In the shadows of the S Ranked Main character

At some point, Kathlyn realized she wasn't walking alone anymore.

Not just because of the fairies, but because of something subtler. The way her chest felt tighter with every step. The way her thoughts moved slower, heavier like each one had to push through molasses. She couldn't tell exactly when it started, but somewhere after the third or fourth flicker of a fairy by her side, the weight of everything she was feeling began to... stretch.

The grief,The anger,The shame

Her memories of the altar's story burned sharper in her mind. Her frustration with this trial's silence. Her uncertainty about Kai. All of it bubbled higher and higher in her chest like the rim of a boiling pot.

She'd always prided herself on her composure. Pride was strength. Clarity was survival.

But now?

It was like every emotion was being pulled up to the surface, stripped bare and left raw.

The fairies didn't speak. They never had.

But they didn't need to.

Their presence was constant.

Leading her?