As a thin silver lining, Aether had some sense to appear calm on the outside. To most people, his tone probably sounded strained, but I wasn't most people. There was no missing the barely-restrained rage nor mistaking his blank stare as anything but the calm before the storm. Thank the archons my brother was overly concerned about how others perceived him. Otherwise, the entire dining hall would be an audience to a spontaneous brawl—likely to the death—though I wouldn't let it get that far.

"Finishing our duel? Gladly." Childe attempted to rise, but I clamped a hand down on his leg. Either he misread my intention to keep his life intact, or he simply enjoyed the situation too much—a smug grin spread on Childe's face as he resettled next to me. "On second thought, can we put a pin in it? I'm rather occupied at the moment, as you can see."

Aether cocked his head to the side, scrutinizing. "Shying away from a fight? What Lumine told me about you must be true, then. You're really a changed man."

"What can I say? She has a way with me."

"I didn't expect you to transform into a coward."

Childe stilled, his jaw ticking. "Coward?"

"I can only assume that you're afraid to lose," Aether said with a casual shrug, his tone light and taunting. "Or maybe, you're worried that if you lose, which you will, my dear sister will want nothing to do with you."

I laughed despite the bitter conversation. If Aether thought that I cared about who won or lost in a trivial match, he didn't know me much at all. Though his words were more likely a lure to draw Childe in and beat him down before the fight even began, he was sorely mistaken to believe that Childe's pride hinged solely on strength anymore.

My humorless laugh was short-lived. "Aether, that's enough."

"No, no. I'll prove him wrong." Childe slid his hand next to mind and tried to gently pry my fingers from his leg. Not a chance.

Aether inclined his head toward the exit. "By all means, we can take this outside."

"You're overreacting," I said. "It was just a kiss—one that I initiated by choice. If you have a problem with that, then you have a problem with me."

"Just a kiss? Lumi, don't lie to me. I know you felt—"

"Enough." Aether interrupted with a snap, his volume booming. A few heads around the room turned, but their curiosity dropped once he smoothed on a natural smile. "I find it hard to sleep at night knowing our bet is unfulfilled. Did you not want to prove yourself as stronger than the Champion? Now's your chance."

"Excuse me," Amber said, drawing our attention. "Is all of this really necessary?"

I mouthed a silent thank you and slumped in my seat. If they were too blinded by emotion to listen to me, the least they could do was listen to Amber—a relatively neutral party.

"I mean, I one hundred percent understand why you're upset," she said to Aether. "I don't have a sibling of my own, but I have a dear friend who's like a little sister to me way out in Sumeru. Sure, I worry about her a lot and want to protect her from all the bad people who could take advantage of her, but I also trust her decisions. I want what's best for her, and sometimes, that means she can take control of her own life."

Some of the tension in Aether's eyes bled out as he listened to Amber speak. I knew she could be convincing, but it was especially smart of her to play the family card. Our eyes met, and she gave me the barest of nods. The message was clear—she's got this.

"And you." She pointed at Childe, obviously more comfortable with calling him out directly. "Can you not read the room? Lumine just explained to us the mess she's been dealing with, and you think it's a good idea to charge into an unnecessary fight? What's your plan here—worrying her to death?"

I winced at her exaggeration, but her point went through. Childe stopped trying to remove my hand, and the passion for a duel no longer charged his expression.

Amber crossed her arms, shaking her head disappointedly. "I honestly thought the solution would be obvious at this point. Just wait for Thoma to get better, and then Childe can take his place in the infirmary."

My jaw dropped. I thought she was anti-violence. "Amber."

"Or Aether," she amended.

Tired, I rubbed a hand at my forehead.

"Both of them, neither of them—I don't know. I'm just throwing out the possibilities. My main point is that this duel isn't important. You two care about Lumine, right?"

They both nodded.

I'd have to find a way to properly thank Amber later, but I knew better than to think that the issue was resolved. She only gave me a temporary fix. Taking a long swig of water, I was grateful to wash away the stifling air of their ego.

"Then it's settled. Call in a rain check." Amber ended her time on the soapbox with a long exhale. She then murmured to herself, though loud enough for everyone to hear, "This reminds me of the Kaeya situation."

Water trickled down the wrong pipe, and I choked lightly. Childe's hand helpfully patted my back, but I was more concerned with her slip-up.

Aether's eyes narrowed. "The…Kaeya situation?"

"Oh right, you weren't there. It's no big deal—just an alternative punishment for the sake of Lumine's honor." Amber thankfully gave no elaboration.

"Sounds like a big deal to me. I'm curious, was Kaeya the one at fault?"

"Talk about jumping out of the fire and into the frying pan," Xiangling mumbled before taking a bite of food.

Amber seemed to realize her mistake, eyes going wide and dutifully avoiding Aether's face. "On second thought, it's not polite to talk about others when they're not here. Oh wow, I'm suddenly too hungry to speak."

Her poor acting was followed up by a show of eating sticky honey roast, leaving a very suspicious Aether to eye Kaeya's table. When he looked back at me, I sent a warning glare. One disagreement was enough for the day.

Out of the danger zone, I felt comfortable enough to release Childe. Except, he held his hand above mine, keeping it on his leg. Though wary of another negative outburst from my brother, I wore my blush with pride and didn't draw away.

My brother was visibly torn. Standing there, Aether almost looked lost. With his reputation, I bet it wasn't common for people to disregard all sense of his personable efforts. He closed his eyes for a moment, looking resigned, and I assumed he would walk away. Instead, he sat in the empty spot next to Bennett.

"What's this I've been hearing about?" Aether asked with a new air of curiosity. "A certain alchemy project…"

My eyebrows rose. "Who told you about that?"

"I exchanged a few words with Sucrose and Timaeus before I saw you—before I came over here," Aether said, catching himself. "Epsilon-series vitanova, variation sixty-three, right?"

"You remembered all that?" Bennett gaped in awe. "All I could pick up on was the number."

By the grace of the gods, our table fell back into peace. Aether still spared an occasional deathly glare at Childe—even narrowing his eyes at the table where, just below, our hands were clasped together. Conversation flowed, yet neither of them spoke to the other for the rest of the meal. I knew better than to assume this precarious peace wouldn't last long, but it would last long enough.

My main focus remained on what was to come.

I itched to slap the annoying tingle on my wrist, a slight damper on the morning. Two days remained before Thoma's time was up, and all I could think about was getting to Professor Kreideprinz's office as soon as possible. After dressing in a hurry, I continued to make haste, blundering out of my room with an eye on time and less on an awareness of my surroundings.

Déjà vu swept over me when I realized, just a split second too late, that someone lingered outside my door. Unlike last time, there was no Kujou Sara waiting to scold my character nor did the person attempt to move out of the way. Instead, Childe surprised me by shifting in the same direction as me in my attempt to swerve away.

As a result, I crashed straight into him with the promise of gravity to drag us down. His arms snaked around me before either of us could tumble over. Wobbling steady, I placed my hands on his chest to pull away and catch a breath. His hold around me tightened.

"Childe, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice muffled into his shirt.

"Good morning to you too, girlie. I'm glad I caught you before you left and skipped breakfast again."

I couldn't even deny the accusation. Now that he'd recognized my pattern of prioritizing Thoma's recovery, Childe was here to drag me to the dining hall by force. I couldn't let that happen—not when we were so close.

To temporarily appease him, I lifted my arms and returned the overly secure hug. I felt him sigh—chest rising and falling with a soothing hum—and couldn't help but do the same. Though this moment only spanned a few seconds, it was enough to remind me to remain level-headed today.

"I have to get to Professor Kreideprinz's office."

"What's that? I can't seem to hear you very well."

"That's because my face is pressed into your chest."

"And I enjoy it very much. Let's keep it that way."

He heard me well enough, so I asked, "Would you like to come along?"

"I was already planning on it." Childe finally ended the hug, leaving one arm around my shoulder after stepping away.

He took control, walking me down the hall and out of the building. I immediately noticed that we weren't headed in the right direction. When I tried to reroute, angling for the correct path that lead to the laboratory building, his arm around me stiffened.

"Not until breakfast."

"But Sucrose—"

"I don't trust a green cube to do the job, girlie."

My lips pressed together in a thin line as I held in my frustration. Forcing us to stop, I dug my heels into the ground and looked up at Childe sternly. He seemed abundantly confident that I would go along with him, no matter what.

"You can eat it for yourself," I said. "I'm sure she has one to spare."

His eyes flicked from me to his desired destination. I made a point to stare at the distant structure where Professor Kreideprinz was, unyielding. We stood like that for longer than I preferred, but it was Childe who wanted involvement in the first place. I was offering a chance at that.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" He chuckled lightly and steered us to the laboratory building.

With Childe compliant, I relaxed under his arm and reveled in the warmth he provided. I shuffled closer and abandoned my initial rush. Slowing down like this—was that also part of Childe's plan? The anxiety I expected to feel in preparation for another cure trial was muted by the comfort of having him at my side.

"So stubborn," he murmured.

My eyes narrowed. "Me or you?"

"Definitely me, but I'm beginning to sense it's also a common trait in your family. Aether is oddly determined on putting me six feet under. My only chance at safety is to stay with you at all times. Surely, he wouldn't overstep boundaries with you here."

"You're the instigator."

"Are you sure? That's not how I remembered last night."

"Please, you're just as eager to take him down," I said, ignoring the way his words sent butterflies to my stomach. "At this rate, I'll have to knock some sense into the both of you."

"Be sure not to hold back. I want to feel the full force of every blow you land on me."

Suddenly, being this close to Childe was a little too warm. I lifted my chin, hoping the winter air was enough to cool off the blush heating my face. He was in too good of a mood that every word sounded suggestive to my ears. I didn't trust myself to make another comment without fumbling over my words.

"Fighting talk this early in the morning?" asked a smooth voice, and I was pleasantly surprised when Kaeya's footsteps crunched in the snow before joining us on the pathway. "Any eavesdropper might assume a more…savory topic."

Archons, this blush wasn't going away any time soon. Kaeya's casual smile melted into a sultry smirk when I didn't give an immediate response.

"Don't stop on my account," he purred.

"You're following us," Childe stated more than asked, displeasure tugging at his lips.

Unbothered, Kaeya simply sidled closer to me until our arms brushed. "Remind me of our destination."

"Professor Kreideprinz is working on something for Thoma. I'm checking to see how the progress is going since we have…not a lot of time." As if on cue, my wrist tingled again. I shook it lightly to dispel the sensation.

Kaeya took that as a sign to slide his fingers between mine, and though Childe was quick to grumble, no argument broke out. Months ago, the best-case scenario would have been an impromptu duel, but they were past that point. The development made my heart sing. If all of my guys got along this well, then there was hope for the Aether in the future.

Occasionally, a tug to the right brought me closer to Childe, and an opposing force would draw me back to Kaeya. My internal celebration had come too soon. A subtle tug-o-war took place, and it was only because we were close enough to our destination that I didn't protest. Even as mild insults began to fly, I focused on the fact that we were together. In this regard, I had plenty of patience.

Both of them already knew the way to Professor Kreideprinz's office once we made it inside. Now that we approached, the nerves that lay dormant had awoken within me. What if today was no different from the others?

The door to the office was already open, though only by a little. Childe wedged his foot in the gap and opened it wider. He stuck his head inside first and asked, "Hey teach, how's the progress?"

A sigh came from the room. "You may address me as 'professor.' I'm sure you're already aware of this and are choosing to ignore it."

The door was wide enough for all three of us to enter now, but my steps froze over the threshold upon discovering we weren't the only ones visiting. Sucrose sat at a table with a vial of clear liquid in her hands, and a colorful blush signaled her shyness. Childe and Kaeya were clearly unexpected guests for her.

She and the professor weren't the only ones here. The reason for my surprise, Aether, stood next to them with a scowl that quickly neutralized when his golden eyes landed on me.

"My office wasn't designed for a high capacity of guests," Professor Kreideprinz said. "Fortunately, there is no reason for all of us to linger in such a tight place. You come here seeking an update, and I am pleased to announce good news."

My heart skipped, and I looked back to the vial in Sucrose's hand. "You mean…"

"There was some trouble initially. A series of tests were performed on the limited sample of corrosion in my inventory. The results yielded from synthesizing the ingredients held minimal effect. If it were not for Aether's contribution, there would be nothing of value for me to present today."

Aether had made a contribution? That explained why he was here, but what role did he play? I wasn't the only one with these questions. Childe crossed his arms, and Kaeya stood there expectantly.

"You flatter me, professor," Aether spoke nonchalantly, as though he hadn't made a massive breakthrough. "After making connections regarding the corrosion's composition and how the properties of vitanova and holy water interact with one another, I landed on a reasonable conclusion that just so happened to pan out. Lumine, I did say that I'd find a solution in two days, didn't I?"

I smiled, remembering the promise he made to me. "What exactly was the solution?"

It could be my imagination, but Aether's expression faltered from easygoing to reluctant. He didn't answer right away, causing alarm bells to ring in my head. No one else seemed to catch the shift in his demeanor, not when he quickly reverted to normal. Instead of speaking, Aether gestured to Sucrose—to the vial. Everyone switched their attention to her, but I kept my eye on him for a moment longer.

Aether's eyes locked on mine. I wordlessly asked him to give any indication that something was wrong. He only shook his head and refocused on Sucrose.

"This is the end product that Professor Kreideprinz crafted alongside Aether," she said with a slight stammer. "I arrived just in time to witness the final testing, and the results were truly wondrous. It's a marvel how drastically the formula has changed from the last time. Lumine, do you notice the difference?"

Sucrose held the small vial up to the light, and I moved closer to get a better look. This new concoction was completely clear like the holy water—none of the original vitanova's purple color remained. There was also a glowing aura faintly surrounding the glass, a soft iridescence.

I was at a loss for words.

Kaeya was not. "Do we have a name to call it by? If I may, since it eliminates the effects of corrosion, how about 'corrosioff?'"

"That was awful," Childe deadpanned.

"I don't hear you making any other suggestions."

"This is technically the sixty-fifth variation of vitanova," Sucrose piped in.

Childe clapped his hands decisively. "Vitanova it is."

"Corrosioff if it works," Kaeya insisted.

"When it works," Aether corrected. "And we'll never get the chance to find out by wasting our time with poor jokes. Lumine, are you ready to go?"

I still had questions about what Aether did to guarantee the new vitanova's success, but he had a point. Standing around here was hardly productive. Professor Kreideprinz retrieved the vial from Sucrose and was the first out the door.

The rest of us quickly followed, and the walk to the infirmary was hardly similar to when it was just me, Childe, and Kaeya. For starters, the mild tug-o-war from last time was instantly eliminated with Aether here. Kaeya pointedly kept his hands in his pockets, potentially earning favor from my brother. Childe, on the other hand, continuously inched closer and swerved away just moments before a carefully swung fist almost met his ribs.

Noting how Sucrose became exponentially more nervous with so many people around, I chose to hang closest to her. We exchanged very few words, too focused on our brisk walk, but I at least confirmed that she had several meal cubes with her. To my relief, she seemed more relaxed once we reached the administration building.

I experienced the opposite effect, but some confidence returned when I saw Diluc waiting by the entrance. He walked toward us before we reached the door, offering a hand to lead me up the steps.

"I'm here to provide moral support, though it appears I am not the first with this idea."

His hand around mine strengthened my confidence even more. Not even Aether's pointed stare in our direction could shake off the connection.

"Thank you," I whispered fondly.

Now a group of seven, we crowded the hallway until finally filing into the infirmary one at a time. The reception area was already filled with chatter, and my mouth fell open with the unexpected shock of meeting my friends there. With Amber, Xiangling, and Bennett sitting on the bench, there definitely wouldn't be enough space for all of us.

"Lumine, there you are." Amber waved at me. "Today's the day, right?"

I nodded assuredly, and Professor Kreideprinz stepped forward with the vitanova in hand.

"That's the cure?" Bennett looked excited to see it, but he slid away and chuckled nervously. "Don't let me get too close."

"Perfect. Sucrose is here." Xiangling tapped her fingers together. "We all came here to support Lumine because, you know, she tried burdening herself with it alone all those other times. My point is, we skipped breakfast to make it here. Oh, how wonderful would it be if a kind soul could offer a sample of food?"

Beside me, Sucrose began to shuffle around, digging into her bag. "Actually, I have something that might help."

"Really? Great!" Xiangling's eyes sparkled, and I laughed at her scheme.

Sucrose had more meal cubes than I thought, and she distributed them around the room for everyone to try. I waited for Childe's reaction since he was the most skeptical, and sure enough, he couldn't deny that Sucrose's creation matched his standards. Xiangling didn't hold back her review, and Sucrose grew more flustered by the second as the chef showered her with praise.

During this, Barbara emerged from the treatment area and whispered to Qiqi before approaching our group. Professor Kreideprinz explained to the healer, and the new listeners, how this version of vitanova is likely to end the corrosion's torment on Thoma's life. She tentatively accepted the vial, uncertainty settling over her features.

I couldn't blame Barbara. Everyone here desperately wanted the treatment to be successful, and though the odds were more favorable, I was no stranger to disappointment. It pulled my heartstrings to have overwhelming support, but it was too easy to imagine how the atmosphere would sour if Barbara came back with bad news.

At least, while waiting, I wasn't left in a room filled mostly with silence. At least, with so many conversations happening, there was no chance for my thoughts to wander. Call it wishful thinking, but something in the air told me that things would turn out differently this time. Positivity existed all around me, and maybe that's why time passed by so quickly.

Barbara returned much sooner than I expected. Previously, I had waited at least a full hour before she delivered the bad news with a sorrowful frown.

The room went silent, and I held my breath.

She didn't look sad at all.

"The patient has made a full recovery."

good luck to those pulling for ayaka, shenhe, and the weapons later this week! i have my eye on mistsplitter, but my kaveh funds must be used sparingly