The reaction was immediate.
"No."
It did not come from just one of them, it came from all of them.
Even Nozomi.
The word landed heavy in the room, firm and final, and the atmosphere shifted instantly. Where there had been tension before, there was now something sharper. Defensive. Closed ranks.
Ragna crossed her arms.
"No. Not today."
Neera shook her head, already backing away half a step.
"We have reached cognitive saturation. This is reckless."
Midori frowned.
"My brain is done. Like fully powered off."
Nozomi took a breath, then spoke, voice gentle but unyielding.
"Please understand. We cannot do this right now."
Stella blinked, surprised.
Mimi laughed once, short and hollow.
"I cannot face a magical destiny sober," she said bluntly. "Absolutely not."
Gumi hugged her jacket closer, eyes flicking between them, clearly picking up on the shift. Rai stood very still, observing, processing, but did not object.
For a long moment, Stella looked at them. Her shoulders lowered. "I see," Stella said quietly. She did not argue or insist. She simply nodded.
"That is fair."
The tension eased, just slightly. "I will retire for the night," Stella continued. "Rest. Eat. Sleep. You will need it."
She turned toward the hallway, pausing only once. "When you are ready," she said, without pressure, "I will be here."
Then she left. Her footsteps faded down the corridor, and a door closed somewhere deep within the sanctuary.
For the first time since everything began, they were alone.
With Stella gone and the pressure finally off their shoulders, the sanctuary seemed to exhale.
The living room slowly dissolved into smaller clusters. Ragna stayed with Gumi, quietly helping her get used to sitting on the couch without nearly sliding off. Nozomi and Midori disappeared toward the library, Midori insisting she wanted to "see the apocalypse books" while Nozomi muttered something about supervision.
That left the kitchen.
Mimi was already halfway there.
"Okay," she announced, clapping her hands once. "If the world has ended and destiny is postponed, I am getting drunk."
Neera followed her automatically, curiosity already overriding exhaustion.
"I am not endorsing this," she said, even as she leaned in to examine the food synthesizer's interface. "But I am deeply interested in how it handles complex chemical structures."
Rai trailed behind them, eyes scanning the machine with quiet fascination.
"I would like to observe the output variance," she said. "Alcohol synthesis involves precision."
Mimi grinned.
"See. She gets it."
The synthesizer hummed softly as Mimi began typing.
"Vodka," she said confidently, hitting enter.
The machine whirred.
A moment later, it dispensed a clear liquid in a glass.
Mimi sniffed it, took one sip, and immediately recoiled.
"WHY does this taste like regret and hand sanitizer."
Neera frowned.
"The ethanol concentration is inconsistent. It may be synthesizing an approximation rather than a standardized spirit."
Mimi tried again.
"Strong vodka."
This time the machine produced something faintly blue and aggressively steaming.
Rai leaned closer.
"That appears unsafe."
Mimi squinted.
"Why is it glowing."
Neera immediately went full analysis mode, fingers flying over the interface.
"The prompt lacks specificity. Vodka is defined not just by alcohol content but by distillation method, base material, filtration process-"
Mimi groaned and leaned her forehead against the counter.
"I do not care what it is made of. I care that it erases today."
Rai stepped in smoothly, tapping the screen.
"Try specifying ethanol percentage, neutral grain spirit base, and filtration parameters."
Mimi looked at her with awe.
"…Rai-chan. You are an angel."
She typed again, slower this time, following Rai's guidance. The machine hummed. This time, the liquid that emerged was clear, still, and blessedly non-glowing.
Mimi sniffed it cautiously, took a sip, then paused.
Her shoulders dropped.
"…That's vodka."
Neera stared at the glass like it had personally challenged her worldview.
"This machine is obscene."
Mimi lifted the glass in triumph. "To the end of the world," she said. "And to not dealing with it sober." Rai tilted her head, observing Mimi's reaction carefully. "I will monitor your behavior for changes," she said. "For science."
Neera sighed, rubbing her temples, already half lost in thought again.
"I need to see if it can replicate isotopic purity at scale."
Mimi slid the bottle closer to her.
"You need a drink first."
Neera hesitated. Then, very quietly, she poured herself one too.
It did not take much convincing to rope Rai in.
Mimi raised her glass toward her with a grin, and Neera, already leaning a little too close to the counter, waved vaguely in agreement. Rai hesitated for less than a second. Logic told her alcohol impaired judgment, reaction time, and processing efficiency. But logic had not accounted for this.
For the first time, she was not a program responding to inputs. She had weight. Balance. A pulse she could feel in her fingertips.
"I would like to test this," Rai said simply. "I need to know if intoxication is possible."
Mimi whooped. "That's the spirit."
They drank together.
At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then Neera's words began to blur together, her careful articulation loosening as she leaned back against the counter and began rambling enthusiastically about quantum uncertainty, multiverses, and how fictional universes were statistically inevitable if consciousness was emergent rather than fundamental. Mimi listened with half a smile, refilling her glass without a care in the world.
Rai, meanwhile, grew quieter but more animated in small ways. Her movements became looser, her expressions less measured. She stared at her hands for a long moment, flexing her fingers slowly.
"I feel… lighter," she said, blinking. "My internal dialogue has slowed."
Mimi laughed. "You're tipsy."
Neera nodded vigorously, nearly knocking her glass over. "She's experiencing reduced inhibition and altered temporal perception. Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating." Mimi, somehow, remained perfectly fine despite having consumed more than both of them combined.
Eventually, Neera's legs gave out before her brain did. Mimi and Rai half dragged her to the living room, where she collapsed onto the sofa mid sentence, still murmuring something about Schrödinger and narrative causality before going completely still. Mimi exhaled, brushing her hands together. "Okay. She's out."
"I will monitor her breathing," Rai said automatically, crouching slightly before straightening again. "She is asleep."
Mimi stretched and rolled her shoulders. "I'm gonna get some fresh air."
Rai turned toward her, expression unusually animated. "Sleep is prescribed," she said firmly, pointing down the hallway.
Mimi paused, laughed, and saluted. "Yes, mom."
Rai did not correct her.
She walked back toward the bedroom on her own. The room was simple but spacious, with four bunk beds arranged neatly, two wardrobes against the wall, and a single table between them. Ragna and Nozomi were already asleep, their breathing slow and even, the exhaustion of the day finally claiming them.
Rai climbed into her designated bunk and lay on her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. There were no screens, no data streams, no incoming requests. Just silence, broken only by the sound of her own breathing.
She placed a hand over her chest and felt the steady rhythm beneath it.
She counted the beats. One. Two. Three.
She was alive.
Rai discovered something new that night.
Not a function.
Not a calculation.
Not a system error.
Restlessness.
She lay in her bunk for a long time, eyes open, staring at the ceiling while the sanctuary stayed quiet around her. Her body felt tired, yet sleep refused to come. Thoughts did not line up neatly the way they usually did. They drifted. Tangled. Slowed. She shifted once, then again, listening to her own breathing, the unfamiliar rise and fall of her chest.
Eventually, she gave up.
Carefully, she slipped out of bed and moved through the dim corridors, guided more by intuition than memory. Her steps carried her to the greenhouse, where the air felt warmer and faintly alive.
Someone else was already there.
Midori stood near one of the trees, on her toes, reaching up to pluck oranges and clusters of berries. Below her, Gumi held a basket with one hand, silent and steady. With her free hand, Gumi was chewing thoughtfully on an orange, peel and all, unfazed by the bitterness.
Midori did not comment on it.
The leaves rustled softly as they noticed Rai.
Midori grinned immediately. "You smell like vodka."
Rai blinked. "Noted."
"Is there any left," Midori asked hopefully.
Rai shook her head. "Mimi consumed all remaining supply."
Midori sighed dramatically. "Tragic."
Gumi stepped forward and held out the basket instead, offering it without a word. Rai hesitated only briefly before reaching in and taking a strawberry. She examined it, then took a bite.
Sweet, cold and real.
They stood together in the greenhouse, three figures awake while the rest of the sanctuary slept. Leaves brushed softly overhead. Somewhere, water dripped in a slow, patient rhythm.
Rai chewed slowly, committing the sensation to memory, already aware that this night, like many others to come, would not end neatly.
Midori, already on her tiptoes, finished plucking the last fruit and then spun in place, doing a neat little pirouette before landing gracefully in front of Rai. She rubbed her hands together, eyes bright with mischief.
"Okay," she said, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Important question. Should we check on Mimi and see if she is finally drunk."
Rai considered this. "Statistically unlikely," she said. "But observation is recommended."
Gumi nodded once and followed them.
They found Mimi on the balcony attached to the living room. She was leaning against the railing, looking out at the dark sky. The pale glow above did not change when they approached. She did not turn around.
For once, Mimi was quiet.
"You cannot see the moon," she said softly, her voice lower than usual. Not joking. Not dramatic. Just stating a fact.
Midori hesitated. "Hey… you okay."
Gumi stepped closer and tugged gently at Mimi's sleeve, looking up at her with wide eyes. Mimi glanced down at her, the corner of her mouth lifting into a small, tired smile.
"I'm fine," Mimi said. "Just thinking."
They did not push.
Behind them, from inside the living room, Neera's voice suddenly rose.
"That is not how synthesis efficiency works," she snapped, clearly mid argument with herself. "You cannot ignore conservation principles just because the output is convenient."
Her words grew faster, sharper, spiraling. She paced in her sleep addled state, gesturing wildly at absolutely no one.
Gumi wandered away from the balcony and over to the sofa, watching Neera with quiet concern. Then, without warning, she reached out and shook Neera's shoulder.
Neera jolted awake, breath hitching, eyes wild. Her hands trembled as emotion surged through her faster than thought.
"You are wrong, idiot," she shouted at the empty air, voice cracking with frustration.
Mimi reacted instantly, spinning back inside and pointing dramatically.
"No, you."
Neera froze, blinking in confusion.
Rai stepped in, gently taking Neera's wrist and staring at it intently.
"Your pulse rate is elevated," she said unhelpfully. "You were experiencing emotional agitation during sleep."
Neera stared at her, mouth opening and closing once. Gumi crossed her arms and stared at all of them, expression flat and deeply judgmental.
Midori looked around the room, eyes glittering, and smiled to herself.
"Two victims left."
Before anyone could object, the chaos party regrouped and marched back toward the bedroom. They were surprisingly careful about it, tugging blankets and gently pulling arms without actually shaking anyone awake.
It worked.
Ragna surfaced first.
She sat up abruptly, hair a mess, eyes blazing, and immediately unleashed a string of colorful curses that suggested she was one second away from breaking either furniture or people.
Mimi doubled over in laughter, clutching her stomach.
"Oh my god, she's going to commit murder."
Nozomi woke more slowly, blinking and scowling as she registered the faces hovering over her.
"You're lucky," she said flatly, "that there isn't a naginata within arm's reach."
Midori clasped her hands dramatically and winked.
"Your glare is sharper than any blade."
Nozomi looked like she wanted to argue. Ragna looked like she wanted to throw something.
Then Gumi stepped forward.
Without a word, she placed one hand on Nozomi's shoulder and the other on Ragna's. Her touch was gentle but firm, steady in a way that cut through the lingering sleep and irritation. The effect was immediate and unexpected.
Ragna paused mid glare, shoulders dropping just slightly.
Nozomi's scowl softened into confusion.
Everyone else froze.
Gumi tilted her head, watching them carefully, as if gauging whether she had done the right thing. When neither of them snapped, she left her hands where they were for a moment longer, grounding without knowing the word for it.
The room exhaled.
Ragna rubbed her face.
"…Okay. I'm awake."
Nozomi sighed.
"…What is happening?"
Midori grinned, pleased with herself.
"Midnight bonding." She leaned in close, lowering her voice as if she was about to say something deeply inappropriate or morally questionable.
"What if," she whispered, eyes sparkling, "we try activating the pendants. Now."
Mimi lit up instantly.
"Yes."
Ragna groaned, rubbing her eyes. "Absolutely not. It is the middle of the night."
Nozomi nodded, clearly still half asleep. "Please. Let us be reasonable."
Rai, meanwhile, giggled. It was soft and unrestrained and completely out of character, which made everyone pause just long enough for the plan to gain traction.
Across the room, Neera stood in front of the full length mirror, pointing accusingly at her own reflection.
"You think you understand quantum mechanics," she told it heatedly. "But you don't. You're just repeating me."
Gumi stood beside her, staring at the mirror with intense focus. She raised a finger and poked her own reflection, then frowned when it poked back.
Midori clapped her hands.
"Okay. Decision made."
Between Midori, Mimi, and a still tipsy but determined Rai, everyone was herded back into the living room. Ragna protested the entire way. Nozomi muttered prayers under her breath. Neera was guided by the elbow, still arguing with herself until Rai casually slipped an ice cube down the back of her shirt.
Neera yelped.
"WHAT."
She blinked. Straightened. Shuddered.
"…Okay. That helped."
They were arranged into a circle again, far less ceremoniously than before. Nozomi sat down last, massaging her temples as if warding off a headache that had been stalking her all night.
Midori flopped down cross legged.
"This feels like a witches' gathering."
Mimi nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah. We're about to summon something or accidentally curse ourselves."
Ragna sighed.
"I hate that you're saying that like it's a positive."
The pendants rested against their chests, quiet and warm, waiting.
They filled Rai and Gumi in as best as they could.
Midori explained it with wild hand gestures. Mimi added commentary that was wildly unhelpful. Nozomi tried to correct both of them. Ragna summarized it in three blunt sentences. Rai listened intently, nodding, while Gumi watched their mouths more than their faces, absorbing tone and rhythm instead of words.
"So," Mimi concluded, "we sit, we hold hands, we say Jagrita, and something magical is supposed to happen."
Rai raised a hand politely.
"What if nothing happens."
"Then we look stupid together," Midori said cheerfully.
They tried, they really did.
They sat in a circle, hands linked, backs straight, expressions solemn.
"Jagrita," they said.
Nothing.
Mimi squinted. "Did I pronounce it wrong."
They tried again.
"Jagrita."
Midori snorted.
Ragna shot her a look. "Do not."
"I'm sorry," Midori said, already laughing. "It just sounded like a sneeze."
Mimi burst out laughing. Nozomi covered her mouth, shoulders shaking despite herself. Rai giggled again, softer this time, like she was surprised by the sound coming out of her. Gumi looked between them, confused, then smiled faintly because everyone else was smiling.
"Okay. Serious," Mimi said, wiping her eyes. "Very serious."
"Jagrita," they tried again.
Neera sighed sharply.
"That was completely unfocused."
They tried again.
And again.
Each attempt collapsed under someone's poorly timed joke, a nervous laugh, or Midori whispering something like "witches' coven energy" under her breath.
Finally, Neera let go of everyone's hands and stood up.
"Enough."
The room quieted immediately.
She planted her feet firmly on the floor and looked down at them, sober now, eyes sharp and unamused.
"I am going to guide this like a meditation. If anyone interrupts, I will remember it forever."
Mimi zipped her lips dramatically, Midori saluted, Ragna straightened, Nozomi nodded gratefully, Rai focused.
And Gumi watched Neera like she was listening for something deeper than words.
"Sit comfortably," Neera said. "Breathe. Do not force anything. Just… be present."
Her voice steadied the room.
"Hold onto what you are feeling. Not the jokes. Not the nerves. The truth."
They linked hands again.
"Now," Neera said quietly, "say it."
"Jagrita."
For the first few seconds, nothing happened.
Then the air shifted.
A sudden, powerful wave of energy burst outward from the circle, rippling through the living room like a shockwave. A lamp toppled and shattered. Books slid off shelves. A picture frame cracked as it hit the floor. The lights flickered violently, then steadied.
Everyone gasped at once.