The lights didn't turn off that night. No announcement. No command. Just constant brightness. Zane turned onto his side, covering his face with a pillow. "Are they serious right now…? Do they not believe in sleep?" he groaned.
Mira sat up slowly, eyes half-open. "No. They believe in control."
Tala looked around, uneasy. "Something feels wrong…"
Kael was already awake, sitting, watching. "This is intentional," he said.
Erza didn't respond. She was standing near the wall, eyes on the camera. Sleep deprivation. Irritation. Emotional instability. "They're pushing us," she said quietly.
"Yeah, well—it's working!" Zane snapped, sitting up frustrated.
Yuki stood in her corner, still, silent. Too silent. Noor noticed first, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Yuki," she said softly, "you haven't said a word in hours."
No response.
Tala stepped closer. "Yuki…?"
Finally, Yuki's voice came, low and flat. "I don't need sleep."
Zane blinked. "That's… not how humans work."
Yuki ignored him. Her gaze stayed forward, unmoving. Kael frowned. "You're overextending."
Still no reaction.
Erza stepped forward, slow, careful. "Yuki."
A pause. Yuki turned. Her eyes—different. Sharp. But unfocused."You hesitate too much," she said suddenly. The room stilled. Zane whispered, "…uh oh."
Yuki took a step toward Erza. "In training," she continued, voice tightening, "you slow everything down."
Erza didn't react. "You think too much."
Mira crossed her arms. "This isn't going to end well…"
"And you don't think at all," Erza said calmly.
A beat. Yuki's expression snapped. "I don't need to." She moved—fast. Too fast. She lunged straight at Erza.
Erza barely had time to react. She stepped back, but Yuki's blade-like strike sliced past her shoulder. "Yuki—STOP!" Tala shouted.
Yuki didn't stop. Another strike came. Erza blocked it, but the force pushed her back. She wasn't holding back.
Zane panicked. "WHY IS THIS HAPPENING AGAIN?!"
Kael stepped forward—but Noor held his arm. "Wait."
Kael shot her a look. "She's lost control."
"Exactly," Noor said quietly. "Watch."
Yuki attacked again—relentless, precise. Erza dodged, barely. "You're unstable," Erza said, breathing controlled.
"I'm efficient," Yuki snapped. Another strike, faster. Erza blocked, but her arm shook. She was faster than before. No hesitation. Too dangerous.
"Yuki," Erza said firmly, "this isn't training."
Yuki's voice cracked slightly, just for a second. "It never stops being training."
That line silenced everyone. Zane whispered, "That's… messed up."
Yuki lunged again. Erza stepped in—not back—closing the distance. She grabbed Yuki's wrist, pulled, and pinned her. Hard. Yuki struggled, fighting harder, faster. "LET GO—!"
"No," Erza's voice was low, steady. Yuki froze for a second.
"Why?" she demanded.
Erza tightened her grip slightly. "Because you're not fighting me."
A pause. Yuki's breathing was uneven. "Then what am I fighting?" she snapped.
Erza answered immediately. "Them."
Silence. Heavy.
"They want this," Erza continued. "They want you to lose control." Yuki's grip weakened. "They're watching," Erza said softly. Yuki's eyes shifted toward the camera. Realization hit. Her body went still. Erza slowly released her.
Yuki didn't move. Didn't speak. Just stood there, breathing, shaking. Tala rushed forward. "Yuki…"
Yuki stepped back, avoiding her touch. "I'm fine." But her voice… wasn't.
Kael exhaled slowly. "She broke."
Mira shook her head. "No." She looked at Erza. "She was pushed."
Zane rubbed his face. "I hate this place."
Noor smiled faintly. "They're escalating."
From above, Nexus observed. "Subject Y-09?" "Emotional instability confirmed." A pause. "Subject E-17?" Another pause. "Leadership emergence detected."
Inside the room, the silence felt different now. Not tension. Not distance.
Yuki moved back to her corner, farther than before. Zane looked at Erza. "…You could've hurt her."
Erza didn't respond.
"You didn't," Tala said softly. A pause. "Why?"
Erza looked at all of them. Then said, "Because we're not their weapons."
Silence. Then Kael spoke. "Not yet."
Erza met his gaze. "Not ever."
At that moment something shifted again, not unity, but direction and for the first time—it wasn't coming from Nexus. It was coming from Erza.