I stared blankly at the bag on my lap, my thoughts still hung up on my awkward interaction in the infirmary. In my state of mild embarrassment, I had found a secluded bench far enough from the site of disaster on the off chance that Thoma came after me. He wouldn't have, though. Not with Ayaka there as his guest. Thoma was too polite to dismiss her so easily.

Now alone and with no one's advice to listen to but my own, I took enough deep breaths until I lost count. With a clear mind, I replayed the conversation I eavesdropped on and begrudgingly agreed with Ayaka's proposal—from her perspective, at least.

As far as I knew, she was kept in the dark on the true nature of Thoma's illness since we didn't want the news to spread about Abyss activity on campus. Thoma was deeply loyal to the Kamisatos, and it had given me peace of mind at one point to learn that they cared just as deeply for him as I did. Obviously, I preferred that he wasn't treated as a lowly servant for all these years, but Thoma being a Kamisato priority also meant they were fiercely protective over him in their own way.

I'd never met Ayato, but I'd heard enough about him from Thoma and rumors to know he was an incredibly dedicated, intelligent, and all-around formidable man. If he had come to Celestia Academy directly to escort Thoma back to Inazuma, I had little doubt much could be done about it. Even though Ayaka gave Thoma an illusion of choice—to stay or leave—he had expectations to fulfill. A duty to answer the call of his clan.

Logically, it made sense for Thoma to return to his home for a little while.

A sigh escaped me.

I still didn't want him to.

My eyes refocused on the bag where my box of tri-color dango waited to be eaten. Ayaka likely remained with Thoma, and I wasn't stealthy enough to sneak it into his recovery room without them noticing. Xiangling never told me what the shelf-life of these treats was, but because we used fresh ingredients, I assumed they'd go bad sooner rather than later. Finding someone else to give the tri-color dango to wasn't an option since I made them with Thoma in mind.

Still, I wasn't one to waste food. Though I sat lonely on a bench, I could at least enjoy something sweet to lift my mood, right?

I needed a distraction.

Reaching into the bag, I pulled out the box of homemade goods just as a shout drew my attention. Someone was calling my name. Thoma? My body tensed, and I commanded it to relax. It made no sense to be nervous around him. Archons, I had just spent the last week doing everything I could to guarantee his survival. It would take more than catching him with Ayaka in an appropriate situation to shake me.

When I heard my name a second time, I looked in the direction of the voice and found that it wasn't Thoma at all. Childe waved at me with a smile, walking over at a leisurely pace. I nearly smiled back, grateful to be granted the distraction I wished for, but then I felt pain.

This was different from the emotional pain that I'd barely finished rationalizing over. This new pain was physical, a searing heat on my wrist. Enjou's mark. The box in my hand trembled as I hissed, but a third distraction somehow captured my attention.

The morning sky transitioned to the night at an impossible speed. My mouth fell agape as I watched the sun arc overhead, chased away by an unnaturally small moon. After one blink, the entire world became darker than ever before, and the bench I sat on had turned into nothing but a field of black grass.

"Fancy seeing you around these parts." Enjou clapped his hands, alerting me of his presence. "Do you come here often? You should."

I stood fast, whirling around and facing the humanoid monster. He wore his usual kimono and a delighted smile. Immediately angry at the sight of him, a scowl settled on my face.

The burning pain in my wrist had fizzled out now that I was here—or was I? What happened to my physical body in Teyvat? Childe had been there, too. The odds that my body passed out while Enjou held me here were high, and I could only imagine the shock and terror Childe must be experiencing right now.

"You have the worst timing," I grumbled.

"On the contrary, timing is exactly why I'm popping in with you on this fine night. Don't tell me you've forgotten about our deal already."

"Of course, not. It's been the bane of my existence all week."

"Wonderful! Judging by your absolutely dreadful mood, I can only assume that you were unable to find a cure for that dear friend of yours. Now then, we can complete the next phase of our deal with—"

"You're wrong."

Enjou blinked twice. "Excuse you?"

"You think Thoma wasn't cured?" Triumphant, I crossed my arms. "I said I'd find a way, and I did. You lose, Enjou."

"My…" Enjou slowly paced around me. "He lives? Color me impressed, Lumine. I was really hoping your plan would crash, burn, and fall apart in shambles—no offense."

"None taken."

"You have to understand, by the aura of sadness lingering around you, I was under the impression that the poor chap was ready to kick the bucket. Are you sure the corrosion hasn't melted his nails off, yet? It's not too late to check."

I flinched at the mental image. Thank the Archons we cured him before the corrosion could progress that far.

"Thoma's fine. You underestimated what resources I have access to in Teyvat. A little bit of alchemy, and that nasty toxin was long gone."

"Even so, shouldn't you be more, well, happy?"

"What? I am happy."

"You don't look very happy."

My lips thinned. "Frankly, I don't particularly care about how I look to you. Now, get me out of here. The deal ended in my favor."

"Ah, I understand now. I must have interrupted quite the affectionate reunion. Tell me, is it true that absence makes the heart grow fonder? I have no heart myself, so the concept is difficult to grasp."

"That's none of your business," I snapped.

"It seems that I've struck a chord. Could it be that you're experiencing what they call a…trouble in paradise?"

My eye twitched, and Enjou burst into laughter. It irritated me that he, a monster, picked up on my emotions. Though, to his credit, the Abyss was Enjou's domain. He could very well have enhanced empath powers in this place for all I knew. Speaking of his powers, I spared a glance at my wrist, pushing aside the friendship bracelet to see the single rune remaining.

"I know, I know. You're eager to get out of here, but try not to make it so obvious. You'll hurt my feelings." Enjou winced playfully. "There's only so much time left in the week we booked together, anyway. Any last words before we part for good?"

"I have nothing left to say to—wait. For good?" Confusion drew my brows together. "Shouldn't you be trying to convince me to side with you? What happened to your grand plan of siphoning all of my power to save the Abyss?"

"You've reconsidered?" Enjou's face brightened.

"Not in the slightest."

"My persuasion falls deaf on your ears, so I won't bother beating a dead boar. Logically, I must pursue other options."

To prove his point, Enjou stopped pacing around me and lifted his head upwards. I followed the line of his sight until I was staring at the small moon again. Silence fell, and though I should be grateful that he finally stopped speaking, it unnerved me. A quiet, scheming Enjou was potentially worse than an annoying chatterbox.

What other options were available to him? Before hounding me, the Abyss Order was after another Source—one that disappeared last year. My breath caught when I pieced Enjou's plan together. The original Source was Aether, and he was no longer missing.

"You." I pointed at Enjou, who didn't bother shifting his gaze from the sky. "You're after my brother again, aren't you?"

He only responded with a light hum. The corners of his lips curled into a sinister smile.

"You knew we were siblings all along. When you met me for the first time, you had already tricked my brother into giving blood." I paused, trying to sort out recent information from the old. "Why didn't you tell me about him before? If I had known Aether was involved, then…"

"I considered it." Enjou tore his eyes away from the moon at last, pinning them on me. "I indeed knew you two were blood relatives at our first meeting, but I had a choice to make. Either claim that you were the Abyss' last chance at survival and hope your compassionate heart would eventually cave, or use your brother as bait. Given that Aether never mentioned you to me before, I gathered that your relationship was estranged as the result of some fallout."

"You chose wrong. We were estranged before, but not by choice—and not anymore."

"Pity. If only I could pull an Istaroth and turn back time. Actually, a power like that would have come in handy for other troublesome matters. The gods truly wield an unfair level of power, wouldn't you say?"

Was rambling off-topic a tactic to undermine me?

Enjou let out a winded sigh before saying, "I prefer talking with Aether, anyway. It's always the isolated souls that are easiest to sway. Now that he has returned, I can pick up right where I left off."

"Except he's not alone. Not anymore."

He smirked. "What, are you going to say that he has you to rely on?"

That's exactly what I was going to say, but Enjou's mocking tone made me hesitate.

"The abyssal influence won't work on him. Accept it, Enjou. You're out of luck—not that you had much, to begin with."

"Oh, really?"

I wasn't about to divulge the details of Aether's primogem or the spirit borneol. Enjou's eyes glinted with mirth, and I had a sinking gut feeling that there was more at play than I was aware of. Coupled with the moment of unease upon seeing Aether in Professor Kreidepinz's office, was my confidence truly warranted?

"Our little game of cat and mouse has been equal parts entertaining and headache-inducing, so thanks for that." Enjou's shoulders straightened, suddenly serious. "Whether it be one of you or both of you, the Abyss will receive its Source when the time comes."

"In your dreams."

"I'll do you one better—a dream becomes reality when the dastardly heavens respond to that wish."

Great. Now he spoke in riddles.

"And I mean that literally." Enjou winked at me. "Let the ties of yore finally bloom into sight. Goodbye, Lumine."

Before I could question what he meant by that or realize why those final words sounded so familiar, Enjou turned his back on me and began walking away. The grass at my feet grew taller, obscuring my vision until the world turned black.

My eyes were drier than the Sumeru Desert. Moreover, even though I was aware that my spirit had reunited with my body on the campus bench, the sight before me was terribly blurry. During my meeting with Enjou, had I been stuck in a frozen stare the entire time?

A fuzzy silhouette of a person shifted frantically in front of me. I blinked once. My eyelids felt like sandpaper.

"Hey, hey." Childe's hands settled on my shoulders. "Are you with me? What happened just now, girlie? You scared the living daylights out of me. Can you move? Are you in pain?"

After blinking several more times, a clearer image of Childe and my surroundings came into view. He knelt in front of me, eyes wide with worry and scanning my face. Colorful dots littered the ground around him. Wait…those weren't dots. Pink, green, and white balls of dough. In my paralyzed state, I had dropped the box of tri-color dango, and they'd fallen apart.

The combination of dry eyes and the sorry state of my confectionary caused my vision to blur once more, this time with tears. Frustrated with the day so far, I hastily blinked them away and responded to Childe.

"It was Enjou."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"He can't. Not while I'm in that state, at least." I sighed and rubbed at my arms, more for comfort than because of the cold. "Long story short is that we concluded our deal. Thoma is cured, so there's no need to give myself up. See, look."

I tugged at the friendship bracelet, and where Enjou's mark normally glowed purple was normal, unmarred skin. It was a relief to find any proof of Enjou's meddling gone from my body, but a tremor in my hand remained. Okay, maybe I was still a bit rattled by the whole ordeal.

"So, he can't steal you away again?"

"As long as I don't mess up in the future."

He continued to kneel before me, but the tension seeped from his eyes, and Childe's head fell to rest on my knees.

"You had me worried, Lumi. I was two seconds away from rushing you to the infirmary."

A reasonable action to take, but I involuntarily cringed at the chaos that would come from it—especially with Thoma and Ayaka chatting a few doors down. My lumpy tri-color dango looked especially sad now, dirtied by snow and stone. Childe's hand strayed to pick up a skewer with a lone green dango.

"You dropped these."

"I know," I sighed. "They were…nothing important. I made them with Xiangling's help, but maybe it's for the better that this batch wasn't eaten."

Childe lifted his head then, showcasing a confused frown. "Why?"

"Can't you see how deformed they look? You can hardly call those shapes spheres."

"Do they taste any good?"

"Well, yes, but the presentation still—what are you doing?" I lashed out my arm and snatched the skewer away, seconds before he took a bite. "They're dirty."

"You made them. How could I not have a taste?"

"They've been on the ground for longer than the five-second rule allows."

"What doesn't kill me makes me stronger."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile crept on my face. "I'd rather you not get sick."

The look in his eyes warned me that Childe considered eating a fallen dango anyway. I readied myself to intercept any of the sullied sweets, but then he smirked and turned all attention away from the dango.

"You have a point. If I got sick, there'd be no kissing you until I recovered."

Never mind the fact that a quick trip to the infirmary would make him good as new. I blushed and cleared my throat.

"I should clean these off the ground before someone accuses me of littering, or worse, a poor squirrel gets curious and chokes to death."

Childe scooped his hands on the ground, collecting several of them. "I'll help. The sooner the cleanup, the sooner I can burrito you."

"Excuse me?"

"Remember when Amber suggested we wrap you in enough blankets that you can't escape? I've made the executive decision to do so immediately."

I didn't have a particular schedule set for the day, but there were surely better ways to make use of my time than being trapped in blankets. For starters, I've been meaning to pry out the secret that Aether likely kept from me.

"Before you object," Childe said as I was about to object. "Don't pretend like you weren't trembling just moments ago. We both know that it wasn't from the cold."

Wrapped in blankets…I imagined it'd feel like a massive, comforting hug.

"I don't know if my room has enough blankets to do the job," I said.

"Who said anything about your room?"

His mind was clearly set, and I had no reason to refuse. We cleaned the mess of food faster than I expected, filling up the bag and disposing of it in the nearest trash bin.

I couldn't help but linger for a moment. Sadness welled in my chest when I thought of the time, effort, and love that went into making the tri-color dango. They wouldn't have turned into waste if I gave them to Thoma as intended. If only I hadn't let my insecurities get in the way…

Childe stopped a few paces ahead. "Hey, something the matter?"

Regaining composure, I shook my head and caught up. There would be another chance to show Thoma my affection in the form of food. Instead of Inazuman cuisine, I'd learn a recipe that spoke more to both of us. Something original, yet familiar. I might even use our hot pot dinner as inspiration—minus the bugs.

As long as Thoma wasn't whisked away to the Kamisato Estate before then.

"I was thinking," Childe said. "We should make a stop by your room and grab your bedding first."

"Are you trying to burrito me or suffocate me?"

"Nonsense. If you find it hard to breathe, it's because I'll be smothering you with kisses."

"Ah, your true motive is revealed."

He grinned wider. "It was never something I tried to hide."

"Maybe I'll have to wrap you up first."

"In your arms? Then, I'll gladly accept defeat."

"You've been spending too much time with Kaeya," I said with warm cheeks. "Did he teach you to say those things?"

"Oh, girlie. Kaeya has practiced with clever words, but everything I say comes naturally from being with you. And what I don't put in words, well, you'll see soon enough with my actions."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see."

Though our path was clear just a moment before, a lone figure now intercepted it. Aether stood with his chin lifted and arms crossed, bringing a halt to our steps. His scorn for Childe was palpable, and I bid farewell to any notion of a peaceful day.

"Do enlighten me," he said. "What are your plans with my sister so early in the day? The two of you don't seem to be in much of a rush, so I assume it isn't an urgent matter. Surely, you can squeeze in time for our duel, Tartaglia."

This again? I opened my mouth to protest but decided against it. They had already put off the duel twice on my account, and it'd be better for them to get the fighting out of their system as soon as possible. Still, I made sure to glare at my brother for the interruption.

"Fair enough," Childe huffed, but his annoyance didn't last. He'd never pass up a chance to brawl. "We'll decide who deserves to be heralded as a Champion, once and for all."

Aether held up a hand. Then, while looking at me, he continued to speak to Childe.

"I'd like to add one more condition."

"Go on."

"If you win, I shall give you my blessing to be with Lumine. When I ultimately stand over your collapsed body, you will never approach her again."

I stood there, appalled, and Childe responded with a hearty laugh.

"Fighting talk, I love it! Now, let's see you live up to it."