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Lumine was homesick. Though she didn't exactly have a permanent home, being at her brother's side as they traveled worlds felt like one. Nothing felt safer than them journeying alongside each other. She never imagined that they would ever be torn apart. After all, twins are supposed to be inseparable, right?
She clutched her chest, feeling overwhelmed by bottled up emotions. It seemed that her feelings were starting to overflow as her heart yearned for it's missing half. Flashbacks to their terrible encounter with the Unknown God plagued her mind and the memory of Aether's face as he was consumed by red cubes tormented her. She had no idea if he was still in Teyvat or if he was okay, or even if he was alive. No. Lumine refused to think about it. If—no, when she will find Aether, he'll definitely scold her for thinking he couldn't take care of himself, and getting an earful from him wasn't her ideal reunion.
That's why she had been fighting to be optimistic throughout her search. She persevered through being in an unknown world, apart from Aether. Along the way, she made remarkable friends and grew accustomed to the wondrous lands of Mondstadt and Liyue. She fought hard battles and faced powerful enemies, big and small. Now, she was traveling across Teyvat with her trusted companions: the Tianquan, Ningguang, rockstar Xinyan, wolf-boy Razor, and exorcist Chongyun. They were an interesting mix, for sure, with many quirks and traits clashing yet also complementing each other. Though she was reluctant to admit it, Lumine found a piece of home in them too.
That comfort, of course, didn't fill in the hole. Though she endured much, she still couldn't ignore the underlying anxiety and guilt sitting in her stomach. Many people told her that she was a silent person who hardly expressed any emotion. In response, Lumine would brush them off with a reassuring smile but deep inside, she knew that she was afraid of the shame eating at her. She never fully adapted to Teyvat; she didn’t want to. Lumine was too fearful that Aether could be alone somewhere cold and bare while she was laughing in a warm room surrounded by people. Every time she smiled, she could taste something bitter. Every time she laughed, she choked on regret. In the end, she just couldn't stop replaying the moment she lost him, as if each frame was burned into her head.
"Lumine."
She heard somebody calling out to her. A familiar voice. Her heart rate quickened as she recognized it. Her head spun around to see Aether, flashing his dumb cheeky grin as he waved. He looked exactly the same as she last saw him. At that moment, she wanted to cry, to let all the burdens she built over time spill out. To empty her heavy heart so she could finally welcome back her twin sincerely.
"Lumine!"
The voice was louder this time, making Lumine's eyes fly open. Instantly, she gasped and sat up in cold sweat. Her heartbeat was pulsing in her head and she was breathing hard. Where was he? Confused, she frantically looked around, hoping to see a certain someone.
Instead, as Lumine's vision cleared, she came face to face with Chongyun. The young exorcist looked at her gently, concern written all over his face. He had shaken her awake. His hand gripped her shoulder protectively.
She looked up at Chongyun dumbfoundedly, trying to grasp the situation.
"You were having a nightmare," a soothing voice said from behind Chongyun. Lumine moved her head to see the rest of her party staring at her. Ningguang was the one who spoke, standing in front of a campfire. On her right, Razor paused his feast on Mondstadt hash-browns, and on her left, Xinyan had her guitar in hand.
Fully awake now, Lumine relaxed her body. It all came back to her. That's right, they were on their way to Inazuma. Currently, they were still in Liyue to finish some errands and at the moment, they were camping for the night. She recalled being exhausted right before dinner, so she must’ve taken an accidental nap.
A nightmare, Ningguang had said. It did feel like a nightmare. Lumine bit her lip. Was she twisting and turning in her sleep? How bad was it that they had to wake her up? She attempted to laugh it off so that her friends wouldn’t worry, but as soon as she looked back at Chongyun, she felt a wave of tears escape her restraint. To think that he was her brother. The hope that she tasted for just a mere second was robbed—and it was all her fault. She gave herself unnecessary hope and it stabbed her in the heart.
Her teammates looked at her with worry, empathizing with her grief. Though Lumine never went in-depth about being apart from her twin, they could understand the heartache draining her. Chongyun chose to sit on the rock to Lumine’s left while Xinyan took the seat to her right. Ningguang decided to stand behind Lumine, lightly caressing the traveler's head. Razor, although perplexed and a bit clueless, sat in front of the group, facing her with sad eyes.
She felt embarrassed from the attention, opting to shield her face with her hands. For someone who hardly communicates her feelings, bursting out like this must've been a shock to her friends. Lumine continued to cry, rubbing at her tear-stained cheeks and letting out little apologies in between. No one said anything but they still offered their solace. Chongyun kept his hand on her shoulder and Xinyan patted her other arm. As Ningguang stroked Lumine's hair, Razor took her hand.
This sincerity...it closely resembled the comfort Aether gave her when she cried like this. The familiar embrace made her weep harder.
Finally, her sob calmed down into quiet sniffles. Her tears ceased and the group remained quiet except for a few hiccups from Lumine. As she was recovering, Xinyan broke the silence.
"Hey, it's all right, Lumine. No need to apologize for all that, we betcha we’re here for you." To see the fiery features of Xinyan's face soften was a rare sight, but Lumine nodded, consoled by the warmth that seemed to never leave the musician.
"I'm confident we'll find your brother. Rest assured that we're all doing our part looking for him," Ningguang said. "Sooner or later, we'll find him."
Chongyun went next. "It doesn't hurt to talk about your feelings sometimes, y'know. I am a pretty good listener—at least that’s what Xingqiu says."
As everybody else said their piece, Razor tilted his head. He released Lumine's hand and instead, pointed at her. "You are Lupical. And you are finding your Lupical, yes?. Razor will help. Razor wants you to be happy."
At the goofy but charming words of Razor, Lumine couldn't hold back a small giggle. She was still ashamed and blue, but the support from her companions had sparked something inside of her.
The feeling that brought her to despair just minutes ago: hope. They were giving her all their strength and compassion, how could she not feel hope? She felt her lips curve into a smile. Lumine uncovered her face, facing her friends. She couldn't feel the bitter taste of guilt in her mouth this time. Instead, she felt a fire burning in her (hopefully not because of Xinyan's vision).
"Thank you all, I appreciate it," she said, her voice still raw from the breakdown.
Everyone nodded, happy to see a once-in-a-lifetime smile on her face.
"How about we talk about stuff?" Chongyun shyly suggested, gesturing for Lumine to get closer to the campfire (not him though, he would start sweating in an instant if he got one step closer).
"Aw yeah! That’s up my alley! Let me play you guys a tune," Xinyan agreed loudly. She grabbed her guitar and started strumming on the strings in her usual vigor.
Ningguang sighed as she returned to her initial position. "Xinyan, I recommend something that isn't so passionate. Please take note of the mood."
"Aw, man! I guess I can try one of my calmer songs."
Razor scooted closer to the fire, finding his plate of food. He then placed a warm hash-brown into Lumine's hands, urging her to take a bite.
"Eat. Dinnertime."
And so, basked in the warmth of not just the fire, but also the warmth of her teammates, Lumine decided to open up and tell them about her memories with Aether—from braiding his hair every week to the pinky promises her brother forced her to make. As she talked, his face and dorky smile flashed in her mind once again. Hopefully, when they reunite, she'll successfully escape the earful Aether will give her for embarrassing him in front of her friends.