The morning light streamed into the room through the curtains, and the sound of birds chirping could be heard outside. The group slowly stirred, each person waking up feeling groggy and disheveled.

  Uni opened her eyes and winced at the sunbeam, her head pounding with a dull headache. She slowly sat up, feeling the soreness in her muscles and the exhaustion weighing down her mind. She looked over at Esther, who was slowly waking up as well, her expression weary and pale.

  Uni let out a soft breath, her voice hoarse and strained. "Hey...you feeling okay?" she asked Esther, concern laced in her weary voice.

  Esther slowly sat up, her expression indicating that she was not any less tired than Uni was. She let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her eyes before nodding weakly in response to Uni's question.

  Uni nodded back, understanding the silence. "Yeah, I know how you feel," she said, her words filled with exhaustion. "I'm not feeling too hot myself.”

  The door to the room opened and Stephanie poked her head in, looking at them with a mix of worry and curiosity. "Hey, you two. You guys up yet?”

  Uni groaned softly, rubbing her temples as if to ease her headache. "Unfortunately, yeah. But we're not feeling too great, in case you can't tell," she remarked, her voice still hoarse and weary.

  Stephanie nodded, a sympathetic expression on her face. "I figured. You guys still look mega worn out," she stated, stepping fully into the room.

  Uni nodded tiredly, a weary sigh escaping her lips. "Yeah...we didn't have the best night of sleep, to say the least," she confessed, her voice sounding even more strained.

  Stephanie studied their weary faces, concern etched on her features. "So uhhh...whaddya plan on doing today? I dunno if it'd be a good idea to go anywhere like that.”

  Uni let out a weary sigh, her head still pounding with pain. "Honestly, I'm not sure," she admitted, her voice sounding strained and hoarse. "We're exhausted, and the thought of going anywhere is just...too much right now.”

  Stephanie gave a sympathetic nod. "Yeah, I figured. How about you guys just take it easy today? Maybe hang out here, watch some TV or something?”

  Uni nodded weakly, her expression weary. "Sounds like a good idea. We could use the rest.”

  Stephanie nodded in agreement. "Okay, cool. I'll go grab us some breakfast or something." she said with a determined note in her voice.

  Uni nodded appreciatively, grateful for Stephanie's thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Steph. That would be nice, I'm starving," she replied, her voice still sounding hoarse and tired.

  Stephanie nodded again, her determination to aid her friends making her smile. "Alright, I'll be back in a sec." she replied before making her way out the door.

  With Stephanie gone, the room fell into a silence, broken only by the sound of their heavy breathing. Uni rubbed her temples again, her headache still pounding. "Ugh, my head feels like it's about to explode. How are you feeling, Esther?”

  Esther, still looking pale and weary, shrugged weakly in response, her face betraying her exhaustion. It was clear that she was as tired as Uni, if not more.

  Uni nodded in understanding, her own exhaustion mirrored in her weary gaze. "Well, at least we've got each other, right? Misery loves company, and all that," she joked weakly, trying to lighten the mood.

  Esther let out a soft sigh, a weary ghost of a smile appearing on her lips. She nodded weakly in agreement, her fatigue too overwhelming to do much else.

  Just then, Stephanie returned with a few snacks and drinks. "I thought you guys would need some fuel," she said, setting the food down on the bedside table.

  Uni nodded in appreciation, her tired gaze falling on the snacks. "Thanks, Steph. You're a lifesaver," she said, her voice still hoarse.

  Stephanie smiled, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "No problem. But ya know, you two seriously need some rest. You don't look like you've slept in days, it's kinda scary.”

  Uni let out a weary sigh, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I know. But it's not like we really had time to sleep. We've been going non-stop for...well, for a while now. I've lost track of time," she confessed, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Stephanie nodded in understanding. "Yeahhhh...I can tell. But'cha really should take it easy today. Let's all hang out and watch TV together, 'kay?”

  Uni nodded weakly, too tired to argue. "Okay, sounds good to me. We'll hang out, try to relax, and see how we feel later on.”

  Stephanie smiled, glad they'd agreed. "Awesome. Let's get comfy then."

  Stephanie grabbed the TV remote off of the table and climbed onto the bed between Uni and Esther, pulling the blanket up to her waist and sandwiching herself between them.

  Uni and Esther both shifted to lean back against the headboard, feeling the warmth of Stephanie's presence next to them. Even in their weary state, they couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort in her company.

  Stephanie navigated through the channels, searching for something interesting to watch. She settled on an old black and white movie, the images on the screen flickering softly in the dimly lit room.

  The trio cuddled up under the blanket, their bodies pressed together in a pile of warmth and exhaustion. The movie was slow-paced and a little dull, but none of them minded. The soft sounds of the movie provided a lulling backdrop to the weary silence, and the warmth of each other's bodies was oddly soothing.

  Despite their exhaustion, Uni and Esther found themselves drifting in and out of sleep, their minds hazy with fatigue, the movie serving as a backdrop to their half-conscious state. Meanwhile, Stephanie was eating the snacks she brought for everyone, silently chewing on sugar-coated diced fruits from a small bowl while watching the movie.

  Uni's and Esther's eyes fluttered open and closed, their heads drooping here and there. They'd wake up for a few minutes, but the fatigue was too strong, and soon enough, they'd be lulled back to sleep with the drone of the movie and the sound of Stephanie's occasional munching.

  This cycle repeated for quite a while. The girls would try to stay awake, but their tired eyes would betray them, and they'd quickly doze off again. This back-and-forth of sleep and half-wakefulness continued for what felt like hours, each time they'd wake up, the movie would get more and more confusing, and the cycle of semi-consciousness would continue to plague them.

  After what felt like a lifetime of drifting in and out of consciousness, the movie screen finally began to show the end credits, accompanied by a slow, emotional piano melody. With the movie now over, Uni and Esther seemed ready to let go of consciousness. Stephanie now being the only one awake for the time being.

  Stephanie was still sitting up, her eyes wide open, looking as fresh as the morning, in stark contrast to the other girls. She turned to her right and watched as Uni's head slipped down onto her shoulder, then to her left, as Esther slumped over, coming to rest on Stephanie's other shoulder.

  Seeing that both Uni and Esther were now fully asleep, Stephanie sighed softly and turned her gaze back to the blank screen of the TV. She couldn't help but smile a little, as the scene was amusing, with the two girls asleep on her shoulders, all the while she was completely awake.

  Despite her urge to shift her position, Stephanie couldn't bring herself to wake the girls up, their exhausted faces and weary bodies making them look incredibly drained, even a little sick. They didn't look healthy, which was understandable, given that they hadn't had a proper sleep, and she guessed that was probably because of stress.

  Stephanie sighed, resigning herself to staying in her position, with the two girls' heads on her shoulders. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but she didn't mind. It was her way of showing support and caring. It's the least she could do after they freed her from RISHA and got her out of Yushalia.

  Stephanie looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. The room felt cozy with the warm sunlight peeking through the dark curtains, which helped give the illusion that it's still dark outside, the perfect setting for her tired friends. The sounds of birds outside created a faint symphony of chirping. A soft sense of comfort washed over the room, but it couldn't completely diminish Stephanie's worries for the girls; they didn't seem fine.

  Stephanie found herself zoning out, getting lost in the quiet of the room. Her thoughts wandered, ranging from the girls' health to how they all ended up in this situation. Then her heart jolted as a sudden, loud noise from outside snapped her out of her thoughts and made the girls shift uncomfortably in their sleep.

  Stephanie's heart was pounding as she looked over at the sleeping forms beside her, both Uni and Esther had jerked awake at the sound. Uni's eyes were wide and darting around, clearly startled, while Esther let out a soft whimper as she clutched at the fabric of Stephanie's shirt, gripping it tightly.

  "Shhh...it's okay, it's okay," Stephanie murmured softly, gently rubbing Esther's trembling hand in an attempt to soothe her. Her heart was still racing from the sudden noise, but she knew that her friends needed her to be calm and collected, to comfort and reassure them.

  She wrapped her arms around the girls, bringing them closer in an embrace. "It was just a car backfiring, nothing else," she reassured them quietly, her chin resting on top of Uni's head.

  Uni and Esther were still shaking, their fear palpable. They were both wide awake now, but the fear still lingered in their eyes. Stephanie held them tight, hoping her presence would be enough to ease their anxiety. The sounds of the car engine and people talking outside were gradually fading away, replaced with the peaceful silence of the room.

  Stephanie felt her friends slowly relax, their breathing becoming more steady and their bodies less tense. She kept hold of them, keeping up a steady stream of hushed, soothing words, trying to quell the lingering fear in their minds.

  Uni and Esther both eventually seemed to calm down, their breathing now slowed and deep. Their eyes were no longer wide with fear, and Stephanie's words gradually put their mind at ease. Just then, the sound of a phone ringing broke the stillness of the room.

  Stephanie pulled back slightly, looking around for the source of the noise. Uni sat up, her expression still a little dazed, and fumbled for something on the bedside table, eventually managing to pick up a small cellphone.

  "H-hello...?" she answered, her voice still shaky. Stephanie and Esther watched as she listened intently to the voice on the other end.

  On the other side of the line was a familiar voice belonging to the person responsible for her lack of sleep: a "Hey," from none other than...Trixie.