a note on the 3.3 special program...SCARAMOUCHE CAN FLY? be still, my fleeting primogems

previous chapter: in what the author of this story fondly labeled "operation: thomalumi gone wrong" in the chapter outlines, lumine and thoma had a wonderful date in town. unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. for this couple, that end was met with a surprise rifthound attack on the beach. rescue came all too late.

For the life of me, I couldn't focus on Professor Morax's lecture. I was really trying, too. Despite sitting with perfect posture, tuning out all distractions, and dutifully facing forward, nothing he said made any sense. I could hear him speak and understand the individual words that were strung together, but the rest was beyond me. After an eternity of struggle, I thought about giving up entirely. The class would end eventually, and then I could borrow notes from someone else. Except, there was always the risk of Professor Morax calling me out for not focusing. It was embarrassing enough the first time, and I'd rather there not be a second.

My resolve to be a model student wavered as time went by. I'd been sitting here for what felt like forever and not long at all. Unease made me shift in my seat, and my leg bounced under the lecture table. Something was off. What had happened?

"Can I borrow a pencil?" a student sitting on my right whispered.

Finally, a coherent sentence.

Grateful to have something to do besides worry over why everything around me felt so wrong, I dug into my pencil bag and turned to hand it over. Though, the pencil slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor the moment I made eye contact with the student—if I could even call him that.

"What are you doing here? And why are you wearing a uniform?"

Enjou's carefree smile fell, and he straightened his blazer. "I think it suits me well. Who doesn't look good in uniform?"

Now, I understood. The reason why I couldn't understand Professor Morax's speech and why I felt so out of place was because this was another dream—one that Enjou has taken the opportunity to invade.

The moment I made this realization, there was a shift in the room. The students spread out in their seats all disappeared. Professor Morax, who had been pacing along the chalkboard, also vanished. It was just me and Enjou. His presence made me bristle, and the memory of what happened on the beach came flooding back.

"I can't see how you endure a setting like this nearly every day," Enjou sighed. "I put a lot of work into conjuring this illusion, you know. After all that you've been through, I thought it would be best if you reacclimated in a more familiar environment. So, what do you think? Did I nail the academic atmosphere? These tables are made from a very expensive, very imaginary mahogany."

A stupid grin shone on his face, and Enjou lightly pushed up his glasses while he waited for my answer. He wouldn't be getting one. A slow anger began to simmer within me. I was one second away from retrieving the pencil and delivering a well-aimed strike to his most convenient vital. My fingers twitched, about to take action, but then he snapped his own fingers.

The illusion began to dissolve.

"You're in no mood for a friendly chat," he said as the lecture room around me darkened. Starting from the ceiling and following down the walls, loud cracks fractured and fell away to reveal black stone. "That's understandable."

I gripped the armrests of my chair, afraid the whole world was falling apart. Of course, I knew this was a dream now. Enjou had mentioned he put up an illusion, but it served no purpose to either of us anymore. The true nature of this dream was cold and sinister. Once the lecture room had fully disintegrated, I recognized the room that replaced it.

Regal, cracked pillars were lined down an empty hall. Armored knights stood in between the crumbling structures, tall and foreboding. Moonlight shone through broken, dusty windows. From where I sat, I witnessed the same desolate throne room that I had dreamt of before. The standard chair of a lecture room that used to be hard and cold was now soft and comfortable. With mild horror, I looked down to discover that I was sitting on the Abyssal throne decorated in riches that glittered in the moonlight.

Repulsed, I rose quickly and shuffled away from the throne, disturbing the fog of shadows that hovered over the floor. Enjou was sitting on a throne to my right, smaller and less grand, but still imposing. His academy uniform reverted back to the usual kimono, and he relaxed against one armrest.

A shiver ran through me. So cold.

"The Abyss Order was behind that rifthound attack," I said aloud after piecing together the obvious. "Was destroying the Domain not enough?"

Enjou made a face—like he'd eaten something sour—before saying, "Don't remind me. My job was already a pain, and then you had to go and make it even worse. Gateways like that don't grow on trees. Actually, that's a lie. They do grow on trees—just slower than anyone has the patience for."

"Good. A nuisance for you is a win for me." I crossed my arms to appear defiant, but I was really only trying to contain my warmth. "You said I had until after winter break before a kidnapping attempt would be made. There were still a few days left."

"And you believed that?" Enjou's eyebrows rose. "Wow, I'm honored. I truly did mean what I said back then. Unfortunately, it just so happens that a nuisance for me is a nuisance for you, too. The destruction of the gateway…yikes. Herald and Lector didn't like that very much, Lumine. Desperation makes people like you and creatures like us do the craziest of things. For example, releasing the hounds."

I shuddered at the memory of the rifthounds portaling onto the beach. The feel of fangs and claws ripping my body apart was still fresh in my mind. Enjou's casual talk of those monsters didn't match the terror I'd experienced at all.

"What good would killing me do?" I asked. "Don't you need me alive as your Source?"

Enjou scoffed. "Kill you? Our hounds had no intention to kill you, Lumine. It's inevitable that you'd be a little banged up since we don't exactly train them as service monsters, but your life was in semi-good claws. If you behaved nicely and didn't put up such a sad fight, they would have quickly taken you back through their portal—assuming it worked."

"I didn't realize the Abyss Order ran off of assumptions," I said through clenched teeth.

"Desperate times, remember? You see, those portals are terrific for rifthounds and terribly risky for anything else. We have no record of other living beings going through a rifthound portal and making it to the other side in one piece. There's a good chance you would have landed here in the form of shredded limbs." He shrugged, unbothered, before carrying on. "Sheesh, it was already a bad idea to drag you through the gateway prematurely. Our options were always limited."

Now, it was my turn to scoff. I'd had enough of this. No stranger to Abyssal dreams, nightmares, projections, or whatever they were called—I would break free. I would wake up and escape from this hellhole. Nothing was keeping me from abandoning Enjou mid-complaint, so why even bother? Refusing to be swayed by his fake friendship or daunting threats, I closed my eyes and focused on waking up.

I didn't remember anything after passing out in Kaeya's arms. When I woke, would we still be on that beach? Thoma had somehow been injured just as badly as me. I needed to confirm that he was okay. Kaeya must be worried sick about me just as much as I was for Thoma. My heart's desire has never failed me before in keeping the Abyss Order's shadows out of my mind. There was no reason for me to falter now.

I opened my eyes.

Enjou still sat on his throne, looking at me with a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Are you done?" he asked blandly.

How is this possible? Why was I still here? My pulse quickened as I tried again. Not even pinching my arm worked. I was stuck in the dream. Taking deep breaths did nothing to slow my panic.

Enjou smiled before asking, "Do you know what corrosion is?"

My face twitched into a frown. Thoma had muttered that word before passing out.

"It's a special effect that rifthounds have on their prey," he explained. "Through their attacks, rifthounds deposit corrosion—a toxin that ignores even the strongest of shields."

Somehow, the room felt even colder at those words. Not even a shield could stop corrosion? So, that was why Thoma had been in such bad shape after the fight. It must have been the same for me, too. Was it the corrosion that took me out, or was it the blood loss? Did it even matter?

"You took in quite a bit of corrosion, Lumine." Enjou wagged his finger at me. "Considering the state of your body at the time, it was very easy for it to weaken you even further. It's time for one more fun fact—corrosion is a pure matter of the Abyss. Now, you have all that Abyssal essence flowing through your veins. In a way, you're one step closer to becoming like me. Let's forget being colleagues or even friends. Family has a nice ring to it."

"It does not."

He ignored me. "Like most things, corrosion has its limits. It'll fade out over time, allowing your body to bounce back better than ever. Luckily, I got to you before that could happen. You may have noticed, but I have a responsibility to keep the Abyss alive and well. With great responsibility comes even greater power."

I could almost taste dread on my tongue. By how Enjou lazily examined one of his hands, casting a bright Pyro orb to dance at his fingertips, I could only assume the worst.

"My power is linked with the Abyss, and that includes the existence of corrosion." He let the orb fizzle out before looking at me with a slightly manic grin. "That goes for the corrosion inside of you, too."

Fear commanded me to take a step back, but I could only go so far before risking a fall down the staircase.

"You're holding me here," I whispered. "This…isn't a dream?"

Enjou laughed. "Could I really be your dream guy? I somehow doubt that, but it's time to put business first. Since you're smart and figured out the most important part, I can confirm that this is no typical snooze session."

My breathing hitched. This couldn't be. Just like that, Enjou had what he wanted. I was here in the Abyss with no way to get back. My panic began to bloom even further, and I squeezed my eyes shut for a third time—not in an attempt to wake up, but to clear my mind.

Though I was here, I was also not here. My physical body was still on Teyvat somewhere—likely at the Academy. Was it just an empty husk? If I couldn't break free from Enjou's power, I would have to wait for the corrosion to fully leave my body. How long would that take?

"Obviously, I can't hold you here forever," he said as though he'd read my thoughts. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he could, and that worried me further. "We should come to a solid decision on the fate of everything before the corrosion is gone."

I pressed my lips in a thin line, considering his words. "No, I don't think so."

"You're not in the best position to decline."

"Not now, maybe. I'll just have to wait it out."

However long that would be. Hopefully, soon.

"Then I suggest you find a good book to read around here. There should still be a copy of Before Sun and Moon somewhere. It's one of my favorites. You could probably read it ten times over and still have a month or two to go."

My stomach dropped. Months.

"Just kidding. I bet you were scared, huh?" Enjou laughed. "Can you imagine how drastically that would have changed your life? A lifeless vessel, lying uselessly in bed for months on end—how boring."

"Stop playing with me, Enjou. I can never take you or your proposals seriously. Do you really expect me to blindly follow along with everything you say from now on?" I squeezed my hands into fists to find some sense of control. In reality, I may have no choice but to believe him. There was no one else I could speak to in this state, after all.

He snapped his fingers, sitting up straight. "I have an idea. How about I send you back—just for a little while?"

Another joke. I glared at him.

"I'm not joking." Enjou cracked his knuckles. "I'll lessen my control enough for you to get a glimpse of what's going on over in your world. Then, we can reconvene and start making decisions."

Despite everything, I wanted to believe Enjou this time. I didn't dare voice my hopes, expecting him to laugh in my face once more.

Then, Enjou stood from the smaller throne and transformed into his Abyssal body. A strong Pyro aura encircled him, stretching out to me. The Pyro was accompanied by shadows from the floor that lifted up and intertwined with his power. The mix of energy engulfed my body, swallowing me in an inferno of darkness.

Once again, I closed my eyes.

When I opened them, I was standing upright instead of lying in a bed. It didn't take very long for me to figure out why.

Only two seconds were needed for me to analyze where I had spawned. Though I'd never been here before, I recognized the bed in front of me as one of the beds used in the infirmary. Unlike the treatment room that had rows of beds for many students to use, this was a private room with just one. Muted colors of beige and eggshell white were everywhere, occasionally interrupted by splashes of green from plants that decorated the room. Other than the bed, there was also a cream couch with one occupier.

Kaeya.

He lay on his back and had an arm thrown over his face. Though I couldn't see his expression, he looked to be very tired and may even be asleep. I wanted to walk to him and call out his name. I wanted to tell him that I was here and that he wasn't alone.

Except, I wasn't here.

My body was lying in the infirmary bed. Tucked under the clean linen, I appeared to be in a peaceful sleep. All things considered, I looked perfectly fine. There wasn't a scratch on me, and I could only assume that the healers worked their hardest from the moment I was brought in.

Watching myself sleep weirded me out—almost enough to forget that Enjou's claim to bring me back wasn't entirely true. Looking down at my hands, I saw they were slightly transparent…like a ghost. I wanted to shudder at that, but apparently, apparitions weren't granted that ability. Before disappointment claimed me, I took action and climbed into the bed.

Combining soul and body should be simple enough.

The transparent version of me fell into my physical form, and I waited for something to happen.

Nothing.

Okay, now I was disappointed.

"Damn you, Enjou," I muttered and rolled out of the bed before turning my attention back to Kaeya.

How long has he been here? Probably for as long as I've been out…and how long was that? I looked around, but there was no calendar marking the days of my absence. Frustration now mingled with disappointment as I crouched down, poking at Kaeya's arm. My finger went straight through—no reaction from him.

I sighed and stood fully once more. If I could connect with my physical body or communicate with Kaeya, I might have some chance of breaking free of Enjou's corrosion link as soon as possible. Enjou probably anticipated this, which was why I was useless in this state. All I could do was observe.

What did Enjou want me to observe, though? What favor of mine did he hope to gain from this experience?

I stared blankly at my body until it bored me. I tried to soothe Kaeya until it pained me. Then, it occurred to me to think of what lay beyond. Surely, I wasn't solely confined to this room. Once the thought entered my mind, I phased through the closed door with no need for a doorknob. Now, I found myself in a short hallway lined with a few more doors. Most of them were open, so I felt compelled to phase through the only other door that was closed.

I'd entered a room almost identical to the one I rested in, but this one held a different patient. My heart leaped, and I immediately rushed to his bedside.

"Thoma," I breathed his name softly, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear me.

Unlike my physical body, Thoma looked just as bad as he did after the attack. Though his eyes were closed and he was clearly unconscious, a strained expression permanently took hold of his features. Pale skin and dry lips enhanced his sickly appearance. Thoma's condition was too painful to look at, so I cast my eyes away.

Mild shock took over as I scanned the room to confirm that there were no healers present taking care of him. He clearly hadn't recovered as I had, so why wasn't there someone here by his side? Why was Thoma left to suffer? If I wasn't stuck in this ghostly state, I would have marched over to the reception desk and notified Qiqi right away.

Just then, I heard the doorknob jostle, followed by two sets of footsteps.

"This is the patient." Barbara bustled straight in with Professor Kreideprinz calmly following behind. "He's shown no sign of recovery despite my best efforts. I've reenergized twice now and had no success."

"And you said that none of the traditional treatments worked, either?" Professor Kreideprinz asked while observing Thoma.

Barbara practically wilted. "We've tried every remedy."

"Corrosion is lethal enough on its own, but a select few have a particularly weak constitution against its debilitating effects. If neither healing nor medicine can treat him, I don't anticipate his body can withstand the toxin for much longer."

No.

I shook my head, unbelieving.

"I was afraid you would say that." Small tears had welled in Barbara's eyes, and I shared her sentiment. "You're very knowledgeable in this subject matter, Professor Kreideprinz. I was hoping you knew of some way to counteract the toxin using alchemy."

"There hasn't been enough experimentation conducted with corrosion due to its difficulty to obtain. Perhaps if I extract the trace amounts of it remaining in his bloodstream, I can separate the toxin and study its composition. Still, there is no guarantee I can formulate an antidote in time. Treatment of this level could take months."

"He doesn't have months," Barbara gasped softly. "In just one week…no. I can't let that happen."

"Do you have something in mind?"

I watched as Barbara lightly touched the dangling cross that hung from the book at her waist.

"I do," she said. "I have faith."

Professor Kreideprinz looked just as doubtful as I felt at that moment, but before I could hear his next words, the room around me went up in flames.

"Pretty cool, right?"

I blinked through the ash that settled around me and found that I was sitting on the Abyssal throne again. Coughing, I hastily left the throne and took a moment to absorb everything that I'd just witnessed.

Thoma was dying.

"Did you see any friendly faces? How was the morale booster?" Enjou was back to sitting on his throne in human form, and he watched me expectantly. "Or, did you come across unfortunate news?"

"You knew," I accused. "You knew about Thoma."

"The one at death's door? My condolences."

"He's not—" dead yet. "There's still time."

A race against time—that's what this was. Either the corrosion in Thoma's body disappeared before it ended his life, or Thoma succumbed to the toxin first. From what I witnessed, the latter was more likely. Not even Professor Kreideprinz's research skills or Barbara's healing talent served much use. It would either be time or Enjou. The only one who had a chance at saving Thoma's life was the despicable monster masquerading as a human in front of me.

"You wanted me to find out," I said. "You knew that once I discovered Thoma's situation, I'd do anything to help him."

Enjou said nothing for once, though I wish he would.

"That's it, then? I permanently hand myself over, and you remove the corrosion from Thoma's body completely. Is that the deal you want to strike with me?"

"Sounds to me like it's the deal you want to strike with me."

I scoffed. "I don't have a choice."

"You could always let him die."

"Of course, you wouldn't understand." I drew a hand down my face. "Or maybe you do understand and are willing to exploit any and every human weakness to ever exist. I have to say, you're more clever than you look."

Enjou brushed at his shoulder. "Ouchie."

"What are your terms?" I asked.

"That's more like it," he said with a pleased smile. "Listen up. Comet Paimon will make its appearance in a few months. Once the connection between our worlds is strong enough, I can properly escort your physical form to the fun side. As for how I'll go about doing that without the gateway…that's none of your concern."

"And you'll remove Thoma's corrosion? Right this second?"

Enjou dipped his head slowly in a nod.

Hesitation gripped me for all the right reasons. I didn't want to go through with this—signing my life away after putting up a fight for so long. Saving Thoma's life would be worth it, but I knew he'd never forgive himself—or me—if he found out about the deal. Then again, there'd be no chance for him to find out. None of them would ever know what happened at this moment, and I hated that.

What would happen to me in the months leading up to Comet Paimon's arrival? Was I to wander this empty palace the entire time while my body lay unconscious? Everyone would be worried sick—asking questions with no way for me to answer them. How could I allow myself to be removed from their lives with no explanation?

Keenly aware of how Enjou watched me like a predator—completely different from his usual carefree demeanor—I considered one last option. Buying time. There wasn't much of it to hold on to, but I had to try.

"One condition," I said at last. "Allow me to return to my body for a week. I'll make my decision by then."

Barbara had predicted one week was all Thoma had left. In that time, there was a slim chance that I wouldn't need to rely on Enjou's help. The worst-case scenario was that I ended up back here making the deal with Enjou anyway—except Thoma's life would still be saved, and I would have gotten the chance to say my goodbyes.

Enjou's brow twitched. "The corrosion in your body will have dissipated by then."

"I promise to come back if you promise to save him."

"Promises mean nothing."

Despite that, Enjou sighed and pushed himself up from the throne. I held still, cautious, as he walked toward me. He still remained in his human form, though I didn't know why he still bothered, and came to a halt in front of where I stood.

"You're a natural at negotiating, but you're lacking in the guarantee department," he said. "Luckily, that problem is solved with this."

With no warning, Enjou reached forward and wrapped a warm hand around my wrist. No—it was burning hot. I tugged back, but his hold on me was ironclad as his hand grew hotter and hotter. Soon enough, a flash of Pyro blinded me, and I yelped in pain as Enjou retracted his hand. My wrist now tingled with lingering heat, but the pain quickly faded.

"What is that?" I stared at my wrist to where a thin band of purple runes marked my skin.

"A guarantee," Enjou stated. "This mark will act as a secure link between you and me for one week. As long as it remains visible, I will agree to save your friend's life in exchange for your cooperation."

Though I couldn't make any sense of the runes, I counted seven of them. Seven days.

I flinched when Enjou leaned forward again. Though, he didn't scorch me with another set of runes this time. His hand firmly grasped mine, and I regained my composure enough to follow along. Looking each other dead in the eye, we shook on it.