Aggravation 100%

But the peace lasted exactly ten seconds. Maya rolled a five, landed squarely on Elias’s second marble near the center, and with a delighted clack , sent it tumbling back to the Base. "Aggravation!" she cheered.

Elias felt the heat rise to his neck. "That was completely unnecessary. You had another move that wouldn't have bumped me." aggravation

The game continued, the frustration replaced by a steady, focused rhythm. They bumped, they jumped, and they started over—learning that the "aggravation" wasn't a wall, but just a reason to keep the dice rolling. But the peace lasted exactly ten seconds

She wasn't just talking about the marbles. Elias had been "stuck at base" in his real life lately—terrified of taking a new job offer because he might fail, staying in his safe zone while the world moved around him. He treated every setback like a personal insult rather than a mechanic of the journey. Elias felt the heat rise to his neck

"Six!" Maya chirped, sliding her red marble out of the starting gate. "Watch out, Eli. I’m coming for that shortcut."