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Chapter Text

If she have to pick which seasons that she liked the most, then the summer in Tevyat is perhaps the most enjoyable season for Lumine.

Not only because she likes the feeling of working up a sweat as she fights and run across the landscape of Tevyat under the burning gaze of the sun. But it was also the time she usually spends the month with most of her friends in some crazy bizarre adventure.

Last time, Lumine was summoned into the paradise known as the Golden Apple Archipelago. What she first thought is going to be a grand quest to help her little friend, Klee, to some unknown previously unexplored islands that was never charted on the map turns out to be a well planned vacation that Klee's mother has given to all of them, and although Lumine admitted that she was a bit disappointed on the fact that they all have been tricked this whole time, she couldn't say that the excitement and anticipation that has been built up throughout the time they spent on cracking the case down was bad. In fact, she really enjoys it.

It has been a while since she was able to relax and enjoy some quality time together with her friends like this, all the stress and sadness she have accumulated throughout her adventure of trying to find her missing brother have been gone in an instant, and Lumine was glad that she was able to put her focus on something else other than her mission for once.

She hoped that someday, when she get her brother back to her side, she was able to bring Aether here with her, so that the two siblings could enjoy a moment of peace together... Without anything to worry in mind... No Abyss, no Archons, and no Fatui.

Although, she is completely aware that such dreams are impossible to be realized anytime soon. There are still four nations left that she needs to go after all.

Anyway, the trip to the Archipelago last year was pretty enjoyable, mostly because it was her first time visiting it, and also because everyone she knew well from Mondstadt was there, from little Klee, Grandmaster Jean, Albedo, and even Diluc. The adrenaline of having to explore a completely new places, the absolute fun of having to drive the Waverider across the ocean in spite of everyone's loud yelling and screams of horror as she pulls out some sick maneuvers and sharp turns. And also the sense of mysteries as she and her friends finds some ancient engravings and interesting stories retelled by a collection of mysterious conches able to record the voices of the people from the past. Words simply cannot express the wonderfulness of that summer, arguably the best ever vacation the blonde haired girl ever have in her hundreds of years of existence.

And although she couldn't have that same feeling this time, the feeling of having to revisit this paradise of a place after a year with some new friends she had made wasn't so bad either.

Together with four of her friends, each came from a different nations save for Mona and Fischl, Lumine is once again having another great time in her life. Visiting the Archipelago that she had missed after some time of not seeing it, cracking yet another mysterious case revolving around the appearance of strange structures that are connected to each of the groups's inner thoughts, and also to explore a set of bizarre mirages while learning more of her friends' pasts and their respective inner struggle in their lives which made her coming to a better understanding of them and also deepening their bonds.

They are having such a wonderful fun times and honestly, Lumine is looking forward for more of what these Islands have in store for them later in the future.

But this however... Is not something that Lumine is looking forward to...

"You know..." Paimon started, gulping down the cooked fish meat inside her mouth down her throat, as puts down the tiny utensils in her hand, and giving everyone around the table a glance. "Throughout our time in this place, we have seen and explored Kazuha's, Xinyan's, Fischl's, and Mona's mirage. And we also have solved the mystery behind the appearance of these mirages which were caused the Fatui's broken machine that we have successfully fixed."

The little pixie with white hair then turned her head to look at one person that she has intentionally missed to give a glance at, which is none other than the illustrious blonde haired Traveler known as Lumine. With the girl in question giving her tiny companion a mixed of confused and curious stare, blinking at her as she chews on the food she's currently eating.

"But there is still one more person that we haven't seen her mirage ever since the day the craziness starts to happen." Giving the bigger girl a narrowed eyes, and putting her small fists on her sides, the pixie continues. "And we all know who is that person in question is, right?"

Giving the floating girl and owlish blink, Lumine gulped the food down her throat and take a sip of the cup of tea in front of her before answering the tiny creature's question.

"Was it you, Paimon?" The blonde girl asking back, causing Paimon to seemingly instantly forgets how to fly and face vaulted herself on the wooden table, receiving some small chuckles out of some people on the group.

"Paimon is talking about you! Dummy!" The White haired girl shouted once she recovered from her shock, practicality zeroing on her friend's head and spits all over the blonde's face.

There was a moment of silence after that, everyone on the table stops their chatting and laughing as they turns their heads to look at Lumine. The one girl that had brought them together like this. If it wasn't for her, then they could never possibly be on these islands in the first place.

"Me?" Lumine said, with a deadpan expression, pointing her index finger to herself.

"Yes, You." With a huff, Paimon crossed her arms on her chest as she floats away from Lumine's face. "That weird Fatui machine thinggy is supposed to alter the state of people's brains and manifest their inner thoughts into these dream-like mirages, right? And we have seen how these mirages are related to our past memories and also our deepest secret desire that we never had the chance to fulfill before. We see how Kazuha's mirage is related to his family's bonsai tree, then Xinyan with her passion for rock n' roll music, Fischl with her endless dreams of the Immernachtreich kingdom, and then also Mona's inner struggle with her job as an astrologist. Shouldn't that mean that you should've had a mirage of your own as well?"

Lumine was silent again, looking down, she closed her eyes and gently rubs her chin. "My mirage huh..." She muttered out softly.

"Yeah, we have seen what our friends' past looks like, and we even helped them to get over it and to live on the present moment, shouldn't it be fair if we see what your past looks like and maybe help you with your problems too." Now that she was finally getting through her friend's head, Paimon regained her cheerful self, nodding happily as she explains.

"Hmm... Come to think of it, I too starting to get a little curious as well." Sitting across the other end of the table, Kazuha nods his head in approval. "After seeing the all mirages that comes after mine, I found myself quite liking these little adventure we go through. It would be a missing opportunity if we didn't see what's the inside your mirage looks like, Lumine."

"Yeah! Now that we got that strange machine all fixed. There's no guarantee of how long these awesome mirages would last until they're gone." After gulping down the rest of her drink, Xinyan slam it into the table and spoke up enthusiastically. "It would be a shame if we miss even just one more mirage before they completely disappeared on these islands. Plus, maybe we can use it to learn more about you, Traveler!"

"I too agree with everyone's opinions." Mona in the other hand, doesn't even bother with her table manners. She spoke up while still having her mouth stuffed with all the food presented to her from today's cath which is a lot thanks to Lumine's hard work on catching the fishes with ease and then cook it in the most delicious way possible, all thanks to the various ingredients she had in store and also the recipe she had learned from Xiangling a long time ago. "By seeing your mirage, who knew what kind of inner problems we may find that you had keep it away from us, and maybe we can help with you with it as well." Mona said with a nod, finally swallowing the food she's munching, resulting with her getting a coughing fit until Kazuha presented her a newly filled glass of water which she quickly drinks upon.

"This Prinzessin Der Verurteilung has to admit that she too is interested on the mystery behind the illustrious Traveler's past." Still keeping up with her roleplay even in the time like this, Fischl is the one to spoke up next. Standing up graciously while making an elegant poses as she speaks. "Thus I shall shall be more than honored to see the holy land of my utmost important retainer." She said, ending her speech with her index fingers pointed towards Lumine.

"What Mein Fräulein means to say is, she is also curious about the not yet discovered Traveler's mirage, and she will be happy to come and visit it." Fischl's familiar, Oz, translated his master's language just like usual. Seriously though if he wasn't here, the whole group would probably have a rough time trying to understand every single words that came out of her mouth.

Probably.

"See? Even everyone is agreeing with Paimon." The little pixie said while glaring back to Lumine. "Paimon is super curious too. Paimon can't wait to see what you have in store for us. Maybe we can see more about Lumi's past and just what kinds of exciting adventure you have before arriving in Tevyat. Paimon loves those stories you always told Paimon before bedtime, and it wil be awesome if we see those in real life, even if it's just an illusion."

Giving all of friends a quick glance, with their own eyes is all looking at her, Lumine sighed as she rest her back against the wooden chair, closing her eyes as she gently shook her head.

"I don't know guys, but maybe we should skip this one." She said, receiving tilted heads from her friends due to their confusion, and also Paimon wailing and asking why. "Because... I don't think I even have one on these islands." Lumine replied, with her eyes are still closed like this, no one would know whether her eyes are twitching or not.

"How can you jump into that conclusion so quickly?" Paimon asked with narrowed gaze. "That Fatui researcher clearly said that his machine are influencing everyone within the Archipelago vicinity, and people with strong willpower are able to manifest their inner thoughts in the physical world as mirages, and those who don't have enough willpower will suffer like those Fatui soldiers. Lumi, you look like someone who has a strong willpower like the rest of us here, and you certainly doesn't shows symptoms of being negatively affected by the machine. So surely there's a mirage about you somewhere on these islands." The little pixie explained, waving her hands around while doing so.

"Then how about you, Paimon?" Lumine retorted, opening her eyes and looked at the little emergency food with a gaze that speaks amusement. "Why couldn't we find your mirage? Could it be that there's only food inside that head of yours in place of a brain?" The blonde girl asked with a teasing smirk.

"GAH! Don't you dare mocking Paimon like that! Also, stop changing the subject!" Reduced to a screaming mess yet again, Paimon yells at her friend while having her tiny hands clutching her chest, making the impression that she has been shot in the heart after hearing that rude comment from Lumine.

Giggling a little, Lumine sighed a little before resting her chin on her palm as she continued. "Well, it's true what you said about the brain thing. But if I remember correctly, didn't Persikov also said that the machine is actually imitating the ability of a god? A mirage Archon perhaps."

"Mhmm, that is correct. I do remember it being said somewhere in the manuscript we found." Mona nodded her head in agreement, but then she looks at Lumine with a slightly confused expression. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well... If there really is a mirage Archon existing in the past. Then that God would've more likely use their power for the sake of their people. Their people, the humans of Tevyat... But I am not from Tevyat, aren't I?" The girl with short blonde hair asked back with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh." Everyone said simultaneously as a response. Everyone in Lumine's group of friends already know about her nature as an outlander, that she was not a normal person, that the very laws of Tevyat doesn't even work on her.

"There's a very slim possibility that the machine could comprehend the inside of my brain enough to create a mirage out of it. And besides, I don't see any other structures appearing on an island other than the ones we just explored, which means that there was no mirage about me in the first place." Lumine explained with a shrug of her shoulders, causing Paimon to slump down on the table.

"But... That just wasn't fair though!" The little pixie stomp her tiny legs to the wooden table below her. "We're all having a good time exploring these mirages, learning about our respective past and fulfil our desire from it. But why can't Paimon do it with Paimon's best and closest buddy?" The white haired girl continue her wails, her tone become a little somber now, giving the said best buddy a somewhat saddened look.

"I really appreciate your feelings for me Paimon, I really do. But I think it's best if you gave up that dream." Lumine too becoming a little bit sad judging from her tone which also becomes a little somber for some reason. The blonde girl look back at the pixie with a sad smile on her face. "And even if my mirage really exist somewhere on these islands, I bet that it's just going to be filled with boring stuff like my training to become the warrior I am today, or all the time I spent with my brother in the past. No one would be interested in the kinds of stuff like that."

Sighing again, Lumine put her hands on top of the table and push herself up to stand.

"Anyway, it's getting pretty late. I think I'm gonna go to bed now. Goodnight everyone, she you all in the morning." Without speaking another word, the blonde girl turned around and headed towards their camp to sleep. Receiving only silent waves from her friends as they watch her walk away from them.

"Did y'all noticed the weird way she just spoke those words?" Once Lumine is out of the picture, Xinyan is the first one to spoke up among the group.

"Lumi just sounds... Pretty sad... Did Paimon just upsets her somehow?" Putting her hand on her chest, the tiny creature is concerned about her friend, fearing that the talk about mirage she just brought somehow greatly upsets her without her knowing about it.

"Hmm, I too noticed the sudden shift in Lumine's mood for some reason. But I'm sure that it has nothing to do with you, Paimon." Kazuha muttered, trying to reassure his tiny friend as he rubs his chin with his hand as he thinks.

"I also starting to get worried with my retainer's sudden shift in the way she acts. This is not what the lady Lumine I know usually behave." Although she's still in her roleplaying mode, even Fischl has toned it down a bit due to her concern.

"Indeed. Usually lady Lumine is so energetic and full of life. But the tone of how she speaks up just now is... Concerning." Standing on the table beside her, Oz said with a shook of his head.

"Ohh... Paimon is starting to feel bad about this. Lumi must be sad knowing that she's the only who doesn't have a mirage of her own." Paimon muttered, rubbing her two legs together.

"How did you even jump into that conclusion?" Behind her, Mona replied after finally finished up all of the food on her plate.

"Well... Based from everything we have seen before, all the mirages will always containing our past memories and experience. So if by chance there are a mirage created by Lumi's mind, then her brother must be in there." Now that the little pixie has explained it, everyone now understand what she's talking about.

"Ah... Now that you mentioned it, I think you're right." Xinyan muttered with a nod of her head.

"It has been a long time since Lumi met with her brother again, and even during that reunion, only pain and sadness are the one that Lumi felt once she learned of what has become of her brother throughout her absence."

"Even if it's just a mere illusions, it must've been nice to see someone dear to you that you haven't see in a long time. I wish I could do the same while inside my mirage. I would like to see my father again after years of not seeing him after he passed away." Kazuha silently muttered, his mind remembering the time when he and Lumine spends some time together, remembering how the blonde haired girl would sometine cling to him like that of a sister who clings to her brother while in need for comfort.

"Hey, Mona. Can you please use astrology to maybe locate Lumi's mirage somewhere on these islands? You can do it with the other mirages, so surely you can do it with her too, right?"

"As much as I want to do that, Paimon, I'm afraid I can't." Mona said with a shook of her head, sighing as she does so. "I believe that I have told you this before, but I apparently can't use astrology on Lumine. I still have no idea why that could happen, but I assume that it must be because of her nature as an outlander, her constellation is not one that belongs to the skies of Tevyat."

"What? That's even more unfair!" Paimon groaned, once again stomping her feet on the table. "I-In that case, how about if you use it find if there's any other mirages that we haven't discovered yet?"

"There are plenty of mirages on this Archipelago than those that we have founded, Paimon." Mona said with a narrowed gaze, crossing her arms over her chest. "Right now, we may only see the four mirages that all belongs to us, but that's only because we are the only people left on these islands that are capable enough to manifest our thoughts in such a large scale. Using my scryglass to find other mirages other than the ones that we have already explored will only resulted in me finding unstable illusions that are produced by animals like birds and squirrels because they too have a brain, but definitely not a strong willpower like us."

"Well, that sucks." Xinyan mumbled with a click of her tongue. "Guess that means there's really no mirage for our dear Traveler friend, huh?"

"Paimon refuse to believe that!" The little pixie furiously shook her head in denial. "Paimon believe that there's gotta be a way. How about if you be more specific about it then, Mona. Can you try it with a bit of more complexity? Something like: "A mirage produced by a someone with a strong willpower and mind that we haven't found before?""

"T-That's just sounds ridiculous!" Mona replied with a shook of her head. "Such complexity cannot be easily divinate with astrology, you know!"

"But it's worth the try, right? Please Mona, can you please just give it a try for once, for Lumi and everyone's sake." Making a pleading puppy eyes, Paimon stared deeply at Mona's eyes.

"I-I won't do it! Even if you beg me for it." Closing her eyes, Mona looks away as she tried to forget the image of the begging Paimon before her.

"B-But... Imagine what we can found inside Lumi's mirage. Aren't you excited at what kinds of secret that Lumi have hid from us?"

"Secret?" Cracking an eye open, Mona looked at the pixie in front of her again.

"That's right, secrets. Who knows, maybe we may learned if Lumi have any hidden crush to any of us here." With her eyes narrowed, Paimon gave the black haired girl a small smirk when she saw a faint color of red appearing on her face.

"H-Hold on! What do you mean by crush?"

"Well... From what Paimon have seen, Lumi can be pretty close and clingy to some of the friends she made throughout her journey across Tevyat. Surely she would develop a little bit of romantic feelings for one of them, you know?" Even without the need of turning around to see it, Paimon could already felt how everyone's face is heating up. "Who knows, maybe she have a crush to certain black haired astrologist-"

"Alright alright! I get it!" Before letting herself get teased by the tiny creature any more, the said astrologist quickly stood up and raised her hand. "I'll try my best in finding it, but it may take more than just a single night to find it."

"Yay! You're the best Mona." Paimon visibly overjoyed with happiness once her friend is finally agreeing to it, taking herself off the table and spins around in the air as she does so.

"J-Just remember that I do this for Lumine's sake, alright? It's definitely NOT because I want to know who she may have a crush on or anything." The black haired girl huffed, looking away with a frown on her face.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Paimon is just happy that you agreed to help Lumi."

Eventually, time passed. And as the night getting late and the moon rises high into the sky, everyone returned to their respective beds and fell asleep to regain the energy they had spent for today. But as each of them tried to catch some sleep, they couldn't help themselves but to feel a little nervous, and perhaps a little excitement as well. Will Mona be able locate the mirage they all been missed? What kind of things will they see once they enter it? What are Lumine's past looks like? And what kind of desire she have hide from them? To see her brother again perhaps? Or will it be something else. The question can only be answered once the sun starting to rise.

"Paimon, Paimon, wake up!" There was a voice coming from above her, and she could also feel someone is shaking her.

"Mmm... Five more minutes..." She mumbled, trying to bat away the hand that is shaking her.

"Come on, you lazyhead, the food are not going to eat themselves." Now that her hearing is a little better, she could recognize the voice as the one that belongs to Xinyan.

"Food?! Where is it? Where's the food?"  Upon hearing her most favourite word in the world, the little pixie known as Paimon immediately jumps out of the bed and looks around in search for it.

"Actually, that was a lie because you keep on sleeping no matter how hard I shake you."

"What?! How dare you lie to Paimon like that!" Turning around to face the red eyed girl, the tiny creature throws her fists downwards in frustration.

"Hehe, sorry sorry. It's just that Mona said that she just found what we're looking for, and she asks me to wake you up to tell you the information."

"Wait, really?! She really did it?! Where is she? Where's Mona now?" Upon hearing what the brown haired girl said, Paimon gets even more excited than before, zeroing on Xinyan's face as she look deeply into her eyes.

"Geez, calm down will ya?" Making some distance between her and the floating creature, Xinyan use her hand to push the pixie away. "She's waiting on top of the hill, along with Kazuha and Fischl too."

"Then let us not make them wait any longer, come on, let's go!" As if completely forgotten what she was angry at, Paimon quickly fly into the nearby hill of the island their camp is located at, followed by Xinyan behind.

True to what she said, everyone is already waiting at the top of the hill. Everyone except for Lumine strangely.

"Hey everyone! Good morning." Waving her tiny hands, Paimon approached the group. Fischl is talking with Oz and Kazuha, while Mona is busy looking through her scryglass.

"Ah, lady Paimon, I see that you're finally awake. I presume that you have a good night sleep?" Oz was the first one to greet her, receiving a big nod from the floating child.

"Yup! Paimon dreamed of having to eat all of the delicious food in Tevyat. And the best part? Paimon never gets hungry until Paimon ate all of them, Hehe." The little pixie giggled while happily rubbing her belly. "So anyway, what did you find Mona? And also, where's Lumi."

"Well... First, I gathered you all here because I think I finally find what we are looking for, and as for your second question, Lumine is still asleep, she looks pretty tired when I was about to wake her up, so Kazuha said that it's best if we let her rest for a little longer." The astrologist explained as she made her scryglass disappear in front of her.

"Does that mean you finally found where Lumi's mirage is located?" Paimon asked again with excitement in her voice.

"More or less."

"Woohoo! I knew you can do it if you try, Mona. So, where is it? Where is Lumi's mirage?"

"It's... Surprisingly closer than we thought, actually..." Mona said while scratching her cheek, she looks kinda distressed for some reason. "I always thought that since our mirages are manifesting on the other islands, the one that belongs to Lumine too should be somewhere far away from our camp. But it turns out, after six hours of searching and trying to confirm the facts, I concluded that Lumine's mirage is actually located on the very island we're standing on right now." The astrologist explained with narrowed eyes and a hand resting on her chin.

"What?! So it was here the whole time?! How can we never realize it until now?!" Catched off guard by the information, the pixie starts shouting due to the sheer shock she's having right now.

"I must admit that it was also pretty shocking to learn about this once I'm one hundred percent sure about." Mona admit with a little blush on her face, crossing her arms as she looks around. "But after I think about it, I think it's pretty natural that we never knew about it. I mean, don't you think that compared to the other islands, this island is a little... Bland?"

"Hmm... Now that I think about it... You're right." Kazuha muttered, with his fingers covering his lips. "The mirages we encountered so far took place in some of the largest islands in the archipelago, and the access points is also relatively possible on the surface. I have walked around this island when I was searching for berries and mints for our dinner in the last few days, and never before I saw anything out of the ordinary."

"Yeah, and during that moment when these strange mirages starts appearing around us. I didn't saw any kinds of structures or things appearing here other than the ones we saw in the distance." Xinyan continued, putting both of her hands on her sides.

"The color of the sky above us is also pretty much normal compared to the one appearing on my glorious kingdom." This time, it was Fischl who spoke up.

"Hmm... So basically, what everyone saying is that there's nothing strange happening at all on this island?" Paimon asked, looking around to see everyone nodded as an answer to her question. "Uhh... Mona... Are you sure that this is where Lumi's mirage is taking place?"

"I am positively sure about it, Paimon." Mona replied with a nod, the corners of her eyes visible twitched from the question. "I have looked over 14.000.605 possible mirages that belongs to our friend among all of the illusions appeared on these islands and I have concluded that only one of them are strong enough to be the one that Lumine's willpower could create, and it's not the one that we ever discovered before.

"FO-FOURTEEN MILLION?! How did you even counted that much?!"

"Hmph, the power of an astrologist is one that you should never underestimate, my dear disciple." Mona said with a huff, boastful about her apparent success it seems.

"W-Well... That aside... So where is it now? Where's the access point?" Paimon asked after deciding to forget what she just heard.

"It's right below us, actually."

"Below us? What do you mean?" The little pixie asked again.

"Here, take a look." 

Gesturing everyone to look down, Mona use her feet to dig the ground that everyone has gathered around. Pushing away all the grass and dirt to reveal what has been buried under it. When she could feel something hard and solid brushed against her boot, Mona pulled back her feet to reveal what she just found.

It was a pendant, an amulet of some sort which are tied to a cord, a cord that are long enough for someone to wear it around their neck. The said amulet has a star like shape with silver linings around it, and on the surface, a strange symbol is visible, emanating a golden glow that won't fade away.

"Is this... A pendant?" Xinyan asked in curiosity, crouching down to look at the object a little closer.

"It seems so." Kazuha answered, also crouching down to the ground. "The color scheme does fit well with Lumine though. But is this really an illusion? It looks very realistic to me."

"It was." Mona nodded her head. "Just like Kazuha's bonsai tree, or Fischl's story book. It seems like this pendant is also an object closely related to Lumine, and it was also the access point to her mirage, touching it will likely sends us into it."

"But why would it be burried like this instead of appearing on the surface? The audacity of that machine to show such disrespect to this prinzessin's favourite retainer is unforgivable." Fischl muttered out loud, visibly sounding pissed.

"So... Now that we have found it... Should we? I mean... Lumi is still asleep, should we do this without her?" Paimon nervously asked and no one answered.

The group stays silent for the next several seconds. With only the sounds of waves and the strong winds filled their ears.

"I think... We should just go without her." Mona answered after what it felt like hours of complete silence. "Lumine seems to not interested in her own mirage, and even if she does, we could always go back and tell her to come with us later, right?"

Everyone nodded at Mona's explanation, agreeing that she should do this now, and they can simply asked Lumine to come later once they got out.

"Alright then, let's do this everyone. Let's see just what Lumine have hidden from us."

And with that, Paimon's tiny hands touch the star pendant below her. And immediately after that, a vortex of air appeared around them, and everyone was transported into a place that they believed to be the mirage that belongs to their beloved blonde haired Traveler. Not knowing just how much things will they witness in there.

And once everyone is out of the island. A certain pair of golden eyes opened, widening, as she realized what just happened.

To be Continued...

Chapter Text

The vortex of air around them slowly dissipated, the once messy scenery of a mixed up multitude of random colors has been adjusted into one that their brains could comprehend. The moment they touched the strange pendant, the group has found themselves feeling like that were floating in space, or falling from a great distance above without any sign of them ever landing. But after a minute or too has passed, their foot finally touch the ground at last.

The first thing they saw was the ground below them, a plain of dirt covered with bright green grass. And the next thing they see after that is the clear blue skies above them, signifying that they were teleported into a projection of an outside world, which surprisingly are a lot accurate to the one in the real world compared to the other Mirages that was either having them exploring a giant mazes with messy and confusing structures, or an almost accurate replica of a place that exists in the real world.

But even so, even this mirage that is supposed to belongs to their blonde haired friend is not so different to theirs either when it comes to strangeness.

Before anyone can speak out each of their different thoughts in their mind, they first observed the rest of their surroundings aside from those two things above, and once they did, they finally saw the said strangeness that this mirage offers them. In every direction they see, the group sees tall ginormous buildings that ranges from houses to public buildings like grocery stores, libraries, schools and hospitals, serving as giant walls that prevented them from going anywhere but forward, where it was the only path that don't get blocked by the tall buildings. However, some sort of fog or mist is covering the entire area if they squint their eyes enough, giving the location a mystical or if not a smowhat creepy atmosphere, the mist is also preventing them to see what lies in the road ahead, appearing only as a blank spaces from where they are standing now.

"Well well well, color me surprised. It seems like my prediction was indeed correct." Among them, Mona was the first one to speak after they arrived in this place, putting both of her hands on her sides looking like she was quite proud of herself for proving this place's existence. "Astrology will never fails me, looks like we just arrived in our beloved friend's secret mirage."

"Huh, so this place is Lumi's mirage?" Paimon asked while looking around at her surroundings, finding the place emitting quite a mysterious and otherworldly vibes. Quite a fitting description for the star-born traveler actually. "Paimon gotta say, Paimon is kinda surprised."

"What are you so surprised about, Paimon?" Kazuha asked after turning his head to look at the floating creature.

"Well, knowing Lumi, Paimon was kinda expecting that we will get thrown to another complex mazes or weird floating platforms again. Never thought we will be transported to an illusions of an ordinary town." The little pixie said with a smile, putting both hands on her sides.

"Actually, I think you might want to take back what you just said, Paimon."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Paimon asked while looking at Xinyan who is a distance away from where she is floating right now.

"Don'tcha see how awfully big or tall some of these structures around us are?" Xinyan asked while she approached a nearby bench, it seems like they landed in some sort of park or maybe even a playground, there are some recognizable things like street lamps, benches, bushes, and also a fountain, but what it seems to be like some ordinary things that could be found in a normal park are having sizes that are twice of their normal sizes. "Why is everything here is so damn big? Look! Even I can't sit in this bench, why would anyone even built this?"

True to her words, the said bench Xinyan approached is not a normal one, and now that she stood in front of it, everyone could see that the seat is reaching high up to her throat, nevermind the fact that she is still a young adult, even a full grown adult man will have difficulties in just having to sit on this thing.

"Hmm... Perhaps there might be a logical explanation to this, apart from it being merely illusion created by Lumine's mind of course." Kazuha muttered softly, gently stroking her chin.

"Oh? And what was the reason that thou has been thought of, master Kazuha? Please indulge one with your thoughtful wisdom." With her arms crossed across her chest, Fischl turns her head to look at the white haired boy besides her.

"Well, it's just a small theory of mine, but... Perhaps what we're seeing right now is from a perspective of that of a small child." Kazuha explained glancing at his surroundings once more.

"A perspective of a child?"

"Yes." Kazuha nods his head. "As you all know. We look a lot different from the days we when we are young to the days we are now. We grew a lot smarter, more wiser, and we got taller too." Turning his body around, the young samurai walked to a nearby tree, it was an apple tree, one that can be found everywhere in Mondstadt and Liyue, but here, it has twice the width and tall of the one he usually saw there. "When we were still young, we are nothing but a small and innocent child, we tends to cause some trouble because we haven't got much understanding of what's right and wrong, we can be scared with a lot of things from small insects to large animals, and our brain can also hardly distinguish between reality and imagination. Everything is just so big around us, and we couldn't help but to let our imagination runs wild. But of course, things will always comes to an end. And as we grow up and matured, everything turns small until we get used to it. That is my thought about this."

"Hmm, That does make a lot of sense." Mona agreed with a nod.

"Well, it's just my theory thought. Perhaps there's another reason that is completely unrelated to the one I think of." Kazuha shrugged, his lips turned into a tiny smile.

"Nah, Paimon thinks it's better to stick with that opinion." Paimon smiles whilst crossing her arms. "If these scenery around us really is a recreation of what Lumi sees as a little girl, then maybe we could see Lumi's childhood! Paimon is super curious about it ever since so long ago." The little pixie said excitedly while rubbing her legs together.

"Why would you get so excited in someone's childhood? Not everyone wants their childhood secrets get leaked you know." Mona replied, giving Fischl a quick side glance as she said that.

"Well... it's because Lumi always have all of these awesome stories you see. Whenever it was before bedtime or when Paimon have some terrible nightmares, she always tells Paimon bedtime stories about her adventures in the previous worlds, and let Paimon tell you that those stories are awesome! So Paimon is just curious, what would Lumi's childhood be like that she could grow up into a strong warrior that we see today."

"I guess that's fair enough. We have seen each others' memories during our times of childhood in this vacation, Lumine is the only one left that we haven't seen." After listening to Paimon, Mona finally agrees, closing her eyes as she nods her head. "My astrology doesn't work on her at all, so I always wonder, what could be inside Lumine's mind at times."

"Hold on, are you saying that you can actually reads someone's mind?!" Paimon exclaimed after a brief pause, gasping in surprise and covering her mouth with her palms. "Gah, no wonder people are so afraid of you."

"H-How dare you to accuse me like that! There's no way that I would do something that repulsive!" After hearing such accusations, Mona immediately retorted with a yell, her face is slightly red for some reason. "I would never invade other people's privacy, you got that? It's just that, whenever I tried to use astrology on someone, there will always be these short and quick flashes appearing on my scryglass, and it can't be helped that my eyes would catch some, you know."

Despite of this insistence, Paimon is not convinced enough and she's still staring at the black haired astrologist with a dirty look.

"Enough about it you two. We're not here just to stand around and debate. Remember what we came here for." Sensing the animosity that's still in the air, Xinyan try to defuse the situation getting herself between the two friends that is glaring at one another, reminding them of what their objective.

Sighing at this, Mona shook her head as she decided to drop the subject for now. "You're right, I'll let slide for now." She muttered softly, sending a quick glance to the floating emergency food in front of her.

"Well then, now that we are inside Lumine's mirage, where should we heading? Should we just follow this trail in front of us that seemingly leads to nowhere?" Kazuha asked, walking towards the unclear pathway in front of them, where the mist has turned from thin to thick, obscuring whatever lies behind it.

"Well, there's no other passageway except for that as far as I know, so I think it's best for us to just follow it." Mona answered, coming to a stop beside Kazuha so she could observe the path before them as well.

With the other three nodding their heads in agreement, the group collect their courages before finally brave the unknown. Slowly but firmly walking into the thick white mists in front of them. The white mist are made out of several layers of different thickness, at first, their visions are as clear as when they are still standing in that park which are their starting point, but then, after several steps, they noticed that things starts to get blurry, and everything around them has been dyed grey. After even more steps, their field of visions got rendered even more, the walls made of many different kinds of buildings aligned together on their sides have disappeared in the mist, and their disappearance have made the group of friends starting to get worried whether they have strayed from the path or not.
And it was at the next layer after that was when they finally decided to stop moving, because now the mist has prevented them from even seeing the ground they're walking on, if even they are walking on one because of how the mysterious mist has clouded their vision, it was as if they are floating in the sky surrounded by clouds, despite the fact that they're still standing as if they never leave the ground.

"Ugh! All of these fog are really annoying!" Paimon complained while stomping her tiny feet to the air below her. "Why would there be a mist here in the first place? Is Lumi really like Cryo Slimes that much that all she thinks about are mist? Ugh, Paimon gonna have some words with her once we are back."

"There must be a reason to about these fog. Even though Lumine likes Cryo Slimes, I don't think that would be enough reason for this fog." Kazuha muttered, he is the one standing in the front after the group had decided to stick close with each other and walk with a straight line formation. "Any ideas about this, Mona?"

"Hmm, I couldn't think of a possible reason. But if I have to guess, perhaps this fog symbolize an uncertainty that plague Lumine's mind." The black haired astrologist guessed while stroking her chin.

"Uncertainty?"

"Yes. It could be something like a long distant memory that her mind Starting to forget, or maybe a speck of thought or imagination that she threw to the back of her mind and wanting to forget." Mona explained, closing her eyes as she tried to think of other hypothesis.

"Huh, there must be a lot of things the traveler forgot or want to forget for the fog to be this thick huh?" Xinyan commented as she listened to the conversation between her companions.

"Hmm, one couldn't help but express some concerns regarding this matter. Perhaps it's best that we talk with lady Lumine of the stars once we return." Fischl muttered, her voice is not as high pitched as usual strangely.

"I agree. But for now, let us find a way to get through this fog first." Oz said with a little nod of his small head.

"Can we even do that though? We've been walking for several minutes now and there's nothing here that we can found except for all of this stupid mist!" Paimon complained again, seems like the minutes of nothingness in this sea of fog is starting to get to her nerves.

"Relax, Paimon. No matter how hard it was, in the end, all of these mirages are nothing but a mere illusion, there will always be a way out, just like all the previous Mirages."

"Oz is right, it's no use to just stand around here and talking all day, but it's also useless for us to wander aimlessly through this fog either. I propose that we should took a better look around our surroundings first before proceeding any further." Kazuha said with a crossed arms, glancing at each of his companion.

"B-But... How are we supposed to look for anything in this fog?" Paimon asked with a shook of her head.

"Hmm... Have you guys tried to activate your elemental sight?" He asked, causing everyone to pause.

"Now that you mentioned it..." Mona started.

"...We completely forgot about that!" Xinyan finished the sentence with a nervous chuckle.

"Seriously?! You forgot?! So Paimon has been complaining over nothing then, ugh! How dare you!"

Sighing at the tiny creature's antics again, Kazuha looked at the rest of his friends. "Well then, let us activate our sights and look for clues together, shall we?" They're all nodded in response.

The four Vision wielders among the group then closed their eyes, and after taking a slow long breath, they simultaneously opens their eyes as they turned their elemental sights on. Scanning the area around them with a slightly clearer visions as the sight allow their eyes to penetrate some degree of thickness of the fog around them.

"Well, any luck of finding anything?" Paimon asked, being the only one aside from Oz who doesn't possess a Vision, the little pixie could only asked for information from the others.

"Hmm... Nothing, unfortunately. It certainly is helpful that we can see things a little clearer now, but I don't see anything in particular." Mona said with a little heavy sigh.

"Me neither." Kazuha muttered.

"Fischl, how about you?" Paimon then turned to the girl with blonde hair and poked her back, the said blonde girl then shook her head for answer.

"I don't see anything here either." Xinyan said with a sigh, lips pouting a little. "It's no use, let's just deactivate our sights and-" she was about to say something but something just made her pause, she stops her body movements except for her eyes that she squints hard. "Hold on... Is that..."

"What is it Xinyan? Did you see anything now?" Hearing the girl's weird silent words, Paimon couldn't but to get her hopes up now, quickly floating besides the Liyuean girl and face her directly.

"I swear that I just saw something glowing in there. But now I can't spot it anymore." Xinyan said while pointing her index finger towards the direction where she claimed to saw the thing.

"Something glowing? Are you sure it's not just your imagination?" Turning around to the direction, Mona asked as she tried to find the said glowing object too, but her attempts only met in failure.

"No, no, I'm sure of it. It was there, lying on the ground. Maybe I can see it again if I get a little closer..." Without any warning, the girl with brown hair suddenly took off, running away towards the location.

"H-Hey! Wait up! Don't just run away, we're gonna get separated!" Seeing this, the group also immediately goes to follow Xinyan, running just behind her.

After a while, Xinyan eventually stops running, her head looking around from left to right for a few times, before crouching down to look at the area around her feet. She keep searching and searching, reaching down and rubs the ground with her palm, until her fingers finally caress something small but solid.

"Ah! Found it! Found it!" She exclaimed a bit happily, raising the object from the ground as the others arrived at her location and coming to a stop behind.

"What is it? What is it? What did you you find?" Paimon asked in excitement, quickly coming to float beside Xinyan to see the object in her hand.

"Huh, this thing are indeed glowing, but what even is this?"

Turning around to face the others behind her, Xinyan presented the thing that is resting in her palm. It was a small glowing object, not even reaching the size of one's hand, having a triangular shape with a quite sharp edge, but the most distinctive feature of all is how it emitting a small dim rainbowy color that shines through the fog around it. It was unmistakenly a gem of some sort, even by simply looking at it made everyone awed by it's simple but astonishing beauty.

"Is that a gem? It looks beautiful." Paimon said in awe leaning forward to look at the item a little closer.

"It seems like it, but I wonder what's this thing supposed to do with the fog, or why is it here in the first place." Xinyan muttered, closely inspecting the item in her hand.

"Could it be that this gem is a key item for this mirage?" Kazuha asked to no one in particular, causing everyone to look at him. "You know, just like the paper charms in my mirage, or the floating stars in Mona's, maybe this gem is the key to blew away all the fog."

"That does make some sense, but how are we supposed to use this thing? No matter how you look at it, it's just an ordinary gem." Mona asked in wonder looking down at the gem with a narrowed eyes.

"Hmm... Maybe we could use it in conjunction with another item? You know, just like how we always do in our mirages to solve some puzzles?" Xinyan suggested, to which Kazuha solemnly nods his head.

"It might be the way. Let's try to look around and see if we can find some other things, okay?" Kazuha said, with everyone nods their head in agreement.

The four of them once again activate their elemental sights, looking around for any other items that might go well with the mysterious gem they just found. And sure enough, after some throughout observation, they managed to see something in the distance.

"Ah, I see it! There's something glowing in there!" Mona exclaimed after a moment of silence pointing at the direction where she spotted it.

"Huh, I too see something just glowing in the distance, but it was right there." Kazuha replied, however, he pointed his finger towards a direction that is different from Mona's.

"I too saw something there, and it's also small and glowing." And just like the other two, Fischl too spotted something in the distance that is in a completely different direction from either Kazuha or Mona.

"Uh, why don't the three of you go there and retrieve it? See if those are the necessary items and brought them back here?" Paimon suggested, looking at the three directions but unable to see anything like her other friends does.

"Yeah, Paimon's right. You guys should go there and take it, I'll be here and wait for your return." Xinyan said with a nod of her head.

The other three understands, and they silently went into their respective directions of where they spotted the glowing bits. As they did this, Paimon and Xinyan patiently waits for their return, the area around them feels so cold as if they were inside the cave beneath Dragonspine, enough to make Paimon shivers and hugged herself to provide some warmth, even Xinyan feel it too, and both girls couldn't help but to let their minds wonder, what is the meaning behind this coldness that the mirage could produce out of Lumine's mind.

After what it likes to be minutes, the three people finally returned, each of them had one of their hands bawled into fist, meaning that they're holding something.

"Ah, you guys finally back, I'm starting to get worried that you've lost your way here."

"Apologies, it took me a while to get to the item's location, but I do however successful in retrieving it." Raising his closed palm, Kazuha slowly opens his hand, revealing the item he brought with him, which is none other than... The same gem.

"Wha... Hold on, isn't that the same gem we just found?!" Paimon asked in a little shock, eyes widening in surprise.

"It is! But that gem is still here!" Feeling the same shock, Xinyan looks at her palm, where the same exact gem is resting on it.

"Huh, I too got a similar item." Raising her hand, Mona also presented her own gem, with the same exact shape and colour of the two. "Fischl, how about you?"

"Same here. I too find another copy of the gem." The blonde girl said with a small shook of her head, looking down at the gem in her hand.

"Four gem, same rainbow colour, and same triangular shapes. What does that mean?" Kazuha silently pondered, stroking his chin with his free hand.

But just when everyone is busy thinking about what to do with the four items they just found, something strange happened.

"Whoa, what is happening?! They're glowing!"

As Paimon said that, the four gem starts to emit a glow that is gradually becoming brighter and brighter, so bright that everyone must squints their eyes hard due to the blinding glow. And as if that wasn't enough, the four people who holds the gem felt an invisible force suddenly starts to pull the gem on their opened palms, and due to their shock they are unable to hold into the item as it flew out of their hands and makes them gasped in surprised.

"What are they doing? What is happening?" Paimon asked once again.

"I don't know, but we better brace for it."

The four gems swirls around in the air, floating above the five's heads. They then position themselves with each gem pointing their sharp edges towards the direction of south, west, north, and east. Creating a four directional gem when they merged together into one. With a blink, the gem sends out a wave of light that spreads around throughout the entire area. And the group need to cover their eyes as an extremely blinding light washes all over them, their ears heard the faint sounds of what appears to be a strong wind blowing. It took an entire minute until the blinding light has been stabilized, and the sounds around them to stop.

A different sounds entered their ears, a sound that is so familiar... It was a sound of a chirping bird.

They slowly uncover their eyes, adjusting to the scenery around them, and how shocked they are when they finally can see just how it looks like around them now.

"Huh? What just happened? Where are we?" Paimon asked in confusion as she looks at the scenery around them.

The fog has been completely disappeared, the once dark environment has turned into a bright and lively one. They looked down to see they're once again standing on a grassy grounds. The sky above them are bright blue with white clouds adorned the sea of blues. A little more observation of their surroundings made them realized that they just got transported back to the park they just came, but this time however, everything has returned to their normal sizes such as the benches, street lamps, and the trees. The giant walls consisted of ginormous buildings has also disappeared, making the park a lot larger than ever before.

"We're back at the park. But it's very different from what we've seen before." Paimon remarked as she looks around the area the group found themselves in.

"It certainly is. Now I'm feeling like I'm outside again, without all the weird structures and stuff." True to what Xinyan said, the illusion around them looks almost exactly the same as the outside world, there's even the sounds of birds chirping and winds blowing in the background, if it wasn't for their awareness of this is all being merely an illusion, they might have mistaken it with the real world.

"But why did it send us back? Are they trying to show us something?"

As if to answer Mona's question, a voice suddenly rang in the air, causing everyone raise their guard. It was a voice of a... Laughter, a child's laughter to be exact, it sounds like a small boy's voice, maybe a toddler or older. But whatever the age of that boy might be, the sounds of his laughter still startles the group and they try to look around to find the source of the voice.

"Whoah, that just came out so suddenly! Can they give us some warning first at least?" Paimon said with a shook of her head, the sudden appearance of the voice has made the little pixie jumped from surprise.

"Guys, you just hear that right? A voice! You know what that means right?" With her eyes slightly widened, Xinyan turns around looks at her friends.

"Voices are always playing a big part on all of our mirages. The laughter we just heard must means that a recollection of a past events of Lumine's life is nearby." Mona muttered out loud, causing Paimon nearby to gasp in surprise.

"It sure is! Come on, what are we waiting here for? Let's go find the voice!" The little pixie said in excitement.

"Hmm... I think I heard that coming from... That way." Kazuha said after a brief pause, pointing his fingers towards a direction.

"Ah, Paimon can see something in there! Quick, let's go see what it was!"

At her words, the group then walked towards the direction Kazuha heard the voice coming from, and sure enough, the more they walk, the more audible the voices become. They also then realized that there are actually more than one voice coming from there, as if there was multiple children laughing together.

"Huh, isn't this a swing? But there's no one here." When they got closer to the object they've seen, they saw that the structure was a set of swings that typically exist at a playing group, it consists of tall metal pole that struck to the ground, and three seats that can be used by little children to play. The voice are unmistakenly coming from here, and yet, no one is present except them.

"Patience Paimon, I'm sure something will happen any minute now." Mona muttered out loud, putting both hands on her sides.

True to Mona's words, something did happen after a few seconds passed, four illusions suddenly materialized in front of them, each taking on an appearance of a child, these illusions of people didn't emit the faint glow like in Kazuha's mirage, and they appear as if they were real, just like the illusions of Xiangling and Yunjin in Xinyan's mirage, or the evil Fischl they found in the Immernachtreich.

"These children must be the ones who lets out the laughter from earlier. What are they laughing at? Are they laughing at this girl? She's... Hold on... She's..." Paimon paused a little, after she looks at the illusion of three boys that are standing behind the swings. And then, when she goes to inspects another illusion which is a small girl that is currently sitting on one of the three empty swings, she finally realized something. "Is this girl... Is this girl Lumi?!"

Short blonde hair, a pair of golden eyes, and hair clips made to resemble a flower on her head. She appears young, maybe around six years old at most, but there is no mistaking it that this illusion of a girl is actually Lumine, even when her appearance has been reverted to a child, Paimon is still able to recognize her own best buddy.

"They look similar, I guess it really is a memory of Lumine's childhood." Kazuha softly muttered, watching in silence as the memory in front of him played out.

"I see... So I need to rotate it a 180 degree before pushing it in...and the pieces will fits."

In one sunny morning, in some place unknown, there was park located inside a city, a nice place where children could play and parents to take a rest from their everyday work. There, a lone girl could be seen sitting alone all by herself. Her eyes are downcast, as the golden bangs of her hair covers them. The pair of beautiful gold orbs of her eyes are moving from one end of her sclera to the other rhythmically as she continues to read the book in her hands in silence. And as she came here to read, she had took the opportunity to take a seat on an empty swings that is far from the center of the playground, where she could read her book alone, as always.

Footsteps could be heard behind her, steadily getting nearer and nearer, until it stops just right behind her. The girl paused from her silent reading session, her golden eyes unblinking, remaining focused on the book. Her mouth stops from speaking the words from the book out loud. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she already knew who or what is behind her.

"Hey missy, don't just just sit there and ignore us like that!"

The blonde haired girl silently closed the book in her hand before slowly turning her head to her back. Finding three boys who is a little older and taller than her standing there with their hands resting on their sides. Their eyes are glaring straight at her golden eyes, looking annoyed as if she was merely a bug worth to be trampled by them.

"What do you want?" The little girl asked, sighing as she pretty much already knows what their intentions are.

"We want to play these swings, so get lost!" The leader of the boys shouted, waving his hand to shoo her away.

"But there are still some empty seats there, why do I have to go?" The little girl asked, pointing her finger towards the other two empty seats of the swings besides her.

"Are you blind? There's only two seats left and there's three of us! Think before you say something dummy." The eldest boy retorted, anger is visible on his face, and the other two boys behind him looks impatient.

"Well... You can switch places after a while, and one of you can push the others."

"Enough! I said... Get off!"

Without warning the eldest of the boys stepped forward and then kicked the swing that the little is sitting on. Gasping in surprise, the girl was sent falling off the seat, she fell into the ground below face first with a thud. But worse of all, she fell into a pile of scattered rocks on the ground, and one of them hit them in the jaw, causing her to hiss in pain from the impact.

"Hah! That's what you get from not listening!"

"Uh..." Rubbing her sore chin that just got hit by a rock, the little girl uses her hands to push herself up. But before she stood up, she remembers the book she was reading, seeing it only a distance away from the reach of her arm. She stretch out her hand to grab it, but before she could, one of the boys took it from the ground. "My book!"

"This playground is not for a nerd like you to read, kid. Learn your lesson!" The bully snarked, holding the book above the girl while raising his arm up high.

"Give it back! Give me back my book!" The blonde haired little girl tried so hard to snatch it away from him, even doing several jumps to reach it, but he tosses it to his other friends instead, who proceed to toss it to the other one. Making the girl repeatedly goes from one boys to another in an attempt to get her book back.

"Hahaha, you gotta catch it first!"

"I said... Give it back!"

Tired and frustrated from their silly games. The girl finally had enough, approaching one of the boys who currently holds her book. The girl summoned all of the strength she could muster, putting it into one of her fist, she lets out a yell as she delivers a single punch to the boy's abdomen. But it didn't work, and the bully just simply stands there completely unfazed.

"Hey, who said that you could punch? No cheating!" In contrast to the harmless punch the girl delivered, the bully gives her an actual slap on the face. Eliciting a yelp out of her as she fell back to the ground.

"Hah! You punch like somebody who isn't american." The other boy remarked.

"So mean... Ooh, Paimon is so mad at them! How can they do this to poor Lumi?! She doesn't even do anything wrong!" Paimon who just watched the recording starting to get mad. Stomping her tiny feet in the air in frustration.

Her other three companions only nods their head in agreement, silently deciding to continue watching the rest of the recording.

"Hey, you guys there! Stop it!"

A new voice enters the scene, a shout towards the three bullies to stop at what they are doing. The voice sounds like it came from another young boy, perhaps about the same age or maybe a little older than the poor girl who is being bullied.

And sure enough, the four kids turns their head to look at another kid. A young boy with a pair of bright golden eyes that is identical to the ones that the little girl possessed. However, this new boy has a longer hair than the girl's, its color is also a lot darker gold in comparison to her pale gold.

"Onii-chan..."

"Whoa, is that Lumine's older brother?" Xinyan asked in slight surprise upon seeing the appearance of the Traveler's lost sibling, a mysterious figure that even the Liyue Qixing and a handful of people in Liyue has been discussing for a number of times.

"He is! Its Lumi's brother, Aether, Paimon knows because Paimon once met him." Although the appearance they saw right now is the younger version of him, Paimon is still able to tell that this little boy really is the older twin brother of Lumine.

"Hmm... I guess it make sense to see him here, given the fact that Lumine is always prioritize finding his brother above anything else." Mona said with a little hum, putting a hand on her chin as she watched the rest of the scene plays out.

"Heh, so you're her older brother huh? Welp, you're coming late, hero. Next time, tell this stupid little sister of yours to listen when someone is asking her to do something again." The leader of the bullies said, giving the girl on the ground a kick to her side, causing her to grunt in pain.

The golden haired boy visibly gets angry at this, fists clenched into fists, and teeth gritted tightly.

"Do that again and you will face the consequences." The golden boy warned, his voice turned from serious into dead cold.

Hmm? Do what? You mean... this?!" Unmoved by the warning at all, the eldest boy foolishly to provoke him even further. Raising his foot and then step it on the back of the girl's head, crashing her face into the ground again.

Something just snapped the moment this happen, the golden boy lost his temper and decided to take matters with his own hands, literally.

That's it... You're dead!"

The golden haired boy lunges towards the bullies who are shocked when they see him approaching with quite a great speed. In one second he was just standing a little away from them and in the next, he was already in front of one of them.

Before they could react, the boy deliver a quick punch to the bully in front of him, causing his opponent to make a gagging sound when he registered the pain inflicted upon him by just a simple punch. The pain is enough to make him fall into his knees, but before he could even take a breath, the golden haired boy rammed his knee straight into the boy's chin, sending him landing on his back to the ground.

"Why you!" Seeing one of their friend has been knocked out, the two remaining boys charged at him to attack. The one who holds the book swings it in an attempt to smack the golden boy's head, meanwhile, the leader of bullies throws his fist straight into the boy's cheek. Both of the two attacks are happening at the same time.

However, the golden boy came prepared. He ducks down in order to avoid getting the book smacked into his face, and as his opponent missed him, the boy rammed his forearm to the abdomen of the boy behind him, this in turn causes the bully to lean down enough to the same level of the punch that is supposed to be aiming at the golden boy's cheek. And thus resulting in with the leader of the bullies to punch his own friend straight into the face, sending him into submission.

And it was by using this split second, the golden haired boy took back his sister's book from the hand of the unconscious boy who is about to fall. And with a speed of light, he thrust the book in his hand upwards, using the edge of the book to hit the bad boy straight on his chin, sending him slightly into the air before falling to the ground with a loud thud. The battle is over.

"Next time, think again before you try to mess with my sister." The boy warned, but all he get for a response is only a pained grunts from his fallen enemies.

Sighing, he looked down to the book in his hand, finding it relatively unscathed from the ordeal and was glad about it. Raising his head from the book, he looked down to the girl lying on the ground. Her while clothes is dirty from having falling to the ground earlier. Her face is smudged in both dirt and sweat, and then there's also her chin that have bluish spot on it.

"Are you okay Lumine? I'm so sorry that I'm late to the scene, I knew I should've came here the moment I realized you were not home." Now that the entire ordeal has been resolved, the golden haired boy can go back to his usual calm and relaxed self, crouching down, he reached out his hand to take the golden haired girl's hand, to help her stand up.

"I'm so sorry Aether... I shouldn't have got you involved in this..." The girl with blonde hair, Lumine, mumbled silently. "They were right... I should've listened the moment they told me to go away. My persistence is the cause of all this." She said with a sigh, eyes downcasted, looking at the once pristine white clothes is now ruined.

Hearing this, the little girl's brother, Aether, let's out a sigh. She slowly approaches his little sister and gently placed his palm on her wet cheeks, seems like the pain those bullies had inflicted upon her is enough to make her shed some tears of pain.

"You shouldn't be apologizing Lumi. Those meanies are totally on the wrong, and you did nothing." Aether said as he use his fingers to wipe those tears on his little sister's eye away. "Also, never feel bad about having me to come and help during any kinds of situation, alright? We are siblings, and it is a job of an older brother to to protect his little sister. I don't want you getting hurt."

The little Lumi didn't gave his older brother any verbal response. Instead, she simply nods her head silently as a sign of Understandment.

"Good." Nodding his head as well, the older twin of the two looked down from her sister's eyes into her chin, finding the bluish spot formed from her fall from the swing earlier, frowning in displeasure upon seeing. "We need to clean that up. Come on sister, lets go home."

Aether handed Lumine her book, the one that he easily reclaimed from the bullies who had taken it away from his sister. And with a silent gesture, Lumine slowly reached out a hand and took it back. After this, Aether then took Lumine's other hand into his, before turning around led them to the way their home is located.

"Aether..." But before they could start walking, Lumine stopped his movement, planting her feet firmly into the ground. This action caused her big brother to turn his head to look at her, finding the blonde haired girl staring straight at his eyes and then muttered some words. "...Thank you."

The older twin didn't say anything to this at first, but then he understand, so he gave her a gentle smile.

"Let's go home Lumi." He said while retaining the smile. And thus leads her back to the way of their home.

"Oh wow, even as a kid, Aether is already strong. No wonder they had chosen him as their leader." Paimon said after lengthy minutes of silence. "But that's a good thing though, because if it weren't for him interfering with all of those meanies, then Paimon would've jumped straight at them for bullying Lumi!" The little pixie scoffed a little while crossing her arms.

"Paimon, you do realize that these are just illusions, right?" Mona reminded, staring at the floating creature with half lidded eyes.

"Well... Paimon knows that. Its just... That record just made Paimon really angry!"

"I can understand that." Kazuha agrees, solemnly nodding his head. "I know that Lumine has a softer side of her personality, especially when it comes to when she was around us or her other friends. And yet, she's still retain that unwavering resolve and firmness even during a normal conversation. Who knew that Lumine of all people could have such a meek personality as a child. That is to say, its not like I feel its a bad thing for her." The white haired boy muttered with his hand scratching his chin.

"Indeed. I guess this mirage may explain to us the process of how the meek girl would grow up into the Lumine we know and love today." Xinyan added with a nod, although the moment she said the word "love" everyone stayed silent.

"Anyway... I think we should get going. These mirage do not work by itself after all." Mona said after clearing out her throat.

"The illusions of Lumine and her dear older brother went that way. I say that we should follow them." Fischl said while pointing her finger to the direction where the illusion of the star-born twins headed, its also where the record has ended and thus dissipating the illusion.

"Well alrighty then. Let's go everyone, time to see more of Lumi's development!" At Paimon's words, everyone nods their head, and together, they headed towards the direction they're supposed to be heading.

As the group of friends followed the footsteps of the illusionary Lumine. The scenery of the mirages around them slowly changes. At first, they were still inside the park, which is a lot bigger than they expected. But after about a minute of walking and following that sole direction only, they eventually gets out of it, for the first time in the last minutes, their feet finally touches a street made out of stone bricks.

And now, laid in front of them, is a very long pathway that only goes to the sole direction they're heading, meanwhile, should the pathway tries to branch itself into any direction, the branches will only ends in a dead end where it was blocked by a massive building structures abstractly placed around the road to create a long and massive wall to prevent them from straying from it, just like before.

With only a few of them among the group to make a comment or two regarding their odd surroundings. They wordlessly traversed the road placed before them. With their mind is clear and only sets upon their one goal only. Eventually, the unbearable silence starts to get to their nerves, and everyone is itching to say anything to break it up. But before neither of them could open their lips, a mysterious voice suddenly rings in the air, finally ending the silence.

"Big brother is always there. Always here for me..."

"Whoa! That voice... Is that Lumi's?" Paimon asked with a surprised gasp. Her head looking around to see if she could find the illusion of child Lumine again, but she find nothing.

"It does sounds the same from the little girl we just saw in the park. Perhaps this is her thoughts speaking." Kazuha replied, speaking from the experience he had with the other mirages from before.

"We could hear more if we keep moving. Let's go everyone."

Agreeing with what Xinyan said, the group then decided to keep moving. Hearing more and more of this inner monologue happening inside Lumine's head.

"He is always here whenever I need him most. He always protect me from harm, he hates it whenever I shed some tears, he is so kind and caring..."

It was the voice of a little girl, a girl who expresses her feelings towards her caring big brother, her voice is filled with a mild amount of affection.

"I know that he loves me, and that he will always wants to protect me no matter what... But I can't keep on relying him forever...

The voice turned into a somber one, and it sounds like she has a conflicting emotions too.

"When we're both grow up... We have to know how to survive in this cruel and unforgiving world we lived in... And eventually... I need to take care of myself a little better."

The voice regained some of its previous features. Steeling her resolve and her desire to become better than her current self.

"But even so... What can I do about it?"

She questioned herself, suddenly feeling insecure, just as quick as she gained the resolve from earlier.

"Aether is special, he always has been. from the moment he was born, Aether was gifted with many natural talents. From his natural charisma to easily make a bunch of friends, his gifted natural strength and intelligence, and then the most crucial part of all... His natural control of magic. And there was me who has nothing."

The little girl sighed, closing her eyes as she ponders about everything that she just said.

"I know that mama and papa loves both of us, but still, even I can tell that they prioritize Aether first for being a prodigy. Meanwhile, they motivate me to strive in getting myself to the equal grounds with brother through sheer hard work and determination instead. That's the only good thing I can do for now at least."

After minutes of walking down the long pathway. The group finally made it to the end, where they were greeted by the sight of a huge mansion, complete with a big garden as the front yard. The gates were open for them to enter, and there's no one in sight.

"Is this it? Is this Lumi's house? Paimon never thought that she lived in such a huge mansion." Paimon said in awe, putting both hands on her sides.

"It seems like it, the pathway ends right here." Xinyan pointed out, as any other path aside from to this mansion will only leads to a dead end. "Should we go try entering it?"

"Well, there's no other way. Let's go."

With everyone agrees, they pass through the open front gates and entered the garden. As they walked through the small pathway placed among the sea of grass, voices can be heard again. This time, it comes from inside the house instead of appearing inside their heads. It sounds like a conversation, between Lumine and his family.

"By the gods Lumine, what have you done this time?" The voice that just speaks sounds like it was coming from a woman, an adult that may or may not been around her forties. Asking her little daughter who just get back home with dirty clothes and an injured chin.

"She doesn't even do anything, mom." Another voice, a little boy, who is the girl's big brother spoke up. "Some meanies are hurting Lumi, all because they didn't want to share the swings with her. When I found her, they already kicking her." The boy explained, his voice contains a well hidden anger inside.

"Oh my, that is awful. How could they do such thing." A man's voice, presumably their father, spoke up.

"I have taught them their needed lessons though. I beat them all up, because they refused to listen to my warnings and decided to hurt Lumi even more." Aether said with a scoff, puffing his chest out in annoyance.

"Taught them their lessons? Aether... Don't tell me that you actually..." Their mother sounds surprised, she even gasped upon hearing what her son just said, whatever the reason was.

"Aether, don't say to me that you show them your secrets! I've told you already, you mustn't let anyone knows what you're capable of! Otherwise, you will be taken by them!" Their father spoken with a stern and serious voice, reminding his son with a warning that has been said somewhere in the past.

Aether in return sighed at this, and shook his head. He has heard of this many times before. "Don't worry dad, I didn't show them anyway, I just beat them up with my fists alone. Those bullies are not worthy of seeing what I'm capable of." Aether said before turning his head to look at his sister. "More importantly... Lumi needs some treatment here. Do you know where the meds are."

"Don't bother..."

Suddenly, before the brother could finish his sentence, his sister who has been silent the whole time spoke up, cutting him halfway.

"I'll treat this injury myself. Thank you for your concern, brother." With a little sigh escaping her lips, the little girl turned around and begin walking to the way of her room.

"Lumi, wait!" Seeing his fleeting sister, Aether quickly went to her side to grab her hand. "There's no need to force yourself for this. Let me do it for you." He said with his voice filled with worry.

"Please don't trouble yourself more than what you've already done Aether." She said with another sigh, taking her brother's hand from her arm. "Mama and papa looks like they have something far more important to discuss with you. So why don't you go there and listen to them instead?"

After that, Aether was silent for a moment, and Lumine take it as her cue to leave, which she simply did. Without saying anything more.

"I'll tell the maids to help her tend her wounds." The mother said before walking away as well.

"Ah, Aether. There's something important I need to talk to you about."

"What is it dad?"

"Let's discuss it somewhere else, it's better than standing around."

And now with everyone has left the giant hall, doing their own respective business. All that is left is the little girl with her own thoughts. Her body is shaking, her teeth are gritting, and her legs are barely able climb up the rest of the stairs if it wasn't for the support of the rails beside her. It was painful, the girl is in so much pain, the pain that she hides from her brother and her parents. But she keeps pushing on, knowing that one day, she has to know how to take care of herself without the need of anyone else.

"I can do it... I can do it! I have to try... No matter how long or how many times it needs. I cannot rely on him forever!" Said the little girl mentally, as she finally reaches the end of the staircase.

After that, the voice from inside the house stopped completely. And the door of the mansion suddenly burst open. But what lies behind the now opened doors are nothing but a pure white blank space, as if a large white fabric is being hung from the ceiling to prevent the group from seeing anything inside.

"Well, that was one heck of a memory alright." Mona said with a nod of her head, visibly having an overload of information going on in her brain after listening to the conversation between the families.

"So, that was Lumi's mother and father talking huh? Heh, too bad we can't see their appearances. But Paimon gotta say, for a rich person, they do love their children a lot." Paimon said with small nod, putting a hand on her chin as she thought.

"Hmm, yes. Although, judging from the thoughts we've heard so far, it seems like from Lumine's perspective, her brother is the more favorable of the two, given all of the natural talents Lumine claims to be possessed by him." Kazuha muttered, his mind goes back to think about what he has heard earlier.

"Also, what are these... secret that they've kept mentioning? They made it sounds like this Aether had a super secret abilities or something." Xinyan said in confusion, raising her hands as she speaks.

"You know, after hearing all of that this prinzessin's little guiding star's thoughts. One would say that that just might be the case." Fischl replied with a shake of her head, putting both of her hands on her sides.

"Super secret ability huh? Could it be... The powers that Lumi spoke of? The one that she used to possessed before getting stranded in Tevyat?" Paimon guesses with a hint of curiosity but also confusion in her voice, her mind remembering the tales that the blonde haired girl had told her in the past. "But... If Paimon remembers correctly, didn't Lumi said that she and her brother possessed the same power? Aside from the power that she... You know what? Paimon doesn't wanna guess anymore, all of this is really confusing." After a while the little pixie finally gave up on her own train of thoughts, shaking her head furiously to throw them all away.

"Well... If you're so curious and don't want to keep guessing about it, why don't we just continue?" Kazuha asked, turning his head to look at the blank space in front of them. "It seems like the mirage wanted us to continue through this door, there's no other way around after all."

"Hmm, you're probably right." The tiny creature nodded before glancing back towards everyone. "Alright everyone, let's proceed to next level." And with that, everyone agrees and they simultaneously entered the space in front of them.

As soon as the group walked through the doors and into the blank space, the doors behind them sealed shut, trapping them inside without a way back. But before Paimon can start panicking about the lack of exit on this seemingly endless, empty, and timeless room. A shining bright light appeared in the distance. At first, they have no idea what it was, given the fact that the ginormous room they're in right now is already blank white in color, and that the tiny light is so far away from where they are standing.

However, as seconds passed, they began noticing the light becoming bigger and bigger, or rather, without them realizing it, they have been approaching it the whole time, without even moving their legs, the blank space had brought them into the light. And as they closed their distance to the light even further, everyone starts to cover their eyes as the blinding light made their eyes sore from the overwhelming brightness.

Eventually, they passed through the light after a few seconds. And by peeking from the cracks between their fingers, they could see the brightness around them gradually gets dimmer, and the once completely blank space has gained some new colors, specifically, the colors of green.

Once they felt that it was safe for them to look, each of them finally uncover their eyes to see that they are now standing on a familiar place from before, complete with the grassy grounds below their feet.

"Huh? We're back at the park. Why are we back here again? I thought we already left it behind us." Paimon muttered out loud in confusion, looking around the area to confirm that they were indeed back at the same park of the last recording.

"After all of that mess inside the blank space, I don't think they just purposely send us back here again." Mona answered with a shook of head, also looking around at the area. "Maybe, this is a new memory that is different from the last one Lumi have. But coincidentally, it happen in the same place."

"Huh? Do you think that's true?" Paimon asked back.

"I think what Lady Megistus said is right, Paimon." This time, Kazuha is the one to answer her. "Take a look around, the last time we came into this park, we appeared not so far from a pair of swingset. But now, the swingset where Lumine's memory has played is right over there." Saying this, the young samurai pointed his finger towards the swings visible in the distance, even from afar, the group could tell that it was the same from before.

"Hmm, you're right. And come to think of it, do any of you noticed that some things have changed in this park?" Xinyan asked, causing everyone to turn their heads to look at her. "If my memories serves me correctly, I remember that tree are used to be smaller than they are now." Xinyan pointed out, pointing her index finger to a nearby tree.

"Huh, you're right. And the color of the leaves have also changed. Does that means we're in a different time from before?" Paimon asked in curiosity.

"It's possible, perhaps this took place a few months or so after the last recording here."

There was a sound ringing in the air, just like before, but instead of a child's laughter, this time, the voice they hear sounds like someone sighing. The voice is also sounds like its coming from a little girl, the subject that the group of friends is looking for.

"That voice just now, could it be the next recoding is somewhere nearby?"

"One think one knows where this mysterious calling is coming from. Should thou all whishes to proceed, then one shall guide thou all to it." Fischl replied, using her overcomplicated and dramatical speeches as usual.

"What Mein Fräulein means to say is, she is the closest one to the source of the voice, and she would like to lead the way to it." Oz explained after he materialized himself into existence for the first time in the last couple of hours.

"Well okay then, please lead the way Fischl!"

Nodding her head, the blonde haired girl leads the group towards the direction where she heard the voice is coming from. And after a few seconds of them walking into the particular area, they ended up stopping in front of a park bench. It has some legs made out of steel, while the seats are made out wood. It has no one sitting on it when they first arrived, but after waiting for a while, a recoding starts to play in front of them, and they could see an apparition of the little girl they're searching for is sitting on top of the bench.

Little Lumine has changed, they noticed. Although she's physically about the same age as before, not even taller than her previous version, her hair has grown a bit longer, now having it about shoulder length, and letting it free to flow instead of trying it into a braid like his brother does.

The blonde haired girl is currently sitting silently on the bench, alone, again. She's holding another book in her hand, while placed beside her, there is a stack of books that she has finished reading. Although her golden eyes are downcasted and covered with the shades of her blonde hair, the group could see that she is less serious in reading her book than before, as the blank expression on her face speaks of boredom and also exhaustion. Curios about what's going to transpire, they watch in silence.

The little girl sighed, closing the book in her hand before putting it on top the pile of other books that she had brought along with her to this park.

On this particular day, she came to this place again to read her books in silence, just like before. And in order for her to avoid the same conflict with those bullies, she has instead choose to sit on one of the benches inside the park, knowing that they won't be interested enough to once again robbed her rightful spot, given that a simple bench is not as useful as a swing.

Her brother is busy for today, going through his homeschooling and later his daily training, there is no chance for him to show up here if she got bullied again, and thus the reason why the little girl choose to play it safe for now.

"Why does it have to be only Aether who got to be homeschooled. Why didn't I get one too?" The little girl muttered to herself, her voice sounds slightly saddened.

To keep the secret that her older brother holds, their parents had decided to not let him attend school like normal children do, and instead, they hired a professional freelance teacher to come to their home and give the eldest child a much needed education that is pretty much the same one that was in school. But of course, the same thing didn't happen to the youngest child, she was forced to attend the normal lives of a elementary schooler like everybody else does, alone without her dear older brother by her side.

Sometimes, nesting in the back of her mind, is the thought that she might be doing this for the rest of her life, or at the very least, until the end of her school years passed. To be all alone despite the fact that she has a brother. What good is there for being a twin when you have a completely different lifestyle from each other? To keep a distance from each other for the majority of the day?

"Even when he didn't attend school... Brother has a lot of friends thanks to his charisma... But for me who spends the majority of times outside... I don't have any. I wonder if I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life."

Friends... What does it feel to have those? To be surrounded by people who cares and loved you, someone who isn't a part of your family biologically, but spiritually. Will she ever be able to find them? When will it be? How will she even able to do it? With this pathetic timid and meek personality of hers. Sounds like it's almost impossib-

Thump

Something just hit her on the back of her head, hard. Enough to make her bend down by the impact. Moments later, a small round object fell to the ground near her feet. And although the girl is currently busy gritting her teeth and hissing in pain, she her eyes still could make out the identity of the object that just bumped into her head. It was a baseball.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

Someone behind her shouted, and it's clear from how their voice sounds faded, whoever the person who just apologize to her is several distance away from the bench she was sitting on.

Hearing that, the girl composed herself, sitting straight and took a deep breath when her ears heard the sound of someone approaching. The pain is still there and she really wants to give this guy a complain or two about the soreness she felt on the back of her head, but she decided against it. If this was unintentional, then it's best to just let it slide. And besides, even if she complained, it's not like they're going to listen to her anyway.

"Hey girl, sorry for earlier, I really didn't mean to do that. Did you see my ball? It shouldn't be far from here-"

Before the boy could finish his sentence, he was cut off when the girl wordlessly presented him with the ball that she picked up from the ground. Showing it straight in front of his face while she herself didn't bother to turn around and face him, likely in order to not show him her weakness which is the grimaced expression she had from holding back the still stinging pain.

"Be careful next time. Other people won't be as forgiving as I am." She muttered out to him, or perhaps even warning him, as she let go of the ball in her hand to let it land softly on the boys opened palms.

The boy was silent for a moment, eyes wandered from the form of the blonde haired girl in front of him and then to the ball on his palms. And without further wasting anymore time here, the boy turned his back on the girl, muttering a silent thanks before he ran off back to his friends and resumes their play.

And as the boy and his friends continue to play like they did before, the little girl turned her head around, looking at them from afar, her eyes eyed them with a lot of mixed up emotions. From longing, a slight of interest, and also a bit of jealousy. She wonders, does being active plays a major part for one to gain a friend? Does she needs to work hard in order to achieve that friendship instead of waiting for some lucky person who wants to be with her? But even if she puts her all into it, will anyone even going to notice her? A small and meek girl who couldn't even stood up for herself and gets constantly bullied instead... Her actions speaks quieter than her words in her mind. She's so pathetic.

"At least he's not the usual one." The girl mutters to herself. Gathering up her books and pulls them closer to her chest as she decided to go back home now. Having enough with her reading time for today.

After taking a deep breath, she began walking, with her arms still wrapped around the three stacks of books she pressed against her chest, she headed towards her home. Her brother is most likely are already done by now, and even if he's not done yet, she didn't mind waiting for him. After all, there's some questions that she needed to ask him about. The very thought that crossed her mind just now.

"Even if I need to open myself to other people... Will they hear me? Is there someone in this world who would understand me and how I feel?" The girl asked herself mentally.

Thump thump.

The girl was brought back to reality from the depths of her thoughts upon hearing the sounds of numerous light thumping on the ground, as if someone is jumping around near her. However she didn't see anyone comes here to play jump rope. Not to mention that the area of the park that she's currently standing on is one without grass, exposing a forty by forty bald lawn with hard surface, come to think of it, this where the previously mentioned baseball match is being held on, but that was still a distance away from her, meaning that the one who made those sounds should be nearby, and that person was none other than... A little girl playing hopscotch.

The blonde haired girl turned her head to the side slightly, and she saw a girl, one that is slightly even younger than her, is jumping around in place. She has a long pure white hair that is as white as a cotton, but it has some noticeable bright green streaks on the surface. She had her hair tied into twin tails, her clothes consists of a white t-shirt with green linings and also an image of trees both on the front and back side. A short white skirt, and then a completely bare foot, for her sandals are placed nearby under a tree. A reasonable decision considering that for her playing hopscotch like this might cause some discomfort from all the dirt that's going to be stuck in your shoes.

However, that is not the thing that the blonde girl curious about the most of this white haired girl.

Why is she playing all by herself?

It was suppose to be a holiday today, everyone don't have to attend school until tomorrow, so its only natural that this playground is overloaded with children playing games together, or just people simply wants to hang out with their loved ones or just here to breathe some fresh air while watching the youngsters play. For this girl to play all by herself... Is all of her friends busy? Are they on a vacation with their parents... Or perhaps... In a worse case scenarios...

She doesn't have any friends at all...

Just like her...

"Hey look out!"

The girl gasped as she instantly looks up to see that same freaking baseball is flying straight towards the girl that she's currently watching. And by the looks it, from the straight line that the ball is heading, it's going to hit her straight on the head. What a nasty scenario that would be, much less if it hit her right on the face, it might even hurt her eye with the ball's current velocity.

Her instinct kicks in faster than her thoughts, and before she could even think of anything, the blonde girl lunges forward, completely forgetting about the book she carries and drop it to the ground and as she came to stood on the ball's way, becoming a meat shield for this lonely girl who are oblivious to the danger heading to her way.

Thanks to her slightly taller body than the white haired girl, the ball instead hit her straight on her chest, and without the protection of those books that is now laid there on the ground, her flat chest absorbed the impact of the ball crashing into it. Making her gagged as she felt like as if someone just punch her straight on the area where her heart is located. Feeling the pain that she never felt before, the girl choked on her spit, she have a tough time breathing now, almost like she forgot how to even do it. Her consciousness gets a little blurry at first, but then it's starts getting unbearable, and before she knew it, she already fell to the ground, with her vision slowly got taken over by blackness. Vaguely She recalled several people surrounding her, likely concerned for her safety.

"Man... Lumi sure is has a rough childhood." Paimon noted after watching the record just now, crossing her arms across her chest as she floated.

"So... She has a lonely childhood and barely even have friends... I guess that's kinda explains the reason why she came to treasure us so much." Kazuha muttered, knowing full well about how Lumine treated her friends, like her own family.

"How is it possible that no one wants to be friends with her? She is one of the nicest person I ever met. If only I was there during those times, I'll probably be her number one best friend." Xinyan said with a shook of her head, frowning from the memory she just witnessed.

"Not if I beat you you to it." Mona teases with a tiny smirk, causing Xinyan to give her a similar smile as well.

"Everyone, look down to the ground. These footprints just magically appeared the moment the illusion is gone." Hearing what Oz said, everyone looks down to see the said footprints, although the group of friends had made some themselves when they followed the illusion of little Lumine, they immediately knows that this wasn't theirs judging from the size of the footprints that is much smaller than each of their respective shoes. "It seems to be heading that way, back to the bench, perhaps the records will continue there."

"Magnificent work Oz, my loyal retainer. Now then everyone, follow one's lead back to our destination once again."

"Okay, please lead the way again lady Fischl!"

Nodding her head, Fischl walks ahead first with everyone else following her behind. By following the tiny footprints on the ground, they are indeed being led back to the way they just came from, and although the footprints would later became no longer visible once the bald lawn turned into the grassy grounds again, the group already knows where location they're heading, the same bench as before, and true enough, they saw the illusion of little Lumi is there, lying back on the bench seats, unconscious. But now that record is starting, she'll be awake soon.

Slowly, consciousness returns to her, and the first thing that those pair of golden eyes see was the clear blue skies above. She was lying on something, solid but not too hard like a stone, perhaps it was something like wood. The little girl then slowly raise her body and sat up, she didn't remember falling asleep here. But what she did remember was the moment when that menace of a ball hits her, twice, and lose consciousness when the pain was too unbearable.

Sighing in dismay, she looks down to her back, finding all of her books is still one piece, albeit a dirty from the dirt when she unintentionally drops it to the ground, nevertheless it's still here, and it seems like she just used it as a cushion for her head when she was still unconscious. How dare those people made her sleep on her own book like that, it was absolutely against her principles regarding how to properly respect a book. And using them for something trivial as sleeping is certainly a big no-no.

Oh! And speaking of people... That girl! She hopes that she's o...Kay...

The moment the blonde haired girl turned her body to the side, she was immediately met with the sight, of that very same girl from before. Her long white hair swayed by the wind, her eyes which is now revealed to be bright green in color is staring straight at her golden ones, as if she's looking directly at her soul, but not in a bad way. It felt almost mystical, really. For this girl who just spends several minutes doing nothing but to stand there and staring at her, waiting for her to wake up. What is she doing here? Why didn't she just go? It's not like she needs a guardian or anything while she was knocked out. After all, there's many people here, and anyone with a bad intent towards her should've been seen by everyone nearby.

"Oh, uh... Hi." The blonde haired girl greeted, waving her hand awkwardly when the other girl didn't give her a response. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked, only to be met with another silence.

Just what is she waiting for? If she was indeed waiting for her to woke up, why didn't see say anything now? If she got nothing to say, why don't she leave like everyone else who brought her here? Or continue to play her game of hopscotch and pretend all of this never happens. Although on second thought, the blonde girl shake off the idea, knowing that in doing so, the little girl would ended up just putting herself in danger again.

"H-Hey, are you-"

"I'm so sorry!"

Before the sitting girl could finished her question, the little girl before her suddenly bow down to her, apologizing in the most sincere and regretful tone. Her long white hair falls down to create a curtain around her face, her head is tilted down until all that could be seen is the back of her head. The winds felt like it suddenly stopped blowing, and time seemed like it was slowing down at this particular moment.

The blonde girl is stunned, she honestly has no idea what to say for this, or how she should react. Should she be surprised? Or should she act quickly to calm this girl down and tell her that it was okay, that she didn't mind for having to go through this pain. But nevertheless, she didn't do anything at this moment except to sit there and listen to the rest of what this white haired girl is about to say.

"They explained everything to me... They said that one of them hit the ball too hard, and unintentionally send it flying straight to me. I didn't even know that at the time, because I was playing. But then, you came out and took the hit for me instead... I caused you to get hurt, to make unconscious like this."

Now this is new, never before she would imagine that there would be a day where someone would actually apologize to her. After everything that she went through so far, the only thing she could expect when interacting with other people would be either she gets bullied by other children that is far superior than her in several aspects, or a scenario where she got hurt by something no matter how absurd or ridiculous the circumstances are, just like how she got hit by a baseball today for example. But no matter which one of the two would happen, never before there's someone who actually went out of their way just to apologize to her. Such new feeling... It feels so strange as it was exciting, somewhere in the back of her mind, the girl couldn't help herself but to bask in this new feeling for being on the top for once.

But ignoring all of that, she couldn't just let this little girl feeling all sad and guilty like this, she gotta do something!

"Hey hey hey! It's okay, it's okay! No need to feel guilty about it!" The blonde girl quickly replied, hopping down from the bench and approached the white haired girl, putting both of her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "It doesn't hurt that much, I just feel unconscious because of the shock that's all. Look..." The girl gestured for the white haired girl to look up, to which she does, and the older girl placed her hand around the collar of her shirt and pull it down to show off her chest. "See? No injuries at all!"

"R-Really? You're not hurt at al?" The white haired girl asked timidly.

"Of course not! A little ball like that could never hurt me. Not even in a million years." She said with confidence along with a smug smile on her face. Although admitedly however, she is a little scared that she would actually ends up losing her life from getting hit by the ball, especially when it lands on her chest where the heart is located. To think of dying caused by a small ball... that would be pretty embarrassing.

"I'm... I'm glad..." The white haired girl breathed out a sigh of relief. "I don't know what to do if you died off for real... People will hate me... more than they already did. A-And my parents... they will have to carry the guilt too... uhh... I don't want to think about it" She desperately shake her head while mumbling things under her breath, not knowing that the older girl in front of her actually hears everything that she just said.

Did she just said that the people hated her?

"Uhm... What did you say?" The blonde girl asked, despite of already knowing what the other girl just said.

"Oh! Umm... It's nothing!" She denies, shaking her head furiously.

"Hmm? But I thought I heard you said something, something about people hates you, why is that?" The blonde girl decided to push her, asking the little girl that question who in turn reacted with a small yelp of surprise.

"Well that's... umm..." She looks pretty uncomfortable now, perhaps she just asked her about a very sensitive topic that she shouldn't bring up, and yet, her curiousity knows no ends.

"Hey it's okay..." Once again, she puts her hands on the other girl's shoulders and gave each of them a gentle reassuring squeeze. She didn't even realize how much touchy and comfortable she was around this girl, like she was interacting with her own brother, except this was a girl instead of a boy, and she is younger than her instead of older. "Just... tell me what it is, alright? I promise I won't judge you." She says caringly as she stares directly into the girl's bright green eyes.

"Well... If you say so. Then... Can I ask you something?" The white haired girl muttered, to which the blonde girl nods her head. "Do you... Find me weird?"

There was silence hanging in the air after she said that, the wind blows once again to sway that soft looking overly long cotton that is the girl's hair. And as she stared deep into that bright green eyes, the blonde girl finds herself speechless at the question.

"Eh?"

"I was born with these white hair, hair that is white as an elderly person's, and then these unusual green eyes too... Ever since I could remember, I have always been hated by other children for my appearance. They called me a weirdo and because of it."

Is that so? Is it really that horrible?

"I see... Is that reason why you play alone? Alone below that tree when I found you?" The blonde girl asked with a low tone, feeling melancholic for this girl before her.

And the girl didn't give her any sort of reply aside from a small nod of her head.

She guesses that it's kinda natural for this kind of thing to happen. A person with a cotton white hair and a bright unusual green pupils are undoubtedly rare around this part of the world. In fact, the girl thinks that this little girl is the only one with such appearance that she ever seen in her life. Most of the people in this city, be it children or adults, mostly has either a variations of brown or black hair, with normal dark pupils. To see someone possess a completely different appearance amongst the crowds will surely caused them to be wary around her, they will isolate her, making her thinks that she is an anomaly within the society.

But to think that they would put such a cruel fate on this little girl's shoulders, isn't it just too cruel? Just what is wrong with people?! And come to think of it, shouldn't the same thing applied to her as well? After all, she too has some unusual features such as her bright golden hair and eyes, something that not much people aside from her own family to have? Is that the reason behind the bullying that has been inflicted to her occasionally? Her parents are wealthy enough for people to not mess with them, and her brother being a prodigy who he is, has already made a position for himself amongst the people. But for her... What can she do? She do not possess any specialities whatsoever.

And the same goes for this poor girl as well. Due to her appearance, people already shoo her away before they even try to know her. She was all alone, helpless in front of her predicament. Not even her parents could do anything about her, not even any of her relatives. She knows exactly what this girl has been went though, and she feels like they could understand each other. Understand her more, that is what her mind speaks to her regarding this girl with beautiful white hair.

"Sometimes... I just couldn't understand what was going on inside other people's minds." The blonde girl spoke up to break the silence, causing the other girl to look up at her.

"W-What are you talking about?" She asked in confusion.

"Do you want to know what I think of you? I think you look beautiful." The older girl continues, her hands reached down to grab the younger girl's hands together. "Your hair... It looks so soft like cottons, and white as snow. It really matches with the colour of your eyes no matter how I look at it, your eyes that is shining brightly like an emerald under the bright sky." She explained as she looks directly into those green eyes of hers, feeling like that she could be drowning in there.

The white haired girl looked completely stunned for a moment, as if this was the first ever time someone is complimenting her that much. But after hearing her stories, she won't be surprised if that was actually the case.

"You... You really think so?" After a while, she finally opens her mouth to ask. "You really don't find me weird?"

"Of course not. Even if you don't believe me, it still doesn't change the fact that I think you are beautiful. Believe me, even I receive the same treatment, although, it may be due my personality more than my appearance." She said, scratching the back of her head with one hand.

"I see... So I'm pretty." The white haired girl mumbled to herself, giggling happily as she placed both of her tiny hands on her chubby cheeks.

Seeing this, the blonde haired girl sighed a little, never before she thought that there will come a day when she would bring comfort to someone like this, much less makes them happy with themselves. It felt like a dream, a dream almost come true...

"Well then..." Suddenly, she felt a feeling of someone tugged at her arm, so she looks down to see the little girl has wrapped her hand around her arm. "Since you think that I'm pretty and don't think I'm weird... Let's play with me! Okay?"

"Huh? But I'm just about to go home-"

"Come on, don't just leave all of a sudden! Let's play! It'll be fun!"

"Wait... Um, I... O-Oh...!"

She didn't even get the chance to say anything because the little girl had already pulled her back into the playground, leaving the bench behind with her books still in there, with her strength that is very surprising to find from such a small and delicate pair of hands.

Despite her complaints, the blonde haired girl didn't resist as the white haired girl pulled her along to play. And the two of them would spend that entire day playing together, trying out various games available in that park, from the little girl's favourite, hopscotch, tags, hide and seek, swings (without bullies this time,) and even merry go round. Eventually, as hours went by with the two of them playing, it was already dawn by the time they are done.

Phew, I'm beat."

"Me... Me too..."

The two girls are back at the bench, relieving their fatigue after playing all day. Their legs are sore from all the running, and so does their minds when they play riddles. It was such a long day, but a very fun one they have to admit.

"I think this is first time I played this much. In fact, I think this is the first time I even play at all." The blonde girl said with a huff, chuckling to herself at the thought, accompanied by the the girl beside her who giggled.

"Yeah, me too! Playing with other people surely is a lot more fun than playing alone." She said with a happy nod of her head.

Breathing out a sigh of tiredness, they stayed silent for a moment, looking around the area to find most people have already left since the sunlight has turned orange. Her desire to go home is still intact, but after hours of playing in this park with this girl, she now finds it hard to leave. As if her heart is telling her to stay and spend even more time talking to the girl, no matter the subject are considering that they have nothing to talk now.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

Just when she thought that the silence would go on for more several minutes, the little girl spoke up, causing her to turn her head to look at her.

"Yes? What is it?"

"You said before that the other children also stay away from you, why? I know that your looks is kinda unusual for the people from around here. But I think you are not as weird as me when it comes to it. So why?" The white haired girl asked her with a mix of curiosity and confusion, and this in turn causes her to sigh heavily.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure myself." The blonde girl muttered with a shrug. "I personally think that it might be because of what am I as a person, I'm not good at talking with other people, perhaps I am too meek as person, I can't stand for myself, and let other people step on me instead. If it weren't for my big brother, maybe I'm not even here anymore." She explained, sounding a little sad, or maybe even disappointed at herself.

"You're right, you are a little stiff, you know? Maybe if you are a little confident and outgoing, perhaps you will be someday be surrounded by friends, just like how we are now." The little girl replied, not knowing that her words just made the blonde girl's inside shook.

Just like how we are now?! Does this girl implies that they are now-

"You know, I never even got to know your name, even though we've just spend the whole day playing together." Before the blonde girl could finished her thoughts, it was interrupted by the the white haired girl's question. "What's your name?"

"Me?" The blonde girl asked, pointing at herself.

"Yeah! Please tell me your name, it will make things easier." The other girl replied with a nod of her head.

"It's... Lumine. My name is Lumine." The blonde haired girl, Lumine, answered, putting a hand on her chest as she does so.

"Lumine huh? That is a pretty nice name, I like it."

"So then... How about yours? What's your name?" Lumine asked back in curiosity, to which the white haired girl replied with a wide happy smile, one that is so bright as the sunshine above.

"Na-hi-da... That's my name, Nahida." She said while pressing both of her index fingers to her cheeks, making a cute pose while at it.

Nahida... So that was her name. A beautiful and cute sounding name, a perfect one for an active small girl like her. Lumine couldn't help but to smile upon hearing and then thinking about that name.

"Nahida... You have a pretty nice name, it's really match with your beauty." Lumine muttered out loud, eliciting a happy giggle from Nahida.

"Your name too, hehe." Nahida replied, before she scooted forward and approach Lumine. "Hey, hey, can I ask you a request?"

"A request? What for?"

"You know, your name is pretty and all and it suits your appearance. But somehow, I think it's wrong for me to call you by your name, especially when you are older than me." Nahida said, her bright green eyes looking downwards as if she was nervous to continue saying her request. "So... If you allowed me to, can I call you big sis from now on?"

Now this is a major request. Gaining a friend after so long without one is one thing, but to find someone who actually calls and see her as a big sister too? This is starting to feel more like a dream now, but thank to the exhaustion and the soreness that she could still feel in her legs, she knows that this is reality. There really is someone who actually befriends her! Joy is slowly overtaken Lumine, knowing that she now has someone to call a friend, and also someone whom she can view as her little sibling, both are the things that she secretly desired the most, with the latter being the fact that she was the youngest child in the family.

"Sure. Go ahead, I don't mind." Lumine said with another sigh, but not one that is caused by tiredness however.

Hearing her answers, Nahida's eyes glows up even further, and her mouth parted as she gasp in happiness and joy, before practically lunging forward and hugged Lumine.

"Yay! Then, from now on, let's be best friends forever, okay? Onee-chan!

Lumine didn't say anything but to give the little girl a smile of her own.

"Well, isn't that a sweet moment right there. Looks like little Lumi has finally found herself her first friend. That Nahida girl sure is nice to befriend Lumi like that." Paimon coos, smiling happily upon seeing the memory.

"Nahida huh? Why do I get a feeling that her name sounds like it came from Tevyat for some reason, it doesn't sound similar like Lumine or her brother's name." Kazuha wondered, scratching his chin with his hand as he thought.

"Welp, whad'ya know? It's people's names, and they are free to decided their own name." Xinyan replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Hmm, perhaps. But still, I agree with what Paimon said, it's nice seeing Lumine finally found herself a friend, all thanks to this Nahida and her kindness." Kazuha smiled with a nod.

"Yeah, me too. I don't think I'm able stand it if I see Lumine constantly in pain anymore, at least now she is finally happy. You think so too right, Fischl?" Mona asked the girl beside her, with the eye patch girl answering with a nod.

"Okay, now that that recording has ended, where do you think the next recording would take place? Should we go find that pathway back to the mansion, or should we look around first?" Paimon glanced to the group and asked them, putting both her tiny hands on her sides.

"Hmm, I'm not really sure... But, it's worth the while if look around first, and best that we stick together instead of splitting up, this park is way too huge, and one of us might get lost if we're not careful."

Everyone nodded at Mona's suggestion, and after that, they together searched around the park to see if the next recording took place in there. And from all the evidence they encountered during the search, it seems that their guess is just about right.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

As the group of friends strolled around the area, they firts began to notice how the sunlight rapidly changes its colour in such a short amount of time, from soft white, to golden yellow, and then to dark orange, only in span of a few minutes. This anomaly prompted them to look up and see the reason that brought about the changes. And how surprised they was to find that it was the fake sun above them that caused the rapid light shift. It feels like the time itself had been accelerated by a large numbers, making a day only felt like three seconds, a month felt like one and a half minutes, and a year only felt like eighteen minutes. Everyone eventualy lost count on how many years has passed as they continue to search around the area, but after an unknown amount of time has passed and they couldn't find anything, they give up and decided to wait instead, wait until the passage of time return back to normal. And much to their joy and relief, it eventualy did, and the fake sun above them came into an abrupt stop right above their heads. And along with it, some voices starts to appear again inside their minds, signaling the coming of the next memory.

Ever since that day, Nahida and I have become close friends."

The voice of Lumine spoke up, retelling the past events that happened a few years prior.

"We would occasionally meet again at the park, though most of the time, she will be the one to find me first before I tried to look for her. It eventually becomes my daily routine to go to the park now everyday after school, just so I could see her again, to see her face, and that bright smile of hers."

The voice sounds joyful, delighted, it seems like the girl really is happy that she has a friend now.

"I introduced her to my family, and everyone immediately likes her for her bright and outgoing nature. Even brother likes her and had thanked her for being a friend to me."

She paused for a little, and then she sighed, but not in a bad way.

"Nahida and I are so close... She always refer to me as her big sister, and in return, I too began to saw her as my little sister. I learned a lot from her, things that no amount of books I read can provide me with."

The voice lets out a giggle, a small one, but audible.

"We've always spent our time here in the park, Nahida knows a wide variety of games, even some that I never knew before due to my lack of interest regarding the topic. No matter when I was busy reading a book on a bench, or just simply sitting down to catch a breath after a long day of studying, she'll always drag me by the hand, asking me to play with her. And no matter how tired I am, or how my mind didn't want to go, as long as I saw that bright smile of hers, by body will automatically follows her every whim. And before long... that's when I realize..."

The voice trailed off for a moment, collecting her thoughts before she speaks, while gulping down the lump gathered in her throat.

"I fell for her, I fell for that bright smile, a smile so bright that it could only came from the sweetest girl, someone who is the most kind and gentle that I ever met. And it was from the moment that I realized all of these feelings that swirls inside me, is when I made a vow to myself, that I will always stand beside her, I want to protect her, to protect that smile at all cost, because I cared for her, as her one and only friend, as the big sister that she always needed."

A projection of that girl known as Nahida suddenly appears on the ground, and the group gasped in surprise at her sudden appearance.

"Eek! That caught Paimon off guard!" The little pixie yelped in surprise, hiding behind Kazuha's back due to her shock upon seeing the apparition appears without warning.

"Well, look who it is, I never thought the next recording would took place right here. Heh, they shoulda have give us some warnings or something at least." Xinyan said with a huff, putting her hands on her sides, although she displayed a calm and collected exterior, inside, she is also as shocked as Paimon who still cowers behind white haired boy in the group.

"Well, I guess it is only natural that they didn't give us a warning. After all, we've managed to find the place for this recording before it even begun, unlike the previous ones." Kazuha replied, reaching a hand to his back in order to calm the frantic Paimon down.

It is true what he said. After their previous search had ended in failure, the group decided to wait while sitting down below a tree to relieve the soreness in their legs after standing for so long. And after the accelerated day and night cycle had ended, and the voices of little Lumine's thoughts starting to appear in their mind, they're just about to prepare to leave and continue their search again, but who would've thought that the next memory would actually took place right here in their rest area.

"Huh, I guess it is true that some years has passed since the last memory. Nahida looks a little different, don't you think?" Mona points out, to which everyone agrees upon seeing the changed form of Lumine's childhood friend.

She has changed, quite a lot. The little girl has grown a little taller now, and her hair is also becomes a little longer, while still retaining that beautiful soft white cotton colour, and then there's the light in her eyes that is simply doesn't go away, shining brightly as ever. By now, it looks like she is somewhere around eight years old now, my using this fact, it can be assumed that three or four years has passed since the last memory, which means, Lumine's age now is should be...

"Alright then, let's watch this memory together, shall we? See if we can see how Lumine looks like after a few years." Xinyan said, getting a nod from everyone as an answer before they starts watching.

"Onee-chan, Onee-chan, did you see him yet?"

"He's up there, he's too far for me to reach at this moment... Perhaps if I could get a little higher..."

Back at this park again, several years have passed since the bond of friendship between the two lonely girls was formed. And ever since then, the two has developed a strong sibling like relationship, with the little girl called Nahida acting as the little sister, and then the blonde haired girl with golden eyes being her adored and loved big sister.

This park and it's playgrounds has become their daily meeting place since then, where they would spend the majority of their times together, playing, talking, or just simply hanging out. And on this particular day, they've met once again. But this time however, they don't immediately going to play like usual, and instead, Nahida had approached Lumine in a quite distressed call. Something regarding the need of her help and only her help, due to Lumine's much older and stronger physique compared to that of the little girl's.

"You can do it onee-chan! I believe in you!"

"Almost there... Almost... Got it!"

"Meow!"

"Kyaah!"

Unexpectedly, the blonde haired girl, whose body is hugging the trunks tightly as she climbs it, lets out an audible loud yelp of what it sounds to be a mixed of surprised and also pain. Along with this yelp that the older girl produced, her body lost it's control, and she unintentionally relaxed her muscles which in turn makes her released the tight grip she had on the tree branches, something that happens only in a split second but it was still a big mistake nonetheless, one that caused her to fall from the top of the tree and into the ground below.

Nahida gasped in surprise upon seeing the form of her big sister falling from the tree and then landed on the grassy ground with a loud thud. However, her shock was quickly overtaken by her worries, which boosted her to think and act quickly.

"Onee-chan! Are you okay?!" Without waiting any longer, the white haired girl quickly rush towards the unmoving body of her beloved sister, putting both of her tiny palms on her to shook her awake. "Wake up onee-chan! Please! Don't die here! Not today!"

As if answering to her dramatic pleas, the bigger girl lets out a groan in response, raising her head quickly as she does so.

"I'm fine Nahida, that fall couldn't possibly hope to kill me." Lumine replied, eyes narrowed and mouth pouting.

"Ah, look! There she is! It's Lumi, and wow, she sure does have changed quite a lot too." Paimon remarked, crossing her arms over her chest as she observed the appearance of this new Lumine:

Just like Nahida, Lumine has grown ever since the last memory, she looks like she's around twelve years old now, getting a little taller than before, her white shirt is now being replaced with a sleeveless white jersey dress with gold linings, and on her legs, she wears a pair of knee high white stockings and matching boots. But perhaps the most distinguishable feature of them all that she now possess, is the long golden hair that is now reaching down all the way to her hips. She almost looks identical to her older brother now, except however, she didn't tie her hair into braids, and let it loose to flow freely.

"Huh, Never thought I would see the day when Lumine has such a long hair. Guess this mirage has finally answers my curiosity." Xinyan muttered with a small smile upon seeing the long blonde hair trailing behind the little girl's back.

"She looked so much like her brother, if only their hair has the same exact color, I bet even I couldn't tell which one is who." Fischl muttered with a nod, looks like even the astonishing sight is enough to make her forget about her speeches.

"Hmm, I wonder what makes Lumine decided to cut her hair short, she looks just as beautiful when she has a long hair like this." Mon muttered, caressing her chin with her fingers as she wonders.

"Perhaps we will find the answer somewhat along these memories. For now, let's keep watching and sew how they answer all of your questions, alright?" Kazuha said, to which everyone nodded in agreement.

"Really? Oh, thank goodness... I don't think I know what to do if you actually die here." Nahida said with a sigh of relief, putting a hand on her chest as she does so.

"Nahida, this is the fifth time that you panicked over me whenever I received even the slightest amount of injury. Learn to calm your mind a bit more and stop being so dramatic, okay?" Lumine said, huffing, reaching up to brush off the dirt on her shoulders.

"Ah! That's right! Almost forgot! Where is he?! Where's my little meow meow? Is he okay? Did you managed to get him?" It seems like Nahida's concern for Lumine's safety has led her to forget about the very reason why Lumine could fall from the tree to begin with. Once again, she began to panic, and then asked her big sister in front of her.

"What did I just tell you about not panicking? Calm down, he's completely fine. Here." Saying that, lumine took something from between her thighs, a tiny furry little creature that is unmistakably to be a cat. A kitten with bluish-black fur and white paws, with a red string neck ornament that attached to a golden feather. It looks like this is the little rascal that Lumine tried to save from the top of the tree, and also who caused her to fall.

"Kitty! You're safe, I'm so glad!" Seeing Nahida in front of it, the kitten immediately jumped off from Lumine without giving her a second glance, and returned to its master, who gleefully scooped it into her arms as she hugged it. "Mmm, bad Scara, bad kitty! You should've been nice to someone who just saved you, not claw them!" Nahida scolded the black haired cat, glaring at it sharply while pouting.

"Give it a rest, Nahida." Lumine said with a little sigh while shaking her head. "Scara never liked me from the beginning, I shouldn't have been the one to go pick him down from the top of that tree, but as you can see... We don't have many options." The blonde haired girl muttered as she stood up.

"Hold on... Did they just called that kitty "Scara?" As if... Scaramouche?!" Paimon said with a little gasp, sounding surprised with the info.

"What's the matter Paimon? Something bothering you?" Kazuha who stood beside the floating pixie asked with a little concerned.

"Well... It's kinda hard to explain, but basically, Paimon and Lumi met with this one guy who works as one of the Fatui Harbingers, he goes by many different names... but just like all of his comrades however, he too has a codename within the Fatui, and he was known as Scaramouche, the Balladeer." Paimon explained, scratching her head as she searches through her memory.

"Ah, one thinks one knows what thou is referring. That wretched pest who called thyself the bringer of truth, one who speaks nothing but nonsense that even this prinzessin is unable to decipher."

"Ugh, I'll never forget my encounter with that guy. He just randomly shows up that day and making a mockery of astrology. Such blasphemy should never be forgiven." Both Mona and Fischl huffed, looking extremely displeased with the memory of this person that the three had met in the past.

"I don't know who's this fella everyone is talking about here, but nevertheless Paimon, I don't think this is intentional. It could've been just some mere coincidence ya know? After all, what we're looking here is Lumine's memory that took place in her home world, not Tevyat. Then there's also the fact that this is just a cat instead of that person you've met before." Xinyan explained, glancing at Paimon to see the little pixie is still deep in thoughts.

"Hmm, yeah... Paimon guess that it really is just a coincidence. But on that note though, if there really is a cat version of that boy, then Paimon will definitely won't pet it, even if he's cute." She said with a huff, deciding to think of it later and continue watching instead.

"Tch!" The blonde haired girl lets out a hiss, and despite of her attempt to keep it quiet, it still didn't go unnoticed by the white haired girl in front of her.

"Onee-chan, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Nahida asked, getting closer to Lumine to check if she truly was unharmed."

"N-No, it's fine Nahida, it's fine. My legs is just pretty sore from the fall." Lumine reassures her, giving the younger girl a smile to support it, although if one dares to look closely enough, they'll see that her lips are trembling.

"A-Are you sure? Do you need me to check on you?"

"I said I'm fine, Nahida." The blonde girl repeated, reaching out a hand to give the other girl a head pat. "I can take care of this on my own. And besides, didn't you told me that your mother is waiting for you? You shouldn't keep her waiting, she'll be worried."

"Well, that's true but..." The white haired girl looks up, her bright green eyes stared directly into the older girl's golden ones. "Please make you're okay alright? I don't want you to get hurt because of me, onee-chan."

The golden haired girl did not say anything except but to nod her head as a reply. And so, the white haired girl tightened her grip around the dark haired kitten cradled in her arms before turning around.

"Come on Scara, let's go home." Nahida Whispers to her cat who made a purring noise.

Watching as the two of them leaves, Lumine releases a sigh, glad that she actually managed to convince her friend to leave her alone. Her eyes twitched once more, and a second hiss almost made it out of her lips if it wasn't for her who holds it back. She glanced down towards her leg, seeing how her left ankle is bleeding. When she fall from the top of the tree, it seems like some branches scrapped it, not to mention some hard and sharp rocks that littered the ground where she lands too. It's a good thing that the position of the bleeding made it impossible for Nahida to see while she was standing in front of her, otherwise, she'll get even more panicked than she already does. She doesn't want to concern her friend that much.

With a limping steps, the blonde haired girl made her way to a nearby bench, gasping and grunting as she made herself sit down and getting as comfortable as she could. After she sit down, she release another sigh of relief, however, the pain of her bleeding ankle still exists, she needs to do something about it soon, or else it'll get infected.

Someone suddenly flopped into the bench next to her, and they raised their hand to show her an antiseptic spray they held with it.

"Need some help with it, sister?"

She knows this voice, and she turn her head to the side to see that someone is actually none other than her own older twin brother, Aether, with his matching golden eyes that is just like her, and then that golden hair which is currently about the same length as hers, albeit with it tied into braids instead of flowing freely.

"Aether? What are you- ugh!"

Without even letting her finishing her sentence, the older brother quickly wrapped his hand around one of her sister's legs, the injured one to be more specific, bringing it up into view before starting to mend the wound, begining with using the spray he brought with him.

"The teacher said that he doesn't have anything more for today, so I'm done early than usual." Aether answered Lumine's unfinished question, now that her bleeding leg has been sprayed, it's time to wipe off the blood. "And that's when I thought, maybe I should go to park, see if I could find you and Nahida here, and I was right."

"You... How long have you been here?" Lumine asked, her voice slightly trembling from pain as Aether wiped her feet with a towel.

"I've been watching you from the start, you know. At first, I was considering if I should step up and save that cat. But after seeing you starting to climb the tree, and actually made it to the top and reached the kitten, I decided to watch from the sidelines instead. I'm really happy that you're willing to help your friend like that Lumine, such bravery is worthy of praises, although, I would like it more if you're a little careful next time." Aether smiled, taking out a roll of bandages that he proceed to wrap around her sister's ankle.

"Hmph, all I did... Was to follow your example, onii-chan." Lumine answered, biting her lips slightly. "You were always there for me when I need help, protect me from all harm, you care about your friends, and you'll help them should they ever need it. Now that I have a friend... I wanted to be the big sister that she sees me. I want to protect that smile." She said in a low tone, looking downcast.

Hearing this, Aether only sighed, now that her ankles has been wrapped nicely, he turns the bandages together tightly, to prevent it from coming loose easily. "It's good that you have the desire to protect those that you care about, Lumi. Given time, I'm sure that with that mindset of yours, you'll be surrounded by friends in no time." The older brother said with a gentle smile, causing the little sister to smirk a little at the thought of it.

The two sat there for a while in silence, enjoying the refreshing coolness or the afternoon winds brushing against their skin. After a while, Lumine glanced towards her brother, finding him looking like he was deep in thoughts.

"Aether... There's another reason why you came here to see me, right?" The blonde haired girl asked, receiving a glance back from her brother.

"Hmm? What made you think so?" He raised an eyebrow.

"It's all over your face, dummy." She replied with a small chuckle. "Spill it, I'll listen to whatever you said."

Aether only stared at her for the next moments, but eventually however, he starts to explain what's bothering his mind. "Back home this morning, father told me that he wanted to visit the other region tomorrow. Something about to see their internal crisis and see if he could lend a hand at the matter." Aether began, recalling what his parents told him this morning. "And that... He would like to bring me with him... To see if I was interested in seeing the state of the other regions too."

"Visit the other regions? You mean... The other lands across the seas?" Lumine asked, receiving a nod from Aether. "But tomorrow is holiday, there will be no school."

"And that's exactly what's been bothering me." Aether said with a sigh, shaking his head slightly. "I am interested in visiting the other regions, since I've only ever learn about them from books, so I would like to see them for myself. But in the other hand however, I felt unease if I were about to leave you here alone."

"What? Why would you feel that? It's not like there's something wrong about me being alone."

He glanced to the side to look at his sister's face. "I... Couldn't explain what it was, but... For some reason, I just feel that something bad is about to happen tomorrow. And I don't want you to be alone, Lumi."

They stared into each others' eyes for a moment, with silence hanging between the two. But eventually, one of them must breaks the silence before it became unbearable.

"There will be nothing wrong with you leaving, Aether." Lumine replied after a while, taking both of her brother's hands and clapped them by own. "You are worrying too much, you know? I can take care of myself just fine, you don't have to be worried about it."

"I know, Lumi, but still..."

"Listen, this could be only a once in a lifetime experience, you know? You shouldn't waste it like that just because you are worried about me." Lumine muttered with a small shook of her head, giving her worried brother a tiny smile. "I'll be okay here, alright? And besides, I still have mama and Nahida with me."

"Are you... Are you sure?"

The blonde girl nodded, and she could feel her brother hands is gripping tightly into a fist.

"Okay then... Just promise me that you'll be okay. I'll be back later at the evening tomorrow. And I'll brought souvenirs if from there if I could." The older brother said, his expression is serious but still gentle.

"Yeah, thank you. Onii-chan."

"Uh... Why does Paimon feel like things won't go according to their plan from here?" Paimon muttered out loud, scratching the side of her head with her hand.

"Well, who knows? Maybe it will, maybe it won't." Mona said with a shake of her head, looking up to the sky to see the changes as time accelerated again until the afternoon sky changes into the night, and then the morning of the next day. "But either way, the time has changed again. Looks like the next memories should take place the day after the one that we just saw."

"Heh, good thing then, because I'm itching to know what happens next. Any guess where the next record will be happening?" Xinyan asked, glancing at her friends one by one.

"Hmm... If my guess is correct, I think it should be around here somewhere, perhaps there, on that spot." Kazuha answered, pointing his fingers towards a bald spot on the ground, where there's a drawing for a hopscotch game visible even from a distance.

"Well, looks like Lumi is about to meet with Nahida again in this park. Come on everyone, let's see how's it goes."

Nodding their heads, the group walked towards the pointed spot that Kazuha led them to. And sure enough, once they arrived there, the illusion of little Lumine appeared once more, but this time however, Nahida didn't appear alongside her, making everyone wondering about where she's been. But of course, the answer could only be revealed once they start watching this memory.

The blonde haired girl arrived at the park, the place where she and her dear friend had promised to meet up again to play. However, no matter where she searches for her white haired friend, Lumine is unable to find her. Even in this spot where the green eyed girl would usually play hopscotch by herself. Just where is she? Uneasiness starts to bubble up inside her stomach.

"Just where are you Nahida? Please come out, don't make me worried like this..." Lumine muttered to herself, gritting her teeth together. "I should ask around, maybe some kids might actually saw her.

And with that, the blonde haired girl ran around the park, asking every kids or passerby if they saw a young girl with white hair and green eyed is at the park, but no one has seen her at all it seems, because all she received as a reply is a "no." Lumine knows for a fact that her friend is not at her home, because she already went there several hours ago, but Nahida's mother told her that the little girl is already headed to the park even earlier than their appointed time, so to see her not appearing in here could only mean that something wrong has happened, and she doesn't know why.

"Damn it! Is this what you meant Aether? Is this what your instinct has told you?" The girl mentally asked to no one in particular, a little tired from running around, she rest herself by leaning against a nearby tree, trying to catch her breath as she does so. "Should I call the authorities? Tell them that she was missing? But... That would've been too complicated, would they? And by the time they began the search, something bad might've already happened to Nahida."

She doesn't know anymore, what should she do now? Perhaps she should just continue to search with her own. After all, she still have a lot of free time now, so-

Her feet just stepped on something. It was hard and solid, and quite slim too, there's also the feeling that it was attached to something, like the object has strings that tied around it.

With her mind making a wild guess of what the object was, she slowly retracted her foot and looked down. And what she saw, was quite shocking.

"This is..."

She recognized the object. A golden feather ornament, strapped to a red string. This is a neck accessory that was worn by none other than Scara, Nahida's pet kitten. She knows that this is the one because this ornament was made by her late father, meaning that there's no other copies like this out there. For this prized possession to be in here, it must means...

Lumine glanced to her side, finding that she was standing at the edge of this park, where lies beyond this edge, is a small forest of large tall pine trees. The place that her mind immediately suspect of being related for this object to be here. And Lumine's suspicion only gets even bigger once she saw the tracks of multiple footprints on the dirt heading into the forest. From what she could tell, there's about four people heading this way, three of the footprints shared an almost similar sizes of a kid who is about fourteen or fifteen years old. But for the last one on the other hand, it looks like someone who is about eight years old.

"Nahida!" Her mind quickly screamed at the thought of her friend being in danger. And with her worried and alarmed mind, it blinded her and caused her to ran towards that direction without a second thought.

As she ran along the small pathway in the forest, being careful to not trip and fall, her ears starts to hear the sounds of someone or some people are speaking, and it's getting clearer and louder with every second. One voice in particular, she is instantly able to recognize it, her eyes are widened and her heart skipped a bit. She needs to there now!

Leaping up while she ran, Lumine emerges from the bushes, and she came upon a small clearing, where the sunlight is able to pass without being hindered by the trees. She raises her head to look straight, and she she immediately widened her eyes in shock, upon seeing the sight in front of him.

"Oh? We've got company, eh?"

Standing in front of her, there's three boys, each is older than her, with one in particular being the oldest of the three, and seemingly to be their leader too. This so-called leader of the boys is standing still, his eyes are staring at Lumine's golden ones, seemingly giving the impression that he was surprised and yet expecting for Lumine to come. However, this man is not what Lumine's main focus now.

She glanced to his side, and see the other two boys. The first of the boy stood a distance away from their leader, looking annoyed as he held a dark haired kitten in his hand, Scara. Nahida's little pet cat is looking furious, swinging around and waving his paws frantically as he was trying to claw his assailant to no avail, because he was currently being held in the air, and that he was just a small kitten. And then, as for the second boy... The second boy, he was standing just behind their leader, and grasped within his arm is... Is... Is none other than her, Nahida.

"Nahida..." Lumine muttered in horror upon seeing her best friends condition.

Nahida was being held by one of the boys, who had his arm wrapped around her to restrain her from moving. As for his other hand however, it was used to grab Nahida by her hair, pulling the soft white cotton hair up harshly, and judging from the grimaced expression on Nahida's face, Lumine knows that she is definitely in a lot of pain.

She has to think quick, she has to save them, now!

"Release them! Now!" Lumine yelled, glaring sharply into the oldest boy's eyes.

"Oh? So you're here to rescue her? Heh, well this is a little unexpected, I can't believe a little freak like her actually have a friend. But even so, you're too late girl, I'm already pissed with her now." He replied, narrowing his eyes as he spoke.

"She is not a freak, you bully! What does she even do to you?! I'll ask you once more, release the girl!" Lumine retorted, glancing towards poor Nahida who is still having her hair pulled.

"Hah, with an appearance like that, I think I'll speak for everyone that she is nothing but creepy looking." The oldest boy spat out, his eyes then glanced towards his friend who is holding Scara by the neck. "And as for what she's done: her filthy, unethical, little cat just pissed on my bicycle, and now my pants are smelled like urine and people laughed at me because they thought I wet myself. That, is what this little brat did to me."

The boy who held Nahida captive, pulled her hair even more, enough to make the poor girl grunted in pain. Looking at this, Lumine's anger is almost reached its peak, and if it wasn't for the warnings in her head to not do anything reckless, then she would've already lunged forward and punch that boy in the face.

Gritting her teeth to suppress her anger, she decided to negotiate once again.

"Please... This is all her pet cat's doing, and he did it only because animals only acts upon instincts. You should've thought this more. Please just... Can you just forgive her for this time? I'll promise, they will never repeat the same mistake again." Lumine pleads, putting a hand on her chest as she speaks.

"No mistake can be forgiven so easily, girl. It was her fault to not properly watch and taught her pet how to behave properly in public. So her cat's fault, equals her fault and that's it." He insists, crossing his arms across his chest. "Now, unless if you want to be beaten up too, you better get out of here, girl. Go! Get outta here!"

Lumine hisses, feeling the urge to screamed out in anger, but before she could say anything however, one of the two boys spoke up first.

"Hold on a second boss. Don't you think she looks... Kinda familiar?"

"Hmm?"

The oldest boy narrowed his eyes, once again he's starting at Lumine, inspecting her from head to toe with his eyes while he's trying to jog his memory from a certain day in the past. And after some time has passed, he finally realized who she was.

"Wait, You are..."

At the same time, Lumine also came into realization of the identities of these three boys. Just when her nightmares are just about to shatter into nothingness, she had once again meet with them again...

"Ah I see... I get it..." The oldest boy muttered, but then he starts chuckling, before it turns into a full blown laughter. "Oh, just when I thought it was truly a coincidence that someone just found us here! Never thought that you choose to come instead!" He exclaimed, putting a hand on his stomach as he continue laughing.

"You... You are that guy... The one who pushed me off the swings."

No matter how long it has been, she'll never forget about them, the ones who constantly bullies her, during and before that day when Aether saved her. Looks like six years after that incident has made them grown enough for her to not recognize them at first glance.

"Gosh, darn it! Why does it have to be them again?!" Paimon complained upon seeing the scene, kicking her tiny feet into the air below her in anger.

"Even after years, they've never changed. They really are need to be taught some lessons." Mona said with a frown, feeling equally as displeased like Paimon with the scene playing out in front of them.

"Hmm, surely Lady Lumine will find a solution to get out from this sticky situation. If she is able to do so, I just hope that she stays in one piece." Oz said with some level of concern in his voice.

"She better be." Xinyan mumbled, returning to watch the rest of the scene plays out.

"It's good to hear that you still remember me, girl. After all, you have a debt to pay for having that brother of yours beating us all up that day." He said with a little smirk, an unreadable expression is appearing on his face.

"Yeah, too bad that he didn't give you all enough beating because even now, you still haven't learned your lesson yet." Lumine retorted back, if she feels insecure when meeting these boys, now that she recognized them as the same ones as those bullies from before, she felt ten times even worse now. She felt like a mouse trapped in a cat's cage.

"Oh, believe us, girl. We do learned our lesson. We learned that it really is stupid for us to strike out in the open, in the middle of the day like that. So now, we decided that we should strike in the shadows where no one could see us instead, just like we did just now."

Lumine could feel her legs are trembling, admit it or not, she felt fear right now. Fear for these beasts that she's facing head on, and with Aether overseas, there is no chance for her to retreat, no chance to call for help. She is trapped, she is doomed. All sorts of negative emotions filled her brain.

The boy in front of her stepped forward, and she jerked in surprise from even the slightest of motion, she backs way, her trembling legs, is moving backwards, bringing her body along with it, until her back touches a tree behind her, while the boy in front of her advance further, until he is standing right there, mere inches away from her face.

"Now then, let me ask you... Do you wish to pay your debt?" The boy asked, leaning closer until his lips is touching her ear. "I am a very compassionate person you know? Here's the deal. I'll let that girl, and her shitty cat free, and in return... You'll give me... Your body, okay?"

"M-My... My body...?" Lumine asked with asked with trembling voice.

"Yes..." The boy nodded. "I am a man of my promise, and after you said that you agree, I will immediately set her free, I promise."

With her mind in shambles of having to choose between two drastic decision of whether to save her life or her friend's life. Lumine found herself in a daze that she couldn't even think of what to do. If she reject the offer, will they let her go? Will she be able to go home? But if that's the case, then she'll be able to call for help! She could come back with reinforcements in order to save Nahida. But... What if by the time she comes back with help, something already happened to Nahida? What if by that time, they already do unspeakable acts to her? But then again... What if it's a ruse, and they would not let both of the go?

And then, there's the second opinion. If they really are going to release Nahida, with Lumine taking her place as their hostage, what will they do to her? Will they beat her up as revenge against Aether? Will they kidnap her Nd brought her into places unknown where she could never return? Or... Will they going to kill her? How will their parents react? How will Aether react? Will he be sad? Will he be angry? Driven by lust for vengeance against her sister's death?! Will he...

"Onee-chan..."

Nahida's voice snapped Lumine back to reality. The blonde girl looks up, to see the form of her dear friend, her one and only friend. Her dear little sister. Seeing that saddened expression replacing the usually cheerful expression on the little girl's face, the crystal clear tears gathered on the corner of her eyes, that soft lips that is pouting from both fear and worry, her green eyes is darker than usual, and even from this distance, Lumine could tell that one thing is clear. Fear is definitely present inside that green eyes of hers, and Lumine is absolutely won't let that happen.

She made up her mind now.

"I'll do it." Lumine spoke up, causing Nahida's green little eyes to widen up in shock, and for the boy in front of her to have his smile getting bigger. "Now, do as you promised, release them." She demanded.

"Hmph, you heard her, release them."

Obediently, by his command, his underlings release each of their respective grip upon their victims. Releasing their hold on Nahida and Scara, whom immediately ran towards his owner on the ground, and so does Lumine who approaches her in worry.

"Nahida?! Nahida, are you okay? They didn't hurt you much do they?" Lumine asked worryingly, putting both of her hands on the little girl's shoulder, straightening her up to look for any injuries.

"Onee-chan..." Nahida croaked out, still feeling the stinging pain on her head from having her hair pulled up. "That deal... You shouldn't have take it... Why? Why do you take it?" The white haired girl asked, looking at the older girl with a remorseful expression.

"I don't have other choices." Lumine shook her head. After making sure that there is no injuries on her friend's body, she looks at her straight in the eyes, her expression is serious. "Listen here Nahida, I need you to get out of here, alright? Get as far as you can and do not, go back here, you understand? Do not, go back here."

"B-But onee-chan, what about you? I can't leave you here!" The little girl complained.

"Don't be worried about me." Lumine shook her head. "Care about your own safety first."

"She is right, girl." The oldest boy who stood just behind Lumine spoke up. "It's best that you get outta here quick, unless if you wanna join your sister's special time with us that is."

His provocation seems to work, and Nahida gasped in horror at the warning. She looks back between the boy and Lumine, her lips trembled as if she wants to say something, but everything goes unsaid instead. Eventually, she stood up, taking Scara into her hands as she does so. With her eyes fixed solely upon Lumine, she's start backing away, into the pathway that leads Lumine into this place. And by giving her a nod for reassurance, Lumine finally convinced her to leave.

"I'll... I'll return with help!" Was Nahida's last words before she scurried away back from where she came from.

"Yeah, good luck with that little girl. But by the time you've returned, things won't be same as before." The boy cheered for her sarcastically, before turning his attention towards Lumine who slowly stood up. "Now then, let us begin, shall we?"

And with that, Lumine could do nothing but to gulp. Praying for the best to happen in this tight spot.

"Uh... Paimon thinks Paimon don't want to see this. Paimon will close her eyes, okay? Please tell Paimon if it was over." Closing her eyes, Paimon scooted to the spot behind Mona's back and hides there, also using her hands to close her ears so she couldn't hear what's happening.

And although everyone in the group collectively agrees that they too didn't want to this, some of them is still curious about what's going to unfold. They steeled their resolve and continue to watch silently.

"Let's see... First, it was this! And that! And then he did this!"

A punch was delivered to her stomach, causing her to make a gagging sound, and just when she toppled over, he rammed his knee into her chin, sending her lunging into a tree behind her, doubling the pain as she crashed into it, hard.

"Woohoo! Well done boss! It's my turn, my turn, please boss."

The boss nodded, and turned his head to look at the blonde haired girl in front of him again, who weakly tries to stand up.

"Now then, second, if I remember correctly, he did this!" He rammed his knee into Lumine's abdomen, making her eyes bulge. "And then this!" He throws his fist, and it landed on Lumine's left cheek, and that's not the end of it. "And then lastly, is this!" Using his other hand, her delivers an upper cut, right on her chin again. Eliciting a grunt of pain out of her.

The blonde girl landed on the ground with a thud, her body is aching all over, and she only have a little strength that can be used for her to get up and endure the pain they inflicted upon her.

"Boss, I think you've got it wrong there." One of the boss' henchmen spoke up.

"Oh? And where did I get it wrong?"

"It's supposed to the arms, the chest, and the right cheek, not the left."

The blonde haired girl slightly widened her eyes at this, she knows that that statement is completely wrong. For she was the one who witnessed that fight closely, and she still remembers it freshly in her mind, just how her brother beat these guys. Including every hit that he lands, and where it was. These boys are just lying to their boss so that they could continue torturing her are they?

"Ah, forgive me for my mistake then. Allow me to repeat." The oldest boy apologized, though he knows exactly what his friends want, and he will gladly fulfill their request.

And so, it continues. A hit to her arms, a kick to her chest, and then a powerful punch that lands straight into her still undamaged cheek. 

But then, just like before, as she was predicted, they repeated the same excuses again, making their boss continuing to beat her up to no end repeatedly.

She didn't even know how long it has been. All that she knows is that the beating finally stops the moment she can't move her limbs anymore, and something warm is trickling down her face, from her forehead, down to her cheek, and the ground around her is dyed in red. Her breathing is heavy, and keeping her eyes open to stay conscious is the hardest thing ever.

"You know... I still want to go for a couple more rounds... But even this is still exhaust me.

The boss of the bullies said something, but she couldn't hear properly anymore. What are they going to do to her now.

"I guess there's only one thing left to do now... Grab her boys." At his command, the two henchmen went to grab her without even the slightest amount of mercy towards her bruised body, making her hissing in pain at the roughness of their holds. "Now that I have made you pay for the pain that your brother caused me that day. Now it's time for you to pay for another thing that her inflicted upon us. The humiliation."

Reaching to his pockets, the boss pulls out a scissors into view, and once she saw it, Lumine's eyes widened in fear and shock, immediately knowing full well what they're going to do.

"Shame that you are not him. But still, your hair, it's color and length, just seeing it already makes me mad by remembering that brat's princess like hair, I would've cut that stupid braid with a grass clippers if I need to. But fortunately for me, I have you, his prized a little sister. And look, you even kindly prepared yourself for me, by not following that wanker's dumb style. What say if I give you a nice little free hair trim hmm? Princess? I'm sure your little prince will be honoured to see his little sister got a new hair cut. If you even have a single strand left on your head that is."

One of the boys that held her uses his hand to grab a handful of her long golden hair and pulled it up, causing her to wince in pain. But that was not her biggest concern now.

The boss opens up the scissors, and bring it closer, and closer, to her hair. 

"No... Please, don't..." A whimper escapes from her lips, begging her assailant to stop his advance.

He's going to cut it! He's going to cut it! He's going to cut her hair, her hair that is given to her by her mother and father, her hair that she shares an almost identical color with the hair of her older twin brother.

Even more closer, the blades are inches away from the waterfall of gold.

"S-Stop... Please..." Tears as raining down from her eyes, and she's already sobbing for mercy.

This is his hair! This is his hair! This is Aether's hair!

One of the blades already pierced through the wall, already in the position to tear it down.

"No... Please... I beg of you... No... Please...! NO-"

Snap

Lumine's breath hitched in her throat, her heart feels like it stopped beating, and time seemed like it came to a stop. And after a second passed, her heart continues beating, time resumes, and she took a breath again. Through her tear stained eyes, the girl watches as a handful of strands of golden hair fell right in front of her face, permanently severed from the roots on her head. And all she could do, is to blankly stare at it as it landed on the ground, completely lifeless.

"No..."

Blankness, white, that is her mind right now.

No... no...! Noooooooooo!!!"

But it's not just her mind, her vision, her eyes, all she could see is white. All of her senses are filled with blankness. In fact, maybe it's not just in her mind, the world around her is engulfed in light.

"Whoa! What's happening?! Gyaaaah!"

"Eek! M-Monsters! Run!"

"Help! Help me!"

"Whoah! What is going on?!" Xinyan asked, when the scenery around her erupted into a burst of light. She covered her eyes to protect them from the blinding brightness.

"I-I don't know!" Mona replied back, also covering her eyes with her hands just like everyone else. "It could be due to something related to Lumine's memory. Just hang on everyone, I'm sure it'll ended in no time."

The bright flash of overwhelming brightness didn't go away and stays there for the next three minutes. But even so after that, the white light didn't do as much as as disappearing, but instead it simply receded the brightness into a bearable one, Enough for the group to open their eyes once more to see that they have returned to that blank white space again.

"Well... Looks like we're back here again." Mona noted, placing both of her hands at her sides as she looks around to see that although they're back at the blank room, the tiny spark of light from before is nowhere to be seen.

"Guess we'll have to wait here again. Its almost like the mirage is giving us some time to think about the things we just saw, a deserved break after witnessing such a shocking memory." Xinyan muttered, her voice is low, indicating that she's still feeling a little unpleasant from watching what just transpire a few minutes prior.

"Hmm, yeah. Paimon knows that Paimon said it before, but Lumi really has a tough childhood. Having no friends at all, being bullied occasionally, and... Getting herself beaten up in place of her brother for the sake of her one and only friend? It all just feels so wrong!" The tiny creature said with a violent shook of her head, sounding sad and concerned about her best buddy. As of now, the pixie couldn't think of anything but to go back into the real world and give the blonde haired girl a big hug, knowing full well that it won't do as much as healing the wounds of her past, but nevertheless, she just wanted to give her some comfort, whether she needs it or not.

"Hmm, it's really a good thing that she still have her brother and her friend Nahida to stay by her side then. I couldn't imagine what would become of Lumi today if she doesn't have any kinds of support at all during those hard times." Kazuha added, with everyone silently agreeing with his opinion.

"Well, at the very least, this memory just showed us that even as a child, Lumi has already become a person who always treasure the friendship she bonded with her friend. Paimon supposed that we have that Nahida girl to thank."

The blank space suddenly shook a little, and since most of the group is in a standing position, they could feel the tremors and it almost made the fell off from their feet.

"Whoa! What was that?! Why does everything suddenly starts shaking?" Even Paimon who is floating could feel the shaking, but no one can answer her because they're all is just as confused as she was. That is, until one of them spotted something.

"Guys, look! I see something over there. That wasn't there before, right?" Fischl asked while pointing a shaky fingers towards a small object in the distance.

It was a small black splotch, an anomaly and an alien object that appears among the sea of white. Even from far away, the group could immediately spot it due to its contrasting colour with their surroundings. But wasn't the only thing they noticed, a crucial detail that they immediately realize is that the said black splotch is constantly growing bigger the more time passed, as if it was consuming the blank space, doomed to repaint it in all blank, like a caterpillar eating fresh green leaf.

"Eek! What is that? A-Are we safe? Should we try to get out of here?" Paimon, naturally of course, is immediately alerted by the sight, her mind thinks back to those nightmare she was about being eaten by a giant smile. On second thought, being eaten by a slime sounds much better due to slimes having a cute appearance, but this thing is no slime, it was an otherworldly darkness, ready to swallow her whole.

"Calm down, Paimon. I'm sure this thing will pose no threat to us." Mona said in annoyance, starting to get irked by the pixie who always get panicked by even the simplest things. "I'm sure that this thing works the same like before, it was process of some sort, a waiting room for us to get transported from one memory to another."

"Uh... Are you sure though? Paimon prefers the one where we are engulfed by a light instead of that ominous black void." Paimon replied, shaking her head.

"Just bear with it, Paimon. I'm sure there's a good reason for the different transition. Perhaps it was caused by Lumine's storm of emotions that she felt that day or something. Either way, it won't kill you. These are all just mere illusions after all." Mona reminded, sighing softly as she resumes her watch over the transition.

Just as they predicted, the once small splotch of blackness grows larger and larger, spreading itself all over the blank space with a consistent speed. Eventually, the dark void engulfed half of the blank space, quietly passing over their heads and under their feet. And within only a matter of seconds, the once completely blank white room has been overturned into a completely black void, seemingly devoid of life except for the four people plus a floating child and talking bird who stood in the middle of it.

The lack of light caused them to unable to see anything, however, thanks to the presence of Vision Wielders among the group, they activate their elemental sight to see if there's anything inside this dark space. And thankfuly, there is.

"Things are starting to appear around us. It looks like my prediction is true, we really are getting transported into another memory. But the unusual way for us to get here might be happening due to a tear inside Lumine's memory, one that separates this one with the last one." Mona muttered, putting a hand on her chin.

"A tear in memory? You mean like that she forget of what happened between these two records or something?" Xinyan asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Either that or there was never a solid connection in the first place." The black haired astrologist answered.

The things they saw appearing around them are mostly both large and small furnitures, one that is easily recognizable upon the first glance. Furniture such as a queen sized bed with canopy and two bed drawers on each sides, multiple closet to store up clothes, a desk with mirror for accessories and make ups, and then a small fireplace in the corner of the room.

"Huh, looks like we're inside a bedroom. Do you think this is where Lumine woke up after that entire ordeal has been resolved?" Xinyan asked again, looking to see if the illusion of that blonde haired girl has appeared yet.

"It could be. Perhaps the blinding white light that suddenly appeared in the last memory is a representation of Lumine falling unconscious. That is why she has no solid connection between that memory and this memory, because she wasn't awake at the time." Kazuha deduced, crossing his arms across his chest as he explained.

"Well, you certainly have learned a lot about the natures of how these mirages are working, aren't you lord Kazuha?" Mona said with a little smirk, receiving a small smile in return from the Inazuman boy.

Something else just materialized again within this room, and the fireplace that is placed in corner suddenly lit up by itself. Finally giving this dark room enough lightning for everyone to see their surroundings without the need of their elemental sight anymore. When they turned their head to look at the queen sized bed, they saw that the once empty bed has now been occupied by the girl they were searching for.

The illusion of little Lumine is lying on the bed, sleeping soundly under the cover of the warmth of the quilt. That much is not strange at all. But what is concerning the group is the state of condition that Lumine was in right now. She doesn't wear any clothes, instead, covering her body from her arms, chest, and around her forehead are rolls upon rolls of bandages. Made to be wrapped around her bruised and damaged body, even some places spots a dark red stains that everyone immediately recognized as blood. Since what Paimon doing was cowering earlier because she didn't want to see the poor girl getting beaten into a pulp. Now she has to witness the result of those bullies' doings. And it's enough to make her grimaced.

"Oh... Lumi..." Seeing the image of her friend being in pain made Paimon a emotional, float closer to the form of the young girl lying sickly on the bed, reaching out a hand to caress the little girl's hair, only to have her fingers went through her. Reminding the pixie that this is just an illusion. "Why do you have to do this? Paimon knows that you care a lot about your friends and all, but please take care of yourself too. You'll only make people sad if they see you like this."

"Paimon, please remember that this is just an Illusion, she won't be able to hear you, ya know." Xinyan reminded, approaching the bed to give the tiny being a gentle pat on the back using her fingers.

"W-Well... Paimon knows that. But still, it's hard to try to not get a little emotional. Lumi never told Paimon anything about her past except from the moment she set foot on this world. So Paimon never had any idea that her past would be so sad." The little pixie said, putting a hand on her chest.

"Well... If you wish to confess your thoughts about it. Then maybe you should tell them to the real Lumine. The one that is back in the real world." Kazuha advised, sighing a little. In all honesty, he too have some words he needed to convey to Lumine later.

There was a creaking sound coming from behind them, and the group simultaneously looked back to see the exit door of the bedroom has been creaked slightly open. And from the small crack, a familiar figure of a small girl with white hair could be seen, thanks to the dim light from the lamp outside.

"It looks the the record is about to be played, let's watch everyone."

The first thing that she heard is the sounds of a soft rustling, like a gentle breeze that softly brushes against the leaves on the trees. And the second thing that she heard is the sounds of crackling, most likely coming from the burning of firewoods in a fire place nearby, In fact, it seems like that is the case, judging from the pleasant warmth that she felt right now. Although, it still pales in comparison to whatever the thing that is covering her.

Feeling that she's able to move her body, the blonde girl slowly opens her eyes, only to see that she was surrounded by darkness. At first, she thought that she was dead, but after she tried and failed to moved her limbs that only results in a jolt of pain coursing through her body, she realized that she was thankfully still alive. But where is she now?

She registered the feeling of lying on top of something smooth and comfortable, and something warm and fluffy is covering her body. She was sleeping on a bed, is she?

She raise her head even for a little, to look for her surroundings and see if she could recognize where she was. The dark maroon wallpaper, the small fireplace placed in the corner of the room, a table with wide and tall mirror, and then the closets where she put her collection of clothes. This room is unmistakenly, her own bedroom. And as for how she got here however...

The door on the other side of the room slowly creaked open, as if answering to her question. The light from the lamps outside this room entered the darkened room, giving the girl enough brightness for her sore eyes to focus enough and see who stands behind the large wooden door, all that she could see white. A twin waterfall of white hair, coming from the spring above that chubby little face of a little girl with bright green eyes that seemingly glows in the darkness.

Ah... so she really was back in her home.

"Nahida... is that you?" The blonde haired girl managed to croak out, her throat is dry, her voice in hoarse and husky. Using all the strenght she could muster, she raise herself up into a sitting position, so she could take a better look at her friend who just stood there on the doorway.

The little girl in question didn't answer her immediately, instead, her pair of tiny hands pushed open the rest of the door. Her green eyes are wide open, and her mouth is slightly agape, as if she was staring at a ghost. Now that the door has been wide open, she could also see the tiny little furry creature that follows behind Nahida, it was her pet cat, Scara.

"O-Onee-chan..."

"Yes...?" Hearing the little girl called out to her, the girl wonders what she would like to say now.

Her feet is trembling, her hands are shaking, and her lips are twitching like she wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right thing to say. And instead, slowly, the little girl known as Nahida took a small step forward, and another, and another, with each steps getting wider and faster.

"Onee-chan... ONEE-CHAN!!"

"Wha- OOF!!"

Suddenly without warning, the white haired girl sprinted when she was halfway through the room, before leaping up and rammed herself into the bandaged girl on the bed, tackling her and back to lay flat on the bed like before. And although she would like to voice some complaints about how such actions just made her briefly releiving the whole pain in her body for a split second, she feared that such thing would ruin this moment where she have her dear friend, her little sister, hugging her as tightly as she could, like she was an oversized teddy bear.

"I thought... I thought you're dead! You were not moving at all when we found you... A-And... And Aether onii-chan said that you're not waking up! I was scared! I was scared that you die onee-chan..."

The little girl in front of her is crying, her tears smoothly flowing out from her eye sockets, and the blonde girl could feel the wetness on her bare chest. She had vowed herself to protect her smile, to make sure that no other emotions but happiness will exist solely on her face. She tried to be her hero, to protect this little girl from harm, and that's why she chooses to sacrifice herself, hoping to spare the white haired girl the pain. But in the end... She still managed to inflict even more pain to her through some other means... In the end, even such a simple task is not enough for her to accomplish huh?

But enough about that, she needs to calm the crying girl down.

"Nahida..." She called out softly, raising her aching hands and gently puts them both on the shoulders of the girl in front of her, pushing her away just for a little bit, so she could look straight into her eyes and also to stop her from hugging her still bruised body. "I'm fine, alright? I'm still alive. You don't have to worry so much about me." The blonde girl said, quirking up a tiny smile as she did so.

But... But you're not fine! You're not waking up for three days straight!" Nahida returned, her bright green eyes glaring into the older girl's golden ones. Full of worries.

Three days?! So she was unconscious for that long?!

There's some knocking at the door, and the blonde girl looks up to see the boy with the same golden eyes of hers, and hair that is identical, but a lot more darker in color. He's staring right into her eyes, and the expression on his face is serious.

"Sorry to interrupt your time. But I heard some commotion upstairs, and decided to see what it was." The golden haired boy spoke up with a blank tone.

"Aether..." He was her brother, her older twin brother. If what Nahida said is true, then the last time they see each other was four days ago, at the park, when he told her that he would be leaving for the other region. For him to be here, it must means that he had learned about what happened to her.

"I see that you finally wake up, Lumine. Everyone was worried about you." Aether remarked, slowly approaching the bed that Lumine was sitting on, coming to a stop at the right side Lumine, before glancing his eyes to look at Nahida. "Nahida, could you please call for mom and dad to go upstairs? I need to talk about something with Lumi."

The white haired girl only nods her head at the request, after she send a quick glance towards Lumine again, she hop off from the bed and went out of the bedroom to find the twin's parents.

And now, it's just the two of them here. Both did not say anything, and only silence filled the room. Aether's eyes are still solely focused on her, while Lumine's eyes on the other hand is looking downcast. She felt terribly ashamed to speak or even look at her brother's face. All of those talks that he had with her during their last meeting, about how she confidently said that she could take care of herself, that no harm will come at her, and that she'll be okay. All of those words comes crumbling down with her current image now. A badly beaten girl with bandages all over her body, she could only imagine the horror on his face the moment he set his foot back home only to see her own little sister is in a coma. She's such a terrible person...

"So... How did it go...? Was the trip... Worth it?" Lumine asked, timidly. Trying to distract herself from the unbearable silence that hung up upon them. Whether he likes it or not, she just wanted this awkward silent to come to an end.

"Yes... It is..." Unexpectedly however, he did answer to question, much to her surprise. "I've got to see many new things out there. So many new things... Yet when I'm back home... I see the same thing happened again..."

Ouch, that last sentence strike a cord in her. Lumine's eyes twitched upon hearing that, cold sweat running down her back, and there's a lump in her throat that is difficult for her to swallow. Now... What should she say to that? Should she try to reason? Or should she apologized?

The girl mentally sighed, there's no use hiding it anymore... She's better to just come clean, and everything that her heart says.

"Aether, look... I know you're mad at me but... I did it for a reason, alright?" Lumine began, now finally having the courage to look up into her brother's eyes. "Nahida... She was in danger! Those people... They threatened her! They're trying to torture her, all because her pet cat peed on their bike. Nahida... She was crying... She is scared... I can see it in her eyes, she scared for her life... And I just couldn't stand there and watched." Looking downwards again, Lumine covers her eyes with her hand, sighing heavily when she remembers that event, some tears already formed itself on the edges of her eyes. "I just... I just couldn't bear to see her cry Aether... I just wanted to protect her at all cost... That is why... That is why-"

Before she could fully finished her sentence, she felt a hand circled around her neck and then pulled her forward, inviting her into the embrace of her older brother. She felt her eyes widened, and her lips parted to lets out a small gasp. Another hand made its way behind her back, locking her in place in this position.

"Lumine..." Her brother's voice softly entered her ears. He placed his chin and his mouth on top of her head, as he continued to whisper into her ears. "...I too was so scared... I feared that I might lose you." The hand around her neck moved, reaching up to pat her on the head. "When I come home, mother immediately came rushing towards me and father... She told me about your condition... She said that she found you in the forest near that park... You were surrounded by three unconscious males, and there were bruises all over your body... You're not even breathing when she found you."

Aether recalled the events from three days ago. The sheer panic he had after hearing the terrible news concerning his sister, his constant worries about her safety during the periods of her coma. And the sadness he felt upon hearing all the details from Nahida... All of the memories and emotions came rushing back to his mind.

"I know that you are troubled... I know that all you wanted is protect the happiness of the ones that you care about. You are a kind-hearted person, Lumi, full of compassion. Your heart, is soft, even more than mine, and I always liked that about you. But even so... Being selfless, and put others' needs above your own, is not a way for you to go as well." Aether muttered with a gentle shake of her head, closing her eyes as he sighed. "All will be useless if you choose to sacrifice yourself for the sake of protecting someone's happiness. Because, if you die, they will mourn for you instead. They will cry for you, regretting the mistake, because of you. And eventually, their happiness will be gone, it'll disappears along with their loved one. You must realized by now Lumine, that your life and happiness, is equal to their own. There is no exceptions between them."

After finishing all that he wanted to say, the twins stayed in that position for a while, each still desiring the comfort from one another. But eventually however, they must separate. With each releasing a big sigh now that they have let all of their emotions out.

What Aether said is true, evidenced by what Nahida said just now. Even though Lumine had saved the girl from the pain that those bullies are going to inflict upon her. Lumine's self sacrifice ended up only giving the poor girl a new pain from having to see her beloved onee-chan lying sickly on the bed, suffering from a coma for three days straight. It must've been so painful to her. To see someone who always be there for her, played with her, talking to her, has been reduced into an unmoving body wrapped around with bandages like a mummy, Lumine couldn't imagine the storm of emotions that little had went through. She'll have to apologize to her.

"You are right, brother." Lumine said after some time. "I don't want you all to be worried about me, I don't want you to get sad because of me, I don't want to trouble you ever again. So I'll promise, I won't do this again."

Aether only stared blankly at her sister at these words. But then, he smiled and nod his head as a sign for his approval. However, one thing is still bugging Lumine's mind...

"But Aether... There's something I wanted to asked you about..."

"What is it?"

She gulped loudly, with her hand gripping the blanket below her tightly, she looked up to her brother's eyes and asked. "If... If somehow... This kind of scenario happens again in the future... What should I do?"

Hearing this question, Aether narrowed his eyes, and after having some thoughts crossing his head, he crossed his arms around his chest and answered. "Well, if there's someone threatening your life or the life of your friend... Then all you have to do is do what I usually do, of course. Beat them all up and send them all crying for mommy." He answered with a smirk plastered on his face, making Lumine slightly tilting her head in confusion.

"Beating them all up? But brother... I didn't even come close to you when it comes to combative abilities... And even if I tried... I might even ended up losing and being the one to get beaten up instead..." Lumine replied with a sigh, looking down in uncertainty.

"Oh? And what gives you that option?" Aether asked back, causing Lumine to look at him again in confusion. "Lumine, do you remember what I said earlier about how mother found you? She and Nahida said that when they arrived there, the three of those bullies has been knocked out, and there was no sign of any other person being in there except for you four."

They've been knocked out? But that wasn't right. What she remembers of them is that no one has come to save her from their brutal torment. She has become their punching bag that they trashed around in place, before they then decide to take out a scissors to cut her hair then... Then... Then there's nothing. Strange, why can't she remember anything from that point on?

"But... They are very much conscious when they beat me... how did they suddenly get knocked out? I didn't even try doing anything to fight back." Lumine muttered, sounding very confused.

"Welp, whether you do did something or not. I've already check on them yesterday, and they said that they don't want to mess around with our family again, whether it was me, or you. In fact, they actually showed fear upon hearing me mentioning your name. You must've done something to them to make them all scared like that, Lumi. Are you sure you didn't remember anything before you passed out?"

At her brother's words, Lumine once again tried to remember. She think hard and thorough. But still, no matter how hard she tried, to remember that event, the only thing that happens after those bullies are trying to cut her hair is blank, pure white light, enveloping her visions...

But wait...

What if...

What if if that's the answer?!

"I remember white... Pure white light, enveloping my visions. And..." Her mind remembers one crucial details that she managed to miss. During that time, when her mind went blank, she heard something. "The three... They were screaming... One of them even called for help before they completely went silent." Lumine looks down towards her bandaged hand, finding it looking normal like usual. "Aether... Do you think that... I possessed it too?" The blonde haired girl asked with a serious tone.

"I don't know, sister. That is up to you to find out for yourself." Aether said with a shrug of his shoulders, his lips turning into a smile. "But, if you would like my personal opinion however. I think that you too possessed this gifted natural abilities just like I do. After all, we are a twins, and it would be weird if we didn't share it with one another."

"Then... Does that mean... Someday... I could become just like you?" Lumine asked once again, to which Aether replied by taking her hand into his, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze.

"Nothing is impossible as long as you strived hard for it, Lumine." He gently replied, his smile getting brighter, as it grow wider. "As long as I'm still here, I can teach you everything you need to know about it."

The sounds of footsteps rapidly approaching could be heard, and it stops just right outside of this bedroom. The twins turned their heads to look at the opened bedroom door, and saw that Nahida along with their parents have come. Their mother, a woman with blonde hair, gasped in surprise, covering her mouth in shock. Meanwhile for their father, a man with platinum gray hair, he has a serious expression on his face, but it's still clear that he's holding back the emotions inside.

Now that they have seen their daughter finally woke up form her three days slumber, they wasted no time to approach the bed and comfort her. Giving Lumine her deserved hugs and many tales regarding this incident that put her into this condition.

"Welp, at the very least, Paimon is glad that Lumi's family didn't get mad at her at all. And instead give her all the comfort that she needs." Paimon said with a satisfied sigh as she watched as the beloved star-born Traveler is being surrounded by her family, showering her with lots of care and love.

"Hmm, such a magnificent view of a loving, caring family of one's favourite retainer. One cannot help but to feel distant memories start to appear again."

"What Mein Fräulein means to say is: watching this memory of such a kind hearted family has made her feeling nostalgic with her own family." Oz explained after appearing into existence.

"Hmm, but I'm still really curious about all of these cryptic things they help mentioned in their conversation." Mona said with a hum, scratching her chin in confusion. "What exactly does Lumine's brother possessed aside from his gifted intellectuals? What sort of secret is it that it can't let other people to find out about it? And then... The fact that Lumine might actually have it in her too? Just what are they talking about?"

"Maybe it was some kind of hidden or sealed power? I've read some stories that has similar plots from the light novels I read in Year Publishing House." Xinyan guessed, shaking her head softly.

"Well, perhaps we could find the answer in time. After we watch the rest of the memories that is." Kazuha answered, with everyone agrees, turning their focus back to the memory playing in front of them. It looks like time has passed, and it was night time now in the memory, with little Lumi could be seen sitting all alone on the bed.

The fresh breeze of the night wind gently entered the room through the open window. The young girl with blonde hair known as Lumine is sitting on top of the bed. Her eyes looking downwards towards her bandaged hand, the place that she vividly remembers getting stepped on and kicked multiple times by that bully. And just by thinking about it, it made her mind go back to conversation she had with her brother.

"I think that you too possessed this gifted natural abilities just like I do. After all, we are a twins, and it would be weird if we didn't share it with one another."

"Nothing is impossible as long as you strived hard for it, Lumine. As long as I'm still here, I can teach you everything you need to know about it."

So... It turns out that even she possesses something to call her own huh? After years she thought that she have nothing, that she is inferior to her brother in all aspects, she can now finally have the chance to catch up with him.

"Power controls everything. And without strength, you cannot protect anything. Let alone yourself." Those are the words Aether once said to her.

With his gifted talent in combat, it's only natural for him to say that, after all. He did use his power to protect those that he cared about, including Lumine. But for Lumine who used to think that she doesn't have any of it, all she could do is to self sacrifice herself to protect a single person, and that decision is what led her to be like this.

But now... With this newfound power, and this resolve that burns brightly in her chest, Lumine is filled with determination and motivation.

She wanted to become stronger, she have to stronger! Stronger that she could now protect those that she loved. And with Aether by her side, a path has been laid in front of her to walk into.

Lumine turned her head to the side, seeing her own reflection on a nearby mirror. She saw the messy state that she was in, especially her hair, her long blonde hair that has been cruelly cut by a scissors. However, those bullies didn't manage to trim them all off, only about a quarter of her hair that has been cut into a short length that doesn't even reached down to her shoulder. Leaving her hair in a uneven and strange cut. Although her mother already promised to call a hairstylist tomorrow to figure out how deal with this, Lumine choose a more quick and alternative choice instead.

She went to grab a knife from on top of her bed drawers that are used to peel off apple skin when her mother feeds her. And then, she headed towards the open balcony that is connected to the room. Standing there as she gaze off into the night sky above, the stars are shining brightly, decorating the sea of darkness with beautiful glimmering white lights. And as the night wind blew upon her, swaying her remaining golden hair. Lumine grabs all that remains of her long golden hair with one hand, bringing them up. And then used her other hand that held the knife to cut through it. Releasing the handful strands of hair once she felt it has been severed from the roots, and let the night wind blows and carries it into the distance unknown.

Sighing as she finally finished the job, Lumine braced herself as she turned around, and came face to face with her own reflection on the window. A bob with bangs that framed her face nicely, with twin sections that reached shoulder length, paired with those bright golden eyes of hers. It will surely took some time before she could get used to this new appearance of hers. But she reassures herself that this is but a necessary sacrifice.

"Let this small sacrifice be a vow to me. That I shall protect those that I loved, till the very end." The girl muttered to herself with a confident nod. And with it, she walked back inside and exited her room. Heading downstairs to show off her new self.

"Wow, I guess that answers the question of how Lumi got her hair cut short. Paimon knows that this haircut is matching with the Lumi that we know. But still, Paimon still wanted to see what it looks if the current Lumi still has her long hair." Paimon muttered, crossing her arms across her chest.

"And it looks like this where the current memory ends too." Mona noted, looking outside through window to see that time got accelerated again.

"Hmm, I guess we'll have to wait then. Best that we stay in here for a while first because all of this time we're standing and my legs is pretty sore." Xinyan complained, before flopping herself into the queen sized bed with a relieved sigh.

Everyone else agreed to the decision, letting themselves relaxed in this bedroom the mirage has provided them. They don't know what sort of plot twists that awaits for them to find out. But one thing they know for sure, is that all of these records they've been seeing has put their perspective into a different direction regarding their blonde haired traveler friend.

To be Continued...

Chapter Text

"Mama, Papa, I need to talk to you about something. Something very important!"

The voice of youngest child of the household rang in the air, the living room inside the mansion suddenly came into a complete silence. The wide open pair of golden eyes that belongs to the youngest daughter stared at the eyes of her parents in front of her who stared back at her in return.

She was seated on a single chair, while her parents are sitting on a larger couch. Her elder brother stood on one side to her right, like that of a knight to a princess, or an advisor to a commander. Meanwhile on her left, there's her first, only, and best friend. The child that is younger than her, who has a long beautiful white cotton hair that was tied into twin tails. After what happened last time involving her and her beloved big sister, the child had decided to stick close to her one and only friend, especially after the latter had sacrificed her own health just to save her. Currently, the white haired girl is standing on the left side of the blonde haired girl, while holding closely her beloved pet, a kitten with blackish blue fur which she named "Scara."

"What is it my dear? Also, how are you feeling today? Does your body still hurts?" The voice of the father spoke up, full of concern.

It is but only a few days after the family had found their precious daughter in such a catastrous state. Her body is full of bruises from top to bottom, the doctor had said that she also suffers from some minor internal bleeding in some areas. It was bad to put it lightly, they even express their surprise that she even still alive at this point, especially after the three day coma she went through. Although she has recovered enough to move freely around the house and not lying all day in bed, her bruised body is still all covered in bandages.

"I'm fine, Papa. I can move around just fine now, even though some parts of my body and my joints still hurts." The girl replied, raising a single arm up, wincing a little from the small pain she's feeling.

"It's better that you continue to get some rest, Lumine. Don't worry about school, your health is far more important." The mother spoke up, putting a single hand on her chest.

"I know, Mama. But, I really wanted to talk to you about this." The girl with blonde hair, Lumine, replied while her eyes are downcast, looking at her hands that are gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, sweats raining down her forehead and she gulped down nervously.

"After the incident that took place several days ago. Lumi had made a surprising discovery related to what happened during that time. She and I have discussed it thoroughly, and after gathering some evidence, and gives it all some thoughts, we think that it might be better to consult it you two." Aether added, he sensed the nervousness coursing through his sister's body, and he's willingly helping her during this tense situation, reaching out to put a single hand on her shoulder, and give it a squeeze, which visibly makes her a little relaxed for a bit.

Their parents didn't say anything after that, but they silently look at each other before nodding their heads to gesture for their daughter to explain what is currently swirling inside her mind.

And now that both of her parents have given her the approval to speak, there should be no more obstacles for her to finally give them the words in her mind. And yet, she's still finds it difficult to speak, let alone parting her lips to make a sound. Just what is it that made her unable to speak out like this? Was it merely because she was nervous of what her parents reactions would be? Or was it because of fear? Does she fear for the outcome of what she's about to tell them? It seems to be right.

For all her life, the youngest daughter have always been known that between her and her brother, she was the inferior one, she was the shadow that follows upon the light that her brother brings, a mere images of him, reflected upon a dirty and broken mirror. Her parents had always thought that, other people had always sees that, and she herself have always accepted that. Aether is better, Aether is smarter, Aether is friendlier, and Aether is stronger. While Lumine is... Well... Lumine is nothing, just like a shadow that follows her brother, blank and featureless, with no interesting qualities whatsoever.

But now however... Now that Lumine reflected upon her life for the past four years, she realized that perhaps that mindset of hers has been wrong this whole time.

Sure, she may be nothing in the eyes of other people unlike her brother before, but in recent years, the girl has finally for the first time in her life, gained something that she could call hers.

She gained a kind and beautiful girl that she could call her friend, she gained the title of an older sister from having to befriend and take care of her, she received the generosity and love from someone else other than her own family for the first time, heck she even got her first enemies as well, if those bullies count as one that is.

Her life has changed, and few good things have happened to her. What else does she needs other than the required strength to protect those that she just received? Her meek and timid self are not enough to protect those that she cherish. She need power, more power.

After mentally composing herself, the blonde haired girl took a deep breath, before straighten her sitting posture. She looks at her parents eyes in full seriousness with pursed lips, preparing to say it now.

"Mama... Papa... I think... I think I might possesses the gift as well."

The instant she said that, her parents eyes blown wide open in shock, her mother jerked in surprise in her seat, while her father suddenly stood up, as if a bomb had just been thrown into him, making him reflectively trying to get away. Their eyes are all glaring daggers towards Lumine, and the blonde girl finds herself fidgeting once more under their gaze. Their breaths hitched in their throats, she could feel it, even by a mere mention of this alone had already made them react this way, the girl wonders if she could even goes any further beyond this point.

"What the goodness are you talking about, Lumine?" Her father was the first one to spoke up after a while of silence. Still with that disbelieved look on his face while the tone of his voice are serious. "If you think of telling us a joke, then this isn't a funny one, you shouldn't even take it lightly either, you know that this is not a laughing matter."

Her father sounds so intimidating right now, but Lumine and Aether knew better than anyone that their parents are merely looking out for them, and all of this they did is out of affection for both of their children, nothing more.

"It's... It's not a joke." Lumine replied a bit timidly, shaking her head with her eyes closed. The blonde girl then turned her head to look towards her mother who was still sitting on her couch, eyeing her daughter in shock and also disbelief, but still, there is a small glints of emotions inside her eyes that telling the little girl that her mother had knew the answer already somewhat, the more reason why she should be the one to support this claim. "Mama... You know that already... Didn't you?"

Instantly, all eyes in the room glanced towards the mother, who stayed silent for a while under their gaze. She looks down on the floor, eyes full of mixed up emotions, most notably uncertainty and discomfort. With everyone in the room are expecting for her answer, she could not afford to keep the silence forever.

"I... I had my guess." The mother replied after a while, sighing as she does so.

Her father then turned his head to look at the mother, slightly shocked, glaring at her with a disbelieved look.

"Darling... You knew?" Asked the father, to which the mother nodded her head.

"That day... When Nahida-chan asked me to follow her to the woods, she told me that Lumine is being assaulted by a bunch of bullies who wanted to beat her up for revenge." Their mother began, wincing as she recalled the memory. "She told me that they're pretty strong, so I enlisted the help of several people. We searched through the woods, with Nahida as our guides, and eventually finds the spot where Lumine was last seen. Lumine is... In a very bad condition, just like when she was bedridden in the first day, however... There is something odd when we found her that day." The mother explained, her hands gripping at the white dress she's wearing, a little bit too tightly for comfort.

"Onee-chan was attacked by three bullies that day, they all strong and tall." Nahida, the little girl with white cotton hair, the special guest of the family, added with a nod of her head. "They are so mean, and... So unforgiving. They want to beat me up all because Scara peed on their bike." The little girl muttered out loud, hugging the dark haired cat in her arms closer to her chest. "They say a lot of mean stuff, and they told me that onee-chan wouldn't be the same as before once they're done, that's why I rushed in here to ask for auntie's help, before returning there as quickly as possible, because I don't want onee-chan to get hurt. But... I-I was too late, and by the time we get there, onee-chan is out cold, and so does the other three."

"Wait, what?"

"Those boys were unconscious as well." The mother replied, leaning her body forward while intertwining her fingers and placed her hands in front of her mouth. "We didn't exactly know what happened, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to get a pretty hard bump on their head, like they were being pushed away really hard against the surrounding trees or the ground, all of this can be seen from the blood trickling down their foreheads." The mother explained, her expression looking somewhat somber. "I didn't have enough time to care about them, because I was focused on Lumine only, and brought her back home where she was comatose for three days."

"Is that so..." The father muttered in response, looking conflicted on what he just learned. "But is there any other evidence that suggests that it was caused by it?"

"I have one." Everyone turned their heads to look at the boy with blonde hair. "A day after we returned back home, I went to check on those three, see if they needed to be taught another lesson or not for messing with Lumi again while we were away." Aether ignored all the stares his parents give him at the moment he said the word 'Lesson' and continues his explanation instead. "The moment they see me, it look like they've just seen a ghost. Chickening away in fear, they would've escaped if it wasn't for me to catch up with them. I interrogate them one by one about what they did to Lumi, and would've forced them to repent using force if necessary, but they surprisingly surrendered easily. They explained everything to me, from start to finish of the entire ordeal, including the part of when they got knocked out."

"I... I didn't remember anything after they tried to cut my hair..." Lumine muttered softly, twirling the sideburns of her now short hair, she's still having a hard time adjusting the sensation of no longer having long hair that draped behind her back, maybe a year or two will do. "My mind and my sight are just pure white at that moment... And I couldn't hear clearly... So... What happened, brother? What did they tell you?" Lumine asked, looking at her older brother with an expectant and curious look.

"They said that you're a monster." Aether answered, causing everyone to stiffen in place.

"A what?" Nahida asked, a little shocked at what she just heard.

Aether sighed and shook his head a little. "They said that at that moment, just before they lose consciousness, a bright light suddenly engulfed Lumine's body, and a touch to her body is like holding into a fire, or at least one of them said that." Aether explained, his golden eyes glanced towards his sister who sat on the couch beside him, her eyes looking directly into his. "They release their hold because of that, and before anyone could react, an invisible force pushed them away from her, and that was how they were knocked out." A smirk appears on Aether's face as he snorted a little. "They blamed it on Lumine, and that's why they become fearful of me who has a "monster" as a sister. But hey, at the very least they'll never be brave enough to mess with us ever again."

After Aether's explanation, everyone stayed silent, and the room was quiet for a while. Their father finally sits down back on his couch, sighing as he puts his palm on his face, thinking. The twins also stayed silent as they waited for their father's further response, sitting there with their eyes looking at their father.

After a few minutes have passed, their father finally released his hand from his face, his eyes stared directly into Lumine's golden ones. Looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"Alright... Let's approach this matter slowly... First thing first, my dear Lumine, what are your feelings about this?" Her father asked, intertwined his fingers as he placed his hands on his lap.

"I... I don't know, papa." Lumine replied with a shake of her head. "This is all so new to me... I still can't believe it either, it's all so sudden and... I never imagined that I would be like this."

"Hmm... I see. That is very understandable." Her father nods his head before asking again. "Then... How about a demonstration? Can you show us what you can do?"

"I... I can't." Lumine replied timidly, looking down at her own palms. "I... I tried several times before, trying to imitate what Aether can do, but I can't do it, or at least, not yet."

The father releases a sigh after hearing that, closing his eyes as he once again ransacks his mind for thoughts. Right now, he feels really confused about what he must do, or what decisions that he must made. As the head of the family, as the father of his twin children, as their guardian who has sworn to protect his children from those people in the government, who surely will take them away from him once they learned of the unique qualities that his child possesses, both of them, now with this revelation.

He felt a hand was placed on his shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze, he opened his eyes to see his wife looking at him tenderly, in concern and reassurance.

"I know that you have your doubts, my dear, but even so, this is but a miracle that is out of our control, one that we cannot change nor can it be prevented." The mother of the twin golden siblings muttered softly, smiling at her husband with a tiny yet gentle smile. "Fate is strange thing, I know. But perhaps, even this is a blessing from the heavens that we just don't know yet so long as we see it from only one point of view." The mother then looked at her daughter, who had her eyes on her parents. "There is no harm in this, no one would suspect anything as long as we kept it hidden. And besides, even if those naughty children tell someone about this, no one's going to believe them since they're just a child."

"Mom is right, dad." Aether added with a nod of his head. "I know about this better than Lumi, I can teach her, and if all of our assumptions turn out to be correct, then she'll just have to learn to hide it from the public, just like I do."

Their father looks back and forth between his wife and his son, and also to his daughter who stays silent the whole time, seeing the slightly pleading look on his son's face, or his wife's warm smile of reassurance. And so, he made his decision. He'll be granting their wish.

"Alright, alright, I understand." The father sighed as he glanced towards his daughter. "Lumine, from now on, you'll be homeschooled here with your brother, no need to go back to school again five times a week." He said, causing Lumine to widen her eyes in shock.

"Wha- Really?! I-I mean... I-Is that really okay?" Lumine asked timidly, a part of her was a little excited and happy, while others are very hesitant at the news.

"Yes." Her father nodded in confirmation. "I still have my doubts of whether you have the gift in you, my dear child. But I can't risk it if it turns out to be true." He said with a small shake of his head. "I'll be dealing with the matters of her resignation soon, but as for now, I want you try testing out your new abilities, and demonstrates it to me, it doesn't have to be tomorrow, or anytime soon, just when you finally can do it, okay?"

"Understood. Thank you, papa." Lumine nods her head in gratitude, smiling slightly, after finally convincing her parents into listening to what she faced with, without any major problem that she feared before.

"H-Hold on!" A voice spoke up, and everyone turned their heads towards the little girl with white hair named Nahida. "If onee-chan is not going to school anymore like Aether onii-chan, then doesn't that mean that I can't see onee-chan anymore?"

Ah, that's right, both Nahida and Lumine used be always together during school hours. As friends, they usually spends their sweet time playing and studying together, though they are separated by age differences, they are still close nonetheless, for they have only each others as friends after all, aside from Aether being the third wheel of course.

Now that it has been decided that Lumine will no longer attend school in favor of homeschooling with Aether, the time where they can be together is cut short, no longer will they be able to see each other again so very often now that they are separated by not only time difference, but also places.

"Hey, it's okay Nahida, it's okay." The blonde haired girl stood up from her chair and placed her hands on both the younger girl's shoulder, making the white haired girl to look up at the older one, while also ignoring the sharp glare coming from the cat Scara, who had itself covered in her looming shadows. "We can still be together, alright? After all, it's not like school is taking a full day away, we can still play in the afternoon once we're done."

"B-But, school will be so lonely without you, onee-chan!" Nahida protested, she almost looks like she's on the verge of tearing up, and it pains Lumine to see her that way. "You are my... You are my only friend, every single day is always fun because of you, without you, I will be all alone, I have no one to play with me, or study with me... I don't want to be alone..."

And now she's actually tearing up, and Lumine quickly react to wipe away those glittering crystal from the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry Nahida, I really am." Lumine leans forward, and pull the smaller girl into a hug, ignoring the way Scara meows in displeasure for being squished between the two, but it's okay though since Nahida quickly release him anyway, so that she could wrap her arms around the back of the blonde haired girl. "I really enjoyed our time together all these years, but sometimes, you gotta let go of something, because the world changes, and we cannot just stand still and do the same thing over and over again."

"Onee-chan... If we cannot be together again during the day... Then can I come here to visit every day?" Nahida asked, hesitantly, as if fearing that it will be rejected.

"Of course. Of course you can, you are more than welcome to come here whenever you want. And I promise you..." Lumine pushed Nahida away so that she could look at the white haired girl in her eyes. "...Once we are done with our activities during the day, me and Aether will show cool things that we can do, okay?"

Nahida's face brightens up visibly from that, and she nods her head happily.

"Okay! I hold you that, onee-chan. Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

Lumine held out her little finger, to which Nahida holds with her own slightly smaller little finger. Sealing their promises to each other between friends, as the other room occupants watch with a smile on their faces. Happy to witness this moment between the two girls, whose friendship had made them become more of siblings.

"PHEW! Man, it sure feels like it's been AGES since we last stepped outside." Xinyan groaned as she stepped down the small flight of stairs leading to the garden, stretching out her arms upwards and grimaced when it made a popping sounds.

The others behind her only could nod their heads in agreement, as they also stretched their limbs and breathes on the fresh air of the outside world. Even though technically, they're not even in the real world right now, as they are currently inside the world of mirages created as the manifestation of their dear Traveler friend, Lumine, who is also not with the group currently, presumably still sleeping in the real world outside of this fake world.

Just a few hours ago, or days, with the accelerated time flow inside this mirage, the group of friends just had witnessed what it seems to the the childhood memories of Lumine.

From her lonely childhood with no friends, being bullied constantly for no apparent reason, a protective and caring brother with an apparent hidden talents, and also the appearance of her one and only friend in the form of the little girl known as Nahida. They have seen all, and suffice to say, they simply can't wait to see more.

However, over the last few hours they were here, the group are stuck inside the recreation of the giant mansion that was Lumine's house, watching some of their friends recollection of her childhood memories living inside the luxurious mansion, filled with maids no less. Though the memories stored inside the buildings are less exciting than the other ones they've seen before, it's still acceptable no less, but nowhere does it was pleasant for them to watch, especially when they must undergone several headscratcting puzzles for each memory they saw, effectively worning down the group slowly and turn them desperate for fresh air of outside. An opportunity that they only gets now.

"To think that we must do a bunch of grade school exams of all things to trigger some memories to appears... What was Lumine thinking?" Mona mentally groaned, it's not like it was hard to do for someone as knowledgeable as her, but the fact that they must do it for about sixty times is truly annoying.

It is equally unnerving as it was impressive to think that at such a young age she was already immersed so much in her studies like this. No wonder why the Lumine they know is such a knowledgeable individual now that they know her childhood was like this. Even until this day, Mona couldn't express how grateful she was in taking the blonde haired Traveler as her assistant.

"Yeah, Those tests are really sucks! Paimon is surprised that Paimon's head is still intact at this point." The floating pixie complained with a groan, shaking her head and slumping her shoulders.

"Paimon... First thing first, those are all just basic grade school tests with nothing is hard except for maybe those mathematics. And secondly, we did those, not you." Mona sighed with a shook of her head. Throughout the hours they spent inside the mansion, it was the four of them who had worked themselves to do all the puzzle solving, while Paimon was just floats there complaining about everything. It is so frustrating that it made veins pops up on Mona's forehead, which would've been visible if it wasn't for her giant hat.

"W-Well... At least Paimon helps in finding them." Paimon replied a bit hesitantly.

"Those are still nothing compared to all the braincells we burned." Mona retorted back, giving the pixie an annoyed look.

"Alright alright, that's enough bickering ya two." Before things get a little heated up between the two, Xinyan intervene between them, raising both of her hands. "Look, all that matters now is that we're finally outta the mansion, right? This ain't the time to fight over those crappy puzzles again."

"Miss Xinyan is right. Don't fuss over the small details you two." Oz, the flying familiar of Fischl also adds in, glancing at both Paimon and Mona who both scratches the side of their heads.

"Oz is right, Lady Megistus, go behave yourself." Fischl spoke up while crossing her arms across her chest. "My holy retainer's fragmented memories are still out there, awaiting for thou to uncover, we shan't delay it no more."

"Hmm, I wonder where the next memory would be." Kazuha muttered out softly, with his arms crossed across his chest, he looked around to a find a clue to where the group should head next. "The front gates are closed... So does that mean it will still took place in the mansion?" He asked to himself.

"Oh no... Paimon had enough with this mansion already! Please don't tell Paimon that we have to go inside again!" Paimon complained, looking absolutely done with everything she just experienced inside the place.

"Don't worry too much Paimon. I'm sure there's a reason why we all are able to go outside in the first place. If not for this place for having mercy for our brains, then it's gotta be because we're looking is outside, but just not beyond the gates." Xinyan said, also looking around the place.

"Well good then, because Paimon doesn't want to go back there anymore." Paimon breathed out a relief, before putting both her hands on her sides. "So then, if the next memories really are here, then we're are they?"

Just in cue with Paimon's question, a sound was heard by everyone as it rang through the air. They couldn't make it out clearly of what it was, but they're pretty sure that it sounds like something made out of wood, a plank maybe, hitting another wood. And coincidentally, it sounded just a little distance away from where they standing.

"Whoa, you guys heard that, right? A noise! Paimon thinks that's where the next memory comes from." Paimon widened her eyes in surprise.

"Yeah, and I think, it was just right over here." Xinyan nodded her head, turning around to point her index fingers towards her front, where there's a small clearing of grass.

The group approached the small clearing, the only spot within that luxurious garden where the ground is flat and open. Seems to be enough for several people to sit around in circles and doing things like playing or just simply lying down.

Their thoughts are proven correct, as several astral forms starts to take shape within the area, taking on the form of people the group had seen before while they are inside this mirage.

One of those are the form of the "main character" of the story retells by the mirage. A blonde haired girl, the younger version of the group's dear friend, Lumine. Accompanied by the illusion of none other than her own older twin brother, Aether, who is also in his younger appearance.

Standing at each opposite ends of the field. The two siblings could be seen carrying wooden swords, possibly self made. It seems like they're in the middle of a training session, and the group stayed silent as they watched over the memory being replayed.

The weather this morning looks perfect. The skies are clear, the wind is refreshing, and it doesn't blow strongly either. A perfect condition for one to train.

Their private class has just ended for today, meaning that she and her brother finally have some free time for the rest of the day. Not to mention that both their parents are out for work as well. This is a good opportunity for them to begin their secret activity, a training regimen made by her brother, Aether, just for her, conducted for the hopes that she would be able to better take care of herself in the future without the need of his constant aid.

She have done some learning and training about martial arts before, so for this time, it's time for her to learn about swordsmanship instead. For she has been always a fan of swordfighting in fictional books or movies, with her eyes tend to glimmers in wonder and awe as she watched closely of how they swings and move their swords beautifully. She wanted to learn to do those things too, and luckily, now she has the opportunity to self taught herself along with her brother.

"Hey, onii-chan. Do you think I can learn how to perform all those cool moves in they did in movies?" The little girl with short blonde hair called Lumine asked her twin brother, who has an identical hair like her except that it's darker and longer.

"You can, if you do enough training and dedication." The older twin of the two, the small boy called Aether, answered his sister's question as he turned around to face her.

They came to stood on top of a small clearing inside the garden of their mansion, standing at the opposite end of the field. On Aether's hands, he held two small swords fit for someone of their age to wield. It was made out of wood and roughly doesn't look like a sword at all. After all, he is the one who crafts them by himself, creatively carving out a big chunk of a fallen tree to make it closely into a shape of a sword, all of it he done for the purpose of training with his sister.

"Okay, let's start now, shall we? Here, take one of this." Aether tossed one of the wooden swords in his hand to Lumine, who catches it a bit clumsily. "We'll start from the very basic first."

"The basics? What are we going to do?" Lumine asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.

"Well... There are many ways from where we should begin. Keep in mind that I don't know all the details myself, I just simply read it from the book." Aether explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

Their parents were never allowed them to learn or practice how to fight due to... Many reasons. But still, they allowed him to learn some basic self defense, but not much more.

But of course, being the kid that he is, his family regulations are not one that he'll always obey to. Do not be mistaken, he does love his family dearly, and he's fully aware that all the limitations that his parents had given him and also his sister now that they had learned of her secret talent, is all nothing but to protect them both from this cruel world, to prevent them from being taken by the fates that had befallen some other children.

And that's why he sneakily snatched some books from various libraries, all of which are those that contains the materials that his parents has forbid him to learn. Things about martial arts, the sword techniques of various ways, and even some books about battle strategies too. All of which he enjoys reading and practicing in secret.

Aether would've shared the forbidden knowledge he's learned with his sister too if it wasn't for their family initial beliefs of her possessing no extraordinary talent. And that's why he take it upon himself to make himself stronger in order to better protect his beloved sister, even if it means that he must always do it.

But now however... Now that Lumine has proven herself to be no less special than her twin brother, and that they can now be closer together thanks to their parents who let Lumine to stay with him, Aether can finally share the knowledge he possesses with his sister. And if the time comes where the situation calls for it, the two can fight together side by side, as twins.

"There are many ways where we could start. For starters, let see how you use a sword first, try to swing it around and show me some moves, okay?" Aether spoke up after a while of silence.

"Some moves? Um... You mean like how they did it in those movies?" Lumine asked, looking at her brother in wonder and confusion.

"Whatever you have in mind." Aether replied back, stepping back a little, crossing his arms as he watch his sister carefully.

Nodding her head in understandment and also as a way to reassure herself. The girl held the wooden sword in her hands with both of her palms. And then, remembering what she saw in movies and story books, she began to swing her sword around. Doing moves and striking a pose with it, imagining herself doing the same thing as what she thought inside her mind. But of course, the same thing couldn't be said from another person's point of view.

While Lumine is imagining herself dancing with her sword like an expert swordswoman. What Aether saw on the other hand, is a child swinging around a stick and pretending to be cool with it. Just the mere sight of it makes him wanting to laugh, but not wanting to hurt his sister's feeling, he hold it back in favor of silently savoring the moment in the back of his mind as rememberance for later in the future.

"Uhm... Paimon doesn't know what to say..." The white haired pixie among the group muttered out loud as she scratched the side of her head.

"Well, this is pretty much normal, especially when it comes from a kid. After all, I was also the same back when I was a child. I don't master the Isshin Art instantly, it takes a lot of time and training for me to master it." Kazuha muttered, crossing his arms across his chest as he watched the illusionary little Lumine practicing with a wooden sword. "But still... I guess that after getting used to seeing Lumine's magnificent performance with a sword for so many times, it really does makes me feel a little weird seeing her doing such clumsy moves like that." The white haired boy chuckled a little.

"Yeah, you're right. But at least it's comforting to know that she'll eventually become a skilled swordswoman that she is today. Don't cha think?" Xinyan asked to which everyone nodded in agreement.

"How... How was it?" Lumine asked as she let out a deep breath.

"Laughable." Aether simply replied. When Lumine gives him a pout for that response, the blonde haired boy snorted, covering his mouth to hold back his laugh which resulted in Lumine giving him an even more annoyed look. "Sorry, sorry, I can't help it, alright? It's just that, the way you swing your swords around, it really looks like a baby being given a toy wizard wand."

"Aether... You big meanie." Lumine puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Let's be serious from now." The oldest of the twins clear his throat as he began to explain things. "Based from my observation, I conclude that there is a lot that you need to learn, a lot." He explained, earning an audible gulp from Lumine. "I'll give you some examples. First thing first, your grip..."

Approaching her, Aether get to behind Lumine, and circle his arms around her to take both of her hands on his hold. The little gasped a little in surprise, but soon relaxed once her brother starts to demonstrate his point.

"When you're holding a sword, be sure to have a firm grasp on the handle. You don't want to accidentally drop it and stab yourself after all." Aether squeezed Lumine's hands in his palm, strong and firm. "A real sword is gonna be a lot heavier than this. So unless you're an expert, use both hands to deliver a strong and precise swing with the blade. And next, is your legs..." Using his own foot, Aether shifted both of Lumine's legs and spread it wide enough to the side. "It needs to be in a stasis position so that you could get a good grip on the ground and not break your stance."

"Wow onii-chan, you know a lot about sword fighting, huh?" Lumine look at her brother in slight shock and awe.

"Heh, it was all only the basics really." Aether smirked.

"You know, Paimon always wonders of what kind of sword fighting styles that Lumi uses." Paimon muttered out loud, causing the other four to turn their heads to look at her. "You know how those samurais or even the Nobushis from Inazuma had several different fighting styles, right? Like Kazuha, who practiced the Kaedehara Sword Art, or Ayato and Ayaka, who uses their family's sword fighting style."

"Hmm, you're right. But one thing I know for sure however, is that whatever the arts she's fighting with, it is not one that comes from Inazuma." Kazuha answered, before crossing his arms across his chest. "Still though, it doesn't stop her from using Inazuman arts. I still have no idea where she learnt that." The white haired boy muttered, recalling a not too distant memory of him witnessing how his blonde haired friend displayed a different fighting style from what she usually goes by. A sword art that is unmistakably one that has been practiced by the bloodlines of his family.

Even now, he still has no idea from where she learned to use it. With such a perfect precision no less, as if she's already used it many times before. Does she learned that from mimicking him, or...

"Well, if we're lucky enough, we may as well learned what it is. This is Lumine's memories we're seeing after all, stuff like that might appear sooner or later." Xinyan added, her eyes did not move away from the memory being played in front of them. The illusion of little Lumine and Aether starts to clash their wooden swords against each other, imitating the way swordfighting looks like, but of course, with no seriousness and more of like a play or training.

"Haah... That was tiring. But, it's kinda fun too." Lumine breathed out, sitting down on the ground trying to catch her breath after some hours have passed since they began.

"Yeah... I know that swordfighting is serious matter, especially given to the state of this world we're living in. But still, there is nothing wrong in having fun with it." Aether replied back, also sitting down on the ground due to the exhaustion.

It's already past noon, apart from them already exhausted and feel like that was enough for the day, someone from their family ought to return home sooner or later, and they absolutely cannot let their parents know of their activities here.

"We should packed up these things. Mom and Dad won't be happy if they ever saw as doing this." Aether said, slowly standing up to stretch his arms, taking his wooden sword from the ground as well.

"Yes." Lumine nodded, standing up, she approached Aether and handed him her wooden sword, to which he took it. "Say Aether... Do you think that Papa and Mama would ever let us go outside?"

The sudden question from Lumine made Aether stiffen, he looked up to see his sister's eyes, full of questions and uncertainties.

"By outside you mean... Outside of the city, right?" Aether asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah..." Lumine nods her head. "I know that it is a dangerous world outside, but... Does it mean that we really have to spend the rest of our lives stuck in this one city?" The little blonde haired girl asked, various emotions are visible on her face, making her brother concerned upon seeing it.

"I... I do not know, sister." Aether answered in all honesty, shaking his head a little. "But you know full well the reason why father never let me, and now also you, to spend too much time on the outside, he don't want people to know, to find out what we truly capable of." The oldest of the twin said, and Lumine didn't reply to it at all, she does looks like she wants to, but she decided against it, only to keep quiet instead before nodding her head as understandment.

Before their conversation can continues on any further, the front gates of the mansion opened, sending both twins to jerk in surprise and for a split second, try to run away and hide from their possible parents that just come home while they were talking. But their brief panic eventually receded once they saw who it is that entered the garden. The little girl with white cotton hair that is the twins' close friend happily skipping down the pathway into the mansion, still wearing her school uniform and her backpack, and trailing a little behind her, is her pet kitten called Scara.

"Ah! Onee-chan! Onii-chan! You're here!" The little ball of energy exclaimed once she saw the twins on the park. Earning a small wave of greeting from Lumine, Nahida wastes no time to run and to give her beloved onee-chan a hug.

"Paimon still can't understand what they were trying to imply here." The floating emergency food muttered confusingly as she crosses her hand. "They all keep saying: hidden abilities this, natural talents that. It was as if Lumi's brother and then Lumi also now have some kind of long hidden power or something, and yet, all these memories we saw barely even shows any of it." She said with a little shook of her tiny head.

"Hmm, at this point, I think that might as well be what happened here." Mona replied with a little sigh, she is just as unsure as Paimon too and also everyone else, added with the fact that she can't use astrology to do any kinds of devination as long as it was related to Lumine. All of the group can do is to make assumptions of what's they're about to see later on in this mirage of memories of their dear Traveler friend.

"Perhaps what these illusions of a distant past talking about is unrivalled might of the illustrious Traveler that rivals even that of the gods." Fischl added, putting a hand on her chin as she guessed.

"I have the same idea with Mein Fraulein. Lady Lumine does have shown some incredible talents that no ordinary people can do. Perhaps maybe this mirage can give us a little bit of insight of when or how she came to be that powerful." Oz flapped his wings, rather quickly than usual, as if giving the impression of him nodding his head in agreement.

"Hmm, yeah, you may be right. Lumi did say one time that she was born with the power she possesses. And if all of our assumptions now are correct, then Paimon can't wait to see how our Lumi becomes the great warrior that she is today." Paimon exclaimed with a smile, putting both hands on her sides and looking excited.

"Ah, and speaking of "today" it seems like the memory we saw just now has ended." Kazuha chimed in, looking at the garden that is now empty after the illusions of little Lumine and her friends are gone.

"Huh, you're right. Where did they go? Did they all just disappear?" Paimon scratches the top of her head, glancing around to look for the illusion of her best friend, only to find her nowhere to be seen.

"They went inside the mansion. Seems like we must follow them again." Xinyan answered, sounding very displeased, probably from the fact that they have to go inside again after the hours they spent trying to get out.

"UGH! Seriously!? Is this mirage is all a set up to mess with us or something? We literally spent HOURS to try getting out of that place, solving multiple tiring puzzles just to get out, and now they want us to go back? Ugh, Paimon is so angry!" Paimon loudly complained, throwing tantrums and kicking her feet in the air.

"Calm down Paimon." Mona muttered, giving the tiny pixie a side eye. "This mirage are built based on Lumine's memories, things that she remembers, or rather, what she wants to remember." The astrologist lets out a heavy sigh as she put a hand on her forehead. "This world around us is the physical manifestation of that, just like the our mirages. In other words, Lumine nor anyone else has control over the structure of this place, all of it was determined by the host's inner thoughts, which on this case happens to be Lumine. And that was just my theory also."

"Hmm, so what you're saying is: all that is happening is caused by Lumi's thoughts?" The white haired small creature asked, to which Mona replied with a simple nod. "But isn't she supposed to be sleeping right now? So how is that possible?"

"I'm pretty sure that this mirage was created long before today, Paimon." Kazuha answered. "But if it wasn't, then perhaps her dreams should be the one to blame, if she even has one that is."

"Anyway, we're wasting time out here." Xinyan spoke up, butting in into the conversation between the three. "Lumine and her brother has gone into the mansion long ago, we should hurry up and follow them. Remember, we've fixed up the machine that those Fatui folks use to create these mirages, if we don't hurry up, then this place will be gone soon!"

"Lady Xinyan of Liyue is right. The honored Prinzessin Der Verurteilung will not be able to bear the thought of leaving this place, before she witness the truth behind it." Fischl monologued, closing her eyes and crossing her arms, looking a little impatient.

"Nmm... Xinyan and Fischl is right, we have to keep going." Mona nods her head, releasing a tiny sigh.

"Eeep! You seriously want to go back into that mansion?" Paimon looks at her shockingly.

"Do we really have a choice here?" The black haired astrologist glared at her. "The only other options is for us to go back into the real world, but even that is not possible unless we reached a certain point of memories in this mirage that would allow us to go back outside."

And now that she think of it, Mona starts to wonder of how long will it be until they're allowed to go back to the real world, in all the previous mirages, the group has to traverse the giant dungeons in order to access the hidden memories of everyone, and once they reached a certain one that can be deemed important, they all will automatically be teleported back outside. Will Lumine's mirage work in the same way too? But all of the memories that they have witnessed so far are all important, does this imply that that'll be an even important ones out there? What kind of memories would it be, Mona wonders.

Oh, and another important thing to not: usually, it only takes a few hours for the group to be able to reach the important parts of their mirages. But for this one however... It feels like they've been here for more than half a day already. Just what is going on inside Lumine's head?

"Paimon, if you're gonna keep insisting on not going back inside, then we're going to leave you here." The floating creature gasped upon hearing Xinyan's words. "All you have to do then is to sit back for hours upon hours until we finally find a means to get back, but at least you'll have no need to "solve" any more puzzle, right?"

"Wah! Ah, um... Nope! No, no, no. Paimon definitely didn't want that." The floating creature violently shakes her head. "Okay, okay, fine! Paimon will not complain anymore! We'll all definitely be going into the mansion, no matter what the puzzle that awaits us. And Paimon promised that Paimon will help this time, okay? As long as it stays is Paimon's capabilities." The little emergency food said with a determined nod.

"Oh? That's surprising, never thought that you would go that far." Mona muttered, genuinely looking surprised.

"J-Just... Just promise to treat Paimon to some Sticky Honey Roast later, okay? No buying super expensive astrology devices again this time!"

"Gah?! How could you be so demanding of me?"

"C'mon fellas, stop arguing already!" Xinyan butted in before an argument could spark into existence between the two. "We all now agreed to go inside again, and that's all that matters. So we should just hurry up and go in already while we still have time."

"Lady Xinyan is right. Quit fighting you two." Even Oz joined in as the mediator.

"Hmph, fine. This eventful trip has shed some light on me after all, I'll definitely be able to write some new articles for the Steambird." The black haired girl with twintails said with a sigh, deciding to drop the subject.

"Good. Now since everyone agrees, let's enter the mansion, shall we?"

With Kazuha leading on the front. The group approached the front door of the enormous building. Placing his bandaged hand upon the surface of the door, the Inazuman boy gently pushed the door open with a silent creak. And once the door has been fully opened, the group of friends couldn't help but gasped upon seeing what lies behind that door.

They were expecting to see the view of the giant main hall of the mansion, that consists of several corridors leading to various rooms scattered throughout the building, and a pair of staircases on the left and right side that leads to the top floor. But instead of all of that, once they pushed open the door, what they saw was a bright flash of light that burst out of the room and engulfed them all, swallowing everyone into a sea of bright light.

Paimon screamed upon feeling her body being wrapped around by something that isn't solid or gaseous. It's like being drowned in water but they don't get wet, it's really weird.

Through the small gaps between her fingers that she use to cover her eyes, Paimon saw how the extreme bright light around them slowly receded into a normal degree. And the odd sensation of them bathing in the light is slowly fading away too. Given enough courage, the pixie uncover her eyes, looking around to see her surroundings.

"Huh? We're back here!"

Cue to Paimon's words, everyone also uncover their eyes to see where they are now. What they saw was a giant room with dim lighting, filled with multiple bookshelves that make up the walls and even the ladders leading up to the upper section. In the center of the room, there's rows of long wooden tables with chairs on its sides, stacks of books, papers, pens, and other stuff littered the tables. Once the group saw these, they instantly recognize the place they found themselves in. It was the massive study room within the mansion, the place where Lumine and Aether would spent the majority of their time studying books and being homeschooled.

"Huh, isn't this the library? Why are we here? Is this another memory of Lumine being homeschooled again?" Mona asked in confusion, looking around to find if anyone else is in the room.

"Hmm... Judging from the color of the sunlight, it seems like this is around the afternoon. Lumine's study time should've end long ago." Kazuha answered, his maple red eyes looks around the room and the way his surroundings are dyed in dark orange colour thanks to the sunlight that came through the windows.

"Huh, you're right. So why are we here then?" Paimon asked in confusion.

"Perhaps that will answer your question." Mona pointed at the center of the room, making everyone's eyes glanced towards that direction and found three astral projection of three figure in there.

"Ah! That's Lumi! And Aether! And also... Huh? Isn't that their dad?" Paimon stroked her chin as she saw the three figures that are just some distance away from where the group are standing.

"Looks like another memory is being played. Come on, let's go check it out." Xinyan said a bit excitedly, so everyone nodded in agreement and approached the scene played before them.

The dark orange light of the afternoon sun pierces through the windows of this giant library inside their home, bathing everything in the room with it's glow and make the atmosphere looks somewhat kinda looks like something straight coming out from a novel.

But that's not all...

This entire sequence looks and feels like something like that inside a storybook that she likes to read when she's younger, a climax where things suddenly got revealed and all secrets are laid bare for the readers to read and imagine. Or perhaps... That is exactly what's about to happen here.

In this particular day, the father had called the twins to see him in the family's personal library, he didn't state exactly why he called them here, but from the tone of his alone, both Aether and Lumine could already feel that this is something serious, hence why he choose the library as their talking place, where the maids won't interrupt or overhear their conversation. Their mother is nowhere to be seen, perhaps she was included in the list of people that shouldn't hear their conversation, or maybe she was simply busy somewhere else and their father can told him everything later on.

Aether closes the door behind him after both twins are in, sealing it tight to not any sounds out. Both twins glance their indentical eyes towards the center of the room, where the tall man with platinum blonde hair who is their father standing. His back turned towards them, head leaning down as he is busy reading a book that he holds in his hands, silently turning the pages with a silent sound that echoes throughout the empty library.

Lumine give Aether a look, and his brother replied with a shrug. Together, they slowly approach their father, hands holding each other in order to calm the waves of nervousness coursing through the younger twin's veins.

"You've probably wondering why I called both of you here..." Before they can say anything, their father already addressed them. "There's no need to be so nervous, my sweet Lumine, I didn't call you here because I'm upset or anything."

The little blonde haired girl gasped in surprise a little upon being directly addressed. How did he even know that she's feeling super nervous right now? Was it because of just how often she's like that?

Thankfully though, there's Aether on her side who gives her hand a gentle squeeze, to remind her that he's here to support her. Turning his head to look at the tall figure before her, the young golden haired boy spoke up.

"Why did you call us here, father? Something important that you need to discuss with us?"

"Hmm... Yes, I do have something that we really need to talk about." Their father said with a solemn nod. Closing the book in his hands and placed them down on the table. "I've given it some thoughts for a while, and contemplating whether I should even talk about it or not so many times. But I figured... It's time for you to learn the truth."

"The truth...? What... What are you talking about, Papa? You're talking weird..." The little girl whispered softly, backing away slightly from the tall man before her.

Sighing, their father slowly turned around to look at them, and it was at that moment that the two realized that he was actually holding another item in his hand, and after their father fully turned his body, they finally saw what it was.

"I believe you know what this is, hmm? Aether?"

The twins gasped upon seeing the wooden sword that Aether had made for the two to train. When not in use, the elder twin has to make sure that the swords should be placed in the most secretive place that he could hide them, that is to say, his closet, because that is once place in his bedroom that the maids are forbidden to open. Yet somehow, their father managed to found it through an unknown means. This spells only trouble for them.

"Judging from your expressions, it seems like my thoughts are correct." Their father hummed, causing both of them to gulp.

"Oh no! Lumi is in trouble! Quick! We have to help her!" Paimon turned to look at the others with a panicked expression.

"Paimon, these are just illusions, please keep that in mind." Mona sighed heavily, shaking her head.

"Father... How did you...?"

"Let's just say I put two and two together." The tall man said while smirking a little, putting down the wooden sword on the table. "Oh and besides, I observed one of your recent trainings, that was some fancy movesets Lumine, pretty good."

"Um... Are we in trouble?" Lumine fidgeted in place, eyes downcast, feeling guilty and ashamed, like a child expecting some punishment from her parents.

Their father sighed once again as he reaches down, making Lumine squints her eyes. However, he did not have any intention to harm her, and instead gave her a gentle headpats, one that can soothes her mind.

"I'm not mad at you, Lumine. Please just listen to what about to say, okay? You too Aether." The little girl looks up to her father face, seeing him giving her a gentle smile, and it makes her heart finally calms down unexpectedly, as if any bad thoughts in her head suddenly gone in an instant. "Go sit down if you want, it's better than just standing around."

The twins nods their head and took a seat on the chairs, while their father also take a seat on the opposite end of the table, face to face with them.

"So then, let's get started. So you two been training in some martial arts and swordfighting, why? Any reason to suddenly becomes interested in it?" The older man asked, looking at each of them curiously.

Aether raise his hand first, asking for permission to speak, to which his father did.

"I was very curious about it." The golden haired boy answered, a look of determination visible on his face. "Father, you and mother has forbid me to spend much time in the outside. The reason being is that I can't let people know about the great secret that I possess, a secret that could bring me trouble once the people come to learn of it." Aether look down at his hand, narrowing his eyes as he clenched his fist. "I know that all you wanted is to protect me, father. But this secret I possess... It can be used to help so many people, I even use it to save Lumine from those bullies. But still... Just like you said, there is always a risk of me exposing myself everytime I do unimaginable act that no other kids can do. And that's why I began to study martial arts, so it can be a facade to hide my secrets, by making it seems like I was a trained for self defence instead of through super natural means. Does that make any sense?" Aether asked back, his golden eyes looking up to his father's, expecting him to understand.

"Hmm, yes, I can see what you're up to." Their father reaches out and give Aether a pat on his head. "How very thoughtful of you to think like that, Aether, I'm very proud." The taller man said with a gentle smile, to which Aether returned with his own. "And then, what about you, Lumine? Do you share the same reason with your brother? Is that why you agreed with him to train together? Or did you have something different in mind?"

Lumine was silent for a moment before coming up with an answer. In her silence, her mind drifted back to the events that transpired the past several days and even years ago. Her meeting with her first and only friend, Nahida. Her vow to always protect her as someone who is precious to her, to never let her go in fear of losing something she has been working hard to get. And the great lengths she has to go in order to do that, even if it means having to hurt herself to shield those that she cares about.

And with that in mind, she answered his question.

"I... I wanted to become strong." She said with a burning passion inside her eyes, quite a big contrast to her meek self on the outside. "Back then, I may have did things all for the sake of matching up with Aether, Aether who has all the talemt, Aether who has all the attention, and Aether who gets all the love. All I want is to follow him on his footsteps, so that one day I could be the same as him, surrounded by friends and families. But that has changed..." The little girl put a hand on her chest, gripping her shirt tightly. "After I met Nahida-chan, I finally know what it feels like to have someone else other than my family to worry about me, someone else that I could talk with, laughing together as we had some fun, and cried together in moment of sorrows. She cares for me and I cared for her, I love her, she's like a little sister that I never have. That's why I wanted to become strong, because only with strength that I can protect those who are precious to me. I may have doubted my self whether I am able to do it in the past, but now... Now that I realized that I too was blessed with this gift that Aether also posses, I now believe that I can, I will become stronger, stronger until I could never lose anything."

Her voices echoes through the empty library, two pairs of eyes stared directly at her. In normal situations, she would be mentaly shaking from nerveousness from the weight of their gazes, but as of now however, the burning fire of passion inside her melts away any negativity, making her more confident.

"Well..." Their father spoke up after some time of silence havs passed, and Lumine felt like he's anout to say something big. "That was a noble cause you have, I'm impressed." He said with a soft smile, looking proud and happy. "I'm so glad that you have found your own reason, Lumine. You and Aether may have been twins, but it doesn't mean that you have to follow the same path of life, sometimes, it's better to follow your own different path, see where it guides you and how will it affect your relationship with your brother. I'm proud of you, sweet daughter of mine." He finished his sentence by giving her a pat on the head.

"Thank you, Papa." She responded softly, leaning in to the gentle touch of his big hands.

"Alright then, now that the two of you have submitted your answers, it's time to me to answer your questions." The older man cleared his throat as he crosses his arms on top of the table. "Now, which one of you who would like to ask first?"

The twins glanced towards each other, a knowing look appeared on both of their faces. Without saying a word they instantly know what the other are thinking, and so the oldest between the two asked first.

"You said before that you called us here because it's time for us to learn the truth. What is the meaning of this, father?" Aether asked, looking curious and also serious, he seems to know the hidden side behind their father's statement, and he's all for knowing about it.

"Straight to the point, huh? Well, since I didn't like to beat around the bush, I guess I'll just have to tell you now." Both of his children stared at him intensely, listening to every word he said. "This kind of thing that I'm about to tell you, it is something that normal children should've never known until they are an adult. But since the two of you are special, I shall tell you about... The truth of this world."

"H-Huh? What is happening? The whole world is crumbling!"

Suddenly, the moment the projection of Lumine and Aether's father finished up his sentence, the large room around them starts to abnormally cracked, like a piece of glass that has been struck by a powerful force. But the cracks aren't appearing on the walls or the floors only. Even the very air around them spots a crack, as if the fabric of space itself is being torn apart.

"C-Calm down everyone! This is gotta be just one of those transitions, I'm sure of it!" Mona said amidst the panicking group as the cracks spreads across the room even further.

"B-But why does it have to be this intense?!"

And then suddenly, without warning, everything crumbled away, including the very floor they're standing on.

"Eek!"

But despite that however, the group didn't feel like they were falling or anything. In fact, everything is normal as it were before, apart from all the space around them is gone and is now replaced by pure darkness that is.

"Huh? We're not falling?" Xinyan asked in a mix of confusion and surprise, moving her legs around to feel like that she was standing on a solid ground just like before, despite the fact that there's nothing below her feet or anywhere else.

"Gah, we're back to the dark spaces again? Why? Did Lumi seriously just lose her consciousness again by just listening to her dad's words?" Paimon questions, putting both hands on her sides as she pouted.

"I don't think losing consciousness will always be the reason for us to be placed in this place, Paimon." Mona said with a shook of her head. "Maybe it's simply because that is the end of the record, or maybe that is how far Lumine had remembered the memory of that day, hence why the world around is cracking and disappearing, because it may happenned so long ago that Lumine starts to forget things."

"Hmm, that does make some sense. But still, what are we gonna do now? Do we have to wait until we got teleported elsewhere again?" Xinyan asked, looking around to see if there are any glints of light in the distance just like before.

Right on cue with her question, suddenly, a large portion of the empty black space around them lits up. Everyone must cover their eyes at the sudden appearance of the bright light, squinting their eyes as they're trying to adjust with the light, and after a while later, when their eyes finally adjusted, they uncover their face to see a scene being played out in front of them.

"What is this? Is this a record of another memory? But why does this feels kinda different somehow?" Paimon asked, as she look at the new scene in front of them.

They are still standing inside the dark space that had replaced the library room, but as of now however, half of the dark space has been filled with by a scene, perhaps another record of Lumine's memories, however, the group collectively feel like it wasn't. Because not only did it not lined up with the previous record that they just saw, but the looks alone is also different, everything looks... Cartoonish to say the least, as if it comes straight up from a children's book.

"This scene before us looks more like it comes from my beloved kingdom of Immernachtreich. But that whole kingdom is none but a product of my imagination. If this whole mirage is built upon Lady Lumine's memories... Then how is this possible?" Fischl murmured as she puts a hand on her chin, before she turn her head to look at Mona. "Dear Lady Megistus, have you come up with any answer yet?"

"Hmm... I can't say if this is rightfully true or not, but... My guesses for now is that this is probably a product of Lumine's imagination." Mona answered, with a little uncertainty in her voices.

"A product of her imaginations? But Paimon thought we're inside her memories?" Paimon tilted her head.

"Well yes, that is true, but, it's also not." Mona clears her throat. "Let me explain. First off, you all know that feeling when you try to remember something that you've completely forgot, right?" The others nods their head as answers. "Well... When that happens, you know what to do, right? Usually, when people is trying to remember things that they completely forgot, they tends to use their imaginations to fill out the empty space that exists as a gap between the memories of before and after that forgotten memory. By doing this, a person can technically imagined and made their own versions of the past events. Some people are able to accurately imagined the event perfectly with their imaginations alone, while others are most likely to get their imaginations go haywire and made them remember things that shouldn't have happened. And if this theory is indeed correct, then what we are witnessing now is how Lumine interpreted the past events with her own version using her imaginations."

"Ohhh... Paimon see, it's a little complicated and confusing, but Paimon gets the gist of it." The little pixie said with a nod.

"Wait, but if that really is how it works, then how come we didn't see any sort of things in any of our mirages? Shouldn't we have one too?" Xinyan asked in confusion.

"Well... Maybe it's because all of those memories that made up our mirages stayed relatively fresh in our minds. I mean, at least I do, I don't know about you guys though." The black haired astrologist with a blue hat shrugged.

"Hmm... That does make some sense as well. All of our memories that are being shown in our respective mirages came from relatively not too long ago in our respective lives. But as for these memories however, and with Lumine's age..." Kazuha trailed off before finishing his sentence, but everyone already knows what he's saying.

None of them ever knew the the exact age of their beloved blonde haired friend, not even her close traveling buddy Paimon. And it's not like Lumine never tells them about it, but it's more like that every time someone asked her regarding the topic... She'll answer with them back with a question instead.

"My age... Hmm... I think I'm over a thousand, I can't recall the exact number... Ah, but wait, that was back in that world... The flow of time between here and there is extremely different, so I guess I'm probably tens of thousands? Or maybe even more?"

Yeah... None of them have dared to ask her about it again since then. Not after she forced them to sit down and watch as she made confusing and complicated maths that took a whole stack of papers worth of Acting Grandmaster's Jean daily paperwork and Tianquan Ningguang's combined.

"In any case, since this is still a part of this mirage, it means that it's still important. Let's watch it." Everyone nodded as the look in front of them and the show starts.

"This world was devastated before I was born..."

"A harsh, bleak place, where we live in eternal darkness."

"Where life is a struggle, and people live without hope."

"In this world... Where human lives are nothing but lifestock for them... The monsters."

"Nobody knows exactly how it happened, and it's not like there's someone who could tell me either."

"Only those who lived in that age and time could know... That despair... When those things suddenly appeared, and all was gone."

"Us humans... Or rather, what was left of it, can only hope to survive, survive long enough to see whatever the future has in store for us."

"Some people can only sit back and wait for that future to come. While for the others... They actively fight for it, fighting against destiny."

"That is the truth of this world. A hellish world with only a sliver of hope in the distance, too far for one to reach."

As the monologue ended, the dark space that surrounds them receded. And the group found themselves back in the library. Only this time, the light that penetrates through the windows are no longer glows with the color of dark orange. Instead, it now has the soft white glow of the moonlight. Which is exactly the case because now it seems like the time has shown to be night time.

"Huh, it seems like sometime has passed since we were away." Paimon muttered out loud, looking around at the dark library. Aside from the moonlight that lits up the room, no candles nor lamps are turned on in this room. "Okay, so... After that whole entire sequence... Does anyone have any idea what the heck is going on? Because Paimon doesn't understand."

"Hmm... It is pretty hard to understand what we witnessed just now, not only is the whole narration is vague, but the fact that this is a whole different world we're seeing also makes it impossible for us to arrive with any conclusions just yet." Kazuha replied, putting both of his hands on his sides.

"Yeah, I don't think I get the gist of it either. But still..." Mona put her hand on her chin, eyes looking down and looking concerned and confused. "All the implications it said was rather... Concerning..."

"A devastated world... Fighting against destiny... And... Monsters? Just what did those means?" Xinyan muttered questions openly.

"Whoa, really? Is that why onee-chan and onii-chan must hide?"

"Yeah... It is..."

"That voice! Is that Lumi and Nahida?"

The group was alerted with the sudden appearance of voices near them. They turned around to see there's a glass window nearby that opened up to the balcony, allowing the breeze of night air to enter. And standing on the said balcony, is the illusions of Lumine and her energetic childhood friend, Nahida. As well as the latter's pet cat who stood on the railings, looking at the scenery before them.

It seems like this is another memory being played, which the group deduced to be the continuation from before. And they silently listened the conversation between the two people of the distant past.

"Papa explained everything to us earlier... All of the words he said... It's anything but unbelievable, and yet... There's no denying it that it was the truth."

The girl with short blonde hair sighed, closing her eyes to emerse herself in the comfortable sensation of having a chill atmosphere surrounding her. Giving her the needed calmness as she explains everything.

"The world we're living on right now... It's not as beautiful as you think." Lumine said with a small shook of her head. "Outside of this city... Outside of this safe haven we're living on right now, there lies a world filled with pain and bloodshed. A world of monsters."

"Monsters... Onee-chan, do you think they really exists?" Nahida asked, sounding worried and also a little scared.

"I... I did know for sure... Because I never seen one myself. But... All of those books that father gave us, the newspapers, the artifacts... They speaks nothing but truth." Lumine said with a heavy sigh, opening her eyes as she looked into the distance. "Apparently, they are a race of malevolent, abnormal, and dangerous creatures that had roamed the land for hundreds or even possibly thousands of years. They feed on human flesh and blood, and often times attacks in a pack, many civilization had fallen because of them, and many people had fell prey to them over the course of centuries. This city is but one of the very few strongholds remaining that holds the human race together. But sooner or later... It may fall under attack too."

"Oh no..." The White haired girl besides Lumine muttered in fear. "Does that mean we're not save here? Are we going to die, onee-chan?"

Lumine snaps her head to look the younger girl beside her, seeing how the little girl with white cotton hair clutch both of her tiny hands on her chest, eyes looking down filled with fear and worry. There's even a hint that tears are about to spill from those cute little green eyes of hers. But Lumine doesn't let it.

The blonde haired girl quickly circles her arms around the smaller girl and pull her into hug. Feeling how Nahida stiffen against her body and stops her seconds away from Shedding those tears. Even Scara nearby couldn't help but to turn around to look at them.

"Hey hey, it's okay Nahida, it's okay." The blonde girl soothes the younger one, stroking her white hair gently and hold her closer. "Please don't cry, there's nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be worried about."

"B-But onee-chan... Aren't you scared too?" Nahida asked, looking up to stare at Lumine's golden eyes with her green ones. "You said that those monsters have killed so many people... Who knows if they're gonna come here next... Aren't you... Afraid too?"

"To be honest with you... I am." Lumine answered with a nod, narrowing her eyes with a look of uncertainty. "When I first hear it from father... And when he presented me with those proofs, I could not stop shaking as well. I was so afraid, so shocked by this revelation. I'd never guess that... All this time, we live in a world where us humans are in a constant danger. Where death tails every living beings aside from those monstrosity. However..."

Once she felt Nahida has calmed down a little, Lumine pushed her away from her a little, so that she could stare directly into her eyes as she spoke up.

"Despite of the seemingly hopeless circumstances that we've been put through... I believe that there's still chances for us humanity to get the better future we desire."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Lumine paused for a little while, seemingly a bit hesitant to tell what's in her mind. However, after she take a good look at Nahida before her, the girl who had given her so much of what she could ask for. A friend, her companionship, her love, and a sister. She is someone that she views as her own family despite of not related by blood, she is the one she could trust, she is the one she cared about the most outside of her own family. And with that in mind, she spills everything out to her.

"After... After father explained to us the horrible truth about this world... There's something else that he haven't explained yet." Lumine began, releasing Nahida from her grip as she turn her back on the smaller girl. "After telling us about the monsters, father then told us about the true nature of me and Aether's unnatural talents, about what makes us so special, why he wanted to protect us at all cost."

Turning around to face Nahida, Lumine presented her hand which is closed, but the moment the older girl opens her hand, a spark of light erupted from her palm. Like a tiny firework, it sparked into life by ascending into the air before it explodes into much more tiny sparks that glimmers under the darkness of the night, softly glowing and illuminating the balcony that both stood on at that moment.

Nahida's eyes stared at the small but significant display of beauty in front of her. Her green eyes lit up and her mouth parted as she gasp in both wonder and amazement.

Before long, the spark of light eventualy receded into nothingness, and their surroundings return back to it's dark state. The little with white cotton hair did not say anything for a while. She looks up towards her older friend, finding the blonde haired girl is having a unreadable expression on her face, formed from a lot of mixed up emotions. Since both of them seemingly wanted to keep up the silence between them, the little girl didn't want it to last any longer than it already was, and so she decided to spoke up.

"Onee-chan... How did you do that?" The green eyed girl asked in curiousity, staring deep into Lumine's golden eyes. "It look so pretty... Can you... do that again? For me?"

"Nahida..." Lumine began, looking at the person she saw as her own little sister, she couldn't bear the thought of how she will react the further she explains herself. "I'm... I am not normal. In fact, I doubt that I can be referred as a human anymore."

"Huh? What are you talking about onee-chan?" Nahida asked with a tilt of her head.

"The thing that I showed you just now, they are called "Magic." Supernatural abilities that made normally impossible thing into reality. Just like what you see now." Lumine closed her hand, and then opens it, once again doing that little trick where she made a small sparkle of light with her hand. "Normally, only an animal with bioluminescent features can generate light. Alternatively, a light can be made through chemical reaction that made lightbulbs works. For humans... they are no bioluminescent creatures, and they have no way in reproducing the way lightbulb work naturally. And yet I can, because I am no ordinary person."

As the tiny sparks of light receded, Lumine tightly close her palm, eyes looking downwards as Nahida stares at her intently, expecting for the other girl to further explain while she listens.

"Aside from the monsters, something else too exist in this world of ours. Although the hideous monsters are the obvious apex predator that resides on the top of the food chain, the humans who sits below them still has a sliver lining of hope that could potentialy overthrew the current vicious food chain. And that hope exist in the form of a group of people who naturaly born with a special abilities, one that allows them to wield and use magic, these people are called "Mages.""

"Mages? You mean like those wizards I read in those novel books?" Nahida asked in confusion.

"Yeah... It's something like that, I guess." Lumine said while scratching the side of her cheek. "Anyway, father told me that apparently, when someone was born into this world, there's a small chance that they'll born as a mage, humans who naturaly posses the ability to control magic. I was one of them, and so does Aether. Only, his talent to control magic were discovered by my parents much earlier, while mine was discovered just days ago..."

"That time when you saved me and Scara from those meanies..." Nahida silently answered correctly, recalling the events of that day when her beloved onee-chan comes to save her. "So you used magic to beat those bad guys? That's why they were unconscious?"

"Yeah, it seems so. Although, it was unintentional of me to do that, after all, I have no idea about all of this at that point of time." Lumine said with a little nod of her head.

"That's... That's amazing!" Nahida's eyes sparkles with amazement and awe. But then she remembered something, and her expression turns into a confused one. "But wait onee-chan, if you and Aether onii-chan hava such an amazing powers, why do you have to hide it?" Nahida asked curiously, causing Lumine to look at her with narrowed eyes. "If people know about what the two of you truly capable of, they would've thought you as a super hero, wouldn't it? You'll be famous, and they totaly would wanna hang out with you, you'll get much more friends!"

"Getting more friends huh? Heh, if only this world would be that much easier." Lumine muttered under her breath. She mentaly smirked at such thought, but she quickly brushed it away after reminding herself that this is not that kind of world she's living in. "That's a nice thought Nahida, but unfortunately, that's not how this world works." The blonde girl replied with a shook of her head.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Tell me this then Nahida, if someone in this city were to do what you said earlier, then why haven't seen anyone being referred as such? After all, given the chance, it's not impossible that there's someone else who also mage living in this city aside from us."

"Hmm... You're right. Why is that? Do you know the answer?" Nahida asked, putting a single finger on her chin.

"Yes, I do know the answer. And it's basically what I've been explaining the entire time." Lumine release a heavy sigh, approaching the railings of the balcony, she rested her body against it as she took a breath of the fresh night air. "The higher ups, people who posses the hightest societal powers, and the one responsible of guarding this and other remaining human strongholds across the globe, they're aware of the major threat humanity is faced with. To protect and fight back for the sake of humanity, that was their goal. And what would be the best pawn for them to use other than the mages."

"Hold on, so you mean..." Nahida's expression turns into a horrified one.

"Yes... Should a child be discovered to be born as a mage... They will forcefully took that child away from their families so that they could personaly train them into soldiers, child soldiers. That will be sent out there into the wilderness to fight the monsters. They become killers at such a young age, never given an option to which direction they'll be heading in life." Lumine explained with a somber and melancholic tone, closing her eyes and gripping the railings of the balcony tightly with her hands. "That is the truth of the current situation of the world we're living in. That's why father forbid us to spent much time outside, because he feared someone would discover our true identities.."

"That's... That's horrible..." Nahida muttered softly, clutching her tiny hands into her chest. "Those poor kids couldn't even decide their fates anymore, they'll only be tools forever until they die."

"I guess that's why people said fates are absolute. Those children will never find any sorts of joy in life outside of the battlefield. And yet father still tried to defy against the law, because he loved us, and didn't want us to be treated as tools like that." Lumine mutters, a single tear ecapes her eyes as she thought about the conversation she had with her father in the library this morning.

The two of them stood there in silence in the following minutes. Both leaned against the railings as they took a good city view in front of them. The darkness of the night that covered the landscape is being illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight from above, added by the glimmering lights from the city buildings here on the ground. For all that they knew, both girls have always thought this is the world they lived in right now, where people thrive and lived in harmony, without worry and fear for the unknown. Who knew that on a single day, their entire view has been changed so drastically.

"So..." Nahida began, breaking up the silence as she turn her head to look at Lumine. Scara who is cradled on her arms also looks at Lumine, as if the cat understood and wanting to hear Lumine's answer also. "What are you gonna do, onee-chan?"

"What I'm going to do?" Lumine asked back, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Now that you learned about the truth of this world... What will you do? Do you have any plans for anything? Or... Will you just going to continue to pretend that you're just a normal person?" Nahida asked, her green eyes stared into Lumine's golden ones.

The girl with blonde hair didn't answer her question immediately. She a paused a little, eyes moving around as if showing that she is thinking hard about what she's about to say. And after a while, she opened her mouth and spoke up.

"This sounds stupid, but... I... I wanted to change the world." Lumine finally answered, looking down at her hand which she clenched tightly into fist. "I know now that this is a cruel world we're living in, and that will not change unless someone decided to step up and do things the unusual way." Her eyes are narrowed, determination burns brightly in them, full of ambition and passion. "Like father said, no mages children were ever to lived a live where they could have freedom, loving families, and friends like me. I am a mage, and yet I was not raised to be sent out to the wilderness like the others, that itself is already an advantage I have."

"I will keep training, I will keep studying. Now that I know that I have this power... I shall turn this world around. Just me and Aether, together, we'll make sure to make this world a better place, for us, and for the rest of humanity."

"Wow onee-chan, that sure is very ambitious of you. But, are you really sure that you could do it?" Nahida asked after listening to Lumine's explanation.

"Well, I couldn't say so for sure before I try, wouldn't I?" Lumine replied back with a smirk.

"Hehe, yeah you're right." The white haired girl nodded with a giggle. "Well, whatever it is you decided, I will always support your decision, onee-chan! You can do it, I believe in you!"

"Thank you, Nahida." Lumine gently smiled reaching out to pet the smaller girl on the head. "I'll be doing this for you too. I promise, I will protect you and everyone else with this power I possess, so that one day, you can witness as I turn this world into a better place.

The wind blows around them, and the moon shone brightly towards them. They shall be the witness of this vow that Lumine made towards her dear friend and herself.

"Welp, thats our needed explanation I guess." Xinyan spoked up after the memory ended.

Their surroundings slowly fades away and was replaced with blank white space. It seems like they're up for another waiting session as they're being transition to another memory.

"So, um... You guys heard everything they said, right? How... Do you all feel?" Paimon asked, a bit hesitantly. Scratching the back of her head as she glanced towards each of her companion whom all having a slightly troubled expression on their faces.

"Hmm... Though it does answer pretty much all of our previous questions... I can't help but Wanting to know even more now." Fischl answered, closing her eyes and crossing her arms.

"So that's the reason why Lumi can do incredible things without needing a Vision." Paimon nods her head. "So she's something that's called a "Mage," huh? Paimon wonders if this is similar to those witches group we have in our world. What do you think, Mona?" The little pixie turned her head towards the black haired.

"Honestly... I have no idea." The astrologist shook her head. "Not only the terms are different, but the world itself is also vastly different. So I cannot say for sure."

"Hmm, so rather than requiring a Vision to control the elements, the people in her world could born with the ability itself... How interesting." Kazuha muttered softly, placing a hand on his chin.

"So basically it's kinda similar with how the people in our world could gain power. Only this time, the chances are even more rarer since only the people who are born with it can possess it." Paimon explained, putting a hand on her chin as she fell into a deep though. "Paimon see, so that's the true origin of how Lumi can control the elements without a Vision. And here Paimon thought that she and her brother are the only special ones, so it turns out there's other people that are similar to them, huh?"

"Hey guys, it's not that I don't believe in this revelation that has been presented in front of us. But I feel like something is off about this info we got." Mona spoke up suddenly, causing everyone to look at her.

"Huh, what are you talking about, Mona?" Paimon tilted her head in confusion.

"While I was thinking about the memory we saw just now, I remembered a crucial details that Traveler said in the Past." The black haired astrologist put a hand on her chin as she enters deep into her thoughts. "Back then, not long after I decided to settle down in Mondstadt, I had a long and meaningful conversation with Lumine in private, in which she reveals her true nature to me..."

-Flash-

"...Though the land of Tevyat are filled with all kinds of interesting creatures and phenomenon, you are by far the most interesting person I've ever acquainted with."

"Hmm? And why so?"

Two girls are seen seated across each other on a small table. Having a late night drink on the second floor of Mondstadt renowned bar, Angel Share. One girl is a ravenette with twintails and a large blue hat, a match for her swimsuit like blue outfit. As for other girl on the other hand, she's a short haired blonde girl with pristine white outfit that made her looks like a princess, beautiful and elegant. Though it's a shame that the same thing could not be said to her face that is covered by blindfolds that hid her eyes. Though such a sight is normal for those who knew her.

"Are you seriously going to make me list every single one of them?" The girl with black hair pouted as she stares at the girl sitting before her. "Well, for one, you somehow are able to "see" when you're not, secondly, you are not only capable of controlling the elements without the need of a Vision, but you're also can use multiple of them. And then third, which are also the most important one, I absolutely cannot use astrology to get any readings as long as it is related to you. Are those not good enough reasons?"

"Hmm... I guess they do made it sounds like I'm an anomaly amongst the people. But you know, Mona, it still only from the matters of perspective. You Tevyatians view me as special because I bring out something anew to the people. But somewhere out there, in a world far far away, the things I'm capable of are completely normal." The blonde haired girl explained, before taking her glass of Mondstadt's specialty, Dandelion Wine, and took a big gulp of it.

"Ugh, you are so Insufferable!" The girl named Mona groaned in annoyance, reaching out to also gulp her glass of juice from the table. "Well, be that as it may, that still not going to change my opinion about you. So let me ask you straight away, just... Who are you? Or more importantly, what are you?"

"Me? I'm just a mere Traveler passing by. You knew that already." The blonde traveler shrugged.

"Tch, yes, I know that already! But that is not what I want to know." Mona said in frustration, her reaction was so cute when she teased her like this. "Seriously though Lumine, do you realize just how special you are in the world of astrology? I mean, think of it, this is astrology we're talking about, a knowledge that defied logic and knocked on the door of fates. Everything about a person can be divinated, from what they did in the past, what they would do in the future, and even what is the impending death they're going to take. In other words, no secrets can be hidden away from the eyes of astrology. And yet here you are, sitting before me, honestly, I've been looking through my scryglass for hours this morning to see if there would be any major events that would happen today that would take away my focus from my research. And there's nothing that says anything about you asking me to hang out and have some drinks in the tavern." The black haired astrologist explained whilst crossing her arms, her grey eyes are staring directly into the layers of bandages that wrapped around Lumine's head, the place where her eyes were supposed to be.

"Maybe you're not trying hard enough?" Lumine asked blatantly, taking another sip from her wine. "You did say that you have a master that taught you the knowledge, perhaps you should go back and ask her to teach you more."

"What?! No way I'm going back to that old fart!" The ravenette retorted, frowning. "And besides, with how many days I've spent in researching this peculiar topic, I doubt that even my master can do better than me." She said with a huff, taking her glass of juice to drink it.

"Heh, how can you be so sure about that? After all, this is your master we're talking about, the one and only person that could scare the life out of the great astrologist Mona Megistus." Lumine teased, smirking a little as she leaned forward on her seat.

"Because..." Mona begins, setting her glass down once it's empty and wiping the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. "As you already know, astrologists work by getting a reading from the stars. Every people here in Tevyat is connected to their respective constellations of stars from the moment they are born. These constellations are a big part of someone's life, as they may possess a deep spiritual connection to the person's heart, enabling them to even store a spiritual aspects of themselves, such as their memories and ambitions." Sighing a little, Mona closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "And with that in mind, we astrologist uses our knowledge to read the stars that made up a person's constellations. And it was through this way that we are able to peek into the strings of fate that binds a person. And as for myself, I used my scryglass to read the stars, that way, I can red the past and future of someone, and see if the fates that awaits them can be changed or not. Normally, such things were child's play for a renowned astrologist like me. However... When it comes you..."

"Let me guess, it's impossible." Lumine raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, you are impossible for me to decipher." Mona nods her head, sighing again. "What awaits the Traveler on her journey, how did the Traveler erased the ancient god of the storms out of existence, why did the Traveler is obsessed with crabs so much, anything and everything I try to decipher will only come up with a blank. It's not like I cannot connect my scryglass to you like I did to everyone else. But it's more like... It's More like you... Don't even have a constellation to begin with..." Mona muttered, her tone gone to serious all of the sudden.

"Well, then maybe that is the case." Lumine said with a shrug.

"But that's just impossible! Everyone should've been born with a constellation, even a tiny insect has their own fates awaiting them in the future!"

"But can you say the same thing to a person from outside of Tevyat like me?" Lumine asked, crossing her arms across the table.

"Well that's..."

"Hmph, of course you can't. After all, you have never met an Outlander like me before." The blonde haired girl said before grabbing her drink and gulping them all down. "And besides, you said that you can't use astrology to divinate the gods, right?"

"Yes, that is true." Mona replied with a nod. "It is strictly forbidden for an astrologist to use their powers on the gods. Personally, I don't really know the reason why it was prohibited, but any attempt to do such a thing shall be met with severe punishment. That's what my master told me."

"Oh, really? Well, lucky for you then, because I think you just answered your own question."

"Huh? What do you mean-"

Before Mona could ask her, Lumine already went down to the first floor to order another glass of wine, much to the concern of Diluc. Though the blonde girl insisted that she's fine and alcohol could never make her drunk. And thus the night eventually comes to an end with Mona's last question remaining unanswered till today.

-End Flashback-

"That time... When she said that, is she implying that she's..."

"...A God?"

Everyone turn their heads to look at Paimon, who finished Mona's sentence.

"Paimon, you know that already?" Mona asked, a little bit shocked.

"Actually, Paimon doesn't know." The little pixie shook her head, pouting. "However, Lumi does exhibit some incredible feats that Paimon personally thinks impossible for just a normal person to do. If anything, Paimon says that Lumi is definitely close to a god, maybe she and her brother are one back in her world." The tiny creature explained, putting both of her hands on her sides.

"I see. Yes, I too would've agree with what you think Paimon. However..." Mona's mind return back to the record the group just witnessed minutes ago. "Though Lumine said that she wasn't normal, she is a normal human nonetheless, and so does her brother. This info contradicts of what she is now, to which she never said that she is human. Do you get it?"

"Hmm... I see. So what you mean is that Lumine in the past is human, but the Lumine we know now, is anything but human." Kazuha concluded, receiving a nod from Mona.

"Wait, so does that means that Lumi had somehow become a god in the past?" Paimon asked in a bit of shock.

"Most likely. Perhaps the next memories shall reveal to us how she ascend." Mona said with a nod.

"Hehe, if that's the case then Paimon sure is excited to see more of this mirage." The little pixie giggled excitedly, rubbing her legs together. "Okay! Let's go to the next memories! Here we go!"

Just like before, a blinding flash of light appeared and engulfed them all. Knowing what to do, everyone close their eyes to shield them from the brightness. Opening them only once they feel like the light has finally receded into a more reasonable level.

The first thing they saw was lush green garden composed of many different species of flowers and other plants. And the next thing they saw was the bright fake sky above them, which seems to be somewhere in the morning judging from the sun's position. And then, the third thing they saw was the now familiar view of the giant mansion they had spent a long time with.

"Hey look, we're back at the mansion, and we're outside of it too!" Paimon pointed out, looking around the area to see if things have changed.

"Hmm... The mansion looks the same to me. However..." Mona looks around at the large front yard garden they're in and her sharp eyes caught some things that peaked her interest. "...The trees and other plants, they've grown."

"Huh, that's right. I remember that tree over there have a lot more leaves than now." Xinyan said while pointing towards a tree that have lost most of its leaves, leaving it's many branches visible to the eye.

"Does this mean some months have passed since the last memories?" Fischl asked, before pausing a little as another thought entered her mind. "Or maybe, perhaps... Years?"

"Seems like it." Kazuha nods his head. "Aside from that tree Xinyan pointed out, it seems like the other smaller trees I saw before has grown taller and bigger. I remember those trees from over there are just about the same height as ours, but right now, it has grown surpassed us. Oh, and also, the scent in the wind have changed as well, it seems like many flowers have bloomed throughout the time we have left." The white haired Inazuman boy explained, closing his eyes as he let his nose do the job.

Suddenly, before anyone could say anything more, there was a sound of metal hitting metal that made them stiffen as it appears out of nowhere, gaining their attention.

"Did you all hear that?! That sounds like a sword clash!" Paimon perked up from the noises and began to look around for the possible next memory they're about to watch.

"I think I heard it coming from this way." Mona pointed towards the direction she meant.

"Oh, isn't that where the training grounds are?" Paimon asked before turning to look at the group. "Come on everyone, let's go!"

Without waiting any further, the group headed towards the field where Lumine and her brother used for their sword practices during the last record. Vaguely already guessed what awaits them in there, they eventually arrived at the spot where their guesses are proven to be correct.

"Look! It's Lumi! And whoa! She's already grown up!"

Indeed. What they see right now standing on the field is the exact reflection of what their friend looks like. The illusion of Lumine as a kid that they have seen up until now has changed into what she looks like today, becoming more taller and mature in every aspect, the only difference between this and their friend now is clothes they are wearing.

The illusion of Lumine still has Lumine's trademark hair style that she had kept ever since that they she cut it off, she doesn't have the Intevyat flower on her head, which is obvious because it only belongs to the world of Tevyat, but on its place, the girl wear a hair accessory of a black ribbon and a white flower pin, a perfect match for her current outfit, which is a white open hoodie with blue linings over a white dress, and also a pair of white boots that wasn't nearly as long as what she is wearing today.

"Well, it seems our guesses are correct. It has indeed been several years since that memory." Kazuha muttered with a smile on his face. "Lumine looks exactly like she did now. And then... Her brother... Hmm, now I can see why you mistaken me for him."

Alongside with Lumine, standing on the open field is also Aether, who had matured along with his sister. The golden haired boy still has his trademark long hair tied into a braid on his back, while his outfit is a contrast in terms of color with the one Lumine wore. His outfit consists of a dark brown jacket with gold linings, worn over a simple white shirt, his pants are also has the same colour as his jacket, as well as his boots. And then, he wore a white and gold scarf circling around his neck, which is somewhat a reminiscent to the one he wore today.

"Whoa, you're right! You two really are almost look alike, aside from the color of your hair and eyes." Xinyan exclaimed, her eyes looking between Kazuha and the illusion of Lumine's brother and comparing the two.

"So that's what lady Lumine's brother looks like. He's far better looking than the one I've seen in the missing posters." Fischl muttered, looking at the illusion of Aether closely.

"It seems like they're having another sword practice. The last time we see it, Lumi barely has any skills with her sword. Let's watch and see just how much she progressed!" Everyone nodded at Paimon's words as the record begins.

The wind blows gently through the air. Shaking the leaves on the trees and grass, gently brushing her hair as she stood there at the end of the small clearing while her brother stood at the opposite one.

Swords ready at both of their hands, fingers firmly gripped upon the hilt, while their identical eyes stared into one another.

Four years have passed since the first time they did this, and now, with much knowledge and experience have accumulated by the two, they are ready for yet another spar between the two now-swordsmen.

"Are you ready, Lumine?" Aether asked, firm and steady.

"Yes." Lumine nodded, Serious and determined.

Both took a stance. Lumine spread her legs and held her sword with both hands and held it in from of her, blade facing Aether head on. On the other hand, Aether spread his legs, gripping his sword with both hands and held his sword in front of him facing down, taking a defensive stance.

Taking a deep breath, Lumine narrowed her eyes before charging straight towards Aether, her sword raised high up in the air before she brings it down, her blade was met with Aether's, who blocked her attack precisely. But she didn't stop just there, before neither of them could take a breath, she already pull her sword back and swings at him with swift multiple strikes that aims towards different spots each time. But like a pro, Aether blocks all of her attacks effortlessly, not letting a single scratch lands on him.

Although Lumine's strikes seem to be rushed and wasn't very steady, careful viewers would notice the way she kept moving forward even as she swings her blade. Every stike she sends is imbued with great force that combines speed and strength, and it was making the defensive Aether to get pushed back as his opponent continue on with her charges.

Lumine's continued offensives eventually pushed Aether backed into the wall. Once his backside touched the brick wall of the garden, Aether realize of how his current position would hinder the full scope of his movements that allows him to continue to block nor counterattacking his enemies. And so, he chose another plan.

Lumine swing her sword, aiming at Aether's mid section, but her sword only passed through air as Aether had dodged the attack by jumping high into the air. Performing a back flip on top of her, the blonde haired boy landed right behind Lumine and swings his sword towards Lumine's back, but much to his surprise, Lumine already anticipated it, and quickly twirls her blade to face her back and use it to block the surprise attack.

Aether tch'd while Lumine grinned in satisfaction. Creating some distance between them, Aether backed away as Lumine twirls her sword around before striking at Aether again, and their trading of blows continues.

"Wow! Lumi does improves a lot huh?" Paimon muttered, putting her hands on her sides. "It's like watching a different person entirely."

"Yeah, seems like all that training with her brother paid off." Xinyan nodded in agreement. "But still..."

"Her technique's a reminisce of the current style she's using. But it's still not the same." Kazuha added.

"Maybe it's the lack of elegance in her moves?" Fischl asked, to which the others turned their heads to look at her in silence. It seems like they thought the same as well.

It seems like she has decided that a change of tactics is necessary for this battle to progress.

Her once swift and quick slashes noticeably grow slower, and in favor of doing so, her strikes are instead changed into swings that requires her to twirls her sword around her back before swinging it forward. It was slow compared to what she uses before, but it was a lot concentrated In power than before, not to mention that the twirling motions also proves to be a great distraction for Aether, who is now required to not only focus on blocking the strong offensive strikes, but also to focus of deducing in which ways Lumine's sword will come.

However, unbeknownst to Lumine, the slowing down of her attacks proves to be an advantage for Aether as well. As the boy requires to focus on predicting the ways of his sister's attacks, it gives him a glimpse of her attack pattern, not matter how fast she moves, the tiny bits of details of her attacks are seen by him, and by using that info, he made up a plan and wait for a perfect chance to act.

Lumine swings her sword again, using one hand only, and Aether sees this as a perfect chance to strike. As the blonde haired girl brought down her sword in a vertical swing, Aether swung his sword towards her, aiming at the sword's lower part with a powerful force.

Metal hits metal, and Lumine finds herself shocked when her arm is bent to the side due to Aether's attack. And he doesn't stop there. Using Lumine's momentary shock, he delivers another strike at her sister's sword, this time Aiming at the handle specifically. And when his attack landed, Lumine's sword was sent flying through the air out of Lumine's grasp, landing on the ground blade first not far away from them.

Shocked and left defenceless after what happened, Lumine fell down to the ground gasping when she felt her brother's blade pressing against her neck.

"It looks like today's my win, sister." Aether said with a smirk, standing still before his downed sister.

It looks like the winner of this spar has already been decided-

"Oh I don't think so."

Or not.

Putting both of her palms on the ground, Lumine twists her body around before rotating in place as she delivers a spinning kick to her brother's legs. This caught him off guard and let him fall to the ground with a yelp. Seeing as he fell, Lumine then delivered another kick to his hand, one that he used to hold his sword. Kicking the blade away from his grasp and sends it flying upwards and spinning in the air. Using the hands that she puts on the ground, the girl pushes herself up, jumping high upwards, summersaulting there before landing on the ground again behind Aether. And the moment her older brother turned around to face her, his blade already fell into her sister's hand. To which she points it towards her now downed brother. And with that, the tables have completely turned.

"It's my win. Not yours." The younger twin declared, smirking.

Having no other choice, with his sword taken away, getting pinned to the ground, and the only thing that could defend him is more than a meter away from him. Aether raises both hands.

"Alright, alright, you win." The older twin surrendered with a sigh, smiling a little. "At least my winning record is still way more than you."

"That can be changed." Lumine replied back, confidently.

With their training over, Lumine put her sword away and helped Aether get up. They're just about to start yet another spar, but then something happens.

"Master Aether, Lady Lumine, the master and the mistress are calling for you." A voice spoke up, and the twins turned to see one of the maids approaching them, bowing to them politely after saying the information.

"Mom and dad? What's the matter? Is it urgent?" Questioned Aether, the moment he heard that his parents are looking for them, he instantly turned serious.

"Y-Yes! They really need you two there, hurry!"

Lumine and Aether look at each other, nodding, they thanked the maid for the info before dashing towards the mansion, wasting no time to relax as it seems like their parents really need their help at the moment.

"Paimon wonders what's going on inside. Should we check it out?" Paimon asked, turning around to look at her friends.

"Well, it's not like we have any other choice, but..." Mona glanced towards the mansion that's just a distance away from them. "The doors closed. They're usually open to let us in to the next memory, but for some reason they didn't let us in now."

"Huh, does that mean we have to wait or something?" Xinyan asked, putting her hands on her sides.

"Hmph, I don't like to wait around here and expecting nothing." Fischl shook her head.

"You're right. Let's just go there and see if we could open the door, shall we?" Kazuha asked and everyone nodded in agreement.

They headed towards the mansion despite knowing that the doors were closed. Mona approach the door and placed her hand on the handle, and despite her effort in tugging at the handles, the door simply won't budge.

The group contemplates whether they should just wait there to wait for something to happen or should they head out and try to find anything that could help them progress. But any of their decision came to a halt when they hear some voices ringing in their minds. Which they deduced to be another record playing, one that exists only in audio and not on visuals.

"W-What is this?!"

"Surprise!"

They've rushed into the living room as fast as they could, fearing that their parents that was at home that day would be in dire need of help from them. But once they opened the door to the room however, they were greeted by a completely unexpected sight instead.

The room were filled with decorations, colorful and cheerful looking. Balloons of multiple colours are hanging on the furnitures, as well as ribbons tied on them. And lastly, there's a banner hanging on the ceiling, with the words "Happy Birthday!" Written on them. Another banner, much smaller than the other hangs just below it, with the word "Good fortune for the twins" written on it. Is this... A surprise birthday party?

"Onii-chan... Is today really our birthday?" Lumine turned to look at her brother, asking him with a confused and a little disbelieved look. "Don't tell me that you forgot about it..."

"I don't know... I guess I forgot about it as well." Aether replied with a wry chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

"My my, forgetting about your own birthday? You two certainly have so much in mind to forget about this." Their mother spoke up with a shake of her head, but she doesn't sound particularly displeased.

"I'm so sorry mama, I was too focused on my training to remember this day." The blonde girl apologize, hanging her head as she looks down in apology.

"Now now, no need to get sad over a little mistake, I'm sure we're all forgot about our own birthday at some point in time." This time, it was their father who spoke up, approaching his daughter and have his hand gently rubs her soft golden hair. "You're supposed to be happy today, both of you. Come on, the maids had baked a whole cake just for you."

"Really? Yay!" Both twins cheered at the mentioned of cake.

"Aww, it sounds like they're throwing a party for the twins. How sweet of them." Paimon smiled, crossing her hands behind her.

"A birthday party..." Mona muttered when a thought enters her mind. "Now that I think about it, we never knew about when was Lumine's birthday are we?" Mona asked, glancing towards the others who fell in thoughts after they heard her question.

"You're right, she always knew when each of our birthday, somehow. Yet we never know about hers." Xinyan nods in agreement, she vividly knows that she'd never told the traveler about her birthday before, and yet the blonde girl somehow already knew about it, showing up at her birthday party along with Xiangling and Yunjin, with the latter two claimed to never invited her and that Lumine came by herself.

"Have she ever told you this about, Paimon?" Kazuha asked, to which Paimon shook her head.

"Lumi never tells Paimon about it. There was this one time that Paimon tries to ask her, but Lumi only said that it's "complicated." And then there's also another time in which she says weird things like "I have no specific date of birth" it's really confusing." The little pixie explained with a sigh.

"Huh, what an interesting response." Mona mused, scratching her chin with her hand.

"Aether, Lumine, happy birthday. I have a special present prepared just for the two of you on this special day."

The father of the twins walked into the room, a box with intricate designs is held on his open palms, approaching both twins as they stood there, eyes curiously staring at the box on their father's hands.

"What's inside the box, father?" Aether asked, trying to guess what's the present that their parents have prepared for both of them.

"Is it chocolate?" Lumine asked, eyes glowing brightly with excitement, making her father chuckles.

"It's far more precious than delicious food my dear." The father shook his head lightly. Kneeling on the ground, he presented the box to the twins as he opens it. "This is a present perfect for the two of you. A gift, for twins."

The twin's eyes peeked at the contents inside the box, where something is shining brightly under the lights from the chandelier above.

"This is..." Aether mutters as he reaches out and grab one.

What lies inside the box is a pair of accessories, two pendants with similar designs but with some subtle differences. These pendants, these... Amulets... They has a shape of a four-pointed star, both of them has a gem embedded into it's surface, which glows a soft golden glow, the gem is is placed inside a decorative casings, one pendant have a golden colored casing, while the other is silver colored.

"How pretty... Are these really for us?" Lumine asked, gently brushing her fingers across the surface of the silver pendant, her choice of color.

"Why of course." Their father nods his head with a smile. "I have ordered the creations of these ornaments just for the two of you. Each of you should take one and wear it, to show the world of your bonds as twins, siblings who shines brightly like stars."

"Thank you so much Papa!"

Lumine went to give her father a hug, with Aether following soon after. They stayed in that position for a while, before both twins finally letting go. Taking a deep breath before both smiling.

"I can't wait to show Nahida about this. I'm sure that she'll absolutely like it." Lumine gently muttered, her lips turn into an excited and happy smile at the thought of showing off her new accessory to her best friend.

"Didn't you promised to meet her at the park this noon? It's only a few hours left from now." Aether reminded to which she nods her head.

"It is, I promised to show her what I got from our training. But now that I have this, I want to show this to her as well." Lumine turned her head to look at her parents. "Mama, Papa, thank you so much for all of this. I really want to show Nahida-chan, so can I leave now? I promise to return immediately once we're done playing." The blonde girl said with pleading eyes.

"There's no need for you to ask really." Their father said with a little shake of his head. "Have fun out there."

"And please remember to return before dawn." Their mother added, smiling as well.

"I will!" Lumine said with a nod. Turning her body to face Aether, she took hold of her brother's hand. "Come on Aether let's go!" She then drag him along with her as the two excitedly exited their home to meet with their friend.

"Well, there they goes." Paimon mutters as she watch the ghostly apparitions of the twins exited the mansion, running hand in hand into the city. "But still... Those pendants they're wearing, isn't that..."

"Yeah... It's the same pendant we found back on the island. The entrance to this mirage." Mona nods her head in confirmation.

"But if I remember correctly... Isn't the one we found is silver colored? That's the one that Lumi wore right? What happened to her brother's pendant?" Paimon asked somewhat confusedly.

"Probably still in his possession up until now." Kazuha said with a shrug.

"Is it just me, or why does one finds it weird that our beloved Traveler never spoke of this?" Question Fischl, her eye glanced at the way the illusion of the twins went. "It would be great if one were to celebrate one's favorite retainer's day of birth."

"Paimon guess Lumi is just shy about it." Paimon shook her head, before a thought hits her and give her a pause. "Either that or... She just simply didn't want to celebrate it since... Well, she shared her date of birth with her brother." The pixie said, to which everyone fell silent as they understand what she's implying.

"Perhaps that's might also be the reason why we never sees her wearing that pendant. Though I wish to see her wearing it because it looks so good." Mona mused, lightly shaking her head.

"Anyway, now that we've seen them heading back to the city, should we follow them?" Xinyan asked, turning her head to look at everyone.

"Not like we have any other choice. Let's go everyone." Mona replied to which they all nodded.

Following after the trails the illusions left behind, the group walked pass through the now open gates and into the city outside. Not much has changed of it since the last memory they noted as they observed the buildings making up the walls that prevents them from straying too far from the road.

After a few minutes of walking, they eventually arrived at that familiar place which seems to act as the center of all these memories revolving around Lumine's past. The lush green meadows of evenly cut grass and the trees that grows around it also remains unchanged. There's sounds of children laughing and giggling in the air as they run around and play, creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere that the group couldn't help but to get mesmerized in.

But still, they have an objective here, so they scatter around in search for the twins and the next memories that are going to be played. After several minutes of searching, they eventually found it, a bench on a park, where two people, a boy and a girl, who each has golden hair and identical golden eyes, sits on top, seemingly having a conversation. After regrouping on the spot, they listened in.

"Looks like Nahida wasn't here yet. I wonder what took her so long..." Lumine muttered, sitting on a bench while she fiddle with her fingers.

"Maybe she's off doing her homework first, or maybe her mother has something for her to do. I dunno." Aether shrugged his shoulders, sitting beside his sister with his arms slumped behind the bench.

Lumine releases a sigh, her golden eyes look down and came to rest on the object hanging from her neck. The silver star pendant, the gift from her parents. Aether also possess one, only that his star pendant is colored gold instead.

"Who knew that Mama and Papa would go as far as to prepare a birthday surprise like that, huh? Even if I know that today is our birthday, I wouldn't imagined them doing that." Lumine softly mutters, she took her pendant into her palm, rubbing her fingers on the surface, her mind still couldn't comprehend of how beautiful it looks.

"Yeah, I can't imagined it either, but then again... They are our parents." Aether replied, his golden eyes drifted to look at the scenery in front of him. Of kids playing on the park, laughing, joking, and having a good time. What a bunch of innocent souls they are, free spirited, unhibited, at least until they reached adulthood. But could the same thing applied to individuals like them? "They've already done so much for us... Not only did they raised and love us, they even did everything in their power to keep hiding our secrets from the world, and they did that because they want us to have normal lives, they wanted us to be able to choose our own path, a life that unfortunately the other children born as mages have."

Lumine mentally nods her head at that. She's having the exact thoughts as Aether right now. The lives that the twins has right now is all thanks to their parents, who put all of their effort in making sure that they both have normal lives, unlike other kids with similar conditions.

Throughout the last few years since the revelation of their true nature, Lumine had been digging through information that initially was prohibited by her parents to read. About the existence of mages, the power to control magic, or how it was used to combat the monster threats that is plaguing the world around them. And what she found is equally amazing as it was horrifying.

In this world, the human race is not the apex predator that one would've thought, that place is inhabited by the monsters, one that she heard from her father's tales and the book she reads. There are no records that said of when or from where all these monsters came from, only that the moment they appear, civilizations of mankind crumbles within seconds. Not long after their appearance, all humans on the planet then scatter around, eventually regrouping and establishing separate civilizations that act as a stronghold against the dark forces, these civilizations are called The Hidden City, and there are a total of eight of them during their era of establishments, with the city they're living in right now being one of them.

However... The monsters are simply far too strong, stronger than what humanity could physically achieve.

Overtime, the dark forces eventually began to take over, one by one, the hidden cities fell under their attacks. And by the time she's thinking about this right now, four of the eight hidden cities have been destroyed. It's inevitable, it won't be long until the remaining four will also crumble, which one will be next? Will it be the other three? Or will it be... This city? Their home, their family.

She felt a hand came to rest on her shoulder, so Lumine looks to her side to find Aether staring at her in concern.

"I know what you're thinking right now Lumine. I feel the same, I'm also afraid." Aether softly whispered at her, his hands then glides down to hold her's giving them a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "The reports that father told us several days ago... About the increase of monster activity outside the border... It was very concerning and frightening that I cannot sleep. Combine that with the tales of how the hidden cities fell one by one..."

Lumine squeeze his hand in return. Various emotions running through her mind. Her childhood memories, the happy times she has with Aether, all the fun she had playing with Nahida, or even the birthday party she just have. Will she be able to experience something like this ever again? What if she won't? What if today... Would be the last day she's going to have something like this?

"Aether... How long do you think these day would last? How long are we going to keep on hiding our true nature?" Lumine asked, eyes downcast as she stares at their intertwined hand. "Do you think the world would ever find out? And when they do... Will the calm and peaceful lives we have... be over?"

"I have no doubt that's definitely what going to happen." Aether answered with a sigh, closing his eyes. "It's only a matter of when will our secrets be revealed, and how. Either that someone would eventually find out and decided to reveal it unlike Nahida, or... There will come a time when we will be forced to use it."

Lumine mentally nods in understanding. She once again turned her head to look at the scenery of the park. Sooner or later, this peaceful life she have will be over, and she must be prepared for it. It may be frightening and depressing, but... As long as she has her family, everything's going to be fine, right?

"Aether... When that time comes... You're still going to be by my side, right?" Lumine asked, she didn't turn her head to look at her brother, but she knows he's listening.

"I will." Aether answered, squeezing her hand tightly. "I will be always by your side, I promise."

A loud sound of an explosion suddenly appears, startling the twins as well as everyone else in the park who stops at whatever they're doing and looks around to find the source of the sound, only to saw a tower of smokes forming in the distance, flying up to the sky.

"W-What is happening? What was that sound just now?" Paimon asked in panic and shock. The sound of the explosion may have been coming from the memory that was being played, but it still exists within the same space they're in.

Shortly after, an alarm blares, it sounds rings all over the place, entering deep into everyone's ears.

"WARNING! HORDE OF MONSTERS IS INVADING THE CITY! ALL CITIZENS EVACUATE TO THE CITY HALL IMMEDIATELY! REPEAT. THE CITY IS UNDER ATTACK! ALL CITIZENS EVACUATE TO THE CITY HALL IMMEDIATELY!"

"Wha- monster attacks?! How could that be?! It was all peaceful just moments ago!" Paimon protested.

"How very convenient indeed." Mona said with a shake of her head. She turned her head to look at the bench, finding the twins are gone. "Looks like the memory ended there. Let us do what the alarm said and go to the city hall, that must be where the twins are heading."

"Then it must be that way." Xinyan pointed towards a road leading out to somewhere. "That path wasn't there just some moments ago. It appeared when the alarm rings."

"Then let's make haste then. I know that these were all memories but... I can't help but to get worried about Lumine." Kazuha confesses, the look on his eye shows he's very worried, despite knowing that it's all just illusions.

"I think we all feel the same here." Fischl nods her head, she reaches out her hand towards their destination as she declares. "Then let us go now my loyal retainers, to our beloved princess' side."

They nod their heads in agreement, and without wasting anymore time, they sprint towards the opened pathway to the next memories, waiting for them to see.

As they run, the group sees the part of the city that they haven't seen before. Never-before-seen buildings appear on their sides, some of them are in their top shape, while others suffer damages and some are completely destroyed or ablaze on fire, the results from the monster attacks no doubt.

Other than seeing the results of the attack, they also start to hear voices again, and they instantly recognized it as their friend's voice.

"Come on Lumine, let's run!"

Aether's voice rings through the air among the other chaos that happens on that fateful day.

"Damn it, the entire city is under attack, we gotta make it there quick!"

He urges as he is running down the streets of the ruined city. His hands tightly clammed on his sister's as they both ran without looking back, afraid of the beasts all around are feasting on all the people they've known.

"Why... Why is this happening?"

Wailed his sister, with tears running down her face. Panting heavily as she continues to run with her brother.

"What about mama and papa? What about Nahida? Are we just going to leave them all behind?!"

Lumine asked amidst her panting and crying.

"We... We must get into safety first Lumi. Wa can go search for them once things are under control. By a stroke of luck, maybe they've already went to the city hall as well. That's why we must go there now to confirm it for ourselves."

That is one thought that Lumine wholeheartedly hoped to be true. That her family is safe and is taking shelter in the city hall, waiting for the twins to come and reunite with them. She believes in it, she's depending on it.

But what if they don't? What if they...

BAM

Something big and hard roughly landed on the ground, causing the earth to shake and everyone around to wobble on their feet and fell to the ground. Following after this, a loud growl is heard as a giant figure stood atop a big crater it creates from the landing.

"Eeek! W-What is that?!" Paimon shrieked as she stares with widened eyes at the figure.

Towering over them with it's height rivaling some of the buildings surrounded the road, an inhuman creature stood before the group. It has a giant bulking muscular humanoid figure, a bald head with only one eye at the centre of its face, rows of sharp teeth filled in its mouth as it roars, a giant stone club is held by one of its giant hand. This creature... Is a monster. One that the group had never seen before.

"Is this... A monster?" Kazuha said, completely flabbergasted by it's appearance. Never before there's a monster this hideous in Tevyat, at least one that he knows of.

"Not even a Stonehide Lawachurl can beat this thing." Mona silently mutters, having the same shocked expression as everyone else.

"Ooh, what are Lumi gonna do against this thing?" Paimon whimpered in concern, looking at the illusion of Lumine as the memory continues.

The hideous thing appears before them suddenly, towering over the two with its body that is about five times their size, blocking their path towards safety. Vapor flew out of its mouth as it growled, barring its fangs towards the two. It's one big eye focused solely on the twins, staring at them like meat for dinner, its gigantic hand gripping the stone club tightly, with the said weapon having fresh red blood dripping from the edge, who knows how many people it has killed.

So this... This is what a monster looks like?

It is beyond any of her expectations. Lumine has read from books in the library about some depictions of monsters that roamed around the world, from a weak one to strong ones. While there are some images that gives her a good idea of what she's up against, seeing it in real if is much different than an inanimate lifeless picture.

Just seeing this thing... It made her whole body turn into stone. Her feet couldn't stop shaking, and she's unable to close her eyes nor averting her gaze from it. Her instinct tells her to run, but her legs don't cooperate with her brain. She wants to get up and fight the monster, but she realises of how powerless she is, she doesn't have her sword, it was left back in their home, but even if she had it right now, what good do it have against something this big? She's still have secret power to fight it, but no matter how much she willed herself to fight, her body didn't move as she hoped to, her fear has taken over her mind, overwriting any thoughts that going against it.

The monster raise its hand, and swing it's weapon towards Lumine's motionless body.

"Get down!"

Moments before the stone club hits her, Aether tackle his sister to the ground, saving them both from the attack. They rolled on the ground, creating some distance between them and the beast.

"Phew, that was close." Aether breathed out a sigh of relief as he push himself up from the ground. "You okay?" He asked Lumine as he looks down to see his sister having this absolute shock expression on her face.

"Y-Yes." She timidly answered, finally snapping out of her daze, sitting up to see the huge monster is slowly stalking towards them.

"Tch, we can't get through as long as that thing is blocking the road." Aether mutters, the huge thing has effectively blocking their only path towards safety, even if they tried to run away, the chances are it's going to give chase and eventually catches them. It's inevitable, they face to face this thing to proceed.

"What are we going to do Aether?" Lumine asked her brother, fear and worry filled her voice, her eyes are trembling because she is scared, scared of the frightening appearance of the monster before them, scared of losing her life at such a young age, scared of losing her family that she may or may not have been left behind, scared of losing him.

"We have to find a way to get pass that thing, that's for sure." Aether answered. He pushed himself up and prepare to stand, but he feel a hand tugging his arm.

"Aether..."

Aether looks back behind him, seeing his sister tightly clutching his arm, unwilling to let him go, letting him go and heading towards the big scary monster in front of them.

"Lumine..."

Aether put his free hand on top his sister's hand, trying to pry it away from his arm, but her grip on him is strong, she really don't want to let him go.

"Someone needs to take care of that thing." The older twin softly mutters, smiling down at his sister with a gentle and reassuring smile. "I will go and fight it, while you go towards the city hall to where our parents are, okay?"

"No! I refuse to leave you alone!" Lumine yelled with a violent shake of her head, standing up as well to glare at her brother straight to his eyes. "You already promised me that we will be together, even after something like this happens! Why going back on your promise now?!"

"Lumine, listen, I need you to listen-"

"No! I refuse to listen!" Lumine cuts him off. She uses both hands to hold her brother now. From their connected hands, Aether could feel the trembling on his sister's body, as she's panting from trying to catch her breath after running a long distance and also from yelling earlier. "I won't... I can't...!"

She's trying to compose a word, but the emotions swirling inside her mind overwhelmed her brain functions. Her body is shaking as she starts sobbing, tears raining down her eyes as she grits her teeth to try holding back her sobbings to no avail.

Seeing the distress that took over his sister, Aether wraps his hand around her and pull her into a hug, rubbing his hand on her back to calms her down as he pulls her closer.

"Lumine... Listen to me." Aether whispers to her ear while continuing to comfort her. "Mom and dad really needs you right now. Them, Nahida, and everyone else are waiting for you to come, very worried about your safety, you must go there and show them that you're fine." Pushing his sister away, Aether take a look Lumine's face, and reaches up to wipe her tears away. "You said that everything will be fine as long as we are together with our family, right? Then you must go, you must go and protect them. Even if they take refuge in the city hall, someone must be there to protect the people, you have the power to do it, so you must go."

"But Aether..." Lumine sniffled, looking at her brother sadly. "You're my family too... I can't leave you behind."

"I catch up with you." Aether replied firmly, taking Lumine's hand into his and squeezing it tightly. "I will be there for you, once I take care of this beast."

"You... You promise?" Lumine asked, giving Aether a pleading eye.

"I promised." Aether nods his head. He uses his other hand to grab the golden star pendant that hangs from his neck, showing it to Lumine. "You hear what father said, right? These pendants are what symbolised our connections as twins. One pendant cannot be complete without the other, therefore, we must always be together for us to be complete, and I won't let us be separated no matter what the circumstances."

Lumine went silent for a while, one of her hands unconsciously reached up to hold the silver star pendant, her pendant, mimicking the way Aether holds it. These two pendants won't be complete without each other, just like how the twins are.

"Okay then... I'll go. Just promise me, that you will be there for me."

"I will."

A loud roar interrupts the two as they look up to see the huge monster is now standing right next to them, swinging its stone club down towards them. The moment she sees it Lumine immediately cowers down on the ground in fear. Aether on the other hand has a different reaction, instead of dodging away in panic, he raises both of his arms instead.

There was a loud crash that formed a crater on the ground and debris to fly everywhere, covering the area with smokes.

Lumine doesn't feel pain at all despite of how the ground violently shook. Curiously, she opens her eyes to see that she is completely fine. There is a presence above her, so she looks up, and her eyes widened upon seeing a shocking sight.

The giant monster has indeed swung it's weapon down towards them, and likely would've smash Lumine into paste if it wasn't for Aether who protected her. Despite of the huge difference between them in size, Aether holds the giant stone club in place with both of his hands like it was nothing. Golden lights appeared and shining brightly in his palms that is holding the club from crushing the both of them. This is him using his magic, the light magic.

"Go! Now!" Aether commanded, giving her the space she needed to escape.

Hesitantly and a bit timidly, she nods. Hastily bringing herself back to her feet before starts running, running towards the opening that Aether have made for her.

The monster seem to notice one of it's prey running away. It quickly get over it's shock from having it's attack blocked by Aether, and attempts to crush the fleeting Lumine with its other hand.

"I won't let you!" Using all of his might, Aether pushed the stone club away with a strength that is rivaling the monster's own, causing it to stumble slightly on it's feet. But that won't be enough to stop it, so Aether gather as much energy as he could, his right hand is glowing brightly like he's holding a lit fire on his palm, and once the charging is complete, he release it. "Blast!"

A beam of golden light shoots out from his palm and hits the giant monster on it's chest, giving it the push it needs to fall to the ground on it's back with a very loud thud.

Even when the ground shook from the monster's fall, Lumine keeps on running. She look back towards her brother once, and their eyes meet. He gives her a firm nod to which she returns with her own.

"Please... Stay safe."

She whispers quietly, wiping a tear away from the corner of her eye as she continues to run.

"Awwe, this is so sad... Paimon hopes that they're going to be reunited." Paimon sadly muttered, placing her tiny hand on her heart as she somberly stares at the fading illusions of the twins.

"What power... To be able to handle something like that. Then again, this is Lumine's brother we're seeing." Mona said under her breath, completely amazed at the display of power coming out from Aether, but then again, knowing that this is the older twin brother of Lumine, one of the strongest, if not, then the strongest person that Mona ever met, it should be come of no surprise.

"Yeah, it's incredible. I hope he's gonna be fine." Xinyan agrees with a nod.

"Well, he is alive and well in the present time as we speak, so of course he'll be fine." Kazuha added.

"The memory ends there. Let us continue walking down this path to find the next one. One is very curious on how things would turn out." Fischl spoke up, turning her body to look at the long, seemingly endless road that leads to nowhere, their only way to the next memory.

The group agrees and continues on walking down the road. After a few minutes of walking, they found there's no voices that rings inside the heads unlike before, which prompts them to quicken their pace as the next memory is likely still far away from them. And their thoughts are proven true when their surroundings remains unchanged even after they run for several minutes. But their patience would paid off eventually, when they saw a silhouette that slowly getting bigger the more they walk towards that one direction.

Eventually, they could make out the silhouette as a building, a huge building, made from wall of stones strong and firm.

"That must be city hall!" Paimon pointed out, narrowing her eyes as she saw something else. "And look! there's people gathering there!"

In front of the city hall, there's a bunch of people as they flocked to get inside to safety. And among them, there's Lumine who came from the other side of the road, running whilst panting heavily, her golden eyes relaxed a little when she finally saw the people who've gathered there.

Knowing the next record is about play, the group went silent as they watched.

The city hall... She finally made it!

She could see the people who have gathered on the front gates, competing for getting inside to the evacuation site, the safe zone from all this madness.

"I... I really made it." Lumine said to herself, somewhat in disbelief that she's really here, without any obstacles. "Mama... Papa... Nahida... I'm coming-"

It happens in a split second. Before Lumine could even take a single step forward. There's a sound of something falling from above, and she quickly finds out what it was when the said thing landed on the ground, right next on top of the gathered people. Crushing them into a pile of dead flesh and sends blood to splat everywhere. Gasps of shock and horror filled the air, as everyone stares in horror.

A giant figure, a monster, appeared before them, right in front of the city hall. It's different from the one that Lumine had encountered just now. While the one that she had runaway from and Aether is fighting right now is a giant humanoid, the one who appears before her right now is an abomination. The monster before that appears is huge, it has a body that appears to look like a human from head to torso, expect that it's larger than an average person. But the same thing couldn't be said for it's lower body however, as in place of two human legs, the creature has the lower body of a gigantic spider instead, complete with it's eight legs that each has blades on it's tips.

The creature's entire body is covered in stone-like skin, coloring it's entire body in stone grey. It's humanoid torso and head is also covered with the stony skin, appearing to look like it's wearing a grey knight armor. A long large stone sword is resting on it's shoulder, held by one hand as blood could be seen dripping from the edges.

"RUN!"

"SAVE YOUR LIVES!"

The crowd of people were immediately sent into a panic once they laid their eyes on the beasts. Many of them quickly run and attempts to get inside the city hall by pushing each other in a state of complete panic, while others are running away towards random directions in order to save their lives.

But it was all futile, as the monster quickly gets into action and slaughters them all. Despite of it's big body, it was surprisingly quick, perhaps due to it's eight legs that allows it run and jump around, wildly swinging it's swords to slash at the fleeting people, quickly putting them all out of their misery as blood splatters at every direction. Nobody is safe from this monster, not even the ones inside the building. Nowhere is safe, there's no place to hide, there's no place to run, it's all over.

Eventually, all the screaming and shouting was silenced, and nobody was left that stood in that place, except for a single girl. She is left to stand there, all alone, with a blank look on her face, as she watched the massacre happening right before her very eyes.

Eventually, the monster turns it's attention towards her, it's ominously glowing red eyes stares at her intently, with a deep killing intent and hunger for her flesh. It's eight spider legs moved, slowly taking itself to approach the girl, who could only silently watch as her death in the flesh slowly approach her, ready to reap her soul away.

Thump

Is this it? Is this the end? Is this how she's gonna die?

Thump

At the hands of this monster... Is she... Gonna lose her life?

Thump Thump

What about her family? Her mother and father? Her friend Nahida? Her brother Aether? How about?

Thump Thump Thump

Is she just gonna let herself die? And leave them all behind?!

"S-Shield!"

She raises both of her hands, golden lights appeared in her palm and surrounded her body to make a barrier of lights. She had practiced in using this power with her brother throughout the years, and now it should be the time for her to finally use it. Yes... She can do it! Defeat this monster, wait for Aether, and reunite with their family, that's all she needs to do, that's what she has to do!

"Ngh?!" She looks at herself, at her own hands. She is shaking, her entire body is shaking, and it won't stop! Why? It is... Because of fear...

She just witnessed this monster brutally kills everyone right in front of her very eyes, sparing no one from that massacre, not even her, her was because she simply hasn't been it's target yet, but now, she was, with the way it's slowly approaches her with it's sword ready at hand.

It... It killed them all... It killed all of them, what chances for her to fight this thing and make it out alive?! Nothing, she has absolutely no chance to win against this thing!

The monster raise it's sword before bringing it down towards Lumine, and all that Lumine could do is to look up at the incoming attack, motionless to do anything, as the attack hits the ground.

"Ah... It seems like I would never be the same like onii-chan after all..."

She finds herself unable to care about anything that happens around her anymore. Not even when the ground shook as the beast's sword slammed against the ground and sends her motionless body flying into the air, unresponsive and uncaring.

"Even after I found out that I have this same power... It's useless... In the hands of a weakling, like me."

Her dreams of changing this world for the better... Her promise to always protect her one and only friend... Her desire to be always by her brother's side... It's all just a big joke.

"I guess... This is the end..."

She could feel herself falling, falling to the ground, falling into the darkness, as death slowly pulls her into it's embrace, it feels cold and... Dark, very dark.

Cling

"Huh...?"

Through the small crack of her open eyes, Lumine could see something, it barely visible with how her vision starts to darken and a bit blurry, but still, her eyes could make it out for just a split second: there's something dangling from the monster's neck, a small triangular object with a rainbowy colour, it was tied to a cord that circles around the monster's neck, like a pendant.

"It's glowing... How pretty..."

Even knowing that she's about to die, Lumine still reaches out towards that object that she sees pretty, her shutting down brain barely able to register the sensation, but she could feel her how fingertips softly rubs against the object, feeling it's hardness, it's firm surface, like a shiny diamond.

And the next second after that, everything went black.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

CRACK

The moment the memory ends and the illusions of both Lumine and the monster fades away, the whole world suddenly cracks and starting to fall into pieces.

"Wha- What is happening?!" Paimon squealed in panic, as large cracks appears in the sky, spreading down to the ground and eventually to the road right below their feet.

"T-This must be just the way this space immiates the way Lumine fell unconscious during that time." Mona explained a bit shakily, as the whole world starts to quake.

"Fellas, grab onto something! Make sure you don't-"

Xinyan was about to warn them, but she was cut off when the cracks in the world connects with one another, and the whole space breaks down into pieces, shattering everything and plunging the whole world into darkness, with even the very ground they're standing on crumbles before them.

"Waaaaah!"

Everyone screamed as they got plunged into the gaping abyss below without the time to Ready themselves.

While still falling, Kazuha hastily materialize his sword, rubbing one hand on the blade to coat it with Anemo energy as he holds it with both hands, preparing to release it.

"Into the wind!" A gale appears and surrounding the group, it pushes against their body as they fall, slowing down their descent until they don't even feel like falling anymore. "Phew, looks like I've made it in time." Kazuha muttered in relief when he and the others landed safely.

"Damn, that gave me a quite a shock there! Who knew the ground would suddenly crumbles into pieces like that?" Xinyan grumbles, rubbing her butt after landing on it.

"Yeah, that almost gives Paimon a heart attack." Paimon breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

The group took a moment to get a breather, deciding to sit down instead of standing to rest their sore legs from all the running. The space that they're in right now is another dark abyss that no light nor anything else exist there expect for the group who got sent there. Their bodies glows a soft white light like a bioluminescence creature, allowing them to at least see each other inside this vast space of darkness which is likely will be their waiting room until another memory plays.

"So um... Are we not gonna talk about what we just witnessed?" Paimon asked the group to break the silence that looks over them for a while now, her mind is still a little overwhelmed from the informations she just received. "Those memories were... Quite surprising, aren't they?"

She didn't get any answer for a little while, but after a few seconds passed, someone finally replied.

"Yeah... They're very shocking." Mona replied with a little nod of her head. "I should've expect something to happen, especially after all that knowledge we learned about the existence of monsters and these group of humans they called "Mages," yet I still didn't see that coming. For the city to be under attack, those hideous monsters that killed people..." She trails off a bit, trying to think of more words to say.

"I wonder if this is one of the reasons why Lumine and her brother choose to leave their world." Kazuha mused, gaining everyone's attention. "Maybe her homeworld are overwhelmed with all these types of monsters. And they decided to leave it behind so they could go find another world that is much peaceful than here."

"Hmm, that's a good theory. But that doesn't explain one thing though. If I remember correctly, the Traveler once said that her homeland as she knows it has been reduced to nothingness, so it should means that the whole planet must've been destroyed entirely for them to begin thei journey." Xinyan explained, remembering the on talk she had with Lumine about it.

"That may be true, and perhaps that may also be an event that we're about to witness here among the ocean of memories." Fischl nods her head in agreement to Xinyan's explanation.

"Eeek, that'll be a very scary memory to witness!" Paimon exclaimed with a shriek.

"Hmm... You're right, maybe this and that event are entirely different." Kazuha nodded before putting a hand on her chin. "Also, I don't think these monsters are a threat big enough to force someone as powerful as Lumine to flee her homeworld like that."

"You're so right. Although she might have been equally strong with her brother, that Lumine we saw in these memories are not even close to as powerful as the one we know, so perhaps we might learn along the way about how she became the powerful being she is now, and we'll just have to wait until this transition is over." Mona crosses her arms on her chest, pouting from how long they've been waiting inside this dark space for the next memory to show up.

Eventually, minutes passed with nothing happening. And after some complaints from the group, they decided to stand up and wander around instead, as the space seems to inhibit their movements while inside. At first, they found nothing, but after a while after wandering some more, one of them spotted something.

"Hey, look at that! What is that light out there?" Paimon asked, pointing towards the small dot of light in the distance.

"Huh, it doesn't look like it's getting any bigger. I don't think that's a light that appears when the transition ends." Mona muttered as she squinted her eyes attempting to make out what the tiny dot of light was.

"It doesn't seem like this space forbids us to approach it. Come on, let's go see what it was." Kazuha said with everyone agreeing with him and following him behind as they approached the mysterious object.

As they walked towards it, the little shining white light became more clearer for the group to see. It's not just a simple light that glows in this darkness, it is actually a figure, a person. A person that exists within this space like them, only, unlike them, the figure is nothing but one among the many illusions that exists within this fake world of manifested memories, someone who is the main character of this very long story that is being retelled.

"It's... It's Lumi!" Paimon exclaimed before hurriedly flying towards her friend's side. Waving her tiny hands in front of her face and snapping her fingers to no avail, as the blonde haired girl continues on standing there on her two feet with her eyes closed and body slightly bend forward, like she was sleeping while standing. "She doesn't respond. Looks like she's only an illusion as well." Paimon said, somewhat a bit somberly, the little pixie really misses her travel companion so much, especially after learning all of this info about her pass, all she wanted now is to meet Lumine and gave her a big hug.

"So turns out the next memory will be taking place here, huh? No wonder why there's nothing happening this whole time. We were expected to find it here." Mona said with a click of her tongue, annoyed with how the mirage works.

"Looks like it's about to play too, let's watch everyone." Xinyan announced, ordering for everyone to be silent.

Inside a pitch black space, where only nothingness exist, stood a young girl with short blonde hair, floating amidst the emptiness with her eyes closed and mouth shut. Only the sound of her soft breathing that comes out of her while she sleeps.

Slowly, her eyes stirred open, and a groan escape from her lips as she is finally awake. Things were blurry at first, and she couldn't see anything, so she uses her hands to rub her awoken eyes to see things more clearly, but even when her visions got clearer and things aren't as blurry as before, she's still unable to see anything, all that filled her visions are pitch black.

"It's... So dark in here, like... Pitch black." She mutters, hearing the sound of her voice which gives her a slight surprise.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she is confused as to why she would be so surprised to hear her own voice, like it was something unusual, something that doesn't like... Her.

But who is her again?

"Where am I? What is this place? Why am I here?" She asked, but no one answers her questions. She looks down upon herself, somewhat glad that she is at least able to look down on her own body. For some reason, her body emits a soft white light that helps her by brightening her surroundings, but it's not like it's any useful in this space where only nothingness exist except her. "Why am I glowing like I've been splashed with fluorescent paint?" She wonders out loud, but again, nobody is there to answer her question.

The silence and the darkness starts to frighten her. Is she going to be like this forever? Alone in this space of nothingness for all eternity? She got scared by the thought that she starts to panic.

"H-Hellooo... Is anybody out there?" She calls out, her voice echoes throughout the empty space, all coming back to her ears. Confirming her thoughts that she is utterly alone out here. "N-No answer... Am I really alone?"

She got down to her knees, hugging them close to her chest as she waited and waited in there, hoping with all her heart that at least something will happen sooner or later, otherwise, she might go insane from this isolation.

"What have I done to get myself in here? Could it be that I'm... Dead? Is this how death feels like?" The girl asked herself, not expecting for an answer like before, which of course, exactly what happens. "I really died, am I? But... How did I died? What did I do?"

She couldn't remember how she died.

In fact... She couldn't remember anything...

Perhaps surrendering herself to her fate, the girl slowly close her eyes as they starts to get heavy for her to keep them open.

"I apologize for the delay. Have you been here long?"

Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere. Causing the girl to snap her eyes wide open again. She immediately stood up in surprise, eyeing her surroundings to locate the source of where the voice came from, but she found nothing, just like before.

"Who is that?! Whose voice am I hearing?" The girl frantically asked in shock and fear.

"Please calm down, human child. I have no intention to hurt you nor scare you."

The voice replied back, it has a deep and a bit of a gruff voice, appearing to be spoken by an adult man, but it's still uncertain since the one who spoke those words doesn't appear to exist within the same space with the girl.

"Huh? Whose voice is that?" Xinyan asked in curiosity and confusion.

"I don't know, but it appears that it's someone from Lumine's memory also." Mona replied, placing a hand on her chin as she thought.

"How very strange, it appears there's no one out here except for Lumine, yet that voice somehow able to exist." Fischl wondered out loud.

"Is there something the matter, Paimon?" Kazuha asked when he saw Paimon is deep in her thoughts to not say anything.

"Hmm... Paimon is feeling kinda strange." The little pixie began, her eyes stared at the illusion of Lumine. "Paimon knows that this is from Lumi's memories that we never seen or heard about before but... Paimon can't help but think that the voices that Lumi is hearing right now sounds... Familiar."

"Familiar? How exactly do you mean?" Mona asked in slight confusion.

"Like Paimon has heard someone speaks like that before, with the exact manner of speech. Now... Who was it again..."

Kazuha and Mona shared a glance and silently agreed to let the pixie be immersed in her thoughts while they continue to watch as the memory plays before them.

"Who are you? And... Could you explain why am I here? And how could I talk to you like this."

The girl asked the mysterious voice, to which it replies with silence, as if the voice is contemplating on how it should respond to the girl's question. And despite of the silence that leaves her all alone again, the girl patiently waits for the voice to speak up again.

"... It is natural, that you don't know about me. After all, it's been centuries since the last time I had the chance to walk among the mortals."

The voice finally replies with somewhat a heavy sigh. The girl tilts her head in confusion over what the voice just said. What does it mean that it's been centuries? And why does it speaks like it wasn't a human?

"Then, allow me to introduce myself. I am the one who were tasked in keeping the world's history under record, the one who were to ensure that the world would continue to exist, and the one who have served under hundreds of generations of gods. You may call me, The Bough Keeper."

"The Bough... Keeper? Um, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't understand." The girl said confusedly, rubbing the back of her head.

"It's fine if you don't understand it all now. But I assure you, in time, you will."

"Um, so then, mister Bough Keeper. From the way this conversation goes, it seems like you've already know about me? Is that true?" The girl hesitantly asked, she doesn't know anything about herself strangely, any help from someone who might know who she is will be helpful.

"Yes, I do know about you, but only a little I'm afraid."

"What's my name?" The girl asked, causing the voice to pause.

"Your name?"

The voice asked as if sounding confused. The girl tilts her head again in wonder, so is this person, whoever they are, actually knows her or not?

"Could it be that you don't remember anything?"

He's right on point, the girl can't recall anything of her past, awakening inside this empty space is the first and only thing she remembers.

"Huh? Is that really what happens? Did I hit my head or something? Maybe that's what happened and why I'm here! I knew it, I'm so dead!" The girl exclaimed, starting to panic again.

"Calm down."

The voice reprimand her, to which she quickly oblige and calm herself down.

"Though I do not know much about you in detail. I can a least tell you your name."

The girl gulped, actually feeling a little nervous for wanting to know her own name.

"Then... What is it? What's my name?" She asked nervously.

"Your name is... Lumine."

The girl's eyes widened a little, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a small pang formed inside her head, which hurts a little.

"Lumine... Lumine." She repeats that word, that "name" feeling like the more she repeats it the more an unusual feeling starting to rise up from the bottom of her chest which she could not understand.

She looks up in front of her, imagining the voice she's talking to is up there, looking down at her.

"Lumine... Is that really my name...?"

Before the voice could answer her question however, there was a loud beeping sound ringing in the air. It was so loud that the girl cover her ears and shuts her eyes while gritting her teeth.

"Tch, looks like I'm running out of time."

The voice spoke up, but the girl barely able to hear it due to the beeping sounds that filled her ears.

"I pray that we will be able to talk again Lumine, soon. But, until then, please remember..."

The void slowly brightens up, replacing the darkness with bright light instead.

"You are the only one... Who could save Tevyat."

Those are were the last words she heard before her entirely visions is covered in white.

Everyone yelped when a blinding white light suddenly appears and explode in front of them, and they instinctively cover their eyes in response, closing them shut for a few seconds before slowly uncovering them when they see the brightness has become a little more stable. They look around for a second, finding out that the dark void has been replaced with a blank white space instead, one that they are familiar with, at least things are better when it was bright.

"Okay, first thing first, has Paimon just gone deaf or did all of you think what Paimon think it is when the voice said that?" Paimon spoke up first after a while, gaining silence from everyone, but she knows that they're all thinking the same.

"That mysterious voice... Did it just said... Tevyat?" Mona asked quietly, shocked and confused is written all over her face. "I... I thought this mirage is supposed to be about Lumine's past, so how is it possible that there's a mention of Tevyat when she haven't come to this world yet?"

"Could it be that it's just this mirage playing tricks on us or somethin?" Xinyan wondered, scratching her chin and confusion.

"You mean like how my mirage create things from my imaginations? Even the bad ones?" Fischl asked to which Xinyan shrugged her shoulders. "It's possible. If these mirages were indeed created through our brain, maybe Lumine's imagination is at play here."

"Hmm... But is it possible to mix memories and imaginations this way though? I mean, based on our mirages, even the illusions are able to tell the difference between the two." Mona mused quietly, closing her eyes and immersing herself in thoughts to find a possible answers.

"Paimon..." Kazuha turned to look at the white haired fairy, who seem to also busying herself thinking about things. "You said that the voice we hear just now sounds familiar to you, right? Have you remembered who it was now?" The Inazuman boy asked, receiving a shook of her head as answer.

"Ummh, Paimon still can't remember." She replied, sighing and putting her hands on her side. "Just give Paimon some time and maybe Paimon will figure it out. Uh... This is so confusing."

The group went silent again as they bury themselves in their thoughts. Each of them has their own different thoughts and theories regarding of what they just heard. But as they were going through their thoughts, they eventually noticed how the blank space around them gradually changes. Most noticably, the brightness slowly recedes, making their surroundings even more better. And then colours began to appear on previously blank white space, added with some absurd shapes that slowly took forms with each passing seconds.

Gradually, the once blank space transform into a scene, a place. Everyone finds themselves standing inside a "room," which isn't accurate because judging from the light through "walls," or the metal poles at the edges of the "room" that hold the ceiling, the group quickly realised that in actuality, they're inside a tent, a big tent.

"Where are we? Why are we suddenly here?" Paimon questions, confused why they're inside some random tent all of a sudden.

"Hmm, I guess this took place sometime after that last memory." Kazuha mutters, he went to the entrance of the tent, trying to open it to no avail as it simply won't budge. "We can't go out, looks like the next memory would take place here."

"But if the next memory took place here, then where..." Mona mused as she looks around. She paused when her eyes take notice of something in the corner of the room. A bed, with someone sleeping on top. "Is that..."

"It's the Traveler!" Xinyan finishes, walking towards the bed followed by everyone once they noticed it too.

"What a terrible conditions she's in. But at least she's still alive." Fischl muttered silently as she stares at the form of her friend.

Lumine is sleeping quietly on the bed, with a white blanket covering most of her body, which are covered with bandages, there is one in particular that is wrapped around her head that has a red stain which most likely to be blood. There's an IV on the left side of the bed that is connect to her left arm by a needle. Meanwhile on her right side, a heart monitor is beeping silently, showing signs of her stable heart rate, for now.

"It seems like someone had rescued her at the nick of time. I wonder who they are." Kazuha muttered out softly.

"Don't forget about her hometown as well. What has become of it after the monster attacks?" Mona added, scratching her chin in wonder.

There was a rustling sounds coming from behind them, and everyone turns around to see a silhouette looking over the entrance of the tent, blocking the lights from coming in.

"Who's coming?" Paimon asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like another memory is about to start." Mona replied, her eyes staring closely at the entrance as it slowly being opened by someone.

Everyone watched while unconsciously holding their breath as someone enters the tent. Silhouette figure that they just saw emerges to show them their true form: A young girl with long ash blonde hair, which she lets hanging behind her back. She has a pair of gray-blue eyes, and fair skin. The girl wore a black and white outfit, a long sleeved white shirt with black cuffs and black collar, a short black skirt, and a pair of white stockings.

"Huh? Who's this?" Paimon questioned, eyeing the newcomer from head to toe closely. And she scratches the back of her head as if confused by the girl's appearance. "She looks... Kinda familiar..."

"Yeah... Now that I think about it, she does kinda reminds me with someone." Mona agrees, seemingly having the same thought with Paimon.

"Whaddya guys talkin about?" Xinyan question in total confusion, with Kazuha feeling the same as well.

"Uh, Paimon doesn't know. But for some reason, Paimon can't help but feel like she's seen this person before." The little pixie replied while pointing a finger towards the mysterious person, which is currently busy in examining the comatose Lumine on the bed.

"I feel the same as well." Fischl declared, causing everyone to look at her. "This person, whoever they are, I have seen her before as well, in Mondstadt no less." She explained.

"So I'm not the only one realizing that too?" Mona asked, raising an eyebrow towards the blonde girl with twintails. "Do you have any idea who this is then?"

"Well um... Perhaps with a little more time... I'll figure it out." Fischl mumbles, gaining a sigh from the astrologist before her.

"Hmm... Let's see. Her conditions stable, her breathing no longer heavy, and her heart rate seems pretty normal."

They heard the mysterious girl mumbles under her breath which is still pretty audible to their ears.

"Looks like it started. Let's watch everyone, maybe it can answer somen of your questions too." Kazuha said, to which everyone agrees.

The patient sleeps peacefully on the bed. Compared to when they found her several days ago, her conditions as of now is much more stable and healthy. It won't be long before she should wake up, and when that time comes, she'll have a lot of questions that needs to be answered.

She is the only one after all... who miraculously survived that ordeal.

"I probably should leave her alone for now. She still need more time to rest."

Straightening herself, the girl with long hair sighed as she pulled out a clipboard which she writes several notes on it before turning around and prepared to leave. But she was stopped the moment she heard a groan coming from the bed.

"Look! She's awake, Lumi is awake!" Paimon said with a gasp. Everyone who sees watches carefully.

"...mmhmm..." A certain blonde haired girl open her eyes slowly as she regain consciousness. She met with an unfamiliar ceiling once her vision starts to clear up and her eyes adjusted to the brightness of her surroundings. "Where... Where am I?"

She asked to no one in particular. Her body feels a little heavy and she could not move it the way she wanted to.

"You're finally awake!" A new voice spoke up, and the blonde girl slowly turn her head to the side to see another girl dressed in black and white. Her long ash blonde hair hanging behind her back. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like... hammered crap..." The short haired blonde girl tried to crack a joke with a wry laugh, but it was no joke, she herself knows what she's feeling.

"I bet you do." The girl standing smiled a little. The girl on the bed then tried to get up, or at least to change her position to sit on the bed instead. But it proves to be hard for her as she groaned in pain with the slightest movements. "Just stay down, miss Lumine, you're not in a good condition to move." The long haired girl said as she helped the one on the bed to lay back down to rest.

"Just... what happened to me?" The girl asked confusedly, unable to recall what made her like this.

"Well um... It's gonna be hard to believe it, but..." The long haired girl clears her throat before she spill the beans to the patient. "Miss Lumine... You are a survivor of the attack on Mondstadt city, and the only one I'm afraid..."

Everyone's eyes blown wide open upon hearing the revelation, specifically, the word "Mondstadt" they just heard.

"M-M-Mondstadt?! Is that Mondstadt did I just heard?!" Mona asked, completely flabbergasted by the info her ears picked.

"No mistake, I heard that too!" Fischl nods her head, serious.

"What the heck is happening? Paimon is super confused." The little pixie rubs her head with both hands, all of these info is starting to give her a headache.

"First is Tevyat, and now we heard Mondstadt... This is beyond coincidence." Kazuha mutters in thoughts, rubbing his chin as he think carefully. "Is it really the mirage mixing up the information of memories and imaginations into jumbled mess that really causes this?"

"Ugh... I'm already having from all of this!" Xinyan complained as she grinds both of her knuckles on her forehead.

"Mona, can you use your Hydromancy to decipher this? None of these are making any sense anymore." Paimon shook her head as she look at the astrologist.

"I don't think even astrology can solve this, given that this is related Lumine whom completely immune to it." Mona said with a heavy sigh, looking like she's about to break down from the weights in her mind.

"Um..." Paimon then turns to look at the others, and all of them have this same look of absolute confusion on their faces, no one is able to answer. "Uh... You know what? Paimon thinks that... Why don't we just, you know, watch the rest of the memories, hoping that the answer will come along the way." The fairy suggestef.

"Yeah... I guess that's the best thing to do now." Kazuha said with a sigh escaping his lips.

"Someone please slap me before I'm turning insane..." Mona mutters in resignation, earning a light thwack on the cheek from Fischl.

"A survivor? An attack? I... I don't understand." The short haired girl on the bed shook her head, a look of confusion and obliviousness appears on her face.

"It's the reason why you've been comatose for three days. Why you're being bedridden here, your hometown is attacked by a horde of monsters. We tried as best as we could in rescuing the people but... So far, you're the only one we could saved, one that is still alive that is." The long haired girl's tone decreased at the last sentence, the bedridden girl could see in her blue eyes the emotions of sadness filling them, likely a sadness that stems from being unable to save everyone from the disaster. But just what kind of disaster are they talking about here?

"My... Home? Attacked by... Monsters?" The blonde haired girl repeated, she tries to reflect on what she sees or what she hears before she was out. But nothing came to mind, no thoughts, no memories, her mind is completely blank. "I... I don't remember any of these. I don't remember anything."

"Huh? Miss Lumine... You... You don't remember what happened at all?" The long haired girl with blue eyes tilted her head in confusion.

That word... That name... Is she referring to her? Is that... Hers?

"Lumine... Lumine... Is that my name? Is that why you keep calling me that?" The blonde girl asked, curious and confused, she stares directly into her conversation partner's eyes.

"And you don't even remember your name?!" The blue eyed girl lightly gasped, covering her mouth with her palm. After a few moment, she seems to get over her shock as she spoke up. "Could it be that you have... An amnesia?"

"Amnesia?" The bedridden girl tilts her head, before drowning herself in her thoughts. The fact is, she can't remember anything, not even her own name. Why is she here? How did she ends up getting bedridden after having apparently survived a disaster that had killed off plenty of other people? Just who... Is she? "Maybe I am..."

"This is the first time I've seen someone with an amnesia. How original."

Although she doesn't have any intention to be excited. There's no hiding the hidden emotion of excitement in her eyes, seems like she's happy to experience something new in her life.

"Alright then, since you don't know anything, allow me to explain everything I know to you." The blue eyed girl clears her throat as she prepares for a lengthy explanations. "According to the files, your name is Lumine, and you are a resident of Mondstadt city, a city that just recently got overrun by an invading monster army. That event was three days ago, a group was then dispatched to help any survivors of the tragedy evacuated to safety, a group that I belongs to, we arrived there not too long after the distress signal was received, but unfortunately... By the time we came, there are almost no sign of life within the vicinity, only the monsters that roamed around the streets of the ruined city. We almost gave up on our investigation when we couldn't find anything, but then that was when we found you, head stuck in the ground and legs sticking up above. It is a miracle to find a still living person, so we immediately brought you here to this outpost so we could treat you back to normal." She explained.

"Uh, wow, that's some story you got." The girl with short blonde hair, now identified as Lumine, said with an unsure smile. But still, since she can't remember anything, it's not like she has any other choice but to believe it.

"I know it's hard to believe, especially when you can't remember anything, but please, be relaxed and try to not think much about it." The long haired girl lightly smiled as she reached out to give Lumine a pat on the head. "Just focus on getting yourself better for now, then you can think more of it once you're back in shape."

She turned herself around and prepared to leave the tent, but Lumine remembers that she hadn't asked something yet, so she stopped her.

"Wait!" Lumine calls out, causing the long haired girl to look back at her in wonder. "What's your name? I mean, you already tell me what's mine so... What's yours?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot about that." The long haired girl giggled at her little mistake. "My name's Barbara, Barbara Pegg. It's nice to meet you miss Lumine." She introduced herself before finally exiting the tent.

"Ba-BARBARA?!" Paimon, Mona, and Fischl all screamed, causing both Xinyan and Kazuha to look at them in confusion.

"Huh? What's wrong with y'all? You knew that girl or somethin?" Xinyan asked in confusion and curiousity.

"Of course!" Fischl answered first, nodding her head. "She is Mondstadt's Idol, it's deaconess!"

"Yeah! And not to mention the fact that she's also the Knights of Favonious's Acting Grandmaster's younger sister." Mona added.

"And that Lumi is reeaaally close to her!" Paimon chimed in, and unlike everyone else, her statement caused everyone to pause and look at her with narrowed eyes, giving a look that speaks "Do you really have to bring that up?" And causes the fairy to nervously chuckle.

"So basically what you're saying is, that girl who just speaks to Lumine, is supposed to be someone from Mondstadt, our Mondstadt, in the real world?" Kazuha asked, gaining a nod from the three.

"Yeah, Barbara is someone that both Lumi and Paimon are well acquainted with. Though Lumi is especially seems to be very close to her. We first met shortly after the Mondstadt crisis with Stormterror is over, but..." Paimon glanced at the side, to the scene where the memory they just saw being played. "What we just saw just now... That girl does look a little different, but Paimon can't deny that there are many similarities between her and the Barbara we know."

"All these new memories just make things more and more confusing." Mona said with a heavy sigh, her eyebrows furrowed. "How is it possible that Lumine has only met with Barbara in this world, and during that crisis with the Dragon of the East. But on this mirage, they met at a different time, in a different world, and in a different scenario?"

"Uh... I'm starting to think what Paimon said is true. Perhaps it would be better if I just keep watching without thinking about any of these weird unexplainable things." Fischl said with a defeated sigh.

There were rustling sounds, and everyone looked up to see the illusion of "Barbara" entering the tent. She held a tray with both hands, a plate of food and a glass of water on top, approaching the bed where Lumine is sitting.

"Looks like another memory is already in play. Let's watch." Xinyan said, with everyone nodding.

"Hello, how are you feeling? Feeling better yet?" Barbara, a girl with long ash blonde hair that hangs behind her back greeted as she enters the tent where she is being treated inside. She brought her food today, just like the other days before.

"Better than the first time I woke up, that's for sure." Lumine, the girl who is under treatment for the past few days responded. Giving the other girl a small smile. "What did you bring this time?"

"Just the usual." Barbara replied, placing the tray down on the bed as she took a seat beside Lumine. "We've been running out of food supplies for the past few days now, so the easiest food we could get is seafood from the nearby lake. I hope you didn't get tired of them." Barbara explained with an apologetic smile.

"Nah, no worries, I take all I could get." Lumine brushes her worries away with an easy smile, taking the plate as well as the spoon and fork and begins eating. It's really not a big deal to her, she really likes the seafood menu she's been receiving, especially the crabs.

She eats in silence while Barbara watches, they've known each other for a while now, yet there are still some boundaries that separates the two, Lumine doesn't know what it was, but she could tell that Barbara is in some way, trying to make some distance between them.

They've been silent for a moment, so Lumine decided to ask her something that has been bugging her for a while.

"Say Barbara, there's something I've been meaning to ask you about." Lumine spoke up, breaking the silence between them that has been lasted for several minutes.

"Hmm? What is it?" Barbara asked with a curious look.

"How did you know who I was?" Lumine questioned, putting away the now empty on her hand, using one hand to wide the sauce on the corner of her mouth. "And if you do know about me, can you tell me who I was? Like, who are my family, where exactly do I live, or... You know, any other details of what exactly I was before?"

Barbara went silent for a moment as she think through the questions that Lumine had asked her. She was like this for several minutes, before eventually shaking her head, her lips turned into a pout.

"I'm sorry miss Lumine, but I don't think none of us here knows of who you are." Barbara said with a sad sigh. "Most of us here doesn't come from Mondstadt, so don't know much about it, much less it's citizen. And admittedly... While I am a citizen of Mondstadt at birth, it's been forever since the last time I was here."

"Aww, that shucks." Lumine lightly frowned, resting her head against her knuckle that she placed on her crossed legs.

Seeing the souring mood of her newfound friend, Barbara opens her mouth again. "However... We do know where we got your name." Lumine glanced at her with a curious look. "It also happens to be why I came here today, aside from delivering food."

Barbara took out something and shows it to Lumine. An object tied with a cord dangling from her fingers, a star shaped pendant, with a golden gem embedded into it, encased in silver colored decorative case.

"Hmm? What's this? Is this... A pendant?" Lumine tilts her head, she eyed the object with curiosity and somewhat confusion. Confused on why she felt a tingling in her being the moment she saw it.

"It is. And it's yours." Barbara nods her head, handing the pendant to Lumine.

"Huh? This is mine?" Lumine asked in surprise. She looks at the accessory in her palm, playing it with her fingers "How'd you know?" 

"Well... It's because you were wearing it when we found you." Barbara answer, she turns the pendant around in Lumine's hand to show her the backside. "Look, it even has your name carved into it. That's how we figured out who you are."

Barbara is right, there is a word "Lumine" carved into the backside of the pendant, likely to label it as to who this pendant truly belongs. Lumine stares at the name, wondering if all this information she gets is true or not. But even if it's not true, how else is she going to confirm it? She has forgotten everything about herself, and there's nobody around that knows of who she are before she lost her memories. How is she going to ever figure out who she truly was?

Something stirred inside her mind.

"Lumine... Lumine... That name... Isn't that..." The short haired blonde girl muttered silently, as if in a trance.

"Miss Lumine? What's wrong?" Barbara asked in concern, a thought enters her mind, and she asks her again. "Have you finally remembered something?"

"Yeah... I remembered now..." Lumine nods her head, her expression turns serious as she explained. "Before I woke up from my sleep, I heard a voice talking to me, in my dream." She revealed.

"In your dream? Then it's not real."

"Hmm, in normal situations, I would've believed that. But now that I think about it more, it felt very real, it almost like someone is speaking telepathically to me straight to my subconsciousness or something, you know?" Lumine explained, staring at Barbara with a serious look.

"Ehehe, I don't know about that." Barbara smiled wryly before clearing her throat. "So then, what did the voice you hear said?"

"My memories a bit fuzzy, but... If I remember correctly, it says something about uh... Gods? Records? And... Ah! It says that I'm the only one who could save Tevyat?" Lumine exclaimed, bumping her fist against her open palm.

"The only one who could save Tevyat? Uh, miss Lumine, are you sure you're not just dreaming?" Barbara asked, sounding very confused.

"No, it's definitely not just a dream." Lumine shook her head. "Someone definitely talks to me back then. He even says that we're going to have another conversation sooner or later." Suddenly, she stood up, her hand bawled into fist. "I gotta find him."

"Whoa whoa whoa, where are you going? You're still recovering!" When Lumine tries to leave, Barbara blocks her, spreading her hands to the sides.

"That voice I heard, whoever they are, they claimed to know about me, they even told me of my name." Raising her hand, Lumine looks down at the star pendant in her hand. "You were right Barbara, my name is Lumine, but that is all I know about myself. And I wanted to know more. So if I managed to find the owner that voice, they might be able to tell me what I wanted to know." The blonde girl explained, with a determined look, she walked pass Barbara and exited the tent.

"W-Wait! At least put some clothes on first!" Barbara yelled as she followed after Lumine.

"So Lumi really did forgot about everything." Paimon softly mutters as the memory ends. "Paimon can't even imagine what it feels like to forget about everything precious to her. Paimon hopes she'll remember soon."

"I still can't figure out what is happening here." Mona said with a sigh, putting her face on her hand. "But from what I heard, it seems like Lumine came and lived "Mondstadt," "Mondstadt" is then attacked by a horde of monsters we saw before, it knocks her out and made her suffering from amnesia. And then, this... "Barbara" found her, and rescue her, the only survivor of the monster attack."

"Hmm, and we still can't figure out whose voice is that we heard in the void." Fischl added, side glancing Paimon who didn't notice.

"It must've been such a catastrophe for her to be the only survivor huh?" Xinyan muttered, until a thought crossed over her mind, to which her eyes widened in realization. "But if Lumine is the only one... Does that mean..."

"It's still unclear. We do know that her brother is still alive up until now, but as for the others... I guess this mirage will tell us about it later." Kazuha answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Anyway, looks like that was the end of the memory. let's try to follow them outside." Mona gestured towards the tent entrance that had been opened wide for them to exit, the way towards the next records.

"Ugh, Paimon still can't put her head around what's happening, but... There's only one way out of this." The pixie groaned, shaking her head lightly.

With the path opened before them, they exited the tent and into the world outside. A flash of light filled their visions for a moment when they stepped out, but after a few seconds, it disappears and the world around them manifest.

Looking around, the group find themselves in the middle of an encampment, quite a big one, with all sorts of people running about, there are people in uniforms, people wearing doctor's coat and also nurses outfits, and then there's also normal ones who just sits around chatting or drinking.

"This place is crowded, how are we going to find them like this?" Paimon asked, looking around, she couldn't find neither the illusion of Lumine or Barbara anywhere near them.

"My Hydromancy will be useless for this. Any ideas?" Mona asked, looking at the others.

"Hmm? Perhaps we could make use of our sights?" Fischl replied, gesturing to her eyes.

"That could work." Kazuha said with a nod. "Although she's from a different world that is not our Tevyat, we should be still able to see traces of her power."

"Well then let's check it out." Xinyan said with everyone agreed.

They all activates their elemental sights, scanning their surroundings in search for clues. And they were mildly surprised that it worked well, as they see a trails of lights in the air leading to somewhere.

"Look! There's a trails of light heading there!" Xinyan pointed out, looking at the direction the trails is going.

"Huh? Where?" Paimon asked, not being able to use elemental sight like the others, she is confused of what they're talking about.

"It's heading towards that direction, to the cliff. That's must be where Lumine is heading, let's go everyone." Mona points her finger towards a cliff in the distance.

"Uh, do we really need to climb up there?" Paimon asked, sounding rather tired.

"Oh quit your whining. You can just simply floats there while everyone else is running. If anything, we should be the one that feels exhausted here." Mona replied, giving the fairy an annoyed look.

"Wha- don't you know how tiring it is to float around all day?!" Paimon complained, kicking her feet in the air. "Fine! Come on, let's go! Paimon is very curious in how this will turn out anyway, so let's not waste time here."

"Alright. Then let's go."

With Kazuha leading on the front, they head towards the cliff where the trails of lights leads. It took them some time to reach the top as they require to climb it, with Kazuha being especially useful in helping everyone going up by using his Anemo powers.

Eventually, they reached the top, where the trails of light that they've been following stopped right on the edge of the cliff, a place where one could see the large view of the world around them as it laid down before their eyes.

"Whoa, what a view." Paimon muttered with an amazed gasp, looking at the scenery before them.

"Looks like there aren't much of this world that has been touched by human hands yet, things are looking pretty wild down there." Kazuha mutters as he take on the scenery, his eyes then drifted to the left, where something of great importance is there. "Maybe except for that."

Everyone follows his line of sight, to see that there is something of difference that stood among the wilderness of this world. A combination of structures that made out a city, a city that all the previous memories are taking place.

"That must've been the city where Lumi and her brother lived huh? To think that such a big city could be destroyed in a matter of hours..."

Even though they're far away, they could see the destruction that had been done to the city, as many buildings have crumbled or damaged, smokes coming out from the streets and the destroyed buildings, and then, there's a breach on the giant walls that encased the city protectively from outside forces. That must be how the monsters are able to invade the city.

"...I still can't believe my ears when they called this "Mondstadt."" Mona said with a heavy sigh, a look of contemplation and utter confusion all mixed up in her eyes. "It looks so much different than the real Mondstadt, which should be prove that there must be a mistake made within this mirage. But... I couldn't deny... There is some striking similarities between the two..."

Whether it's the big walls that surrounds the city or the existence of several windmills that now has been laid to waste, there's no denying the tingling feeling they felt upon looking it, it gives them an uncomfortable feeling that they couldn't describe.

"Uh... Paimon thinks she had enough staring at this." Paimon said after a while, turning herself around. "Why don't we watch how's Lumi is doing instead?"

Everyone agrees, they turn their attention to their obvious goal for being here instead, to the two figures standing at the edge of the cliff. The group approached the two girls, immediately starting the record of memories.

"That city... It's in complete ruins."

Two girls were seen sitting at the edge of the cliff overlooking the plains below where the city of Mondstadt (or rather what is left of it) stood. One of them has a short light golden hair and wore an open white hoodie, while the other one has a long ash blonde hair and wore a formal white shirt and black skirt. While they were there enjoying the cool breeze of the morning, they spent the entire chatting with each other to know themselves better.

"Yeah... That was Mondstadt city down there. It used to be such a great city, where people could live in a secure and safe place, thanks to the protective walls. But now..." Barbara, the girl with long hair, trailed off, her blue eyes glanced towards the ruined city below, seeing the destruction that the monster caused. "Now... Those people's lives have vanished, just like that... All because of the monster's fault..."

"Hmm, what a shame, I would like to see how the city looks like back in the day." Lumine, the girl with short hair, muttered, she has her knees pressed against her chest and her arms wrapped around it. Her golden eyes look at the form of the city somewhat somberly. "Though if it's true that I'm from there, I must've already seen it before I lost my memories huh?"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it." Barbara nodded, she turned her head to look at the side to see the look on Lumine's face, which shows a deep longing of something. "Don't worry too much about it miss Lumine. I'm sure your memories will return to you someday, you just gotta have to give it time, most cases of amnesia are like that."

Lumine sighed at her words, shaking her head softly. "It's not exactly my lost memories that I'm worried about, Barbara. I'm worried about the things I left behind."

"What you left behind?" Barbara repeated with a tilt of her head.

"Yes. My family, my friends, or my other possessions... I can't remember any of it. And I'm a little scared to find out what happened to them, if I have any that is..." Lumine trailed off, it's true though, no one seems to know anything about her, so what are the chances that what she is before is just a miserable girl with no family or friends? It's not impossible.

"Mmh, I understand how that feel. Must have been painful to think of losing a family, right?" Barbara said with a nod of her head.

Lumine looks at Barbara and is a little surprised upon finding the other girl to be the one who makes a somber expression now instead, as if what Lumine had said have triggered something inside her that made her making that kind of expression. She thought on what the long haired girl said, and wondered if Barbara perhaps have suffered an amnesia before too, or that she might have lost a family member in ther past, but she don't want to pry, so she changed the subject instead.

"By the way Barbara, you said several days ago that you're also a citizen of Mondstadt at birth, but... Somehow you're not there during the attack? Where are you at?" Lumine asked, changing the subject. This time, her question received a slight jerk from Barbara who looks surprised at the question being asked.

"O-Oh that? Well..." Barbara clears her throat a little. "I was stationed at  another hidden city at the time. I only received the reports of the attack hours after it happened, and arrived here a day after that."

""Stationed?" Are you saying that you work outside of your hometown or something?" Lumine tilts her head in confusion.

"Well, I guess you could say that." Barbara nodded.

Lumine looks at Barbara up and down, she looks no younger than herself. She looks to be around sixteen years old, or maybe even younger.

"Uh... Is that even legal?" Lumine asked again, to which Barbara sighed.

"I've been sent to work outside of Mondstadt ever since I was a little girl."

"W-What?" Lumine exclaimed in shock, her eyes widened. "How could that be? How could you be sent out to work at such a young age like that?"

"I'm sorry but, I can't explain it to you." Barbara shakes her head, averting her eyes from Lumine's gaze. "Even if I do, I doubt that you could understand."

Lumine doesn't understand what she meant. What could so complicated about her reasons that Lumine wouldn't understand? Or maybe it's because of her lost memory. Lumine admits that it's not just merely memories of her past that she could not remember, but also of some general things as well, like the fact that monsters exist in this world, she is shocked to find it to be true, but it seems like this is a common knowledge to everyone, everyone excepts her that is.

Lumine sighed, deciding to drop the subject. Right now, she is akin to a baby but born with in a teen's body. She doesn't know anything and can't remember everything, even her own name. It's a miracle that there's someone out there who knows of who she are.

"Welp... If you don't wanna tell me, then... I guess there's no forcing it." Lumine shrugged, gaining a look from Barbara.

"Eh?"

"I don't have anything to share with you about my past, not like I remember any of it. So it's only right that I don't pry about yours as well, right?" Lumine asked, her lips turned into a small smile. "I'm comfortable with the way things are between us. I hope we'll stay as friends forever, Barbara."

Barbara went silent for a while. She looks at Lumine with a weird look that the short haired blonde girl couldn't understand. After some moments, she averted her eyes as her head downturned.

"Friends huh?" The girl with long hair silently muttered, closing her eyes. She sounded like she have a lot of things bottling up in her mind which Lumine couldn't understand in her current conditions. "Right... Friends... I hope we could stay as friends too, miss Lumine." Barbara said after a while, nodding her head while her lips turned into a small smile.

"You know..." Lumine began, tilting her head slightly as she looks at Barbara. "Maybe you shoulda dropped the honorifics already. It's not like I'm some important person around here or something."

"Eh? But you are the patient." Barbara stated, looking at Lumine somewhat confusedly.

"Oh come on, that's no big deal." Lumine waved her head in dismissal. "Besides, we are friends now, right? Friends should've give cute nicknames and call each other with it, not being all stiff and formal, I didn't like it when someone being too polite and formal with me, I would rather have a casual and relaxed conversation."

In all honesty, Lumine have no idea where she got the about that one, but somewhere in the back of her head, she got a strange feeling that that is what friends should do. How strange... does this mean that she had a friend sometime back in the past? Someone that she might've forgotten along with everybody else that have any importance to her life?

"Cute nicknames?" Barbara tilted her head in confusion.

"Yeah, here's an example. Since your name is Barbara, then I should call you... Bar... uh..." Lumine was about to say something, but she cuts herself midway, looking confused and unsure.

Barbara continues to stare at her curiously, as Lumine hummed and scratching her cheeks, averting her eyes from the blue eyed girl's gaze. Moments later, the short haired girl groaned loudly, ruffling her own hair with her hands.

"Ugh... Forget it! I think calling you Barbara is enough." Lumine sighed heavily, slumping down her shoulders in surrender.

Barbara who sits by her side didn't say anything at first, but after a while, Lumine heard a snort coming from her side. The blonde girl glance at Barbara, to see the girl with long hair held her mouth in her hand as she tried not to laugh. But she failed, and in the end, Barbara burst out laughing, her laughter filled the silence in the air as Lumine watches her in confusion.

"W-What's so funny?" Lumine asked in surprise in confusion at her sudden laugher.

Barbara's laughter dies down gradually, she wiped the tears in the corner of her eyes as she shakes her head lightly.

"I'm sorry, it's just... You're so silly." Barbara said as she lightly smile at her companion.

"Uh... Don't know how I should feel about that." Lumine muttered, rubbing the back of her head.

Barbara sighed lightly. "It's been a while since I laugh out loud like that. I kind of missed the feeling." Looking at Lumine, Barbara's eyes are filled with genuine feeling of joy, one that Lumine realized aren't there before in the days before today. "If... You really think that we friends... May I try your suggestions then?"

"Uh... Sure?" Lumine replied, unsure of what Barbara have in mind.

"Okay, let me try." Nodding to herself, Barbara put one finger on her chin while her blue eyes stares at Lumine. And after a few seconds, her eyes brightens when an idea crosses her mind. "Ah, I know! From now on, I will call you... Lumi-chan!" She declared, as she bump her fist into her open palm.

"Lumi... Chan?" Lumine repeated, somewhat confusedly.

Why does hearing Barbara says that rings a bell inside her mind? It feels as if the nickname sounds familiar, while not at the same time.

"What do you think?" Barbara asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Oh, it's good! Good one Barbara." Lumine replied, brushing the thought away as she returns back to the matter at hand.

"Hehe, really? Then, do you mind if keep calling you that then, Lumi-chan?" Barbara asked. Oh she's really enjoying it now huh?

"Sure, go ahead. It's far better than when you being all polite with me." Lumine nods her head with a smile on her face.

The two friends giggled. Finding peace and enjoyment in each others' company. Brushing away the gloomy air of sorrows that hangs around them sometime ago to the back of their minds. It seems like even with the dire situations happening around the world right now, it didn't take away even the smallest joy from appearing when two friends talk to one another, this are the small lights of hope that rays down upon the dark world, filled with deaths and despair.

But unfortunately however, their joy must come to an end, when an explosion is heard coming from the distance.

"Whoa! What was that?!" Paimon exclaimed in shock, gasping and looking around for the source of the loud noise.

"Over there." Kazuha pointed out, a black smoke arose from the ground and float high to the air in certain direction, it looks like coming from an explosion alright.

"W-What is that?" Both Barbara and Lumine quickly stood up, hearing the explosion that instantly alerts them.

"Over there, it came from that way." Lumine looks at at her surroundings a little, until her eyes spotted the smokes arising in the distance, she pointed her index finger towards it which Barbara follows.

"Wait, that is where the outpost is! What is happening in there?" Barbara question in confusion and shock. Things were okay when they left the outpost earlier, what was the source of that explosion?

"Come on, let's find out!"

Barbara nods at Lumine, and the two quickly made it down the cliff and sprints towards the outpost.

"Let's follow them." Mona looks at the others and they nodded, following after the two illusions back to the encampment where the previous memories take place.

It took them a while to run all the way back to encampment through the forest area, but they made it just in time as next memory sequence plays out.

When they arrived there, the outpost is under attack. There's people screaming and panicking, some of them are running around as vicious monsters chases after them, some are too scared and shocked to move that they just lay on the ground helplessly crying, while some are hiding behind crates and other tall structures that could provide them protection. Some camps are ablaze in flames, others are broken down into pieces, monsters are tearing them apart one by one.

"It's the monsters! They're attacking the camp!" Paimon exclaimed upon seeing the destruction happening.

"Nowhere is truly safe in this world... It's really messed up." Mona muttered in a grim tone. Although their world of Tevyat is no different with how many monsters with various species out there, their Tevyat's condition is nowhere as extreme as this one. At least for now.

How will Lumine and Barbara handle this they wonders, turning their heads towards the two illusions.

"I-It's... It's the monsters! We're under attack!"

Barbara loudly exclaimed in shock and sursprise, everything was fine the moment they left the camp earlier, how come that the monsters suddenly found them?

The two girls were hiding behind a bush nearby so that the monsters couldn't find them. Silently watching from the shadows as monsters running around chasing after people for them to eat, but there's also some who are engaged into a fight with a few people who wields weapons to combat the monsters.

"So these are monsters..."

Barbara looks to side towards her newly found friend. Lumine has a blank look on her face as she stares at the chaos happening before them. Her eyes are wide open, but not from shock nor fear, but rather from something else, one could only guess what's the blonde girl is thinking right now, especially for someone who had forgotten nearly everything like her.

Lumine's eyes followed the various forms of the foul beasts running amok around them, their vicious forms, their loud earth-shaking roar, the blood that drips from the corners of their mouth or the weapons they carried. None of them brings her any sense of fear and dread at all. But why?

Lumine has heard various stories about monsters during her days of recovery, from Barbara or the other opperatives in the area. How these beast could strike fear even into the soul of the bravest men, how they relentlessly hunt their prey, humans, down to the rabbit hole. How even the most secure of all strongholds aren't truly safe from them. With those stories being told, it would be normal for someone, especially one who is as clueless as her, to be afraid and fear these things with every fiber of her being, and yet Lumine didn't find any shred of such emotions existed within her right now.

She feels no fear nor dread, even when she saw the monsters chasing after people, even when she saw them clawing and chewing on the flesh of their poor victims, even when the screams of the other terrified people rings in her ears. She wasn't afraid, she wasn't nerveous... in fact, she feels... motivated?

The screams of the people, their fear, their sadness, their despair, she feels them all, and it fueled her with determination.

Monsters... they are a pest of this world, a perfect virus to wipe all of humanity from the face of the planet, no such thing cannot be allowed to exist, for she will be the vaccine that save this world!

"Lumi-chan! Lumi-chan! Snap out of it!"

Lumine's thoughts return back to reality to feel Barbara shaking her body violently, with her hands placed on her shoulders, rocking her body back and forth.

"Barbara..." Lumine muttered, which goes noticed by the long haired girl who stop shaking her. Lumine looks at her in the eyes, emotions filled them. "I-"

"Quick, go find somewhere safe to hide!" Before Lumine could say anything more, the long haired girl cuts her off.

"What?"

"I need to bring the others to safety first. In the meantime, you should go hide, find somewhere safe." Barbara said, looking at her seriously while holding both of her hands.

Did she seriously said that she should go hide while letting her friend go into the chaos all alone?!

"Then I'm coming too. Two is better than one." Lumine said, nodding her head firmly as a determined look appear on her face.

Barbara lightly gasped in shock at this. "No You can't!" Barbara firmly stated, glaring at Lumine. "You must remain safe, I'm a proffesional, I can do this alone!"

"Listen here Barbara." Lumine began, her voice remains firm and sturdy, looking at the other girl straight into her eyes. "We are friends now, remember? Friends don't leave their friend to go alone risking their life. We should stick together and overcome all the obstacles in front of us." The blonde girl explained, which cause Barbara to widen her eyes.

"But Lumi-chan, I..." The girl looks hesitant, confused, she averted her eyes from Lumine's gaze, as if contemplating what she should say next. Lumine would've like to know what is bothering her, but there's a more important matter in their hands currently. "You're not... You're just gonna be a hindrance to me." Barbare whispered softly, which Lumine heard.

"Barbara, I promise I won't hold you back. Trust me." Lumine stated, the firmness of her voice is unchanged.

Barbara looks at her again, hesitantly, confusedly, until she finally agrees.

"Fine then." Barbara said with a nod of her head, the hesitation in her eyes briefly faded, reluctantly letting herself to agree with Lumine's words. "Let's go."

Lumine nods her head, and the two came out of the bush.

The moment they came out of hiding, they scanned the area to see for any people in need nearby, and they found one as a man is seen running as a bat-like creature is chasing after him, from behind.

"Barbara, take that man to safety, I'll distract the monster." Lumine ordered, once again, Barbara finds herself hesitating, before she eventually agreed.

As Barbara runs towards the running man, Lumine looks around for anything of use, until finding a small pebble by her foot. Picking it up, she aimed for the bat creature and threw the pebble at it.

It hits the monster, causing it to pause a little, before turning itself to look at her, successfully gaining it's attention. 

"Hey you freak, over here!" Lumine shouted at the monster to further gain it's attention. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Barbara helping the man, calming him down from his panic.

Now that the creature has her in it's eyes, Lumine turns around and starts running as the monster give chase.

As Lumine run, the bat-monster opens it's mouth and fires sonic waves towards her, which when it hits the ground, causes a small crater to form due to the intensity. One hit on her and surely her body would be broken in pieces.

So she continues to run, dodging the attacks as best as she could. Lumine is certainly don't have any further plans about her current situation. But what is clear about this is that she must get rid of the monsters somehow. But as for how, she doesn't-

Putting too much focus on her thoughts causes her to not pay enough attention to the road ahead. And Lumine tripped over a stone and fell to the ground.

"Oh no! Come on, get up! Get up! It's gonna get you!" Paimon starts panicking upon seeing this. Quickly flying towards the illusion of Lumine and tries to help her get up, only for her hands to pass through Lumine's form.

"Calm down Paimon." ked towards Paimon and brings the little pixie up. "We can't do anything. They're not real."

She groaned in slight pain and tries to get herself up, using both hands to support herself to push her body off the ground. But that was enough time for the monster that chases after her to charge another sonic wave attack. Lumine looks behind her to see exactly that, and knowing that there won't be enough split second for her to dodge, she could only will her body to prepare for the incoming attack.

But fortunately for her, that attack never came. Something hits the bat monster just as it was about to strike her, something liquid and blue, that splashes roughly against the monster, and rains down gently into Lumine below. It wasn't powerful enough to kill the thing, but enough to stagger it and cancel it attack.

Lumine stared at the monster above her with slightly widened eyes. What just hit the monster just now is definitely water, judging from it's liquid form, it's colorless look, and the wetness she feels as it splashes onto her as well. She glance towards the direction where she was sure the attack came from, and what she sees there is Barbara, hands hold out in front of her, a motion that implies of her throwing something.

"Barbara...?" Lumine muttered, a little bit wordlessly.

Above her, the bat monster now has its attention to Barbara. It opens it's mouth for another attack, and Lumine is about to open her mouth to warn her newfound friend, but it was unnecessary to do so as Lumine heard a shout coming and looks up to see a man jumping in the air with a sword held in his hands, coming down to the bat monster.

His sword sliced through one of the monster's wings, causing it to scream as it could no longer keep itself afloat and fall to the ground. The man landed not too far from it, and as the monster squirmed on the ground and open its mouth, perhaps preparing to attack in a desperate attempt, the man approached it quickly and ran his sword straight to the monster's chest, killing it.

Throughout the time, Lumine just blankly stare at the scene played out before her. To think that she could see a monster in the flesh and sees it getting slain in one day is unreal.

"Lumi-chan, get up." Barbara approaches her, taking of her hand and pull her up, and Lumine complies.

"Barbara, what you did earlier..." There's no doubting it that whatever the attack that hit the monster before the man did, it was Barbara's doing. "What is that?" Lumine asked, curious and confused.

Barbara bit her lip as if refraining to say anything in favor of saying something else. "There's no time explaining. We need to help others first." Lumine pursed her lips after being denied of answer, but she still agreed with Barbara, and nods her head. "Swan, come on, let's go."

"Understood, Nurse Barbara." The man with a sword, now revealed as Swan, nods his head.

Now added with the swordsman, the three of them heads out to help with other people in need of help.

"So, you're Nurse Barbara's new friend?" While they're running, Lumine heard Swan addressing her, she turned her head to look at him. "Nice to meet you, I'm Swan, pleasure to make your acquaintances." The brown haired main introduced himself with a cool smile.

"Lumine." Lumine introduced herself, simple and straightforward.

"Not much of a speaker I see." Swan muttered, he's still looking at her, curiously. "I heard the reconnaissance found you in the wreckage of Mondstadt city. It's kind of unbelievable to find a still living person among all the dead bodies. Do you live there?" Swan asked. Great, just the thing she's entirely clueless about...

"Honestly, I don't know." Lumine replied, with a shake of her head. Swan looks at her confusedly, and she sighed, she should be honest to herself and to other people. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I have Amnesia, I can't remember anything."

Now his face morphs into surprise, until it eventually becomes one that speaks understandment. 

"Oh, forgive me for asking then." He softly muttered in apology.

Swan and Barbara seems to be closed Lumine thought. If not, then at least they are familiar with each other, then perhaps with this, she could ask him about that thing she just saw.

"Say, about Barbara... Do you know anything about the thing she did just now?" Lumine asked the swordsman, to which he raised an eyebrow.

"What thing?"

"You know... That thing." Lumine use her hand to mimic the gesture Barbara made when she attacked the monster, and Swan seem to understand what she's asking.

"Ah... You must be speaking about that attack she did to the monster." Swan muttered, to which Lumine nods her head in confirmation. The brown haired man stares at her for a second, as if analyzing, studying her. "Well... Seeing as you have amnesia, and you don't know anything, I guess I should tell you."

Lumine slightly tilt her head at his words. Is this supposed to be a common knowledge that only she doesn't know? Swan looks forward at Barbara who leads the way in front of them, before looking back at her.

"Nurse Barbara... She is actually a Mage." Swan reveals, to which Lumine stares at him in confusion.

"A Mage?" Lumine repeated, she is both curious and confused about this. "You mean something like those wizard or witches on the story books?" The blonde girl asked.

"Well, I guess you could say it like that." Swan replied with a small chuckle, his eyes look forward towards Barbara once more. "She is born with an unnatural ability, one that allows her to use magic, supernatural abilities that is beyond comprehension. And for that attack you just saw in particular, is her abilities to summon and control waters." Swan explained.

A Mage, the ability to use magic... So magic also exist in this world? Why isn't she surprised to learn about this?

"Barbara's a mage? So that means... She's one of those peolple that Lumi mentioned in the past, children who forcefully got taken away from their families." Paimon said, a little surpsrised at the revelation.

"I was intrigued at this concept natural born superhumans, but I never would've thought that Mondstadt's deaconess would be among them..." Fischl muttered, scratching her chin with one hand.

"She has the ability to control water... So it's like the Hydro Element." Kazuha mused, joining in into the station of thoughts.

"The same thing with our Barbara also." Mona noted with a nod of her head. "This is getting weirder and weirder, although my theory about how Lumine's experience in Tevyat is corrupting her past memories could be at play here, I can't shake off this strange feeling of how all of this could accidentally lined up well with each other." The astrologist lightly groaned while putting one hand on her forehead.

"You're right. It's like it's telling us that this Barbara and the one we know is the exact same person, but with different backstory, different personality, and different power. Ugh, it's pretty confusing." Paimon agrees.

"And I doubt this Barbara girl would be the only one." Xinyan muttered, her eyes glancing back to the scene before them. "I just hope that at the end of this, we'll get the answer to all of our questions."

"Over there! Help him!"

Lumine looks to her front, there was a tree log that fell to the ground after a monster had slashed it, an adult man is unfortunate enough to be right below the tree when it happened, causing the leg to fell down on him and crush his legs. Poor guy.

"H-Help! I can't... I can't feel my legs, help me!" The old man cries out as he saw the three approaching.

"This doesn't look good." Barbara remakred as they stopped before the fallen tree, her blue eyes looked at the poor man in concern, her eyebrows furrowed upon observing the dire situations he's in. "Come on, help me lift this."

Lumine and Swan nodded, putting themselves on three different spots, they put their hand under the fallen log and starts pulling it up, but no matter how much force they put into it, the log won't budge even in the slightest. It is simply too heavy for only the three of them to lift it, much less that they're just one man and two young girls. In order to lift this, they either need more hands, or to reduce the log's weight somehow.

There was a sound of a loud roar coming from behind, and Lumine glance back to see a large monster is standing behind them, with a towering height that cast shadow that looms over them. The beast that stood behind them is a bipedal creature with a bulky humanoid like body with great muscle mass on its arms and chest, it has a head and tail of bull, an ax is placed in one of its hand.

The beast raise it's weapon, ready to strike them down with it.

"Hyah!"

But the attack never came, it was prevented by Swan, who bravely charge into the monster, brandishing his sword and slashed at the beast's leg, causing it to release a roar as it's focus is diverted.

"Swan!" Barbara called out to the man as he raise his sword towards the monster.

"Just focus on helping him, I'll handle this beast!" The swordsman yelled at her as the monster with bull head swing it's ax towards him which he dodge by rolling to the side.

Barbara looks reluctant to leave him alone at first, before reassuring herself that its gonna be alright. She looks at Lumine besides her and gives her a nod which Lumine understood as a gesture for them to continue. While Swan is busy with the monster, the two girls continue to help the old man crushed by the fallen tree below them.

But still, Swan's bravery to face such gigantic beast all alone doesn't change their difficult situation at all, in fact, he just made it even more difficult now that there are less one person to help them in lifting this log out of the way. It's futile.

The claning sounds of metal hitting metal resounded behind them, Swan's heavy breatings and groans are barely audible from being swallowed by the sounds of the beast's roars and crashes as it hits the ground with it's ax to form many craters where Swan once stood. Swan is clearly running out of time and stamina, he is no match for that huge beast, he can't defeat it, only capable of stalling time for her and Barbara to help this man in need, yet they've made barely any progress at all with their futile attempts. They're not physically strong enough to even move the obstacle by an inch! If this keeps up, then Swan will-

"Grrrooaaah!"

"Guah!"

There was a sickening sound of something hard being hit by something with a strong force of power. And a second after Lumine heard it, a figure got sent flying through the air that crashes against the ground right by her side, forming a small crater on the ground and sends particle of dust everywhere. Lumine covered her face with one hand and squints her eyes, she looked through the gap between her fingers to see the figure of Swan lying on the ground, wheezing and groaning with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Swan!" Barbara's focus was immediately put into him when she saw her, she runs over to him and check him for injuries.

There's so signs of severed limbs or a cut, meaning that the monster just punched him so hard to make him like this.

"Hold on." Barbara said gently to him, she hovers her palms on his chest and gently place it on the surface of the armor he's wearing. "Heal."

Lumine looks over to see water appears and circles around Barbara's hands. It flows down into Swan's body, and covered the parts that got hurt. Healing his wounds and stopped the bleeding, it is truly a miracle seeing it happens right before her very eyes.

"Amazing... Barbara, you never told me you have super powers." Lumine muttered in amazement.

"I... can't. I have reasons for it." Barbara softly said, shaking her head slightly, her eyes narrowed.

There was a loud roar coming from behind them, and Lumine turns around to see the monster is still standing, roaring as it slowly approaches them, dragging it's ax on the ground.

"Aaah! We're doomed!" The old man who got stuck under the fallen tree cried out.

"Tch... Damn it." Swan tries to get up and continue to fight, but his body gives in and he fell back to the ground.

"Swan please, your body haven't fully recovered yet." Barbara said in concern, holding the man down to prevent him from moving.

"But I must... Protect... I must protect everyone." He retorted, his arm reaching out to grab his sword.

Lumine's gaze followed his arm, and came to rest on the sword lying on the ground. A sword dropped by its a swordsman... A sword...

"A swordsman would never allow their sword to fall. Even if it fell off, they'll always picks it back up."

"Ugh!" Lumine clutch her head in pain, her brain feels like it's being squeezed. "What... Was that? Who's voice I'm hearing?"

Somehow, she heard a voice, it has a masculine boyish tone. But where have she heard it before? Why does it sounds so... Familiar?

A swordsman never lets their sword fell from their hands... A swordsman...

Wordlessly without thinking much, Lumine leans down and pick up the sword lying on the ground. It is dense, it's heavy, yet it felt perfect within her palm, as if the muscle in her hands recognize the familiar shape in her palms, the weight may have been different, but the feeling is the same.

Is this perhaps what they call "muscle memory?" Her brain may have recalled nothing of her past, but her hands, her fingers, every fiber of her being, they recognize the sense of familiarity, they screamed at her, telling her of what to do, to hold the sword, and take this beast!

And with that in mind, Lumine listen to them, nodding to herself in reassurance, as she took a stance with the sword in her hand, holding it out in front of her.

"Lumi-chan, what are you doing?" Barbara questioned her as she stood in front of them, using her body as a shield as the monster came nearer.

"Leave this to me, Barbara. You take care of Swan." Lumine said without looking back at her.

"What?! But it's dangerous!" Barbara protested.

"Trust me. I will win."

The monster roared and swung its ax towards her, aiming at her neck.

But it only cut through empty air as she had arched her body back to avoid the hit by an inch. Barbara and Swan's horrified gasp upon thinking that their newfound friend is about to meet her end rings in the back of her head, but Lumine finds herself not caring about it in the slightest, adrenaline fills her being, and she's getting wild.

She doesn't wait for another second, the moment the ax swung past her head, Lumine darts forward, sword held by her right hand as she runs. The monster seems to finally notice that it's attack had missed, and she's still alive, but those seconds of realization are more than enough time for Lumine to strike. Using her left hand to support her right, Lumine swings her sword, slashing at one of the beast's legs. As expected, the monster is dense for the sword to cut through, but at least she managed to form a large cut on the beast's flesh.

The beast roar in pain in surprise, it looks down on her with it's beastly inhuman eyes, and raise it's ax once more to cleave her in two, but Lumine already sees a motif behind the attacks.

The beast are indeed huge and robust, but it is slow, or at the very least slower than her.

A vertical slash coming down, and Lumine simply took a single step to the right and tilts her body sideways. The blade of the ax crashed into the ground right in front of her, forming a crater. Normally, with such an impact that creates a force of wave would've blown anyone away. But stood still on the ground, her legs firmly rooted to the ground beneath her.

It takes some time before the monster could pick his weapon back up, so Lumine use that opportunity to strike the monster's hand where it holds the ax. Delivering consecutive light swift slashes before the mass muscles could move by an inch.

The big monster roared, seemingly in pain, as it raise it's hand instinctively without taking the ax with it, forgetting it as it's reaction to pain made it to. And now Lumine got herself an opening.

While the beast is still stunned, Lumine jump up, her feet landed on the hilt of the giant ax stuck on the ground. Gripping the sword in her hand tightly, she run over the hilt of the giant ax, leaping high into the air when she got to the end and raise the hand that holds the sword high up.

The beast lightly gasp, only having a split second to react as it sees Lumine's form heading straight towards it's face, ready to strike.

Slash

Lumine lands on the ground gracefully. Taking a deep breath, inhaling in a big amount of air, and exhaling out the equal amount.

Thunk

Lumine stood up, and turn her body around. The monster is still there, standing on it's two feet and alive. But something is missing...

One of it's horns been sliced off, falling to the ground and landed near to where she's standing.

Ah... So the beast hasn't give up on living just yet. It dodges Lumine at the last second just as she's about to decapitate it's head, resulting on one of it's horns that got cut instead.

Lumine looks up, the beast is breathing heavily, no idea why, but Lumine could imagine what it feel for having to avoid death in a split of a second.

This is getting interesting!

Lumine couldn't help but smiled. She gripped her sword with both hands, and charged towards the monster.

"Wow, Lumi is so good with a sword. Almost as good as she is now." Paimon remarked as she saw the battle unfold.

"She's so different from what she was before." Mona muttered, watching the fight closely while scratching her chin. "Back then, she could barely move a muscle from fear, but now, she fights like there's no tomorrow."

"It's almost like she's a completely different person..." Kazuha mused along, humming a little until his mind found a conclusion. "Or perhaps... Maybe it's because she is."

"Whaddya mean, Kazuha?" Xinyan asked in curiosity.

"The Lumine we saw back in the city, prior to her Amnesia, though she is skilled with a sword from all her training, she had never faced a monster before. And because of that, the first time she encounters one, she frozed in fear and could not do anything, especially after watching everyone around dies so easily." Kazuha explained, his eyes narrowed in interest as she continues to watch Lumine fights. "However, after she wakes up, with no memories of her past, it was like that aspect of her has been erased."

"Ah, so mean that Lumi's amnesia not only cause her memories to go away, but it caused her personality to change as well?" Paimon asked, to which the Inazuman male nod his head.

"That feeling of dread, the fear, the hesitation, they must've washed away along with her memories. And now, she is fueled with passion and determination like never before." Kazuha further explained, crossing his arms across his chest.

"One could not say whether they should be glad or not regarding this matter." Fischl muttered.

The battle carries on. Lumine jumps in the air and slashed towards the monster's head, once more.

It dodges on instinct, but the last of it's horns were cut off by Lumine's sword, falling to the ground with an audible "thunk."

The monster roared in anger, raising it's hand high in the air, it brings down the ax to the ground, with Lumine quickly dodging away from the swing. The giant weapon slammed harshly against the ground, forming a large crater and making the earth shake. But it didn't stop there, knowing that she just dodged the attack, the beast quickly brought its weapon back up, and swung it down to her again, and again, striking the earth multiple times in an attempt to cleave her in two, but she keeps dodging its attacks all the time.

Lumine realized that it's going to do this for quite a while, and looking back, she sees that Barbara is still struggling to free the old man from under the fallen log, and that's when an idea comes to her mind.

"Barbara! Move out of there!" Lumine shouted at the nurse as she runs towards her, with the monster following behind.

"H-Huh? Lumi-chan, what are you-"

"I have a plan! Move!"

Barbara doesn't understand what the blonde girl has in mind, but she trusted her, and moved away from her spot as she was told to, circling Swan's arm around her shoulders and carried him out of there.

Lumine smiles at this, putting the strength in her legs, she jumped and lands on top of the fallen tree, just a distance away from the pinned old man.

"W-What are you doing?! You're bringing the monster here! Please! I don't want to die!" The trapped old man screamed in horror upon seeing the large beast running towards them.

"Calm yourself, old man. I'm doing this for you." Lumine said, preparing herself. 

The monster approaches quickly, the moment it got into the distance needed to strike her, it swings it's ax down towards her. But just like before, she simply jumps away.

The ax came down, and it cuts through the giant log of fallen tree easily, cutting it in two and pushes it away when teh ground shakes. Finally freeing the old man from his trap.

Seeing it has missed yet again, the monster prepares to lift it's weapon back up. But Lumine doesn't let it. She jumps into the ax, standing on the hilt of the weapon as her eyes glares towards the beast's. And before it could react, she runs up the hilt of the ax, brandishing her sword with one hand, and with a yelp, she leaps into the air and deliver a slash with the speed of light.

She landed on the ground gracefully, slowly standing up and swing her sword to the side to cleanse it from the blood.

A sound of something heavy hitting the ground appeared behind her, followed by the sound of something heavy crashing to the ground, making the ground shook. Turning around, Lumine saw the now lifeless body of the great beast, lying on the ground with it's severed head rolling over right by her feet. 

She has slain the monster, someone like her who doesn't even remember any scrap of her past memories, has killed mankind's biggest threat. She doesn't know how she should properly feel about this fact, but somewhere deep inside her heart, she's feeling accomplished, like she just done something good, something great, something... That she should've feel happy for. 

But why? Why does killing a monster made her happy?

"Lumi-chan!" Barbara calls out to her, she turned her head to see her friend helping the now freed old man back to his feet, struggling to do so.

Without wasting time, she approaches them and lends a hand, carrying the man who got a broken legs to a safe place where the nurse have put Swan down on the side a giant rock.

"Careful..." Barbara mutters as she puts the old man down next to swan, slowly to not cause him further harm. "There you go." The nurse breathed out a sigh of relief when the weight were taken off of her shoulders.

"It looks bad, do we have a first aid kit?" Lumine furrowed her eyebrows when she sees the injury on the old man's legs caused by the fallen log, it seem to be broken.

"We can search for it later, for now, I'll do what I can." Barbara hovered her hands over the man's broken leg, water appeared and swirls around her palm, smoothly flowing into the injured part of the limb, making the old man hissed in pain, but Lumine could see how it is slowly being healed.

"I still can't believe magic really exist in this world." Lumine muttered, looking at the process in wonder and amazement. "I wish I could that, it'd be cool if I could throw magic attacks at my enemies or something."

"You don't need to be a mage to look cool, Lumi-chan." Barbara softly muttered, a small smile formed on her lips.

"Yeah, and besides, what you did just now with a sword is really wack!" beside them, Swan gives her a nod of approval. "You're so good with that sword, even better than me. Have you been trained in swordmanship?" The swordsman asked her curiously, to which Lumine is confused to answer.

"I honestly don't know... or rather... can't remember." Lumine shook her head, looking diwn to the sword that she unconsciously held tight and never let go since the moment she grabbed it. "All I know is that the weight of a sword, it's... shape. It feels really familiar to me."

Both Swan and Barbara has a look on their faces that tells that they wanted to ask her furthermore about that. But just as they open their mouths to ask, they were interrupted by something large crashing on the ground just behind them, sending clouds of dust and debris to fly.

They shield their eyes with one hand until the smoke clears. Lumine stood up, to face the thing that just landed, preparing for another monster to come. Once she regain her full vision, she looks up to see a giant figure of a monstrosity, one that has a humanoid body from head to torso, and a lower body of a giant spider with blades for each foot. It stood in front of her, followed by several of that bat creatures flying around it.

"Hold on, is that...?!"Xinyan exclaimed when she take a look at the monster, recognizing it's appereance.

"It's the same monster that attacked Lumine before. Right before she loses her memory." Mona answered, remembering full well of the stone skinned beast that was responsible for the blonde haired girl's memory loss.

"Oh no! It's back! What would Lumi gonna do?" Paimon frantically asked, putting both hands on her mouth as her eyes widened.

"The last time, she was too afraid to do anything against it. But now that she has picked up a sword..." Kazuha crosses his arms as he mutters.

"Let's see the outcome this time." Mona finishes.

Lumine stared at the huge best before her. The abomination has stone for skin, making it harder for blades to cut it. The fact that it has spider legs for its lower body means that it could climb on walls or jump really high away, making it easy to dodge and run. It carries around a big long stone sword, holding it with one hand and rest it on it's shoulders, seems like it's main weapon for hunt aside from the blades strapped to its legs. 

The red orbs the monster has for eyes sets on Lumine, staring straight at her, as if looking at her closely, inspecting her.

Lumine sees the way the monster grit it's teeth, drools dripping from the cracks between it's teeth. It moves it's hand, readjusting the position it held it's sword to face her. Seem like it's out for her blood, the bats around it also shared the sentiment, opening their mouths and aim their sonic wave attack towards her.

She readies her sword, this will be interesting-

"Burn!"

Lumine was about to act, and the monsters were about to attack, when suddenly, a surprise attack from a third party came to be.

Lumine looks up to see a wave of red fiery flames fly across the air, burning everything on it's path. Those bats monsters on the air were the target, and the red flames decimated them all, turning them into ashes within seconds.

Lumine widens her eye, this isn't just any normal flames. It felt magical more than it was natural nor technological, much less now that realized that the form the flames took while it sailed through the air is that akin to a bird, a hawk, flying straight towards it's prey.

"That looks familiar!" Paimon said with a loud gasp. "Could it be..." 

The pixie with both Mona and Fiscl take a look of their surroundings, expecting to see someone shows up.

The scorching flames got rid of the flying monsters, but the arachnes monster with it's stone skin easily survives the heat.

Seeing how that single attack killed all of it's companion, the arachnes tries to find the source of that surprise attack, looking around to find if there's anyone else in the area beside the targets in front of it. Lumine, curious about her mysterious helper, also tries to find them.

Soon enough, both the beast and Lumine got the answer they're looking for when they hear a shout coming from above. A figure drops down from the sky, donning a crimson red cloak that goes well with his long crimson red hair, a man came down into her sight, delivering a diving slash using a big long sword coated in fiery flames, he easily cuts off one of the eight spider legs. Causing the arachnes to howl in pain and shock, jumping away several distance from the newcomer.

"Hmph, never seen you before. A new undiscovered monster breed?" The man who just came, a redhead with a crimson coat and crimson eyes muses soundly, staring at the monster with the littlest amount of interest.

"It can't be! It is him!" Paimon exclaimed in shock and disbelief as she looks at the form of the man in Lumine's memories. "It's Diluc!"

"The owner of dawn winery, and Mondstadt legendary Darknight Hero." Mona muttered soundly as she stares at the illusion of Diluc with mild curiousity. "Yet another real life person appears in Lumine's memory... This is getting weirder by the minute..."

"Diluc" appears relatively the same as Paimon remembers him, he's still got his bright red hair and eyes, his air are long, and is kept to flow freely behind his head. He wore a long red crimson coat with four separated strips of it loosely hangs below his waist and down to his ankles, a black loosely buttoned undershirt is worn underneath the coat, showing a small gap of his abbs and belly button, as well as the area around his neck. A long leather pants is worn on his lower body, with a pair of red boots that matches with his coat.

His appearance have some resemblance to that one outfit Paimon and Lumine had seen him wearing, but just the style of how this Diluc is wearing his clothes is enough reminder that they're not the same person.

"I take it that this is another person from Mondstadt that you know of?" Kazuha asked as he turned to look at both Paimon and Mona.

"Yeah, Diluc is one of our first friends in Mondstadt, he is a really close friend to Lumi and Paimon, perhaps even a little too close, especially to Lumi." The white haired pixie explained, recalling some past memories of how the blonde haired Traveler spent much time hanging out with wine tycoon by visiting his mansion every now and then and giving him a hand when he need it by protecting Mondstadt, or by just simply come to Angel Share for a few drinks while chatting with him.

"Another person from our Tevyat that happens to be a close friend of Lumine, appearing on this mirage that is supposed to be her memories..." Mona close her eyes and grunts as she thinks. "I don't think any of this can be coincidence. Maybe, just maybe, what we're seeing right now is a substitute memory created by Lumine's mind to fill out the void of her memories which had eroded after so many years, but that's just a theory, and beyond that, I don't have any rational explanation."

Everyone thinks over what Mona had explained. It is possible that the Barbara and Diluc they see in this mirage is Lumine's way of portraying the people of her past with the people she have seen in her adventures in Tevyat, possibly as a way to preserve these memories when they're starting to get forgotten from the back of her brain. But other possibilities exist, one that may have goes beyond human comprehension, and if that is the case of what's happening here, the group is unsure if they are ready for the answer.

But for now, all they could do is to press forward and see the rest of Lumine's past memories.

Lumine looks at the red haired man in front of her. The flames that he summoned, the one that get rid of the bat monsters in one swing, and the one that swirls around his big sword, it doesn't look natural to her at all.

"Another Mage?" The blonde haired girl muttered out in surprise.

The wat=y the flames unnaturally appeared, so closely swirling on his blade and into him, causing no harm whatsoever, it's just like how Barbara magically calls out water into existence and uses it in various ways imaginable, from simply hurling it towards an unsuspecting enemy to distract them, to use it for the power of healing. There's no doubt that this man before her is what everyone calls a "Mage." Though unlike Barbara, he controls fire instead of water.

The red haired man seem to finally took notice of her, his eyes glanced to the side towards her, totally unimpressed. Lumine straightens herself while under his gaze.

"What are you doing here?" He questioned, his already narrow eyes drops further down in the slightest. "Go away, this is no place to just sit around, girl."

Lumine narrows her own eyes at this. Did he not took notice of the sword she's holding for him to simply dismisses her like that? Or is he just underestimate her based on her meek and fragile looking appeareance?

"I'm not here to sit around." Lumine said as she brings herself to her feet. "I'm here to fight."

The red haired man merely raised an eyebrow at her. "Here to fight? Don't joke around girl, this is no place to play around."

So he was underestimating her! Lumine approach him, wanting to give him a piece of her mind or two, and he's likely about to retort as well, until they were interrupted by a vertical slash of wind between them that would've likely split any of them in two if Lumine didn't hold her foot back just in time.

The two of them turned their heads towards the arachnes monster. Despite of missing a leg, it seem like it has little to no effect to it.

"Tch, just stay out of my way." The redhead declared before charging in towards the enemy, without giving her further words.

"Like hell I would!" Lumine spat out, readying her sword, she also rushes towards the monster.

He looks surprised at her decision to not heed his words, in fact, he looks more annoyed than he was surprised. But he let it slide as he didn't do anything to prevent her from doing what she please, so instead, the two of them charged in together towards the monster.

"Wow, seeing them fighting together like this reminds Paimon of all those times Lumi and Diluc fighting together." Paimon said as she closely watched the two of them work together to fight the monster.

They do a pretty good job at teaming up against the huge beast, however, in comparison to how the current Lumine fights with Diluc together given the opportunity, it's easy to see that the latter is better than the former.

And this comparison brought up a thought on the back of everyone's mind who knew. If what they saw right now was indeed the memory from Lumine's past, it shouldn't be a wonder why Lumine and Diluc could work perfectly together, right?

She rolls back to avoid getting stomped by the monster's legs. Readying her sword, she prepares to make another attempt to attack the creature.

How the monster is structured are quite a convenient for it to take on multiple enemies. While the red haired man is keeping it busy by trading blows of sword against sword, it could still keep Lumine at bay by attacking her with it's seven bladed legs.

Ah, and speaking of the mysteries redhead. He seemed to be quite surprised at how well she could actually handle herself with a sword, not even weighing him down for one bit, and actually provided the support he needed.

The monster likely knew the lethality of his fire imbued sword that could easily cut off its limbs even with the protection it has, and because of it, it is actively using its giant sword to block his attacks instead. Lumine knew of this, and knowing that her attacks will be completely ineffective against the monster unless it's imbued by magic and with her being a Mage, all that she could do is to provide support to the strongest between the two, and she did that by distracting the monster by dividing its focus between her and the man.

The beast jumps away after it briefly locking blade with the red man's sword.  It is quivering with its body rising up and down a little quicker than usual. That's surprising, Lumine never thought these things could get tired as well.

"Hmph, time to finish this." The red haired man said beside her.

Lumine glanced at the side to see him taking a pose, his big sword held by both of his hands, pointing to his back as he held it in a reverse grip, the burning red flames appeared and engulfed his sword, turning it into bright hot red. The fires not only burns on his sword, but in his eyes as well, Lumine could see it.

"Time for... Retribution!" With one wide swing from his sword, he sends the flames of his sword flying towards the Arachnes Monster in the distance.

The flames took on the firm of a giant bird, with its wings stretched out to the side, setting ablaze everything it passes by, including the grass on the ground.

"Is it going to...!" Lumine sees the fire bird headed towards the monster, who didn't have time to dodge away, and instead, tank it.

The Arachnes shields itself with the giant stone sword, blocking the fire bird that flies right at it. But this one elemental attack is a relentless one. It keeps pushing onto the monster, hoping for it to finally break. But despite its relentlessness however, Lumine could see the elemental familiar is gradually fading away as the energy that sustains it is disappearing with time.

Without even hesitating, Lumine rushes towards the monster, ignoring the man behind her who called out to her.

The flames might've not harm it's master, but to other humans? It doesn't care. And despite the risk of burning herself, Lumine still run towards the monster, determined to strike while the iron still hot, literary. 

She leaps high into the air, raising her sword up above her head, as her body lunge towards the Arachnes.

As she was just a meter away from hitting the monster. The flames that pushed the beast finally subsided fully, exposing the stone sword the monster held, which glows orangish red color from the intense heat it was exposed to, leaving it in a vulnerable state based from the small cracks seen on the surface. THIS is the opening Lumine seek.

With a yell, she slammed her sword against the Arachnes' sword with all her might, putting all of her power on it.

In one second, the huge stone sword cracked all over, and in the next, it shatters into pieces. The force of power she made into slamming her sword takes effect as the next second later after the stone sword was destroyed, the Arachnes is sent flying across the ground. Despite of its seven legs trying to brake the speed, the monster fails to stop itself from being lunged away, and only stopped when it hits a giant rock, crashing to it and made a giant crater behind its back.

Lumine landed on the ground not too far from it, she breathed out, slightly in disbelief of what she just done. That timing couldn't have been more perfect, and yet she achieve it with mere determination alone.

She looks up to the beast, it seems like it got knocked out. Its body is slumped to the ground, head hanging and upper body tilted forward.

Now's her chance! She could deliver the killing blow while the enemy is stunned. Readying her sword, Lumine approached the fallen monster, standing right before it and raise her sword to the side, ready to decapitate its head. She is just about to swing her sword, when suddenly...

Cling

She sees something, dangling from around the monster's neck.

It was a small object of triangular shape with a glowing rainbowy colors. It is tied by a simple cord which circles around the monster's neck, making it look like a pendant or something.

Lumine doesn't know what she's thinking, but she reaches out to brush the tip of her finger on the pendant's surface.

"Lumine..."

"Guh!" In an instant, a pulsing could be felt on the back of her head, and the blonde girl clutches her head in pain. "W-Who...?!"

She hears a voice speaks directly to her, it wasn't through her ears, it was to her mind. And she immediately asked for the identity of the voice.

"It's me. It's me, don't you remember me?"

Lumine's eyes widened, her memories (or rather what is left of it) finally clicks.

"It's... It's you! You're the voice I heard in my dreams!" Lumine recollected.

"It's that voice again!" Paimon said as the mysterious voice that hasn't been heard for several memories suddenly made an appearance.

"The last time we heard him was in Lumine's subconsciousness, when she was in a coma." Mona muses as looks around, vainly trying to see if the person speaking is around. "And he's also the one who said the word "Tevyat" first... Looks like he still can reach out to Lumine while she's awake."

"Paimon, you said that the voice sounds familiar before, right? Did you recognize it yet?" Kazuha turned to look towards the fairy with a questioning look.

"Hmm..." Paimon close her eyes and crossed her arms as she think. "Nope, not at all. Paimon thinks unless she's given a needed context or that he choose to reveal himself, Paimon will probably never recognize who he was." The pixie said with a shook of her head.

"Given that you sense this familiarity with his voice, do you think it's someone from Tevyat as well? OUR Tevyat?" Xinyan asked.

"After seeing everything else, it probably is." Fischl answered her.

"You could speak to me even when I'm awake?" Lumine asked, looking around to see the source of the voice, but she finds no one unless those who are behind her, far away.

"We don't have much time. The pendant, quick! Take the pendant, Lumine."

The voice urges, slightly surprising Lumine as he ordered her.

"O-Oh, You mean this? O-Okay..." Lumine sees the object the voice is pointing at. She reached out her hand to grab it...

But suddenly, the monster wakes up. It's blood red eyes snapped open and it sees Lumine right in front of it. The Aracnes growls before it swiftly and harshly bats Lumine away with one arm, with her taken by surprise and did not have enough time to either block or dodge the attack.

"Aah!" Lumine yelps as she got lunged away like a rock being thrown, her finger slips from the pretty pendant around the monster's neck.

"Damn it..." The voice curses before it fades away entirely.

Lumine would've been sent flying far away from that single attack, but someone unexpectedly caught her body before she got sent too far.

Wincing in pain a little, she look up to see the monster stood up again. It growls towards her, seemingly ready to attack, but it doesn't. Instead, the monster turned around and jumped away, running away from her.

"Hey wait!" She reaches out her hand to stop it, but it was futile. It already got away.

Realizing this, she slumped her shoulders and sighed heavily. That was the voice of the person she heard in her dreams before waking up from her coma. The person who told her of her name, the person who might know who she is. And now he's gone, just like that, when he is just a hand's reach away from her.

A big sword is stabbed to the ground beside her, and Lumine finally looks up to her saver, which is none other than that red haired man from before, the Mage who controls fire. He stood behind her, looking down at her, and then extending his hand towards her.

"Thanks." Lumine muttered softly as she took his hand and got herself up. 

He merely nods his head in response. After dusting herself off, Lumine went to look for where the monster had fled.

"Where could it be going?" Lumine asked, though the Arachnes is heading towards one direction, it's not impossible for it to change course after it was out of sight.

"I think I have a good idea of where it headed." The man in red beside her spoke up. Lifting up his sword to carry it on his shoulders. "And I'll be going after it."

"Wait!" Before he could walk away, Lumine stopped him. "I'm gonna go too."

"Do you have a death wish or something?" The red haired man narrows his eyes at her. "Just stay here. It's not a place for someone like you to go." He says before turning away to walk again.

She's starting to get annoyed with him. "Haven't you just seen me fighting that thing? I can fight." She persuaded, but he just kept his blank face.

"Yes, you are good with a sword I give you that. But that wouldn't be enough." He turned his head towards her, raising one eyebrow to signify the tiniest amount of interest. "Just what is it that you want with that monster anyway? Whatever it is you need, it's suicide."

"That monster possesses something I need. Something important." Lumine answered.

The redhead looks uninterested, but he also seem to be curious enough to ask what it is. And Lumine would've answered his question if it wasn't for another voice to call out to her.

"Lumi-chan!" Lumine turned to the side to see Barbara running towards her. "Lumi-chan, are you alright?" The nurse asked when she came to stand in front of her, checking on her from head to toe for any injury.

"I'm fine Barbara." Lumine reassured her friend, smiling softly from having to feel someone is at least care about her well being. A very familiar feeling that she wanted to indulge further. "Besides, I got help from him." Lumine gestured at the person beside her.

Barbara finally laid her eyes on the man, who has his back faced towards them, seemingly like he's trying to hide his face. Barbara looks at him for a moment, looking at his face and closely analyze it. And after a few moment, her expression turns into one of a shock.

"You! Could it be... Are you Captain Ragnvindr?" Barbara asked, a gasp escaped her lips which she covers with her palms.

Lumine looks between the two of them. Between Barbara's shock, and the red man's side glance towards the nurse, it's clear that there's some history between these two.

"Wait... You two knew each other?"

"Aha! That's it!" Paimon exclaimed while pointing a finger towards the illusion of the redhaired man. "Ragnvindr, isn't that Diluc's surname?" The pixie questioned while looking at Mona.

"It is. It's also his late father's." Mona answered with a nod of her head.

"I... I couldn't believe it." Still with that expression, Barbara approaches the man, standing in front of him as she observed him closely. "I thought you were... We thought you were dead."

"I don't know who you are." The red haired man simply replied.

Barbara paused a little, before nodding her head a little bit in understanding. "It's understandable... I was still so young back then when I saw you. Not many children could survive each passing year." The nurse muttered silently at the last part. "But you knew my sister, she's close to you isn't she? She talked to me about you a few times in the past." Barbara revealed.

"Your sister?" The red head raised an eyebrow in confusion and curiousity.

"Could it be that she's referring to Acting Grandmaster Jean?" Paimon asked, releasing another gasp.

"It very well may be." Mona answered.

"Yes, my sister, Jean Gunnhildr, from the Lion Squad. Do you remember?" Barbara asked, her eyes looking straight at the man's.

"Ah... I see... So then, you are-"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down here people!"

Before the red haired man could finish his words. Lumine interrupted the two by getting between them, raising both of her hands in the air as she told everyone to pause.

"Don't just ignore me like I'm not here! Could somebody tell me what the heck is going on right now?!" The blonde haired girl shouted, causing Barbara to nervously laugh while the red haired man rolls his eyes. "First thing first, Barbara, who is this guy? And how did you know him? And secondly, you have a sister? Why don't you tell me anything about that?" She turned her back on the man and faced her friend, and immediately starts asking her questions.

"Ah, well... I just haven't told you yet. I was planning to, but... You know." Barbara answered, gesturing towards what happened today as her reason. "As for your first question... Well, let me introduce you to him."

Lumine looks back at the red haired man behind her, starting back at her uninterestingly.

"This is Captain Ragnvindr. A Mage and the leader of the Dragon Squad." Barbara introduced the red haired man to Lumine.

"Former leader of the Dragon Squad." The man corrected, making Barbara paused and nods her head a little.

"For all I knew, the Dragon Squad went missing many months ago. And HQ deemed them disbanded, either because they're all dead, or all of their members collectively running away from duties." Barbara muttered, placing one hand on her chin as she looks up to the man. "Captain Ragnvindr, what truly happened to your squad may I ask?"

"They're dead." The former captain spat out simply. "We've got ourselves into an ambush, I was the only one left alive, albeit barely." He explained.

"Wait, so you two are from a different squad? How many are they?" Lumine asked, totally confused.

"Have you been living under a rock or something? Where do you even come from?" Captain Ragnvindr asked, looking a teeny tiny bit annoyed.

"P-Please be patient with her, captain. Let me explain." 

Barbara clears out her throat before beginning her explanation. 

"So the simple explanation is, Lumi-chan, in order to protect Mondstadt city from the threat of monsters, Mondstadt utilizes militaries composed of both Mages and normal people. The military are then split into four groups called squads. These four are: the Wolf, the Lion, the Dragon, and the Falcon Squad. Each of these squads are made to protect the hidden city from outside the wall, and they were stationed in four different areas. As you might've heard, Captain Ragnvindr is from the Dragon Squad, and he's the leader of it. My big sister, Jean, she is a member of the Lion Squad, and as for myself, I was stationed with the Falcon Squad."

Barbara explained, to which Lumine tried her hardest to understand.

"Wait, those names... Isn't that..." Paimon once again found herself shocked by what she's hearing.

"The name of the four the four winds." Mona answered, equally as shocked as well.

"Wolf of The North, Lion of The South, Dragon of The East, and Falcon of The West." Fischl murmured, matching all the names that are familiar to all Mondstadter who studied history and culture.

"Umm, Mona? This can't be just coincidence, right?" Paimon asked, nervously turning to look at the astrologist.

"I... I do not know, Paimon." The black haired girl with twintails shakes her head. "This... All of this is really confusing me."

The other companions just simply stared at one another, somewhat in concern.

"Y'know what? Let's just not think too much about this and continue watching, alright?" Paimon suggested, which the others agreed.

"Oh, so the people we meet back there is the members of the Falcon Squad?" Lumine asked, to which Barbara nods her head. "But you also said that the Dragon Squad went missing, does that mean there's only three squads left?" Lumine asked again.

"Two." Barbara corrected, her eyes  slowly looked down, as if avoiding her gaze. "The Lion Squad... Is also disbanded, a few years ago." Barbara said silently.

So all that is left is the Falcon and the Wolf? But... "Hey Barbara, didn't you said before that your sister is in the Lion-"

"Enough." Ragnvindr cuts her off before she could speak more. "I'll be going now." He stated before hurriedly run towards the direction where the monster had fled.

"Hey wait!" Lumine reach out a hand towards him, but it's too late as he already left. "Where do you think he's going?"

"I don't know." Barbara shakes her head. "But if he's chasing after that monster, then it's probably to where the other monsters is gathering." The nurse said, also looking towards the way the red haired man went to, with a worried look on her face.

"Welp, looks like that is the end of the memory." Paimon remarked as the illusions of the two people disappears not long after, ending the memory.

The flow of time are once again accelerated, and the sun quickly sets in the horizon, allowing the darkness of night to cover the entire world.

"So, um... Does anyone thinking the same thing with what Paimon is thinking right now?" The white haired fairy asked after a while, scratching the side of her head.

"Yet another match with our Tevyat..." Mona nods her head, her expression turns into one that speaks unsettledness. "Barbara Pegg, Jean Gunnhildr. Those were the exact names of our Barbara and Jean in our Mondstadt."

"She also spoke of how her "Jean" belongs to the Lion Squad. As if... Lion of the South, which the Knights of Favonious represent of." Fiscl added.

"But this Barbara said that the Lion Squad was disbanded years ago, which that means..."

Nobody dares to answer the conclusion. If the "Barbara" in Lumine's memory have a sister that is "Jean" which is a member of the Lion Squad that had been disbanded. Then does than mean Jean is... Dead?

"P-Paimon suddenly feels like she doesn't want to think anymore." The little pixie shook her head with frown.

"Me too. I don't feel good about this." Mona nods in agreement. "Let's just find the next memory, shall we?"

"Look over there!" Xinyan points her finger towards the encampment. "That one tent has it lights turned on, maybe that's where we headed."

The others nods in understandment. And together, they walked back towards the outpost which are mostly in ruins due to the monster attack they witnessed just now, but there are some structures that could still stand and provide shelter for those who need them. But just like what Xinyan said, among the many tents, there's only one that has its lights on, a way of this mirage to show them the way.

Kazuha peeked through the small opening of the tent entrance to see the inside. And he sees two figures from the previous memories talking to one another, or to be more accurate, arguing, they wait outside as they hear the following conversation.

"But Lumi-chan, that's just suicide! You can't just decide to walk into the monster infested city without anyone to protect you!" Barbara's voice could be heard yelling towards the other girl in the room.

"Nobody here would ever lend their hand to help me even if I asked them nicely, Barbara." Lumine replied, from the sound of it, it looks like she is packing things up. "That's why I need to do this alone. And besides, you see what I can do today, right? I am strong, I can fight." The blonde girl reassured the nurse.

"That won't be enough!" The girl with blue eyes retorted, throwing her hands down. "You'll be facing dozens, maybe hundreds of them, in there. You should've been glad that you made it out alive when nobody can. Shouldn't you be cherishing your life after narrowly avoiding death, why do you want to throw it away now?!"

Lumine paused a little from her words, bit then she continues. "Captain Ragnvindr is confident he can take care of himself, why can't I be the same as well?" She asked, standing up.

"But he's different! You're not a Mage, Lumi-chan, you can't control the elements, nor can you use magic. You're not as strong as he is." Barbara answered, raising her voice a little, before going quiet. Lumine turned around and surprised to see her on the verge of shedding tears. "Please... I thought we were friends... I don't... I don't wanna lose you too..."

The long haired girl starts sobbing, surprising Lumine even more. Barbara really cares about her... She knows that they're friends now, but they've just met several days ago. If Barbara really care this much about her, that it could only mean one thing, Barbara's a good girl, so kind, so caring, she have probably met and befriended many people in the past, and sees them all gone as well.

This kind of feeling, having someone who cares about her, is pretty nostalgic to Lumine. And yet, like anything else, she couldn't remember where the feeling had come from.

"Listen Barbara." Lumine approached her friend, putting both of her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "I need to do this. That monster holds the key of unlocking my memories, the key to my true self." She stares at Barbara's eyes, their eyes look at one another. "I woke up with nothing on me, not even my name, it was he who told me, it was he who knows who I really was. I don't wanna just sit around and wait to die without knowing who I am. I should be out there finding out who I am, who Lumine is." Closing her eyes for a moment, she breathed out softly. "Even if the price is my own life... I hope that at least I would die while knowing myself."

"Lumi-chan..." Barbara is left speechless after that, only able to stare at the girl in from of her, a girl who suffers from her memory loss, her identity crisis.

Lumine opens her eyes, she reaches up a hand, and wipe Barbara's tears away from her face. "I hope you can understand me Barbara." She mutters out softly before letting her go. "I will go now. Take care of yourself, Barbara."

Grabbing the bag on the table full of the necessary items she need, Lumine heads out to the exit.

"Lumi-chan, wait!" But before she could go out, Barbara grabbed her hand and stopped her from leaving. "Don't go." 

Her voice is silent, losing all of it's tone. Lumine looks back to see her head downturn, shadows covering her eyes.

"Don't go... Don't go alone." She repeated, Lumine watches as she raise her head so that their eyes would once again meet. "Take me with you."

Lumine's eyes widened. What's with the sudden request?! Did she heard that right?

"Barbara?" Lumine asked confusedly.

Barbara pressed her lips together, the hands that clamp Lumine's palm tightened. "All this time... I've always stayed on the sidelines..." Barbara began, her eyes dropped till it faces the ground. "I always hide behind everyone's backs, watching them from afar as they charged head straight in towards the monsters. I was born a Mage, everyone told me that I am special, that I can end these nightmares that plagued the world if I tried hard enough. And yet despite of that... All that I'm really good at is only healing people, curing the sick and the injured, when my powers should've been used to fight alongside all of my friends." The tears are forming on the corner of her eyes again, threatening to spill out. "It was because of my incapability that they gone... It was because of this that Jean is..."

"Barbara..." Using her other hand, Lumine reach out to place her palm on Barbara's hands. "It's not your fault."

"No, it is my fault." Barbara shook her head, still sobbing, but she tries to compose herself. "But I'm not gonna repeat it anymore. I've seen too many people gone already, I don't wanna stayed still while you go charge up ahead, Lumi-chan. I want to be right by your side, and help you with anything I could. So, please take me with you, I don't want to just sit around and watch my friend struggle alone."

Lumine was taken aback by this. Is Barbara willing to throw her life away for the sake of helping her?

"Are you sure?" Lumine asked, hesitation is clear in her voice.

"I am." Barbara nodded.

Lumine was silent for a while. She knows about the risk of her actions, the consequence it brings, but she only plan for it to fell to her and herself only. She didn't want to drag Barbara along, much less putting her in harms way. But... Seeing how determined Barbara is, her seriousness, she can't say no.

"Alright then." Lumine nods her head, at last. Giving Barbara's hands a squeeze of reassurance. "Grab what you can, let's get out of here."

"Are they planning to run away?" Paimon asked, peeking through the opening to see the two figures packing things up.

"It really seems so." Mona answered with a nod of her head. "Lumine needs to get that pendant from which She converse with that mysterious voice that knows about her identity. The only problem is, she have to defeat that monster to obtain it."

"But where do you think did the monster go? It just ran off." Xinyan asked.

"Hmm... Perhaps it went back to city?" Kazuha guessed. "They did mention that it'll go to where the other monster is gathering, and the city that got destroyed is now infested with monsters." The Inazuman boy explained.

"But is it really okay for them to go back in there? Just the two of them." Paimon asked, worries weigh down her voice.

"We don't know Paimon. But we shouldn't forget." Mona turned her head to look back inside, seeing Barbara and Lumine heading into their way. "Both Lumine and her brother also possess something special in them as well."

As the tent door opened, a burst of light came out, blinding them with intense brightness that urge them to cover their eyes. A transition to another memory, as everyone remembers.

A few seconds passed and the lights finally subsided. The group uncover their eyes to look at their surroundings, and find themselves have been teleported to another location. From the outpost of the Falcon Squad to the ruins of a destroyed city, the same city that they watched Lumine growing up in the past memories.

"We're back here." Paimon remarked as she looks around at the state of the place.

Buildings were all damaged with some even crumbles to the ground leaving only debris behind. The ground and the streets are cracked, the lamp post on the side walk fell to the ground only leaving a few to still standing and functional, leaving the place almost lightless except for the moonlight above to shine through the cloak of the night.

"How very unfortunate, I can't believe such a big and Beautiful city can be destroyed in a single day like this." Fiscl muttered, disbelief and pity filled her voice as she observed her surroundings.

"And to think that this is apparently Mondstadt..." Mona added before pausing for a bit. "No, no. I shouldn't... I shouldn't think about it that way." She mutters with a shake of her head.

"Look, it's them." Xinyan points her finger towards a direction where they could see two ghostly figures standing amidst the destroyed streets.

"We should approach them. The quicker we sees these memories, the quicker we'll get out of here." Kazuha said, with everyone agrees with him.

They approached the illusions of the two girls, and once they're close, the record starts playing.

Everything here is in ruins. The collapsed buildings, the cracked streets, debris falling to the ground, and lights flickering from the lamps that barely could keep turned on. It is a complete desolate mess.

Lumine and Barbara stood in the middle of the ruins. The dark of night is covering the place with little to no brightness, in the distance, they hear the sickening growl and screeches of the monsters nesting in the city, claiming it as their own.

"Good thing they didn't bother to guard the entrance that they breached. Makes easier for us to sneak in." Lumine mutters softly with gladness.

The two had managed to enter the ruined city through the breach made to the walls protecting Mondstadt, where they found no monster is there to protect it. It seems like they were more interested in what lies at the center of the city for reasons unknown.

"So how are we going to do this, Lumi-chan? Do you have a plan?" Barbara asked the blonde haired girl, there is no hiding the concern and worry in her voice.

"To be honest with you, I don't think I have any."  Lumine replied with a shake of her head. "However, we'll make it simple. Our main goal here is to find that monster with the spider legs thing. We'll find it, and I will take that pendant its wearing, that is my only goal. In other words, as long as I get the pendant, killing the monsters won't be necessary." The blonde girl explained.

"But what if the only way to retrieve it is to kill it?" Barbara asked again.

"Well, if that's really what it takes..." Lumine paused a little. "Then I'll have to find a way to kill it, in anyway possible."

The roars of the monsters in the distance becoming audible again. Lumine pulls out her sword which she secretly took from the encampment before they depart, holding it to her side with both of her hands.

"Here we go Barbara. Stay behind me, and hide if you think you can't take on the enemy." Lumine instructed, to which Barbara nods her head in understandment.

After that, the two charges in towards the city.

"Come on, let's follow them." Paimon said as the two illusions take off.

The group follows after the illusions, trekking through the ruined city called "Mondstadt" and watched all the ensuing memories that plays.

As Lumine and Barbara running around the city to find their target, monsters starts showing up and attacking them, be it in packs, or individuals. The variety of the things they faced are unique even to the group's eyes. From monsters that crawls on the ground, ones that fly above attacking them with raged attacks, and there's even one that looks similar and behave similarly to the slimes that they fought back in Tevyat, but in comparison, the ones here are much aggressive and violent.

Lumine faces the monsters with her sword and skills alone, while Barbara is in the rear for support. Occasionally throwing balls of water using her magic to distract or weaken the enemy in some way, helping Lumine in finishing the job, but also heals her when she gets slightly injured.

When they walked further into the city, a new kind of sound entered their ears.

"Wait, I hear something. It's... A voice, there's someone there." Lumine pointed her finger towards a direction where the voice comes from.

It's not just someone's voice, there's a sound of crashing and roaring. If there was indeed someone there, then it's most likely that they are battling something.

"Someone here? Why would anyone be here?" Barbara questioned in confusion. After a moment, a thought enters her mind. "Do you think it's him?"

Lumine shrugged. "Let's check it out." 

The two girls headed towards the source of the commotion. Crawling through debris of fallen down building in doing so, they climbed up to the higher ground hoping to get a better view, eventually arrived at the place to see that a certain someone is indeed in the middle of battling a monster.

A creature with a bulking humanoid body, but huge in comparison to a normal human is there, it got only one eye on the middle of its face, and rows of jagged teeth, it carries a big stone club with one hand, using it to battle its current opponents, a red haired man dressed in a crimson red cloak carrying a flaming long sword.

"It's Captain Ragnvindr! He's battling that Cyclops." Barbara remarked. Huh, so that's what those things are called.

"He's handling it well on his own." Maybe more so, judging from the corpses of other monsters scattered around him. "Still, I should go help him. Wait here, Barbara." Lumine looked at her friend who nods her head.

Lumine jumped down to the ground below, then immediately rushed towards the battle. Ragnvindr rolls to the side to avoid a swing from the Cyclops' attack that slams to the ground, he then immediately gets up and gets behind the beast where he swings his flaming long sword towards the beast's knees, hitting the back of the leg and causes the Cyclops to stumble forward. The creature sees him, and is about to knock him away with a punch from its free hand. But the attack was stopped before it even began, as something or rather someone hit it on the face, with a kick straight to the temple.

With the beast knocked aside, Ragnvindr looks surprised, he turned his head to the side to see a girl with blonde hair in a white hoodie landed to the ground, a sword in one hand.

"Hi." Lumine simply said to him, standing up with support from her arms.

"You?!" The red haired man lightly exclaimed, shocked to see her here. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you I suppose." Lumine said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Hunting down monsters."

He narrows his eyes at her. "I've told you not to come. Why do you still come here?"

"Oh what, am I supposed to sit back and lets you have all the fun?" Lumine rolls her eyes at him. "Don't think like I'm not involved, there's something important to me here and I'm here for it."

He's about to retort back at her, but then the Cyclops got back up and it swing its club down to the ground between them, which they both successfully dodge the attack.

"Talk later, let's finish this thing first." Lumine nods in agreement to that, and together, they faced the Cyclops.

"Paimon can't help but feel that there's some undeniable resemblance between this Diluc and our own." Paimon muttered which the others agreed.

"Yeah, mostly about how he acts towards certain people. Master Diluc can be quite harsh and serious, but there's no denying that he cared for the people of Mondstadt." Mona said, recalling some interactions she had with the bartender of Angel Share whenever she went there for drinks to drown her frustrations away.

"Quick question." Kazuha raised a hand. "This friend of yours in Mondstadt, does he uses Pyro Vison and wields a Claymore?" The young samurai asked.

"He is. Why do you ask, Kazuha?" Paimon answered, then immediately asked back.

"Hmm..." Kazuha closes his eyes for a moment, putting one hand on his chin as he thought. "I'm compilling some points that we witnesses throughout this journey. I will tell you about it once I reach a conclusion."

"Okay then." Paimon merely nods her head at that. Before returning her attention back to the memory being played before them.

With the combined efforts of the two fighters, subduing the creature, no matter how big it is, is an easy task. They swung their respective weapons towards the creature, until its body is marred with cuts of their blades, its movement slowed down by the injuries it takes, and before long, the once powerful moves becomes sloppy and weak.

"Now! Time to strike!"

"Got it!"

The two rushed towards the severely weakened Cyclops to end it. It starts with Ragnvindr charging in first, the Cyclops swing its club down to strike him, but all it takes for the redhead to dodge it is by tilting his body to the side. Using his long sword, he slashes at the monster's leg, causing it to bend it's knees. Next up is for Lumine, who climbs up the stone club and into the Cyclops' arm, the beast tried to catch her with its free hand, but Ragnvindr strike its other leg, causing it to lose its footing and missed her by an inch. Lumine finally gets to atop of the beast's shoulder, kicking the monster's jaw and grabbing its eyelids with one hand, she plunges her sword right into it's eye, causing it to let out a painful screams as blood spills everywhere. Once she felt it's enough, she pulls out her sword and jumps down to the ground the giant creature falls down.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the blonde haired girl swing her sword to the side, cleansing it from the stain of the monster's blood. After that, he turned to face the other fighter beside her.

"Now that's out of the way, care to explain why are you here again?" The red haired man asked with a raised eyebrow, crossing his arms across his chest.

She sigh in slightest bit annyance, but asnwer him anyway. "As I said it before, I need to find that monster from before, it has something that I need."

"And what exactly that you need from it?" He asks again.

Lumine pursed her lips, how exactly is she going to explain this? She'll just get to the point.

"My true self." Lumine simply answered.

He narrows his eyes at her. "Your true what-"

"Lumi-chan!" Just then, another voice butts in, one that both of them are familiar with. "You did it, you killed the monster." Barbara said as she looked at the corpse of the Cyclops.

"You even brought Nurse Barbara too?" Ragnvindr snarled, annoyed and angry he seems, he glares at Lumine. "Is it not enough to endanger yourself, you have to brought other people too?" He slowly approaches the short haired girl.

"Captain Ragnvindr, wait!" Barbara stood on his way quickly, defending Lumine. "Lumi-chan didn't do anything wrong, I came here on my won free will."

That gives the red haired man a pause, he looks at the nurse puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"Lumi-chan is my friend, she went through all the trouble to come here for the sake of learning about herself, knowing full well that her life's on the line, and yet still she did it." Barbara put one hand on her chest which she bawled into a fist. "As her friend, it is my duty to help her in any way that I could. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes I made in the past by just staying on the sidelines, I want to help her."

"What are you talking about? Just who is she?" Ragnvindr questioned, narrowing his eyes at her.

Barbara purses her lips for a moment, before opening her mouth to answer. "Lumi-chan... She is the survivor of Mondstadt."

"What?" The red haired man's eyes widened immediately. His eyes glanced to look at Lumine. "I thought there were no survivors..."

"It is. Until we found her." Barbara nodded. "When I found her in the wreckage, many days ago, she was the only one left alive amongst the many lifeless bodies we could retrieve." The nurse retells, her blue eyes also glanced towards her friend. "It took us a very slim chance of going in and out of the city ruins safely, and all we could find were either a dead body stuck under debris, or their remains after the monsters ate them. That is until we found Lumi-chan, despite finding her stuck on the ground head first, her heart still beating, and she's alive. She's the only one who survived the monster's invasion."

There was a pause between them. Ragnvindr eyes stayed still to look at Lumine for several moments, until he looked back at Barbara.

"But if she's a survivor of Mondstadt, then that means..." Before he finishes, Barbara shook her head.

"Lumi-chan has indeed survived and is alive when everybody else doesn't. However... She didn't quite make it out in one piece." The long haired girl said with a somber look on her face. "Lumi-chan said that she forgot about everything, it even took a while before she could remember even her own name." Sighing, the somber look of her face gradually become a determined one. "As a nurse and her friend, I wanted to help her remember who she truly is, and that's why I decided to come here with her."

The redhead looks at her, then to Lumine, raising an eyebrow. "But if she's looking to restore her memory, what's the connection between it and the monster you're chasing?"

"Eh, it's really hard to explain." Lumine answered this one, scratching the side of her face. "But basically, that creature possesses something that could help me remember myself, or at least I think it does." The blonde haired girl shrugged. "It was a pendant, a gem tied around its neck, when I first touched it last time, it enables me to communicate with someone from far far away."

"Communicating with someone?" Ragnvindr asked in curiosity.

Lumine nods her head. "I don't know who or what he is, but one thing for sure, he does know about me. In fact, he's the one who told me my name, in my dreams."

"You're communicating with someone... In your dreams?" He asked again, disbelieved.

"Yep."

Another pause between the three. Ragnvindr close his eyes and rubs his forehead, thinking...

"This sounds so surreal to me." He said with a little sigh as he opens his eyes. "But... I think I get the gist of it now. That monster wears a pendant that allows you to communicate with someone that knows you, and you're hoping to ask whoever that is about your identity, correct?"

"That's right." Lumine said with a nod.

The red haired man thought about it for a second again. Humming as he placed one hand on his chin. After a while, he continues.

"Fine then." He nods his head. "In that case, I'll let the two of you to join me." He said, causing both girls to brighten up a little. 

"You're really going to help us?" Barbara asked to which he nods.

"I'll have some unfinished business with that thing anyway, a helping hand would do fine." He answered before crossing his arms. "But remember, watch yourself, because I'm not gonna always be there to help you."

"Understood." Lumine nods in understandment.

"Ah, so Diluc finally agreed to join the team, this is awesome!" Paimon exclaimed, jumping up in the air.

"Three mages, one controls light, and the others controls fire and water. I think defeating that monster now will be easy." Fischl muttered, looking at the three as they begin their hunt for the target.

"Ah, but didn't Lumine forget everything about herself? She's definitely forgotten about her being a Mage too. Unless she brings herself to remember, she won't realize how powerful she is." Mona pointed out which Fischl remembered now.

"Maybe the voice from the pendant could help her? He does know her after all." Xinyan guessed.

"We'll see." Kazuha nodded.

"They're heading that way, come on guys, let's follow them." Paimon pointed out as the illusions of the three takes off into one direction.

Once again, the group follows the illusion of people from Lumine's memories navigating through the city in search for the monster that is their target, the one that holds the key to restoring Lumine's memories, and the target of Diluc's hit list.

Now with Diluc joining them, they make an easy work against the monsters they faced on the way. With both Lumine and Diluc on the offensive and Barbara for support, they made a great trio.

"Seeing them really reminds Paimon of old times." Paimon muttered as she watched the tree take on a group of monsters.

"You're speaking of your first adventure in Mondstadt?" Fischl asked to which the fairy nodded.

"It was Lumi's very first step into becoming the figure she is now. Back then, the Anemo Archon enlisted her help in saving his friend corruption, and she, along with Master Diluc, Acting Grandmaster Jean, and Tone dear Bard, saved the dragon and Mondstadt together. Paimon was there to watch the entire time." The white haired fairy retelled.

"I wonder if Lumine's experience of that time influence the memories we're seeing now." Mona muttered, crossing her arms across her chest as she observed the illusion of Lumine. "That is... If my initial theory is correct."

The group continues to follow the illusion for a while, until they eventually arrived at a familiar place, one that they saw in the previous memory.

"Isn't this the City Halls?" Paimon questioned in surprise.

"It is. I barely recognize it from the destroyed buildings, but that structure right there looks familiar." Mona answered for her.

This is the place from the last memory, before Lumine was knocked unconscious, before she lost her memories, the place where she first met the spider monster. A convenient place for a rematch between the two if one must say.

And fate seems to agree with that. As a loud roar rings through the air. Everyone looks up to see that same monster is crawling on the roof of a still intact building. Carrying a new large stone sword that looks identical to the last one.

A battle is about to begin, and everyone looks forward to it.

The three of them look up at the Arachnes distances away from them. Crawling atop a roof of a talk tower, it wields a new giant stone sword that it carries on its shoulders, its crimson eyes glaring straight at them, at Lumine especially.

"There it is, I finally found you." Lumine smiles when she finally sees it, the monster that she has unfinished business with.

The gem is still hanging from its neck. If she manages to grab it, she can leave the rest to the only man on the group.

"Is it the only one here? This seems a little too easy?" Barbara asked, looking around to see no other monster nearby.

"No... I hear something." Ragnvindr replied, gripping his sword tightly he braced himself.

The Arachnes on top of the building roars again, but this time, it sounds a bit different.

A moment later after it growls, as Ragnvindr said, sounds of screeches and growlings from other monsters becomes audible. The three take another look at their surroundings, and within seconds, they find themselves being surrounded. Dozens of monsters emerges, from the cracks, from behind the shadows, and out of the destroyed buildings, encircling them from all directions.

"We're in trouble." Lumine muttered, there's no fear or dread in her voice. She said it as a matter of factly.

"W-What are we gonna do Lumi-chan?" Barbara in comparison looks scared, gripping at Lumine's sleeve.

"One thing only, survive." The blonde girl said, brandishing her sword.

"I agree." Ragnvindr replied, taking his long sword, his magic flames swirls around the blade.

The Arachnes roars again, seemingly ordering the monsters to attack, which they did, as they quickly closening on the three.

"Stay close to me Barbara." Lumine said to the nurse who nods her head in understandment.

"This'll be quite a battle, let's go get a better view." Kazuha summons wind around the group, and with a push, he brings them up to higher ground where they could take a better look of the ensuing battle.

"I hope they manage to get through this." Xinyan hoped as she sees what's happening below.

"Well, seeing how Lumine is right now, I say they will." Mona replied.

They battle the horde together. Ragnvindr is off to fight off the monsters on his own behind her, while Lumine and Barbara works closely together to fight them. With her talents with a sword, Lumine could fend off the monsters just fine on her own, but still, there are some vulnerable spots left open for monsters to attack while she's battling one, and that's when Barbara comes in. Using her water elemental magic, she uses it in various way as a defensive support for Lumine. She sees her splashing water on the monster's face to temporarily blind them, slipping the water on their feet to make them lose footing, and theres also times when Barbara uses water as a rope to pull Lumine away from harms way when she didn't have enough time to dodge or block an attack.

Although the monsters that ambushed them numbers in dozens, little by little, they crippled their numbers, using their determination and will to live as the driving force to survive this night and live another day.

Lumine jumps back to avoid to avoid a monster attack, her back hits something that after a brief glance is revealed to be Ragnvindr. Both of them are breathing a little harshly, tired from the adrenaline and action.

"Tired yet?" The red head asked her, glacing back to look at her tough breathings.

"I would be lying if I said I don't." Lumine huffed, wiping the sweat raining down her forehead. "But I can't stop now, we're not even facing the big guy yet.

"Hmph, I believe we already provoked it enough, just need to add a finishing touch."

Lumine was about to ask what he means by that, until she saw a burst of flames rising up from his sword, one that burns hotter and more intense, Lumine thinks she knew what's he's doing.

"Get down." Ragnvindr instructed, to which Lumine complies and brings Barbara down to the ground as well. "Time for... Retribution!"

With one big 360 degree swing, the Fire Mage shoots out a flame from his big sword. The flames that came out took on the form of a giant bird made our of fire, with it's wings spread out wide to the side.

They watched as the fire birds flies through the horde of monsters encircling them. Every time it touches one, even if just a bit, they were set aflame which covers their entire bodies from head to toe. Smokes rises through the air as the monsters screams in pain, the fire bird continues to fly, until the magic that sustains it dries up and it dissolves in the air into nothingness.

"The attack from before. Neat trick, but why didn't you use it from the very beginning?" Lumine questioned as she brings herself up from the ground.

"I don't because their numbers are too many before. And, I need some time to charge it up." Ragnvindr answered, stretching his arms and neck to the side, making a popping sound as he does so.

"All the monsters have been killed. Which leaves us with..."

Cue with Barbara's words, the monster standing on top of the tower roars once again. It pulls out its sword and points it towards them, a gesture akin to challenging it's opponents. And after that, the beast jumps down from the building, landing on the ground which causes it to shake.

"Here we go. Let's try doing the same trick we did last time, any objections?" Ragnvindr glanced at Lumine.

"No." The blonde girl shook her head. "You're the strongest here anyway, I'll leave it to you to dealt the killing blow."

The redhead merely hmph'ed at that, the two fighters readies their weapon as the monster ready it's.

"Stay here Barbara, we'll be quick." The nurse nods her head, and she watched as the two rushed towards the monster.

Just like how it was before, Ragnvindr acts as the main offense, clashing blades with the Arachnes heads on, while Lumine serves as a additional offenses. While he is busy attacking, Lumine distract the monster by attacking it's legs, trying to make it lose its footing so that Ragnvindr could land a hit.

The hard protective skin it has makes its body super durable, and her current sword deals little to no damage to the creature no matter how hard she hits. But still, it doesn't make it immune to flinching to her attacks, so every time she managed to hit certain areas on the right timing, the beast wound flinch enough to lose focus on its battle with Ragnvindr, and a single mistake in footing and body position will resulted in Ragnvindr's flaming blade to hit its body and leave a burnt mark behind.

They keep this up for a while, until eventually, one strong swing from Lumine's blade causes the Arachnes to fell to the side while it was locking blades with Ragnvindr. As it fell, Ragnvindr's balde pass through and slices through the Arachnes arm, not the one holding the stone sword unfortunately, but at least he still manages to finally injure the enemy gravely.

The beast fell to the ground on its side, screaming in pain at its lost for another limb. It seems distracted, now's her chance!

Seeing the opportunity, Lumine quickly rushed in towards the downed beast, she reaches her hand towards its neck, towards the pendant its wearing, he almost made it, the tip of her fingers brushes against the gem's smooth surface, but...

"Grrraaahh!"

The beast growls angrily the moment she touches the pendant, it lunges its one remaining arm towards her, grabbing her by the neck and choked her. She wheezed when the air is being cut off from her lungs, her sword fell from her hand to the ground, leaving her defenseless, she crawls pitifully on the hand that chokes her, trying her hardest to free herself.

On the side, she sees Ragnvindr charging in, with his flaming sword ready. He's about to jump in and save her, but somehow he tripped, and his sword went flying out of his hands when he fell.

Lumine glanced at him to see what makes an otherwise always cautious man to suddenly trip like that. Is that... Webs she's seeing? The Arachnes is shooting out webs from its lower body towards him, of course, it is a half spider half humanoid monster, should've guessed that it could do such thing.

Ragnvindr tries to get sup, but the Arachnes keeps shooting him with its webs. The webs are sticky and durable, unable to break through normal means, and as he is being covered all over with the stuff, he is glued to the ground, waiting either to be killed by the monster, or die from suffocation.

Well this is great. One man is stuck and not able to move, and one girl is being choked from her life away. Lumine already feels like her consciousness is about to lose, she's really going to die from this.

"Lumine..."

Splash

It's the voice! The voice of that man appears in her mind, in conjunction with a slashing sound of water. She sees through the crack of her eyes that the monster's face is wet... Is that Barbara?!

The nurse throws a water ball towards the monster's face, glaring at it with a frown on her face, one that didn't suit her at all.

"Let go of Lumi-chan!" The girl with blue eyes shouted, is she crazy?! Challenging a monster like that?!

The monster roars in anger, it raise its hand with Lumine still being chocked between its fingers, and then it slams her down on the road, hardly, like really really hard.

She was sent flying across the streets, sliding on the stone hard and cracked ground that made her backside burns like it was on fire. She hisses in pain, shakily pushing herself up to sit on the ground.

"Lumi-chan!" Barbara is seen running towards her, she quickly gets to her side, looking at her state of body and then uses her magic to heal her.

"Damn it, my attack doesn't have any effect at all." Lumine groaned. 

Only magical attacks are capable of hurting it, one that comes from a Mage, but Barbara is not suited for fighting, and now Ragnvindr is stuck under all of those sticky stuff, the only option to win is to free him, but right now, it's not possible while the monster is over there and her sword fell too far out of reach, what can she do in this situation?

"If only I was a Mage... If only I was... Stronger." She bawled her fists in frustration. No way she could change the world like this.

Wait a minute... Change the world? Since when did she ever-

"You are. You are strong, Lumine. You just haven't realized, or remember it yet."

Lumine gasped. It's the voice! She could hear him again!

"It's you!" Lumine exclaimed, her eyes widened. "I can talk to you now?"

"Yes, but not for long, until you get the pendant." The voice replied.

"But how? I... I cannot defeat it, I'm too weak." Lumine asked, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"Huh? Lumi-chan, who are you talking with?" Barbara is confused with her friend who suddenly talks to herself, but her question seems to be ignored.

"You can, I already said it, you are strong." The voice speak up again.

"But what do you mean? I don't understand." Lumine asked in confusion.

"There's a power that lies hidden inside you, Lumine. One that only a select few of this world would get, and one that many could only hope to achieve." The voice answered cryptidly.

"A... Hidden power? Inside me?" Lumine raised an eyebrow in confusion and curiosity. "I have a power?"

"Yes, and you've already awakened long before this very moment." 

Lumine doesn't know if the voice spoke truths or not. But as long as there chances in defeating the monster...

"How? How can I use it?" Lumine asked, standing up from the ground.

"To use it, all you have to do is to call upon it. Concentrate, and think about your desire, your deepest desire and wishes."

"My wishes..." Lumine repeated. She closes her eyes, allowing her brain to think. 

Her memories, her current memories, flashes throughout her mind. The things she learned the past several days, her interactions with Barbara, the state of the messed up world she learned. Everything fills her mind.

"I want... I want to know about myself... I want, to save and protect my friends, and I want... To change this world!"

"Good. Now, channel all of those feelings and turn into your power!"

Lumine did as the voice instructed her. She focuses on those desires of hers, taking them into her hands and never letting go, vowing to see them realized. And she unleashes them from her mind into her body. She opens her eyes to look at herself, to find that her body is glowing with soft golden lights.

"You're glowing!" Barbara exclaimed in surprise behind her.

"Stand proud, Lumine, you are strong. The voice said, before disappearing once more.

"What... is this?" Lumine questioned in shock and surprise. Is this really the power she possesses?

She hears a growl, and sess the Arachnes running towards her, having picked it's stone sword from the ground and now is ready to slice her with it.

There is no time to questioning her abilities for now. Only to see if for herself how it works.

She tries to do a similar thing she had done to achieve this from the start. Putting her resolve in her mind and unleashing it to her body, she puts them all in the palm of her hand, gathering them all to form into one single sphere, and as the monster approaches, she reaches her hand out towards it, and unleashed all the built up power, resulting in a blast of light golden energy to shot out straight from her palm and into the approaching monster.

The beast was taken by surprise and has no time to dodge, and so, it took on the full blast of her released energy right into it's abdomen. The force of the attack is also so big that it sends the monster flying across the streets and into the walls of a nearby broken building, crashing into it and cause what is left of the structure to completely crumbles to the ground.

Look! Lumi gets her powers back!" Paimon said, somewhat excitedly.

"More like she remembers it again." Mona commented.

"We didn't see her doing much with it in the past since she had to keep it a secret." Kazuha crossed his arms on his chest as he smiles a little. "I wonder all sorts of things she could do with it."

"Lumi-chan, you..." Barbara gawked at her friend as Lumine's body glows, and witnessing that awesome display of power just now. "You're a Mage too?"

Lumine looks at her palm, these lights that covering her, the one that she just unleashed. It's different yet feels similar to the one Barbara and Ragnvindr uses.

"I honestly have no idea about this."  Lumine replied, refocusing her attention back to the energy. "But it seems like I am one, apparently."

The Arachnes emerges from under the rubbles, it roars in anger and frustration, crawling back to the roads to face her once more.

The spot where she blast it leaves a mark, Lumine noted. So it is a magic attack that she just unleashed, and it successfully damaged the monster. Now with this power, taking it down would be easy.

"It's time to finish this." Lumine bump her fist into her palm, cracking her knuckles.

At the count of three, both her and the monster charges towards one another. And as Lumine run, she fires multiple shots of light enemy from her palm into the monster. The Arachnes easily deflects all the shots she fires with its sword, losing an arm and a leg doesn't affect its performances much.

With them continuing to run towards each other, they eventually reached a meter distance away from one another. And the Arachnes with no hesitation quickly swing its sword at her, aiming to her neck. And Lumine, armed with nothing but trust in her newfound abilities, raises both hands to grab the blade.

Dust and smoke blew out from the impact, and the wind breezed to all directions of their surroundings. The beast's glowing crimson eyes look down in surprise, to see its victim is still in one piece, standing on the ground on her foot, grabbing the stone sword with her two hands alone, and she's not just grabbing and stopping it from its trajectory, she is in fact holding it down, the beast has difficulty in raising its sword back, she is somehow gained the strength of multiple men.

"You want this back? I thought you don't always need it in order to fight." Lumine chuckles as she stares back at the beast. "On that note, you should've taken a better look at your surroundings."

The beast is taken aback by her words, but it only had a few seconds to process what her words means as a few seconds after that, the Arachnes' head is sent flying off of its body.

In the last milliseconds of its life before fading away, the monster finally remembers the fact that there is another swordsman it faced aside from the girl, the one it had trapped withing layers of spider threads. When that girl shoots out multiple lights energy, although some of them are aimed at the beast, some of them are missed, perhaps purposely made so, in order to cut through the threads that trapped the only man within the group, freeing him so that he could deliver the final strike.

Brilliant, what a brilliant teamwork...

The severed head rolls away, and the headless body of the once majestic beast slumped down to the ground, marking the victory of the three Mages.

"Woohoo! Lumi won!" Paimon cheered upon seeing the victory.

"Huh, I admit I didn't expect that. It seems like in the end, even after knowing her power, she's still trust Diluc to finish the job." Mona muttered while scratching her chin with one hand.

"That's just the importance of teamwork I suppose." Xinyan said with a shrugh.

"Now's the obstacles out of the way. The truth will be now revealed." Fischl remarked, putting both of her hands on her sides as she looks down at the three.

"Yeah, let's see what whoever is that voice has to say." Kazuha nods in agreement.

"Phew, it's finally over. I'm beat." Lumine breathed a sigh of relief, wiping sweat from her face.

"Lumi-chan, that was amazing!" Barbara approaches her from behind, and immediately compliments her.

"So you were a Mage too, all this time?" Ragnvindr asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I never recalled having some superpower." Lumine replied, looking at her palm, she wished for a light to appear, and a sparks of flickering does appear before disappearing. "Perhaps I am, before I lost my memory."

He continues to stare at her, placing one hand on his chin.

"Hmm... But I've never heard of such..." She heard him whispers.

"Hmm, what was that?"

"Ah, it's nothing too important. We can discuss it later." Ragnvindr then crossed his arms as he continues. "Anyway, about what just happened, I'm surprised that you bother with freeing me and let me dealt the finishing blow. I thought for sure now that you realise your power, you would take matters to your own hands, why?" The red haired man asked her, there's a slight confusion in his voice.

"Why? Well, first off, this is my first time realizing that I have such power in myself, and I'm definitely a newbie at this kind of thing. Secondly, as I said before, you're the strongest among us, so it's only right for you to finish things off, and lastly, you are definitely in need of help, so why shouldn't I help you?"

Although he's not showing it much, it's clear from his eyes that he is definitely taken aback by her words. As his eyes widened and his pupil shrinks. He was silence for a few moments, and it take him another to finally say something.

"You know, I could actually free myself from the restraint, given time to heat myself up to burn away the threads." He says with a small sigh, but then, he smiles, with the tiniest of smiles. "But thanks anyway, I appreciate what you've done."

Oh... A tall handsome man just thanked her while showing such a cool smile. Lumine could feel her face heating up slightly a little. She gulped down the lump in her throat and and calm her breathing down.

"You're welcome." She simply said before quickly turning around.

Now then, it's time for business.

Lumine approached the lifeless corpse of the monster, climbing up its body, mentally praying that the beast wouldn't suddenly came back alive and attack her again, then grabbed the pendant from it's neck, letting the strings slides on her arm as she takes the glowing gem into her palm.

"O dear mysterious voice from the unknown, could you hear me?" Lumine asked, closing her eyes to focus on hearing the voices.

"Yes, I could hear you, loud and clear." The voice spoke up, straight to Lumine's mind using some sort of telepathy. "Well done in defeating your foe, Lumine, you really are quite a remarkable warrior."

"So you really do know about me." Lumine mutters under her breath, she begins with the simplest question. "Just for clarification, you are the same voice I heard in my dream, right?" She spoke of the dream before waking up as an amnesiac.

"Yes, that is me. As I have told you before." The voice answered.

"So you can talk to me in my subconsciousness as well?" Lumine raised an eyebrow at that, before asking again. "That's cool and all, but... Just who are you?"

"Hmm... I suppose the lack of time did not provide me with enough time for proper introduction, forgive me." The voice could be heard muttering, lamenting what happened at that time. "Then, allow me to introduce myself to you now. I am what is known as the "Bough Keeper" a keeper of history, for I am the one who records the events that transpire within the world, from the beginning, to the end."

He introduced himself, taking a breather midway, before continuing.

"Though you may simply call me... Dainsleif."

To be Continued...

Chapter Text

"Wha-Whaaaaaat!?"

"Whoa! What's wrong with you Paimon?" Xinyan question when Paimon suddenly screamed startling everybody.

"H-He just said Dainsleif! It's Dain!" The little pixie exclaimed.

"So you finally recognize that voice? Is he someone you know?" Fischl asked, curious about what made her exclaimed by the name alone.

Paimon nods her head. "Dain is an acquaintance from our travels. He and Lumi has worked together a few times in the past, and he's also the one who leads her into meeting her brother." Paimon explained.

"Oh? So he's the one you spoke of when the two of you meet her brother?" Mona asked to which Paimon nods her head.

"Is he close to Lumine as well?" Kazuha asked a little curiously.

"Um... Kind of?" Paimon scratch the side of her head. "We first met Dain in Mondstadt one day, he was drinking in Angel Share and we approach him. It was Paimon's first time seeing him, but somehow, Lumi seem to already know who he is." Paimon explained with a confused look on her face.

"By knowing him was it by name or his appearance?" Mona asked curiously.

"Maybe both. Lumi looks surprised when she sees him, and she already knows his name before he even introduced himself to us."

Both Mona and Kazuha fell silent as they absorb the information. Letting it sink in as their minds swirls to form a thought. After a while one of them opens ther mouth.

"Lady Megistus, do you think what I'm thinking?" Kazuha turned to ask Mona.

"Yeah..." The black haired astrologist nods her head. "If Lumine already knows him not just by name, but appearance as well. Then there's a possibility that she have already met him in the past." Mona's eyes drifted to look at the illusion of Lumine. "And perhaps that past is exactly what we're seeing right now."

"What do you mean?" Fischl asked in confusion.

"Do you remember that time when the three of us had a run in with the sixth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers?" Mona asked her and Paimon back.

"You mean, the Balladeer?" Paimon asked back.

"He never introduced himself to any of you, didn't he?" Mona asked, crossing her arms. "Yet somehow, Lumine already knows him, even before I told any of us that."

-Flash-

"Hi!"

A slightly unfamiliar voice passed through the air between the group as the four girls turn their bodies to look aside when their eyes sees a figure approaching. A boy who formerly introduced himself as the vagrant from Inazuma smiles at them while waving his hand. 

"Sounds interesting... Mind if I join you?" He asked nicely, but lies behind that friendly smile that he wore on his face, lies a wickedness that only half of the group knows of.

Mona becomes tense the moment the boy entered her sight, and Fischl was second away from opening her mouth to speak. But it was Lumine the Traveler who act first between the two of them.

"Sorry, but we only share things between friends here." Lumine spoke up, she stepped forward to stand in front of her friends and right before the boy with the kasa hat. "Something that we definitely couldn't share with you, Scaramouche of the Fatui."

There was a slight shift of his expression, one that speaks of mild surprise and amusement, like he was expecting while not expecting that at all.

"H-Huh? Traveler how do you-"

"Ah, but that was one of your titles... How should I refer to you then..." Lumine mutters audibly to herself, cutting off Fischl's questions. "Scaramouche, the Balladeer, the sixth Harbinger... Or perhaps would you prefer Kunikuzushi instead?" The blonde girl muttered, the wrappings of bandages around her eyes hid her expression, but it's not like anyone needs to see it when she already spoke so blankly.

The surprise in his eyes flows away, and came to take its place, is a sense of amusement. "How unexpected." He chuckled darkly, his gaze turns hard, intense, making anyone under his stare shudder. "You seem to already know me, all of me. I guess you really are coming off as unexpected as they say."

He took one step forward, but the moment he does that, Hydro energy burst out from the ground to form a circle around them, turning into a giant bubble that engulf the group and teleported them away to safety.

And as that happens, Kunikuzushi didn't even need to look at her invisible eyes to know that the Traveler's gaze is locked on him.

-End Flashback-

"But what does this prove?" Fischl asked confusedly.

"It proves that, perhaps Lumine meeting all these people aren't just a coincidence at all." Mona said with a shake of her head. "In fact... I think I might already have the answer, however... I need more evidence and time to think." Sighing, the black haired astrologist return her gaze back to the illusions. "For now, let's just watch the rest of the memories in this mirage, shall we?"

The group exchange looks to one another, and they agreed. It's best for them to proceed and watch the rest of Lumine's tale unfolds.

"Dainsleif... So that's your name?" Lumine asked the mysterious voice.

"That is a name that had been bestowed upon me, yes. But what is a name aside from a tittle that everyone refers you with?" Dainsleif asked back, Lumine couldn't sense any negativity nor bad intentions, like he's speaking by a matter of factly. "You may refer me as anything you like."

"Really? In that case... I will call you "Dain" from now on." The blonde girl declared, how she is capable to come up with such an idea so quickly is beyond comprehension.

"Very well."

"Um... Lumi-chan?" Barbara's voice brought her back to the reality around her.

"Hmm, what's wrong Barbara?" Lumine asked as she turned around to face her, only to see her having a confused and concerned look on her face.

"Who are you talking to? You're talking to thin air." Barbara asked in confusion.

"Huh?" Lumine tilts her head to the side confusedly, she looks at Ragnvindr who shares not the same but similar expression. "You can't hear him?"

"Hear who? There's no one here aside from the three of us." Ragnvindr asked back which causes Lumine to widen her eyes.

"Hey Dain, why can't Barbara and Captain Ragnvindr hear you? Can you talk to them as well?" Lumine turned her back on them, and calls out to the person she's talking to privately.

"I am sorry... But at this time, you are the only one I can speak with." Dainsleif apologized, does that implies that she's a special one among them? "Please pass my words to them when I am through."

"Wait, are you going to disappear again?" Lumine asked in shock, she just finally able to properly talk to him, and now he said their conversation will be over soon?! "Why? I thought you said we could talk more once I obtained this pendant."

"I said that we could talk a little bit longer, not forever." Dainsleif replied, it's true of what he said, but still, it left Lumine dissatisfied.

"B-But... But what about me?!" Lumine whined, putting a hand on her chest while making a begging expression. "You said that you know of me, can't you at least tell me who am I and what was I like in the past?"

"I'm sorry Lumine. But even though I said that I know about you, I'm afraid I only know a little aside from your name. Even if I do tell you right now about who you are in the past, it won't bring any of your memories back."

Lumine was about to say something back, perhaps to protest, to urge him. But her tongue were held back by the realization of how true his words are. Learning small bits and pieces of her memory will not affect anything when she had forgotten about herself completely. All that it did will just add more confusion and questions she has for herself.

Even now, the fact that she is a skilled swordsman, a powerful Mage, and the sole survivor of an incident that took the lives of everyone else, all of these facts are a source of great confusion, one that she could not figure out.

"But... If I could return to my full strength however, perhaps I could restore your memories completely." Dainsleif spoke up after a while of silence, making Lumine widen her eyes.

"Your full strength?" The blonde haired girl curiously asked the bodiless voice.

"You want to get all of your memories back, don't you?"

"I... I am."

"In that case, why don't we help each other?" Dainsleif offers.

"Help each other? How?" Lumine asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Lumine, I need you free me from my prison." Dainsleif answered, making Lumine wondered about his current circumstances. "Find the rest of the "Primordial Fragments," gather them all, and use their power to free me from the seal that has been placed upon me."

"The Primordial Fragments?" Lumine tilted her head in confusion.

"That gem you're holding in your hand." Dainsleif gestures, prompting her to look down at the object. "That is a piece of the Primordial Fragments, there are four pieces of them in total, and you've already got one. Find the other three pieces, Lumine, combine them, and use them to free me. Only then will I finally get my full strength back, and with it, I can help you regain what you have lost."

"My memories..." Lumine mutters softly, tightening her grip on the object slightly. "I see... So all I need to do is to find three other similar gems like this and use it to free you, then, you can help me get my memories back in return, am I right?" 

"Precisely." Dainsleif replied. "But beware, Lumine, for the path ahead of you will be filled with all kinds of dangers. Each pieces of fragment you seek are guarded by a strong adversary that protects them with all of their might, just like the one you defeated just now." He spoke of the Arachnes the three of them killed just now.

"So there are monsters of similar strength or even stronger than this one." Lumine muttered, looking at the headless corpse of the monster, wondering if it's even possible that there's an even stronger one than this. "Then, how do I find them?"

"I do not know. Their exact location is beyond my reach as of now." Dainsleif said, probably while shaking his head. "But I know that just like how the other monsters in general are, the guardians were designed to have an intense, visceral and irrepressible hatred towards humanity."

"Ah, so they won't be too far from human settlements, is that what you mean?"

"Correct."

A strong monster with a colorful gem in their possession, so that's what her targets are. And human settlements... Didn't Barbara told her sometime ago about the existence of what's called Hidden Cities? Perhaps if she go there to look up for information...

"Sorry... Looks like... my time is up now..." Dainsleif spoke up after a while, however, his voice becomes less clearer than before.

"Huh? Dain, what's wrong? Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry... But our conversation... Must be put on hold... For now..." Not only does it becomes less audible, there's also a glitching sounds that interrupted his flow of words. "Go forth... Lumine... Find... The Primordial Fragments... Save me... And you will... save... Tevyat." He says before getting cut off completely.

"Dain? Hello? He's gone..." Lumine tries to call out to him, but he didn't respond, his voice are completely gone.

Lumine once again look down at the gem in her hand, the Primordial Fragment Dain calls them. So this thing really is the key to unlock the secret of who she truly is, despite it not working exactly as she hoped for.

"Um, Lumi-chan?" Lumine head Barbara's voice and she turned around to see her looking concerned. "What's wrong? You look... Distressed."

"Are you done now? I don't know what in the world you are doing just now, but it sounds pretty serious." Ragnvindr behind her in contrast doesn't look concerned in the slightest, or at least, his concerns are not towards her.

Lumine sighed, she tucked the gem inside her hoodie pockets. "Y'know what, let's get out of here. I'll tell you everything once we get to a safer place."

The memories ended there as the illusions of the three people disappears, and in place of them, a mysterious door made out of light came out of the ground, ready to be opened.

"Oh, what's this? A shortcut?" Paimon asked when she sees the door.

"It should be. The memory just ended, so this should take us to the next." Mona answered.

"Well let's go then. This place gives me the creeps." Xinyan said which the others agreed.

The group stepped into the open portal. Lights blind their sight for a little while as they enter, and they felt a rush of wind passing through their bodies as if they were sent flying across the sky as they were being transported. Eventually, after a few seconds passed, the blinding light recedes, and everyone opens their their eyss to look at their surroundings.

They are no longer inside the ruins of "Mondstadt," instead, the group finds themselves standing at the shores of a lake. The sun rises on the horizon, brightening the world little by little and chases the darkness of the previous night away. The wind gently blows around them which rattles the tree branches of the woods that surround the lake.

"Whoa, what a beautiful view." Paimon muttered in awe as she take on the panorama before her. Spreading her arms to the sides and sighed in relief while basking in the gentle cool wind. "This really made Paimon a little sleepy. Hmm... Paimon thinks its a perfect place to take a nap." The fairy said with a loud yawn.

"And for camping as well." Fischl added, stretching her arms upwards while taking a long deep breath.

"Come to think of it, it's been a while since Paimon and Lumi went out camping." Paimon muttered turning around to face the others. "The first year of our journey were pretty rough, we used to be camping a lot in the wild whenever nighttime hits, but nowadays, Lumi would just rent a room at some inn, or we could just simply go inside our teapot." The white haired pixie explained with a smile. "Paimon can't deny the comfort of a real bed, but still, Paimon can't help but missed the feeling of sleeping in the middle of nature."

"Oh, is that why you look so relaxed back outside in the real world?" Xinyan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup yup. Sleeping under the stars, cool winds from the distance brushing against you, and the ocean waves as your music? It's definitely perfect for relaxation." Paimon said happily, rubbing her legs together.

"Heheh, I'll have to agree with that one." Kazuha agreed with a small chuckle.

"Speaking of Lumine... I wonder where she is now." Fischl spoke up, reminding everyone what they came here for.

"Hmm..." Mona hummed as she looks around at her surroundings. "Ah, there! Look, over there!" Mona pointed her finger towards one side of the lake. Everyone look at that direction and finds the illusions of three people, standing while talking to one another.

"Wonder what they're talking about." Paimon muttered upon looking at the illusions.

"Why don't we go there and find out for ourselves?"

Everyone agrees at what Mona said. The group then made their way to the side of the lake where the ghostly projections are. Triggering the start of the memory and for their conversation to be heard.

"So basically, you're looking for Primordial Fragments for this... Dainsleif person." The only man in the group, a red haired tall man who goes by the name of Captain Ragnvindr, concluded once Lumine finished explaining of the private conversation she had with the mysterious voice that could only speaks to her.

"That's right." Lumine said with a solemn nod. "From the brief explanation he told me, Dain is being imprisoned away somewhere in this world. And the Primordial Fragments are the key for freeing him."

After escaping from the ruins of Mondstadt, the trio stopped by the nearby lake surrounded by a forest, stretching their sore arms and legs after a lengthy battle all night long. And after some time passed with them resting their bodies while sunbathing under the rays of the morning sun, Lumine explained to the two about the secret mission that had been given to her by Dainsleif.

"Four pieces of Primordial Fragments, each guarded by a strong monster." Ragnvindr muttered, putting one hand on his chin as he hummed. "This Dainsleif person... the way you described him really arouses my suspicions. He seems to know a lot about monsters. And... protecting the fragments with all of their might? Is he implying that something or someone o rdered the fragments to be guarded?" The redhead questioned to which Lumine shrugged her shoulders.

"Lumi-chan, are you really going to try finding all these items? We've already seen how dangerous it is just to get one, what if the next one will be even more dangerous?" Barbara asked, looking at Lumine in concern, she didn't want her friend to be put in danger.

"Then I'll just have to get better." Lumine replied, she look down at her hand, focusing, a soft golden glow appears on her palm. "Now that I know that I possess what it takes to fight these beasts, I have to get better with my powers." She closes her palm, dissipating the glowing lights on her hand. "I'm the only one who could save Tevyat after all. That's what Dain told me." The blonde girl declared, with a determined look on her face.

"Could you even really trust his words?" Ragnvindr asked, his eyebrows furrowed, and his lips pursed. "You barely even know him, how can you be so sure that he wasn't lying?"

"I know it because he's the only one I could trust right now." Lumine said, looking back at him who paused immediately. "Look, I know that it's hard to believe given that the two of you couldn't even hear his voices, or that I'm just some random nobodies who don't even know anything about herself. But this is really important to me, he's the only chance I have to learn about myself"

Both Barbara and Ragnvindr went silent after that. Lumine sighed, and turn around to face the lake before her. This world's nature truly is beautiful, a sight to behold. But it's a shame that not many people would be here to enjoy that, not when their lives are constantly in danger by the looming threats of the monsters every single day.

"And besides... Dain said that saving him would mean saving the world as well."

Lumine muttered softly, she put one hand on her chest where a warm nostalgic feeling resides within. She's still doesn't know where exactly this warmth came from. But she knows it that it came from the void inside her mind, the place where her memories, her identity, the being of what she supposed to be, are.

"Saving the world... Even if it is but a sliver of hope lost in the ocean of despair. Wouldn't it be still worth fighting for?" Lumine asked, turning around to face the two.

The morning wind blows, gently swaying their hairs back. Lumine's golden eyes glance between Barbara's blue ones and Ragnvindr red ones, both of them stares back at her, a feeling of conflicts visible in their eyes.

"Hmm... Saving the world huh?" Ragnvindr hummed as he put one hand on his chin. Closing his eyes as he thinks.

After some time, he finally opens his eyes. The look on his face tells Lumine that he got his answer.

"Alright, fine." The red haired man nods his head. "Even though I still cannot fully trust this Dainsleif person, nor you, I wouldn't miss the chance of changing the world from what it is now. So I will help you."

Lumine widened her eyes at this. Not expecting this kind of answer. He's going to help her?! For an uncertain task with an uncertain goal?!

"Huh? You... You're going to help me?" Lumine asked in shock and confusion.

"You need to travel to the other hidden cities to find the rest of the Primordial Fragments, right? No matter that you're a Mage, I cannot let a girl who knows next to nothing about this world to go adventuring all alone. You'll need someone with you who's been to a lot of different lands." Ragnvindr said, crossing his arms while giving her a serious look.

"I-I go too!" Barbara raised her hand, causing Lumine to look at her. "I want to help too, Lumi-chan. I may not be a powerful Mage, but at least my experience as a nurse will help you whenever you got hurt." Barbara said with a determined nod.

"Are you sure? But what about the Falcon Squad?" Lumine asked, sounding worried.

"It's okay. I trust their capabilities to take care of themselves." Barbara said with a nod of her head. "And besides, now with Mondstadt gone, I'm sure they won't have any further plans ahead, they'll probably will joined in with the Wolf Squad to figure out what to do next. Though they will be searching for me, I'm not needed anymore."

"Barbara..." Lumine muttered, she glanced at the two people before them, before asking once more. "You two... You really going to help me out? Someone like me... who is a nobody?"

"Of course." Barbara nodded.

"No need to ask twice." Ragnvindr answered.

"You two..." Lumine brings a hand to her chest. A new kind of warmth settled comfortably inside. The warmth... of being surrounded by friends. "Thank you, both of you. Let's all get along together, Barbara, captain Ragnvindr." She said while flashing a bright smile.

"Just call me Diluc."  The red haired man replied, gaining a look from both girls before him. "I don't like it when someone is too formal with me. Besides, I'm not captain of anyone anymore. So just call me Diluc." Diluc said.

Lumine paused a little, and then she smiled at him.

"Then I'll be in your care, master Diluc." The blonde girl said, gaining a look from the readhead.

"So it is true... he really is Master Diluc." Paimon muttered as the memory ended, and the world once again is enveloped by bright lights, transforming the surrounding environments into an endless blank space where the group floats there freely.

"Knowing this... I can't help but feel like soon it'll be our turn to see another version of ourselves." Mona muttered, a disturbed look appears on her face as she sighed.

"I wouldn't even be surprised if that were to happen." Xinyan replied, crossing her arms on her chest.

"Okay, so, um... about what we just learned. Anybody has thoughts on this? Anyone?" Paimon questioned, glancing at every individual in the party, all of them looking like they're deep in their thoughts.

"Hmm..." Kazuha closed his eyes and put his hand on his chin. "The events that transpired so far are pointing towards that one conclusion I had in mind. I was still a little uncertain about it before, but now..." The boy trailed off.

"What is it? What do you think of?" Xinyan asked curiously.

Mona who think of the same thing continues. "Now... I think I've finally got the answer."

Everyone's eyes turned to look at Mona, staring at her seriously, preparing for the answer she come up for all of these confusing revelations.

"If everything we've so far truly are Lumine's memories from her past, without any imaginations and present memories mixed in. I think it's safe to say that Lumine... Came from "Tevyat.""

Everyone fell silent for a moment after that.

"What do you mean?" Paimon asked, totally confused. "She can't be from Tevyat. Paimon has heard many of her stories on the other worlds, and Lumi can do things that no one in this world even capable of."

"I didn't mean to say that she's from our world, Paimon." Mona shook her head, her eyes narrowed as she pursed her lips. "She is from Tevyat, but she's not from "Our" Tevyat."

Everyone gets confused by her statement.

"But what does that mean?" Xinyan asked in total confusion.

Mona sighed a bit heavily, she narrow her eyes while crossing her arms across her chest. A serious look appear on her face as she began explaining.

"For all our lives, we always believe that this world, Tevyat, is the one and only world that exist in this universe. However, as proven by Lumine's existence alone, we were wrong about that. There are other worlds existed out there, far beyond the reach of our human hands." The astrologist close her eyes for a moment while continuing. "Every world has their own uniqueness, that differs them from one another. Be it it's structure, it's climate, or it's inhabitants." 

The black haired girl with blue hat paused for a moment. And then, she opens her eyes to look at her other companions one by one.

"But what if... What if, by a miniscule amount of chances, there also exist a world, that is similar, yet also different, from ours?" The astrologist asked.

"What are you saying?" Paimon asked curiously.

"Have you guys ever... Stopped and wonder just for a moment of what happened if there was different outcomes to a past events that happened in your life?" Seeing the confusion that appears on their faces, Mona hummed. "Hmm, allow me to give you an analogy then." The black haired girl turned to look at the only fairy in the group. "Paimon, let's say that the Traveler left you alone at home, with a plate of Sticky Honey Roast to share but the two of you. But, she has some errands that needs to be done, and she instructed you to keep an eye on the food until she gets back. Now, what will you do in that situation?"

Paimon put a hand on her chin as she thought. "Well... Paimon will definitely wait for Lumi to come home. And then we can eat it together." The white haired pixie answered.

"Uhuh, that's one possibility. Now, let's say that in another scenario, while waiting for the Traveler to come back, you fell into your own temptations, without a care in the world, you gulped down the entire dish all by yourself, leaving nothing behind. Now, what would happen after that?" Mona asked again.

"Well um... Paimon guess Lumi will get pretty mad." Paimon answered, but then she paused, before shaking her head. "Wait, on second thought, Paimon thinks she'll just be disappointed, Lumi never gets mad at Paimon." She paused again. "But wait... Lumi also doesn't eat much sometimes. So... Maybe she'll... Uh, Paimon doesn't know. Maybe Lumi will not feel anything at all?" The pixie guessed, confused.

"That's precisely it, Paimon. There are many possibilities that could've sprouted from just that one moment. Yet only one of them that could become a reality." Mona said with a nod, seemingly finding the answer she wants. "But what if..." Mona paused for a moment, her expression turns serious. "What if, if all of those possibilities becomes a reality of themselves? A separate realities, one that differs from the one we lived in?"

"I think I'm starting to understand..." Kazuha mutters whilst everyone else are confused.

"Using that analogy, we can infer it to our world." Mona began explaining once more. "This world is filled with endless possibilities. And with those possibilities, came different realities, each with their own possibilities, and different realities as well. A cycle that goes over and over... Until it creates a universe of infinite realities. The Multiverse, you may call it."

"The Multiverse..." Everyone muttered out simultaneously.

After that, silence overtakes them. If the knowledge about Lumine potentially already knowing and met them sometime in her past are overwhelming, then this new knowledge is the most overwhelming of them all.

Endless possibilities? A world of infinite realities? Definitely something that could make any average person went mad from existential crisis.

"I... I don't understand much. But basically, you're saying that Lumine comes from one of these many realities? One that differs from ours?" Fischl spoke up first to break off the silence that hangs in the air.

"Yes... Or at least, that is my hypothesis for now." Mona said with a serious nod.

"Ooh, Paimon is so confused that she's getting a headache." Paimon groaned while clutching her head with her tiny hand. "How are we supposed to believe any of these?" The pixie asked.

"Well, we could ask Lumine for the truth once all of these are over." Kazuha suggested, which Paimon nods in agreement.

"You're right. And to do that... We'll have to get through these corridors of her memories first." Mona agrees as well. Her eyes looks around to see the world starting to regain their colors.

"Yeah. We must keep our spirits up! For Lumi's sake!" Paimon cheered to which the group nodded.

Little by little, the world around them pieced itself back together. The group looks around to see that they're inside a room, a messy one. There are cracks spread across the walls, broken windows on one side of the room, the wooden floorings were weathered with mold growing in some areas, even the ceilings have holes on it which water leaks down.

In any other situations, such messy room is unsuitable for any kind of use. But on this world, with the world being messed up already, it is a good place for one to use as a hideout.

The group sees that the room have indeed been inhabited. Food supplies were placed in a tidy manner on the broken shelves, the bed on the room are clean in contrast to the other things in the room, there's a collection of weapons stashed in one wooden barrel at the corner of the room, and lastly, there's a big scroll of world map hanged on the wall. With a red haired man standing beside it as he speaks.

Seeing as the memory already started, the group watched in silence.

"Now let us go through our traveling plan once more." 

The red haired man, Diluc, said to the two girls in the room, Barbara and Lumine whoose eyes all focused on him as he reviews their plan

"Our goal is to collect the four pieces of Primordial Fragments in order to save this man called Dainsleif or Dain, who claims to be able to restore Lumine's memories, as well as potentially saving this world, if the words he said were indeed true and not just some made up imaginations." Diluc explained, his amber eyes looks at Lumine as he spoke the last sentences. "We already got the first piece, which left us with three to find, and in order to find the Fragments, we need to..." The man trailed off.

"Ah, Dain said that each Fragments are guarded by a strong adversary." Lumine added, recalling the info Dain had told her. "Monsters, one that may or may not be similar to that Arachnes we fought. So that means, if we want to get the Primordial Fragments, we just need to find those monsters who guarded it." Lumine explained.

"Hmm." Diluc nods his head. "And no matter how special or different they are. They are still monsters, beings that hungers for human flesh and thirst for their blood." The redhead remarked.

"That Arachnes came to Mondstadt to lead the other monsters in the invasion of the city." Barbara is the one who spoke up. "If the Fragment Guardians are indeed similar to it, they should be out there targeting other civilizations as well, right?" The nurse asked.

"That's what I thought too." Diluc replied with another nod of his head. "Then it would be our main priority to visit the other Hidden Cities."

"Question please." Diluc turn his head to look at Lumine who raised her hand. "What's a Hidden City?" The blonde girl asked in curiosity. "I've been hearing people talking about them, but what exactly are they?"

"Captain Diluc, if I may?" Barbara raised her hand as well towards Diluc, who gave her his approval. "Lumi-chan, Hidden Cities, as their name suggests, are cities built by humans as a protection against the monster threats." The nurse explained. "They are called "hidden" because they are built in locations that aren't easy to find, both for monsters and humans alike. Take Mondstadt city for example, it was built at the bottom of a valley surrounded by mountain ranges. The only way to enter the city from outside is by either climbing through the mountains, or through the sea at the port."

"Oooh, I see, I see." Lumine nods her head in understanding, before asking another question. "So there are other cities out there? How many are they?"

"There were a total of eight Hidden Cities. Were." Diluc answered, making sure to repeat the word "were" as to assert it. "As of today, four of those cities were already destroyed, and with Mondstadt has fallen, five. Now there are only three remains." The red haired man revealed.

"Aww, what? So half of 'em are already gone? Why?" Lumine asked, shocked and confused at the revelation.

"Why else?" Diluc huffed lightly, crossing his arms on his chest. "Monster attacks, all of them. Or at least that's what I know."

Lumine went silent for a while. So what happened to Mondstadt had already to the other cities? And here Lumine thought what happened to Mondstadt is bad enough.

"So I guess we're heading for these remaining three then?" Barbara asked to break the silence.

"Yes, and we'll see if those monsters are indeed targeting those cities next. Perhaps we could even help to prevent another invasion from happening in the process." Diluc muttered.

He then showed them the world map that hangs on the wall. It shows them the landscape of Tevyat which consists of several continents surrounded by the oceans. There are several "X" marks written on the map, along with words that seems to be a name of a place. But as Lumine could see, most of those names have been crossed as if signalling that it no longer exists.

"As you can see, I've marked this map right here on where we should need to go. The red "X" marks you see are the locations of the Hidden Cities. And we have three locations to go." 

Diluc presented the map while pointing his finger at the "X" marks while he explains. 

"First, we have the Hidden City of trades, Guili." Diluc pointed at the X mark at the center of the map. "Second, we have the Hidden City of Isolation, Enkanomiya." He moves his finger to point at the X mark on the west. "And lastly, we have The Hidden City of nature, Gurabad." He then slides his finger to the X mark down south. "These are the three locations we need go. And currently, we are near Mondstadt, right here." 

Diluc points at the X mark on the east. So that's where they are now, huh? Their destinations are located on the other side of the planet.

"And so, after calculating the distances between each of the Hidden Cities, I suggest for a route that take us first to Guili, after that, Enkanomiya, and Gurabad will be our last destination." Diluc finishes, turning to look at both girls and asked. "What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect as it is." Barbara answered with a nod.

"Honestly, I'm okay with anything as long as we reached our goal." Lumine said with a small shrug.

"Good, then I see no objections." The red head hummed as he turned to look at the map again. "It should take us about more than three weeks to reach Guili from here. And I suggest that we head there as soon as we can, preferably, tomorrow morning. So gather as much as you can, for our journey won't be easy." Diluc said with a serious look on his face.

Barbara stood up. "Understood. I will try my best!" The nurse said with a determined nod.

"For saving the world, and for Dain." Lumine declared as she stood up as well. A determined look appear on her face as she smiles. "Let's get on our journey, everyone."

"Wow, their Tevyat sure does looks so weird." Xinyan remarked as the memory ended, approaching the world map on the wall and examine it.

"It kinda looks like our world, but... Wilder." Fischl added while examining the map as well.

"Eight Hidden Cities... So in this world, instead of seven nations, it's eight. And instead of nations, it was cities. Don't know how I should feel about that." Mona mumbled softly while in thought.

There are eight big red X marks on the world map, which according to Diluc are the locations of the Hidden Cities. Each mark are labeled with a name, but now five of those names have been crossed out, with the name "Mondstadt" being the most recent one. All that remains, are Guili, Enkanomiya, and Gurabad.

"Something's on your mind, Paimon?" Kazuha asked when he found the fairy oddly being quiet.

Paimon was immersed in her thoughts as she looks closer on the world map. These eight Hidden Cities... Were they supposed to represent an alternate form of the seven nations of their Tevyat?

Tevyat only has seven nations, but those were only the nations under the rule of a god. In her journey with Lumine, Paimon had come to learn about the existence of another nation, the eighth godless nation, the nation of Khaenri'ah. Where Dain and the Abyss Order originated from.

These hidden cities aren't explicitly stated to be in reference to those nations. But their names... Or at least, two of them, rings a bell inside Paimon. "Guili" as if... Guili plains, a region inside of Liyue. And "Enkanomiya" the underground city beneath the waves from where the people of Watatsumi Island came. And of course, there's "Mondstadt" the most direct of them all.

If these Hidden Cities are indeed this world's form of the seven nations, then does that mean one of them is...

"Paimon? Hey, are you okay?"

Paimon was finally snapped out of her thoughts when Kazuha place a hand on her back, she turn around to see him giving her a concerned look.

"Oh, um... Paimon is fine. Paimon was just thinking about what Lumi's journey be like. And she's kind of excited to see it." Paimon replied, lying to him about what she's truly thinking about.

"Ah, I see. In that case, we should find a way out of htere first." Kazuha nodded, the pixie wasn't sure if the Inazuman boy see through her lies or not. But if he's not, then at least Paimon is glad that he's willing to drop it.

Nobody in their group knows much detail about the incident that happened 500 years ago. The destruction of Khaenri'ah, the truth about Hilichurls, and the Abyss Order's relation to it. Those were infos that kept between Paimon, Lumine, and Dain. She shouldn't tell any of them about it, not yet.

"So how are we going to get out of here?" Fischl asked once the group done examining the stuff in the room.

"Well..." Mona glanced at the one and only door on the room. A broken down darkwood door. "There's only one obvious way out of here, so why don't we try that first?"

The group approached the door with Mona leading them on the front. Slowly, the astrologist put her hand on the doorknob and rotate it to the side with a click. She swing the door open carefully, which creates a loud creaking sound due to how old and rundown it is. Opening it wide open, what lies behind the door makes the group lightly gasped.

It was a corridor that lies behind the door, an unnaturally long one, with dozens of doors filling both sides of the corridor up until the very end.

"What kind of room is this?" Paimon questioned, both in awe and confusion. "Which door should we go through? There's so many of them."

"Hmm..." Kazuha hummed in thought, he approached one of the doors in one side. "Let's see..." He rotates the doorknob and open the door slowly.

When the door opened, instead of a room behind it, there was a whole scene of memory inside that the group had to witness.

"Wow, so this is Guili city?"

Lumine asked in both shock and awe. The fatigue of having to climb up through the mountains that towers over even the clouds are immediately washed away upon laying her eyes on the city built atop of the mountain, basked in the rays of the rising sun, giving it a glittering effects in their eyes.

"I didn't know thare could be a city all the way up here! How did they even built this place?!" The blonde girl exclaimed, her own eyes are glittering from the excitement.

"They don't call it a Hidden City without a reason, you know." Diluc said with a heavy sigh, provoked from his companion's antics. "With a stronghold built all the way up here in this altitude, monsters cannot easily bring themselves up to attack the city. Although flying monsters do exist and pose as many threats as the ones that crawl on the ground, there aren't many of that kind of species in this part of the region." The red haired man explained with Lumine nodding in understanding.

"You said that this city is called the City of Trades, why is it called that?" It's Barbara's turn to ask, she looks at Diluc with a curious gaze.

"Well, that's because this city also happens to be built at the center of the map." Diluc answered, turning to look at the side to take on the view of the world from up here. "The Hidden Cities are built in ways that there's a route that connects one city to another. It was purposely made that way so that traveling from between cities are made easier, and for trade routes to be established. But for this city in particular however, Guili was made purposely here so that it becomes the center of all trade routes, making it so that all other Hidden Cities are connected to it." The redhead explained.

"Is that so? You really are knowledgeable about this, master Diluc." Barbara said with a nod.

"Hmm, if monsters hardly attacked this city because of it's location. How do you think we're able to find the Fragment Guardian like this?" Lumine asked, sounding confused.

"Don't ask me. I have no idea." Diluc shook his head.

"How about if we try asking around for info?" Barbara suggested, the other two turned to look at her. "Somebody in this place should have know some info about strong monsters in the area. After all, they still need to get down from the mountain occasionally."

"Huh, you're right, that is a good idea." Lumine agree with a nod of her head. "But who should we be asking though?" The blonde girl asked.

"Let's start with common folk first, then, we could ask the authorities." Diluc suggested, and the two girls agreed with him.

The door closes on them, as the memory ended.

"Huh, that's weird." Paimon turns around to face the group and glance around the room. "The memory just ended, but we're still here."

"Looks like that memory didn't progress us to the next sequence like usual." Kazuha mused, his eyes glanced towards Mona. "Any idea, lady Megistus?"

"Hmm, if I have to guess... I think we just entered what it seems to be a memory corridor." Mona guessed.

"A memory corridor?" Xinyan raise an eyebrow.

"It was... An archive of sorts." Mona clears her throat as she began explaining. "All the memories we witnessed before are put in a pattern that all of them are connected on a single line, a "timeline" you may call it, because it happens after one another." Mona's eyes glanced to look around the corridor once more. "But in a memory corridor however... While the memories do not happen at the same time, they've been archived to put under a single category. It was akin to a volume of a novel series if I have to make a comparison."

"Ah, I get it." Kazuha muttered with a nod. "So this corridor is an archive of Lumine's memories during her journey in finding these "Primordial Fragments" she's looking for, then?" Kazuha asked.

"That's right. And I think this might not be the only one." Mona replied.

"But how are we supposed to move on like this?" Paimon asked, rubbing her head with one hand. "There's so many memories. Do we have to open every single door?"

"Well, I think we don't really need to." Mona shook her head. "One of these doors should lead us to a memory that connects us with the next one on the timeline. Opening the right door should do the job." The black haired astrologist then paused a little. "But as for the matter of which one... Well... I have no idea."

The others in the group face palmed themselves upon that.

"Welp, that's it. Enjoy the show everyone." Fischl sighed defeatedly.

In the end, the group decided to take turns on who should open which door. They first start with Paimon. The little pixie led them to a door on the opposite side of the corridor, pointing out that they should start simple. The group has no opposition, so they let her open the door.

"This is the place. The client said that he last saw the big monster entering this cave." Diluc said as he read the contents of the paper on his hand.

The party is back down on the ground level, and as of currently, they were standing in front of the mouth of a giant cave, the inside was so dark that even the sunlight aren't enough to light it up. But despite of the terrifying sight before them, they don't back away, for they have a reason to be here.

The Primordial Fragments they're looking for is said to be guarded by a strong monster, so the party had taken some time asking around for some info regarding such, and one such info led them here to where they said monsters are nested in.

"Do you really think the monster he saw was the one we're looking for? Seem kinda too easy." Barbara muttered out loud.

"We won't know until we see it for ourselves." Lumine replied, taking out her sword and prepare herself. "Come on, let's go."

The three enters the cave without much further ado.

As expected, the insides of the caves are even darker than what's in the entrance, it's so dark that they could barely see anything. But luckily however, the party conveniently has someone who could generate lights from her palm like it was nothing, and by using that ability, Lumine act as the flashlight of the group as they descent further.

They arrived at the cave's interior, which are a set of stone corridors that goes into multiple set of directions.

With only glowing crystals that grows on the walls for illumination, the caves were crawling with all kinds of monsters. Most of them having the shape of insects that you'd find under rocks, but with their size being way way bigger than they supposed to.

With the sudden appearance of a blinding golden light amongst the solid hard walls, all eyes turns towards the unwelcomed guests, who bathe themselves within the golden lights. Fangs barred and venoms dripping, the monsters crawl their way towards the intruder without hesitation.

Seeing the advancing enemies, the party of trio prepare themselves.

Having lived in the confines of these small, dark, deep underground caves and only come out to the surface once the moon rises, these creatures must've hated the blinding blazing rays of the sun, Lumine concluded. Having an idea in mind she told her two friends to shut their eyes closed, and trusting her abilities, they did.

Lumine raise her hand with an open palm, gathering her magical energy into her palm. She continues to pour the light energy into the orb she's forming on her hand as the monsters advance further. And once they're all closed enough, she finally released all of that built-up energy, which explodes into a wave of blinding golden lights that quickly spreads all over the place.

The monsters were all left screeching and screaming after that, as the intense light she just released blinds them.

Now with their enemies all stunned in place, it's time for Diluc to make a quick work of them, using his flames to burn them all to cinders within a matter of seconds, ending the battle before it even began.

"The cave systems goes further down from here. We might find what we're looking for down there."

"Alright, I shall continue provide us with some lights."

From there, the party ventures further down. Encountering even more monsters, finding some rare minerals while on the way, and even looting some previous belongings to some dead bodies they found scattered in the caves. After spending more than an hour venturing the maze like structures, they eventually arrived at what they presumed to be the end of the cave, a giant underground room, filled with monsters, lots of them, in much larger quantity that they've ever seen before.

Among the crowd of nasty creatures, there is one that stood out the most. Towering over the other monsters, there's a creature with flesh covered in stones and crystals, rock solid materials that covered it's entire body as if it was a bunch of rocks piling up together to form a sentience.

"There, that's the creature we're looking for. It matches the description." Diluc said while pointing at the rock monster.

The trio were standing on a high ground distance away from the platform where all the monsters is gathering. The darkness of the cave conceal their presence from the creatures for now, giving them time to concoct a plan.

"Could that be one of the Fragment Guardian?" Barbara asked, turning her head to look at Lumine whose eyes are fixated on the huge monster.

"Hmm... I don't know." Lumine said with a shake of her head. "I don't see any Primordial Fragments on that thing. Not from here anyway." The blonde girl said with a little sigh.

"Then we better take a closer look." Diluc hmph'ed, bringing his longsword up to rest on his shoulders, the blade already turns red from the heat of his flames. "If we could, that is."

"We'll make sure of it." Lumine said with a nod. Taking out her sword to prepare for battle, Barbara beside her also prepare herself.

With a snap of her fingers, Lumine creates a spark of light which draws the attention of all monsters in the room immediately. They turned their heads towards the party, and upon seeing their how their preys have willingly enters their domain, they wasted no time to charge in. With the group also doing the same, heading straight in towards the enemies.

Using his blazing flames and her blinding lights, Diluc and Lumine slaughtered the monsters that swarmed them from every direction, while Barbara stayed behind on the higher ground to provide support, occasionally raining down water from above to distract the enemies, or provide healing magic for the two below.

Eventually, as minutes passed, the once sea of nasty monsters were reduced to piles of smoking charred corpses that flooded the floor of the cave. But the battle is not over just yet, they still haven't dealt with the boss of the dungeon yet.

The rock golem moves to face them, and both Lumine and Diluc charges towards it, coating their respective weapons with their elemental energy before doing battle.

But even with their elemental powers, the two barely lay any scratch on the creature. They're going nowhere by trying to damage the rocks that made up its body. In order to truly defeat this foe, they must attack the heart of the creature, one that's located inside its chest as Lumine noted from a close observation. 

"G-Gah!" The golem smacks Lumine with its gigantic hand, sending her hurling away.

"Lumi-chan!" Barbara saw this, and attempts to use her power to create a wall of water to cushion her friend's crash.

But she was beaten by a mysterious shadow that zips around the arena far quicker than she could react. 

The shadow that had just appeared, caught Lumine, stopping her from crashing against the ground. Feeling a pair of hands placed on her shoulders, and her back pressed against a warm front of someone else's body, warm breaths tickled the back of her neck as the mysterious person is standing right behind her.

Who is this? It can't be Barbara, she's on the higher ground, providing support throughout the fight, and as for Master Diluc, he's still there, fighting the golem, so who-

"Be careful." The person behind her whispered, in a boyish voice.

He let go of her, and Lumine collapse to the floor, both because of exhaustion from fighting the horde and the rock golem, but also because of the earlier attack hurts her already tired body.

And as the blonde girl sits on the floor panting, she looks up as the figure who saved her walk pass by.

The said figure is a young boy, barely any taller than Lumine's height. He has dark medium-length hair with some teal undertones, a pale skin, and a pair of golden eyes. He wore a black sleeveless shirt with amber markings and high white collar. On his right arm, he wear a golden shoulder guard and a black wristband, while on his left hand, he wear a long black arm guard that reached to his forearm. He baggy pants with one side being colored white while the other is black, a tail coat trails behind him, swaying gently as he move his dark gray boots covered foot.

"You are..." Lumine didn't know what to say. Just who is he, and what is he doing here?

"Leave this one to me." The green haired boy mattered once more before moving further away from her.

As he walks, Lumine felt a rush of winds brushing against her face, which seems impossible given that they are several feet underground to feel a strong breeze of wind like on the outside. But then she realized that these winds aren't normal. In fact, they were summoned by that green haired boy.

He stopped moving after a few steps. Crossing his arms across his chest, his golden eyes move to observe the battle before him, his pupils focused, never straying away from his target, like a predator that stalks it's prey from the bushes, he continues to observe as the golem battles Diluc. Waiting so patiently for an opening.

The golem opens it's chest, exposing it's heart, as energy builds up. Diluc know that it was the beast's weakness, but from the distance he was away from the monster, charging in to attack now wouldn't be successful, and the golem will attack him first with a blast of elemental energy which it's about to unleash from it's chest. This is an opening, but one that he wouldn't make it. But it's not the same for this mysterious boy, however, this is all he needs.

Lumine felt the winds changed it's course in a single second, from blowing away gently to suddenly getting sucked into one spot underneath the boy's feet. And that built up energy explodes into a breeze that launched him up high into the air.

Lumine watch in awe as the boy above her somersaults in the air, a long jade spear materialize in his palm in a split second, and then, using that same technique, he calls forth the wind to propell him forward towards the enemy, with his spear pointing forward like a needle being thrown. 

"Useless!" He shouted as he plunged his spear straight towards the rock golem's heart, needing only a total of three seconds to defeat the monster.

The punctured heart explodes when the built-up energy was failed to be released. Yet that boy had already jumped away when that happened. The rock golem is defeated, it's body crumbles and reduced to notching but piles of rocks, minerals to be harvested and sold.

Gracefully, the green haired boy, landed on the ground, resting the back of his spear on the ground while letting out a small sigh. The group gathers around him, Diluc who had just noticed his presence turn around to look at him, Barbara who came down to heal Lumine stares at him in wonder. But among the three pairs of eyes that focuses on him, his eyes only turned to stare the golden ones among them.

Lumine and the boy stared at each other, their minds left wondering.

The door slams shut, as the memory ended, and everyone was left in amazement and surprise. 

"Wow, is that Xiao?!" Paimon squealed after looking at the familiar face.

"A guardian Adeptus, the Vigilant Yaksha himself... I didn't quite expect that." Mona muttered, putting one hand on her chin.

"I'll never thought to see an Adeptus making an appearance here. Boy, the Traveler sure is full of surprises." Xinyan commented with a shake of her head.

"A person from Liyue, appearing on a city based from ancient Liyue... Hmm..." Kazuha mused while closing his eyes. "Something worth noting..."

They moved towards the next door, it's Kazuha's turn now, and he chose to open the door next to the one they've just opened. He rotates the handle and slowly pushed it open, allowing bright lights to pour out.

"I was expecting for us to meet you at some point. But I didn't expect it would be this soon."

The party is now back outside, standing over a small hill where the breeze feels very refreshing, good to rest their tired bodies from the battle earlier.

After making sure to check every single rock that the monster drop, Lumine is unable to find anything, making their mission to be pointless, but at least they do find some rare minerals while inside the cave. But more importantly, they also met with this mysterious young boy, whom they are talking to right now.

"You knew him Captain Diluc?" Barbara stares at Diluc with a questioning look.

"Not specifically." The redhead answered with a small shake of his head. "I do know about the existence of other Mages in other hidden cities, and especially about how the systems of their deployment differ from one another."

"System of deployment?" Lumine tilted her head in confusion.

"Different with how Mondstadt's higher ups would forcibly snatch away children suspected to be mages from their families at an early age. Guili's methods are less... Inhumane in comparison." Diluc explained, he sneak a glance to the boy who stares back at him nonchalantly. "From what I've heard, the Mages here were treated no differently than the other ordinary people. They became guardians of this city out of their own free will, they call them, the Adepti."

There's no reaction coming out of the boy, Lumine noted, he listen silently as if what he heard wasn't about him at all.

"And among the Adepti, there are five of them who were regarded as the strongest of the bunch, the Yakshas, people called them." Diluc stares at the boy, who has his eyes closed. "I believe that you are one of them, Conqueror of Demons?" The redhead asked. Is that some sort of title.

"Hmph." The boy huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Spare me all the praises. I don't consent with all of these titles." The green haired man said. "But it's true, I am indeed an Adeptus and a Yaksha, one and the last."

So he is a Mage as well? So there are other Mages exist in other parts of the planet. But what does he mean by "one and the last?"

"Oh, I see. It's a great pleasure to meet you, Mr. Adeptus sir, thank you so much for your help back there." Barbara put one hand on her chest and nods her head in gratitude.

"Just call me Xiao." The green haired boy said with a small sigh. "And don't bother thanking me, I was there for my own reasons. Our objective seems to coincidentally align together, that's all."

After saying that, Xiao turn around and ready to take his leave.

"If you're here to hunt monsters, I suggest that you be more careful next time. That beast aren't exactly the nastiest one out here." He said before walking away.

"W-Wait!" Before he leave, Lumine called out to him.

"What is it?" He immediately turn around to face her.

"I... Um..." She gulped the lump in her throat before bowing her head. "I just want to thank you. You know, for saving me."

"There's no need for-"

"I just need to say it, okay!" She insisted, raising her head she looks at him who stares back at her. "It just feels right to do so."

He was silent for a while, before letting out another sigh and nods his head in reply.

After that, Xiao is ready to leave again, but before that, she couldn't help but to ask once more.

"Will we meet again?"

"If fate decides to, we'll see." And Lumine hears his reply before he disappear out of her sight.

The door slammed shut as the memory ended.

"Welp, that pretty much confirms it. He really is Xiao." Paimon remarked once the memory is over.

"I feel like these Mages on this world are like the equivalent of Vision wielders of our world." Mona said while scratching her chin. "They're practically the same, people with the ability to control elemental energy, but unlike in our world, these people were born with the ability instead of needing something like our Visions."

"Top it off with how the Mages we've seen so far are the counterparts of the Vision holders we knew of our Tevyat." Kazuha added, closing his eyes as he mused. "Is this fate or coincidence?"

"Speaking of counterparts. I do wonder if we'll be seeing me soon. Since we're in the Liyue of Lumine's world and all." Xinyan muttered, with everyone starting to wonder about it as well.

And with that curiosity, it's Xinyan's turn to open a door, and she choose a door three doors next to the last one on the other side of the corridor. Carefully, she rotates the handle and push it open, allowing lights to pour in.

"We're almost there, prepare yourselves." Diluc said to the two people behind him.

"Roger." Both Lumine and Barbara replied.

The group were running down the deserted streets heading towards parts of the town that were reportedly under attack by some monsters.

And since they are people who are fully capable of fighting, and were coincidentally nearby, as well not wanting to see what happened to Mondstadt happen here, they rushed to the scene as quickly as they could.

A couple of minutes later, they arrived at the scene. It took place at a city park where people would gather at this time of day.

Growling sounds and screams filled the air as people were getting chased by multiple flying winged monsters of varying forms. Some people were running around in panic with monsters chasing on their trails, others were hiding in the corner taking refuge, and there are some who lie on the ground injured. Despite of how bad it looks, it's gladdening to know that no people lost their lives just yet.

"I guess monster attacks do happen here, just rarely." Lumine muttered silently.

"Let's take care of them before more people got injured." Diluc said to which both Lumine and Barbara nods their head.

They split up, just like usual. Diluc and Lumine will handle the fighting, while Barbara's off helping the people and evacuate them to safety.

Since they are dealing with flying monsters, ranged attacks are needed, and with both Diluc and Lumine are sword users, their weapons are useless on this kind of situation, they utilised their magical powers instead.

Throwing fireballs and blast of light energy, they managed to defeat some monsters, but it's not done yet. There's still many of them in the area.

"Lumi-chan, look out!"

"G-Gah!"

Barbara warns her with a yell, but she wasn't quick enough to react when one of the flying monsters slash at her with their sharp talons, staggering her enough to fall.

Groaning in pain, she tried to turn her body around to stand up, but before she could, she felt something gripped her sides, and then she's being carried off the ground.

"W-Whoa!" One of the flying beast took hold of her with their talons. And she is being helplessly carried up to the air, her sword laid on the ground, completely out of reach.

Her friends noticed her struggle, and attempted to free her by shooting down the flying beast, but it easily dodge their attacks and continue to carry her upwards.

'Is it going to make fell to my death?' Lumine mentally wondered about her incoming demise.

The winged beast continues to carry her higher and higher until Lumine could barely make out the tiny figures of the people below.

And then without warning, it drop her.

The her world is spiraling out of control, even if she could use magic to save herself, there's no way of using it now when she is falling down from high altitude while spinning in the air. Lumine let's out a scream as she fell.

Just when she thought it's going to be over, her ears faintly hear the sounds of the beast scream from above amidst the rushing past of winds around her. Why did it suddenly scream?

Her world finally stopped spinning, and she felt a pair of hands placed on her legs and back as something warm embrace her falling body. Before she knows it, she's already on the ground level, only levitating slightly off the floor.

Her dazed vision gradually becomes clear. She looks up to her saviour, and saw a familiar face with gold irises and dark green hair.

"X-Xiao?" Lumine recognize this boy, the one that helps her a few weeks ago during a monster hunt.

The winged beast that attacked her just now fell right behind them, crashing to the ground and sends clouds of dust up to the air. A spear was stuck to it sides, so that's the reason behind that scream earlier, seems like Xiao had taken it out swiftly.

"Be careful now." He whispered as he sets Lumine down to stand on her feet.

"Thanks for saving me again, Xiao." Lumine breathed out, smiling at him a little.

"I was merely doing my duty." The Yaksha said nonchalantly as he approach the fallen beast and retrieve his spear from it's corpse.

"Lumi-chan!" Lumine then head the voice of her friend and turn around to see Barbara and Diluc approaching. "Are you alright?" The nurse asked while looking at her up and down.

"I'm fine. Xiao saved me." Lumine nodded, gesturing at Xiao behind her, which the two finally noticed just now.

"You're finally here." Diluc said as he and Xiao look at one another. "Can't say you're not late. But you came at the perfect timing."

"I was outside when I heard the news." Xiao answered simply.

Just then, multiple growls are heard, and they look around to find themselves surrounded by the remaining winged beasts, circling around them in the air. Lumine prepare her magic once more to attack, but a hand squeeze her shoulder, she look to the side to see Xiao lightly pushes her back.

"Just leave the the rest to us." He said as breeze of winds swirls around him.

""Us?"" Lumine tilted her head at the plural.

After that, the screeches and growls were abruptly silenced.

Lumine felt a strange sensation in the air, it was like the humidity of the surrounding area are greatly increased. She looks around to see bubbles forming and popping in the air. A water elemental magic? She turned to look at Barbara but she doesn't find her performing any spells. So who...?

She looks around and spotted someone, a girl with long black flowing black hair, she wore a black uniform with a mini skirt and a red necktie, on top of which she wore a long white coat. Additionally, she wore a blue pair of stockings on her legs and black shoes. And lastly, on top of her head, she wore a blue large witch hat with a white starry patterns.

"Your fates, ends here!" The girl with the blue hat declared as she snaps her fingers.

Water bubbles, much larger than the ones on the ground, appears around all the flying monsters heads. Filled with water, these bubbles stays on then, and the monsters collectively drowned in them despite of their attempts to free themselves.

To finish things off, Xiao leaps into the air. He points his spear forward and dashed across the air like a needle being thrown, piercing through every enemies easily like they were pincushions.

In just five seconds, the green haired boy is already back on the ground, all the flying beast fell down, dead, with their insides spilling everywhere.

It took the three of them a long time to just to kill some, and yet, these two combined are capable of killing them in just seconds...

She really need to get stronger.

While she was being frustrated by her weakness, a hand reaches out to her. A hand that belongs to that man who saved her. Xiao's expression is not a gentle nor a very welcoming one, but his gestures speaks louder than words. And Lumine finds herself already reaching out to take his hand and stood up back to her feet with his support.

Perhaps that's the answer she seeks. She is not strong from being alone, someone needs to be there to guide her.

"Where's that "thank you" for me? I'm waiting."

Lumine turned her head to look at the newcomer among them. The ravenette approaches with one hand placed on her hip, her long black hair sways in the air as she walks, her eyes which are colored pale sea green stares at Lumine with a well hidden interest.

"Who are you?" Barbara questioned the girl.

"How rude, asking for someone's name before introducing yourself first." The ravenette huffed, crossing her arms. "Oh well, I'll let it slide this time. Mona Megistus, pleased to make your acquaintance." She said with a little bow, taking her hat off and place it on her chest.

Lumine stares at the ravenette. She could feel magical energy emanating from her, the one she felt on those bubbles that drowned those monsters.

So she's a mage, with water elemental abilities as well, just like Barbara.

"So You are the mage that cast the spell just now." Lumine said, she heard the other girl huffed which is pretty much a confirmation.

"A mage? You're an Adeptus too?" Barbara asked again with a tilt of her head.

"She's not." Xiao was the one who answered. "All members of the Adepti are natives of Guili. We all take pride in sending ourselves to battle and guard our beloved homeland. But Miss Megistus, however, is not." The green haired boy said while giving the object of conversation a side glance.

"Huh, so even though you're a mage here, you're not one of them?" Lumine asked a bit curiously. 

"That's correct. I am indeed just one of the regular peeps here." The black haired girl known as Mona answered as she puts her hat back on. "Though I'm not one of the Adepti, nor this is my birthplace, I still lived here, you definitely wouldn't want intruders wreaking havoc inside your home now, don't you?"

"Guess not." Lumine replied, scratching the back of her head.

"Well, anyway." Xiao spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "The authorities should arrive here at any moment now to clean up the mess. And I still have things to do." The green haired boy turned himself around. "See you guys around."

"Ah, wait-" Lumine called out to him to stop, but he had already flew away using his wind element to carry himself through the air.

She had only thanked him for saving her again. Lumine wished she could spend more time talking to him, perhaps to hear his stories about being the guardian of this city.

Perhaps later. She is sure that there will be time when the two could finally talk in private. 

"Well then..." With the Yaksha gone and only silence fills the air between them. Mona spoke up as she turned towards the group. "Seeing now we have ourselves some free time. Why not find ourselves a nice place for a little chat?"

The ravenette said while her eyes stared straight towards Lumine, full of interest. But what is the thing that interests this girl the most about her?

Perhaps she could find out in their little chat.

The door slammed shut as the memory ended.

Everyone stayed silent for a moment. And then silently, all eyes moved towards Mona.

"Well, well, well." Paimon began, her eyes narrowed into a mischievous look. "Look who decided to show up. If it isn't lady Mona Megistus herself."

"I... I-I can't believe it..." Mona stuttered, her eyes wide in both shock and disbelief. "Is that really me?"

"She looks really like you, even though her clothes are different." Xinyan noted.

"And she speaks almost like the pattern of your speeches as well." Kazuha added.

"Hahaha, even in a different dimension, you're still the same old Mona Megistus. How very amusing." Fischl laughed, covering her mouth with one hand.

"S-Stop it! That girl is obviously not me!" Mona yelled with her face went a little bit red. "Well, I mean... I guess she is me, but we're not the same, alright?"

"Okay okay, Paimon's just teasing you." Paimon waved her hands in defence. "But still, Paimon couldn't believe that we actually get to see one of us inside these memories. It makes Paimon even more excited to see how the rest of "us" looks like."

"Can't say if I'm feeling excited to see another version myself anytime soon." Xinyan said with a shake of her head. "But I guess there's no avoiding it now, can it?" The others hummed in agreement.

"Welp, off to the next door then!"

Not wanting to stray too far, now with Fischl's turn to open a door, she chooses to simply open the door next to the one they opened before. She rotates the handle and pushed the door open, bright lights poured out as a memory start to play. 

"Your magical powers greatly interest me, miss Lumine."

The group find themselves sitting on chairs surrounding a round table. They sat beside an outdoor pool of what appears to be a hotel, there are several other people nearby either swimming or enjoying some lunch on a similarly round tables with umbrella that shields them from the bright of the sun.

Since arriving at this place, the four of them have spent the time by talking. They each take turns in asking a question, and the party all asked a simillar topic regarding more details about the city.

Lumine asked for history about the city, mainly how it came to be and also how it's guardians were first formed.

Barbara asked about the culture surrounding the city, granted since it's the first time she ever set foot outside of Mondstadt's terrains.

And as for Diluc, he just straight up asked for info about any particular known strong monsters in the area.

But those discusion comes from the party's questions. Even though she had answered the three's question to the best of her knowledge, Mona hasn't ask her own question as of yet.

And once all the three's questions has been asnwered, now it's her turn to ask. And the question she ask is...

"What are you?"

And she asked that while looking straight into Lumine's eyes.

The two on her sides immediately turned towards her. Curiosity and confusion are visible inside their eyes.

Lumine herself is equally confused as they are. What's the meaning behind this question?

"Uh... What?" Lumine asked, dumbfounded.

"You seem to not understand what I'm asking you..." The ravenette sighed a little while leaning back into her chair. "Alright then, I'll be more specific. Where did you come from?"

Lumine paused.

Where did this question comes from all of a sudden? It's not like Lumine couldn't answer it. But given her fractured memory as of now, she had a feeling that whatever answer she's about to give will not be satisfying one. So then she should-

"Lumi-chan came from Mondstadt. Just like us." As she was about to open her mouth, Barbara already answered the question in her stead.

"Oh, so you all came from that city of aristocrats?" Mona asked while raising an eyebrow at them. "I've had a hunch that you're not from around here, but I did not expect to see the citizens of that now destroyed city, let alone their Mages." 

Her words contain a sense of an unexpectedness, like she really is surprised to see someone from Mondstadt here. Lumine wonders why.

"So, I take it that you all are from The Four Winds then?" Mona asked again, hands on the table, she intertwine her fingers while testing her chin above them.

The Four Winds... It was the four squads that the Mondstadt's military was divided into. As a Mage, both Barbara and master Diluc are indeed one of their members. But as for Lumine...

"Both nurse Barbara and I are indeed former members of the Four Winds. Now with Mondstadt gone, we're basically out of duty right now." Diluc answered, before his eyes drifted to glance at Lumine. "But as for this girl however..."

"...Lumi-chan is not one of us." Barbara added with a shake of her head. "There's never been a record of her name in any of the Four Winds' squads."

"Oh? So you're an anomaly then. Not just in the world of magic, but also in the systems." Mona muttered silently while closing her eyes.

An anomaly? Sure, she may have been some unknown person with an unknown power hidden amongst the normal people, but that's all because nobody knows who she is! Including herself. 

If she were to have her memories right now, all this stuff would probably be less confusing to her.

"Does that answer your question?" Mona paused for a bit, then shook her head. "Then what's the point of asking me that?" Lumine questioned.

"It's simple. Your magical powers greatly interest me, miss Lumine." Mona answered, opening her eyes halfway to stare at Lumine.

A pause. The wind blows to fill the silence that follows after that. Lumine widen her eyes slightly, and her mouth parted in her confusion.

"My... Magical powers?" Lumine asked after a while.

"I really have to spell it for you, aren't I?" The ravenette lightly sighed before asking. "Have you ever observed your own powers?"

"My own powers?" Lumine tilted her head slightly, before a thought entered her head. "You mean how I call forth the power of light?"

"Precisely." Mona nod her head before crossing her arms on the table. "That power you wield... It is something I've never seen before." Mona stated, which causes Lumine to get confused again.

"Now you mentioned it. I too have been wondering about it for some time now." Lumine turned to look at Diluc who spoke up. The red haired man looks at her with a curious look as she asked. "Do you know how you came to possess that power?"

He's asking an amnesiac who barely even knows her name THAT?!

"I... I do not know." Lumine muttered silently with a shake of her head. Looking down on her palms on top of the table, imagining the things she shoots out from there. From blast of golden light energy to a straight up magical stun grenades. "All I know was Dain told me that there's a power that lies hidden deep inside me, one that only a select few possess." Sighing heavily, she shook her head once more. "Aside from that, I know nothing, perhaps maybe after we free him..."

"Right... I should have not asked you that." Diluc muttered, sounding a tiny bit of regret.

"Oh? And who is this "Dain" person, if I may ask?" Mona asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Eh, it's really complicated to explain." Lumine said before clearing her throat. "Anyway, back to topic. So what is it that made my power... Special?" The blonde girl asked.

"Well..." Mona leans back into her chair, crossing her legs under the table. "It's because there's never been a Mage with an affinity to light before."

"Affinity to light?" Lumine tilted her head in confusion.

"Let me explain." 

Mona raised a hand and snap her fingers. A bubble of water appears floating above on the middle of the table. Under some gestures of her hand, the bubble then change it shape, becoming flat and rectangular, appearing like some sort of a screen projections.

"When someone was born as a mage, they are born with an "affinity" to certain elements. Simply put, it is their bodies' compatibility to bend nature's elements which then becomes the source of their magical powers." 

On the water projected screens, multiple symbols that seem to represent seven different elements appears, gathering to form a circle that was placed on top of an image of what appears to be a human physiology.

"There are seven known nature elements that a Mage could born with an affinity for. These elements are: Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, Grass, Ice, and Rock." As she name the elements, the screen zooms in to the symbol that represent the said elements, making sure for everyone to remember them. "A Mage will born with an affinity for one of these seven elements, though it is also possible for them to have more than one through rigorous training." 

Mona placed a hand on her chest. "And as you've probably already guessed, my elemental affinity is to water." She gestured towards the two besides Lumine. "That girl besides you, is water as well, and that man, is fire. And as for that Yaksha boy, he is wind."

Now Lumine gets it. So basically, every mage has one nature element that they specializes in. Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, Grass, Ice, and Rock...

Lumine paused.

"Wait, you said that every mage has an affinity to one of these seven elements" The blonde haired girl began. Looking at Mona confusedly. "But then..."

"You get it now, didn't you?" Mona huffed a little, crossing her arms. "NONE of these seven elements matches with your powers." The ravenette shook her head. 

What?

"There's never been a Mage who born with a "light element" before. I hypothesized that it might've been a branch off of Fire, perhaps an inferior imitations of it, but none of it makes any sense." Putting a hand on her chin, the black haired girl looked deep in thought. "Your light is not an inferior substitute of the fire element, no, your light was a SUPERIOR version of fire." She revealed.

"Is my magic... Really that strong?" Lumine asked silently, barely a mutter.

"Yes." Mona said with a nod. "In fact, I might as well says that your power... is far stronger than all the seven elements combined."

The silence that follows was deafening to her.

Just who is she? Or more importantly... What is she?!

To Be Continued...