When Trixie and Uni reached the exit, the sunlight outside was a stark contrast to the dark atmosphere of the office. Uni opened the door, the fresh air hitting her face like a punch. She wanted nothing more than to run as fast and far as she could, to escape from Sarolta's presence.

  As she stepped out, feeling a slight bit better with each step, Sarolta's voice stopped them one last time: "Oh, and girls? Just remember, I'm always watching. You better behave yourselves from now on.”

  Uni paused, her heart sinking. She turned around slowly, meeting Sarolta's cold gaze. "We will," she gritted out, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Sarolta nodded, a satisfied smirk on her face. "That's what I like to hear," she said. "Run along now, little mice. And remember, I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

  With that, Sarolta closed the door, disappearing from sight. Uni and Esther stood there for a moment, the sound of the door's shut still ringing in their ears.

  Uni felt a wave of resentment wash over her. She couldn't believe how they had been treated, how Sarolta had made them feel so small and insignificant.

  She looked at Esther, seeing the same feelings reflected in her eyes. Uni's mind raced with thoughts, replaying the scene with Sarolta over and over. She wanted to scream, to punch something, to do something, anything to release the anger and frustration bubbling inside her. Without a word, they began to walk away from the building, their footsteps the only sound in the otherwise quiet surroundings.

  …

  Back at the safe house, Stephanie sat up at the sound of the door opening, her face lighting up as soon as she saw Uni and Esther. "Heyyy friendos~! I was starting to wonder where you all went!" she exclaimed, a bright smile on her face.

  Uni and Esther gave weary smiles in return, struggling to maintain a cheerful front. They were both tired and drained, the events of the past day having taken a toll on them. "Hey, Stephanie. It's been like two days and we're sorry. We just...had some things to take care of," Uni said, her voice betraying a hint of exhaustion.

  Stephanie immediately noticed the fatigue in their faces and the weary tone in their voices, her smile turning into a look of concern. "Are you okay? You look tired." she asked, getting to her feet and walking over to them.

  Uni let out a weary sigh, leaning against the wall for support. "We're fine. Just...had a long day." she replied, her voice sounding unusually soft.

  Stephanie wasn't convinced. "You look sooooo exhausted. You should sit down and rest a while." she insisted, guiding them to the couch.

  Uni and Esther let themselves be led to the couch, too tired to argue. They settled into the cushions, the soft fabric almost comforting against their weary bodies.

  Stephanie took a seat across from them, her concern apparent on her face. "Did something happen? You seriously look super-duper stressed about something.”

  Uni shook her head weakly, trying to muster up a reassuring smile. "No, nothing happened. Just...a long and tiring day, that's all.”

  Stephanie gave them both a skeptical look, clearly not buying their explanation. "You sure? Then where's Trixie?" she questioned.

  Uni and Esther exchanged a nervous glance, their weariness suddenly replaced by a hint of discomfort. Uni let out a sigh, her voice hushed and somber. "Trixie...has a bit more work to do before coming back." she finally said.

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  Stephanie's eyes widened, her expression turning from concern to confusion. "What do you mean? Why is she still working when you are back now?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

  Uni let out another weary sigh, the weight of their ordeal weighing heavily on her words. "She needed... to take care of a...task." she replied, avoiding Stephanie's questioning gaze.

  Uni ran a hand through her messy hair, her eyes avoiding Stephanie's gaze. "It's...it's classified," she replied cryptically, hoping that Stephanie would drop the subject.

  Stephanie's eyes widened even more, her curiosity now fully piqued. "Classified? Pfft, what the heck are you guys, spies?" she joked, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

  Uni released a weary chuckle, her exhaustion making it hard to even manage a proper smile. "Something like that," she mumbled, the truth of her words weighing heavily on her weary mind.

  Stephanie's eyes went wide, her expression now a mix of awe and concern. "Wait, what? You're not kidding, are you?”

  Uni shook her head weakly. "Wish I was," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

  Stephanie sat there, utterly shocked, trying to process what she just heard. "Soooo...you two, like, work for some kind of spy agency or something?" she asked, disbelief still lingering in her voice.

  Uni let out a weary sigh, her exhaustion making it hard to keep up the facade. She nodded briefly. "Something like that," she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Stephanie's jaw dropped open, her eyes fixed on them in complete disbelief. "No way," she whispered. "You're actually real spies? Like, for real?!”

  “Yeah...we are." Uni muttered, not having any energy left to keep up the act anymore.

  Stephanie's eyes were as wide as saucers. She was completely stunned. "That is SO cool," she exclaimed, a mix of awe and curiosity in her gaze.

  Uni let out a weary chuckle, her exhaustion seeping through. "Trust me, it's not as cool as you think," she muttered, her weariness making her words almost sound bitter.

  "Oh, c'mon," Stephanie rolled her eyes, still in awe. "Being a spy totally sounds cool! You get to, like, sneak in buildings and steal secret documents and stuff!”

  Uni let out a weary sigh, her exhaustion making her patience wear thin. "Trust me, it's not all glitz and glamor. It's stressful, it's risky, and it's a lot of work.”

  Stephanie shrugged, still caught up in the thrill of it all. "Yeah, I guess. But isn't being a spy like, really exciting? Like, you get to travel to awesome places and be super-secretive and stuff.”

  Uni let out a weary sigh, her exhaustion making her patience wane. "Mmm...I'll tell you all about it sooner or later when I'm in a better mood, okay? But how were you the past few days while we were gone?”

  Stephanie nodded, sensing that she probably had pushed too far with her questions. "Oh, I was fine," she said, her enthusiasm slightly dying down. "Just chilling here, watching TV and waiting for you to get back.”

  "I see," Uni said, her exhaustion making it hard to even keep the conversation going. "Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. It's not a good look to leave a little girl home alone for days unannounced like we did, we just didn't expect things to turn out the way they did. I'm glad to see you managed to entertain yourself until then.”

  Stephanie nodded, a slight smile on her lips. "Yeahhhh, I managed. But hey, you're back now, so all's well that ends well, right?”

  Uni managed a weary smile, her tiredness showing through the cracks in her composure. "Yeah....all's well that ends well...." she mumbled back, her eyes half-lidded.

  Stephanie's curiosity piqued once again, sensing the weariness in Uni's voice. "Hey, you look really exhausted though. Are you sure you're okay?”

  Uni let out another weary sigh, her exhaustion making it hard to respond fully. "We're okay. Just...got a lot on the mind.”

  Stephanie's concern grew at seeing Uni's weary state. "Are you sure? Because you two look really tired. It's like you haven't slept in a week or something. And you guys are looking like super-pale and...like, worn out. No offense.”

  Uni let out a weary chuckle, her exhaustion making even laughing feel like effort. "None taken. We've been through and seen a lot, and it's taken a toll on us. But don't worry, we'll be fine.”

  Stephanie nodded, though she was still worried. "Alright, if you say so. But you guys should really get some rest. You look like you're running on fumes.”

  Uni nodded weakly, her exhaustion making it hard to even gesture much. "Yeah, we will. We'll get some rest soon…”

  Stephanie stood up, still clearly concerned, but understanding the limits. "Alrighty then. You guys get some rest, ‘kay? I'll be here if you need anything.”

  Uni nodded, her eyes already drooping with fatigue. "Thanks, Steph. We appreciate it.”

  Stephanie gave them a small smile and watched as they got up, stumbling over to their respective rooms. The exhaustion was evident in the way they moved - slow and heavy.