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A sudden strike from the right. Lumine parried, her unexpected strength for her petite size forcing her opponent back. She shifted ready to counterattack but he was already gone. Realizing a split second before it happened, she leapt to the side to avoid the attack from above. His spear lodged into the ground; the brief opening she had been waiting for. Lumine rushed forward with her sword posed for the finishing blow.
The next second her back hit the ground hard; and, the spear struck down mere millimeters from her neck. Xiao stared cooly down at her.
“You have a bad habit of leaving yourself completely open when you go on the offensive.”
Lumine let out a frustrated huff. “I’m aware.”
“So that’s why you wanted to spar?”
“I figured I should attempt to train out the habit before it gets me killed.”
“You’ve had a few close calls then.”
His gaze was a strange mixture of judgment and concern. It made Lumine squirm self-consciously. Only to become self-conscious in an entirely new way as their relative positions sank in. Xiao had her practically pinned beneath him.
“You can always call for me. I will be there.”
Lumine put her increased heart rate and flushed face to the sparring match. It had absolutely nothing to do with Xiao saying that in his spine-tingling husky voice while pinning her down. She certainly wasn’t hyper-aware of how his eyes softened as he continued to stare down at her. Attraction was a distraction; and, between her search for her twin and various events that had happened during her journey so far, her heart was more fragile than she cared to admit.
“If you two are done sparring!” Paimon popped up. “Let’s eat! You promised Paimon a picnic! Smelling the food while waiting has been torture!”
At the reminder of another person present, Xiao shifted his weight to stand before holding out a hand to Lumine. She took it, letting him effortlessly pull her to her feet.
“Picnic?” He asked in his what-is-this-foolishness tone.
Though there were certain boundaries she didn’t want to cross, Lumine still craved his companionship enough to use every ounce of charm she had to spend as much time with him as possible before she continued her journey to Sumeru.
“I thought after our spar you might join us? I made almond tofu.”
Also bribery.
“Fine. I’ll stay for this picnic.”
The bribery usually worked.
The following day found Lumine strolling down the overgrown road of a long deserted mining town. A bounty to deal with a particularly fierce group of hilichurls led by a stone lawalchurl had been tasked to her. Normally for a mission like this she’d have gotten together a full team. However, all her battle-ready friends in Liyue had other plans for the day. Chongyun was training up in the mountains with Shenhe. Xingqui had guild work he couldn’t get out of. Xiangling was on chef duty since her father had a cold. Yujin had a rehearsal. Hu Tao was overseeing a funeral. Baizhu and Qiqi were delivering medicines to Qingce Village. Xinyan was out of town, hopefully finally getting to enjoy that music festival. Yanfei was in the courtroom all day. Keqing, Ganyu, and Ninggaung were too busy to even ask. Yelan was nowhere to be found. The Alcor was out at sea as well so asking Beidou and Kazuha wasn’t an option either. Lumine wasn’t desperate or petty enough to interrupt Zhongli’s retirement for an overall minor threat.
Technically Xiao was always an option. He certainly wouldn’t mind helping her in battle. However, Lumine didn’t like to bother him multiple days in a row. Plus it was just a lawalchurl and some hilichurls. She’d fought worse alone before.
“You still have Paimon!”
“Of course, I can always depend on you, Paimon.”
“...Are you teasing Paimon?”
“Not at all. You’re the best emergency food a girl could ask for.”
“Hey!”
Lumine laughed as her floating companion huffed and puffed. However, their comedy act was quickly interrupted by a shrill scream.
“Help! Someone-!”
As quick as lightning Lumine’s entire demeanor shifted. She turned to the direction of the scream and sprinted, drawing her sword as she practically leapt over a small hill. There next to the entrance of an old mine shaft was the stone lawalchurl and friends looming over an unassuming, terrified man. Lumine quickly surveyed the surroundings and then kicked up a tornado. It barreled toward the hilichurls, absorbing the cyro of a mist flower in its path. The resulting icy vortex ripped into the hilichurls while simultaneously triggering a crystallize reaction with the stone lawalchurl. Thankfully the man wasn’t dumb or too stunned by fear, making haste to the offered shield.
With the bystander relatively safe, Lumine jumped into melee. The injured hilichurls were swiftly dispatched but the lawalchurl naturally proved more difficult. Remembering yesterday’s spar, she paid extra mind to curbing her bad habit. She kept up a dance of avoidance while slowly chipping away at its shield. Between no backup and a civilian to defend, she couldn’t afford to take any hard hits.
Eventually the stone lawalchurl fell. Lumine took a moment to catch her breath before sheathing her sword and turning to Paimon and the man.
“See! Paimon told you she had it handled!”
“Thank you, Traveler, for rescuing me,” the man said.
“You’re welcome,” Lumine replied, “But may I ask what you’re doing out here? You don’t seem to be part of the adventurer guild.”
“I’m Lin, just a humble gardener by trade. I only came out here after learning of an heirloom lost by my mother when her family moved to the harbor. Perhaps it's a foolish sentiment but I had hoped to find and return it to her.”
“Paimon thinks that’s very sweet of you.”
“I really should have thought it through more,” Lin admitted with a sheepish sigh, “I don’t know what I would have done if you two hadn’t come along.”
“It was nothing, really.”
“I know. Why don’t you two join me for dinner? My campsite isn’t much but I can grill a mean mushroom skewer. It’s a secret family recipe.”
“Secret family recipes are always yummy,” Paimon said while drooling at the thought.
Besides turning in the completed bounty, there was nothing else for them to do that day. They would probably wander the streets of Liyue for a while before retreating into her teapot. Then Paimon would inevitably fall asleep hours before Lumine was tired and leave her alone with her thoughts…
“That sounds nice,” Lumine agreed.
“Great,” Lin smiled like a cat that had caught a mouse, “My campsite isn’t far.”
As promised the mushroom skewers were delicious. In classic Paimon fashion, the fairy seemed to eat her own weight in food. Lumine enjoyed a few of them herself and happily washed them down with green tea. Conversation was pleasant as well. Lin avoided the typical topics people wanted to ask them about: their travels and battles. Instead he was happy to share amusing anecdotes about his colleagues and talk about rare plants from distant lands. It was a nice change of pace… yet something she couldn’t quite place tugged at the back of Lumine’s mind.
“I’m glad to see that you take care of your inteyvat. Those flowers are near impossible to find now.”
“It…” Lumine found herself stifling a yawn, “It was a gift.”
Paimon let out a long yawn as well, floating down to settle against Lumine. “Paimon’s sleepy…”
Lumine smiled fondly and patted her dozing travel guide’s head. That tug in the back of her mind was getting stronger yet everything felt so hazy and content. Like - for the first time since being separated from her brother - she could curl up and fall into a deep, peaceful slumber.
Realization hit like a blast from the cryo-hypostasis. “You drugged us!”
Lin shrugged lazily. “Honestly I thought Enjou was exaggerating about how you would walk right into an obvious trap just for a little company.”
Lumine shakily gathered Paimon in her arms and summoned her weapon. She knew there was no way she’d win a fight with her body so sluggish and mind fighting against the haze of sleep. Pulling a similar trick as when she had “saved” the monster calling itself Lin, she used anemo to swirl up the campfire in his face and then turned to run.
She got five strides before she stumbled; Paimon limplessly falling from her arms. Lumine glanced back to find vines had wrapped around her ankles. She went to cut the vines but more shot out, wrapping around her wrists and twining up her arms. Her sword dropped uselessly to the ground.
“Why do this?” She let out a hiss as vines began to crawl up her legs too. “I’m not actively ruining any of the Abyss Order’s plans right now.”
“Not currently,” Lin said as he once again stepped into Lumine’s line of sight. Then in a flash of green light he shed his human disguise and took on his true Abyssal form. “But you’ve become a… thorn in our side. The Prince believes you will one day join us of your own accord. However, some of us think you are too close to the gods and have ruined our plans too many times for that. So I’ve come to remove the thorn.”
The vines ensnaring her sprouted their own thorns. Every thorn that touched bare skin bit into her flesh. A few even managed to pierce the thinner layers of her otherwise sturdy clothing. Lumine couldn’t hide her wince.
“Dear,” he said, stepping uncomfortably close, “The pain hasn’t even started yet.”
Then poison flooded into her veins, into her soul. Too much, too fast for her inherent purifying ability to handle. She thrashed about to escape the vines’ relentless grip but only succeeded in digging the thorns deeper into her flesh. More poison burned through her. Her vision blurred. Her muscles spasmed. Horror slowly dawned at the cruel reality of her situation.
“I wonder what will break first,” the Abyss Lector mocked as he caressed her cheek, “Your body or your mind.”
Old instincts had her screaming for her brother. But, like a slap to the face, she quickly realized how fruitless that plea was. Tears dripped down her face and mixed with blood. She was aware of Lin speaking again but his voice was distant compared to the excruciating pain of corruption roaring through her veins. Then, as her consciousness began to darken, his promise echoed from deep within:
“If you awake to a knife at your throat. If monsters dig their claws into you. If death comes knocking at your door. Call out my name, Adeptus Xiao. I will be here when you call.”
She gripped that promise like a lifeline, her final and only hope, and focused the last dredges of her strength to call out:
“...Xi..ao!”
Xiao was sitting on the rooftop of the inn, eyes closed for a brief respite. He always felt lighter after spending time with the traveler. While part of it was her unique purifying ability lessening the burden of his karmic debt little by little, he’d come to accept that he just enjoyed his time with her. Enough that he didn’t begrudge even the silliest of reasons for her to call on him.
It was in this moment of peace that Xiao heard his name on the wind. Of the times she’d called for him, her voice had never sounded so raw and terrified. Immediately he knew that this was no mere request for a spar or asking him to taste test some dish. He leapt up, summoning his spear in hand, and then vanished in a gust.
It took him half a second to appear on the outskirts of an old mining village. Another millisecond to assess the situation. Lumine’s sword had been dropped uselessly. Her usually floating companion was also sprawled on the grass unconscious. Vines twisted snake-like around Lumine’s limbs and torso, suspending her limply off the ground. Thorns that pulsed with corrosion and abyssal poison bit deep into her skin. There was only one enemy. An enemy who had the audacity to clutch Lumine’s face in mock intimacy.
With one swift movement he shredded the vines ensnaring Lumine; the Lector jumping back just in time to avoid the same fate. Xiao caught the now unconscious traveler before she could hit the ground and then turned his wrathful glare on the Abyss Lector.
“Heh, I wasn’t aware she had such a close relationship with Morax’s lap dog.”
Xiao shifted his stance so that he could fight while keeping Lumine in his hold. It would be a hassle but was the most tactical choice against an enemy that could use dendro so masterfully. However, before Xiao could attack, the Lector put his hands up in a motion of surrender.
“As much as I would enjoy watching her unravel, I have no intention of fighting any battles I haven’t prepared for.”
Xiao narrowed his eyes. The Lector smirked as a vine suddenly shot out of the ground, wrapping around Paimon’s tiny body.
“Especially not when I already accomplished my goal.”
Then he flung the unconscious fairy off the cliff. With a growl in his throat Xiao rushed to catch her as well. In the brief second it took to return with both unconscious girls safe in his arms, the Abyss Lector was gone. The Yaksha silently vowed to hunt the monster down once Lumine and Paimon’s health were assured.
Turning his full attention to them, Xiao’s frown deepened as he stared down at Lumine’s expression twisting in pain. The sheer amount of abyssal energy poisoning her was more than enough to corrupt or kill any of the Adepti. Part of him hated to admit that this was too perilous a situation for him to handle alone. Yet Lumine’s sanity and life were on the line; and, if her mind fell to the darkness before her body failed…
Xiao had once warned that he would mercilessly strike down even her should she ever succumb to darkness. Yet now faced with the possibility of that very situation occurring all he could do was desperately consider how to save Lumine.
Zhongli felt it before he saw it. A flare of adeptal energy coming from outside the harbor. He silently excused himself, not caring if it was considered rude to leave in the middle of Iron-Tongue Tian’s story.
Once on the streets he could clearly see the signal in the sky. Humans nowadays would think it a simple firework; however, during and after the Archon War, it had been used as a distress signal between Yaksha. At first it was just for when they came across too great of a threat and needed reinforcements. Unfortunately it didn’t take long for it to become near synonymous with a Yaksha’s descent into madness and impending death. The last time it had been used was the day that Bonanus and Menogias lost themselves to paranoia. By the time Zhongli had arrived they had already fatally wounded each other.
Xiao was the only Yaksha left. That he - who had refused the distress flare even the night his karmic debt nearly consumed him - had sent it up now was worrying to say the least.
Zhongli sprinted down the street and out of the city, much to the confusion of everyone who witnessed the sight. After all, the consultant was well known for being unflappable. Once far enough away from curious eyes, the Prime of the Adepti fastened his pace to an inhuman speed.
Minutes later he arrived at the source of the signal: the newly restored Temple of Pervases. A powerful seal had been placed around it, borrowing the statue inside as an anchor point. That sight briefly eased his heart; Xiao wouldn’t have been able to create such a seal if he were succumbing to karmic debt. Zhongli took a deep breath to prepare for whatever had brought the Vigilant Yaksha to such desperate measures and then stepped through the door, the seal welcoming him with open arms.
Morax was not prepared for the sight of the Traveler’s tattered and unconscious body laid carefully on the floor, her head resting on Xiao’s lap, as dark energy ravaged through her. His Yaksha looked up at him with pleading eyes that reminded him a little of their first meeting. Their positioning also reminded him of the day Guizhong had returned to dust.
Immediately Zhongli understood what Xiao was planning and why his presence had been so desperately requested.
“Lumine has purification abilities far more powerful than any naturally found in Tyvet,” he stated, “She may well pull through without assistance.”
Xiao’s eyes glanced back down as he replied, “I can sense the poison has trapped her in nightmares of her deepest fears and insecurities. She’s losing the strength of will to fight.”
“If you enter her dreams,” Zhongli countered, “You risk exposing yourself to the poison.”
“She called for me just before she fell unconscious. I promised to come to her aid whenever she calls my name.”
Zhongli raised a brow in subtle surprise. “…I was aware you’d become fond of the traveler but I didn’t realize your feelings ran deep enough to make an oath .”
Perhaps in a less grim situation Xiao’s face would have flushed pink. Instead he just let out a heavy, guilt-ridden breath before speaking again, “My lord, I apologize for asking this of you. But whether you agree or not, I cannot knowingly break my oath to Lumine anymore than you could break your oath to Lord Guizhong.”
Zhongli resisted the long-suffering sigh in his lungs. This was the closest Xiao had ever come to arguing with him. That he brought up Guizhong was the nail in the coffin. Even after thousands of years and his own retirement, his heart was still bound to his own oath to his late partner.
Plus the traveler was too important: On a personal level as a dear friend and the apparent beloved of his Yaksha; and, for the future of Tyvet as a whole. As much as he didn’t want to risk not only losing Xiao but also being the one forced to strike him down, it was perhaps a necessary risk.
“Very well,” he relented, “You are an expert of the dreaming mind. I shall stand guard. You have my word.”
Xiao nodded, a little of the tension in his body relaxing. If nothing else, he could be assured that should the worst case scenario happen no harm would befall Liyue. The Yaksha then returned his full attention to the traveler’s troubled sleep. Her expression remained a pained grimace. Her skin had become clammy and unnaturally pale. Xiao brushed a sweaty strand of hair from her forehead before closing his eyes and entering her nightmare.
Meanwhile, Zhongli stood still as stone. Besides strengthening the seal around them and standing watch there was little he could do to help. Though considered the strongest of the Seven before his faked death, his talents were useless in circumstances like these. However, there was one person who might be able to soothe their suffering.
“I know there’s usually at least one wind sprite around Xiao,” Zhongli said to the supposedly empty air, “Please relay the situation to Barbatos.”
A breeze ruffled his hair and clothes in reply before leaving out the window.
While pulling the mind of a dreamer into the physical plane required an intricate ritual to stabilize the process, entering a dream tended to be much simpler. All it took was a meditative state and an understanding of how the mind intersected with space-time. For Xiao it was as natural as flight was to his illuminated beast form.
Upon first glance, Lumine’s dream seemed far from a nightmare. Xiao found himself in a garden among the clouds. The colors were filtered pastel with nostalgia. Childrens’ laughter danced through the air.
Then a door appeared as the garden faded into a void. Unable to do anything else, Xiao opened the door. On the other side he found the cosmos above the heavens. Twin comets crossed the galaxies, always spiraling in each other’s orbit. Fragments of memories echoed through the unfathomable space.
“What world should we visit next?”
“Here. Let me braid your hair.”
“What did you think of that world?”
“You slept forever this time!”
“Can we find someplace with chicken?”
“You have bed-head.”
“What do you think of this world?”
“Have you seen my sword?”
“I'll miss these people when we leave.”
“Look at this field of flowers!”
“We can't go back, remember?”
“Sorry, I got bored.”
“Be careful! You almost hit an asteroid!”
“We’ll find a seamstress to fix it.”
“What world should we visit next?”
Honestly it was all a little overwhelming to even an Adeptus like Xiao. He had known the traveler was not of their world. Yet witnessing the grand scale of the cosmos Lumine and her twin had once freely traversed… It made him feel…
Insignificant.
Xiao frowned as he banished the curse from his thoughts. His mission was too important to allow karmic debt to bog him down. He focused his mind and shifted through the fragmented memories of Lumine’s subconscious to find her self within the dream.
“Outlanders, your journey ends here!”
Xiao quickly found Lumine reliving the day the siblings were separated. Her eyes slipped over him unseeing. He tried to reach out to her but his hand passed through her as if he were a ghost. This was far from normal. He had the power to make dreamers aware or unaware of his presence at will. As he watched that fateful battle repeat, he could only come to the conclusion that the poison was clouding Lumine’s perception.
The Yaksha also couldn’t help but note the unique way the twins fought. It was as if they were a single unit split into two parts. Suddenly it made perfect sense why a fighter as skilled as Lumine would leave herself wide open at times. Old habits and muscle memory were hard to break. Part of Lumine still expected her brother to be there.
Even with the twins’ battle prowess, it didn’t take long for their opponent to overcome them. Xiao attempted to intervene again as Lumine was caught by the strange cubes. However, he once again passed through her like a shade.
“Give my brother back!”
Everything went dark. The sensation of falling, falling, falling that seemed to last an eternity. Xiao reached out searching for Lumine in the pitch black. For a brief moment he was able to touch her, to catch her and stop the endless fall.
The dream rapidly morphed, shifting through more fragmented memories that Xiao had no context for. The Eleventh Harbinger with a playful smirk that made Xiao want to stab him. A shrine maiden in a fox mask. A young boy singing. A man wearing glasses standing in an ancient library. Another shrine maiden, this time with a snake mask. The fractured soul of a Khaenri’ah soldier.
The dream settled on a beach filled with soldiers in a celebratory atmosphere. Lumine was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the soldiers, a warm smile lighting her face.
Something dark and ugly twisted inside Xiao at the sight. Of course, he knew Lumine had made many friends over the course of her travels. Yet that smile …
Foolish to think that smile was for you alone.
“How did you even get alcohol?” The traveler asked, glancing at the clearly drunken soldiers goofing off. “That wasn’t part of the supplies.”
“A secret gift from our mystery supplier. Just don’t tell Her Excellently,” he answered with a wink. “Do you want a drink or not?”
Lumine laughed, “You’re the first person in all of Tyvet to offer me alcohol. Everyone else says I look too young.”
“If you’re old enough to be captain of a special ops force, then I figure you’re old enough to drink. Plus controlling three elements without a vision? Fighting the Raiden Shogun herself and surviving to tell the tale? There’s more to you than you’re telling. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re actually way older than you look.”
The happiness suddenly drained from Lumine’s face. “And you’re younger than you look, Teppei…”
The man aged in an instant. Dark hair turned stark white. Exhaustion lined his face. His eyes held that glassy glaze of approaching death.
“Why?” Lumine said with a wavering voice, “Surely you realized the risks before it got this bad. Why did you keep using the Delusion?”
His answer was barely a wheeze, “I just wanted… to stand at your side… as an equal…”
Teppei’s eyes closed for the final time. Lumine shed no tears. Instead her eyes steeled with cold fury.
A familiar sensation seeped in as the dream shifted again. The thick miasma of a dead god’s grudge. The sheer potency almost brought Xiao to his knees. His own karmic debt had been earned from a millennia of battling the evil born of such miasmas. He took a deep breath. Xiao refused to allow a fleeting memory to cause him agony.
Then panic gripped his chest with sharp claws as he realized this was Lumine’s memory. She had experienced such a strong miasma firsthand. Xiao frantically searched the dark fog until he spotted her again. Her breathing was raspy. She swayed unstably as if about to collapse. Xiao moved forward-
An intense pressure. A flash of light. A crack of thunder.
Then they were falling again. Tornadoes whirled around them. Pieces of the Jade Chamber hung in the air. The maw of the Chasm opened wide beneath them. Lumine’s eyes darted wildly, frantic with pure fear.
It was perhaps an odd realization to come to. The traveler that took joy in wind gliding and climbing mountain peaks was terrified of falling. Then again Lumine once had wings. To lose the power of flight…
Xiao needed to find a way to end this torturous nightmare soon.
Eat her dreams. She can’t suffer if there’s no hope, no joy, no ambition left inside. Her dreams would be the sweetest you’ve ever tasted.
He snarled at the depraved thought. He needed to end this - not just for her sake - but because his karmic debt was gaining strength from exposure to abyssal energy. The Yaksha couldn’t save her if he lost himself.
Xiao twisted mid-air, reaching for her. Despite her eyes still passing over him, this time he was able to get a solid grip on her arm. He pulled her close; and, Lumine relaxed against him.
“I’m here,” he whispered, praying his voice would reach her.
As if the poison were a thinking being actively trying to keep them apart and not just an energy that preyed on cracks in the heart, Xiao felt Lumine slip from his grasp as the dream yet again shifted. The scene that then appeared was eerily familiar. Xiao was now in the pit of the Chasm staring at Lumine and… himself.
It was after he had been convinced to join the unlikely group. Lumine had settled beside him as he rested. She was tending his wounds; he remembered waking up to find that she had done so. He remembered being embarrassed that he’d actually fallen into a deep enough slumber that she was able to do so without his notice.
“Please…” Her voice was a low murmur, a whispered prayer. “...I can’t bare losing you too.”
Xiao felt like a lawalchurl had knocked the wind out of him.
He knew uncomfortably well what was about to happen as the scene switched to them preparing to make their escape attempt.
“General Alatus, falling in!”
From Lumine’s memory, Xiao watched himself give everything he had for their escape. He knew the moment his past-self realized it would not be enough. Watched as he made the choice to assure the escape of the others with himself as the price. Watched as he fell into the dark heart of the Chasm.
In reality he had been saved by Rex Lapis. However, this was a nightmare. There was no last second divine intervention. Instead - to his utter shock and horror - Lumine leapt from the barrier of safety and fell in after him.
Had she considered doing that in the moment? Was the nightmare playing out the worst case scenario to her? Or was it her futile attempt to alter the course of the nightmare? Xiao wasn’t sure he even wanted those questions answered. He knew one thing though: that he was following after her.
Xiao landed in the illusionary Abyss that the Chasm had shown them. An endless starry void with a glass-like floor that reflected the void. For reasons Xiao did not know, there was an upside down Statue of Barbatos. Lumine was already there of course; her body shaking as she stared across at her twin.
“Aether!”
“Don’t try to stop me. Don’t try to stop the Abyss.”
“Aether, if you would just-”
“Listen to me, Lumine. I have already traveled through this world. Once you reach the end of your journey as I did, you will see for yourself the true nature of this world.” A portal appeared behind him; he turned half to it, away from Lumine. “So we’ll meet again. Though we need not rush, sister. I have more than enough time to wait for you. We have always… had enough time.”
Aether stepped into the portal. Lumine chased after but she was too late. The portal vanished before she could reach it. She skidded to a stop and dropped to her knees.
“Please come back! Aether! Don’t leave me!” Lumine crumpled to the ground as memories were reflected on the mirrored floor.
“As expected of the Honorary Knight.”
“You’re special, aren’t you.”
“Of course, she’s a national hero.”
“I have this feeling I can trust you.”
“It’s nothing the Captain can’t handle.”
All the praise, all the prestige, all the pressure on one lonely woman who just wanted her brother back.
“…Paimon? Paimon, where are you?” Her facade, her mask was shattering as sobs wracked through her body. “…Please… Don’t leave me alone…You know I can’t stand being alone…”
The mirror-like floor began to crack. This was her breaking point. The poison had seeped into the depths of her soul and clawed open every weakness. Xiao needed to do something, anything to show Lumine that she wasn’t alone.
“Lu-” His voice caught. He had been so thrown off by how deeply his actions in the Chasm had affected Lumine that he failed to notice the web of karmic debt and abyssal poison tangle around him. Now every movement he tried to make only strengthened the bindings.
Watching the one you love succumb to despair and darkness is a fitting fate for a being as bloodstained and cursed as you.
A sudden gust of wind easily bypassed the seal and entered the small temple. Venti appeared beside his fellow Archon, observing the unconscious Traveler and Yaksha as corruption threatened to consume them.
“This is really bad.”
“Barbatos, you made it in time.”
“Let’s hope so. Xiao still prefers the Dihua flute right. Lumine isn’t so picky. Hmm, what song should I play?”
“Perhaps a love song.”
“Really? How interesting, hehe.”
After literally pulling a Dihua flute from thin air, Venti began to play, wrapping his melody around the troubled souls like a soft blanket.
Despite only tightening the web, Xiao continued to struggle. He’d severed these karmic binds before; he would do it again. The sounds of Lumine crying and her mind cracking like an icy lake burdened by too much was motivation enough to not give up.
A sound. Soft, slow, tranquil. It was the sound of a Dihua flute. It was the sound of a soft caress and a whispered promise. Xiao stilled, recognizing the gods were once again intervening on his behalf and letting the song wash over his weary soul.
After a moment Lumine heard the music too. She glanced up with still teary eyes, confusion yet relief clear on her face. For the first time since this nightmare had begun her eyes were unclouded. She saw the Yaksha. She saw him bond by the web of bloodshed and curses. Instantly her own suffering no longer seemed to matter to her, she stood up and rushed forward.
Except the mirrored floor had been cracked and broken. The sudden movement caused it to completely shatter. With wide eyes and an outstretched hand, Lumine fell from the illusionary Abyss into the true Abyss.
“Xiao!”
Xiao didn’t think. The binds of karma snapped as he answered her call. He followed her down into the depths of the poison, scooping her in his arms and holding her close. She clung to him like a lifeline.
“You came.”
“I told you before. I keep my promises.”
Even with the soul-soothing music from the God of Songs himself aiding them, being so far under the influence of abyssal poison should have destroyed their bodies and distorted their minds beyond recognition. However, Lumine was now pulsing starlight. Had they been in the physical plane and not the dreamscape, Xiao would have been literally blinded by her radiance. Here though he could appreciate that she was for all intents and purposes more sacred than even the divine.
The poison shrank away from her purifying light, slowly forming into a familiar shadowy figure. Xiao’s grip tightened protectively.
“Figures the poison would end up taking the form of the bastard who poisoned me,” Lumine muttered.
“Can you purify it?” The question came out sharper than intended.
“If I can get close enough.”
Xiao thought about it a moment before setting her down and pulling out his mask. “Focus on offense. Nothing will touch you.”
Lumine nodded, summoning her sword. Not any of the swords she’d gained during her travels but her long lost sword. She took a deep, steadying breath and then rushed forward in time with the music. Dark, thorny vines attacked from all angles but the Yaksha was ever true to his word. None got near her before being cut down by his deadly dance. Lumine plunged her sword deep into the Abyss Lector’s chest. Her light completely evaporated the poison before he hit the ground.
Dreams were easily altered by the subconscious. As the poison was purged, a field of glaze lilies bloomed around them. A full moon framed Lumine when she turned around, sheathing her sword and searching his face. Barbatos’s song was still playing as their background music. Xiao gulped. His subconscious was being very obvious.
“I guess… You saw all the dark, ugly, and weak parts of me,” Lumine said awkwardly, almost shyly.
“You saw the embodiment of the karmic debt I’ve collected from an eon of bloodshed, yet you foolishly ran to me,” he replied, stepping closer to her. A little awkwardly, not used to offering comfort, he placed a hand on her shoulder. Lumine leaned into his touch and practically melted against him.
“Xiao…”
“Yes?”
“This is a dream, right. How am I so exhausted when I’m already asleep?”
Xiao snorted. “After what you’ve been through and the amount of poison you cleansed from both of us, I would not be surprised if you needed a week of sleep to recover.”
Lumine said nothing but her grip on him tightened.
“It will be a dreamless sleep,” he promised. Then ever so softly he pressed his lips to the crown of her head. “Rest.”
Lumine’s eyes fluttered open. The ceiling above her was vaguely familiar but she was too drowsy to immediately place it. The sound of chatter was faint through the thick walls but nonetheless welcome. She sat up slowly, her body sore, and realized she was wearing a borrowed nightgown. Though no one was there that moment, the room she was in clearly had people coming and going frequently. There was a nest of pillows and blankets beside her from where Paimon had likely been curling up to sleep. An empty cup sat on the table next to a half-used jar of medicinal ointment and fresh bandages. Her clothing was left out waiting for her; someone had already gone through the effort of expertly repairing the damage done by the thorns.
Still moving slowly, she got up and began to change, taking inventory of her wounds as she did so. All but the deepest of the puncture wounds had healed over. However, the areas of her body that had the least protection from the thorns - her thighs and upper arms in particular - were still mottled purple from bruising.
Once she was groomed and back in her own outfit, Lumine felt much better. She also, after glancing out the window, finally recognized that she was in one of the many guest rooms of Wangshu Inn. Though she often visited, she hadn’t actually stayed here since receiving her teapot from Madame Ping.
“Time to face the world,” Lumine thought as she opened the door.
With the room not-so-coincidentally being in direct line of sight from the front desk, Verr Goldet spotted her right away. The inn owner smiled warmly as she greeted Lumine, “Traveler, it’s good to see you awake. It gave my husband and I quite the scare when Xiao, Mr. Zhongli, and that bard suddenly showed up with you and your little fairy friend in such a bad state.”
“It’s good to be awake,” Lumine replied. “Where is…”
“They’re down on the terrace,” she answered.
“Thank you.”
“It’s odd though,” Verr Goldet continued, “I’ve only ever seen Xiao show respect to Mr. Zhongli and yet he treated the bard with almost as much reverence.”
The mental image made Lumine chuckle softly, if only because being treated like an actual god probably annoyed Venti more than anything.
After an elevator ride down to the ground floor, Lumine found the group minus Xiao. Venti was playing his harp for a small crowd of enthralled inn guests, while Zhongli and Paimon were at one of the tables drinking tea and eating snacks. The moment Paimon saw her she dropped her food and flew to Lumine, hugging her.
“Don’t scare Paimon like that again!”
“Hey, Paimon. I’m glad to see you’re okay too,” she replied while gently petting the fairy’s hair.
“What a heartfelt reunion,” Venti said, having stopped his performance to join them, “It’s relieving to see our sleeping beauty awake again.”
“Traveler, you must be starving,” Zhongli greeted, “Come sit. We’ll get you a proper meal, and then there’s something I would like to discuss with you.”
She hadn’t thought about food since waking up but once she did the emptiness of her stomach could no longer be brushed aside. She let herself be ushered to the table and, frankly, pampered by two of the oldest gods in Tyvet. As she ate, Lumine considered the situation. She had suspected from the moment Verr Goldet mentioned them but now was convinced: in addition to her being at Xiao’s base of operations and him always just a call away, Zhongli and Venti were guarding her.
“Am I seriously the most protected person in Tyvet right now?”
“I told you Lumine wouldn’t appreciate us being overprotective,” Venti said with a chuckle.
“You say that as if you weren’t just as concerned,” Zhongli replied.
Paimon smiled smugly. “Tone-deaf bard hasn’t had even a drop of alcohol this entire time.”
“Hey, there’s no need to mention that!”
“Us staying eased Xiao’s concerns enough for him to focus on a self-appointed mission.”
“Xiao’s on a warpath,” Paimon helpfully piped out, “By the time he’s done I don’t think any member of the Abyss Order will be willing to step foot in Liyue.”
Worry must have flashed across her face because Zhongli gave this knowing smile. “Don’t be too concerned with him over-extending himself. Xiao’s been checking in every evening.”
“That’s good…” Lumine felt her cheeks flush at the thought of Xiao coming to check on her every evening.
Venti just chuckled and muttered about “young love”. Which only made her blush deepen.
“Actually, what I wanted to discuss…” Zhongli’s expression was stern yet kind. “Have you made any promises to Xiao?”
“...No.”
“Good. While Xiao knew you were unaware and wouldn’t consider it binding if you had, emotions aren’t rational. A misunderstanding would cause the two of you much grief. It’s better that you learn of this Adepti tradition sooner rather than later.”
“Adepti tradition?”
“To be specific it’s a courting tradition.”
Three things happened: Paimon choked on her food, Venti roughly patted her back to unlodge said food, and the gears of Lumine’s brain overheated. Zhongli calmly sipped his tea as he let that information settle.
“…Courting tradition…?” Lumine finally repeated as if she might have heard wrong.
“Yes, when an Adeptus wishes to seriously court someone they will make that person a specific type of promise. What the promise is varies but it is an oath made with romantic intent.”
“So a promise to always come when the person calls their name would fit?” Paimon asked, the shock fading into a sly grin.
Zhongli nodded, “As long as there is romantic sentiment behind the promise.”
Lumine thought of all the little things she’d tried to brush off: The lingering touches, the occasional soft look in his eyes, the gift he made for her birthday. All things she had convinced herself she must be misreading. Yet now Zhongli was all but saying that Xiao was in love with her. She briefly considered going back up to her inn room and screaming into a pillow. She could practically hear Aether’s long-suffering brand of protective disapproval (“Why is it always the dangerous types with you…”). And then she pushed that thought deep down because she really didn’t want to get upset over her brother at that moment.
“Wait. Why did you ask if I’d promised him anything?”
“If the recipient of such a promise reciprocates with their own promise… While it’s not exactly the same as the human custom of marriage, it’s similar enough.”
While Lumine’s overheated brain proceeded to completely shut down, Venti got a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You know Liyue’s whole ‘first contract’ thing? It’s not entirely accurate. The first contract and ultimately all of Liyue was a consequence of such a reciprocated oath.”
“Barbatos,” Zhongli’s tone was sharp.
“It’s perhaps the most tragic love story in the history of Tyvet. I even wrote a ballad about it a thousand or so years ago. It was very popular until a certain Rex Incognito heard it and accidentally revealed himself while drunkenly sobbing all night. I guess the storytellers and musicians of Liyue didn’t know how to handle that so it fell into obscurity.”
Zhongli looked like he was considering dropping a meteor on Venti’s head. However, the implied threat didn’t phase the bard as he continued, “Perhaps I should re-introduce it.”
“Paimon thinks tone-deaf bard is trying to get kicked out of Liyue.”
Zhongli was silent for a long moment before finally replying, “…I am not against the idea.”
“Wait really?”
“Even as Liyue looks to the future, the past shouldn’t be forgotten… And it is a lovely song.”
“…Wait!” Lumine, suddenly breaking out of her brain freeze brought on by rapid re-contextualization of past interactions, exclaimed, “Yanfei knew didn’t she?!”
Paimon got a thoughtful look. “Huh, yeah, she did have that weird smile when she said you and Xiao seemed close. Paimon supposes she did know.”
In a huff, Lumine pushed her chair back and stood up.
“Traveler…” Venti asked, a little worried, “Where are you going?”
“Either to find some slimes to beat up or scream in a pillow. I haven’t decided yet.”
“Even if it’s just slimes,” Zhongli said, “I would suggest holding off on combat until a healer can look over your wounds again.”
“Scream into a pillow it is then.”
Once she’d calmed down, Lumine was a little embarrassed by her outburst and had spent the rest of the day more subdued and contemplative. Venti and Zhongli had walked a fine line of not leaving her alone but giving her space. Paimon, however, stayed pretty much glued to her side. Verr Goldet even joined them for a while, offering to help her put ointment on her wounds. Apparently, after Baizhu’s initial visit, Verr Goldet and Paimon had taken on the task of tending her injuries while she was unconscious.
“Thank you,” Lumine replied, “But I can do it myself now.”
Verr Goldet nodded and, after a short chat with the others, returned to her duties. Lumine returned to the thoughts that had been circling in her mind since earlier. She hadn’t wanted to try for more than friendship with Xiao because of the very fears she’d been forced to confront in her poison-induced nightmare. Yet after everything that had happened maybe…
“The sun’s setting,” Zhongli noted in a tone that instantly got Lumine’s attention.
“I… I think I’m going to go up on the balcony, to get some fresh air,” Lumine replied, her heart suddenly racing. She stretched as she stood up in an attempt to shake off her nerves.
Paimon habitually went to follow but Zhongli cleared his throat. “Huh?...Oh! Paimon’s going to hangout with Zhongli and Tone-Deaf Bard tonight.”
“Well, that was obvious,” Venti muttered in amusement before strumming a very familiar melody on his harp.
Lumine shook her head in exasperation at their antics as she walked up the stairs to the highest balcony. They were simultaneously the best and worst wingmen.
As always the view from atop Wangshu Inn was breathtaking, the sun dipping below the horizon painting Dihua Marsh in the purples and pinks of twilight while the full moon rose up from behind Dragonspine. Lumine leaned against the railing, enjoying the sight and cool evening breeze.
“You’re awake.”
She turned to face the Yaksha, carefully searching him for any injuries. There was a shallow cut across his face.
“You’re hurt,” she said, reaching out to touch his face but hesitating at the last second.
“Minor scratch. Don’t concern yourself with it.”
“I can’t help but be concerned when I know you got it on my behalf. At least let me clean it.”
He stared at her stubborn expression for a long moment before finally relenting, “...Fine.”
“I’ll be right back.” Lumine dashed back down the stairs, ignoring Verr Goldet’s gaze, and retrieved a clean damp rag and the jar of ointment from her room before rushing back up to Xiao. The Yaksha hadn’t moved but reluctantly leaned down when she approached. Lumine wiped away the little bit of grime from the scratch; it really wasn’t serious but yet it meant that a dangerous strike had been just barely avoided. Once cleaned, Lumine opened the jar and dabbed a little ointment across the cut. She tried to ignore that she was basically caressing his cheek to do so.
“Are you satisfied now?” He asked as he pulled away from her touch, his face dusted pink.
“As long as you don’t have any other injuries.”
“I don’t.” His amber eyes were surveying her now. “You haven’t tended to your own injuries today.”
“I haven’t gotten around to it yet,” she admitted.
“...I can help with the punctures on your back that will be difficult for you to reach,” he offered.
She simply nodded, not quite trusting her voice at the moment, and turned around to give him access to her back. After a moment the gentle touch of calloused hands fluttered across her shoulder blades. In hindsight it made sense he’d take off dirty gloves for this; however, the sensation caught her off guard and made her shudder with desire.
“Zhongli told me about the tradition!” she blurted.
He paused but did not remove his hands from her back. “Rex Lapis warned me he would. He was right. You deserve to know.”
Lumine bit her lip lightly as she considered her next words, “...I’m not sure I can promise you anything in return. Not when my journey is still far from over.”
“You don’t need to. You’ve already given me more than I ever considered possible.”
She turned around so that they were facing each other again, gold eyes meeting amber. “I want more.”
His face reddened as he puzzled out the implication of her words. Seeing the Vigilant Yaksha blushing was adorable. Lumine crossed the gap between them to press her lips against his. Just as she began to pull away, to leave it at a relatively innocent first kiss, Xiao chased after her and deepened the kiss. Lumine was perfectly happy with her initial idea being altered and wrapped her arms around him, tugging him even closer. Her back soon pressed into the balcony railing. Normally it would have barely registered but it pressed painfully against one of her many bruises. Lumine reluctantly pulled away but, before she could say anything, Xiao realized the issue and solved it by shifting her so that she was sitting on the railing.
“Better?”
Lumine answered by resuming the kiss. Despite her rather precarious position, she knew Xiao wouldn’t let her fall. They stayed that way, wrapped up in each other’s arms, until the sound of footfalls pattered up the stairs.
“Come on!” A stranger's voice echoed from inside, “I want to see the view!”
Before some random couple could witness the Vigilant Yaksha and famous Traveler’s passionate embrace, Xiao pulled her up and quickly relocated them to the rooftop.
Her lips brushed against his neck as she suggested, “Perhaps we should take this somewhere private.”
“No one disturbs my room.” Despite that being a statement of fact, there was an underlying question within.
Lumine answered it with another quick kiss and a “lead the way.”
At the very top of Wangshu Inn was what first appeared to be an attic without any windows or door despite the full balcony. However, at Xiao’s approach a door seemed to materialize. Inside was a somewhat fancier than standard inn room with expensive, well-crafted furniture. The only personal touch was a shelf filled with medical supplies, tools for weapon maintenance, and a handful of seemingly random trinkets. The perfectly made bed looked like it was rarely, if ever, used. Lumine felt a rush of excitement at making use of said bed and tugged him toward it. However, Xiao didn’t budge, instead staring at her with an unreadable expression.
“Xiao?” She asked, nerves and self-consciousness beginning to creep in.
“Your injuries look worse in proper lighting,” he answered, “Are you sure you want to do this before you’ve healed?”
“You are much more gentle than you give yourself credit for.” He gave her the you-have-no-respect-for-the-Adepti stare, which just made Lumine giggle and prove his unspoken point. “Plus I’m going to be sore for a while no matter what. I’d much rather be sore from being with you.”
Before she could react, she was promptly picked up and dropped unceremoniously onto the bed. A second later Xiao sat down next to her with the ointment jar in hand. “If you’re so comfortable being with me, then you won’t mind me treating the rest of your wounds first.”
“This is what I mean when I say you’re gentle,” she said in a teasing tone, sitting up so she could tug off her boots and arm guards, letting them fall to the floor. Next she unlaced the back of her dress and pulled it off as well. Xiao watched with rapt attention as if to memorize the most efficient way to get her clothes off her.
Noticing his stare, Lumine said, “You can start ravishing me at any point.”
Xiao gave a long-suffering sigh before massaging the ointment onto her left arm. Between his touch and the soothing effect of the ointment, the minor yet constant pain faded away for the time being. Only once he finished with her arms and moved to the scattered wounds around her neck and chest did Lumine realize her mistake. He was teasing her with methodical yet light, fleeting touches as much as she had been teasing him with flirtatious words. Once he was done tending to her injuries, Xiao stole a look at her flustered face.
“Didn’t expect you to be such a tease,” Lumine muttered a little breathlessly.
He gave her a smug smirk before leaning in for a kiss. Lumine fumbled a moment to remove his shoulder guard, dropping it to the floor next to her armor, before also tugging off his shirt. He pulled away from her long enough to remove his boots and let them join the growing pile of clothes on the floor. As he did so Lumine wrapped her arms around him as she pressed against his back. Her hands appreciatively explored lean muscle and old scars, while her lips peppered kisses along the crook of his neck.
“Xiao,” she breathed out.
“Saying my name like that… is dangerous,” he murmured, voice dripping with barely contained desire.
She just laughed against his skin.
Venti sang as he strummed his harp, the melody capturing the hearts and minds of everyone who heard it. It was an ancient story of gods, war, and lost love. From the corner of his eye he could see Zhongli’s expression, feeling his lips twitch into a smile at the sight. He could tell that the song was a little too bittersweet for the Geo archon, despite the ever so careful calm expression on his friend's face. If it wasn’t for the gathered crowd, Venti probably would have stopped playing by now.
By the time the final person left the two alone, Zhongli’s expression changed as Venti set his lyre down.
“I suppose they’ve worked out their relationship,” he mused, taking another sip from his cup of tea. “They’ve been rather scarce for a while now.”
“Heh, did you doubt they would?” Venti laughed, reaching across the table for a cup. “It was but a matter of time before they would have sorted out any and all misunderstandings.” He took a drink, sighing heavily at the taste. “Ah, I forgot you’re a tea drinker these days… A shame.”
“AETHER!”
He jolted awake, covered in sweat and shaking. For the sixth night in a row, Aether had heard the phantom screams of his twin in his dreams. The first night he’d brushed it off as a fluke nightmare. By the third night he was thinking it was due to guilt about leaving her behind months ago. The fourth night it crossed his mind that maybe something had happened to his sister. Lumine was strong, in many ways stronger than him, so the thought of her seriously hurt was foreign. He’d made the journey across the nations of Tyvet during the Cataclysm without anything too bad happening to him. Lumine should have no issues on her journey during a relatively peaceful era.
Yet six nights of her desperately screaming for his help in his dreams… Aether sighed and dragged his hand across his face. He couldn’t help but feel worried and paranoid now.
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep anytime soon, Aether got up and left his room. While he was fine leaving Lumine to discover the truth of this world at her own pace, agents of the Abyss Order knew who she was and to keep tabs on her. It should be a simple enough matter to figure out her general location and secretly check in.
Moonlight filtered through the hidden windows of Wanshu Inn’s secret penthouse, softly illuminating the scattered clothes on the floor and the two occupants in the bed. Lumine was tucked against Xiao, sound asleep. Not the poison-induced nightmare or the dreamless sleep during her initial recovery. Her face was lax in a deep, peaceful slumber as her chest steadily rose and fell with every breath. Xiao ran his fingers through her golden-blonde hair, still in slight disbelief of the night’s events. Somehow he’d managed to catch a shooting star; and, she had granted the unspoken wish held deep in his heart. Xiao couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so genuinely content.
Just as Xiao was being lulled into sleep by the rhythm of her heartbeat against his skin, a spike of energy jolted the Yaksha wide awake. While he had been no stranger to the Abyss monsters before, over the past week he’d become very well acquainted with abyssal energy. He immediately determined that someone had used one of those abyss portals to enter Dihua Marsh.
With a deep frown, the Yaksha carefully shifted Lumine off of him. Still recovering from the attempt on her life and exhausted from their much more pleasurable activities, she didn’t even stir. Xiao took a moment to pull the covers up to her shoulders so she wouldn’t get chilled in his absence. Then he hurriedly grabbed his clothes from the floor to get dressed. Once prepared, he summoned his spear and vanished in a gust of anemo and adaptal power.
Not even a second later Xiao arrived on one of the small islands across from the Inn, where hilichurls would often try to set up camp. A potential access point to the Abyss this close to Wangshu Inn would certainly explain why hilichurls continued to return no matter how many times he destroyed their camps. Right now though the previous settlement was still in shambles from his last visit. It was also vacant, at least of Abyss creatures. The person that stood there wasn’t born of the Abyss but had chosen it.
“You’re Lumine’s twin,” Xiao said, tone harsh.
Aether silently studied him for a moment with eerily similar gold eyes before speaking, more to himself than Xiao, “So my sister is close to the last Yaksha.”
“Why are you here?” he spat out, “I thought you had more than enough time to wait for Lumine.”
That seemed to throw Aether off balance as expressions of confusion, realization, and then guilt rapidly crossed his face. “We’re twins . I know something happened. I just… need to know she’s okay.”
Without warning Xiao charged him. Aether was skilled enough to put up a fight but, as Xiao had anticipated, it quickly became apparent that his fighting style was a mirror to Lumine’s. That made it easy to spot and exploit weaknesses. After exchanging a few hits, Xiao knocked Aether’s sword out of his hands.
“You’ve hurt her enough,” Xiao said as he pulled back, making it clear he had no intention of continuing the attack, “If you’re not here to reconcile then leave before she notices your presence.”
“She doesn’t need to know I was here,” Aether replied in a stubborn yet tired tone, “Since you’ve made your feelings about my sister very obvious, I’ll trust your word.”
Xiao narrowed his eyes. “You really don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?” Aether snapped.
“One of your so-called subjects attempted to assassinate your sister, Abyss Prince.”
Gold eyes widened in shock for a brief moment before a look of disbelief settled across his face. “They wouldn’t.”
“Adepti don’t lie,” he simply stated, “I intervened on her behalf but she had already been poisoned. She would have died if not for the assistance of the very gods you reject.”
It seemed as if Aether would dig deeper into denial but then after a long, tense moment he took a deep breath as acceptance settled into his stance. “That explains why the mages have been terrified to come to Liyue the past few days.”
“It was a Lector with the power of dendro and calling himself Lin. His life was forfeited as soon as he touched her,” Xiao said, tone grave with intent.
“If,” Aether replied, “I find that this is the truth, I will personally deal with him.”
Xiao was about to make a biting comment but a confused, drowsy mumble of his name caught his attention. Lumine had woken up alone.
“I don’t trust you, but I have more important matters to attend to.”
Before the Abyss twin could respond the Yaksha vanished as quickly as he had arrived. Aether stared at the space the Yaksha had occupied a moment before muttering, “Dammit, Lumine. Why is it always the dangerous types…”
The Abyss Prince then vanished through another portal.
Xiao reappeared in his room to find Lumine sitting up in bed, blankets cocooning around her. At the sight of his silhouette in the moonlight, the tension in her shoulders faded.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re too vigilant?” She said in a forced joking tone.
“Yes,” he replied honestly before falling silent as he sat down next to her.
“Not going to elaborate then?”
Xiao mulled over his options. His first instinct was to keep her brother’s visit a secret. Finding out would only cause her distress and likely push her to do something rash. Yet she would want to know. Rex Lapis’s recent lecture on the importance of communication was also in the back of his mind. Though that had been about making an oath without giving Lumine any context for it, the point probably stood here too.
“I sensed an abyssal portal opening nearby,” he started, tone cautious, “It was your brother.”
“What?! Where?!” Lumine practically leapt up, reaching for her discarded clothes. However, Xiao caught her hand causing her to pause and look at him.
“He already left through another portal.”
The urgency and hope in her gold eyes crumpled. “He left again…”
“He sensed something had happened to you and was worried. He wanted to check on you, but I wouldn’t let him see you if he wasn’t willing to explain himself to you.”
Xiao braced for anger and disappointment at that admission. For a second those emotions did flare across her face but they quickly faded into resignation.
“If he really wanted to see me, he wouldn’t have been so easily turned away…” Her voice rang hollow, eerily similar to the way she sounded in her nightmare.
Xiao pulled her into his lap. She pressed her head against his shoulder as tears freely fell from her eyes, dampening his shirt. They stayed like that until Lumine’s tears had run dry; and, the light of dawn began filtering through the window. Finally she looked up, eyes red and puffy but filled with determination.
“Once I’m fully recovered, I’ll be leaving for Sumeru.”
Xiao had never been so tempted to leave his duty behind before. “I’ll escort you to the border.”
She responded with a fleeting kiss; and, the closest thing to an oath she could give: “I’ll come back.”