“I’ve come to the conclusion that you are a complete and utter fool. Completely, wholly, out of your Graces-be-damned mind.”

  Feeling a dull ache everywhere, Ty opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. To no surprise, she was in the infirmary. The large, tall mosaic windows depicting the twelve Graces, both the forward and backward facets, gave it away easily; she had been told that during her orientation tour that they usually produced a calming effect on patients, but she didn’t think that she would ever be the one experiencing it.

  The Graces of the Land, Wind, Water, Fire, Light, and Dark. Lycea and Noa, Hythe and Ethy, Caspos and Sepicas, Sephec and Uphes, Eslah and Chalsis, Anasot and Thaon…they were all there, each counterpart across from each other. Looking heavenly and unreachable as always.

  I guess it’s a good distraction, she thought to herself.

  “No one with half the common sense of a normal person would even fathom doing something like that. And you’re supposed to be the sane one. I should contest your exam marks to see that you didn’t cheat to get in.”

  Theo kept ranting, sitting in his own chair by her bedside, scribbling in a notebook while studying a book he had propped up on her nightstand.

  She watched him out of the corner of her eye, trying to remain as still as possible.

  “You knew you wouldn’t be able do any casting. And some part of you had to know what was going to happen if you grabbed a sword, out of all things.”

  Maybe it was the medicine she was on, or the fact that Theo looked so funny trying to both study and complain at the same time, but Ty couldn’t help but crack a smile.

  “It’s like what I told you the other day went in one ear and out the other. You even had that injured leg—you know how many sutures I had to put into you? No, no, not just your stomach. That wasn’t enough for you. For the love of all Graces, apparently that sword screamed hold onto me and you grasped onto it like your life depended on it. And then, you somehow thought that it was a good idea to just stand up and walk away. I can’t believe you. I—I can’t—”

  He finally glanced at Ty, and then almost didn’t notice she was awake until he did a double take. “Good afternoon, tactician,” he muttered bitterly, still riled up.

  “Good afternoon, physician,” she whispered back, dropping her grin when reality came flooding back. “Who won?”

  Putting down his journal, Theo sat facing Ty with a straight back and calm composure, as if reciting words he had memorized by heart. He breathed in. “That should be the least of your worries. You have six exterior sutures where Rivi’s sword went through you—you’re lucky nothing it hit wasn’t fixable—and then seven in your hand, all of which you will need to keep dry. Use a spell, cover it up, do whatever you need to do so that I can take them out in two weeks without any fuss. And it was no one. No one won.”

  Ty nodded slowly in understanding, fearful of trying to move any other part of her body because her chest already slightly ached. “Did you give me anything?”

  He reached down and grabbed his bag from the floor to search for something. “Nothing for the pain. I did apply an Anesthese about two hours ago so I could work on you, so you might start feeling uncomfortable soon. When that happens, you’ll have to apply it yourself.”

  She looked at the dark, worn-out black book he produced from his bag, which he flipped through quickly before stopping at a page and showing it to her.

  “Immunity,” she read the page aloud.

  Theo nodded. “Just use this and a Refresh every two to four hours depending on the severity of the pain. Do you have a support tome with it? This one only has one authorization, so you might want to—”

  Ty blinked, interrupting, “Isn’t Immunity for more serious injuries? Stacking a Refresh onto a base Immunity is a waste, especially so frequently. It couldn’t have been that bad.”

  He stared at her.

  “What?”

  Theo looked like he was going to keel over. “I’m your principal physician for a reason, Ty. Please listen to me.”

  She watched him steadily, making sure he was looking at her when she gave him her reply. “And I’m telling you that I can tolerate the pain.”

  There it was again—that unusual, dull ache in her chest.

  “Then don’t stack Refreshes,” he groaned, hanging his head in defeat. “Just use a Revitalize whenever it starts hurting.”

  A part of her felt bad after all the work he had done on her. He looked exhausted, especially after having been admitted to the infirmary himself earlier that day.

  “Hey,” she mused softly. “What’s your recommendation for chest pain?”

  He snapped his head up. “You have chest pain?”

  Ty nodded, craning her neck and looking down at herself. “Yeah, it’s happened a few times recently.”

  “What does it feel like?”

  “Like...an ache.”

  “Is it a sharp ache?” He looked confused. “Are you sure it’s not...only a thing you have?”

  She frowned. “No, I said it ached.”

  Theo was at a loss for words for a good handful of seconds.

  “…Do you remember when it last happened?”

  “Just now.”

  They met each other’s eyes: Ty nonchalant, and Theo concerned that his class leader was going to suddenly collapse and die. “What?” he exclaimed.

  “When I told you that I didn’t need the Immunity.”

  The reply made Theo relax, but only for a second. “So, you’re basically giving me another reason to make you use the Immunity.”

  “Well, it doesn’t hurt now,” she protested defensively.

  He sighed, closed his eyes, and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay,” he reasoned, “The next time it happens, let me know and I guess I can check it out?”

  “I suppose I can live with it.”

  Theo finally threw his hands up in the air. “No, you cast an Immunity like I told you to!” he complained exasperatedly, standing up and then sitting back down when he remembered he was in the infirmary. “Listen, Ty,” he continued under his breath. “I don’t know how you were raised, but you clearly aren’t used to looking after yourself properly. What I told you yesterday, and what I’m continuing to tell you now, is that you need to realize that if you go, then this entire class goes. It’d be different if we were in our second year and substitutes were allowed, but we just got here. And I’m the one who’s responsible for looking after you, whether I like it or not, so can you just listen to me and stop being so self-absorbed all the time?”

  Reality finally hit her. She looked away. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Can I use your tome?” She lifted up her right hand to take the book that Theo held out and then remembered something important.

  She flipped over her hand, half expecting to see it still covered in blood. But it was clean. No longer tainted. Only human.

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  Theo placed the heavy tome in her outstretched hand, and she took it, its weight slightly comforting on her chest as she closed her eyes and whispered the spell.

  When she finished and opened her eyes, offering Theo back his book, she could feel no more pain emanating from her abdomen or her hand.

  “No, that didn’t do it,” she sighed, feeling the pain in her chest grow, as if it knew what she was trying to do. “It still hurts.”

  Taking back his tome, Theo was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. “Are you…sad?” he prodded uncharacteristically gently.

  “Sad?” Ty repeated initially with a shaky laugh, as if it was an absurd idea. And then she saw that Theo was serious, and repeated the word again, growing quiet this time. “…Sad?”

  The more she thought about it, the more she didn’t want to. So, she ignored the pitiful look Theo was giving her and used her right hand to pull her sheets off her to inspect the damage. Her left hand was bound in bandages, and where she had been hit in the stomach—she couldn’t see. The white blouse she was wearing was tucked into her skirt like she had worn it during the battle. No, that can’t be right—there was no rip.

  Realization dawned on her.

  “Did you…? You took off my shirt.”

  “I had to.”

  “Where is it?”

  “I wrapped it up and gave it to Callie. I asked her to get me a new one, but she cleaned it and brought it back.”

  Silence.

  “And then you dressed me.”

  “…Yes.”

  She turned to Theo, completely serious. “Is…that normal?”

  He looked at her with wide and confused eyes, his face a slight shade redder than usual. “I…I’m pretty sure it is?”

  Right on time to diffuse the awkwardness between the two students, the doors to the infirmary swung open.

  “I told you, I can manage,” yelled a voice.

  “No, you’re going to let me look at that, or I’m going to every one of your professors to exempt you from class,” another yelled back.

  “As if!”

  “I’m on the student council, watch me! Now sit down.”

  As both of them approached, they finally saw who the two were: Rivi and the physician who had been with Nate. Rivi, plainly limping, left pant leg soaked with dried blood, and her senior, rolling up the sleeves of her sweater while rushing into the office at the other end of the room.

  “Hey, I knew she looked familiar. That’s Chel—she attended to me earlier today.” He hummed thoughtfully.

  Just then, Rivi walked by and took a seat on the nearest available bed, which was conveniently located to the left of Ty. “Oh, it’s you,” she scoffed with a disgusted look on her face. “Getting saved by a guy, typical.”

  Ty stopped, took a few seconds to fully process the remark, and then turned her head to her. “He’s my principal physician,” she stated slowly and obviously, not even sure where to begin with the absurdity of such a comment.

  “Your principal support’s a girl, isn’t she?”

  Despite Theo’s warning about her wound, Ty abruptly sat up and opened her mouth in appall, about to say something she knew she was going to regret when she stopped herself. “I’m done.” Making sure not to put any unnecessary pressure on her wounds, she turned around to Theo’s side and used his chair to prop herself up.

  “Yeah, that’s right, run away,” Rivi snapped just as Chel came back from the office.

  Lugging a supply cart behind her, the physician didn’t look too surprised to see Theo. “Oh, Theo, didn’t think I’d see your face in here again, after this morning and all. Taking care of your tactician?”

  Theo grimaced, not sure which part of what she said he hated more. “Yes.”

  Chel gave the two a sweet smile. “Well, I’m going to tend to this little lady here, who I spent far too much time tracking down. You both take care, okay?”

  Letting go of the chair and slinging the bag and cloak hanging at the end of her bed over her shoulder, Ty began walking away slowly, doing her best not to hunch over too much from clutching her side. The Immunity spell unfortunately did not invalidate all the pain, and her ability to heal wounds faster only got her so far.

  “Oh!” Chel exclaimed, right as the two began leaving. “If Nate’s still waiting for me outside, tell him I won’t be long!”

  Upon hearing the professor’s name, Ty immediately turned back to the doorway and rushed through it with reckless abandon.

  She was already halfway through by the time Theo realized what was happening, but fortunately he had a strong enough grip on her free arm, holding her back so she didn’t accidentally fall and undo all his hard work.

  There, leaning against a pillar, looking at the courtyard, was the child professor.

  “You could have at least warned me!” Ty called after him, cursing that she couldn’t face him herself because of Theo.

  Nate put something back into his robe and turned his head around to meet her indignant gaze. “Doesn’t work that way.”

  She gritted her teeth, trying to swallow her annoyance. “Where’s Elias?”

  “Ty, be nice, he’s a professor,” hissed Theo.

  His face was neutral and unbothered, but all Ty could imagine was the maliciousness behind his cool passivity. “Should be in his dorm room studying after being reprimanded by the admin earlier, right Theo?”

  At the mention of his name, Theo immediately stood at attention. “I...I don’t know. I’ve been with Ty the entire time—but I’m sure if you say he is...he must be.” He looked at his charge, gave her a stern look, and then softened his features to face Nate. “Physician Chelsi told us to tell you that she won’t be long.”

  Nate paused for a pensive second before nodding to Theo. “Thank you. I will see you in class on Monday,” he concluded stonily, turning back around.

  “What was that?” Theo asked, letting go of Ty and looking at her in bafflement as she started shuffling her way down the path to the dorms.

  “There’s something about him,” she responded tersely, inhaling sharply and letting go of her side before trying to walk properly. Students were giving her weird looks, and she stuck out like a sore thumb. “What happened after the duel?”

  But Theo’s interest was piqued. “What do you mean, do you know him?”

  “I saw him at the library yesterday,” she spoke quickly to go back to focusing her energy into walking away from prying eyes.

  “Oh?”

  Though Ty knew he wanted answers, she did not intend to humor him; the conversation in the infirmary, she had convinced herself, was an anomaly. An anomaly produced by the Graces watching over her as she lay vulnerable in bed, laughably weak and frail.

  “What happened after the duel?” she asked again, noticing the empty courtyard to her left.

  “I brought you to the infirmary, and Halle let the festivities continue for another hour before wrapping up,” he recounted. “Now, what’s up with the professor?”

  Ty abruptly stopped when she was right about to tell Theo off for not picking up on the fact that she didn’t want to talk about it. “Wait.” She raised her right hand and grabbed Theo by the shoulder, turning him so his back was to the courtyard, and she was in front of him. “I recognize this,” she said eerily. “Stay there, Theo. Let me…”

  Easily conjuring a saber in her hand that she tucked under her left arm, she grabbed her classmate with her remaining good hand. “Come.”

  “Wha—hey!” he protested as she dragged him into the center of the courtyard.

  It was right here. It was right here, the memory. The memory before the battle started.

  She could still see the fire. The red, bleeding sky, the person who stood in front of her as she brought her sword down upon them.

  They were in their cloak.

  Ty released Theo, ignoring his bewildered expression and thrusting her cloak in front of him. “Theo, wear this.”

  “That’s a tactician’s robe, though,” he objected.

  “Just for a moment.”

  With both hands, keeping a steady eye on his class leader, he put it on. It fit well, considering that he was barely taller than her, and they were both equally scrawny. “Do you want me to put on the hood?”

  “No. Stay there.” She took the sword from her left arm and held it tightly in her right.

  “You’re…not going to hurt me, right?” Theo whispered with a hint of fear in his eyes. “Like, as retaliation for the day before.”

  “I’m not.”

  Theo watched her motionlessly, gulping as she raised it as high as she could—which wasn’t very high.

  For some reason, he trusted that she would keep her word.

  I don’t want to hurt you, she thought to herself with large and determined eyes, sword still raised. But I…I need…I have to.

  Nothing made sense, and it hurt.

  Instead of bringing it down on Theo like she had seen in her vision, she let go of the sword and dismissed it, letting it dissipate before hitting the ground. Sad. Yes, she had felt sad. She still felt sad.

  “I’ve been here before,” she articulated slowly, letting her arm fall to her side. “You were right here, with me. I killed you.” She tilted her head. “But I was crying.”

  “Which isn’t possible, right?” replied Theo cautiously.

  “It was you,” she insisted. “You…were wearing a cloak. And I had a sword.” Feeling more confused than ever, she passed her hand over her face. “Remember those dreams I told you about? Something like that happened when I was here…before fighting Rivi. I saw something, and I think it was important.”

  Maybe it was real. Maybe it wasn’t. If it was, then what would the point be? Why did it matter now, and why did she remember it? If this was real, then did that mean everything else was?

  “Are you sure it wasn’t…your subconscious wanting to kill me for what I did to you the other day?” He eyed her suspiciously. “Are you alright?”

  “No. No, I’m not,” she answered bleakly. “Maybe I’m just delusional and want a reason to be here. It wouldn’t be the craziest thing, knowing who I am. And Nate…he knew my full name, even though I didn’t tell him. He said he’s been around for a long time, knew where things were…what if…what if we’ve been around for a long time too, but just forgot?”

  Theo remembered his unanswered question. “When did you talk to him?”

  “Yesterday, after you left me in the courtyard. I…I passed out. When I woke up, he was there. He gave me the medicine you saw me take. He and the Headmistress—”

  “The Headmistress showed up?” Theo yelled aloud in shock, forgetting to feel guilty.

  “Maybe my mother told the Headmistress, and she told Nate.” Ty nodded sullenly, feeling even more discouraged than she had felt after losing to Rivi. She hadn’t considered that perhaps her dreams were subconscious delusions, that perhaps she had been searching for a reason to fit in. That maybe she was making everything up. Maybe the dream where she had been stabbed was repentance for all her mistakes, all the trouble she felt like she was to her classmates who always stayed their distance. A fitting end for a failure.

  Voicing none of this aloud, she sighed despondently and began to walk away. “Maybe it’s because I’m a halfling. Let’s go.”

  “In your vision,” Theo asked gently as he followed, “Why did you kill me?”

  Watching her shoes shuffle through the courtyard, making imprints that would undoubtedly be gone in the morning, she replied equally quietly, “It felt like the right thing to do. I think maybe…you also knew that. You didn’t try to stop me. You just stood there.”

  Theo hummed, and then replied in a carefree voice, “Sounds like I deserved it, then.”

  Despite the heaviness in her heart, Ty managed to crack a tiny smile.