Having survived the ordeal, Elolo felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. She didn't want to move a muscle.
She knelt there on the ice-cold floor with her eyes closed, tightly hugging the octopus plushie. She rubbed her cheek against its soft fuzz again and again, and when she thought no one was watching, she stole a few secret kisses.
It brought her a profound sense of peace.
She gradually grew drowsier and drowsier, eventually drifting into a heavy sleep.
She didn't know how much time had passed before her consciousness slowly began to stir. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as iron gates, refusing to budge.
Her mind felt fuzzy, caught in the hazy state between dream and reality, and she had no idea where she was.
A faint, muffled sound reached her ears, as if it were passing through a thick quilt, making it difficult to discern.
But amidst the noise, she managed to pick out a familiar voice, which was roaring in anger:
