i'm dragging a heart that weighs a ton / holding out for not just anyone

[monoceroscaeli]

[Fontaine: The technological hub of Teyvat.

For as long as anyone can remember, the country of Fontaine has always been the innovative center for the continent. High speed rail was originated here, and now spans across the entirety of Teyvat and beyond. High rises and skyscrapers pepper the skyline, modern Victorian buildings supporting a gear-like aesthetic from an era gone by. A thousand years ago, it was a much different place, but now it thrives with the bright lights and bustle of its people. One can hear the occasional street performer playing for cash, as businessmen and tourists alike walk down narrow cobblestone streets. People are buried in their phones, some take pictures as they gawk at the sights of the city, but one young man in particular walks languidly down the street, enjoying the life around him. He's in no hurry to get where he's going, as he has plenty of time to get there, noting a deli across the street from where he is now that he'll have to try.

Unfortunately, he is on business, so that'll have to wait.

Never being one to be dressed completely formal, he wears a comfortable pair of slacks and dress shoes, with a collared shirt that isn't buttoned up all the way under a grey vest. Various pieces of metal are woven into the vest, notably a crest on his right shoulder with a chain attached to it that hangs under his arm to the back. On his belt lies a Vision, glowing blue with hydro. The young man always seems friendly and easy going, but what lies underneath is something that not many are allowed to know- the heir to the family business of a company who develops tech for various products is also the right hand man of the mafia that runs the city.

And, their true business behind the scenes; creating Delusions to sell on the black market.

Today is a day where some investigating has to be done, and he's headed to see an old friend of his, from university. One that he's sure can help him with this problem he has. Entering the building, he swings in quietly to give a polite wave and a smile to the only person there.

Someone who looked exactly like their brother, whom he can only assume is the twin sister he'd yet to meet that he'd heard about.]

Hello, I was wondering if Aether was in today? I had a...business proposal for him, and I'm sure that he'd love to hear it. Unless of course, you might be of assistance instead.

Comments

[traversal]

[ lumine shakes her head, waving all of those away dismissively. he thinks there's no connection; he assumes there's none. because he wasn't the one held at knife-point that evening, listening in to dumbasses who can't help but spill whatever plan they have.

she supposes it's because they thought she'd be gone anyway, her life snuffed away by whoever placed a hit on her head. ]

Can you say that those grudges other people hold towards you and your family are ancient?

[ if it was a figure of speech, then she wouldn't have dwelt on it for so long. wouldn't have batted an eyelash over it. but the way it was said that night didn't feel like a figure of speech. ]

I've always wondered by I was targeted instead of Aether. I thought that maybe it's because we've been seen together too much lately, so perhaps they thought they could use me as leverage against you and your family.

[ some form of weakness to cow him, even if it's been clear that their connection has been tenuous and superficial at best. ]

But see, if it was just some grudge about your family, then why would one of them call me the Traveler?

[monoceroscaeli]

[At first, he doesn't understand what she's saying, and it's clear on his features that he doesn't. Aether had said there was a grudge against his family, to which he wasn't surprised, not in the slightest. Even he too, had direct dealings with the deaths of many people who would stand in the way or disrupt their business dealings. But ancient isn't the word he'd use.

Ancient is a word he'd use for their counterparts. Not his family.

So it's when she tells them that one of them called her the Traveler, that his eyes widen in surprise.]

What exactly are you trying to say?

[It's said with more curiosity and confusion than any kind of possible implication. His words aren't angry, not at her. Angry that perhaps someone had been snooping around his office, hacked his computer, any one of those things.]

Why would anyone assume the Traveler is you? There's no way they could know. The only reason we know is because we've heard Childe call her that himself. Do you really think they are assuming you're her simply because you share the same first name?

[traversal]

[ oh archons, he's not thinking. he's not thinking at all. and she can feel her temper simmering beneath the surface again, palliated only by the vision pressed against her palm when she's slipped her hand inside her pocket. any further, and she might just freeze the entirety of this room. ]

Why indeed, Ajax? Why would anyone call and assume that the Traveler is me?

[ he's right that they only know of this because of the visions they've been having. he's also right that they might've just assumed that it's because she shares the same name as her. ]

Unless there's someone else involved here other than us. Someone with an ancient grudge, not against your family but against those two. Have you ever considered it? Have you ever thought about it? That maybe, just maybe, there's another force at play here that we don't know about and yet you keep sticking your nose into this business?

[monoceroscaeli]

Lumine.

[He stares back at her, feeling his own temper begin to rise, but he pushes it down. He doesn't particularly like being accused of something that he doesn't know nor think is necessarily his fault.]

You have to calm down for a second. Who would have a grudge against them? You're making a lot of assumptions here.

[Stepping forward, he puts his hands up, as if to reiterate that she needs to hold on a second, calm down, and think about this more clearly.]

Childe and Lumine died over a thousand years ago. Who holds a grudge for that long, and why? Who even lives that long to remember what they did, back then?I've barely found a hint of information that would merit anyone taking action against you or I for something they had done in the past. There's a lot we still don't know.

[traversal]

[ lumine wonders if he knows how the grudges and the anger of gods, even after millennia have passed, still lie in wait within the earth of teyvat. she wonders if he knows that his counterpart's archon had blatantly opposed the gods of celestia. she wonders if he knows how her counterpart had opposed and fought the same gods with their twin sibling.

she wonders if there are things that he's aware of, things that he's researched about. probably not, because such stories have not been written in text, and the only person who's ever told her such is a man who seems much, much older than he looks.

zhongli had seemed like he had so much to tell her that day, and yet he also seemed like he was hiding things from her. deliberately left gaps in his recollections of history. ]

Did you know that despite gods having the ability to die or be killed, their grudges never go away? Their emotions, their power remain effective, even after decades, centuries, millennia have passed. They have the ability to spread strange diseases, contaminate the land, afflict people with darkness ...

[ lumine turns away from him again, pulling the door open so she can leave. ] The Traveler had openly opposed the gods a thousand years ago with their twin sibling. I wouldn't be surprised if a grudge against them still remains.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax pauses to listen, taking in all she's said. Ancient grudges, and their effects left on the land around it- that wasn't something that came up in any of the research he'd done when he was looking into the history of the mysterious Harbinger who shares his face and name. Neither did it come up when he'd found material about the traveler. The legends of the gods were just that to him, legends, so he hadn't considered that such things could truly manifest. Let alone against them.]

Don't go yet.

[He reaches out to let his hand fall onto her shoulder, unsure at first of what to say.]

If that's true, then you're in more danger than I even thought previously. And if that's true...

[He looks down, eyes scanning the ground for nothing as he tries to find the words.]

Then I don't think whatever poking around I've been doing would have mattered. If there's an ancient grudge against them...they would have come for us eventually anyway. It just so happens they've already found us. Perhaps we're their descendants...that would explain why they look like us. Though it still doesn't explain how our siblings have the same names as well. It's too convenient, don't you think?

[traversal]

[ she didn't want to believe it either, the stories she's read in books simply just that: stories. legends, myths—traditions passed down from generation to generation to explain the different and strange phenomena in the past. sure, visions somehow are still granted to certain individuals, but she's always assumed there were other reasons for it.

in a way, it feels like they've uncovered something they shouldn't have uncovered. even if it's unwittingly dragged them into it with no rhyme or reason.

lumine opens her mouth to respond to him, to tell him that yes, it's all too convenient and doesn't he find that strange? but words seem to fade on her tongue, their surroundings shifting and melting once more as it has time and time again. she wonders what kind of vision it is this time around when she freezes, eyes widening.

the sky above her is painted red, dark angry clouds swirling in its vastness. and before her, the pure white landscape, charred and torn into pieces, is littered with unmoving bodies. even the air smells like fire and death, burning her throat as it fills her lungs. she's on a battlefield.

lumine! aether's face swims into her view, haloed by golden light despite his cheeks being smudged with what looks like blood and soot. what are you doing standing here? we should go! ]

Aether ... [ her twin brother grabs her hand, pulling her down a white path. her other hand is curled around a sword, gold and silver. ] Where are we going?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Childe runs alongside them, his mask on his face, his clothes a different color than past visions, bearing the black and red of his delusion. He answers her question instead, voice tense.]

We must hurry ahead to aid the Tsaritsa. Even now, she fights the usurper god on her own. Given the destruction we see before us now...I'm not sure how well she may be faring, gnoses or not. Come on, you two! We've no time to waste!

[His movements reflect the electro power he wields now, leaping effortlessly over fallen friends and foes alike, shaken at the sight of the sky above them having changed from that pure blue to such a threatening color. Other parts of the land suddenly explode in places in a bright light of elements clashing against one another, of which he's sure some of those fights were between Celestia's generals and the other archons.

One such light glimmers and shatters in the sky over and over again, an incredible battle taking place up ahead. Childe knows instinctively that Her Majesty is there, fighting. And he has to get there at all costs.

As they arrive, it's an incredible show of power as the Cryo Archon wields the power of all seven elements, striking the usurper god with all her strength and taking blows equally as devastating in return. Childe's eyes go wide as he watches, pride swelling within him for her as she fights. But it's a losing battle, the Tsaritsa losing ground and taking too many blows where her opponent doesn't seem to be slowing down.

And with one misstep, a spear lances through the sacrosanct Cryo Archon, her face contorting into a look of hatred and surprise. Childe looks on, unable to believe what he's seen, and fears that now they'd all die when her body shudders and breathes its last breath. But the usurper knows better than to let her death be the end of them all- with its power, it seals the body before it can explode with incredible power, which would have destroyed everything and everyone within its radius.

The sound of her divine power is deafening as it slams against the confines of the seal as she dies, and the light it emits from within the cage is blinding.]

Get down!

[Shockwaves radiate through the cage regardless, threatening to cast them hundreds of feet away if they lose their footing, and the Harbinger grabs a hold of the twins as the force hits them like a truck. Though once it settles, he counts his lucky stars that they're all still alive, breathing heavily and looking up in despair.]

She's gone...no...

[traversal]

[ lumine instinctively pulls aether's arm as well, quickly drawing her twin brother close when that spear pierces through the cryo archon. she's not the first archon to fall, after all, and she's more than aware of the repercussion of the death of one. and it seems that childe has predicted the same thing, tugging the both of them against him to once more steady their footing.

when the dust finally settles, cold air seemingly swirling around them, she can see the look of despair in his eyes. the archon, after all, was someone he admired, someone he looked up to; she was a beacon to him, someone who held a place in his heart that even she could not completely occupy. her hand brushes against his cheek beneath his mask, wishing she could ease the burden of his anguish. ]

Ajax, [ she whispers softly, pressing her forehead against his. ] I'm sorry ...

[ they can mourn the dead later, however, when they celebrate their victory. her twin brother, his gaze averted as if to give them a moment's privacy, tugs at her arm to pull her back to her feet. the usurper god hovers above them, its attention locked onto a portal opening somewhere to their side. a man in black and blue steps out, followed by a hoard of strange creatures.

dain is here. c'mon, you two, while the usurper god is—

aether's sentence gets cut off when the sustainer of heavenly principles step out in front of them, blocking their path once more, as she once did five hundred years ago. her brother brandishes his sword, his expression full of determination. ]

Aether—

[ ajax, take lumine and go! don't worry, i'll be right behind you, sister.

lumine glances back to see wings emerge from aether's back, her brother disappearing in a streak of light hurtling towards the goddess. but even before she can change her mind to help him out, she's parrying a blow with her sword, the flash of light powerful enough to wipe them out. the usurper god has turned to them, its full attention now directed at her.

the gems on her clothes glow purple as she directs electro energy through her body, zipping across the landscape to land a blow on the god. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Taking a deep breath, Childe tries to compose himself following the Tsaritsa's demise in front of his very eyes. Lumine's touch helps soothe his anger, but doesn't completely quell it- the minute they're back up again, he looks to this usurper with rage filled in his heart. He swore he'd see the Tsaritsa's will fulfilled, and it's now that all they'd worked for had gone up in smoke, just like that...and Her Majesty would never be able to reach her goal of peace.

But at least she died like a true warrior. That's the only consolance he can take from this.

He stands with them, determination set on his features, glad to see the support that's come in the nick of time following the former leader of the royal guard. He doesn't respond to Aether, the adrenaline of a new and even more exciting fight pumping through him, turning back to their foe who has already initiated the fight with them-

-and he's blown back by the power of the strike directed at Lumine, who's parried it and begun her own assault. Not one to stand on the sidelines, his transformation begins, hydro and electro energy surrounding him as he pulls power from the deepest part of his core, a dark energy that he's learned to control that manifests in a familiar dark armor. That abyssal power surges through him and outward, as he joins Lumine in her fight, soaring through the air effortlessly to coordinate an attack towards this usurper with a dark celestial blade that cries for the blood of the god that has strangled Teyvat for as long as the very Seven have been alive.

His blade strikes against another blinding flash of light as the god blocks both of their blows, unimpressed with the two of them floating in front of them as if they had any chance of defeating it.

Join the rest of your world in destruction.]

C̼̺͕o̡̦̻m̡̺͜r̦̙͖a͚̪͖d͔̠͙e̞͙̝,̪̪͙ w̞̠̠h̠̼̫y͉̟̝ d̺͚̟o͕̙̦n̢͉͓'͚̫̞t͖͙͖ w̫̼͜e̞͓͕ s͖̫̪h̻̫͍o̠͎͔w͕͎̟ t̡͇̺h̟̠͓i͍̻̺s̼̻͉ f̝̠͎a̼̟͎l̪͕s̢͉̞e̻̫͉ g̢͚̻o̞̞̠d̢͖͜ w͎͙͜h̡̻͕a̡͇̞t̡̙̝ t͚͖͓h̢͔̟e͖̝̫y̡̞̠'̞̞͔r̡͖͎e͚̟͎ u͕̙̘p̡̪͉ a̟͔͜g͔̦͖a͔̠i̘͙̝n̡͎̝s͓͍͇t͕̝̺.̢

[It's a dark, frenzied laugh that come out of him, excited for this battle. He begins his assault, to join her with her own, to bring this god down- and he's loving every second of it.]

[traversal]

[ his transformation no longer fazes her as it once did in the past, lumine simply giving him a nod as she too summons her wings as aether did. she wonders if it's something the sustainer had not predicted or seen, her seal on her original powers fading as time passes. it's certainly a question that she'd like to ask her if she's still alive by the time aether is done with her.

in any case, there's no time for her to think about other things, especially when their attacks, as coordinated as they are, seem to be ineffectual on the usurper god.

lumine quickly darts down to avoid a tendril of celestial energy, strange cubes erupting in its wake to try and imprison her. she's seen those before, and her years in teyvat have taught her how to avoid them; they're not at all different from some of the abilities of the creatures, after all.

she runs a hand along her blade, silver steel suddenly coated with electro on one side. she turns it over, running pyro on the other side. she can smell the scent of ozone in the air, electricity reacting with fire, as she once more charges towards the god and sends an arc of intertwined elements with a slash of her sword.

it seems to react to it, affected by the elemental reactions of teyvat. good, it's still bound by the laws of this world, even if it's appointed itself as its sovereign. in retaliation, it sweeps an arm to brush her off, sending her hurtling back to collide against a pillar.

she can feel several bones cracking, her rib definitely taking the brunt of that blow, and she can certainly taste something metallic inside her mouth. but before she can get back up, there's another sweep of golden energy moving towards her.

lumine summons a geo construct to block it, the rock cracking easily under its power ... ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Fighting this god is giving him thrills he'd never thought he'd ever be able to feel. The sensation of surviving and striking at such a strong opponent is intoxicating to him, using the full scope of all of his experience and strength to fight alongside Lumine against their foe, his blades whistling through the air as they both throw themselves into the heat of this battle. Almost nothing they do seems to be all that effective, Childe's mind flipping through possibilities and strategies to try to crack through this defense the god is putting up.

Hydro and electro energy come raining down to follow up to her own attack, Childe laughing maniacally as electricity seems to race across the water, electrocuting the god as Lumine slams into a pillar.

It may only be because of this short distraction that there's a few seconds for Childe to understand exactly what's happening in front of him.

He blinks out of existence as that energy is launched right at Lumine, appearing next to her as the geo construct finally explodes. His abyssal blades come up to block, the energy slamming against them with a strength that he hadn't prepared for, his muscles burning with the effort of keeping it from slicing the two of them in half. With one motion, he swings his blades outward, the energy dissipating with a shockwave that rocks him, gritting his teeth with the effort as the celestial cape he wears billows in the wind from the impact.

And in a flash, the god appears in front of them both. Instinctively, Childe thrusts his blade forward toward them, aiming for the middle of their chest.

The diamond-shaped spear that appears in the air lances downward at the same time, striking him through the stomach. It sears through his armor, through his organs through to the other side, the tip so dangerously close to Lumine that it almost touches her. Blood drips off of it, and the Harbinger falls from the sky, as the god stumbles backward.

Abyssal energy swirls around the wound Childe has created in the god, his blade sticking out of it. It looks downward at the mortal with incredulity, unable to process that such an inferior being has inflicting such a permanent and terrible blow. But Tartaglia hits the ground with a loud thud, landing on his side and not moving for several moments.

His vision blurs, not dead, but he can feel his own life begin to ebb away. He doesn't have the strength to look upward at first, trying to conserve his strength for a second. He's done for, and he knows it, the sight of the spear through his middle making him laugh. Ah...so this is how it ends, is it.]

[traversal]

[ the scream that tears through her lungs and throat is almost inhuman, unworldly.

she doesn't remember feeling such emotions, such rage churn inside of her before, blood roaring in her ears like the waves of the sea. and yet it courses through her veins like white-hot poison, numbing all forms of pain and blinding her. the pillar breaks as she wrenches herself out of the stone, summoning her sword once more.

all seven elements are at her beck and call, reactions crackling in the air as she combines each of them one after another—a slash of her sword, a sweep of her leg, a wave of her hand. it staggers the god, tears through him as she continues her relentless barrage of attacks. she's not about to give him the chance to retaliate, to fight back.

but there's only so much power her body can channel at the same time, blood dripping down her nose as she overexerts herself, the attacks slowing down. still, it's more than enough for the god to find an opening, once more blinking out of existence and in front of her.

it looms over her like a towering cliff, its golden spear still dripping with the harbinger's blood poised over her like a guillotine.

lumine—

for the second time that day, she feels the spray of blood on her skin, aether's form blocking her view. all she can see is her twin brother's golden sword stabbed into the god's chest, his other hand curled around the handle of the spear to keep it and its master in place, a smile on his face as he looks at her over his shoulder. his scarf, once as white as her dress, is stained with blood.

do what you have to, so we can go home soon.

starlight seems to coat her blade, blinding in its golden light, as she thrusts her sword through aether's body with a scream and into the usurper god's chest, into the same wound that childe had inflicted on him just moments before, breaking whatever core that sustains its existence. the expression on its face will forever be etched in her memory, a mix of disbelief and incredulity, before lumine wraps her arms around her twin brother's limp form to protect him from the incoming blast. ]

This world is ours, not yours.

[ the twins fall from the sky like stars, lumine taking the brunt of the explosion and the collision on the marble ground, bloody and broken. she can feel pain lancing through her entire body, bones broken everywhere, a shard piercing through her lungs. each gasp is heavy, laboured, breathing out life with every exhale. she's dying, she can feel it. stars expire every day, after all, and she's managed to reach the end of her life.

besides ... she glances down at aether slumped against her shoulder, the light in his golden eyes extinguished, and almost chuckles. as beautiful as ever, even in death.

still, she persists. tries to crawl across to where ajax is, hauling her twin brother with her. with the last of her strength, she pulls him onto her lap, running her fingers through his hair one last time. ]

Stupid ... you can't come like this with me across the universe ...

[monoceroscaeli]

[The scream is muffled to his ears, as they ring from the pain that shoots through his body. He can hear the fight above him, as he struggles to try to sit up and drag himself up against the pillar. He's disabled in every sense, only able now to look up as a bystander to the fight that would determine the fate of the rest of the world, mouth agape as he watches on.

She's always been so beautiful, even more so in combat. He can only admire Lumine's strength as she battles this god, pushing herself to the limit to defeat it, not giving it an inch if she can.

And then suddenly, the spear in his stomach disappears, and a new concentrated pain radiates through him as blood freely flows out, staining the intricate marble flooring red. He coughs, blood coming up and dripping down his mouth, eyes still locked on the battle. He doesn't dare look down at himself.

Especially when Aether steps in, to save Lumine from what he was sure was going to be her downfall. Childe only stares on in horror as Lumine's sword pierces her own brother, the one person she'd made this long and arduous journey for. He knows that he won't survive that blow. He's sure both the twins knew that as well. It was the right decision given the moment. Any warrior would have said the same.

The following explosion rocks the arena around them, and Childe almost passes out from the impact. Slowly, the transformation begins to flake off from him, his body returning to normal as Lumine slams into the ground with the corpse of her brother in her arms. The Harbinger feels the weight of the transformation hit him, but whatever pain he endures is still nothing in comparison to the blood loss he's suffered, his body slumping back down onto his side as he gasps for air.

It's cold, and he can barely feel his head being lifted into her lap as he's rolled onto his back, looking up at Lumine. Childe can barely make out her face, but he knows it's her, the soft touch of her fingers combing through his hair. A soothing gesture at the end of his life, and he can only smile upwards at her as she lightly scolds him.]

Haha, what are you talking about? Yes I can, [he utters softly, between gasps of air.] I'll always be with you... no matter where you go. Just as long as you don't forget about me...

[Childe hacks up more blood, spilling out of his mouth as he struggles to breathe, his eyes closing. There are still clear signs of life in him, but he teeters on the edge.]

[traversal]

[ such arrogance, even at the very end of his life.

it's very like him, though, and lumine has to laugh at that even though every wrack of her shoulders and body hurt. the stuttered sound fades as his coughs echo all around them in the aftermath of the battle, the only sound in the silence. her thumb rubs against the corner of his lips, wiping away the blood that's trickled from his mouth. ]

You know ... I don't think I've said this before, [ she replies, chuckling softly. ] Girls don't like clingy guys. But lucky for you, I have a very long, very good memory. So even if I want to forget you, I can't.

[ and he's the clingiest guy she's ever met, so much clingier than those floating mushrooms in the chasm. she leans over him to brush her lips against his. they're cold, the first time she's hated a kiss from him. ]

... Don't worry, I'll be with you soon. We'll be together again, I promise.

[monoceroscaeli]

[His lips barely move to respond to her kiss, finding it harder and harder to move any part of his body. Childe has never felt so tired in his life, the pain being the only thing that's keeping him awake save for the sheer will to see her, to be with her in these final moments.

Selfish as ever, not allowing death to take him so he can get what he wants right up until the end.

The words that bubble up from his throat are coated in blood, and he's sorry for how macabre this is- but he can't go yet.]

It's okay...if you make me wait for a while longer. As long as you keep your promise now. Hahaha...we could make it a pinkie promise...Lu...mi...

[But he has no strength to move his arm, or even a single finger, his breathing slowing significantly, his body relaxing more and more as his life wanes. And in the seconds after, he stops breathing all together, his heart finally stopping as he lies in her arms, finally gone.]

[traversal]

[ lumine hears, feels the last breath he sighs, and a part of her seems to go with him. unmoving in her lap, no longer smiling or laughing, somehow this is more painful than enduring that explosion from the usurper god, her heart has been seemingly wrenched out of her chest and squeezed tightly. but any tears she could shed have already been shed, her body simply shaking as she lets out a dry sob, a quiet whisper of i love you, i love you murmured against his lips as she kisses him one last time.

still, she can sense that she won't be suffering in this world for too long, leaning her head against her brother's and smiling just a bit. ]

Ah ... [ even talking is starting to become impossible now, addressing the man who steps up in front of her. his face is a blur, her eyesight no longer functioning, but she remembers it quite well. ] Will you ... take this to Teucer? His siblings ...

[ her hand shakily holds out his mask, half of which is shattered from his fall, and the vision, its blue light fading. ] That's what he would want ... I'm sorry, please tell them ...

[ she no longer hears their response, her eyes closing as she leans against aether. her other hand sinks into ajax's hair, still soft despite his passing. finally, she can go home to them now, just like what they've promised together.







the vision fades and lumine feels like she's been drowning, falling to her knees as she gasps for air. tear stains streak her cheeks as the images play in her head over and over again, a tormented cry seizing from somewhere deep inside of her as she grasps her throat. she can't even muster any words, can't form any coherent sentences.

agonised sobs, instead, wrack her entire body, her shoulders shuddering from the order until it becomes too much to bear, too much to handle. she blacks out, her entire body collapsing in a heap on the floor. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax's body shakes in a way he wasn't sure was possible, hot tears streaming down his face as the vision ends. He can almost feel the pain that Childe suffered, his hand hesitantly reaching down to feel his stomach to make sure there wasn't a hole there.

He feels as if he's in a strange haze, his mind trying to register how he's alive after experiencing the pain and then comfort of death. His body no longer cold, his heart still beating- it's a shock to his system, in addition to the traumatic events of the past that they'd just experienced together. Though, despite this, he feels a sense of calm, the same calm that Childe experienced as he drew his last breath.

Lumine, on her knees in front of him, sobs uncontrollably, and he finds himself falling to his knees next to her to catch her head before it cracks on the hard concrete below.

Somehow, Ajax manages to move her so her head lies in his lap, his body still shaking as he tries to process the entire event. He's at a loss for words and actions alike, so he sits there, Lumine passed out in his arms, waiting for her to wake as he tries to compose himself.]

[traversal]

[ lumine's consciousness wavers in and out of wakefulness as if she's swimming in a sea of darkness. various images flicker all around her, many of which are overlapping: on the one side, memories of her and aether growing up, inseparable since they were born; on the other side, a field of white and blue flowers, her brother and herself wading across it.

but one image seems to come into focus, an image of red skies amidst a white landscape. of death and destruction, fire and blood. colourful lights streak across the sky, and slowly, one by one, those lights flicker out and fade until two of them fall back to the earth. she hears whispers of her name, of aether's name, of ajax, words of love and adoration murmured softly ...

she wakes up several minutes later, once more gasping for air. her gaze focuses, finds herself looking up at what looks like a concrete ceiling. it's not long before she realises what's transpired, what she's seen, and lumine starts sobbing once more, hands pressed against her eyes to try and stymie the tears in vain. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[He's not sure how long he'd waited for her to wake until he'd hoisted her farther up into his arms. Quietly, he calls her name, gently shaking her to wake her, voice soft in his attempts.]

Lumine...Lumine. Please wake up.

[And after a time, she finally does, gasping for air and startling him when she does. He holds her close as she begins to sob once more, giving her as much time as she needs to get it all out, his hand running through her hair to try to soothe her nerves as much as he can.]

Lumine, sshhh...everything's okay. It's okay. I'm right here.

[It's not okay, but he doesn't know what else to say to her. They're alive, even though a part of him wants to break down and cry too. But he puts this face on for her, so that maybe she could find comfort after going through that terrible experience. It's hard to push the vision aside for the moment, but he has to lest he succumbs to the horror of that fateful day over a thousand years ago.]

[traversal]

[ no, it's not okay, even if her mind and her body insist that she is. that she's fine, she's alive and a thousand years had passed since that incident. and yet, there's an unsettling feeling inside of her that she can't seem to quell, cold dread radiating across her body as if she's swallowed something frozen.

she feels the hand in her hair, familiar and soothing, cutting through all feelings of despair and anguish. and she finds herself turning in his hold, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder as tears and sorrow continue to plague her. ]

Ajax ... Ajax ... [ her fingers curl into his shirt, squeezing her eyes tightly. ] I'm sorry ...

[monoceroscaeli]

[He can feel his own body shudder underneath her sobbing, the stress of the vision still weighing heavily on his mind even after letting himself sit and breathe, running through every coping mechanism he had to deal with it. Ajax holds her closer still, his hand pressing into her hair as he pulls her in tightly to him, allowing the feeling of her being there in his arms to remind him that's he's still alive. She's still alive.]

There's nothing to apologize for, really.

[Their argument already forgotten in his mind, as it seemed to small and insignificant in comparison. His head falls to rest on top of hers, cradling her when he has to fight the tears back when certain scenes pop back into his mind, breath hitching in his throat.]

We're okay now, [he breathes quietly, trying to smile though he's unsure if he's trying to convince her or himself.] Don't worry, okay? Just be with me, for a moment. Everything will be fine.

[traversal]

[ it takes her a few more minutes to calm down, breath hitching as sobs fade and emotions ebb away. and yet, the pain remains, a numb sensation that seems to linger and clench around her heart. it's excruciating, a vine of thorns wrapped around her chest and making her work hard for every beat.

her fingers continue to curl and uncurl around the fabric of his shirt, her breathing matching the rhythm of his. like a child being lulled to sleep by the beat of their mother's heart. if only it's that simple for them, having seen such terrifying visions. ]

That felt real ... [ she murmurs against his shoulder, closing her eyes. ] Too real ...

[ his skin cold against her lips, her fingertips, the taste of his blood on her tongue—she can't imagine it. she doesn't want to imagine it. it's too painful to think about it. ]

So Lumine too ...

[monoceroscaeli]

[He knows exactly what she means. When he thinks on it, it's as if he can feel that numb cold that slowly consumed him, as Childe slowly died watching them fight. Perhaps, the only comfort was that the Harbinger had been satisfied with his fight, and his death was how he would have wanted it, facing his enemy head on. But Ajax feels left behind in the man's bloodthirsty wake, having to suffer through those moments as if he'd lived them himself.]

Did she die?

[He can't help but ask, his head pulling back to search her eyes.]

Don't tell me she did. He wanted her to live on...to have a happy life before she...

[His voice trails off, unable to say the rest. But somewhere, deep in his heart, he already knows. It wrenches at him, and it's almost as if he could hear a voice in the back of his mind quietly sob with that knowledge, as if he'd just found out that she hadn't survived past that battle.

Ajax closes his eyes, apologizing to the man who'd long passed, even though he knows Childe can't hear him no matter how loud his thoughts are.]

[traversal]

[ lumine looks up to meet his gaze and she almost winces from the look he gives her, the same look his counterpart had when he watched his archon die. she wonders then if he's somehow developed feelings towards the other lumine in their visions, his emotions influenced and affected by childe's feelings towards lumine.

... she doesn't know if she has the courage to ask him that. if she's prepared for the answer to that. in any case, she gives him a slight nod, a wordless confirmation to his question, before she lowers her gaze. ]

She was heavily injured in that fight. She just didn't show it.

[ she doesn't think she's ever felt such pain in her life, every single bone in her body broken and fractured. every breath seemed to burn her lungs and every pump of blood through her veins seemed to carry shards of glass throughout her body.

it was excruciating, and she can't even imagine how the other lumine was able to still move in that state. ]

Besides, Lumine had already accepted her death. [ with both aether and childe gone, she could feel lumine's deep anguish and misery with every passing second. she knows she wouldn't survive such an ordeal. ] I don't think there was any reason for her to linger in Teyvat ...