The sun had long since crept into the sky. Birds chirped. People bustled outside the inn.
And Zane… was still snoring like a dying beast.
[System Alert: Quest Objective Delayed — Host has overslept by 2 hours.]
"Two hours?" Zane mumbled in his sleep, batting the notification away like it was a fly. He turned over, buried his face in the pillow, and muttered, "Five more minutes…"
Unfortunately for him, Mira had other plans.
BANG!
The door flew open so hard it rattled against the wall. Mira stormed in, arms crossed, glaring like she had caught him committing a crime.
"Are you serious?" she hissed. "You told me to wake you so we could leave together, and you're still in bed?!"
Zane groaned and peeked from under the blanket. His hair was sticking in seventeen directions, eyes half-open.
"…Oh. Morning."
Mira blinked. "Morning? That's all you have to say?"
"Pretty much, yeah." He yawned, stretching like a cat. "You're loud for someone who works in hospitality."
Her eye twitched. "Get. Up."
"Nooo," Zane mumbled, curling back into the sheets. "Five more min—"
He didn't get to finish. Mira stomped over and yanked the blanket right off him.
"HEY!" Zane sat bolt upright, shadow immediately twitching at his feet like it was ready to attack. Mira froze, dagger already in hand from muscle memory.
The tension held for a heartbeat. Then Zane sighed. "Relax, little guy. She's not the enemy." His shadow stilled, though it didn't look happy.
Mira slipped the dagger back into her sleeve with a glare. "If you make me late for the Academy's gates opening, I swear I'll—"
"—Yeah, yeah, scary threats, got it," Zane cut in, scratching his head as he stumbled to his feet. "But in my defense, oversleeping is a very important skill. Builds character."
Mira stared at him. "…You're unbelievable."
Zane grinned sleepily. "Thank you."