A soul's rest

(Lina)

I sat down in my room, my body still tense from the scene in the royal court. Elara had fought hard, throwing every lie, every twist of the truth, anything to turn people against me. 

But in the end, she lost. I had proven her guilt, and finally, she was gone from my life. I'd expected to feel an overwhelming sense of peace, but instead, I was thinking about something else.

'Congratulations, Isabella,' the system said. 'You handled that remarkably well.'

The system had been there from the beginning, guiding me through every trial and every confrontation. It had trained me and prepared me to face Elara and claim my rightful place. And now, here it was again, congratulating me as if I had just passed another of its endless tests.

'Thank you,' I said back, feeling the relief settle a little. 'I couldn't have done this without you.'