"Yes, Doctor Athena… go on. What do you have to tell us?" Elder Timothy asked, his voice a mix of authority and curiosity, granting Athena the opportunity to speak.
As she obliged and stood up, a pin-drop silence enveloped the large hall, the air thick with anticipation as the congregation wondered what the benevolent doctor had to say.
"First of all, thank you, Elder Timothy, for giving me this privilege to speak…" Athena began, her shoulders high, spine straight, and nose tilted upward, exuding a confidence that shimmered brightly, overshadowing the trembling nerves that threatened to bubble to the surface. The last time she had stood in this hall, she was scorned, jeered at, and ultimately pushed away, a painful memory she carried with her.
