouldn't that be too stressful? Isn't college a place to have fun?" I asked because I've only heard of people enjoying their university life to the fullest but never had anyone talked about their graduation projects or exams or grades.

It is not even up for the discussion for them.

Forget about other, even I, when I talk about my university days, I usually talk of all the excitement I experienced here; studies is something I describe and sum up with a certificate I get after graduating.

"Why do you think there are so many Indians and Asians in higher positions of companies here? It's because they love that pressure and are very serious about their education. This triggered our director and after fighting several rounds with other members of the university board, all these educational activities and other points system came a decade ago."

Ah, so that is how it is.

"Now, that issue here is, there is an Indian and another Asian in our opposite team." When I heard what Jasmine said, my heart hung with perspiration.

Then, aren't we sure to lose?

No, we can't lose this debate. My grrrgal will be watching the activities and I need to prove him that magic and paranormal exists.

The microphone let out a brief screech as the host tapped it twice, then smiled toward the growing audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, faculty, families, and fellow students—welcome to today's interdepartmental debate festival!" the host began, their voice echoing across the hall. "We're thrilled to present a lively exchange of ideas between two passionate teams, representing two very different yet fascinating disciplines."

My teammates straightened beside me—Julian cracked his knuckles, Maya did a quick breathing exercise, and Jasmine whispered a last-minute quote she wanted to slip in. Issac, ever the calm one, had his eyes closed like he was meditating.

And I... I closed my eyes and plucked out all the unnecessary thoughts and only focused on the task at hand.

"And now, please welcome... the Metaphysics Team!" A round of applause followed as we stood, waving awkwardly. "Representing the Department of Philosophy and Liberal Studies, they'll argue in favor of the proposition: 'Unseen forces and magic hold sway over the natural world.'"

A few cheers came from the back rows—likely friends and bored lit majors.

"And opposing them, representing the Department of Natural Sciences, we have the Natural Sciences Team!" The applause now was louder, sharper. Two tall figures in sharp blazers nodded coolly at us. One of them—a guy with sharp glasses and expressionless face—looked Indian. The other, probably Korean, had a poker face that made him look like he already knew how this debate was going to end.

My chest tightened a little. So those are the ones Jasmine warned me about. The academic gladiators.

"They will argue in favor of the counter-proposition: 'The natural world can be entirely explained by science, without recourse to superstition or metaphysics'."

As we took our seats at our designated table, I leaned toward Julian. "They look like they eat equations for breakfast."

Julian gave a dry laugh. "Well, we eat mysteries and moonlight. Let's just do our thing."

I smiled a little.

The host smiled brightly. "Each team will be given two chances to present their arguments, followed by rebuttals and a final defense. Judging will be based on clarity, logic, presentation, and evidence. Let the debate... begin!"

A polite round of clapping followed.

We had drawn the opening position—lucky us. That meant I was going first.

I stood, adjusting my sleeves, and walked to the podium with as much calm as I could summon.

My heart thumped like a nervous rabbit. But then I remembered why I was here.

For him.
To prove that magic—my magic—was real.

I looked over at the audience. Somewhere in that sea of students, professors, and curious parents, he was out there. My grrrgal. Watching. Maybe even cheering silently.

Taking a deep breath, I began.

"Distinguished judges, respected opponents, and fellow thinkers," I began, letting my voice float across the hall like I was summoning a particularly shy spirit.

This was it.
The moment.
The opening spell - I mean, statement of the metaphysics team.

"Today, we present a perspective often dismissed but deeply rooted in human history: that unseen forces... energies, consciousness beyond the physical, and yes, what some call 'magic' - do influence our world."

With a proud smile and a arrogance, I stood there in my smug aura.

I imagined a majestic wind blowing my hair back like in those shampoo commercials, but no such thing happened. Rude.

"From ancient civilizations who built monuments aligned perfectly with the stars," I said, gesturing vaguely at the ceiling like the stars might actually show up if I was passionate enough, "to countless testimonies of intuition, telepathy, or synchronicities that defy probability... our lived experiences point to something... more."

Like the time I dreamt about pizza, woke up to find my neighbour making pizza, and then tripped over a pizza flyer on the floor.

Coincidence? I DON'T THINK SO.

That is definitely twist of fate.

I caught Jasmine's nod. Supportive queen. I shall name my next moonstone after her.

"Science is incredible," I continued. "But science, by its own definition, evolves. What was once considered 'impossible' is now taken for granted. So, how can we claim arrogantly that we've already discovered everything that is?"

That line? Oof. That line hit.
It hit like thunder in a crystal cave.
Like when you shuffle a tarot deck and the Death card jumps out and slaps you with truth.

I looked toward the other team.

Poker Face raised one elegant eyebrow like a suspicious aristocrat in a murder mystery.

Glasses Guy smirked.

Excellent! They are disturbed. Let the mystical seeds be planted.

"And sometimes," I added, letting my voice soften like a bedtime ghost story, "Proof comes after belief. Not before."

That's right. Believe first. Ask questions later. Or just ask me. I charge only a minor fee for enlightenment.

I finished with a soft but firm, "Thank you," and walked back to my seat like a prophet in jeans and glittery eyeliner.

Julian gave me a discreet high-five. Maya looked at me like I'd just solved world peace with vibes alone.

Me? I sat down, calm on the outside.

However, inside my heart and mind, I'm yelling at myself that the introduction speech went well; what about the argument?

My grrrgal is watching; I should raise my head in pride and win this debate for my future marital pride.

But I kept my expression neutral on the outside. Mysterious.

Alas, the joy was short-lived.

The Natural Sciences team stood up like two tuxedo-clad penguins heading to destroy magic with facts and PowerPoint slides.

Glasses Guy walked to the podium. He looked like he was about to deliver a TED Talk titled "Why Feelings Are Useless: A Scientific Inquiry."

"Thank you," he began, with the smug confidence of a man who probably corrects people's grammar on Reddit for fun. "While I appreciate the passion of our opponents, let's be clear..."

Here it comes.

"The only reliable tool humanity has developed to understand the universe is the scientific method. And the moment you rely on something beyond empirical evidence—something untestable—you enter the realm of speculation, not knowledge."

Okay. Okay.
Deep breaths.
This is still the expected part from their side. Still alright.

Glasses Guy continued tearing into anecdotal evidence like it personally insulted his lab equipment. He talked about perception flaws, bias, memory distortion. He basically called human intuition a potato with a Wi-Fi signal.

He was... actually pretty good.
Like, annoyingly good. Like "I-got-a-full-score-in-AP-Physics" good.

Jasmine scribbled notes at lightning speed like she was trying to summon an argument through sheer ink. Julian stared like he was calculating whether we needed to summon Socrates himself to win this. Maya whispered to me, "I want to punch him a little."

Me too. Me too!

Who would come so strong in an intro speech? This is cheating!

This wasn't just a debate anymore. This was a duel between worlds.

Logic vs. vibes.
Calculations vs. chaos.
PowerPoint slides vs. pure, unhinged belief.

And I?
I decided I will go full metaphysical warrior.

Someone cue the dramatic music.

Because next round, I was bringing the glitter, the ghosts, and possibly a glow-in-the-dark charm pouch.

Hmph, I am going to win this at any cost.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello sweeties,

Next chapter is here. Enjoy!

What do you think about the chapter? Good?

Do you think Zephy and her team will win the debate?

What evidences can they provide to prove their points?

Will Zephy go home and face her husband with pride?

Please shower me with votes and comments.

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Lots of Love

Lady Prim