Jade held the key card delicately between her fingers, its surface cool and smooth to the touch. She examined it closely, her gaze lingering on its intricate design as a yawn escaped her lips.
Her eyes felt heavy, and the thought of lying down pulled at her harder than she wanted to admit.
"No time like the present, I suppose," she murmured.
Still, she made a bargain with herself.
A quick shower.
A small bite of food.
Then the lab.
If she sat too long, her body would choose sleep and win the argument for her.
The shower helped. So did the simple meal of fruit and bread.
By the time she stepped back into the hall, she felt awake enough to keep moving.
She slipped into her cozy pajama bottoms, the blue lines along the sides giving her a small comfort inside the plain room.
The soft fabric helped as she headed through the cold corridors toward the labs Victoria had assigned to her.
