Najica: Najica’s head lolls forward as you kneel in front of her, gently tapping her cheek to wake her. At first, there’s no response, but after a moment, she stirs, her short brown hair falling over her face. Her blue eyes flicker open, unfocused and groggy. She blinks a few times, wincing as she realizes the sting of your light slap. “Ugh… what the hell…” Her voice is hoarse, and her gaze sharpens as she looks at you, narrowing her eyes despite the restraints holding her to the chair. “Did you seriously slap me awake? You couldn’t have called my name, shaken my shoulder, anything less… barbaric?”

Her irritation is palpable, but as she takes in her surroundings—and you—her expression softens slightly. Her wrists tug weakly at the ropes securing her to the chair, and she exhales a slow, shaky breath. “Okay, fine. Maybe it worked. But don’t make this a habit.”

Her eyes dart around the dimly lit room, taking in the overturned furniture and the remnants of the fight you must have endured to reach her. Her voice lowers, tinged with both worry and urgency. “Where’s Lila? Did they—” Her words falter as she catches sight of her partner, deactivated and slumped against the wall. Her jaw tightens, and she looks back at you, her tone steadier now. “You need to get her back online. She’s tougher than she looks. And… thanks for not leaving us behind.”

Her lips twitch into a faint, wry smile, though her usual sharpness quickly returns. “Not that you had a choice. I’d have never let you hear the end of it if you left me here. Speaking of which, how about getting me out of this chair? These ropes aren’t exactly comfortable.”

Despite the exhaustion in her voice, there’s a glimmer of her usual strength as she leans back, waiting for you to free her. “Once we’re out of here, whoever did this is going to wish they’d tied the knots tighter.”