Chapter Text
“Venti!”
Jean yelled in panic in the clamor left behind by Dvalin’s rejection. She could see the bard swaying, dangerously, from where he stood in front of the screen after his emotional outburst.
The bard may have not noticed it, but a strong gust of wind had whipped about around him as if in response to his cry. It was like a flashing warning sign that made the nearest people snap to attention as the winds grew with his emotions.
‘Elemental energy?’ Jean thought with a bit of disbelief as she stared at the teal-tinged winds. Sharp as an arrow and swift as a bird, it swirled around the bard who was yelling at the screen.
She didn’t have to be some akademiya scholar to use elemental sight on her own and recognize her own element. She could feel the sensation of the divine wind resonating with her own power, tucked away within the confines of her vision.
That doesn’t sound good, was the thought that immediately came to mind as the wind ruffled at her cape like it was planning to tear it off her shoulders.
Distantly she could hear people from all nations squawk at what was now practically a whirlwind in front of the screen. It had gotten so strong and so potent that it had practically covered both the screen and Venti altogether.
“Hey, hey… isn’t he still supposed to be in recovery? Should he be doing this?!” Eula cried out, baffled with a tinge of worry that she would never admit, her hand instinctively having summoned a great sword in a losing fight against the winds.
“I say No, but I'm not a doctor so–” Dehya loudly shouted back, covering Nahida, Collei and a sleepy Layla behind her back, only to be interrupted by a positively shrieking Baizhu, barely being blown away thanks to the protection of an illuminated bird.
“It is a no! He shouldn’t be! I’m a doctor!”
“Barbatos, cease this at once!” Cloud Retainer huffed, her own four winds fighting against the archon’s like teal ribbons dancing in the air.
“Does he even realize what he’s doing?I think he’s yelling, unloading, what, maybe 2000+ years of grievances on an old friend that dares speak so rudely after we came all the way here to save him?”
“Not the time, Kaveh!”
“Aether, wait!”
There was suddenly a cry–one that Jean would later realize was Lumine’s as she saw the girl’s other half charge into the middle of the whirlwind in a flurry of gold.
It happened too fast, Jean would have thought she imagined it, but then before she could even register it, there was a rectangular object being pushed into her hand and a frantic Lumine was rushing after her big brother’s heels with the desperateness of someone who had everything to lose if anything went wrong.
“What the–” She sputtered, almost dropping the device from her hands, “Wait, what are you–?!”
She couldn’t even finish her sentence before she saw the twins plunge into the whirlwind and disappear.
Seeing that made Jean’s heart rate spike in an uncomfortable way, her eyes wide as she held the device to her chest and heaved in the face of what could essentially be a disaster. Countless thoughts were running in her head, and if she were to describe this situation as an office, well it was an office set on fire– but amidst all these, one thought plagued her.
If Lord Barbatos keeps using his power like this– would he not fall back into the state he was before he barged into the room?
“Did the twins seriously jump inside that thing?!”
“Better them than us–Someone has to stop Lord Barbatos!”
“I… can’t… move…!!”
“Ugh…!”
‘It’s no use!’ Jean’s mind was a mess, her heart sinking a little, as she tried to push against the winds in an attempt to follow the twins.
“Gah!”
Many people have been swept off of their feet already and thrown back into the walls with a cry of pain, alighting sparks. Jean could see a few knights down on the floor, breathing labored, after the resulting small explosions at the collisions.
Jean was fortunate to still be standing, using anemo to keep herself from being pushed back, but even that could not last for long.
‘My legs…! Are barely holding…!’ She bitterly outstretched a single arm, the tips of her hand glowing a weak teal that was like a small spark compared to the inferno of anemo swirling around the screen, obstructing all view of the anemo archon and the twins.
What can she do in this situation? Is there anything she can do at all?
Distantly, she heard Kaeya yell something along the lines of “Don’t you dare start a little ember and roast us all!” followed by the gruff voice of her senior.
“I know what I can do and what I can’t do, you moron! Keep check of Bennett or Klee, instead!”
What I can do…
“L-lord Barbatos!” She could hear Barbara sobbing, disheveled after seemingly being thrown back some time ago.
What can I do…?
It was like an idea was forming shapes in her mind as her surroundings filtered through her eardrums like flowing water down a stream. The glow at the tip of her fingertips immediately disappeared as she withdrew her hand, a thought being put into motion.
If she can’t stop the wind, it’s better to save her energy and minimize damage in the way she could!
“Everyone, get inside your doors!”
Ningguang seemed to almost snap her neck when she turned to look at Jean in shock.
The look on her face was not something Jean could really parse through but she could only wryly think of how she looks right now, practically abandoning her archon to his own problems just to save the people.
Fortunately for her, the representatives were like-minded people– Always thinking about their people.
“In your doors! Now, now!” Tighnari commanded fiercely, ears pulled back in a snarl as he gestured to the direction of the door and practically pushed people through it.
“I’m going, I’m going–UGWAHK?!” Dori shrieked, hands over her head like she was preparing for an earthquake, before suddenly she was picked up by the scruff of her neck and lugged over Candace’s shoulder like a potato sack.
It very much differed from how Dehya was carrying Nahida (all careful and gentle), but Dori supposes that was fair.
“This way!” Ayato urged the inazumans, his white sleeves whipping about as he held the door open for everyone just before Arataki Itto could ram straight into it, holding Sayu on his shoulders.
“Brother!” Ayaka called out, barely supporting a groaning blonde, “Thoma is…!”
“Bring him inside!”
Ningguang quietly rallied the people of Liyue back into their door, with Cloud Retainer holding off the winds to make the move smoother.
Meanwhile, Neuvilette, upon the evacuation of the last fontanian, dared look back into the mess that is the now room-sized tornado, wild ribbons of teal dancing violently across the black backdrop of this dreamscape.
“Monsieur Neuvilette?” Sigewinne called out from the doorway of Fontaine, ruby eyes wide, when she noticed that the man wasn’t making a move to step inside the safety of the room right after her, whom he had personally delivered.
“Lady Ningguang!”
Someone could be heard crying out just as Ningguang, who had ensured her citizens’ safety, stepped back outside of the door, summoning crystals with a flick of her hand. For a moment, her gaze met Neuvilette’s from across the room and despite no words being exchanged, it was like they both fell into an understanding.
Sigewinne looked at all of this, hands around the door knob of Fontaine and fell quiet as Neuvilette finally turned towards her, expression soft.
Asking for her to close the door.
“Wait–Nari, where are you going?!” Someone yelled, as another representative ran back into the fray.
And then another, and another.
“...I understand, Monsieur Neuvilette.” Sigewinne nodded, “Please do your best not to get hurt!”
Neuvilette gave her a small smile, and was about to turn around just as the little melusine was closing the door, when he caught sight of someone who was very much not a representative stepping out into the fray.
“...What? Someone has to protect our door, but it’s not like any of you have the time to do that.”
The Knave stood in front of the Fatui’s personal door, unfazed by the looks she was getting as well as the harsh winds whipping even Neuvilette’s hair in all cardinal directions.
‘Granted, it’s not like the two people inside the door appreciate it.’
Arlecchino internally sighed, remembering the youngest harbinger’s plea to let him fight the damn hurricane, pretty pretty please with a cherry on top– as well as the 6th whose only reply was a shrill who needs your protection?!
Jean and the others who have since positioned themselves in front of their doors could only awkwardly look at her, before shrugging.
She had a point, after all.
‘Aether. Lumine.’
Jean let out a tense breath, closing her eyes as she stood in front of the hurricane and imagined the two golden-haired outlanders within it somewhere.
They’ve done what they can, short of trying to shoot an archon unconscious, but that should be some form of blasphemy so, really…
There’s nothing left to do but stand firm and wait.
‘It’s all up to you, now.’
—
Her brother was stupid.
“Aether! Goddammit, Aether!” Lumine screamed, feeling the sharpness of the winds pushing her back like a thousand needles pricking at her skin.
It was like being at the border between a storm and its eye–swift winds sharper than even a cutting knife. Had her brother not jumped into it like a madman, Lumine likes to believe she would not be stupid enough herself to even try to cut through these foul winds, but she also knew that she was not any better than her brother.
Just in front of her, even with the harsh winds obscuring her view, she could see her brother’s braid whipping about in the wind. And even further away, she could see a glimpse of stupid dark hair in this tempest.
Lumine gritted her teeth.
Putting all her strength into her legs, she pushed back against the wind, a golden glow turning teal at her fingertips as a cry was ripped out of her throat in the effort just to take one step–
One step–
She tumbled across the floor, suddenly, as the force that was holding her back suddenly disappeared like it was cut off.
Lumine groaned.
Then, her eyes widened as she suddenly snapped to attention, lifting her gaze just to see her brother in a similar position, groaning on the floor just a couple feet away.
If her shoulders sagged in relief at the sight, no, it didn’t.
With a rather peeved expression, Lumine had the urge to take off her boot and chuck it at her twin. Stupid brother. Stupid hero instincts!
But then, her eyes caught sight of the reason her brother even indulged the stupidity of braving what was essentially a storm, and she found herself paling.
Because apparently, it wasn’t just her and her brother who had suddenly taken a very kind interest on the cold hard floor–but a certain recovering archon as well.
“Shit.”
The swear word came out crisply and reflexively out of Lumine’s mouth.
She scrambled to her feet and shook her brother–just like the first time they woke up in this room but with the roles flipped. It didn’t take that much time for her brother to get his bearings, see the unconscious Venti, and exchange horrified looks with her.
“Venti?” Aether tried, voice failing when Lumine couldn’t get herself to even speak.
Upon closer inspection, the bard was definitely not unconscious but also very much not conscious, eyes open in a way that showed a person was not really fully there at the moment.
Great. Is he going through shock or something?
…Why are his braids glowing teal?
“Energy.” Lumine finally found the will to say, movements a bit frantic as she put a hand on the bard’s back immediately. The thread of elemental energy quickly formed between her and him, moving towards him unilaterally.
She had accosted him about giving anemo energy to her–she didn't mind giving it back if it meant the bard would wake up and get a hold of himself and stop this madness.
But just as she was doing so…
“Hehe... You've known my true identity for some time now, haven't you Jean? Though, I thank you for continuing to use the name Venti.”
“It’s still playing?!”
Aether incredulously stared at the screen in front of them that had been saved from the whirlwind by virtue of being too close to Venti, dumbfounded, and sure enough, when Lumine dared to look, she found that while the view was terrible up close and personal, the screen was still in fact playing.
Which didn’t make sense, unless Jean was doing something to the device she gave her.
…She didn’t accidentally drop it and break it, did she?
No, nope. Not the time.
“Aether,” Lumine said to her brother with a hardened resolve, “Help me give energy to Venti.”
The screen doesn’t matter right now. At this point, they didn’t know what would happen to a person once they deplete all of their elemental energy, and Venti, while an archon, was already at the verge of that long ago. This was top priority.
Her brother didn’t argue with her, hand quickly falling onto the bard’s shoulder as his expression fell into one of frustrated concentration.
There was only so much anemo energy they could return to the bard, and there was no guarantee that they could outpace the rate at which he was burning it all up with this storm, but…!
“You say that, but we wouldn't have been able to purify the crystals without your special power. For that, I thank you as well, Aether.”
“Ah, are we doing a thank you session? Of course, I’d like to thank Aether, too.”
“Oh, oh, me, too! Thank you, Aether!”
The faces of the people of Monstadt as they thanked her brother flashed in Lumine’s mind as she looked down at the struggling Venti, feeling an uneasy tug at her heart.
“On behalf of the Knights of Favonius, I, too, would like to thank you. I will remember your suggestion of trying to hit Dvalin, however.”
“Me, as well. As a child of Mondstadt, how could I not be grateful?”
She could feel the last vestiges of her borrowed anemo power leaving her body through that glowing thread.
“And I, too, as the Acting Grandmaster of the Knights. Thank you for giving us a chance to confront Stormterror– No, Dvalin, in a way we couldn't have done alone.”
“Lumine…” Aether started, worried, and Lumine didn’t have to look at his expression to know it must be terrible. Venti was writhing like a person having a nightmare, but both twins were already at the end of their reserves.
No.
Gritting her teeth, Lumine’s eyes flashed with determination as she grasped the thread connecting her to Venti–that thread that was at the verge of disappearing into nothing.
There was still something they could give.
Golden light spread from her fingertips and the once teal thread in her hand turned into a powerful golden glow.
Aether didn’t let the surprise keep him from doing the same for long, and soon both twins found themselves pushing golden light into the bard’s body with both hands. A golden aura had started to surround their bodies as a tense energy seemed to flow out from them like a broken dam, and both twins felt themselves sweat.
And yet, neither let go of that thread.
“Wake up, Venti!” Lumine cried out, voice hoarse, her arms starting to tremble as the energy surrounding her overflowed.
There was a golden pulse from both twins.
And then in a flash of golden light so blinding–
“....Hah… Hah…”
Sitting on the floor, shoulders slumped in exhaustion, and face covered in sweat, Lumine let her eyes slowly open.
Venti was groaning, still in the same position as he was before, but he moved like a groggy person finally waking up from a long and tedious dream. Hazy aqua eyes turned towards the twins with a look of confusion.
“Ugh… what…?”
At the questioning look in the bard’s face, Lumine couldn’t help but exchange looks with Aether, who was leaning back, just as drained by their last ditch effort, and then chuckle.
“I can’t believe that worked!” Lumine laughed, throwing her head back, a hand on her face.
“Huh?”
“...Welcome back to the conscious world, Venti.” Aether greeted, trying for a smile even though he looked like he was gonna keel over at any moment.
“...Huh? Huhhh???”
Venti looked so lost, but the teal winds around them had slowed to a stop, slowly dissipating back into thin air, so the twins could care less. He was awake, in control, and that was enough.
Lumine made it a point to laugh at his face, though, relishing in the confusion.
It almost made the bone-aching exhaustion worth it.
“Oh, the screen turned black.” Aether pointed out, a bit breathy, “We completely missed the aftermath.”
“Bah.”
Lumine waved off her brother and rolled her eyes.
“Doesn’t matter, anyway. We’ll figure out what we’re doing next when we finally get the device back.”
“Skipper.” Aether accused, good-naturedly.
Lumine wanted to smack him a little.
As much as she wanted to see the future the screen had for the people of Teyvat, especially now that she’s kinda made friends with them, right now, she’d rather drag herself back to their shared room and sleep for an eternity in this timeless zone. It’s extremely unfair that she has to will her legs to stand up to actually do that, but well, whatever she needs to do to get to the safety and comfort of a good bed. She’ll even hobble if she needs to, or crawl.
Unfortunately, for her, she would do neither.
“...huh?”
She was so busy grumbling as she massaged her aching feet that she almost didn’t catch the exact moment her brother’s eyes, so full of life and cheer and triumph, landed on the screen–the moment the warm smile was wiped out of his face, replaced instead by a crippling sense of dread and a pale complexion.
“...? Aether?” Lumine couldn’t help but ask, her smile weakening at the sight of her brother’s face.
Just then, the sound of a dragon rang in Lumine’s ears.
And when she finally thought to look at the screen, she was right on time to see Dvalin cross the skies and fly towards a ruin of old–a scene that, in any other situation, would have been harmless right now.
If not for the fact that there in the middle of the screen, she could see the back of her own head in dull muted tones.
Suddenly, all Lumine could hear was ringing through her ears.
She could see the exact moment Venti turned and realized what was happening the same way they did. She could see the exact moment the very same abyss mage that hurt Venti appeared and bowed to ‘her’ reverently. She could see the moment Aether’s hand found its way into his own mouth, trying to keep himself quiet, as he stared at the screen in shock, pinpricks of dreading gold in his eyes.
“Princess…”
It said, referring to her and only her, with a voice that grated at Lumine’s ears, much more than chalk and high-pitched screams.
The title was said with so much reverence, unlike any Lumine has ever heard in her life, and it made her skin crawl like a centipede.
Lumine didn’t even realize when she reached out to grab her brother’s scarf as the voice of the blasted abyss mage and her face in a cold, cold, expression, made her mind race in a way that made everything feel like it was turning dark.
Yeah, that doesn’t sound very good.
“Lumine…?!”
Oh.
Lumine felt more than registered when her fingers suddenly loosened around a white scarf.
‘I’m passing out.’ She thought, a bit dumbly, as the world fell into a pitch black.
“Lumine!”
Aether’s shout was the last thing Lumine remembered as she felt the world tilt.
Huh. At least, she won’t have to walk to bed.
—
“Is it over?”
Fischl couldn’t help but mutter to no one in particular as she leaned into the wooden doors of Monstadt’s room, trying and failing to detect the same sound of harsh winds that had previously pierced through the door consistently.
Behind her was the entirety of Monstadt crowded together, stewing in their worries in a surprisingly quiet collective.
“Lord Barbatos…” Barbara’s voice cracked, her eyes shut and her hands clasped close to her face desperately.
The deaconess had been kneeling and praying in the direction of the door, not just for the archon who was so obviously distraught by the turn of events with his dearest friend, but also for his sister and the other representatives.
“...This really feels like a realistic dream.”
Barbara’s eyes flew open as she turned towards Bennett, who was fidgeting a safe distance from the door, pinching his own arm with a somber expression.
It occurred to her how confusing this must be for him and the others who had not been awake until an hour or so ago. For everyone else, this was hardly the first time something of this scale has happened before. With almost a hundred people in the same space, all notably of great importance or power, it seemed inevitable.
She knew her sister would be fine.
After all, this was just a dream, right?
In that same sense, Lord Barbatos should be fine too.
…So why is she shaking?
Nothing permanent could happen to anyone in this room, as is the fickle characteristic of dreams.
Why is she so worried?
“Razor. No hear storm anymore.”
“Do you think it’s really over…?”
“Jean would come get us if it’s already okay–She did it last time!”
“But what if Jean and the others are…”
“No Buts!”
“QUIET EVERYONE! I’M CONCENTRATING!”
At the suddenly very direct and non-fancy scream out of Fischl’s mouth, the noisy majority promptly shut their mouths and watched the purple girl do her magic.
Fischl pushed her ear close to the door, eyes closed like in deep thought. While everyone else was at risk staying outside, she had the advantage of having a trusted companion that would not disappear from just some pesky storm alone.
She felt a tingling sensation near her ear and immediately tore her face away from the door.
“It’s over!” She breathlessly announced, turning to the others.
But then, as her eyes fell on them, she stiffened, as if remembering herself.
“I-I mean, thus speaketh mine most trusted confidante and adviser, Ozvaldo von Hrafnavins! The nefarious divine disaster of the heavenly west wind that has ruthlessly claimed our sacred collective land has long concluded! Arise, for the magnanimous day of our pilgrimage to our sanctuary has–”
“W-what about M-Master Jean?!” Barbara cut in, worriedly, eyebrows knitted together, making Fischl throw up her hands in surrender and groan.
“Agh! Listen! Oz can only tell me so many things with a zap!”
“There’s only one way to find out the answer to that question then.”
Diluc stalked forward, bypassing a squawking Fischl altogether before twisting the doorknob and opening the door.
The sight that greeted them… was not a very good one.
Granted, it wasn’t like there was blood splattered across the walls like in some people’s deepest horror, nor were their familiar bodies strung about, lifeless on the floor, so it certainly was also not the worst.
But no other word could describe what it felt to see Jean barely standing up, her sword lodged unto the floor and supporting her like an anchor, where sparks seemed to be blowing up.
“Jean!” Amber cried out at the same time several people surged forward to the blonde knight.
The Acting Grandmaster turned to them in surprise, her face pale, shaken and her arms trembling from overexertion as it refused to let go of the sword even when the winds had dissipated and safety had been secured.
“Tsk!” Eula grabbed Jean by the arm and pulled her up without any thought for gentle touches.
Lisa was almost immediately by her side, putting her hands on the pale knight’s face without saying a word. It was obvious what Jean had to do to keep her ground outside and protect the door from the archon-level threat it was receiving. The librarian kept quiet as she transferred energy with a purple glow.
“You…” Jean blinked owlishly, as the purple glow washed over her, “You guys…”
“Sister!”
Barbara practically flung herself at her sister, all pretenses of politeness out of the window as she bodily hugged her sister, who could only go “oof” as she was detached from Lisa’s warm hands.
Lisa just watched as the siblings tumbled down the floor with a loud noise, amused.
“Damn…”
At the back of the crowd fussing over Jean, Rosaria, who didn’t even bother to follow Barbara, was taking in the sight of the other doors and representatives with a rather low whistle.
Ayato, in a similar fashion to Jean, seemed to have used his sword as well to keep himself standing since his sword was lodged unto the floor, causing sparks.
However, unlike Jean, it seems like his vision didn’t help him as much in the circumstance he found himself in because he was all but leaning unto the door of inazuma, breathing heavily, with his hands very much not around the sword’ hilt.
Tighnari, at the very least, had the sense to lay down on the ground so as to not get blown away so easily.
Ningguang and Neuvilette couldn’t quite get the memo in their own losing battle against the wind, considering they were both down on the ground but in a manner that practically screamed, “I fell” instead of “I did it on purpose” like Tighnari did.
All the representatives looked pale and exhausted, except for Monsieur Neuvilette who simply looked pissed for some reason.
Rosaria would have had half a mind to think they were on the verge of collapsing just by “holding on” against an archon.
Also, for some reason, there’s this person that she’s pretty sure is a Fatui Harbinger just sitting menacingly on a scary red chair in front of her door. Her hair looked like a bird’s nest, but compared to the others, she looked both bored and rather unharmed.
But she couldn’t bother truly deeply caring about whatever the heck her presence is supposed to mean when she could see the cause of this whole thing at the center of the room.
Fussing over a panicking Aether and an unconscious Lumine.
“Lord Barbatos!” Barbara, who has apparently already dislodged herself from her sister after crying sufficiently, found her second source of immediate worries.
Her cry was so loud that Venti, despite being quite far, winced.
“Um! A little help here, we have a man down–Or, er, a woman, I suppose…”
“Hold up, lemme knock on the other doors and tell everyone it’s okay to go out now!” Amber speedily ran towards the other doors.
“Oh, wait, I can help with that!”
Bennett followed after her.
“A divine message calleth a divine messenger from beyond the stars–Be not dismayed for I– Uh, hey, wait! I’m going to Inazuma! Get your own door!”
“Finders keepers, get your own.”
A fuming Fischl raced Mona towards where Ayato was letting himself close his eyes and just pretend like this was his due rest.
‘...I do not think I will be getting out of bed for the next few days after this…’
In the middle of the room, Venti was trying to console a panicking Aether who was too scared to slap his twin awake when a tall shadow fell over him.
“...Need my help?”
Venti looked up to see the Knave, and he let out a nervous laugh.
“That will depend on whether you will ask for payment after or if it’s from the genuine kindness somewhere deep in your heart.”
“Hm.”
Arlecchino didn’t even bother to answer that one. She just squatted next to the inconsolable Aether and then with a straight face asked.
“Where to?”
Aether who was a millimeter or so away from hyperventilating, blinked at her.
“...Her bed?” He answered weakly, confused.
The Knave nodded, and then proceeded to just… carry Lumine up like how she would a little child and then stood up to her full height, which exceeded both Venti and Aether’s height.
“Lead the way.”
Aether was too baffled to argue with her. He just went on his way and did as he was told.
“Welp.”
Venti watched as Aether and Arlecchino walked away with the passed out Lumine in tow, his hands on his hips as he stared at the scene with an amused smile.
“We were all starting to get tired, anyway.”
“Barbatos.”
Oop.
Venti stiffly turned around towards the voice of a very angry bird who was–Oh, she was charging over towards him. Oh, she was pissed.
“What in the world, pray tell, were you even thinking? Have you grown so old, much older than this illustrious one, that you’ve forgotten mortals are squishy?!”
“Personal space! Your talons!”
“Ha! You dare pretend to be bothered by personal boundaries when thou has tried to ride this one’s back without one’s permission?!”
You’re very feathery, like Dvalin, was at the tip of Venti’s tongue, really.
And maybe that would have made the situation both better and worse if he said it, but in the end, he couldn’t let the words leave his mouth as his thoughts wandered back to his dear friend and the events that had just occurred.
“...I wasn’t thinking.”
“Damn right, you were not.”
“No, no, I mean,” Venti shook his head, frustration seeping into his face, “I was really not thinking. I wasn’t in control.”
“Hm?”
That seemed to give Cloud Retainer reason for a pause, as the illustrious bird stopped and stared at him quizzically.
Venti frowned.
He remembered the beginning of the cutscene, and the middle of it, when he and Dvalin started exchanging words, but… by the end of it, he remembers being beheld by some strong feeling. At the time, he was not aware of it, and that’s what made it all the more frightening.
When Dvalin rejected him, his heart broke a little because of course it would. Dvalin was his dear friend.
But when it broke, it was like a dark hand suddenly reached out through the shattered pieces and grabbed a hold of his very essence.
He remembers a flash of uncharacteristic anger, a devastating sense of helplessness and an even greater sense of heartbreak, all of which he found odd in retrospect, but after that, everything else felt like it was covered in a haze.
Given the situation he woke up to, perhaps the haze was both metaphorical and literal.
The last thing he registered before said haze however, was the feeling of elemental energy leaving his very body in massive amounts that he normally would never allow. After all, winds that strong are not needed to help grow life and safely deliver seeds of stories throughout time.
He explains as much to Cloud Retainer, hoping she would believe it and thankfully she does.
“A third party?” Cloud Retainer suggested.
Venti shook his head, “No. It did not feel like a person. If anything, it felt more like… a nightmare. The pull of really bad negative thoughts.”
The pull of the abyss.
“Hmph.” Cloud Retainer huffed in annoyance, “A sordid nightmare inside a peculiar dream. It seems that this room has finally deigned to show its true colors.”
“Mm, I don’t think that’s the case… Anywho, if not for the twins, I wouldn’t know what would have happened to me. I don’t know exactly what they did, but my mind has never been clearer. Also, I think I have more energy than when I started?”
“Do not celebrate the blood and sweat of the outlanders.” Cloud retainer wryly said.
“Wasn’t celebrating anything.” Venti happily chirped.
He certainly was bouncing with more energy and honestly, that just made the situation more annoying.
“Ah, hey, wait, you can’t go moving yet!”
“Lord Barbatos!”
Both Venti and Cloud Retainer were startled by the sudden appearance of Ningguang who was getting chased after by a shrill Diona telling her to stay put. Tianquan was in a sorry state that couldn’t even be compared to the regality that she acted with before, and yet her eyes burned with the same fervor anyway.
“There is something that you have to hear.”
—
“It’s hard to tell your vital signs in this dream world, but it seems your spirit itself isn’t disturbed nor displaced.”
“Congratulations! You’re not possessed.”
At Changsheng’s dry follow-up remark, Baizhu gently let go of the quiet Chongyun’s hand, but not without giving the exorcist a lookover one last time.
At face value, it seemed like the exorcist was fine, but his demeanor had been rather subdued ever since waking up.
To be honest, Baizhu had guessed that something must have been happening behind the scenes these past few hours.
He may need correction, but he was not blind. It’s not hard to see that there were missing people among Liyue’s ranks, especially when it was the normally loud bunch of youngsters that had suddenly disappeared from their sight.
However, when he had asked Lady Ningguang about it, she had reassured him, so he thought nothing of it.
But then, during the evacuation, when they were ushered back into the rooms, the first thing he saw was every missing person among their ranks surrounding the very still and freezing bodies of their resident exorcist and the second son of the Feiyun commerce guild on the floor.
The doctor wouldn’t have guessed that these two people had fallen into the cracks of this dream reality and caught in whatever it was that existed far beyond the walls of this room.
He glanced at Xingqiu, who was being checked on similarly by a very hardworking Qiqi and Yaoyao.
Chongyun has never been one for socializing that much, his friendships having formed due to accidents involving friendly people all too eager to snatch him up as one of their own instead of being one he specifically sought for. It was no wonder, considering his flare-ups. Baizhu can count at least two people the boy has befriended in the wake of his condition.
Baizhu always thought that perhaps deep inside, the exorcist wanted to prove himself first and be secure in his identity as an exorcist before reaching out to other people, but even then, he had never shied away from cherishing the friendships that he had accidentally made on the way.
He seemed to be in some state of shock however, so Baizhu figured that he would glean a better understanding of the boy’s mental state by looking at the person who was almost always attached to him by the hip.
And boy, does Baizhu not like what he was seeing in Xingqiu’s face.
The merchant’s son was barely hiding the anger in his face. He was smiling as he assured his friends that he was fine, which means he probably was fine, but his smile was too sharp like he wanted to stab someone with it.
Who it could be, Baizhu wouldn’t know. He certainly hopes it was not him.
(If the boy flinched whenever Hu Tao spoke and tightened his fists enough to dig crescents into his own hands, Baizhu was not one to make speculations that could harm his patient’s situation further.)
But, anyway, that painted a rather vague picture for Baizhu to work on, and well he was never really a psychologist.
Whatever happened outside the doors, it couldn’t have been good.
Would it be rude to ask?
“What happened to you guys??”
Ah.
Baizhu was too late to stop Xiangling and the others from asking. They really shouldn’t be hounding a patient like this even if the two had turned out physically fine. Dream measurements were wacky–You could never trust that anyone was fine.
The question seemed to light something in Xingqiu’s eyes however, so when the boy moved to talk, Baizhu did not dare stop him.
“...We were planning to go back to the room after Chongyun cooled off for a moment.”
Xingqiu omitted the fact that they had doublebacked because he caught sight of his best friend’s in-game self and had an existential crisis.
No one needed to know that part aside from himself.
“Someone,” He started with a cool expression but a tone of annoyance, “seemed to want to play a prank on us or something of that sort because while we were trying to meditate, someone started trying to break the door down, and well, we rightfully panicked. They didn’t even ask if there was anyone inside, just started smacking the door! Can you believe it?”
Oh, so that explains the marks on the door. Baizhu thought, amusedly.
(In the corner, Shenhe internally decided it may have been better if she actually broke down the door, then no one would be locked in and she could have escaped from the loud crowd)
“We accidentally locked ourselves in just to keep that person out, but we figured… if we could make a hallway leading back to a part of the main room’s wall, we’d be able to get back in.”
“Let me guess,” Yelan deadpanned, arms crossed, “Dream logic failed you?”
“No.”
Surprised eyes fell on Chongyun. The exorcist did not meet anyone’s eyes as he spoke.
“We did enter the main room… but it only looked like the main room.”
…?
What does that mean?
Unfortunately, it looked like the exorcist shuttered as soon as those words left his mouth and he didn’t speak further.
“An illusion, or perhaps the better description for it would be a trick.” Xingqiu further explained for his friend’s behalf, his expression dark, “Our wish granted. A black screen. The ‘people’ there said that they were on break, so we were none the wiser until we looked at the people from the other nations and–and…”
Baizhu’s eyes widened as the pieces started to click.
“...You imagined the main room into existence somewhere outside the room, including all of us. But because you didn’t know everyone in the room, some people ended up becoming half-baked people with no face or some people showed up looking wrong.”
Xingqiu nodded, somberly, squeezing Chongyun’s hand quietly.
“You couldn’t see their faces.” Yanfei paled a little, covering her mouth, “Like in a dream.”
Terrifying. Baizhu couldn’t help but feel himself shudder imagining it.
He could almost imagine how the two reacted to the faceless people. Anyone would be scrambling to desperately run back the way they came after seeing that.
But something was off.
It shouldn’t be easy to imagine such a thing into existence without effort. And it didn’t seem like the two had even realized that they imagined it until they were already faced with the unreality of it all. Was it because they had been so desperate and wished for a way to get back in?
If after seeing something straight out of a nightmare, if, in a state of panic, they had just ran for the door that looked like the door they used to come back in, wishing to escape the “main room” that they were in–
“You stepped out of the room.”
The black room, or the “main” room as they have grown to call it, was a safehouse. A safe place to be in where no one gets hurt unless they do something stupid, and where all their wishes and comforts were granted easily.
Every door and every room was just an extension of the main room. Stepping into, say the Liyue room, or the Fontaine room, wouldn’t really be “stepping out” of the room, it was just an extended part of it.
But, if someone wished to “escape the main room”, the safe room, even if it was a misinformed wish…?
The room has shown time and time again that it would follow their wishes, so it’s no longer a surprise that it would allow someone being booted out because they wished so, but to think that something seemed to have tricked these two to want it…
“I… this is concerning.” Keqing looked at Xingqiu and Chongyun, as if trying to gauge the truth from their faces.
She’s never thought of what the outside of the room would be like. She had a feeling that a safe place where they had no worries, where time doesn’t pass, was too good to be true. There had to be a negative somewhere–but she never thought that it would be the existence of something outside of the room.
I thought this was just some shared room made by our consciousness and nothing existed outside of it…
To think that something did exist out there and was trying to get people to step out…?
“Oh dear.” A certain bard let slip, a hand hovering in front of his mouth, as he stood there at the back of the quaint Liyue-styled room, a guest to this rollercoaster of a discovery.
The Liyue youth turned to the foreign stranger.
“...Why are you here?”
Venti waved off Xingqiu’s dry and confused statement, and smiled sharply, “I think I have an idea on what’s going on now.”
Honestly, he had been a bit reluctant to involve himself in another nation’s problem in the capacity of a foreign archon, but the Tianquan, Ningguang, had been pretty stubborn, sharp fingernails clutching at his cape scarily. Now that he’s heard of the situation however, especially after what he himself has personally gone through…
“It was a good call for you to tell me.”
Ningguang was in no position to be so adamant with an archon, but hey, what’s a little blasphemy for the greater good? Plus it must have been hard keeping this under wraps and trying to handle it on her own for a while now.
Venti gave the beat-up Tianquan a thumbs up for her troubles. The woman seemed unimpressed but he’ll take it. He can take over from here–or at least, throw the problem at their real archon and pretend he did the work since the oaf is so keen on being anonymous.
Having heard the conversation with little to no context, Xiangling and the rest of the Liyue Youth eyed the “adults” of the conversation with a healthy amount of concern.
“Are we… in danger?”
“What?” Venti shook his head with a hearty laugh, “With all the esteemed individuals in this place, that’s hard to imagine. Don’t worry about it!”
They looked unconvinced, but they couldn’t find anything else to say. “Oh, um, okay.”
Seeing them so downcast, Venti’s eyes couldn’t help but soften. “Hey. For now, let’s think of this as just some stupid nightmare, okay? As long as we all stick together–and you all stick together–we’ll all be safe and sound.”
It felt more like the words someone would tell scared little children, but coming from an archon, it did well to soothe restless hearts.
The worst thing that can happen right now, Venti thought, behind his smile, is for negative feelings to go rampant.
He’s not 100% sure, but this discovery of Liyue has certainly given him some hints.
“Well, then, you all must be tired. As the representatives aren’t in a position to call it, I’ve already told everyone that we’re gonna be on break before this, so, you should all rest!”
“That–” Ganyu frowned a little, “Is that alright?”
At her words, little Yaoyao, who couldn’t follow the conversation much until now, happily chimed in, “Oh, yeah! You taught us how to heal people with the energy magic! We can heal the representatives and keep playing, can’t we?”
“As a medical professional, I will advise against that.” Baizhu coughed.
“The Doctor said it, not me.” Yanfei shrugged, “But Doctor Baizhu is right. We were all going to need a break eventually.”
Baizhu opened his mouth to speak only for the white snake around his neck to stir with a judgmental hiss, “That, and natural recovery is usually better than forced one, so don’t be an idiot and please just go to sleep.”
“.....”
As everyone else fell into an awkward silence at the snake’s chiding, Venti gasped, before clapping with the smile of a certified menace. “Smart snake!”
“...I liked you better when you were passed out on the floor.”
Needless to say, the bard was not bitten for that callous comment, but he did not leave the Liyue room without a burn.
—
Lumine’s face was the prime example of calm, unlike the face of her nervous and pale-faced twin.
This was probably because Lumine was fast asleep after passing out while Aether remained awake to deal with the fall-out by her bedside, but it was not a good look on both considering this has been the status quo for several hours now.
The Knave, or at least, the woman who introduced herself as the Knave of the Fatui Harbingers, had quietly left after depositing her sister to her bed, not wanting to intrude. She only came back several hours later to relay a message from Venti in the midst of the aftermath of that uncontrollable hurricane.
Apparently, all the representatives were down, so the bard had taken it upon himself to call for an extended break for everyone. This was in consideration of not just the representatives but also Lumine and everyone who has been depleted of energy while trying to heal the patients of Mond.
To doubly make sure that recovery will occur, Venti had sent the Knave to ask Aether if he knew how to shut down the game temporarily.
Basically, he was asking: How the heck do I turn this off???
Internally, Aether was a bit relieved Venti had the tact to not show up, all energetic and back to his humorous self. After what they just went through to knock him back to his senses, if he had said that to Aether’s face while Lumine lay unconscious in bed, he might have wanted to knock him out for good.
He wrote a short letter with all of his knowledge on turning games on and off, in every different device, and thanked the Knave in advance.
For someone so tall and intimidating, she seemed pretty cool but it also felt like she shouldn’t be working as a messenger. She feels more like a managerial type. Or maybe a final boss kinda person.
“Well, we can’t do anything about that, considering I am the only other person who has already had contact with the two of you who is not indisposed.” is what she said, and well, that’s a bit sad.
And also a really bad reminder that there is someone who is very much indisposed in her bed right now.
In the comfort of their room, painted in their colors of blue and gold, Aether wondered if his sister had felt this anxiety back when he was sleeping off the injuries that she had given him during their fight.
He still can’t believe she did that, but honestly, he’d forgive it right now if she would just open her eyes already.
But, thinking back on the scene he saw before she collapsed, he’s having mixed feelings too.
What should I do? He felt his back get drenched in cold sweat as he put his face on his hands and mulled over what he witnessed.
He didn’t want to call himself an expert in storytelling, but he has read a lot, and sometimes that’s enough for him to see patterns. He doesn’t know how he could have missed it. It was one of the most common developments–having to raise your sword against the very person you deeply loved. Maybe even dying by their hands.
Perhaps a part of him had wished that this was just gonna be an easy journey in another world, but by the looks of it, is it really going to be?
Aether exhaled as he tried not to dwell on the thought–tried not to think at all.
Then, he heard a groan.
“Ugh… what the…”
“...!”
He quickly jumped to his feet as his twin stirred, eyes fluttering open. “Lumine…!”
“Ow, not so loud. What the heck?”
For someone who just woke up, Lumine had enough cognition to bite back a swear. Hands at the side of her head, most likely battling a raging headache of the century, she shot her brother a baffled expression after giving her surroundings a quick scan.
“...Why are we in our room?”
“...Lumine!” was all that could tearfully come out of Aether’s mouth as he practically tackled his sister into a hug.
“Woah–hey, hey, hey, I can’t breathe…!”
She was awake, and she was okay, and she was hitting his back with her fist, swearing a little, but she was fine. If Aether could stay in this moment and just completely avoid talking about what lead up to this moment in the first place, he wouldn’t waste a single breath. He’d love to stay in this moment forever.
But unfortunately, Lumine has started grabbing his braid dangerously and Aether would also love not being bald.
As he reluctantly released his sister, Lumine couldn’t help but huff. “What’s up with you? Did I pass out or somethi–”
Aether’s face fell immediately.
“--ng, oh, I definitely did, didn’t I?”
For a couple of moments, Lumine just stared in the air as if the memories prior to her passing out were coming back to her in waves. Aether kinda wished he had the psychic power to stop what she was obviously going to ask next.
“What the heck was that…?”
Aether bit his lip. “What the heck is what?”
Lumine frowned at him, her eyes seeing through what he’s trying to do.
“Don’t play games with me, Aether. You saw it, too. You saw…”
You saw me. The words were left unspoken like their very existence brought nothing but the taste of ash in his twin’s mouth.
Good, Aether thought, even as his gut twisted akin to a pretzel. He’s not the only one who thinks back on that moment badly. He’d really rather not talk about it at all. But unfortunately, Lumine can tell exactly what he’s feeling and she had other plans.
“Aether.”
Lumine called out, and Aether had a feeling she might be glaring. He couldn’t know since the floor has become rather interesting all of a sudden. The ground was pretty beautiful, especially when it doesn’t include a single lock of his sister’s hair, much less the expression on her face.
The grip Lumine had on him, where their hands were interlocked, grew tighter.
“Aether.”
Hm, that sounded like a warning. He must be worrying her.
“Aether–ah, dangit. Aether. Brother. Hey!”
He felt a hand cup his cheek, making him flinch.
“Aether, look at me for a moment, will you?”
Lumine’s voice pleaded with him, the warmth of her hand trying to coax him into looking up, oh-so-gently. It was a stark contrast from the hand that was just about ready to tear his braid off, but then again, that’s always been how it was between them siblings.
So with a shaky breath, Aether let his gaze be guided back to that which he wanted to avoid most.
His eyes met his sister’s–Fiery gold looking into fiery gold.
And what Lumine saw in his eyes must be really sad, because it was only when they saw each other eye to eye that he felt something breaking.
Aether hunched over, grasping at his sister’s hand on his cheek, unwilling to let go, as he let himself really feel the fear in his chest in the presence of his greatest weakness and Lumine let him.
It’s so easy to forget that this game involves them when the story isn’t about them, but it’s exactly because of that fact that seeing his sister’s face on that screen felt even more jarring to see. He didn’t want him and his sister to be involved in some plot so much bigger than themselves, but what can he do when it was all happening behind a screen?
Scream?
The fact that it was something that was gonna happen in the future just made it all worse.
Is it too late to decide to go the other way and pretend like Teyvat was never a destination to land on? Aether doesn’t want a future separated from his sister–but even more so a possible future where they would be enemies, of all things.
‘I don’t want it.’
Closing his eyes tightly and gritting his teeth, for the first time in a long time, Aether felt like he was a child once again, getting angry at the world and throwing a temper.
‘I won’t let it!”
And while he was having this internal struggle, Lumine just quietly watched her brother cling to her hand with a tinge of guilt.
They never really talked about it.
The fight they had that almost destroyed the room. The way Aether begged her not to choose him–not to save him of all people, as if that was ever an option for her. The way Lumine didn’t pull her punches as she pushed for her way before he could do anything about it.
It’s the law of siblings to just… never have to talk about it.
Maybe it was because the two of them had too much ego, or maybe it was just how their relationship was meant to be–For them, reconciliation never needed a talk, much less an apology.
You fight with your sibling on one day, and just pretend like it didn’t happen on the next.
But, right now, Lumine couldn’t help but think that it’s gonna be hard to do the same.
If the story of this game is going where Lumine thinks it is–
(Her brother, wrapped in golden light, a hero to many–
Herself, wrapped in a purple miasma, an enemy to mankind–)
…Then they’re gonna have to be honest with each other right here and now. And again and again, in the foreseeable future too. Over and over, until the future has nothing left to show, and they are back in the reality where they were together again.
If they don’t talk about it, they’ll just hurt each other more in the process.
“I’m sorry.”
Aether’s body stiffened at Lumine’s words, and for a moment, the golden-haired boy pulled away to look at his twin with bewildered surprise.
“For your eyes.” Lumine clarified, awkwardly, “I’m not sorry for choosing to save you, but I’m sorry I hit you too hard. And I’m sorry that I… will probably hurt you more in the future.”
“That’s–” Aether started, a retort already in his mouth, but Lumine had the advantage of having a hand so close to his mouth and didn’t hesitate to use it to clamp his mouth shut.
Lumine sighed. “You know where this is going to go.”
Staring at her twin, Lumine couldn’t help the small sad smile that graced her face as a rather funny thought came to mind.
You were always the type of person who would shine brighter than the sun.
Even though they were twins, two sides of the same coin, similar in so many ways, Lumine had always preferred the cold more than her brother who ran warm. If Lumine was the moon that shone in the darkness, Aether was the light of the sun that brightens the blue sky.
You’d make a wonderful hero. She thought with all the fondness she can muster, because she knew, with all her heart, that it was true.
But twin telepathy never meant that twins would always understand each other’s decisions.
Reading her face, Aether couldn’t help but become obviously pissed.
Lumine cracked a grin at his face. See? Burning anger looks good on you.
But that grin couldn’t last long.
…Except if your enemy was me, you would never be able to truly shine now would you?
After all, as much as they squabble and bicker and wrestle and fight, Aether was always, first and foremost, her older brother. Always protecting her, always defending her, whenever it mattered.
“...I’m not sure what my in-game self’s status is.”
She finally admitted, making her brother stiffen.
“Whether or not I’m gonna be your friend or foe is beyond me, but if it makes you feel any better, hey… At least, we know I’m alive and out there somewhere… right?”
Lumine wants to trust herself. Like how Aether would never do anything to harm her, she wants to believe that she, too, would never do anything to seriously harm her brother. Whatever it was separating them in this game, it’s just going to be another fight, and what’s another fight between siblings who always fight?
Our bond is stronger than that. Lumine thought to herself.
No, she insisted on it being true, no matter what.
Aether stared at her quietly, before pushing her hand away from his mouth and declaring:
“...I don’t forgive you.”
“....Hah?”
Lumine was a bit astounded at the retort.
However, she got shut down quickly at the burning glare her brother gives her as he hissed.
“You’re apologizing for my eyes, right? Well! I won’t forgive you! Because that shit was painful! That was an explosion to my face, point-blank! You made me tank it with my eyes! Do you know how much that hurt? It burned!”
“UH.”
Lumine felt herself start sweating in the face of the fires of justified rage, suddenly at a loss of what to do.
Sweating profusely, she averted her gaze. “I’m, uh, sorry?”
“You better be! But… well, I’m not forgiving you. Not so easily…. But…”
Aether huffed like he was spitting out fire as he spoke, only to hesitate suddenly, his voice trailing off.
That got Lumine looking back , her hand still awkwardly in the air where Aether pushed it away.
“...I forgive you for trying to save me… Because if I had the device instead of you, I would have done the same. And then… well, you would be mad at me.”
Lumine pursed her lips. “I–I wouldn’t be mad…”
“Don’t lie. You exploded my face for it, there’s no way you wouldn’t be.”
Okay, fair.
“...So, maybe I would be a little bit mad. But if you did that–” Honestly, if it was Aether instead on the other side of the coin, and not Lumine, well– Although it would break Lumine’s heart to see, she would understand it. “I would forgive you too… Eventually.”
For people who only had each other, it’s hard to stay mad when you absolutely hate being lonely.
And Lumine’s answer must have been enough because as quickly as it burned, Aether’s sudden burst of emotion seemed to cool down and settle in one of smug satisfaction. It was a sign of normalcy–and also, a reminder that, ah shit.
He’s never gonna let me live this down, is he? Lumine rolled her eyes, when a sudden thought came to her.
“...Were you the one who carried me into our room?”
“Huh? Oh, no, that was the Knave.”
“The who?”
Lumine feels like the name was familiar, like something someone has said in passing somewhere, but that was just about as vague as that can be.
“I’ll introduce you to her later. She’s very cool. The representatives are down, so she stepped up–”
“Wait, the representatives are what?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry, they should be recovering fine by now. It’s been what? 12 hours? 15? 36? Hours? I don’t really have a clock–”
“It’s been how many hours?”
Seemingly not understanding why his twin was increasingly sounding a bit more hysteric the more he talked, Aether twiddled his thumbs and just happily answered her.
“We’re on break!”
That explains absolutely nothing, but well… In the first place, it wasn’t something they had to worry about. In this place, time was something they might never ever run out of.
Yeah, there’s nothing to worry about.
Basking in the warmth of his twin, finally awake and in hysterics, Aether believed this fact to be absolutely true as he leaned into Lumine’s presence and laughed.
As long as the two of them were together, like this, there was nothing that could take away their smile.
“Ho-ho-ho!”
Nevermind, Aether takes it back, there are definitely some things that can wipe away happiness just by showing up at your front door.
“Why hello there, our dearest space traveler!”
Aether stared at Venti, who had come knocking with a ridiculous beard attached to his porcelain face, and briefly contemplated the degree of blasphemy one can safely exercise on purpose. Unfortunately, given what he’s learned of the bard as of late, he’s 100% sure this was his incredibly stupid way of being considerate after making a mess, so he could only sigh.
“I already wrote down how to turn on the device in that letter, Venti.”
Venti stroked his beard. “Huh? Oh, I didn’t come for that. I was planning to invite you! And you sister, if she’s already awake.”
Before Aether could think better of it, he took a step closer to the door, essentially blocking the bard’s view of the inside and hiding his sister.
“Invite me where?”
“A very important and confidential meeting that might ensure the life and death of all of our sanities in this dreamscape!”
Well, that certainly got his attention, and Venti sure damn knew.
Venti smiled, his eyes filled with a knowing glint.
“Representatives Room. See you there at 5!”
Aether gripped the door a bit harder than he wanted. He had absolutely know way of knowing when 5 was supposed to be.
“Oh, by the way, take this.”
“...?”
“It’s a clock!”
“....”
Are you a mindreader? Aether suspiciously stared at Venti, but the bard just laughed.
“Cute, isn’t it? It’s a gift from the Knave. Made by one of her kids.”
Made by one of her what?
“Anyway, see you later! Remember! Representative room at 5!”
And just like that, Aether got his own door slammed to his face as the god-bard disappeared as quickly as he appeared.
…Damn it.