Chapter Text
Lumine’s ears were ringing as Zhongli handed the Gnosis to Signora.
Every breath hurt. Under her clothes, mottled bruises covered her rib cage. The obvious ones had been hastily healed, enough that the bruises would have faded to a sickly yellow, less noticeable under the lantern light. She probably reeked of salve and herbal poultices. Baizhu had insisted that she be on bedrest, but she still had work to do.
She held herself perfectly still. She couldn’t show weakness, especially in front of Signora and the Fatui harbinger who caused her wounds in the first place. She wanted to kill them. It took everything she had not to draw her sword. Signora, smug in her victory, made her so angry. For Venti. For all the pain that they had put her through.
She listened to Zhongli, Signora, and Childe parry words as if she was underwater. Her hand hurt as she clenched the pommel of her sword.
Paimon stamped her foot, howling at the three of them as the truth lay out before them. Rex Lapis was not dead; indeed, he had been by her side the entire time. And he gave Signora the Gnosis, the one thing that Lumine had done her very best to protect.
She watched Signora and Childe stride out of Northland Bank, wishing that she could bury her sword between Signora’s shoulder blades.
Zhongli cleared his throat softly and her gaze snapped to his face. Rage flared anew as Zhongli stared at her, as if this was just an ordinary sunny day in Liyue Harbor. It disgusted her.
“After everything, you still gave it to them. You didn't even try to fight it,” Lumine growled.
Zhongli was so calm; it was as if they were discussing something as mundane and inconsequential as the weather. “I had my contract with the Fatui and the Cryo Archon. Rex Lapis is dead in the eyes of the world, and human and adeptus have united successfully against Osial. I am bound to fulfilling my end of the contract.”
The words only inflamed her more, as if it changed anything. Lumine sputtered, “I never would have gone through with this if I had known what would come of it. I would never have allowed the Gnosis to fall into the Fatui’s hands. You used me.”
Zhongli nodded. There was some relief in that he didn’t try to deny it. “Since we did not have a contract, I was able to bend the rules.”
She shook her head. Her face felt hot and her eyes burned. Archons, she was a fool. Of course, all for a contract. All the pain that she had gone through, and he gave Signora the Gnosis like it was nothing.
Paimon screeched abuse, but neither Lumine or Zhongli paid her any mind.
“You dragged me across Liyue and Mondstadt, finding flowers and perfume and rocks for a charade of a funeral,” Lumine bit out.
A frown tugged at the edges of his mouth. “I was under the impression that you enjoyed my company.”
She wasn’t going to admit that it was true. She did enjoy her time with Zhongli. Perhaps, she hoped that something more could come from it. Now, all was dashed against the ground.
“You lied every moment of it.”
Rex Lapis wasn’t even dead. She had just been wasting time, while Aether was getting further and further from her. All along, the god had been by her side, telling her nothing. He listened to her talk about Aether, how much she missed him, and it didn't move him an inch.
He was a god, the god of Geo, and he wouldn’t loosen his lips for even a moment.
“It wasn’t without reason. Lumine, I—
His hand closed around her arm, holding her in place, and something snapped inside of her.
“Don’t touch me!” she spat.
A blast of wind split them apart, and the ground shook underneath their feet. The bankers squawked in indignation as paper and Mora scattered on the ground. The lanterns swayed overhead.
Lumine could taste electricity in the back of her throat and burning air in her nose. Already, her bones cried out to leave Liyue, to leave as fast as she could, to find the first ship to Inazuma. If she had swim there, she would.
“I don’t have a need for you either. I will move on and find my brother,” she spat.
Zhongli stared at her, eyes wide, startled and hurt, before his expression settled to something stony and neutral. Warmth turned cold. Within moments, an unseen chasm split them apart.
She turned on her heel. “Come on, Paimon.”
Lumine shoved the doors open and stormed out. Paimon followed close as she walked and walked until Lumine found herself at the piers.
She leaned against a nearby railing and caught her breath. Her throat burned with unshed tears.
It made no sense that the betrayal would hurt so much. Zhongli was nothing to her. He wasn’t a friend, barely an acquaintance. And yet, his actions stung like a physical blow.
“I can’t believe Zhongli did this,” Lumine said.
“He had his reasons, Paimon supposes,” Paimon muttered.
Lumine grunted. As angry as she was, she could see the logic behind Zhongli—Rex Lapis—wishing to fake his own death. The plan had worked out perfectly and now Zhongli could disappear into the night, living a life as he chooses without the power of a god.
Where did that leave her?
“We can’t get out of here fast enough.”
Lumine tried her best to ignore Paimon’s concerned glance.
“We should at least stay for the Ritual of Parting, since we put so much work into it," Paimon suggested softly.
For once, Paimon was making sense and she hated it. Besides, she wasn't in a good state to travel.
“Fine. As soon as it’s over, we’re finding Beidou and we are leaving Liyue. Clearly, Zhongli isn’t going to give me any answers for where Aether is. Maybe the Raiden Shogun will.”
She straightened, and started towards the steps. Already, she could see the crowds beginning to drift towards the ceremony site. Bile rose to her throat. She wanted to scream that it was all a farce, a lie. That their god was alive but did indeed leave them.
Left them, left her.
She swallowed the words back. It would be of no use now. Besides, Paimon was right. She put way too much work into gathering the necessary tools for the ceremony to destroy it now. She just had to bear it.