The Pride trial tested assertion itself.
From the moment it began, the realm demanded escalation. Every victory invited a stronger response. Every perfect solution was immediately rendered insufficient. Pride, in its raw form, did not reward efficiency or cleverness. Instead, it demanded Kaiden continually prove that he stood above what opposed him.
There was no finish line. Only the expectation that he would keep asserting dominance forever.
And just like that, the trial blurred.
Time lost its shape as Kaiden moved, spellwork flowing with cold precision, the environment answering each decision with escalating force. Waves broke against him and consumed him, no matter the resistance he put up. Calculations stacked. Pressure mounted. Somewhere along the way, effort stopped mattering.
And then, without fanfare, he stopped.
