Elsewhere, the once-dark sky gradually brightened. Karin's small body was curled into a ball against the corner of the bed. Her tightly shut eyes suggested she had been having some sort of nightmare, and several beads of cold sweat trickled uncontrollably down her forehead.
"Daybreak—"
As that faint, almost unreal voice faded, Karin suddenly jolted awake as she lifted her head! But in that instant, she used too much force and accidentally knocked her head against the wall. With a dull bang—, her glasses slipped crookedly down her face. Clutching the back of her head, her expression twisted in pain.
"Hiss—"
Once she recovered, Karin touched her back and discovered that her entire shirt was soaked with sweat.
Sakura, meanwhile, lay normally on the bed beside Karin. Her closed lashes trembled faintly, and her breathing was steady, as though she were having a pleasant dream.
Other than the somewhat shabby bed beneath them, the surroundings contained only gray concrete blocks piled in the corners. The walls that came into view looked like they were halfway through construction, still unplastered.
With no doors or windows installed, Karin could see the situation outside at a glance. Since they were on a high floor, however, the view was clearly one-way.
Just as Karin was recalling and pondering the events of last night, a faint sound came from beside her. Sakura was slowly waking up.
Sakura opened her eyes, her vision still blurry. She could only vaguely make out someone beside her. "Karin...?"
"Wait!!" As though she had suddenly remembered something, Sakura's green pupils contracted, and all traces of sleep vanished from her eyes!
Before Sakura could roll off the bed, Karin sensed the movement and quickly grabbed her arm, soothing her. "Sakura, it's all right. We escaped..."
"Escaped?" After calming down, Sakura looked