Friendship and celebration turned sour almost as quickly as the sun set on the second day. Yrix had landed her personal shuttle in the Aerie's main courtyard, near the sandy garden where the first trial had taken place. But the moment Lila attempted to make her way to the bedchambers, the heiress in tow, she was quickly reminded of her own mortality.
"Oh!" Lila's knees buckled.
If it wasn't for the firm and swift grasp of Sonera, the Earthling would have dropped her friend and fallen off the ramp of the ship. Lunae showed similar signs of exhaustion, her eyes drooping with the sudden desire to sleep. Ivy's breath had become more ragged as well.
Only Sonera seemed to have retained her strength.
"Careful." She muttered softly as she helped Lila find her way down.
Only once they had struggled and fought their way to their beds did the girls find any relief. There was no time to change, eat, or shower. Not like with the first trial, where the passage of time had become mundane after the celebration had faded.
They wanted to rest.
Save Sonera, the girls all collapsed into their beds as Yrix whisked herself away to find the other students. There wasn't anything to say at that point. They all knew how they felt.
Lila, at the very least, made sure to put Ivy to bed first, allowing her the spot on the bottom bunk. But once she tried to climb her way to the top, she felt a strong hand grip her forearm.
"Stay." Ivy huffed. "I demand it."
Lila acquiesced, sliding into the cramped space before lying on her side, her face and hands pressed against the heiress. They were at peace in that moment. And for a time, their ever-so contradictory feelings held no weight.
They were togethor. Just as they should have always been.
Lila could forget what nightmare Ivy had placed her in when she was unconscious. She could ignore the creature that had killed her in that dream. And she could turn away from the ominious truth behind Yrix's galaxy-spanning gaze.
The same could be said for the heiress. She didn't have the time or energy to unpack all that had happened to her. There was a whole week of rest lying in wait for that sort of thing.
For now, she was content to rest with Lila.
Sonera held a similar mindset, ushering Lunae into bed while kneeling at her bedside. She didn't have time to rest; her body still burned and pulsated with a power that made her feel tireless. But she did still take pleasure in watching her companion drift off into a perfect stillness.
Their bond had improved. Sonera could feel the fringes of Lunae's secreted mind. But despite the undeniable tension that lay within its confines, she found herself rather uninterested. It wasn't her place to judge.
Yes, Lunae was hiding something. Indeed, her mind was like a pit of festering teeth the closer Sonera got to it, gnashing with unabated hunger. But she wasn't any better.
All that mattered was keeping Lunae safe. And one day, with enough strength and force of will, she would kill Yrix. Sonera still remembered that promise.
"When you wake," Sonera whispered. "We'll heal. Togethor. A good friend told me not to let all the blood dry up. It smells."
Ivy reached out, solidifying their new and unusual friendship with a Psionic message. "Oh, good to know someone else agrees they stink. Lila is absolutely taking a shower when we wake."
"Go to bed." Sonera furrowed her brow, not at all appreciating the jab made at Lunae. "You need the rest."
Some part of her still appreciated the heiress for speaking, however. It was good to have friends on top of a special companion. It made her quest to kill Yrix all the more righteous and self-aggrandizing.
"Trust me." Ivy yawned, even within her Psionic voice. "I will. You have no idea what Lila and I went through. Honestly, the Consortium is the least of our worries."
"I disagree. It's their fault we're like this. They did this to us."
"We can play hero once they're safe."
"And when will that be? Never, not when Yrix is alive. Besides, you're not...brave enough for her. Not yet."
Ivy sighed, showing her most vulnerable side to the girl who could have killed her. "I know."
"Fear consumed you when we fought. You could have emerged victorious." Sonera spoke with a tender voice.
It was strangely easy for the heiress and the assassin to confide in each other. But with Ivy's weariness reaching a critical point, the conversation was cut short. She slumbered, leaving Sonera alone.
"I have no such weakness," Sonera growled to herself. "Not anymore."
She was lying.
______________________________________
"Oh my goodness gracious!" Lila yawned, turning away from Ivy as the heiress wrapped her arms around her belly. "My bones!"
"Shut up and sleep more." Ivy snarled.
"I can't stand sitting in these clothes anymore! I can't!"
It was a new day, one unbesmirched by the threat of death. The other students had returned, sharing stories with Rena in a group not unlike the one Lila and Ivy had formed with Lunae and Sonera. Such was the gap between them that one could not help but wonder if it was another one of Yrix's schemes.
Lila had procrastinated talking to the other girls for long enough. She knew they were potent Psions, both beautiful and strong. But with the heiress haunting her the last few days, she never really had the time to socialize beyond her immediate circle.
"Cute girls can wait. I need my healing era. Wait. Cute girls? No. That's not natural. I'm a girl. We like the other gender. It just so happens that Ivy smells really good right now, even after all that dirt, sweat, and blood. We don't like-."
"One more hour," Ivy grumbled. "For me."
"No! We shower! Now!" Lila sqawked.
"Fine!"
The heiress burst out of her sheets. She ripped off her oxygen mask, and with a sense of vigor that seemed to appear out of nowhere, she dragged Lila out of bed. Something was clearly motivating her to get on with the affair.
It wasn't because she felt the feral urge to take care of Lila or anything.
Never.
It was a new day. And without the Consortium trying to murder them, the girls had plenty of time to sort themselves out. But for now, it was time to clean up.