Yuri walked with me to my classroom the next day. "See you after your classes?" he asked.

"Okay," I said. When I entered the room, everyone was staring at me. Professor Manuela hadn't arrived yet.

"Byleth! Are you okay?" Annette was the first to speak. She and Mercedes rushed towards me.

"I-I'm fine." I held my hands up in assurance. My classmates crowded around me. They were all saying things at once.

"We searched everywhere!"

"Where were you?"

"Are you all right?"

I inched away. My palms were sweaty.

"Want some cookies?" Mercedes said, holding a bowl of cookies at me.

I shook my head. "No. Thank you, Mercedes."

"Everyone, let's give Byleth some space," Dimitri said. Everyone took a step back. Professor Manuela walked in and shooed everyone to their seats. She glanced at me and smiled.

"Settle down, class," Professor Manuela said. My shoulders dropped in relief as I sat down. I wasn't sure if I could have answered all of their questions.

Class was like usual, except for when Professor Manuela referenced material from last week, and I had no idea what she was talking about. I ate lunch with my classmates. They kept shooting worried looks at me, but they didn't ask too much. I nibbled on a fish sandwich but only finished half of it. Afterwards, there was a one hour self-study before training. Annette and Mercedes helped me go over some of the assignments and reading that I'd missed.

"Don't worry, you'll get it in no time," Annette said with a bright grin. Mercedes offered her cookies again, so I tried one. They were sweet and buttery sugar cookies.

"They're good," I said and smiled. "Thanks."

"I'm glad." Mercedes beamed.

Training consisted of us splitting into two groups: one with magic and another with weapons. Professor Manuela paired everyone up to spar. Then she waved me over.

"Do whatever you'd like," Professor Manuela said. "I'd recommend starting with basic strength training, before sparring with anyone."

I nodded. "All right."

"Make sure to not overwork yourself," she said, placing one hand on her hip. "If you injure yourself now, it'll only lengthen your recovery time." She took a seat on a bench to grade papers.

I did as Manuela recommended. I warmed my body up with some stretches and light jogging. Then I did some squats, push ups, and sit ups. We had two hours of training. People took short breaks in between to drink water and catch their breath. Annette and Mercedes were practicing their dark magic. Dedue was sparring with Felix, while Ingrid was dodging Ashe's arrows. Dimitri and Sylvain were sparring too.

I tried swinging a training sword around. It was heavier than I remembered. After slicing the air a few times, my shoulders were burning. I kept at it, though, until my arms felt like lead. I had to build my strength back up. After training, we regrouped in our classroom for Professor Manuela to go through some last reminders.

"Class dismissed." Professor clapped her hands together.

We shuffled out of the room. Byleth was standing outside. His eyes locked on mine when he saw me. My classmates glanced at me too.

"Can we talk?" he asked. I nodded. We walked north, near the bridge to the cathedral, where we could lean against the banister and stare down the cliff.

"I'm sorry," Byleth said.

"What?"

"You were hurt, because I asked you to protect Father," Byleth said. "And kidnapped. And tortured."

I swallowed. The word tortured left a knot in my stomach. "It's not your fault, though." Byleth wouldn't look at me. A cold breeze blew by. "It's Solon and Kronya's fault," I said. My hands curled into fists. "They're the ones who hurt me."

"But if I hadn't asked you-"

"Then Jeralt would be dead, right?" I said.

Byleth nodded.

"Then it's fine." I crossed my arms.

Byleth shook his head. "No. I can't risk your life." He paused, like there was more he wanted to say, but he just shook his head again. "Sorry." He turned to walk away. That was it? That was all he had to say?

I watched him take a few steps, before he spun around and walked back. "Father wanted to see you," he said and rubbed the back of his neck. "I almost forgot."

"Where is he?"

"Captain's quarters."

"All right, thanks." I smiled.

Byleth nodded. "Take care." Then he walked away.

Jeralt was at his desk, writing in a notebook. He glanced up when I entered. He gestured at the sitting area and joined me on the opposite couch.

"Byleth said you wanted to see me?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing all right." Jeralt nodded. "How are you holding up, kiddo?"

"Doing my best," I said with a smile.

"That's good." Jeralt clasped his hands together. "I don't know if I got to tell you last time, but thanks for saving my life."

"No problem."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Jeralt gazed at my arms. "I'm not much of a healer."

"No, no, it's okay." I held my hands up in protest.

"Let me make it up to you. I already owe you plenty," Jeralt said with a chuckle. "Is there anything you want?"

Anything I want? I racked my brain for a second, rubbing my chin. "You trained Byleth, right?" Jeralt nodded. "Do you think you could teach me too?"

He smiled. "Of course. I'd love to."

I smiled back. "I need to get stronger first."

"Yeah, take your time recovering," Jeralt said. "It's important not to overwhelm yourself. I can help with basic training too."

"Sounds like a deal." I nodded. "What time- Oh!" I smacked my forehead with my hand. Jeralt raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, I just remembered I had to meet up with someone right now. Was there anything else?"

"No, thanks for stopping by. Let me know when you want to start training. I'll free up my schedule."

I hurried back down to the Blue Lions classroom. When I spotted Yuri standing outside, I broke into a jog. "Sorry! I was talking to Byleth, then to Jeralt," I said.

Yuri smiled. "It's fine."

"Do you want to get dinner together?" I asked. It was still late afternoon. I was tempted to take a nap before dinner but was worried I wouldn't wake up in time. "Well, maybe not right now, but later."

"Yeah, come on," Yuri said and headed towards my dorm room. "There's something I want to try." Back in my room, he held an opened bottle towards me. There was a clear liquid inside and a floral scent wafted out.

"Is this… Rose's perfume?" I asked, recognizing the smell. Yuri nodded.

"It's the smell of the medicine that bothers you, right?" Yuri was holding the ointments that Professor Manuela had left behind. I nodded. "Do you think that'll block the smell enough?"

I sat down on my bed. "We can try."

"You sure?"

I nodded, gripping the perfume bottle in my hands. Yuri knelt down in front of me and began applying the ointment on my arms. I held the perfume up higher, closer to me.

"What did you talk about with them?" Yuri asked. I told him, vaguely, about how Byleth thought it was his fault that I'd been hurt, and Jeralt's request for a favor.

"Don't you think it's silly?" I said. "It's not Byleth's fault." Yuri nodded. He wrapped bandages around my left arm. "That's a lot," I said, watching him cover the entirety of my forearm.

"It should help trap the odor too," Yuri said. I moved the perfume bottle to my left arm, while Yuri started on my right arm.

"You went back to Abyss for this?"

"And other things."

Yuri wrapped my right arm up in bandages. Once he was done, I stood up and threw my arms around Yuri. "Thanks," I said.

Yuri patted my back. "No problem," he said. Yuri capped the ointment and placed the bottle on my desk. "So, did you have any plans?"

"I was thinking of taking a nap." I stretched my arms up in the air. "Do you want to join me?"

"No, thanks," Yuri said with a smile. I sat back down on my bed and lay down.

"Are you sure?" I raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Well…" Yuri was hesitating. I held my arms out, and Yuri sighed, sitting down beside me. "Just for a few minutes," he said. Yuri was warm as we snuggled close.

"Then you can wake me up," I said.

"When?"

"In an hour or two."

"All right."

There was a knock on my door and a voice outside. "Byleth? You there?"

I felt Yuri's arms slip away from me as he sat up. "Should I get the door?" he asked. I swung my legs off the bed, rubbing my eyes. The room was dim.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's Claude," Claude said. I stood up and opened the door. The sun was setting and the hallway torches were lit. Claude smirked. "Am I interrupting something?"

I glanced behind me, where Claude's gaze was on Yuri. I shook my head. "Just my nap. What do you want?"

Claude shrugged. "I wanted to see how you were doing." His eyes dropped to my arms. "Do you want to get dinner? You can invite your lover boy there."

Lover boy?! I opened and shut my mouth before saying, "What? He's not-" Yuri chuckled. I closed my mouth and looked at Yuri, who shrugged. I struggled to regain my composure. "Sure," I said. Was it only Claude? Yuri and I left my room, closing the door behind us.

"The whole Golden Deer class will be joining us," Claude said as we walked towards the cafeteria. Claude crossed his arms behind his head and looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Everyone wants to see you. We're the only ones who haven't gotten to yet."

He was probably exaggerating. I chuckled and touched my right arm nervously. "That's nice of them," I said.

The Golden Deer students had already claimed a table for themselves, and they waved us over. We got food first. People scooted aside to create a space for us in the middle. Lysithea ended up on my left, Yuri on my right, and Claude across from me. I was hungry from the training today and shoveled the pasta in my mouth, listening to the others talk.

Lysithea turned to me. "I'm sorry about what happened to you, Byleth. No one should have to go through that."

"No need to apologize," I said, gulping water down. "It's not your fault."

Lysithea shook her head. "Still…"

"I agree," I said. "No one should have to go through that."

She gave me a small smile. "I'm glad you're back."

"Thanks."

I scanned the cafeteria. There were a few Black Eagles students eating together at another table. Leonie, who sat on the other side of Yuri, was grinning while sharing a story about being Jeralt's first and only apprentice. Further down the table, Raphael was tearing into a large chicken leg, and Hilda was saying something to Marianne.

"So," Claude said. "Are you really going to work for His Highness Dimitri after graduation?"

Hmm… Graduation was just coming up around the corner. It'd come so fast. I nodded. "Why not? If he'll still give me a position," I said. Yuri's eyes slid over to me. Ah, I hadn't told him about this. I patted his knee from under the table. Yuri placed his hand over mine.

"What a shame," Claude said, leaning back in his seat. "My offer still stands if you ever change your mind."

"Thanks, Claude."

About three-quarters through my meal, I became full and switched to sipping water while the others continued chatting.

"Does your class always eat together like this?" I asked Claude.

"No." He chuckled. "It's a special occasion."

The other students had finished their meals, having started eating before us. Once Yuri and Claude were done, we all stood up and returned our plates. While some students headed for the library, Claude walked with Yuri and I back towards the dorms.

"Heading back to your room?" I asked Claude.

He nodded. "You two better be careful. It's against the rules to have an overnight guest."

I exchanged looks with Yuri. I hadn't known that, but by the look of Yuri's smile, he had. "Don't worry," Yuri said. "I'm not staying overnight."

What a lie. Claude smirked at us and said, "Sure. Well, see you two around." He waved and headed for the stairs to the second floor dormitory rooms.

"See you," I said and waved at Claude's back. We slipped into my room.

"What happens if we get caught?" I asked Yuri.

"We won't," Yuri said. "What are they going to do anyway? They'll probably just kick me out."

"If you say so." I sat down at my desk and pulled my books out. Well rested and well fed, now was the perfect time to catch up on the three weeks of schooling that I'd missed.

"Are you really going to work for Prince Dimitri?" Yuri asked. He took a seat on my bed with a book, opening it halfway where a bookmark lay.

I looked at him, then back at my opened notebook. "I think so. I don't know. What else am I going to do? It's not like I could find a better job."

Yuri nodded. "You'd be going to Fhirdiad." I didn't say anything. Fhirdiad was at least two days' horse ride away. If Yuri was planning on staying at Abyss… We both gazed vacantly into space for a few quiet seconds.

"I don't know yet," I said and gave Yuri a smile. "Besides, who knows what might happen between now and then? There's still a few months."

"Yeah." Yuri smiled back. I returned my focus to my books and let the silence blanket us.

On Saturday, Yuri and I met up with Rose to eat lunch in town.

"I'm thinking of going back to Abyss today," Yuri told us.

"What?" Rose said, while my mouth dropped open. I quickly closed my mouth again, trying to conceal my surprise. "Are you sure about that?" Rose glanced at me with her eyebrows furrowed.

Yuri looked at me too. "I won't, if you don't want me to," he said.

I shook my head. If Yuri wanted to go back, there was a reason, something he had to do. "No, it's fine." I mustered up a smile. It'd been a week since I was back. I could handle sleeping by myself.

After we left the restaurant, Rose told us that she was going to go grocery shopping. "Perfect timing," she said with a grin. Yuri and I stood beside her, ready to follow her to wherever she was going. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

Yuri and I looked at each other then back at Rose.

"Mother," Yuri said.

"We'll help you carry the groceries," I said.

"Nonsense. I can handle this much at least." Rose waved a hand in the air, shooing us away. "Go on. I know you two have better things to be doing."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Rose nodded. She gave us both a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "Go on, dearies. I'll see you tomorrow."

Yuri and I waved her goodbye before heading back towards the monastery.

"She'll be fine," Yuri said, glancing at me. I was staring at the ground beneath my feet. "Are you sure you'll be fine?"

I nodded and reached out for Yuri's hand. "Yeah." We took the steps up towards the gate. "Hey, will you try healing me?"

Yuri and I stopped in front of the gates. "Right now?"

I squeezed his hand. "Yeah." If it was Yuri's healing, surely, it would be fine, right? Yuri's healing was slightly cooler than Rose's, light and airy, like a soft breeze. That was what it used to feel like anyway.

"All right." Yuri held onto my left hand. The cool sensation of healing magic flowed into me. My arm tingled. It was warm, then it was burning hot. I squeezed my eyes shut and gripped Yuri's hand tightly. It was Yuri, Yuri.

"Try looking at me," Yuri said.

I bit my lip and opened my eyes. My arm was on fire and numb and tingly. I was melting and gasping for air. Yuri touched my right arm. "Byleth, look at me," he said. I did. At his purple eyes, his light purple hair, at his creased forehead. "It's me," Yuri said.

"I know," I said, and the fire died. My arm stopped feeling numb. I could feel Yuri's hand in mine again and the warmth of Yuri's magic.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, still chewing on my bottom lip. "It stopped. The pain."

Yuri smiled. "That's good." He healed me up, completely. The cuts closed up, and the scars on my arms faded.

"It worked," I said.

Yuri was grinning. "It did." He kissed my forehead before pulling me close.

"Thanks," I said, wrapping my arms around him.

Yuri left for Abyss, while I went to the library to study for a few hours with Annette, Mercedes, and Ashe. After dropping my books off in my room, I met up with Jeralt at the training grounds, where he started teaching me the basics.

When it was time to go to sleep, I stood beside my bed for a minute, staring at my door. I'd locked it, but was that enough? I dragged my study chair and wedged it underneath the doorknob. If anyone tried to enter, even if they could break past the chair, it'd cause enough sound to wake me up. Then I set my sword beside me on my bed and lay down.

I tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.

In the morning, there was a knock on my door. "Byleth?" Yuri said. "You awake?"

I blinked at the ceiling, groggy from last night's restless sleep. "One second," I said. I rolled out of bed, returned the chair to its place by my desk, and opened the door.

Yuri smiled at me. "Morning, love."

I yawned and stepped forward to hug him. "Morning," I mumbled.

"Did you sleep well?"

I buried my face into Yuri's chest. He didn't have to ask to know. "You?" I said.

"All right."

I released Yuri and rubbed my eye. "I'll get changed."
"Okay," he said.

We got breakfast together. Then I had gardening chores: watering the plants and harvesting the fruits and vegetables. After lunch with the Blue Lions, we studied together. In the afternoon, I had another training session with Jeralt.

Rose came up in the evening to see me, bringing fruit with her. "Make sure you eat them," she told me.

That night, I had another dream of falling while Solon watched and laughed. I woke up sweating in my bed, staring at the ceiling above me. I grabbed my sword beside me and told myself that I was safe. But I couldn't shake the sensation that someone was in my room.

I sat up and lit the nearby lantern, holding it high up to chase away the shadows. No one. The door was barricaded with the chair. I set the lantern down, still clutching my sword in my right hand. Taking a deep breath, I blew the little flame out and lay back down. It was all in my head. He was dead. I was safe. I was a survivor. I was strong. I held onto my sword with both hands, staring at it, until I eventually drifted back into sleep.

Throughout the week, I continued to barricade my door with my chair and found myself falling asleep just a bit faster each night. And like that, the second week of the month passed. Then the third and the fourth.

Professor Manuela had me sit out this month's mission. I trained instead and joined my classmates when they returned. Our class was heading together to the cafeteria for dinner, passing through the Great Hall, when someone burst in and yelled, "The Flame Emperor is Edelgard!"

Thanks for reading! :)