My eyes blink and a low stream of yellow light floods in. A familiar softness of sheets is wrapped around my arms, it takes a few seconds for my vision to readjust. I can only remember blackness, now my eyes are pushed into an open light. A hand waivers over my forehead, it's the only thing in focus. The hand washes over my face, afraid of more destruction, I snap up. My body flings forward and I stop the hand from touching me. I notice the hand belongs to Ophelia and she holds in her hand, a warm, damp towel.
"Lay down," Ophelia says, "Please," she runs the the towel over my forehead and I squirm my body down into the covers. I realize I'm in the infirmary of the Team House. My throat closes and chokes as I notice the intense pain in my hip. Maia sits down next to me on the bed.
"How're you feeling?" she asks and brushes the loose hairs from my forehead. I begin to kick the covers off myself and push away from Maia.
"I have to see Echo," I say.
"No," she interrupts, and Ophelia pulls me back to the bed. She lifts up the shirt to check on my wound. The magic dust has been cleaned from the cut, and the blood has scabbed itself over. The flesh is pink, purple, and has a layer of puss of it. It still stings and is tender to the touch. Ophelia takes a spray bottle of medicine, she shakes it and without my consent, sprays it directly on my wound. I wince at the burning and stinging sensation the medicine abides.
"Ophelia, I feel fine," I say, "thank you, and what happened with Evian and Ky? Did Echo tell him?"
"Calm down," Maia coos, "Evian and Ky have been informed of the state of their parents. They've decided to join the Team, but Evian has not come out of his bedroom since."
"Let me talk to him," I beg.
"Celestia, it's not okay for you to push yourself if you're injured. I think we should call off the Recruitment Ball," Maia says, gentle and smooth trying to throw off my groove.
"No!" I snap, dodging her edgy sweetness, "I'm injured, but everyone poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the Ball! It wouldn't be fair to them!"
"Stop it, no one will be mad at you for canceling it," Ophelia coaxes.
I shake her off, "I don't care if they're mad, I'll be mad at myself."
Maia gives up, she throws her hands upward, "If you feel fine, you're free to go," she sighs. Ophelia gives her a look and Maia shakes her head, Ophelia gives up, as well. With a victory, I push myself from the bed. I smooth out the oversized shirt and readjust the socks on my toes. I feel the ground beneath me, solid and sturdy as I make my way from the infirmary to to the staircase. It hurts a bit when I walk, something doesn't feel right. There seems to be a miscommunication between my nerves and the ligaments attaching all my muscles and bones. I grip the stair railing. I feel my the pads of my fingertips grip the rail as my hand skin slides up.
I stop in front of Evian's new room, in between Ophelia 'n Lain's and Simon. Ky's room stands next to Simon's, smartly placed near a responsible set of adults. On Ky's opposite side is Maia. I knock on Evian's door, there is no response, I place my ear up against the door, I hear rustling and rumbling.
"Celestia?" Thorne calls from behind me. I lift my ear from the door.
"Hi," I play off.
"You feeling okay?"
"Yeah, what's up? How's Echo?" I ask.
"He won't talk," she says.
"What?"
"Since you came home yesterday afternoon, he muttered a word or so to Maia, then locked himself up. Just like Evian," she sighs.
"Huh," I breathe.
