Based on how much time I've spent in the infirmary as of late, I might as well move in as a permanent resident. It felt silly to sign in for the second time today as a visitor, but I was determined to hear the rationalizations for why the duel had gone to the extent that it did—then refute their deranged reasonings with common sense. For now, I impatiently waited for Aether to wake up from where he lay in the bed.

Neither Aether nor Childe was moved to the specialized recovery rooms—those were reserved for severe, long-term patients. The extent of their injuries, though severe, were healed within hours thanks to the healers' hard work. Barbara had said something about needing a vacation during her last round of check-ups.

I was fairly certain that the main treatment room, lined with beds, only had these two idiots as occupants. A thin curtain partitioned Aether's bed from Childe's—which was also placed on the opposite end of the room. This was to prevent another quarrel from breaking out once they'd regained consciousness—like I'd let that happen.

For how awful Aether looked when he'd arrived, clothes torn and blood everywhere, that image was ancient history compared to now. As still as a plank of wood, he had the nerve to sleep with a serene smile on his face. What could he be dreaming about—a way to eliminate Childe for good?

"How much longer are you going to glare at me?" Aether asked, surprising me with his fluid speech. His eyelids lifted to reveal pure clarity—not a hint of grogginess or fatigue. "I expect a hole to be burned in these blankets any second now."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to hear you sigh five times and grumble my name twice. I thought I heard a curse or two in there, but that can't be. It's poor taste to badmouth the injured, you know."

His life goal was to annoy me—that had to be it.

Aether shuffled around to rearrange the pillows for better support once he sat up. During this, I kept my hands clenched to refrain from taking said pillows and thumping his head with them.

"What happened to my original clothes?" Aether asked, frowning down at his grey shirt.

My lips thinned, the annoyance growing. His life was in grave danger just hours ago, yet his main concern was the standard infirmary outfit given as a replacement for the tattered fabric he'd arrived in.

"I set them on fire and catapulted the ashes into outer space. What do you think happened to them?"

Aether sighed then, looking tired for the first time today.

"You're upset with me."

"Wow, really? What gave that away?"

We stared at each other. Aether's eyes silently pleaded for me to drop the subject and move on from the duel—move on from Childe. I held my gaze stern and steady. This would be the last time I emphasized my point. If Aether continued to be like this…to be honest, I didn't know what I would do. Sure, there would be disappointment, but he was still family.

"I'm sorry," he said at last.

"For?"

"Worrying you?"

"Why are you saying it like a question?"

"Because you shouldn't have been worried. The duel was controlled…enough. Sure, it got a bit risky toward the end, but that's why I had Instructor Xiao there as a moderator. Getting hurt was to be expected, and getting killed was never a possibility. No worry needed."

"Logic doesn't exactly trump emotions when I see you attacking Childe with murderous intent—and nearly succeeding."

"Are we going to ignore the fact that he accepted and was equally willing to see me eat dirt?" Aether pointed a thumb at the curtain, already knowing Childe must be nearby.

"I'm mad at him, too, but you were the true instigator today."

"It was a fair duel."

"Driven by unnecessary means. I've already told you that I intend to be with him, so why bother interfering? Do you want me to be unhappy, or something?"

His brows dipped in a frown. "Of course, not. I'm just looking out for you, and I don't trust him."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll have to trust my judgment, and I trust Childe."

"That may be so, but you have to agree that he lost the duel. According to the terms we made, he can't—"

I held out a hand, cutting him off. "Nope, you're wrong. Your exact words were—what was it—he loses when you stand over his collapsed body. You weren't doing much standing when he fell."

"The specifics don't matter. It's about the principle."

"If they didn't matter, then you should have been more clear with your words instead of trying to control who gets to be in my life."

"Control?" He looked flabbergasted. "I never meant it like that."

"I know. You just want what's best for me, but I can decide that for myself."

My words softened at that. I recognized that in all these years, though Aether ultimately had to follow the path chosen by Dain, he still lived independently. An only child. Like me, there were more opportunities than obstacles growing up, and Aether was used to climbing to the top. He had become a natural leader, but that domineering mindset ended now.

Aether ran fingers through his hair, detangling some of the long strands that had come loose from his braid. "I still don't like him."

"You don't have to, but could you at least try to bear with him? For me?"

Aether tugged the entire braid loose, then. As he worked through the length, I noticed his nose pinch and lips thin. If I had to guess, I'd say he was using his braid as a way to buy time before responding. It was a good tactic, and I considered growing out my own hair so I could do the same in the future.

"Putting up with that guy is going to shave years off of my life," he said at last. "After that mess with the Delusion, he probably already has."

I worried about that, too, but Aether was otherwise being dramatic. With a shrug, I reminded him, "You poked the bear."

"I think you mean whale." His nose scrunched further. "Did you see the size of that thing? How does someone even learn how to do that? Don't laugh. I almost drowned on land."

"But you didn't."

Aether let the completed braid fall over one shoulder. "No, I didn't."

There must be a sprinkle of crazy in our genes because we both smiled fondly over the memory. In retrospect, it had been a little funny to see such a small Aether get swallowed up by so much Hydro. As for Aether, I supposed he enjoyed the heat of battle just as much as Childe, though he'd vehemently reject any comparison linking them together.

"Alright," Aether said with a heavy sigh before leaning deep into the pillows. "I hear you, Lumine. Tartaglia…Childe…I'll leave him be from now on."

I grinned.

My brother sat up quickly, holding out a finger. "But if he ever betrays you, it's over."

Knowing that would never happen, I nodded along.

Aether was back to pouting—no—sulking again, but now that he had finally agreed, I found the attitude more childishly cute instead of annoying. Though he acted like the glorious Champion at times and awed everyone in a crowd, Aether was still subject to the same emotions that got us all. His emotions, in particular, seemed more volatile when I was involved. We could work on that, but I wouldn't deny my own investment in his life.

Operation Convince Aether to Back Off was a success. Now was the time to transition to phase two: Operation Discover Aether's Secret. With him in an agreeable mood, the perfect chance had arrived.

"What did you do to make the vitanova a success?" I asked directly in a hushed tone.

He visibly stiffened, and I noticed his hand twitch up before falling back to the bedspread. Without an immediate answer, I made use of context clues and figured Aether must have instinctively been reaching for something—his necklace. The collar of his infirmary-issued shirt was too high for me to see the thread connecting to his primogem. While the gem itself was small, there should have been at least some bulge in the fabric.

"The vitanova was glowing in that bottle, Aether. I don't care how impressive alchemy is. Only a very special ingredient can cause that kind of effect. Only an extremely rare, highly effective force against the Abyss has the power to defeat corrosion."

He didn't stop his hand from moving this time. Aether's fingers touched the spot on his shirt where the primogem should be, and a droplet of dread settled in my stomach.

"It sounds like you already know the answer," he said softly.

I reared back slowly, shaking my head. "You didn't."

"I had to, or else Enjou would have taken you away. Believe me, I researched everything and reached out to everyone—even Dain. He's the one who suggested I use the primogem. With its powerful repelling abilities, the decision practically made itself."

"But…" It was useless to argue with the past. That primogem was Aether's last line of defense against being influenced. Of course, Dain was on board with using it as the final ingredient to save a life—he didn't know just how vulnerable Aether was without the primogem.

My experience with the abyssal influence had been no small concern, and with Aether's blood in the Abyss Order's possession, the side effects of being primogemless wouldn't be easy for him to overcome.

Impossible to contain my concern, I asked, "How are you feeling?"

"You mean, have I been tempted to fall into insanity? No. I'm relying more on the spirit borneol and my meditations, and they're working. For how long I've been exposed to the influence, my mind might have even grown a bit of tolerance."

"You think so?"

"You'll be the first person I go to if I notice anything out of the ordinary." Aether smiled so easily, a bit of reassurance joined the hope that flared in my chest. "We're only a couple of months off from the Grand Tournament, anyway. If I can't hold down the mental fort for that long, then what sort of prodigy am I?"

I knew Aether meant to be lighthearted, but I was only reminded of how heavy the expectations on his shoulders must weigh. Prodigy or not—no one should be expected to withstand the evil powers of the Abyss.

"You're not alone anymore," I told him. "Enjou thinks you'll be easy pickings, but we'll prove him wrong."

"Together—you and me."

"And all of Celestia Academy. With just a few members, we were able to cure Thoma. Imagine just how much we can accomplish with more faculty and students aiding with their power."

Aether nodded firmly. "I still trust you the most."

He was a devoted brother, that's for sure.

Even though Aether was fully healed, we remained talking as he rested in bed. It was nice to see him wear a peaceful, relaxed expression as opposed to his usual stiff attitude or mask of friendliness. With the duel still fresh in our minds, I had Aether explain to me each of his abilities in depth. The power I found most interesting was his Cryo gauntlets. Apparently, he'd observed a group of mercenaries while in Sumeru and enhanced their fighting style with the elements.

He had more to say about his time in Sumeru, and now I was convinced that the Akademiya existed as an even stronger powerhouse than Celestia Academy. Applying to go there was never in the cards for me—only knowing one language being the biggest hurdle.

"Making friends is the last thing on people's minds over there. They practically live to write research papers and develop theses. What's strange is that even though they don't have any programs dedicated to combat, a few of their scholars are exceptional fighters."

"Better than you?"

"Oh, definitely not."

"Are you sure?" I cocked an eyebrow. "You were confident that a duel with Childe would be a walk in the park. How did that turn out, again? Remind me of where we are."

Aether opened his mouth—probably prepared with a retort—when his eyes slid past me and narrowed with suspicion.

"Don't turn around just yet," he said. "But there's this guy who's been hanging around by the entrance."

People visiting the infirmary was nothing new. Whoever it was probably came by to check on a friend feeling unwell. Aether and Childe were the only patients here, though. I had a feeling Childe wasn't someone who typically got visitors, so the only other option was…

"Are you sure you don't know him?" I asked.

Aether shook his head and refocused back on me. "I've never seen him in my life. Judging by the looks he's been sending this way, he seems to know me. This is nothing new since I'm the Champion, but we've never interacted before."

"Could he be a fan of yours? Check to see if he's holding a pen. Is your autograph any good?"

Aether seemed upset by the newcomer, and since plenty of time had passed with our speculations, I decided to check for myself. There was a chance I might know who the guy was. Just as I moved to turn around, Aether grabbed my wrist.

"He's not worth your attention."

"Huh? I just want to see who it is."

"Let's ignore him," Aether sighed. "I want to talk more with you. That guy will get lost eventually."

I frowned at his dismissive behavior and said, "It's rude to keep your fans waiting."

"I don't have fans."

"Actually, when you were fighting Childe, I overheard someone wonder if you were single. How about it? Are you ready to enter the dating pool? I know someone who would love to play matchmaker."

Aether's lips parted in surprise, a blush coloring his cheeks. He quickly scoffed the reaction away, and I made a mental note to collude with Amber later.

"I'm not suited for that. Besides, my current priorities are more important than getting distracted by…distractions."

"Very eloquently said, but as one of your priorities, I insist."

"You're my only priority."

In one swift movement, I flicked his forehead.

"Wrong. Your number one concern should be your own life and then comes ensuring the safety of Teyvat. I will accept third place."

Aether rubbed at the blossoming welt, but I felt no remorse. That was nothing compared to the battle from earlier or the pillow whopping I originally planned to dole out. Instead of complaining, though, his attention shifted back to the person that lingered behind me. Clearly, they weren't going away, and I had no interest in trying to talk to a distracted Aether.

"Tell me what he looks like, or else," I demanded, slowly turning my head as a threat.

"Okay, fine. He's tall, I guess. Blond hair. Wearing a bit of red."

Very unhelpful.

"He's wearing a headband, too."

Now that descriptor made me pause. Combined with everything else, my heart fluttered as one particular person came to mind. If it really was Thoma, that meant he finally got the OK to be discharged. Why come to this part of the infirmary, though? Regardless of Thoma's intentions, he likely noticed it was me who sat at Aether's bedside.

"You know who he is," Aether said, observing my reaction. He looked past my shoulder again, this time with even more suspicion. Imitating me, though without the innocent interest, he asked, "A fan of yours?"

I couldn't resist turning around any longer. Sure enough, waiting by the entrance was Thoma. My breath hitched at the sight of him, standing tall and healthy after so long. His attention wasn't on me or Aether—he had drifted to a nearby vase of flowers and rearranged the blooms. With my eyes on him now, Thoma seemed to sense the shift and looked in our direction.

Our gazes met, and I lifted a hand, waving shyly. My fumbled interaction from this morning was no distant memory, and I felt the embarrassment roll back in full force. Thoma waved back, as friendly as ever.

"Great," Aether mumbled. "Now he's coming over."

There was no time for me to say anything before Thoma reached us. I stood on instinct, ready to share a hug, but a stupid mental block held me back. Curse my self-doubt. Staggering, I recovered terribly by holding out a hand.

Thoma stared at it as though my handshake offer was an alien lifeform. He took it anyway—bless his heart for the cooperation—and I missed the warmth he offered the second we let go.

"Hi," he said, smiling at the both of us. "I'm sorry if I distracted or interrupted any conversation, but I just had to stop by the treatment room. You see, on my way out, I couldn't help but notice Lumine's name in the logbook. I was worried something might have happened."

Aether scanned Thoma up and down. "And you are?"

"Oh, excuse me. Where are my manners?" Thoma let out a flustered chuckle. "My name is Thoma, and you must be Aether. I've heard a lot about you from Lumine, and Barbara told me that you made a big contribution to my recent recovery. You have my sincere thanks."

Aether's brows lifted, his suspicion replaced by intrigue. "So, you're the one. I'm glad I could help. Any friend of Lumine's is, well, there isn't much I wouldn't do for her."

"I completely understand," Thoma said.

My brother's fleeting intrigue had morphed into caution. "You do? Why?"

I realized that my biggest worry wasn't acting normal around Thoma again, but preventing Aether from demanding another duel. It might be possible to negotiate an arm wrestle.

"Are you alright?" Thoma asked Aether instead of giving an answer, his natural tendency to care for others shining through. "For someone of your caliber to be in the infirmary…is this related to the Abyss?"

Aether waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about me. It's nothing serious. If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate a new brawler technique I learned not long ago."

I poised my hand, ready to flick Aether's head once more. Thoma's presence wouldn't stop me. Aether had to learn somehow—except he showed no hostility. Had the brawler comment really been made…good-naturedly?

"Well then, it's a relief to know that the both of you are alright." Thoma was unfazed. His amiable attitude toward my brother remained as he said, "I didn't expect our first meeting to be this soon. Before I fell unconscious, your whereabouts were a total mystery to us, and where there used to be a hole in my memory, I now remember your successes from last year."

Aether's eyes tightened. "It's true. I'm the Champion that has caused everyone a great deal of trouble with the Abyss Order."

"There'll be time for me to learn the details later. I don't want that to be the focus right now. What's more important to me is seeing Lumine finally reunite with her family." Thoma smiled warmly at me. "Now that the fuss over my health is over, we can properly celebrate Aether's return."

It's not that I had forgotten how thoughtful Thoma was, but I still reveled in the wonderstruck reaction to his kindness. Even Aether sat momentarily speechless—his face lit up with pleasant surprise.

"Celebrate me?" Aether asked softly as though he hadn't come to terms with it.

"After you're out of the infirmary, of course." Thoma nodded astutely. "You can tell me your preferences, and I'll plan the rest. There's actually another topic I'd like to discuss with you, so let me know what time is most convenient."

I didn't miss how Thoma's eyes landed on me when referring to the other topic. Was this a conversation he wanted to have in private? Looking at Aether now, he no longer showed any hints of caution or distaste, so I imagined they would be fine alone.

"I can go," I offered and stepped away.

Protest was written all over Aether's face, but he paused and flicked his eyes back to Thoma.

"I won't be long," Thoma added. "And Lumine, if you can, please wait for me after Aether and I wrap up. There's something important I need to tell you."

My mind immediately decided that it was terrible news, and I was eager to distance myself as if that would actually prevent my fear from becoming a reality.

"Take all the time you need," I said with the realest smile I could muster.

Using our surroundings to my advantage, I ducked behind the curtain partition to quickly disappear. An idea to eavesdrop on them popped into my head, but I steadfastly ignored it and walked to the other end of the room. Instead of pacing around with only my spiraling thoughts as company, I sought out Childe. The location of his bed was easy to spot, hidden behind an identical curtain. I slightly pulled it aside and dragged a chair over.

Childe was still unconscious, and he didn't fake sleep like Aether had—not with his permanent frown. Even after I tapped the middle spot where his eyebrows furrowed, the tension remained. Clearly, the faulty Delusion caused more damage to Childe than Aether, and seeing him like this made it difficult to remain angry over the duel.

He would be back to normal eventually—the healers had said so—and I quietly repeated that fact as a reminder to not be worried.

"Who's stuck in the blankets, now?" I teased and poked his cheek.

No response.

After a moment, I sighed and peeked around the curtain to where Aether and Thoma were. The longer they talked, the more I grew curious, but I also appreciated the extra time I had to mentally prepare for Thoma's goodbye. Between watching Childe in his weakened state and letting curiosity get the better of me, I made a small change in location and moved to the reception area.

When I saw no sign of Qiqi, I assumed she was hidden behind the desk again. She didn't make a sound as I signed out, my eyes lingering on Thoma's neat script above mine. It was right when I stepped away to sit down that I noticed a small slip of paper on the desk. In bold letters, it read: on break.

It shouldn't have surprised me that even zombies needed time off, but I never saw Qiqi anywhere else other than when we went herb collecting together.

My time alone didn't last long. The footsteps I heard coming down the hall were too heavy to belong to Qiqi, and I thought of Thoma the second he entered the room. Okay, Lumine. You can do this.

"You're still here," he said with a note of surprise. "When I saw you leave the treatment area, I thought you'd left entirely."

Shaking my head, I crossed my arms. Was it chilly in here? No. Did the action help me feel a bit more secure? Not as much as I'd hoped.

"So…that thing you wanted to talk about," I said. "It's about this morning, isn't it?"

"You guessed right. I don't know how much you heard, but I want to explain the situation before you jump to any conclusions."

"I think I understand the gist of it. You're very important to the Kamisatos, and they're keeping your best interest at heart."

He nodded once. "That's true."

"Because they're just as important to you, it's only natural for you to listen to their request." My words came out confident and not at all representative of the dismay I felt. When Thoma nodded again, a lump formed in my throat. Still, I continued, "When do you leave?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

My mind had detached itself, and I tunnel-visioned on a different focus to distract from the weight crushing on my chest. "Aether's welcome back party might as well double as a farewell party for you. A bit of good to balance out the sad, don't you think?"

"Lumine, I'm not—"

"Xiangling can make more of that tri-color dango for everyone. If there's enough time, maybe we can—"

Thoma stepped in front of me, taking my shoulders in his hands and breaking my train of thought with the sincerity in his eyes. Staring up at him, I tried committing every detail of his face to memory. Who knew how long it would be before he returned? I couldn't stare for too long, though. Somehow, the sight of him brought more bitterness than sweetness.

"Listen to me," he said. "I'm staying here on Celestia Island—with you. Ayaka knows she can be quite persuasive. Though I understand she means well and is extending the intentions of Ayato, they cannot protect me from everything."

He…wasn't leaving?

Thoma's hand lifted to gently cup my cheek. "When I said I wanted to be with you, I meant it. Even if my life is put on the line, even if I have to face my own fears and ask the epitome of excellence for his blessing—I'll face it all. There isn't anything in this world, the Abyss, or Celestia itself that can change my mind."

Now that I was wrapped in Thoma's presence, it was impossible to doubt or question any longer. Like the sky clearing after a rough storm, I felt my heartache dissipate, replaced with sheepish joy. He only smiled after I did, and a bubble of embarrassed laughter burst from me.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier?"

"You ran off before I could get two words in."

He got me there, but I had a great defense. "Ayaka was still in the room. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable."

"Even with my lady present, I wouldn't change a single word of what I told you just now. What you mean to me has never been a secret, and she'll have to accept my decision. I was only pretending to consider her offer as a courtesy. It would be rude to make an outright rejection."

That made sense—everything did when it came to Thoma.

"And you're never rude."

"I wouldn't dare." Thoma leaned in close, his nose brushing mine. "If you're up for it, I'll take that kiss now."

My smile split wider—which was a problem because that made kissing anyone nearly impossible. Unfortunately, we had run out of time. Right as I got my grin under control and our noses touched again, a patter of footsteps signaled the return of Qiqi.

Her indifferent expression didn't betray her curiosity. "What's going on?"

The hardworking reception staff deserved longer breaks.

good luck to everyone wishing for nahida, nilou, and the weapons! i am enjoying the new area (and more primos) before the long-awaited dendro men. also, the spring hoyofair was a truly wonderful experience that led to some tears on my end lol