Aggravation

"Yeah," Maya agreed, leaning forward. "But the board doesn't change. The shortcuts are still there. You just have to roll again. If you stay in the Base because you're mad about being bumped, you’ve already lost."

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. aggravation

"It’s frustrating to start over," Elias said quietly, looking at his lone marble back at the start. "Yeah," Maya agreed, leaning forward

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