I woke up in the healing center. I have just enough time to recall the inflicting incident before Elwin rushes over to me. 

“You’re going to be another Sophie for me, aren’t you? It’s your first day back at school, and hours after P.E. ended, so you didn’t injure yourself there. What session were you in? Why did I leave my office to find Councillor Bronte carrying both you and Sophie unconscious into here?” 

“Hi Elwin. We were in inflicting lessons. We were supposed to inflict on each other, but our beams of light collided, and here we are.” 

“This sounds a lot like that time that Sophie and Fitz had to come in here during P.E.. Always someone being too special, and landing themselves, and their friend in the healing center.” He sighs. “Drink this, and you’ll be good to go to study hall.” Just then Sophie stirs. She endures a lecture similar to mine, and drinks a similar looking elixir. Elwin goes to the back, surely to find the most disgusting elixir he can feed us, and Sophie looks at me. 

“What happened?” She asks. 

“I don’t know. I was about to inflict happiness on you, then I guess our beams of light collided, and it was sort of like when you combine core energy and a brain push.” I replied. 

“That’s… different. I wonder if we’re the first inflictors with glowing red beams to inflict on each other at the same time.” Huh. I’d never think of that. We debated theories on why it had happened for the rest of that time, as well as chugging a few gag-worthy serums from Elwin, until it was time for study hall. We were allowed to go, after promising that we wouldn’t do anything dangerous. We walk in the doors, and I sit next to Sophie. I don’t really pay attention to who sits around me as I pull out one of my favorite books to read. It’s called ‘The Rebel Groups: Who is in the Right or Wrong?’ by Lord Balius. I love it, because the information he has is so small, and often incorrect. I find it hilarious, as someone who really has seen how the Black Swan operates. I read his desperate guesses on what is going on with the Black Swan and Neverseen, when I reach the section about Wraith. I just looked up to think again about who he might really be when I saw the face that flipped my whole world upside down again. It… couldn’t be him. That’s too good to be true. But the strawberry-blonde boy looks up from his book, and I see the periwinkle eyes that I thought I would never see again. Unmistakably, this is Dex Dizznee. As I fight the sob threatening to come out my throat, I think a few tears slip down my cheek. Soon, I’m a river of silent tears. Sophie must have noticed because she slips me a note, asking if I’m ok. I slowly shake my head, and she transmits to me. 

What’s going on? Do you need anything? Should we leave? 

No. I transmit back. But, is that… Dex Dizznee? 

Yeah… Do you have a problem with him? 

No. But I do need to talk to him. 

Ok, let me tell him to come find us after this ends, unless you need to talk to him sooner. 

No, I can wait. I look at him again. Can I wait? I figure Sophie transmitted to him, because he jumps a little, and looks at Sophie. He looks exactly the same as my Dex. I try to read my book again, but I can’t concentrate. Nothing in the world matters, except him, and the fact that he’s alive, and that he’s in this universe, and I can talk to him again, and I can see his eyes, and… it all just seems too wonderful to be true. After class finally ends, I stand up, looking for Dex. 

“Hey,” Sophie says to me. “Why do you need to see Dex? He won’t hear you, since he has to round up the triplets. He’ll come here after he sends them home.” 

“I… used to know him. Really well. We were actually… dating. And he was the one who built the machine that got me here, and I thought he wasn’t in this universe, and like half the times I just started crying were because I miss him, and he sacrificed his life to get me here, and-” there’s more I want to say, but I’m too busy crying. 

“Shhh… it’s ok. Why did you think that he wasn’t here?” 

“I don’t know. I just never saw him, and nobody mentioned him. He wasn’t at lunch today.” 

“He had detention for helping Fitz with the banner prank. Me and Marella were talking about that.” 

“I guess I wasn’t listening well enough.” 

“Nobody blames you.” She says as she hugs me for another minute. I pull away and dry my tears. 

“Sophie? Why did you want to see me? Is everything ok?” I whip around and immediately start crying again. It’s Dex.