At one o'clock in the afternoon, Esther perked up to see Trixie and Uni finally returning from their trip to RISHA, the two girls smiling at her after closing the heavy door behind them, bags in hand.

"Hey, we're back!" Trixie chirped. "And we have some...good and kinda bad news..."

Esther anxiously gripped her pencil and wrote out a quick note, holding it out to Trixie. It read: "What's wrong? What did Dolores say?"

"Well," Trixie began with a drawn-out sigh. "According to Dolores, all Aranaki aren't downright evil, it depends on their upbringing and all. And also, as long as Stephanie doesn't get triggered and face trauma in general, then she won't snap and kill us all…”

Uni took a seat at one of the room's desks, nodding grimly. "Yeah… Dolores told us their behavior depends on their social climate and how they're raised, so they can be...well, not evil and have some level of free will. But, like, they're still dangerous. And the way to prevent Stephanie from going all dark side and trying to kill us is to make sure she doesn't face any intense trauma or triggers. It's like...walking on landmines with her.”

She then glanced over to Stephanie, who sat on the couch with a clueless expression, seemingly unaware of the danger that lurked inside her.

Esther's frown deepened at the news. She had been silently watching the conversation, her expression filled with concern for Stephanie's wellbeing. She wrote another note, holding it out to the others. It read: "What constitutes a trigger? How do we know if she's about to snap?”

Uni and Trixie exchanged a knowing glance before focusing their attention back on Esther. Uni spoke up, her voice steady. "Dolores mentioned that sudden strong emotions, especially negative ones like anger, fear, or sadness, can trigger the Aranaki to take over. We'll just have to be vigilant and try to keep her calm."

Trixie nodded, a hint of worry in her eyes. "It's going to be a bit of a challenge, but we need to make sure we're always mindful of her feelings. No intense conflicts or sudden scares around Stephanie.”

"Easier said than done though, ain't it?" Uni grumbled under her breath, a tinge of frustration evident. She knew how difficult it was to avoid conflicts and upsets altogether, especially in their situation.

Trixie's expression mirrored Uni's, the weight of the responsibility weighing heavily on her shoulders. "I know, Uni..." she said quietly. "But we can't just give up. We need to do our darn best to keep her from tipping over the edge. She's an innocent girl, after all.”

Uni's expression softened as she nodded in agreement. "You're right, Trix," she said, her voice softer. "We can't give up on Stephanie. It's just...I hate that we have to tiptoe around her, living in constant fear that she might snap any second. It's so messed up."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Esther, who had been silently following the conversation, wrote yet another note. It read: "Are there any other precautions we should take to keep her from going rogue?”

Uni sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Well, according to Dolores, we just need to be mindful of her emotions, avoid triggers, and try to keep her stress levels low. It's not a foolproof plan, but it's all we've got for now."

Trixie nodded, adding her own thoughts. "We could also try to keep her well-fed with sugar. Dolores said that it helps to keep the Aranaki content, less likely to cause trouble."

"Good thing we have this in handy," Uni said as she sat down all the bags of snacks she and Trixie got during their road trip.

"Wow...that's, um, a lot of candy—" Stephanie's eyes widened as she looked at the pile of bags, a mix of awe and disbelief on her face. "You got all this for me?!"

Trixie nodded excitedly. "Yep! Uni and I went on a little snack bonanza while we were gone. We thought you'd appreciate a bit of a sugar fix too."

A smile spread across Stephanie's face as she approached the pile, her eyes sparkling with excitement at the sight of so much candy.

Uni watched as Stephanie's eyes lit up at the sight of all the candy. She felt a pang of guilt as she thought about the true reason behind the sugary gifts. It was all to keep the Archon's influence within her in check. It felt like they were feeding a monster, not a sweet little girl.

"We figured you could use a little pick-me-up," Uni said, trying to keep her voice light. "Go ahead, help yourself.”

Stephanie wasted no time, her small hands eagerly delving into the bags. She pulled out candy after candy, her face lighting up with each new discovery.

She giggled with delight as she unwrapped a piece of chocolate and popped it into her mouth. "Mmmm, so good~!" she exclaimed, her mouth full of chocolatey goodness.

Uni and Trixie watched as Stephanie happily indulged herself, a mix of guilt and hope on their faces. The candy seemed to be doing the job, keeping the girl happy and the Aranaki content.

Esther, who had been silently observing the scene, wrote a note and held it up for them to see, the note reading: "So… Do we tell her what's going on? About the Archons and everything?”

Uni's face fell slightly as she read Esther's note. The question hung heavy in the air, a difficult one to answer.

Trixie crossed her arms, a mix of concern and uncertainty on her face. "I don't know, Esty... I mean, what would we say? 'Hey Stephanie, by the way, there's an evil creature living inside you that could make you go insane at any second'?”

Uni sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. "Yeah, it's not exactly an easy conversation to have. And what if it triggers the whole thing to happen? We'll be responsible for her going into a dark state."

Trixie's expression was solemn as she glanced at Stephanie, happily eating candy. "We can't risk it. We just can't.”

They all fell into a heavy silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The question hung over them like a dark cloud. Should they tell Stephanie the truth or keep it a secret? Was it kinder to let her live in blissful ignorance, or was that cruel in itself?

Stephanie, oblivious to the heavy conversation going on, blissfully continued to unwrap and eat candy.

Uni finally broke the silence, her voice filled with hesitation. "I think... We keep it a secret. For now, at least. We can't risk setting her off. It's better to let her just enjoy being a normal girl as much as we can. We owe her that much."

Trixie nodded in agreement, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Yeah, you're right. But this feels so wrong, keeping something this big from her…”

Uni's frustration grew as she looked over at the blissfully unaware Stephanie. "I know it does. But think about it, Trix. What good will it do to tell her? She'll be scared, probably feel like a freak, and then the Archons influencing her will... Well, you get the picture."

Trixie's face fell even further, the reality of the situation weighing down on her. "I know... I just hate this so much.”

"Believe me, I do too," Uni said, her voice softer now. "But right now, all we can do is keep giving her candy and try to keep her happy. We need to do everything we can to keep the Aranaki... well, dormant. It's the responsible thing to do."

The room fell silent again as the weight of their decision sank in. It felt like they were walking a dangerous line between protecting Stephanie and doing the wrong thing.