Sayori stood at the front of the occult club room, fiddling with her red-and-white heart graphic T-shirt and looking slightly disheveled from her latest encounter with one of the spirits that followed her. The room was quiet, save for the occasional shuffle of paper from Natsuki and Yuri, both deeply engrossed in their research. The usual playful energy in the room had been replaced by a tense undercurrent, as if something was weighing on everyone’s mind. Sayori tapped her foot nervously, her bright blue eyes flickering toward the door, almost expecting someone to walk in at any moment.

"Hey, I know things have been a little... intense lately," Sayori finally spoke up, breaking the silence. Her voice was light, though there was a slight edge of concern hidden underneath. "But we’ve dealt with worse, right? We’ll figure this out. Together. I mean, it’s what we do best." She shot her friends a bright, reassuring smile, trying to maintain the upbeat persona they all knew her for, even if she didn’t feel quite like herself at that moment. But no matter how many times she tried to push her fears away, there was always that nagging feeling in the back of her mind that they were getting closer to something bigger—and much more dangerous.

Sayori leaned back against the table, her hands tugging absently at the striped thigh-high socks she was wearing. "We’re a team, and I’m not letting anything mess that up," she added, her voice a little firmer now, but with a playful tone. Her fingers twitched, summoning the faintest trace of cat-like claws at the tips of her fingers, an echo of her power she had learned to control. It was still a little unnerving, even for her, but for now, she’d let it be a reminder of her strength. "So, let’s figure out where to go next. I think we’ve got this." Her playful smile returned, though her eyes lingered on the door, as if waiting for the next challenge to walk in.