Chapter IX

Summary

• The protagonist wakes up in pain, lying on a bed and hears voices talking around them. He remains still, pretending to still be unconscious.
• The voices belong to a young man and woman, discussing whether they’ll get in trouble for being present. They mention a Transvect from Tensia that had crashed and look on at the protagonist curiously.
• A cough gives the protagonist away and he feigns waking. He speaks to the ceiling and is then given water. The woman introduces herself as Emissa and the man as Indol.
• The room they are in is long with five separate beds, paintings on the wall, and a massive symbol with words indicating power and unity. The protagonist finds out he’s in the Catenan Academy’s infirmary.
• In conversation, the protagonist learns that the Quintus who was with him during the crash is okay and speaking with some of the "Praeceptors".
• Before the protagonist can question further, another girl abruptly enters warning others that someone is coming. Emissa and Indol quickly leave, asking the protagonist to keep their presence a secret.
• Soon after, a physician enters the room and checks the protagonist's condition. They discuss the events of the crash and the protagonist carefully navigates his explanation to avoid revealing too much.
• The physician unwraps the bandage around the protagonist's wound and questions how the Quintus ended up with an arrow wound. The protagonist's lie is interrupted by a commotion outside.
• A man named Marcus peeks in and the physician asks him to let the source of the commotion in. Quintus enters, cleaned and dressed in fresh clothes, showing very little signs of his previous condition.
• Ulciscor only acknowledges the protagonist and offers a bleak hello to the physician, Veridius.