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“When will you be back?”
The words left Amber’s mouth, only to hang in the air, unanswered. The atmosphere was heavy and solemn, and every single movement of the girl across from her seemed to carry a certain weight.
The thought that this could be the last time Amber would ever see her again made her tear up. She knew she really shouldn’t be crying at a time like this, not when they were supposed to be celebrating Lumine’s victory. She couldn’t help but feel selfish and ashamed when she felt the heroine’s arms wrap gently around her, knowing full well that this could be the last time she would ever receive a hug from her again.
After all, Lumine was a traveler, and it was inevitable that she would have to move on from Mondstadt someday. In just 30 short minutes, Lumine would leave Mondstadt, possibly forever, on her quest to find her lost brother. She would move on from Amber, from the Knights, from the Land of the Wind. She would make new friends and possibly even get another lover. Before long, Amber would just be a faint memory, a faded name that Lumine wouldn’t be able to match to a face, a stain in her memory that Lumine would barely spare a second thought to. Eventually, Lumine would leave their world, as once she found her brother they would surely continue their journey to travel across thousands of worlds, and Teyvat would slowly cease to exist in her memory.
Amber felt soft skin swipe across her face, drying her wet cheeks. “I’ll definitely come back. I could never forget Mondstadt. I’ve made countless memories here, and developed so many friendships. And most importantly, I met you.” Lumine’s typically stoic face was dusted with a shade of light pink, as if she felt embarrassed to be saying something so cliché. “Who knows? Maybe once I find my brother, we might even settle down here. We’ve been travelling for a long time, and perhaps it’s time we finally find a place to call home. And what better place is there than the City of Freedom, filled with the people who welcomed me when I first woke up in Teyvat?”
Lumine’s words comforted Amber, and she responded with a soft sigh, sinking further into Lumine’s touch. For a solid half hour, they stayed in that position, taking comfort in each other’s warm bodies. Before Amber knew it, it was time for Lumine to take her leave.
They rose to their feet, Lumine stretching like a cat the way she always did. Amber walked Lumine to the front gate of Mondstadt, fingers intertwined. As the crowd shouted their goodbyes all around them, Lumine quickly pushed something into Amber’s hands. Just as Amber was about to open them to see what it was, Lumine softly cupped Amber’s cheek and pressed their lips together. The kiss was warm and gentle, and felt more like a reassurance than a goodbye. Lumine was the first to pull away, draping her arms over Amber’s shoulders in a final hug before turning on her heel. She smiled over her shoulder one last time and her pink lips parted as she called to the brown-haired girl behind her, “I’ll be back soon.”
This time, Amber did not worry. There was just something in Lumine’s voice, her touch, their kiss, that told her that Lumine was telling the truth.
As Lumine’s silhouette disappeared beyond the horizon, Amber opened her fist to be greeted with a small lamp grass, emitting a soft blue glow in the dimness of early morning Mondstadt.
Lumine would be back. And until then, Amber would wait.