Phoebe came the next day like she said she would. "I’m taking him to the restorative facility. Sign him out for me."

Daro handed her some forms to sign. "I wish I could prescribe he can enter, but you know how it is."

"Put him in a wheelchair or something for me, will you?" Phoebe said slamming the pen down after filling out all the forms.

The restorative facility was located in the north end of the upper athletics wing.

"What’s the restorative facility?" Ash said looking up at Phoebe.

"It’s a special place reserved for the elite students. You just sit in some special water and whatever Daro couldn’t do, it’ll take care of."

"Special?"

"Do you really think you can understand it if I told you."

He thought about it for a second. "No, not really."

"Good, we’re here."

The entrance was framed by polished wood and hanging fabric. A deep blue curtain, split down the middle with white lettering, swayed gently in the humid air like an invitation. Steam curled lazily from behind it, carrying the faint scent of minerals and heat.

"What’s stopping anyone from entering this place normally?" Ash looked straight ahead. There wasn’t any physical door, or anything that looked like it prevented people from entering it.

Phoebe sighed, pushing him through the blue curtain.

"I see now." Ash said. The curtain only led to a foyer, two locked doors were beside each other with a key card terminal placed by each one.

"I obviously can’t get into the male side, so you’re just going to have to come with me." she swiped her student ID and the door unlocked.

"Wait are you sure that’s a good idea? Won’t I get in trouble?"

"I’ll be the one to get in trouble. Besides. Its usually vacant at this hour."

The water was warm and mineral-smelling, the air slightly humid. Inside, there were several large pools hidden by a thick layer of fog, each one connected by a narrow river of water.

"Its procedure to go without—"

"I know how these work just look away."

Ash lowered himself into pool in front of them, with his ribs complaining at the motion and his hands finding the pool’s edge until he was settled. The heat found the intercostal tear immediately.

He breathed in and found it came easier here than it had in the ward, the warmth loosening the tightness in the chest wall.

Phoebe entered in after him, her auburn hair floating above the hot water, trying to stay as far away as the pool allowed them to be.

"You look like you argued with a building," A voice called out from the fog.

"Vivian?" Ash asked not looking up.

"The one and only" She entered the same pool as them, preferring to stay near Ash. "You look like you fought a building."

"The building won."

"Obviously." She brought a hand around Ash’s shoulder and pinched his cheek. "How’s the lung?"

"Daro said it’s at eighty percent capacity."

"How long did he tell you?"

"Two days. Maybe one with the water."

She considered this the way she considered combat timelines. "One day" she said quietly to herself.

"Yeah I can work with one day."

Ash didn’t even want to ask.

"Have you seen Lucia around Pheebs?" Vivian called out.

"No. I have not Vivian. I believe she usually is at the gym at this hour." Phoebe politely responded.

"Lucia?" Ash asked.

"Ahh don’t worry about her" Vivian said splashing some water around with her hand. "Anyways, I won’t tell anyone about this as long as we get that fight Ash" Vivian said, standing up in front of him.

He took a deep breath. "Can Phoebe fight for me?"

"Hah! That’s a good one" She slapped his shoulder which caused him to squeal in pain. "Sorry about that. If you see Lucia let me know Pheebs."

"Of course, Vivian."

Vivian left the pool finally.

"Pheebs?" Ash said with a slight laugh.

"Don’t. Start." She said slowly. "Or I’ll leave you parked outside."

"Oh, its you two." A soft spoken voice said interrupting their conversation. "I’m sorry I should have thought about this place. Thank you for taking him here" Azure said.

She entered the same pool, choosing to stay closer to Ash, than to Phoebe.

"It’s not your fault." Ash said.

"Here, you should take one of these." Azure handed him a cooling eye mask, which he did his best to put over his eyes.

The water around his hand had changed density.

The resistance was slightly higher, the movement of water against his fingers carrying more weight than the temperature alone explained. He’d been letting the healing properties do their work and somewhere in the relaxation his concentration had slipped.

"The water feels heavier here," Azure said pointing the change out.

"Thermal... variation?" Ash answered.

Azure tilted her head slightly into the water. "Mm. It feels nice."

She looked at him and let the explanation sit without either accepting or contesting it. Then she went back to her spot in between Ash and Phoebe.

From the far end of the section, another presence made themselves known. A girl with black hair arranged in a style that suggested formality even in warm water and dark violet eyes stepped to the partition edge. She looked at Ash like someone examining a contract they’d reviewed once and found incomplete.

"Lucia," Phoebe spoke. "Were you here this whole time?"

"Hmm... something like that." She said "I don’t really want to see Vivian at the moment, and it sounded like something interesting was about to happen here."

She settled into place, just beside Ash.

"You’re that Null student right?"

"Ash," he said.

"I know. You know boys like you aren’t allowed on this side" her hand brushed against his chin.

"I entered with a wheelchair. I’m practically crippled" he choked out.

"Hmm... I won’t tell anyone if you can tell me about the eastern district anomalies," she said, quietly enough that the other two girls couldn’t hear them. "You’ve been tracking them."

Ash looked at her.

"Someone has, I know it." she said. "The pattern is documented in enough detail that it’s not casual observation." She held his gaze for a moment. "I’m interested in who else is paying attention."

"I’m not the one you should ask."

"Lucia, you are an A-rank student and member of the Crimson Workshop. Please act like one" Phoebe said from across the pool.

She immediately stood and sloshed around the pools to tell Phoebe off when a voice interrupted her.

"This isn’t the place for that."

Everyone froze.

"Evelyn." Lucia said not turning from her stance.

"Lucia, would you prefer to talk to me about the district anomalies instead? Perhaps in front of your Workshop master at Akinora’s."

"That won’t be necessary" she dipped her body all the way into the pool, her violet eyes the only thing barely visible. She made her way around the river to the end of the room where she came from. Her eyes were still visible through the steam at the far end of the room, watching if Evelyn would chase after her.

Evelyn finally entered, the pool, sitting by Phoebe. "I heard about what happened to him." her eyes stared directly at Phoebe.

"Yes. I heard too, which is why I invited him. I apologize for his intrusion."

Evelyn waved her hand. "That’s not needed. Try to find me before you invite him next time. This is a place for healing, not for disturbances like her."

Evelyn’s winter-ocean eyes pierced through the steam and found where Lucia was hiding.

Evelyn slowly approached Ash.

"I should have known. I should have prevented it. Let me know what you need"

"That’s not—" Ash began to say when something stopped him. The hunger inside him began rearranging itself after digesting Sora’s shade fully.

Evelyn looked more concerned now. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. It’s just the heat" he said through heavy breaths. "I feel like I’ve been in the hot water for too long."

"That is most likely. Phoebe? If you will."

Phoebe dressed herself before helping Ash out of the pool and back up onto the wheelchair.

Ash still didn’t understand his second awakening fully. He thought, while Phoebe wheeled him back to the medic ward, that he should probably understand it before it became a problem.

He suspected it already was.