hi readers! you are now at the 90k word mark :0 if you feel tired, no need to rush the read! please take plenty of breaks and drink some water. this story recap is a bit juicer than the last :) i hope you find the refresher helpful

the story so far: what began as a normal school year has quickly become quite complicated. lumine and kaeya are concerned with celestia academy's dark history with the abyss order, and the threat of monsters is evident by the secret hilichurl camp on the island. matters get worse when the campus is raided by monsters. lumine knows she can rely on diluc, childe, thoma, and kaeya—that is—until a rift forms between her and childe once his irredeemable qualities become too much. la signora makes an intimidating appearance, but kaeya has lumine's back. kaeya also learns of lumine's anemo secret—two brains are better than one.

Relief washed over me when I spotted Kaeya leaning against the wall flipping a coin. He was waiting for me next to the head secretary's office, and his head flicked in my direction the moment I entered the hall. How he was able to go through an entire student council meeting and still have time to get here before I did, I'll never know.

"Lumine," Kaeya caught the coin mid-air and tucked it into his pocket. "How wonderful for you to join me."

I grinned. "How was the meeting?"

"Nothing special." He pushed off the wall and gestured a hand to the door. "Are you ready?"

I steeled myself and nodded. Katheryne was a friendly face, but I couldn't let our familiarity get in the way of questioning. She had a lot to answer for. Kaeya lightly rapped on the door, and we waited for a response.

"Come in!" a muffled, cheery voice called.

We shared a glance before I turned the knob, swinging the door open to face Katheryne properly. After first walking in, I didn't notice that the woman sitting at the desk with dark hair and blue eyes was any different from how I last saw her. Except, those weren't the dark hair and blue eyes that belonged to Katheryne.

"Who are you?" I immediately asked.

"Nice to meet you." She smiled cheerfully with more energy than Katheryne would ever exhibit. "I'm Katheryne."

"No, you're not. You look different."

They were similar, yes, but this stranger would pass more as Katheryne's cousin rather than an identical twin. I wasn't sure who she thought she was fooling, but it wasn't me.

"Different?" She tilted her head to the side. "I'm not sure what you mean by that. This is the first we've ever met, so how would you know if my appearance changed?"

Kaeya stepped into the conversation with a calm, leveled voice. "What happened to the Katheryne who worked here before?"

"Oh!" The fake jumped in her chair. "I see, so that's where the confusion is coming from."

The fake Katheryne then reached into one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a metal plaque. She brushed it off with a satisfied smile and neatly put it on the desk for display. It was a nameplate, one that read: Catherine.

"Catherine," I stated. "Not Katheryne."

"A bit of a funny coincidence," she giggled. "I'm sure you two won't be the first to get us mixed up. My bad, I should have put this on display sooner."

I crossed my arms. "Why are you here instead of Katheryne? Where is she?"

"Hm," she tapped her chin and looked up thoughtfully. "I can't tell you the details, but Katheryne has departed on a leave of absence for an unspecified amount of time. She was very, very reluctant to do so, but it was the matter of a personal emergency."

Katheryne's actions were suspicious before, but now I had no doubt she was somehow involved in the Abyss Order's activity. My gut wrenched at the thought of her siding with them, and I didn't want to jump to that conclusion right away. I'm sure she must have some reason for keeping her secrets, but to run away after the events of yesterday made it hard to believe she was good. What was Katheryne planning, and did Catherine really not know what was going on?

"How unfortunate." Kaeya sighed and sat down in one of the chairs facing Catherine's desk. "We were looking forward to asking her a few questions. I doubt you would be able to answer them, unless?"

Catherine sat up straighter. "I can definitely try! While Katheryne had been head secretary for quite some time, I myself have been a secretary at Celestia Academy for several years now. I'm sure I can figure something out. So, what's the question?"

I hesitated, not sure if Catherine would be helpful at all. Her demeanor was far less composed than Katheryne's, and though she claimed to have been around long enough, Catherine didn't seem like she would be knowledgeable of the monster activity.

I sat down in the empty seat next to Kaeya. "Why didn't Katheryne notify the higher-ups about monster activity that was reported prior to yesterday's raid?"

"What do you mean?" She looked shocked, just as I expected. "Was yesterday not the first occurrence?"

"It wasn't," I said. "Did Katheryne leave behind any notes of her activities or plans as head secretary?"

Catherine shook her head. "I wouldn't be able to share them with you."

"So she did," Kaeya mused. "There are notes, then? I'm sure they would be of no help to us given that you hadn't known about the previous monsters that had invaded our territory. No matter, we want to know more about the attack."

"We are still investigating." Catherine pursed her lips. "This is my first time meeting you, but I am aware of the student council members. Mr. Alberich, could you be seeking information to further student council activities? I do not think you can do anything to help."

Kaeya tsked. "That's where you're wrong. The student council is responsible for distributing imperative information to the student body. All matters of scheduling, school announcements, management of extracurricular clubs, reaching out to achieve reformations, and even social events are managed by us. If I am to properly do my job as a council member, I need to ease the worries that currently permeate the student body. How can I do that without the means to properly assure that Celestia Academy is doing everything in its power to eliminate the threat of another attack? Katheryne and I had an understanding, and I'm hoping you and I can reach a similar one."

"Well," Catherine folded her hands atop the desk. "In that case, I suppose I can tell you some things. Now that I think about it, it's good that you've stopped by! If the student council would be so kind, I need you to send out an announcement that all classes will be canceled for the remainder of the week."

I shifted in my seat. "Classes canceled? For what reason?"

"Repairing the broken infrastructures will take some time, ongoing investigations require unobstructed access, the Barrier needs to be thoroughly reinstated, and recovery is still taking place," she said. "The Academy believes that continuing classes in these conditions wouldn't be effective at all in ensuring a proper education. And so, you get a few days off! Isn't that lovely?"

"I wouldn't call getting attacked by the Abyss Order and letting them get away with it lovely," I mumbled.

"Oh no, of course, it isn't!" She waved her hands. "Hm, I guess it also wouldn't hurt to inform you that we will be increasing the CATF activity to assure security from both inside and outside of campus. If the Abyss Order decides to try us again, they'll be in for a real shock."

The CATF? I frowned as I tried to make sense of the unknown term. I hadn't heard anything like it before.

"Celestia Academy Task Force." Kaeya noticed my confusion. "Their members consist of the hired guards you see around campus occasionally."

Catherine nodded. "That's right. Normally, the guards run mild shifts, nothing too serious. So, we were unfortunately taken by surprise when monsters suddenly appeared out of nowhere in various areas across campus. The CATF will bump up their patrols to one-hundred percent, operating at all hours of the day for every day of the week."

"Wow," I breathed. "That's…a lot."

"It's necessary! And so, is the curfew effective immediately."

Kaeya made a disgruntled sound, and I didn't bother hiding the surprise from my face. "A curfew?"

"Yes. From here on out, all students are expected to return to their dorms by nine o'clock at night. No student will be permitted to wander the campus. This is for your safety, and the CATF will be responsible for monitoring this mandate. If one of the guards comes across a wayward student, well, consequences will be in order."

"How does enacting a curfew ensure safety?"

"I know this may seem restrictive." She cast me a sympathetic look. "But this is in your best interests! If a monster were to appear when it was dark and difficult to gather everyone, a lone student would be put at risk. It might be worth noting that these proceedings will be overseen by the CATF's commander herself. She has made plans to limit all transportation to and from the Academy."

"That sounds rather extreme." Kaeya's face finally revealed a hint of displeasure. "Would you mind elaborating?"

"Oh, sure!" Catherine shuffled around the desk, scanning until she located a document. "Here we are. Let's see, the report I was given states that students will no longer be allowed to access the teleport waypoints. They will stay on campus grounds and not venture into the surrounding area at all. As for the townspeople, the teleport waypoint will also be disabled. Imported goods will be heavily surveilled as well. The commander put a label on this plan, where is it? Ah! Yes. The Sakoku Order."

"That's—" I stuttered. "She can't do that."

"She absolutely can." Catherine nodded matter-of-factly. "The CATF is comprised of highly trained individuals that originate from Inazuma. Their sovereign herself sent the task force to Celestia Academy as an offering of goodwill. The CATF commander-in-chief, Raiden Shogun, is quite strict but means well. Just like the curfew, the Sakoku Order is effective immediately."

I toned my voice down. "So, what, we're stuck here? We're not allowed to leave campus at all, for any reason? How long does the commander plan to continue this?"

"As long as it takes to get to the bottom of the Abyss Order's schemes, I suppose. Or at least, maybe until campus safety has been assured. It's hard to tell. I would suggest you go and ask her yourself, but not even I know of her whereabouts."

"The student body will be most upset with this," Kaeya said. "This Sakoku Order would be an inconvenience on many fronts. If speaking with the commander isn't an option, who else can we express our concerns with?"

"And here I thought you'd be happy to settle with a few days off from school," Catherine sighed. "I'm afraid none of this is negotiable. As mere students, there is nothing you can do to convince me, the commander, or even the headmaster. Seeking an audience with him would be even more difficult than getting ahold of the Shogun."

Too baffled to think of other questions or attempt to protest any further, I mulled over this new information. Kaeya also seemed to be at a loss for words for once, and we sat in silence. Catherine's head turned from side to side, looking from me to Kaeya expectantly.

She smiled brightly, too brightly. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Kaeya stood from his seat. "I will pass the message on to our student council president. Knowing Jean, she'll have an announcement sent out by the end of the hour."

"Perfect!" She clapped her hands. "Well then, I'm afraid I no longer have the time to chat. These head secretary duties are no joke. Katheryne sure is something else. Have a wonderful day!"

Kaeya met me in my room after delivering the news to Jean. He wore an easygoing expression that suggested he wasn't affected by this development at all, but his wariness was clear in the way he sat stiffly on my bed. Because it was Kaeya, I had expected him to be lounging like a relaxed cat. I, on the other hand, couldn't stop pacing.

"There go our plans for future treasure hunting," he said. "I was hoping to search the island for that cave's location. Perhaps there's more to it than just a mural. Then again, the administration does have a valid point. Keeping students away from locations where monsters are most likely to spawn would be ideal."

I bit my lip in concentration as exhaustion began to weigh on my shoulders. "The timing is unfortunate. Remember when I told you about when Childe and I found the monster camp in the forest?"

"After the date? Yes, I seem to recall."

"Not a date." I glowered at him and ignored the heat that skimmed my cheeks. "Anyway, I saw something in the forest that might have helped with the hunt. A Seelie."

"You're not talking about the myth, are you? Seelies are just fairytales told to children that still have an imagination."

I rolled my eyes. "I know what I saw. If you don't believe me—"

"I believe you," he said in a low, sincere tone. "I've come to learn that you have a way of making the impossible, well, possible. So, you believe the Seelie will guide us?"

"It may lead you to what you desire most. The treasure."

"Who said the treasure was what I desired most?" Kaeya tilted his head, gazing at me. "Why, of course, it's enticing. Though, to say that a small fortune is what holds my heart captive is most incorrect. I'm afraid if we discover the Seelie once again while together, we'd be left standing in place."

"You don't think it would guide us anywhere?" I frowned. "That could be problematic."

Kaeya stared at me blankly.

"What?"

He burst into laughter. "It's nothing. Lumine, would you mind me asking how your grades are doing?"

"My grades?" That was random. "They're great, actually. Why?"

"I just," he chuckled once more. "Can't see how someone as intelligent as you could be so utterly, heart-wrenchingly dense."

My jaw dropped. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm not dense."

"And yet, there must be something wrong with me. I find your ignorance to be quite charming."

The compliment confused me, but his face softened and a kind smile graced his lips as he said those words. Despite knowing he was a constant flirt, I couldn't help but blush. Not only did Kaeya have a way with words, but he knew when to use them. Whether it be figuring out an obscure verse, interrogating staff, or easing my worries, Kaeya always found some way to get what he wanted. Though, I was still unsure of what he really wanted, if not the treasure.

"Where would it lead you?" Kaeya asked. "Say the Seelie decides to recognize you to guide instead. What do you desire?"

"To see my brother again," I said without hesitation.

"Ah, of course. It would be interesting to see how that would play out. How far would a Seelie go to deliver its wanderer? A shame we have to wait so long to find out."

"I can't believe they won't even let us go into the town. Surely, there's no serious threat with using the teleport waypoints and—oh no."

"Oh no?"

I sat beside Kaeya and rested my head in my hands. "I was supposed to go to the restaurant with Thoma this weekend."

"Another date?" he whistled. "Lumine, you two-timer. Wasn't I supposed to be the heartbreaker?"

"Not a date! I just…he just…we have things to say to each other, and I've never had hot pot before."

"Let me guess," Kaeya leaned back onto his elbows. "He offered to take you?"

"He did."

"A date."

"It really isn't."

"Tell me, what is it that you have to say to each other? Seems awfully important if you're waiting to meet at that restaurant to talk."

I wet my lips, hesitant. "I'm going to tell him about my Anemo power."

"Do you trust him?" He sat up straighter. "Lumine, it's risky."

"I do. I do trust him. Thoma's a good friend, Kaeya. Just like you, I'm positive he wouldn't tell anyone if I asked him not to."

He smirked and fell back onto the bed. "Just like me, hm? Do you have an idea of what he might have to say to you?"

"I'm not sure." I also settled in more, feeling my eyelids droop.

"Not even a clue?"

I yawned. "Nope."

Kaeya sighed, and I felt the mattress shift. Opening my eyes, I saw that he had stood up and was stretching out his arms. Hang on, when had I closed my eyes?

"You should get some rest." He looked at me. "You didn't sleep for long before the vision woke you, correct? Judging by how early you came to see me this morning, I doubt you were able to sleep at all after that. Aha, that look on your face confirms it. You'll never properly recover your energy from yesterday if you keep straining your body."

I yawned again. "I can't help it. There's so much to worry about."

"I'll worry about it for you. In the meantime, I want you to sleep."

"But," I looked out the window to where the sun was shining. "It's still—"

"I don't care if it's still daytime. Have you ever heard of a nap? Take advantage of the canceled classes. Take care of yourself."

I rolled my eyes, though appreciative of the suggestion. "Alright, alright. You're gonna have to leave if you want me to sleep."

"What if you get spooked by another vision?" He rocked back on his heels. "Imagine how nice it would be to wake up next to someone to comfort you."

My first instinct was to brush him off, but I couldn't deny he had a point. Waking up last night, cold and shaking, the fear had a tight grip on me. If it wasn't so necessary, I would avoid going back to sleep altogether.

"Lumine?"

I shook my head. "I'll be alright, but thank you for the offer." With the sun shining so brightly, I couldn't help but feel like the Abyssal shadows had no chance of reaching me. Kaeya nodded in response and began to walk out the door. Something gripped my heart, then. Whether it was the fear of the shadows prevailing or not entirely wanting him to leave, it was hard to say. "Maybe next time."

Door ajar, he halted and looked back at me with a startled expression that quickly morphed into delight. "Don't forget to dream about me," he winked.

don't ask me how to tell if someone with an eyepatch has winked...it's just the vibes