Captured at the imposing Shipka Pass Memorial in the heart of Bulgaria. While the title of this piece might hint at something spiritual, it actually holds no religious meaning—it was simply inspired by the sheer, overwhelming stream of people tackling the monumental climb.

Though there are officially around 890 steps to the summit, the punishing incline creates the dizzying illusion of a strictly vertical ascent.

At the top stands a powerful testament to the Battles of Shipka Pass, the pivotal, blood-soaked clashes that signaled the collapse of 500 years of Ottoman rule. In a fierce, year-long struggle between 1877 and 1878, Russian forces and Bulgarian volunteers fought side-by-side to finally reclaim this rugged territory.