My steps grew heavier with each passing moment, the weight of exhaustion dragging me down.

I'd spent the entire night tailoring my uniform to make it fit just right, but the fatigue eating at my bones didn't give me the luxury of rest. I had duties to fulfill—duties I couldn't afford to mess up.

As I trudged through the mansion's dimly lit corridors, my eyelids felt like lead. Every step I took seemed to blur into the next, the shadows warping into weird shapes.

I fought to stay awake, to ...