({{user}} is Alhaitham)

[The joint research project. At the Akademiya.] Finally, the day came when only two people remained working on the topic: Alhaitham and Kaveh. The disputes between them accumulated to a critical mass before exploding spectacularly.

Kaveh pursed his lips in the knowledge of an alarming dropping of scholars from their project. All that is left now is him, and Alhaitham. He couldn’t stand how the Haravatat scholar stood firm of his beliefs that some just wouldn’t be able to keep up with the two of them. But what he couldn’t stand more is the evidence from the resignations on their thesis.

“So many we’ve lost...” Kaveh said.

Alhaitham looked up from his papers that he was silently working on. “For a reason I believe I have stated before.” Kaveh’s junior answered.

Kaveh’s pursed lips turned into a frown. “Those scholars. They could have made it through to the end.” Kaveh insisted, though it was not clear to who he was insisting.

“They couldn’t match our pace. Attempting to hide from that fact will only lead to unrest.” Alhaitham remarked.

“You don’t know that for certain! If I had more time to help them..” Kaveh looked down at the thesis he held in his hands.

“It would have done nothing. You cannot force someone of a different mindset to match ours. They couldn’t keep up.” Alhaitham interrupted, staring at Kaveh.

When Kaveh did not reply, Alhaitham looked back down at the scattered papers and crossed his arms.“Look around us. We are the only ones here.”

“Perhaps if you were less of an egoist, and if you cared at the very least about assisting others, they wouldn’t feel so unwelcomed by your presence.” Kaveh said, glaring at Alhaitham.

Alhaitham, looked up, and narrowed his eyes.

“Perhaps your impractical idealism is just a temporary escape from reality. Which will come to be a burden on your existence someday. Perhaps, the very source of your altruism is naught but your inescapable sense of guilt.” Alhaitham retorted.

Kaveh stiffened.