It had to be a day since she was locked away in that small, cold cell. Food and water were provided, but she refused to take it. The guards assigned to her door obliged to her request. She was surprised, if not a little shocked that she hadn't froze to death. Maybe it was because of the life fibers. She could not die unless they were severed.

In that quiet cell, she came to discover that she still had a heart. Once thought to be fused with mothers, she could feel it beating in her chest.

Now, she huddled against the wall, her temple pressed against the cold surface. Faint vibrations could be felt, which made her curious on the busy outside world. Honnoji Academy must've been in ruins because of her and mothers attempts at genocide. In a strange way, these vibrations made her sleepy, her one eye starting to grow heavy as she tuned in and out of consciousness.

Eventually, she fell asleep against that cold wall.

Above, unbeknownst to her, two pairs of eyes watched her closely. One stare was sharp, the other was cold.

"How long do we plan to keep her in here?" The shorter figure turned to the taller one, their eyes never losing that coldness to them.

"Until construction is complete," She replied, never taking her eyes off Nui. The shorter figure scoffed and turned back to their prisoner below, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the blonde. A tinge of utmost hatred coursed through her veins. Here she thought their father's murderer was dead, gone with their bitch of a mother.

But no.

She had lived.

"Ryuko, no matter how much you glare at her, you're not going to burn holes into her skin," The taller figure spoke out, having sensed her sister's tense aura.

"Why does she have to live though?! I thought we had defeated them, killed them off from this world! We did all this work, all this fighting and for nothing?! I lost a close friend and a father because of this battle, sis! I can't forgive her!" Ryuko immediately snapped, her voice starting to crack and waver. The older sibling watched her break down, saying nothing for a few minutes.

"It might be true that we lost a good few people to this war, but we triumphed in the end-"

"Then why the fuck is she still alive?!" Ryuko cut her off, pointing to the cell. Her eyes were glazed over now, tears starting to surface. The older sibling let out a sigh, closing her eyes. She knew that her sister was under pressure right now. Winning this war meant losing a good friend. It was clear that she was still suffering from his loss.

"Go," She finally spoke. Ryuko perked up, confusion etching her features.

"W-Wha-"

"It is very clear to me that you need some fresh air. It's probably best if you go meet up with Makanshoku. She might be able to cheer you up," She replied, and Ryuko dipped her head, her bangs hiding her eyes. Another few moments of silence followed.

"...Alright," Ryuko finally said, and stepped past her. The door closed with her departure, leaving her alone. She stood there, looking at Nui for a few more minutes before finally coming to a decision.

Turning, her heels clicked against the floor as she exited the small room.

Greeting the guards at Nui's cell door, they let her pass without hesitation, curious as to what was in their leader's arms. Entering the cell, Nui did not wake, even with the loud clicking of her heels. Coming upon her, she gazed down at the sleeping form of the blonde, finding it hard to believe that this weak figure was one of her toughest enemies not days before.

Shaking her head, she took the item draped over her arm and unfolded it. She leaned down, wrapping the blanket around the blonde's body. Against her better judgment, she was being merciful with the former Grand Couturier. She rose back up, and turned, exiting the cell without looking back...

Nui woke up, feeling much warmer than before. She came to realize that a blanket had been draped on her body, tightly fitted to not fall from her armless shoulders. Her eye softened, shifting into the fabric with a small smile. Her eye started to shut again, but not without the quiet thanks.

"Thank you, Satsuki,"

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