Chapter Text
The fall was a painful one. Lumine's vision was blurry, her head hurting and spinning as she struggled to get up; she felt blood tickling from her forehead. The cold wind coming from the window didn't help either. Every breeze of cold air made the pain even worse, she felt like a knife stabbing directly to her forehead.
She gasped as she heard footsteps coming from the stairs, she looked at them before running away again, frantically trying to find a way out of that prison that she had been in for how long, she runned down the hallway. Maybe, there was some sort of exit there, right? There has to be! Those steps are slowly coming closer and closer, if that unknown woman got her…it will be game over. And Lumine knew that better more than anyone else. She didn't dare to look back! She didn't even want to look back!
She sprinted forward, her eyes widening when she noticed the big heavy door at the end of hall. Just a little bit! Lumine thought. Just one step! With a final and heavy breath, she reached for the handle’s door, before pulling it open and pushing herself forward without any hesitation. She continued to run and run, she didn't care where she was heading to, she just wanted to stay away as much as possible from that tower and that unknown person! Her legs grew more tired, her breath more breathless and heavy as she continued to run.
Lumine could not take it anymore, her steps got slower, her head still hurting from the impact's fall; she tripped and fell. She collapsed. She could not run anymore, her head on the green grass and she looked up at the sky, her breath heavy but quick, trying to regain her lost energy back. She closed her eyes in exhaustion, but relief filled her soul: at last, she didn't hear those footsteps anymore.
“Paimon told you we won't find anything here!” That annoying squeaky voice ringing in his ear, the wanderer huffs, “Wow. I didn't know that. Maybe, you should go to the Akademya and help lesser lord Kusanali in my place, hm?” He said in a sarcastic tone, “Hey! Paimon knows that tone, you–”
“Just shut up. If you don't have anything important to say, then don't waste your breath.” He interrupted her, rolling his eyes.
The wanderer disliked these kinds of missions, it's not like he was lazy or anything. But he would much tolerate them, if the lesser lord Kusanali simply sent him alone and not with an annoying fairy that does nothing but talk, but finally she is silent now. Well… at least for some seconds, before—
“...There is someone laying there! Let's check out.” She exclaimed, pointing her finger towards someone; her words interrupted his train of thoughts as he looked at where she was pointing. Paimon was very much right: there was someone laying on the ground, probably unconscious. The indigo haired man walked towards the figure, followed by Paimon who was walking right behind him, he looked at the young woman. The young woman had blonde hair and her fair skin was pale. He noticed that there was blood tickling from her forehead, and her clothes were dirty. He felt pity for her but he also felt curiosity. He crouched next to the blonde woman, he hears Paimon's panicked mumbling, her blue eyes looking at them both worryingly. He puts his index and middle finger on the woman's side neck, listening to her heartbeat.
“I-is she alive?” Paimon asks.
“Yes, she is. Do we still have bandages?”
“No, sorry but Paimon used them all.” Paimon answered.
“Of course you did.” The wanderer replayed in frustration, he huffed, before searching for something to at least clean the young woman's wound, he found a handkerchief and used it to wipe the blood away from her forehead. “What are we gonna do? Paimon doesn't think it's a good idea to leave her here alone.” Paimon asked.
The wanderer thought about his choices and every possibility laid before him, he could leave the woman here, leaving her in probable danger without aid or just take her with him. He sighed, before he raised his head to look at Paimon. “She doesn't look she comes from Celestia or to do anything with it either.” He said thoughtfully. “How about we take her to Sumeru? Paimon is sure Nahida will know what to do. This woman does not seem dangerous, after all.” Paimon suggested, too much to his surprise, she did actually say something useful this time. He nods and scoops the woman in his arms, before carrying over his shoulders, “It’s a good idea. Let’s go, we will continue the commission tomorrow.” He says before leaving.
“H-hey! Wait for Paimon!” Paimon exclaimed and runned behind him.