Aggravation -

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

He moved back onto the board, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "Okay," he said. "Your turn. But don't get too comfortable—I'm eyeing that shortcut now." aggravation

"You’re playing too fast," Elias muttered, shaking the dice cup with rhythmic intensity. "Strategy wins this, not speed." He rolled. A four. He moved his marble safely into his row, exhaling a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "Okay," he said

The board was a landscape of polished wood and precarious marble stacks, and for Elias, it was a minefield. Aggravation wasn’t just the name of the game; it was the precise emotion tightening his chest every time his younger sister, Maya, picked up the dice. "Strategy wins this, not speed