The pressure was not just holding her back.
It pressed deep into her consciousness.
As if every step Aurelia took was being tested not by physical strength, but by something far deeper will, conviction, and the courage to keep moving forward.
She did not stop.
Her steps remained steady and purposeful.
Even though every inch felt heavy.
The white-gold light around her did not burst forth.
It did not fight back violently.
Instead, it grew more stable.
More profound.
The massive figure before her did not move quickly.
Yet its presence…
Changed everything.
The space around them trembled slowly.
The ground seemed to lose its solid form.
And the air… felt thick.
"Prove it."
The voice came again.
Clearer.
Closer.
But it did not come from a single direction.
Rather… from all directions.
Aurelia stopped a few steps in front of the figure.
Her eyes stared without hesitation.
"I do not need to prove anything to a broken world."
She spoke softly.
