Unlike the previous time I had visited the infirmary, nearly all of the beds were occupied by students and staff alike, each with varying injuries. Healers and assistants hastily went about, and I watched the commotion from my own bed. Thoma had walked me here, but Qiqi forbade him from taking one step past the reception area, insisting that space was needed. He was quick to understand, though reluctant.

"I'll wait here for you," Thoma had told me.

It had been a while since then, and I hoped Thoma didn't have to wait too long. After all, I was also eager to hear what he had to say before the upperclassmen group had interrupted. Just thinking about the way he looked at me, bold yet cautious, the curiosity made my heart race. Of course, I wanted to tell him about my Anemo power as well. It was a secret I'd kept for too long.

"Sorry for the wait!" Barbara bumbled toward my bed. "Everyone was working super hard to defend campus. Leave the healing to me! So, what am I looking at here?"

I pointed to my head. "I've been told I may have a concussion."

Barbara gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my! Why didn't you say so sooner? Are you experiencing any symptoms?"

"I feel a bit dizzy sometimes."

She stepped up close to my face and stared. Her sparkling blue eyes held an immense amount of concentration as she looked intently into mine. "Your pupils are a bit off. I'll take care of it! Please, continue to face forward."

Barbara moved around the bed to face my back. From my peripheral vision, I could see her hands held out on either side of my head, and the blue glow of her Hydro power shone from them. A bubble of water clung to the back of my head, soaking my hair once more. To the side, I noticed a catalyst hovering over the bed, and its pages were constantly flipping as Barbara used her elemental power.

Before, when she had fixed my wrist and ankle, the process went by fairly quickly. This time, however, healing took a great deal longer. The tune that Barbara hummed on occasion repeated over and over, and she even added a variation as time passed by. Eventually, the Hydro retreated as she removed her hands.

"Phew," she sighed. "Sorry, that took so long. With head injuries, I have to be very careful in locating the problem and properly taking care of it. The brain is a very delicate and important part of your body."

"No worries. Thank you, Barbara. I think the dizziness is completely gone now."

She clapped her hands together and beamed. "Oh, wonderful! Is there anything else you want me to take a look at? I see some blood on your clothes."

"They're just minor scratches."

"Are you sure?" She furrowed her brows. "Nothing at all?"

"Conserve your energy for those who need it more than I do," I insisted. "Though, would it be possible to get a towel for my hair? I don't want to drip everywhere."

"Of course! Just wait right there."

Truly, my head did feel better. Initially, I attributed the occasional dizziness sensation to being disorientated and shocked by the events that had unfolded. Now, my thoughts had become more clear, and I was able to focus without getting a headache. Reexamining the room around me, I saw that there were a lot more students than staff in need of care.

Bennett was several beds down from me, asleep. His injured leg was wrapped up in a damp towel with a few spots of red, but he looked at peace. He and I were the only underclassmen that I could recognize, though. There was one girl I didn't recognize with her brown hair tied up in two long pigtails. Despite the visible burns on her body, her flowery eyes were bright and held a wicked look to them. She caught me staring and waved energetically.

"Here you are." Barbara came back with a thick towel in hand. "I have to go now. More patients to attend to. If you need anything else, let Qiqi know!"

I thanked her once more and began to pat my hair with the towel. Once the soaked ends were reduced to being damp, I let the towel hang from my shoulders. With the concussion taken care of, I could finally see Thoma again.

"Hey, girlie," in walked Childe. His uniform was dirtied and torn so severely that his entire midriff was exposed. "Good to see you're still alive."

"Where have you been?" I scanned him for any injuries but didn't find any visible ones. "And why are you here?"

He chuckled and landed in the bed next to mine with a bounce, hands placed behind his head in relaxation. "Where do you think? I was just single-handedly offing all the monsters that invaded the campus. You should have seen me. They didn't stand a chance. Oh, what a joy it was. If only we could have something like this occur more often. A weekly battle, perhaps?"

I narrowed my eyes. "You don't seriously mean that. Did you not see all the damage it caused? People got hurt."

"People get hurt all the time," he shrugged.

"Even you, it seems."

"Me? Oh, don't get confused. I'm far from being injured. A bunch of high-strung instructors demanded that I stop by and get looked at. Though, I'm not sure why they're so concerned. It is me that we're talking about, after all."

"Then why come at all? You never struck me as someone who listened to an authority they didn't believe in."

"Because you're here." Childe propped himself on his side to face me, and his gloating demeanor fell away. "Don't tell me one of those weak monsters actually landed a hit on you."

"Who told you I was here?"

"You seem to be doing fine. Barbara got to you, then? I must say, it is disappointing to see how far you've fallen."

I frowned. "I never claimed to be a star."

"You should be." He turned to gaze at the room's commotion. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why wouldn't I be here? Where else would I go for a healer?"

"You should never have gotten hurt. This is a place for those who are unable to stand for themselves—those who do not have proper protection."

I scoffed. "Are you saying I need protection? What, that you'll protect me?"

"Of course not," he laughed. "What I'm saying is that, with your potential, you should have been able to fend it off yourself. Whatever monster came at you, you should have been able to take it down in one shot. Lumi, have you ever wondered why I like to stick around you so much?"

"Actually, yes. I have."

He sat up on the bed. "A warrior's intuition. That's what I felt when we first met. I'd since come to learn you have a complete disregard for hierarchy and an assuredness in your own capabilities. In that way, you're just like me," he sighed. "If only you had a Vision."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I remembered my conversation with Signora earlier. She thought of people with Visions as less than dirt, and she went so far as to spread that ideology to crude students that wanted a taste of power for themselves. Signora had hinted that Childe was no different, and now was my chance to find out.

"In every way," he stared at me. "You're perfect. And yet, power goes beyond perfection. Wielding a Vision, once you've sampled that level of power, there's no going back. I can't expect you to understand, and it pains me that you'll never be able to shine even brighter than you do now."

I drew an even breath. "Tell me, do you think of yourself as better than me because of that? Nearly every single person in this room owns a Vision, and they're still injured. Owning a Vision doesn't make you invincible."

"It makes me invincible. And it could make you, too."

"I don't believe you, and I don't care about invincibility."

"Why not?"

"You're free to have your own opinions, Childe. What matters to me is that these opinions affect the lives of others. Do you have any idea what Signora does to students who she finds to be weak?"

He said nothing.

"You do, don't you?" I glowered at him. "Aren't you two from the same place? Can't you get her to stop?"

His jaw ticked. "I've told you this already. As long as she stays out of my business, I don't care what she does."

"You should!"

"Why?"

"She's immoral."

"If students don't want to be harassed, they should learn to strengthen up and fight back."

"Against someone like her?" I shook my head. "You can't possibly mean that."

"Then they don't belong here. Celestia Academy isn't for the weak."

For him to be so nonchalant when speaking in this way, I wanted to be shocked. I wanted to be surprised that Childe was so cruel as to condone such behavior, but I wasn't. All this time together, not once has he stood out to me as someone who would genuinely care about helping others. Childe was only focused on himself.

"You're no better than Signora."

He scoffed. "That's not true. I don't actively go out tormenting others."

"The only thing that matters to you is power."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"Not even a Vision is enough for you," I went on. "Tell me, does possessing a Delusion satisfy your cravings?"

Childe stilled. "How do you know what a Delusion is?"

"Where does it stop? When will it be enough?"

"You wouldn't understand," he sighed. "I can't blame you for it, either. Natural talent and honed skill will only get you so far, Lumi. Take today, for example. Without help from others, you would have been dead. With a Vision, you could have fended for yourself. With a Delusion, you could be unstoppable. When you're unstoppable, when no one can reach your level of greatness, the feeling is…indescribable."

"What's the point if you're the only one? If you treat everyone as an underling, you'll be alone. All that power with no one to experience it with. You don't have to worry about me anymore." I clenched my fists and stood. "To associate myself with someone who holds such little regard for the lives of others…I want nothing to do with you."

His face twisted into a pained expression, and I turned away. "Lumine—"

"Goodbye, Tartaglia."