Work Text:
Broken Piece of Light
“But whatever happened in this world is not our business, Aether!” Lumine said out loud. The female traveler still couldn’t accept the fact that her brother is siding with the abyss ever since they got separated. She finally found him yet she is not able to do anything to bring him back to his side, to bring him back to their homeland.
“Lumine, please understand that I do this for a greater good. Do not listen to Dain on whatever he is scheming. I’m sorry sister, you have to wait for me and I know we still have plenty of time to wait.” Aether answered. Lumine still not understand his motive at all. All she wanted right now is to have him back to her side and flew back home again. But it seemed that he kept sticking to his own plan. He walked away from his sister, following the abyss herald.
“No, Aether no. Please don’t go again.” Lumine begged. She ran to chase them alongside Dainsleif but it seems that she is so slow. She can’t catch him at all.
“See you at the end of your journey, dear sister. You will eventually find the truth.” The last thing that Aether said to Lumine before he completely vanished alongside the abyssal portal. Lumine fell to her knee. She gasped, trying to catch her breath. She couldn’t believe what just happened. She never imagined that the ending would be like this. After all she had done to find her brother, now she had to see herself not being able to reach him. It’s so frustrating for her. She is not used to accept a lost like this.
But after that she got up. She held back her own tears as if what had just happened did not matter at all. Paimon is smiling, trying to cheer her up by telling everything that they had gone through on their journey and listing their unanswered questions. But she did not listen to Paimon at all. Whatever Paimon said, all she can hear is the emptiness she felt in her heart. It’s so deafening and frustrating yet she couldn’t help herself by spilling it out. She endured it herself, burry it inside that no tears come out yet her body and soul is crumbling to pieces and to dust.
* * *
Days had passed since then and Paimon is getting worried about the female traveler. She looked hollow, it felt like she is there physically, yet she is not there at the same time. It’s just been days and she looked like she hadn’t eaten for months. She looked like a big mess. But Lumine kept doing her job like nothing had ever happened. She kept taking commissions though she made the other adventurers worried, even Katheryne had refused giving her any more commission. Now she had nothing to do and she felt even more empty than before.
Since everyone around Mondstadt and Liyue had told her to stop taking commissions and other jobs, she decided to go somewhere no one can’t really found her. She got up early in the morning so she can leave Paimon behind without worry. She left Paimon a message and leave without saying goodbye. She is not sure herself where she should go but her legs brought her to the only accessible mountain from both Mondstadt and Liyue, the Dragonspine. The place is cold enough to fend off anyone who would dare to get close to her so she thought it would be a perfect place to go.
Lumine hiked the mountain alone, she didn’t prepare so much not even a warmer clothing. She went to the Dragonspine as if she never planned to go back again. It’s such a disruptive thought yet she carried those thoughts up to the peak of Dragonspine. The weather is so cold, a storm is probably going to come soon yet Lumine kept walking with her freezing legs. She did not even care about her physical condition and keep walking aimlessly in the mountain. Clouds are forming in the sky and a storm might come soon but Lumine is now staring blankly from the top of Dragonspine to the bottom. It seemed so beautiful, only if she is in a different circumstance.
Then her legs brought her closer and closer to the edge. She walked to the edge as if it couldn’t hurt her when she fell down. She kept walking, no wind glider is attached to her body at all or she had an intention to use it. “Jump, Lumine. You had nothing else you can do anyway, your brother didn’t love you anymore and you can’t do anything about it.” Her mind screamed to herself. And there she is, jumping to the cliff like there is anything good she can do anymore. She felt the cold wind on her skin, is she finally fly? She wondered while she closed her eyes.
She wondered again when she heard a screaming voice calling for her name, she might be just imagining things. She is now falling to the ground anyway, but why did she not felt herself getting crushed by the ground at all? Why it feels like she is flying now, and she could clearly feel hands are holding her body gently. When she opened her eyes, she realized that she is gliding instead of falling down like how she supposed to be done.
“Hang a bit there we can land down there.” A gentle voice said, a familiar voice belongs to the chief alchemist of the Knights of Favonius. She forgot that this man wandered in Dragonspine like it is his own home.
And then they landed, it’s not a smooth landing because glider is not supposed to be used by two people but Albedo shielded her from the ground. They are lucky that they landed on a pile of snow rather than a hard ground. Albedo hugged her gently while they landed before releasing her when they finally touched the ground. He got up before he helped her to get up.
“Miss Lumine, what are you thinking you’re doing?” Albedo asked, he is not mad at all, he even seemed so calm before yet now he is breaking. Lumine never saw him panicked like that at all.
“I’m sorry…” Lumine said softly. She didn’t say anything after that, just staring blankly at her shoes as if it’s more interesting than staring at the man in front of her.
“You don’t look good at all, come to my camp for now. You need rest, your body is freezing as well.” The chief alchemist sighed. He didn’t understand what just happened yet he could feel that something is hurting Lumine and he wondered if he could help her. Lumine said nothing so Albedo gave his jacket to her before he helped Lumine to walk to his camp.
“Storm is coming, we need to hurry.” The chief alchemist said again, a little gentler than before. Then they walked to his camp.
* * *
“Here we are…” Albedo said after they finally arrived. The storm just about to start and they are lucky that they reach the camp before the storm really started. The chief alchemist set her in front of the fire to warm herself up before he went to fetch some warm drinks and warming potion for her. She looked like a big mess, she did not even talk at all. He understanded that her reckless doing just now might actually be done unconsciously by her.
“Drink this and the potion… it’s just a warming potion don’t worry.” Albedo come back for her and giving her the warm cup of tea and the potion. Lumine shook her head and Albedo sighed.
“Miss Lumine, this is for your own good. Please?” The alchemist looking at her with his gentle teal eyes. He wondered why she acted like this. He had seen her since she hiked alone in the mountain and he is still curious how Lumine can turn like this.
“Nothing good come from me.” Lumine said with a hoarse voice. Albedo is confused, how could she said something like that? He had been by her side ever since his experiment on her, yet he never seen her like this. She has always been so cheerful, she never failed to make him smile. But now… it seems that all her light had been consumed by the abyss itself. She is like… a broken piece of light right now and he wondered how to fix it.
“Is everything okay? What happened, if I may ask. I just… maybe I can help.” Albedo offered. He sat down in front of her and putting her warm glass of tea and her warming potion beside her so she can take it when she is ready.
“It’s nothing, Albedo… I’m fine.” Lumine is clearly lying. The alchemist could see her dark circle on her eyes, her body looks sick and he can’t even see any life form in her eyes like when he used to see her. She seemed dead and hollow.
“I know you’re not telling the truth. If I may… I…” Albedo stopped his words. He moved closer and pulling her to a warm hug. Her body felt so fragile and cold, somehow it hurts Albedo too. Lumine did not give any reaction though it feels like she slowly melt in his hug.
“You’ve been a great help to me, Lumine. Now it’s my time, can I help you? I’ll listen to you if you need something. Do not endure it alone.” Albedo whispered softly. His hand now moving to caress her head gently. Lumine trembled hearing his words. A soft sob could be heard coming from her. His gentle voice melt Lumine’s heart. Maybe he is right, she needed a little help now.
“There there… let it out, the storm is coming so no one would hear you. Don’t be shy…” Albedo said again, his voice is so gentle that it warmed Lumine. The female traveler keeps crying and crying. The alchemist can only hug her and stroking her gently. It hurts him to see her hurt, but he wouldn’t push her to tell anything he needed to know if she is not ready.
“I’m sorry for what I did, Albedo… I’m sorry I can’t tell you what happened. All you need to know is… it hurts a lot.” Lumine whispered softly in between her sobs. Letting out her tears make her feel better than before. She regretted she never let it out before.
“It’s fine, Lumine. Just let it out for now, I’ll be here to provide you warmth. Though I will never understand what happened, I hope you feel better soon.” Albedo smiled at her before he gave her a kiss on her forehead and somewhere near her eyes. Lumine closed her eyes and nodded.
“Thank you…” Thanking him is the least thing Lumine can do. And she let out her tears again while Albedo cuddled her close. Though the sound of the storm muffled her scream, she felt better. Maybe a help and a hug are all she needed.
Fin