previous chapter: with spring on the horizon, so are midterms and the welkin festival. lumine is finally able to fully participate in her vision studies class. after hours, she is on a mission with amber to find dresses for their respective recitals, but only amber finds success. the student council and volunteers are seen hanging decorations for the upcoming festival, and lumine lends kaeya a hand.
The library had so many books, yet how was it that I couldn't find the right ones? I scanned the shelves in the archive section for something—anything related to the history of Celestia Academy. Records of Celestia itself were plentiful, but the focus of my midterm paper approved by Professor Morax had nothing to do with that.
"Have you had any luck, cutie?"
Professor Minci—Head Librarian Lisa—spooked me by popping out from the end of a bookshelf. I would have accidentally dropped books if there were any in my hands to begin with.
Defeated, I shook my head. "No, not yet."
"Thought so. I spared some time and performed a bit of searching as well. How do these look?"
She had three books in hand, and I skimmed the titles of each with growing hope. The Founding of Academia. Teyvat's Best Education Throughout the Years. Ad Astra: Celestia Academy's Stellar Contributions. Hopefully, one of these texts could count as a primary source since that was a requirement Professor Morax made for this assignment.
The general prompt was to write about the beginning and end of an era. Though Celestia Academy still existed, I knew of an era within the academy that ended long ago—the original Tournaments. Three sources were required—one primary. Professor Morax himself could not be used as a source.
The intel Kaeya had collected on the Tournaments came from less-than-appropriate means, so I would make do with what Lisa found.
"You know where to find me if you need any more help," she said with a wink and returned to the librarian's desk.
I also went back to my place in the library—at a table amongst a sea of others. Not a single seat was left vacant, and I was lucky Aether had secured a table in advance. Thoma and Amber sat across from us to form our small study group.
If it weren't for how packed the library got at times like this, I'd be more upset that Childe opted out of studying. Then again, Lisa usually ushered him away for causing disturbances. Diluc was on tavern duty tonight, but he had insisted that his grades never suffered when business matters came up. As for Kaeya, the student council continued to assign him many errands. If joining the council meant lessening that workload, I really should start looking for an application. It was the least I could do in return for the gorgeous dress he went out of his way to gift me.
Aether stood the moment I sat down.
"It's my turn to sift through the stacks," he quietly announced and slipped away.
Dain. I still needed to ask him about Dain. Watching Aether go, I wondered when the right moment would arise. If we weren't studying, he was socializing. His meditations always seemed to be in session whenever I stopped by his room. Practicing our duet together sent my mind to a different realm that only cared about the music. The time was never right.
The flashy cover of Teyvat's Best Education Throughout the Years drew my attention back to studying. A lengthy chapter on Celestia Academy looked promising, but there was no mention of the Tournaments. The Founding of Academia and Ad Astra: Celestia Academy's Stellar Contributions had occasional Tournament-adjacent mentions. It wasn't much, but I would take what I could get.
This made for two sources of medium strength. Just the thought of continuing my search for a third, primary source planted a small ache in my head. Was it too late to reconsider the topic of my paper?
"Do you need a break?" Thoma asked.
"Was it that obvious? I'll be fine, maybe. How's yours coming along?"
"I just finished writing the outline. It helps that I'm familiar with Inazuman history, but I'm beginning to understand a lot more after all this research. There are some parallels between the Sakoku Decree and the Sakoku Order. Old habits die hard for Inazuman leaders."
From what Thoma told me, his history class had to write a paper on an instance when history repeated itself. Knowing how to read the Inazuman language expanded his access to texts, and I sighed through my jealousy.
"Speaking of Inazuman leaders," I said. "I heard Ayato will be here for the Welkin Festival."
Thoma idly tapped the eraser-end of his pencil on his completed outline. "He is. Ayaka invited him to watch her tachi jutsu performance as a formality, but Ayato usually doesn't have free time for festivals. I'm surprised he decided to attend…and a little nervous. I can't help but think there's a second reason why he's coming, and it has to do with me refusing to return to Inazuma after the rifthound incident."
If that was the case, then I completely understood why Ayato was willing to pause his duties. Seeing was believing, and I wouldn't be at peace without making sure Thoma was safe and sound with my own eyes. While I appreciated there was another person who cared deeply for his well-being…
"You're not the only one who's nervous," I said.
What if Ayato hated me? Aside from the small fact that I was technically the reason why those rifthounds showed up on the beach that day, I assumed he would be even more assessing and protective than his sister. With Ayaka's noble status and demeanor, I still had no idea how to approach her—no matter how sweet and kind she was. I feared a conversation with Ayato might be the end of me.
Thoma sighed. "He'll only be here for the weekend. Spring break happens right after anyway, so it really is overkill for him to sail all the way over here."
We refocused on our papers after that—or tried to. My progress hit a roadblock the moment I took note of all the useful material. Teyvat's Best Education Throughout the Years brought nothing to the table, so back to the shelf it went. Lisa was already a huge help when it came to finding the texts, so I could at least return it on my own.
After narrowing down which section it belonged to, I weaved through the alphabetical system only to find someone standing in the next aisle. Aether. He was completely still, staring straight ahead at the books with eyes that paid no attention to them. As someone prone to daydreaming, I couldn't blame him for zoning out, but he didn't even notice when I tapped his shoulder.
"Aether?"
He reacted with a slow blink.
"If you're ignoring me to be annoying, it's working."
Aether blinked twice this time. His head jerked slightly as he turned to look at me with a small, amused smile.
"Good," he said. "You need to build a better annoyance tolerance. Consider this a form of training."
I narrowed my eyes and pushed Aether aside. Even though he could easily hold his ground—proven by our occasional small arguments turned physical altercations—he moved so I could shelve the book.
"The search continues?" he asked.
"Just one more for me. What do you still need?"
"You wouldn't happen to come across anything on the different forms of pressure-based puzzle mechanisms, would you?"
"You're in the wrong section for that. That's not even close to history. Try technology?"
"Right. I'll head over there. Thank you for your great wisdom."
Maybe I truly was building a tolerance to annoyance because that last part didn't affect me. Aether was about to walk right off, but I snagged his shirt collar at the last second. He pretended to choke—saving the dramatics for when few eyes were on him—and shot me a quizzical look.
"Is there something you need?"
Part of me wanted to ask if he was okay, but then a different matter jumped to the forefront of my mind—one that couldn't be put off any longer for the sake of my sanity.
"I have a question. It's about Dain."
Aether's eyes dulled at that. "What about him?"
"Have you ever seen…" I paused to find the right words. "Do you know if he has a hidden power? One that's not like any of the seven elements. I mean, he's the headmaster. There's got to be something special going on with him."
"A hidden power? No, I've never seen Dain display any power, actually. There was a time when I asked him to personally train me once I had come into my elements. I thought it was a chance for us to connect like a real…never mind. He declined and insisted there were more suitable people to learn from." His words were clipped. "There's never been a reason for Dain to use his power, so I've never seen it."
"What about when the Abyss Order attacked? Sure, the professors are more than capable of handling threats, but he should have helped if he could."
"There's also the task force," Aether reminded. "There's no use in trying to understand him. Trust me, I've tried. Everyone has their secrets."
"Not between us," I said to brighten his mood.
"Why are you asking about Dain? Did something happen?"
After what Aether had just said about Dain never having a reason to use his power, the fact that I had witnessed him float off the ground to simply hang a painting made me hesitate.
"You could say that."
There wasn't much to recap since I still had no idea what that mysterious power was nor why Dain was so nonchalant about it.
"That does sound strange," Aether murmured. "There's always the option for us to ask him outright, but as curious as you made it sound, I'd rather not. The less time I spend in that man's presence, the better."
"You want me to go alone?"
Aether pointedly turned away. "Don't give me that look."
"Oh, well. I can always ask Kaeya to join me."
"Him again?" he asked, slowly facing me once more. "How about this, I know for a fact Dain won't appreciate you prying into his business out of the blue. You need a primary source for your paper, right? What better source is there than the headmaster himself? He's bound to have a personal anecdote here and there."
"You think so?"
"I'm one hundred percent certain. And, if it's an academic interview with Dain you seek, there's no sense in dragging Kaeya along…unless he really isn't working around the clock for the sake of the student council." Aether shrugged. "You wouldn't want to steal all that precious time from him, would you?"
He had a point. I thought it over. He really had a point. Admitting so out loud would only satisfy Aether's wish to keep Kaeya—and the other three—away from me. So, I chose not to admit anything at all.
Turning my nose upward, I said, "I'll consider it. Thanks for the idea, I guess."
"I'm just looking out for you."
"You should look out for the technology section, instead."
We stared each other down until I, naturally, won the silent contest. Aether broke eye contact with a small shake of his head, and I watched him go with a mixture of feelings. Bringing up Dain in any context always upset him, and I pushed down the guilt from poking at his memories. Instead, I tried to focus on his advice to interview Dain—questions already forming in my mind.
With only two days left to write the paper, there was no time to waste. I quickly gathered my things, whispered my goodbyes, and made for the administration building where I knew Dain would be. The last time I had stopped by this late, it hadn't been an issue.
Today was different.
No response came through the thick wooden door after I knocked. I stood at the end of the silent hall, wondering what could be happening on the other side. Was he already in a meeting? Was he even in his office? It shouldn't be surprising that the headmaster's availability wasn't so open that just anyone could stop by as they pleased.
Aside from waiting around, I could do nothing but speak to someone else who could help fulfill my goal. On my way to the head secretary's office, I had a brief worry that she, too, finished her duties for the day. Luckily, Katheryne's door was slightly open. I eased it wider and popped my head in with a wave.
"Hi, Katheryne. Is this a bad time?"
"Miss Lumine," she greeted with her standard smile. She sat at her desk with the usual layout of documents on display. "Not at all. Please, come in. Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you. I just wanted to see if I could make an appointment with Dain—Headmaster Dainsleif. Does he have any openings tomorrow?"
She scheduled a meeting that worked for both my and Dain's schedule, and the thought of facing him alone with such big questions already made me nervous. It was probably a good thing he was unavailable today. I needed time to mentally prepare.
"How long are you going to keep working?" I asked her, looking at the time.
"You don't need to worry about me. I'm almost done handling the most important matters for the day. It's the least I can do to help keep the academy running for the sake of wonderful students such as yourself. Thank you for all of your hard work."
"Hey, it should be the other way around. Thanks, Katheryne."
"Ad astra. Say hello to your brother for me. I wish you both the best on midterms and for what the future holds."
Every conversation with Katheryne gave me something to wonder about afterward. This time, I couldn't shake the feeling that she knew a lot more than she let on.
"You pass with flying colors."
I accepted the congratulatory hug from Childe. "It's not like you're the one grading my performance, but thanks. Xinyan did pretty good, too."
"You sure pack one hell of a punch," said Xinyan while she rubbed her jaw. "Who knew you had so much fire in you?"
I winced, imagining the pain she must be in after I landed three square hits on her. That rule determined who won the hand-to-hand combat duel for our upcoming midterm. She had been the first to land a solid blow, and an ache had begun to grow along my ribcage. It's a good thing I wrapped the match up quickly with a combination move that Childe once showed me in private.
"I only did my best to match your energy," I said in earnest. "It could have been worse. At least you didn't end up as this guy's dueling partner."
My thumb jutted toward Childe, who didn't show the faintest hint of remorse. It took no more than ten seconds before his poor partner was hauled off to the infirmary, and though Instructor Xiao chastised Childe for the excessive force, praise for the techniques used was also given.
Childe's gaze roamed to assess our peers. "I've got to say, the chance to brawl with everyone in class has been quite an eye-opening experience. Whoever gets randomly paired with me for the final test had better prepare themselves. Even then, they're going to be no match for me."
Thoma approached while carrying small bags of ice. He held one out to Xinyan, who happily accepted and held it to her face.
"What if they have an exceptional defense?" he asked Childe and turned to me. "Ice?"
I thanked him and welcomed the cooling sensation that ebbed the slight throb in my side. Childe had no need to soothe any injuries, yet he also opted for a bag. Twisting it open, he popped the ice cubes in his mouth and ate them like a regular snack.
"To someone with sensitive teeth, you'd be considered a monster," Xinyan plainly said while gawking at Childe. "Thoma, I don't think any amount of defense can withstand this guy."
The monster in question laughed. "See? She gets it."
Thoma murmured beside me. "Just wait until he's got to eat something with a pair of chopsticks. That's a competition I'd be sure to win."
I stifled a chuckle, and our small conversation soon came to an end as the class did. It was a shame there was zero chance that Childe and I would face off for the midterm. Instructor Xiao ruled that, though the selection would be random, dueling with our usual partners was off the table. We knew each other's fighting styles and tells a little too well. Though, like Childe had said, hand-to-hand combat with my other classmates was an interesting experience.
"I don't like him," Childe said all of a sudden. "He got too close to you."
Students were already dispersing from the training grounds, so I had a hard time pinpointing who he was talking about. Tracking the line of his cold stare, my eyes landed on the one other person I dueled today.
"Razor?"
"I bet he had ulterior motives."
"Razor?" I asked again, this time in disbelief. "He's not the type to have ulterior motives."
Not from what I'd gathered, at least. Razor was someone of very few words, making it difficult to get to know him at all. And yet, even with our limited interaction in class, I could tell he had a genuinely kind soul. If anything, the true reason behind Childe's concern was none other than…
"Sparring with you is a privilege that not just anyone should be granted," Childe scoffed.
"You can quite literally go up against me at any other time. Within reason."
"Does it have to be in a fight?"
Gone was his simmering jealousy, replaced with an air of suggestion that left my face very, very warm. Archons, I'd never get used to this. I was saved from giving an answer when Thoma returned from disposing of the used ice bags. It would have been nice to have a spare one to cool my rising temperature.
"Wow, I'm so excited for Vision Studies," I lied. "We must go quickly to become the best version of ourselves."
Grabbing Thoma's hand, I fled.
My ears, burning at the tips, heard Childe shout, "I'll take that as a no!"
Thankfully, Thoma didn't ask what Childe meant by that and instead updated me on how his Vistion Studies group was progressing. As we neared the courtyard where our elemental talents were practiced, I noticed a larger crowd than usual. Students slowed and gravitated toward smoke that coincidentally clouded the same area as our destination. Professor Minci held another class before ours, so I expected a strong Pyro reaction went out of control or maybe a low-level monster got loose.
We finally made it through the onlookers and saw the extent of damage for ourselves. An entire corner of the courtyard had crumbled into a pile of rubble and ash—far worse than my dorm wall Geo hiccup. The surrounding foliage had either been burnt to a crisp or blown away.
"How awful," said Thoma.
Surprisingly, Rosaria walked up to us with folded arms and an unbothered attitude. "I heard a student went berserk."
"Was anyone hurt?" I asked.
She shrugged. "I think so. I saw them running a guy on a stretcher to the infirmary."
"The Vision Studies class before ours is for upperclassmen," Thoma informed. "I know upperclassmen are strong, but for an accident of this scale to happen, that person must be extremely powerful."
Rosaria grumbled. "Or weak. What's the point if you can't control it?"
Most of the class was already here, but Professor Minci had yet to greet us or explain the situation. I broke off from Thoma and Rosaria, eyed the courtyard destruction, and finally spotted her purple outfit a few rose bushes away. Right as I was about to call her name, I noticed the professor wasn't alone. With an expression more serious than I'd ever seen on her, she spoke to someone that I had to move past more bushes to see.
Shock rooted my feet to the ground.
"...won't happen again," said Aether with a solemn look.
"That would be favorable. I already know there's a pile of paperwork waiting for me to deal with because of this. At least his wounds weren't fatal." Professor Minci sighed, and a moment of silence passed between them. "Don't look so upset, cutie. I know you didn't mean for that to happen, and certainly none of us expected it. We all make mistakes now and then. It's best to learn and move on."
"Thank you, professor. I'll try my best."
"Alright then, you can go ahead to your next class."
Aether took his dismissal and turned on his heel without properly looking up. Otherwise, he would have caught me eavesdropping and likely taken off even faster to avoid the million questions I wanted to ask. Professor Minci's eyes widened slightly when she turned and saw me, but she didn't lecture me for lurking.
"Oh, I'm late, aren't I? That won't do. Can't have a class without its professor."
"My brother…" I wanted to go after him. "Did he…"
"There's a right time and place, cutie. Here and now are neither of them. You'd be better off asking him yourself, though I advise giving him some space." Her compassionate smile faded as she touched a hand to her temple. "Oh dear, looks like class will be held indoors today. My darling students are waiting for me, so let's return before they assume a free period."
As if I'd be able to focus on elemental reactions in a situation like this. Even after filing into the lecture room, everyone was abuzz over the condition outside, and word had already spread from the previous class on who was the cause. Many pairs of curious eyes locked with mine, but I gave them nothing more to gossip about.
It was going to be a long day.
wishing everyone luck on their wriothesleys and ventis! furina next furina next furina next
