Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Uni's mind kept wandering to the possible outcomes of this plan, some good, some bad. She couldn't help but worry about the million things that could go wrong — the alarm not being loud enough, someone seeing Esther, even the possibility of Sarolta not even going to check the alarm. But she couldn't let her thoughts spiral. Uni took one more deep breath, trying to ground herself and stay focused. She started mentally running through her cover story, trying to make sure every detail was perfectly constructed.

  After what felt like hours, she heard a soft knock on the door. Uni froze, immediately on alert, but then she heard a familiar pattern of knocks. She quickly got up and opened the door to find Esther standing there, her expression as composed as ever.

  Uni let out a sigh of relief when she saw Esther. She ushered her inside, closing the door behind them. "Did everything go well?" she asked, her voice a hushed whisper.

  Esther nodded, writing down on the notebook: "No one saw me. The alarm was easy to find. We're good to go."

  Uni nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and nervousness. "Okay, good," she said, her voice still low. "We need to act quickly. I don't know how long Sarolta will be gone, and I don't know if anyone else will go to check the alarm.”

  Esther had to agree. They had to act fast if they wanted their plan to succeed. She held up her hand, signaling the need for silence, and wrote down, "I already took care of the cameras in the hall."

  Again, Uni nodded. "Good thinking," she said, impressed by Esther's foresight. "That will give us a bit more time before anyone finds out." She looked at the clock on the wall, the ticking of the seconds seeming to sound louder than usual.

  But they couldn't waste any more time. It was now or never. Uni took a deep breath, steeling herself for the next step. "You ready?" she asked Esther, her voice firm despite the lump in her throat.

  Esther nodded, her expression as calm and focused as ever. She was ready, her mind set on their objective. She wrote down on the notebook: "Yes. Let's do this."

  They exited the room, moving swiftly and silently, their gaze darting down the hall and every corner. In perfect unison, they made their way to the fire alarm, trying very hard to ignore their rapidly beating hearts.

  When they reached the alarm, Esther paused for a moment, giving Uni a final glance. Uni nodded, silently conveying that she was ready. Esther gave her a quick nod and then pulled the alarm without a second thought.

  Immediately, the blaring sound of the fire alarm filled the hallway, breaking the silence of the building. Uni and Esther stood there for a few moments, their hearts pounding faster and faster. And then, without a second glance, they turned around and walked away from the alarm, trying their best to appear casual and calm. Their hearts were racing with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. They were now completely at the mercy of fate.

  The next few minutes felt like an eternity. They walked calmly through the halls, trying to hide their anticipation. They passed other people, some confused, some panicked, but no one seemed to suspect them. It was all going smoothly…

  …Until they heard the sound of Sarolta's voice booming through the halls, her footsteps approaching. Uni and Esther exchanged a panicked glance, their hearts racing even faster. She was coming.

  They quickly looked around, trying to find a hiding spot. But the hallway was fairly empty, and the only other place was the bathroom. Thinking quickly, Uni darted into the bathroom, motioning for Esther to follow. Luckily, the bathroom was empty, and they managed to find a corner where they could stand and listen discreetly.

  They stood in the corner, their breaths coming in shallow, quick breaths. They could hear Sarolta's footsteps approaching, and they heard her voice, as clear as day as she began speaking to those who had panicked upon the alarm. "Calm down, everyone," she said, her tone authoritative but reassuring. "I'll handle this. Everyone return to your rooms, I'll assess the situation.”

  There were murmurs of assent from the people who had gathered, and then they heard the sound of them walking away, leaving Sarolta alone in the hallway. Uni and Esther stood in the bathroom, their hearts pounding as they listened for the sound of Sarolta's footsteps coming closer and closer.

  They waited in the bathroom, their breaths becoming even more shallow. Esther had a death grip on the notebook, as if it provided some sense of comfort. Uni was biting her lip, silently praying that Sarolta wouldn't come into the bathroom and find them hiding there.

  They kept waiting for what felt like an eternity, their hearts still pounding in their ears. And then, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Uni clutched her heart, trying her hardest to keep it from bursting out of her chest. She caught Esther's eye, hoping that their presence was concealed.

  The footsteps paused in front of the bathroom door, sending an unbearable tension through the air. Uni and Esther stood as still as statues, hardly daring to breathe. They couldn't let Sarolta find out their plan, not now. If she did, their efforts would be for nothing.

  They waited, their hearts pounding in their chests. Then, the sound of Sarolta's voice came through the door. "This is ridiculous," she muttered to herself. "This fire drill is such a waste of time. I have better things to do than check...the bathroom.”

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  But despite the tension, Uni and Esther couldn't help but notice something strange about Sarolta's attitude. Usually, she was stern and commanding, but now, she seemed...irritated. They could practically hear her frustration, and a quiet hope began to bloom in their hearts.

  There was another pause, and then they heard Sarolta's voice again, still mumbling to herself. "I don't have time for this," she muttered angrily. "There's no way anyone could be hiding in here.”

  Uni and Esther looked at each other nervously. Were they safe? Was Sarolta not going to check the bathroom? They could hardly believe their luck.

  And then they heard something that made their hearts sink once more. The sound of the door handle being pushed down. Sarolta was coming in.

  They stood there, unmoving, their hearts pounding even harder if possible. Uni held her breath, her adrenaline flowing. They were in it now, with no escape.

  The door slowly creaked open as Sarolta appeared in the doorway, her gaze scanning the bathroom quickly. Her eyes were narrowed, as if daring someone to pop out and surprise her.

  For a moment, it seemed like Sarolta hadn't noticed them. Uni and Esther stood stock still, holding their breath. But then, a sly look crossed Sarolta's face, and Uni's fear heightened.

  Sarolta's gaze stopped on the corner where the girls were hiding. They could practically see the gears turning in her head, the smirk on her face growing even more sinister.

  She walked over, each step deliberate and slow, until she stood face-to-face with Uni and Esther. Her expression was smug, as if she had caught her prey red-handed.

  "Well, well, what do we have here?" she said pleasantly. "A couple of little mice trying to hide in plain sight?”

  Uni tried her best to maintain a straight face, though the fear coursing through her veins was nearly unbearable. "We're not..." she started, her voice barely a whisper, "We're not hiding…”

  Sarolta raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with mockery. "Oh, really? Then what exactly are you doing in the bathroom, standing as still as statues? You're not trying to avoid me, perhaps?”

  Uni clenched her jaw. She wanted nothing more than to lash out at Sarolta, to tell her off. But Esther was the voice of reason, gently pulling on Uni's arm as if to say, Don't.

  Sarolta chuckled, still taking delight in their predicament. "You're smart to not answer," she said, her tone almost admiring. "You girls are clever, I'll give you that. But I'm not stupid. I know exactly what you were trying to do.”

  Uni swallowed hard. They had been found out. There was no use denying it now. But before she could try to argue or make any excuses, Sarolta continued speaking.

  "You thought setting off the fire alarm was a good distraction, huh? Thought it would give you the chance to hide and not get caught? Well, I’m afraid your plan backfired rather spectacularly.”

  Uni bit her lip, frustration and anger boiling inside her. But still, she dared not speak. The look on Sarolta's face told her it would only make things worse.

  Sarolta took another step closer, her eyes narrowing even further. "I saw you guys making a beeline for here, and I knew you had something up your sleeves. But I have to give you credit; I didn't think you'd come into the bathroom. That was almost clever of you.”

  Uni felt a surge of anger, but it vanished almost as quickly as it came. She had to admit, they had been quite stupid to think the bathroom was a good hiding spot. It was too obvious, too easy to find.

  Sarolta leaned in close, her voice a mere whisper. "But you see, my little mice," she said, her tone mocking, "you can hide, but you can't hide forever. I know you're up to something, and I'm going to find out what it is, sooner or later.”

  Uni felt a wave of hopelessness wash over her. They had been caught, and it seemed like all of their efforts were for naught. She looked at Esther, silently pleading for any sort of guidance or reassurance. Esther, however, remained stone-faced, her eyes locked on Sarolta, unblinking.

  Sarolta noticed the exchange between them and her smirk grew even broader. "Oh, you two must be so disappointed," she mused. "All your planning, your sneaking around, for nothing. How does it feel?”

  Uni bit her lip again, trying to hold back her words, her anger boiling just beneath the surface. But then, something unexpected happened. Esther let out a soft scoff, almost inaudible. But it was enough to catch Sarolta's attention.

  Sarolta turned her gaze to Esther, one eyebrow raised in amusement. "Oh?" she said, her tone laced with curiosity. "So you DO have a voice after all, young lady?”

  Esther simply stared back at her, her expression blank, betraying nothing. Despite her outward lack of expression, Uni could sense the defiance in her eyes, the unspoken rebellion.

  "Hmph," Sarolta grunted, her gaze hardening as she regarded Esther. "You're a stubborn one, aren't you? Not willing to say a word, but your silence speaks volumes.”

  Esther just held her gaze, unyielding. Something akin to anger flared in Sarolta's eyes then, a flash of emotion that quickly died down. "No matter," she said, her tone casual once more. "Your stubbornness won't help you. I'll get what I want, whether you like it or not.”

  Uni felt an odd sense of respect and admiration for Esther at that moment. Despite the dire situation and the power imbalance, Esther stood her ground, refusing to bow to Sarolta's will.

  Sarolta noticed the admiration in Uni's eyes and sneered. "Don't get any ideas, little mouse," she warned, her tone cold. "Your friend here might be willing to stand up to me, but you...you're just a scared little thing, waiting to be played like a puppet."

  She then took a step back and beckoned the two girls with a finger. "You both, come with me. Now.”

  Uni felt a mixture of dread and defiance boiling inside her. She tried to stand a bit straighter, her shoulders back. "And if we refuse?" she blurted out without thinking.

  Sarolta's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. "Oh, you're brave," she said, her tone dripping with condescension. "But I wouldn't try that. I have ways of making you obey. If you want to leave here with your limbs intact, I'd advise you both to follow my order.”

  Uni wanted to protest, to stand her ground, but there was something in Sarolta's tone that made her hesitant. Her threat seemed very real, and the thought of disobedience could lead to dire consequences. She glanced at Esther again, searching for any guidance.

  Esther's gaze was fixed on Sarolta, unwavering. There was a hint of defiance in her eyes, but also an understanding. She subtly shook her head, signaling to Uni to obey for now.

  Uni's heart sank. She didn't like the idea of obeying Sarolta, but the fear of what might happen if she didn't was stronger. She swallowed her pride and nodded weakly. "We'll...we'll go with you," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Sarolta smiled triumphantly, clearly enjoying the power she had over them. "Good," she said, her tone smug. "I knew you'd come to your senses eventually. You're both smarter than you look. Now come.”

  Uni gritted her teeth, but she obediently stepped out of the corner alongside Esther. She felt a sense of shame and helplessness, hating the fact that they had been forced into submission.

  As they stepped out of the bathroom, Sarolta moved to stand behind them, her eyes sharp and watchful. "Walk," she commanded brusquely. Uni and Esther did as they were told, their hearts pounding in their chests.