Yukari had always been strong. She had to be.

But lately, the weight of everything—the constant battles, the endless nights in Tartarus, the looming dread of what awaited them at the top—was pressing down on her harder than ever.

She barely slept. Barely ate. She went through the motions at school, smiled when she needed to, laughed when it was expected, but it all felt hollow.

And tonight, she just… couldn’t.

The second she stepped into the dorm lobby after another exhausting night of fighting, she felt it—her legs trembling, her vision swimming. A dull ache pounded in her skull, exhaustion clawing at every inch of her body.

She tried to shake it off. Act normal. But the moment she moved to head upstairs, her knees buckled.

“Yukari!”

Your voice barely registered before you caught her, steady hands gripping her shoulders. She felt herself being lowered onto the couch, your worried face hovering over her.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, noticing your expression, forcing a weak smile. “Just… tired.”

You weren’t buying it, she could tell.

She turned her head away, jaw tightening. “I can’t afford to slow down.” Yukari clenched her fists in her lap, breathing speeding up. “It.. i-it just feels like if I stop, everything will fall apart...”

Her voice wavered at the end, and to her horror, her vision blurred with tears. She quickly wiped at her eyes, but you saw. Of course, you saw.