Amira opened her eyes, glancing around the empty room, her gaze settling on the nearby clock. 1 AM.
She let out a sigh, surprised at how much time had passed. Gathering herself, she rose slowly, feeling the weariness set in, but she knew she had accomplished a great deal.
She could sense her body adapting, but it would take more to push it further.
She turned off the room's light with a soft click, letting darkness take over.
She then went back to her rooms.
Even though she was tired, the pain in her bones made her feel good because it was a slight but real sign that she was making progress.
As she entered her room, she found Bella lying on her bed with a book open on her lap. Bella smiled and looked up. In the dim light, her eyes sparkled.
"Oh, you remember where you sleep now?" Bella teased and raised an eyebrow.
Amira laughed a little, but she was too tired to join in with Bella's jokes.
"I lost track of time," she said, her voice sounding tired even though she tried to hide it.
Bella looked at her like she knew.
"Do not worry." You won't have to work this hard when I finally awakened.
Before she gave her a proud smile.
"What do you want to find?" Bella asked with a hint of interest in her voice.
Amira went through her bag and took out a small vial of beast blood and a bundle of herbs.
She said, "Got it," and then she looked up at Bella.
"I'm going to take another bath to calm down." It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.
She gave Bella a tired little smile. "You don't need to wait up."
But Bella shook her head strongly, and there was a mischievous look in her eye.
"No, no."
There's no way you're getting away with it tonight.
"I'll stay."
Amira sighed, but her smile got softer, like she was thankful.
She didn't have to hide how tired or weak she was around Bella.
Making her way to the bathroom, Amira filled the tub with hot water, watching as steam curled up into the air.
She set the herbs in a pouch, securing it to the side of the tub to let their essence infuse the water, then carefully added the beast blood.
The mixture got darker, and it smelled strong and earthy.
After taking off her clothes, she slipped into the tub and quickly felt the heat and energy coming from it.
At first, the warmth and the way the mixture wrapped around her like a second skin made her feel better, but she knew this would only last for a short time.
The pain would come soon.
She heard soft footsteps behind her, and when she turned around, Bella was already in the bathroom with a smile on her face.
"Why are you following me?" Amira asked, eyebrow raised.
"Just observing." Bella's voice held a playful edge as she leaned against the counter.
"Wanted to see how it's done."
She paused, her expression softening as she watched Amira settle in.
"Is it really painful?" she asked quietly.
Amira nodded, her voice steady.
"Yes."
The room fell silent again as Bella watched her friend.
The water, once a deep red, had begun to turn a dark, murky color, small black flecks emerging as impurities rose to the surface.
At first, there was nothing. Amira's face remained calm, and her breaths were even, as if she were merely soaking in a warm bath.
But within minutes, she felt the familiar ache: a sharp, bone-deep pain that spread to her muscles and joints.
It felt like a million tiny needles were poking her skin, and with each heartbeat, they went deeper.
"It doesn't look like it hurts," Bella said, her voice light but worried.
Amira replied with a small edge to her voice,
"The pain will get worse soon enough."
"This is just the start."
As the minutes went by, her muscles got tighter.
Her body was fighting the process, but the blood from the beast inside her was making her stronger.
She clenched her fists and felt her determination weaken as the pain got worse, with each wave hitting her harder than the last.
Ten minutes later, her face was twisted, and you could see how stressed she was because she was clenching her teeth and her fingers were white from holding on to the tub's edge.
No matter how much her body hurt, she wouldn't let out a cringe.
She cursed under her breath and gripped the tub's side so tightly that tiny cracks started to show up in the porcelain.
Bella watched, and the sight made her heart race.
She made fists with her hands and shed a single tear.
She had seen her fight and watched as she got hurt many times without complaining. But this wasn't like that.
The pain never went away, and it beat her friend down without pity.
The final moments were torturous, but she endured, feeling a sense of triumph as the timer on her watch beeped and let go of the edge of the tub.
She was tired, but she felt like she had a lot of energy.
She tried to stand up after taking a few deep breaths to calm down, but the pain wouldn't go away.
"Will you lend me a hand?" She spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
Without thinking, Bella stepped forward and reached out to help Amira.
She put her arm around her and helped her get out of the tub. As they got their balance, Bella's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Is it always this painful?"
Amira took a deep breath and forced a small smile.
She said, "Only the first few times."
"It breaks the body down so it can build itself back up stronger." It will hurt less once my body gets used to it.
She cleaned the tub and filled it with warm water even though Amira told her not to. Then, to Amira's surprise, she slipped into the tub beside her, casting her a defiant look.
After giving Amira a light shoulder massage, Bella laughed,
"Just making sure you don't fall asleep in here."
The warmth of the water, combined with Bella's soothing touch, eased Amira's remaining aches.
Bella's fingers moved with practiced ease, lingering here and there, kneading away the tension from Amira's back.
Each touch left a trail of warmth, and Amira felt herself slipping into a relaxed haze, her usual guarded exterior softening.
A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as Bella ran her hands over them, and the touch lingered longer than it should have.
Bella let out a soft laugh, clearly enjoying the fact that her friend was acting more nervous than usual.
As soon as they were outside, Bella wrapped Amira in a soft towel and looked proud.
With a smile, Bella said, "I think you needed that."
Amira rolled her eyes, but she felt like smiling.
"You know you're impossible?"
She changed into her nightgown with Bella's help.
As soon as they got to the bed, Bella jumped in next to Amira and wrapped her arm around her waist.
"Good night, Amira," she said in a soft, friendly voice.
When Amira closed her eyes, she felt Bella's steady breathing next to her.
She felt calm. She finally fell asleep, and she felt a little lighter after all the things she had to deal with.