As we began the walk to my house, I found myself lost in thought, consumed by the gravity of the power I held in my hands. I had left the stone hidden safely at home, but its weight was ever-present in my mind. Karyn was right next to me, her enthusiasm for our mission infectious. But I had a greater worry, one that dwarfed all others. The war.
"Karyn," I said slowly, "there's something else I've been thinking about."
She turned to me, sensing the seriousness in my voice. "What is it?"
"The war," I said simply. "The war in Ukraine. People are dying every day. Innocent people. And I... we... might have the power to stop it."
She paused, frowning slightly as she considered my words. "That's... a lot, Jon. But again, we're limited. We can't make a wish that directly affects something thousands of miles away. Not to mention the politics of it all... What do we even wish for?"
"That's the problem," I admitted. "We can't just wish the war away. We can't just wish that Putin stops the war. It isn't just his war, not really. It's the entire Russian leadership that has their hands dirty. I could use the stone to get within range, then wish that horrible stain out of existence, but somebody else just as bad would take his place and nothing would change. I could wish the entire Kremlin away, but that would probably cause mass chaos and more deaths. I don't really want to kill anybody... well, I'll make an exception for Putin, but whatever I do to him has to be part of a bigger solution."
We walked in silence for a few moments, the gravity of my words hanging heavy in the air. I felt a weight on my shoulders like never before. It was as if every casualty of the war was my responsibility.
