previous chapter: lumine becomes inconveniently stuck on the greenhouse's rooftop, which childe rescues her from. when they stop by the mailroom, kaeya is there with an unwelcome letter from snezhnaya.

"I did think there was an unusual amount of peace when I returned to campus. After asking around, I was more surprised Signora acted sloppily enough to get caught rather than the expulsion itself," said Aether as he walked by my side. "It's strange, though. No one seems to know the exact details of what happened."

Though classes had ended for the week, people around us still walked with a purpose to attend their respective club activities. Aether was also on his way to one of his many clubs, and I had a meeting of my own—a training session with Diluc. Our paths would eventually diverge, but for now, I briefed him on the Signora situation.

"Maybe you haven't been asking the right people."

"She targeted you, didn't she?" Aether's expression grew dark at the correct assumption. I kept a particularly close eye on any negative reactions he expressed. Tolerant to the abyssal influence or not, who knew when his mental defenses might fail? "Always going after those with no obvious strength…"

"Signora was more than a nuisance, but her arrogance is what got her caught. Would you like Childe more if I told you he played a part in exposing her?" I grinned when his steps stuttered. "It was a bit of an operation, and Kaeya was also a key player. Of course, none of it would have been possible without me."

That made him pause and turn to face me. "I don't like the way you said that. It sounds as if…you set a trap. The only way for that plan to end with Signora's downfall would be if you were bait."

"That's the gist of it. Oh, would you look at the time? I don't want to be late, so we can talk more about the past later."

"Lumine, what happened?"

I thought about going into detail and decided against it. This was a conversation best saved for a proper sitdown with fewer people around, preferably with snacks. I chose to say, "Patience is a virtue."

"Were you hurt?"

"All's well that ends well."

"We're going to stand here all day if you don't stop throwing vague phrases at me."

I tried to recall the name of the robot-building club he was in. "Don't you have to meet up with the Autobots?"

"It's called the Autonomous Automatons, not Autobots. We're working on creating a miniature series of the ruin machines scattered all around—that's beside the point." He glanced at the clock tower. "Yes, I do have to be there now. We can talk more about Signora later. Don't leave out a single detail."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Aether sighed with a slight shake of his head. "Your training with Diluc is today, isn't it?"

"I'm surprised you remembered."

"Of course. It's probably the only reason why you're being so…nevermind. I get it. You're also in a rush to be somewhere."

"Were you about to call me annoying?"

"You said it, not me." Aether grinned when my mouth dropped to a frown. Weak retorts popped into mind, but he was already turning away before I could say any of them. "Be safe in training. Picture Signora in your head when you chop those dummies to pieces."

The sentiment was expected, but that suggestion was rather…grotesque. Since his smile didn't falter, it was difficult to blame it on abyssal influence. I imagined what a duel between Aether and Signora would be like, and while I doubted he'd gone easy on Childe, it wouldn't surprise me if not even the infirmary's healers could save her.

After going our separate ways, I soon found myself approaching the training grounds. Diluc was already there, warming up with pushups before taking up his weapon. Unlike the last time I found him here, Diluc was completely covered in his activewear uniform. It was best to keep muscles as warm as possible, after all. That knowledge didn't stop me from mourning the sight of his strong arms being hidden away. I ducked inside to quickly change into my own activewear and nearly bumped into Ellin on my way back out.

"Sorry about—oh," she mumbled after seeing who I was. "I was distracted, sorry."

Still determined to rekindle our friendship, I smiled easily and said, "It's no problem at all. Are you here to train, too?"

She nodded, albeit after a slight pause.

"Then, I'll see you out there."

Since there was none of her previous hostility, our little exchange brought me some comfort that everything would turn out fine. Remaining optimistic became difficult when I thought about how she would react to my hidden powers, and I sighed deeply. Pre-workout stretching relaxed my muscles, but not my mind.

Surprisingly, Diluc was still doing pushups when it was my time to do the same. I dropped down to join him, and his head tilted to the side. His ponytail blocked most of me from view, so I passed my fingers through the soft, wavy hair and moved it to the other side.

"How many are you doing?" I asked, bracing my hands on the smooth dirt and lowering my body weight halfway to the ground.

"Three hundred."

I must have misheard him.

"Three sets?"

"Three sets of one hundred."

My elbows almost buckled with my surprise. I recovered quickly and rethought my plan to do three sets of thirty—the average in class. Then again, Diluc wasn't very average. Overworking myself would be counterproductive—jelly arms made for difficult swordplay.

Diluc's three hundred pushups were still in progress even after I finished my measly ninety, so I stretched some more while waiting for him to finish. Reaching out to touch my toes, I scanned the area to observe the others on the training grounds. Kujou Sara was stationed at the archery range and aimed her bow at a target too far for me to see without squinting. Ellin stood by the weapon rack. She lingered by the swords for a while before deciding on a claymore.

"That should do it," Diluc said with a heavy exhale, his face flushed from the exercise. He was somehow already standing by the time I crouched to get up, and I accepted his hand that pulled me the rest of the way. "Do you want another go with Wolf's Gravestone?"

I laughed as though he'd just told a joke. "That would do me more harm than good."

My arms ached at the memory of how heavy that weapon was. I'd have a better experience wielding the usual sword, and I couldn't help but pause to watch how Ellin handled a claymore. She and I had a similar build, so her weapon of choice impressed me. Her swings at a wooden dummy were slightly clumsy, but she still landed each hit.

After I selected my sword and Diluc retrieved his signature weapon, we reconvened at a section of the grounds with dummies made of thick poles with peg appendages instead of the usual hilichurl imitations. The pegs spun back around when struck, so one must prepare to block or be struck back.

"I like to challenge myself with as many combination strikes as possible," Diluc said with a nod toward a dummy. "And, because the normal wooden ones tend to fall apart within a single hit, I go for the reinforced models."

I understood what he meant after witnessing his first series of attacks. Even the reinforced wood became mangled with notches when Diluc got his hits in. He started off slow, which I was used to seeing from claymore wielders, but his speed increased to keep up with the pegs that came back around. Each of Diluc's attacks landed soundly, and each block was effective. The sight of him in action was mesmerizing, but I eventually remembered the sword in my hand and advanced on the dummy in front of me.

In class, Instructor Xiao preferred for us to spar in pairs or battle against average monsters since nothing could compare to living, breathing beings. As much as I was interested in a one-on-one with Diluc, I'd be an idiot to think we were on the same combat level. So instead, I soon found a comfortable rhythm against the dummy and relished in the company of training alongside each other.

The pegs caught me by surprise a few times, and I decided to take a quick breather after barely dodging one of them.

Diluc also paused and lowered his weapon. "We should drink some water."

Water sounded amazing. I'd left my bottle in my bag which was currently put away with my day clothes, but before I could leave to get it, Diluc stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll grab some for the both of us. In the meantime, I think there's someone who wishes to speak with you."

Confused, I followed his line of sight until I spotted Ellin not far from us. She quickly readjusted her stance and looked the other way, but there were no training materials within range for her to make use of. Was she waiting for us to be done with these training dummies so she could have a turn? There were enough here for her to join in, so Diluc might be right. She was here for me.

With that, Diluc slung Wolf's Gravestone over his shoulder and set off for the water. I debated whether I should walk up to Ellin now or let her come here, and we ended up moving toward each other at the same time. After meeting halfway, she gave a small wave.

"Hey, were you waiting to use those peg dummies?"

"Not really, well, kind of." She shrugged casually, but I could tell there was more to it. "I've never actually trained with them before since my movements aren't smooth enough to avoid getting hit. Diluc didn't seem to have an issue, though. I guess I can't use the excuse of claymores being too heavy."

"Don't worry, Diluc makes pretty much everything he does seem easier than it really is. If the claymore is giving you trouble, why not try a sword instead?"

She smiled ruefully. "Funny thing is, I originally wanted to be a sword user. You know Jean, the student council president? I look up to her a lot and thought I could follow in her footsteps."

Ellin sighed then, and I sensed there was a 'but.'

"But I can't forget about the time I fought back against those monsters in the invasion last semester. All of the training swords were either taken or broken in the chaos, so I did my best with that bulky claymore. You…you gave me the confidence to stay strong and keep fighting back then, and I guess my mind is set on claymores for life."

My eyes widened slightly at her confession. I hadn't realized how much of an impact that day had on her fighting spirit.

"Even though I still struggle, I want to continue with this." She lifted the claymore in her hands slightly. "You seem pretty good with those peg dummies, too. Do you think you could help me out a little?"

I found myself nodding before giving a verbal reply. Instead of acknowledging her shift in attitude or making a big deal out of the olive branch being offered, I led Ellin to the peg dummies and watched her attempt to train with them. She wasn't wrong—her mismanagement of the weapon's weight caused a peg to smack her arm—but I gave pointers on her form and made suggestions on where to hit.

Eventually, her swings became more fluid, and she learned to pace her moves to avoid another peg attack. She soon became breathless from the activity, but a satisfied smile lit up her face.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm actually doing it."

"I wish I could help out more, but there's only so much I can do with my experience. The difference between swords and claymores is a bit too wide."

She nodded understandingly and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance," Diluc said as he returned with two bottles of water. Neither of them was mine, and he answered my unasked question next. "I always keep an extra with me just in case."

Of course, he did. I thanked him and gulped the water as if I'd been traveling in a desert for weeks. With my thirst quenched, I noticed an immediate awkwardness had taken over Ellin's body, and I made a connection for the reason why pretty quickly.

"I couldn't possibly take up your time," Ellin stammered and confirmed my suspicion.

For me, spending time with Diluc was as easy and welcome as breathing air. For most everyone else, he was the intimidating third-year that seldom spoke or smiled. Being from Mondstadt, Ellin must be well aware of his high status as the Dawn Winery's owner. I understood why she was intimidated, but the fact that he offered to help couldn't be ignored.

Diluc had taken a swig of his own water before saying, "Ellin, if I'm not mistaken? If you're a friend of Lumine's, then I see no reason not to guide you."

I held my breath. She already knew I wished to be friends, and judging by how our recent interaction went, this could be a sign that she accepted our friendship once again.

"I…alright," she said and smiled at me. "Thank you, both of you."

Today was a major success. I jumped back into training as Diluc directed Ellin better than I ever could. Once she really got the hang of it, the three of us went against the dummies with a fervor that quickly winded me and resulted in another water break. Ellin was next to take a step back, breathing heavily, but Diluc was far from stopping.

We regained our composure in mutual silence, but I couldn't fully come to terms with our patched relationship without thinking about the inevitable. Would Ellin still see me as a friend when she finds out I could wield elements without a Vision? Instead of continuing to torment myself with this worry, it would be best to rip off the bandage and tell her now. I'd rather she heard it from me instead of someone else and feeling betrayed.

"Ellin, there's something I need to tell you."

She sighed and let her head fall. "I knew it. I'm still holding my shoulders too high, aren't I? No wonder my balance keeps getting thrown off by the follow-through and—"

"No, it's not about training. It's about me and, well, it's something I should have told you a while ago. If…if you don't want to be friends after this, I understand."

"You're scaring me," she said with a weak laugh. "How bad can it be?"

I told her everything I could—when I first learned I could wield Anemo, why I kept it a secret after hearing Professor Minci's warning words, how the situation progressed once I grasped Geo—everything except for how this power drew the Abyss Order's attention. She stared at me with no change in her blank expression as I explained myself.

"You wouldn't joke about this," she said once I'd finished. At last, her face morphed to reveal her true emotion now that the information settled in. She looked torn. "You know how I feel about the power imbalance between Vision holders and people like us—like me. So, you wouldn't joke about this."

I nodded solemnly, prepared for her anger over my deception.

"Your brother is the same," she stated with a faraway look in her eyes. "Even though it sounds unbelievable, he's proof of it. I already knew you were an extraordinary person, but this…all this time…"

"I can't keep it a secret any longer. The best way for me to grow is to embrace what I can do, not hide it. Especially since Signora is coming back—"

Ellin inhaled sharply. "She is? Oh gods, why?"

"That's a different story," I said quickly and tried to stay on topic. "She won't be back for long, but I wanted you to know the truth. I'm neither a Vision holder nor completely lacking in elemental affinity. Whatever you decide to do with that information, I'm okay with it."

Actually, I probably wouldn't be okay with it, but I would eventually make peace with her rejection of our friendship. The only thing more agonizing than her response was waiting for it, and I did a lot of waiting as she remained silent. It was hard to tell what she was thinking based on facial expression alone, so I decided to tune everything out in hopes to ease my mind.

"I still want to be friends."

That wasn't how the script went in my head.

"If I put myself in your shoes, would I have handled the situation any differently?" She sighed. "I don't think I would have had the courage to confess outright, that's for sure. Even with these exceptional elemental powers, you haven't changed who you are. You didn't abuse your strength or see any of us Visionless as lesser people. You've proven yourself to be a good person more than once, and it'd be rash of me to cut ties over this."

It was my turn to be quiet—stunned silence. I had thought so on a whim earlier, but today really was a success.

"Thank you," I said at last.

"Don't thank me. I didn't do anything—not really. Let's move on from here. No more misunderstandings, no more assumptions, just friends."

"Okay," I agreed. "Friends."

We shared a smile, and Ellin didn't hesitate to ask for more details about how my powers worked. We weren't in the best place for a demonstration without drawing unwanted attention, and we remembered this was supposed to be a physical combat training session. I was surprised Diluc hadn't intervened by now, but all it took was one glance to see just how deeply engaged he was in his training.

At some point, he had taken off the top layer of his activewear and was once again left with a thin, white t-shirt. The definition of his muscles shifted with each of his swift movements, and I found it impossible to look away. Even though the short sleeves of his shirt only exposed his arms, the fabric was taught and strained against his pectorals.

"Wow," Ellin breathed.

Diluc ruthlessly hacked at the reinforced dummy—enough to whittle the wood into chips that flaked to the ground. I found myself staring with a different kind of awe. Gone was the refined gentleman that I was so used to. This was a man who had truly perfected the act of violence. I imagined he'd be a terrifying opponent on the battlefield.

It was only until every single peg lay broken on the ground that Diluc finally came to a halt. He held Wolf's Gravestone with one hand, an impressive feat on its own, before turning around to face us. Ellin quickly looked to the sky and made an offhand comment about the clouds, but I didn't drop my stare.

"Done for the day?" he asked gruffly.

"I don't think that dummy has any limbs left for you to sever," I said pointedly and suddenly remembered Aether's comment. Oh, how fearful Signora must have felt when Diluc went after her to exact retribution.

He looked down at the scattered wood. "I'll request stronger models to be implemented as replacements. Surely, metal alloys will last a day or two once I'm through with them."

Only a day or two? I wanted to watch that happen. Actually, I realized just how much more I wanted from Diluc after seeing what he could do, but the training grounds were no place for that.

"It would be wise to throw in the towel now," he said. "Only because I have a different towel to pick up in a few hours—another night behind the bar counter."

Somehow, seeing so much of Diluc made me lament over how I would have to go the rest of the day without seeing him at all. Except, that didn't have to be the case. Careful to not be too greedy, I made sure to ask for his time rather than demand my presence.

"Could I hold the towel?" Wait, that made no sense. Think straight, Lumine. "Do you also want to get behind—" Not that, either.

Diluc chuckled then, and even though it was he who just completed a passionate training session, my blush was surely deeper than his.

"Would you like to come along?" he asked with a soft twinkle in his eye.

Today, I just kept winning.