Athena's hand gently settled on Sari's shoulder, a grounding pressure that instantly cut through the building tension. Her voice entered Sari's mind clearly like a hope amidst the chaos.
"Calm down, Sari," Athena's telepathic message resonated. "The eggs will feel your fear."
Sari bristled, pushing back with a firm, silent mental reply. "It's not fear." It was frustration— a desperate need for her control to be perfect.
"Alright," Athena's voice softened, laced with reassuring warmth. "You got this. Just take a deep breath and trust your flow."
Sari obeyed, closing her eyes. She inhaled slowly, focusing past all the sound darkness in her ears and drawing her awareness deep into the stable, rhythmic thrum of her mana. She stretched the thread of power, coaxing it, testing it. Once, twice... then, with a definitive mental snap, she commanded, "Time pause."
