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Chapter Text

The snezhnayan delicately adjusted his mask before walking confidently into the main hall of the Fontaine Opera House. Elegant suits, extravagant dresses, and masks in dozens of different colors concealed the identities of those attending the gala organized by the former Hydro Archon. Tartaglia was just one of many guests who had been invited to participate in a private evening at the Opera Epiclesis.

The harbinger wasn't particularly excited about the masquerade, but he was only there for two reasons: to please his queen, who had forced him to attend in order to maintain formalities and good relations with Fontaine; the other reason is Lumine. Simply and purely Lumine. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her privately since their paths crossed thanks to Arlecchino, so he just wanted to see her again and maybe ask her to dance, even if just once.

There wasn't much to do but dodge guests eager to chat with the eleventh harbinger and escape the hawk-like gaze of The Knave, who was tasked with watching him so he wouldn't wreak havoc at the elegant party. Childe rolled his eyes every time he saw Arlecchino turn toward him, forcing him to mingle with the Fontaine bourgeoisie and be polite and eloquent.

The harbinger preferred to find a corner in the large hall near the drinks table and poured himself a glass of wine. As he looked around to kill time, Tartaglia turned the glass wrapped in his fingers and took a sip, sighing at the boredom that made it impossible for him to enjoy any aspect of the party. How boring, he said to himself. Why did his queen force him to attend these events for no reason? What could he do or say that Arlecchino himself did not already do?

Suddenly, something quickly caught his attention and he lowered his glass to his chest: a beautiful girl with golden hair and an elegant dress in a mesmerizing blue-gray appeared in his peripheral. He laughed as he walked alongside the president of Spina Di Rosula and the Champion Duelist of Fontaine. A mask that perfectly matched her outfit saved her from being the center of attention at the party. Her hairstyle was simple, but different enough that her identity was not so absurdly decipherable. However, just one glance at the soft skin of her arms was enough to distinguish traces of scars that Tartaglia could easily recognize. After all, he had caused many of them himself.

Childe stepped forward and placed his glass on the table. He wanted to approach her, chat, perhaps laugh at the ridiculous accessories some of the guests were wearing and have a drink together, but he didn't know exactly how to find some privacy among so many people, noise, and classical music filling the room. Lumine moved a few feet away from him, and Childe, somewhat excited, decided to find a subtle way to follow her so as not to lose sight of her. He was forced to walk around the dance floor, where some couples were following the rhythm of the music and showing off their extravagant outfits to the audience.

A tug on his arm makes him stop suddenly. He knows who it is just by feeling the sharp nails digging into his clothes. “Monsieur Neuvillette wants to talk to you,” says Arlecchino, with her usual serious expression on her face. “Where are you going?”

“Does it have to be now?” Childe breaks free from his grip, ready to continue walking in the opposite direction. The Knave follows him, removing her mask to stare at him.

“I don't want to babysit you for the whole party. Just talk to him and accept his apologies, okay? That's why you're here,” she replied reluctantly, leaving no room for further discussion or excuses. Childe rolled his eyes again and nodded.

“I'll do it later, don't worry.” In response, Arlecchino returns to hide behind her mask and takes a step back, forced to trust her colleague's word.

That senseless act caused Childe to lose sight of Lumine when he turned around. His eyes scanned the sea of people inside the masquerade, but he couldn't find a trace of the traveler's golden hair or her beautiful pale blue dress. He regretted not even being able to get close to her, so he kept walking aimlessly, hoping to cross paths again with the silver mask covered in precious stones.

It wasn't long before, during a moment of distraction, Childe felt a stranger's hand gently resting on his back. Lumine's sweet but assertive voice sent a shiver down his spine. “Were you looking for someone?” she asked, smiling.

“Were you hiding from me, comrade?” The harbinger let out a short laugh when he saw her eyes through the mask. Her attempts to camouflage her identity behind accessories, makeup, and the delicate mannerisms accompanying her body language were evident.

“On the contrary. I was looking for you.”

“Can I help you?” Childe raised an eyebrow playfully. “I must admit, you look beautiful tonight.”

“You look very handsome too, but...” Lumine bit her lip mid-sentence. Her gaze seemed to quickly lose itself somewhere on his body, perhaps mesmerized by the burgundy and silver details on his blazer and some of the Fatui insignia hanging at chest height.

“Uh-huh...?”

“I'll tell you later,” she finished.

Lumine smiled sideways, while Childe was speechless for a moment. He opened his mouth to laugh, but ended up responding with a hint of bitterness in his typically mocking voice. “So you're leaving me in suspense. What did I do to deserve this?”

“You disappeared for over a month at the Fortress of Meropide. I think that was too much intrigue for me.”

“Okay, okay, fair enough,” Childe took the edge of his mask and lifted it just enough to reveal his face. His expression turned serious instantly. “I'm sorry, by the way. I didn't mean to worry you.”

Although they hadn't had the chance to talk calmly after what had happened, they both knew that sooner or later they would be forced to have those awkward conversations where both he and she would have to clarify a thing or two. After what had happened in Fontaine, and even after all the time they had known each other, their relationship remained a mystery to both of them.

“Oh, okay... I'm glad you're okay. I'll have time to kill you myself for not being more careful,” Lumine cleared her throat and avoided further discussion with a short but clear answer. Quickly, the traveler changed the subject. “It was a surprise to find you here. I thought you'd take some time to recover.”

“They forced me to come. It seems like you were forced too, girlie.”

With a shy smile, Childe slowly reached out his black-gloved hand and gently caressed Lumine's cheek, which turned slightly red at his touch. His fingertips cautiously moved up to the edge of the white mask, and in an attempt to reveal the face of the lady in front of him, he tried to lift it up.

“Oh, don't take it away from me.” She defended herself, grabbing his arm and forcing him to remove his hand from her face. "I don't want anyone to know I'm here. I'm starting to hate being the center of attention everywhere I go." Her mischievous gaze never wavered, and it even mingled with a certain melancholy after she couldn't let him finish what he was doing.

“Ah, so I can ask you to dance without compromising our image? I thought I'd have to beg you to be near me in public.”

“Oh, well...” She rolled her eyes amusedly, pretending to ponder her response for a moment. “Just this once.”

Childe prepared to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth. Instead, he extended his hand to her and waited patiently for her to take it. She's perfect, he thought to himself. He stepped forward and let his more confident side shine through, allowing himself to dance to the classical music better than most people would imagine.

A hand traveled to Lumine's waist and pressed gently to draw her a little closer. The couples dancing around them remained oblivious to the slow movements of the pair as they became one with the music in the center of the Palais Mermonia. Lumine watched Childe silently, hesitant before wrapping her arms around his waist like the other women on the dance floor.

Her beautiful sky-blue dress moved gracefully as they both found the ideal rhythm and moved to it. The world seemed to turn to ashes around them as they stared at each other, trying to coordinate their steps simply with the connection flowing through their bodies. After a calm and elegant start, the music took a slight turn and forced them to speed up the rhythm slightly, causing Lumine to stumble a couple of times. A slow turn that must have looked perfect to the spectators was ruined when the traveler almost twisted her ankle due to a miscalculated movement. Childe laughed softly as Lumine whispered mild insults about the pain in her foot.

“I thought you were better than this,” he said ironically.

“I can't get used to these shoes... and the dress, and... all of this.” The couple returned to their original position, moving from side to side while holding each other. Lumine adjusted her mask to prevent it from falling off due to her stupidity.

“Me neither. You look prettier when you fight.”

“With you?”

“With me especially.”

Childe winked at her, confidence overflowing from his being. Unlike her, Childe was truly enjoying this little moment with her, even if he didn't have the freedom to say or do everything he had in mind. Lumine, on the other hand, seemed more annoyed than usual.

“Ugh, I don't even know why I agreed to come. I think I let Clorinde and Navia influence me too much... At least I don't have half the guests praising me and asking me questions about my travels like they usually do.”

“They admire you, can you blame them?” asked Childe, trying to appear as calm as possible, hoping to infect her with some of his good humor. She sighed and closed her eyes to calm herself. Her cheeks were still red, perhaps from embarrassment at being the only one on the verge of falling in the beautiful palace of Fontaine.

“I guess I miss being a stranger. Everyone knows my name and Paimon's, no matter where we go,” she replied frankly. Tartaglia simply nodded as he kept part of his attention on the dance. His gaze softened as soon as she began to hesitate every time she had to take a step.

“Yes, I understand. We, the Fatui Harbingers, experience something similar in Snezhnaya.” He paused briefly, pressing both hands firmly against Lumine's waist. With his eyes fixed on the other couples around them, he took a deep breath and warned, “Hold on tight.”

She quickly put both hands on his biceps and tried to stiffen her body. Childe lifted her without thinking, as if she were a feather, spinning on his own axis to the sound of the sonata the orchestra was playing for them. The traveler was surprised for a moment, but she didn't protest the harbinger's sudden movement.

“Since when did you become such a good dancer?” Lumine asked.

“I had to put up with a few etiquette lessons when I was promoted. I know a thing or two about these stupid events.”

At the end of the song's climax, Childe returned Lumine to her place. It took her a few seconds to steady herself and avoid tripping over her own feet and stiletto heels. She shook her feet in an involuntary impulse to make sure she wasn't stepping on her long dress.

“Well, at least you're not making a fool of yourself like I am.” They both laughed, the atmosphere feeling lighter and lighter. She mentally prepared herself to continue dancing, waiting for Childe to be the one to force her to follow his steps again. However, he was lost in her gaze and in the delicate details and accessories that accompanied and complemented the beauty of her face.

“I miss the flower in your hair,” Childe murmured, running a hand through her hair and tangling it with a rebellious strand that had escaped from Lumine's hairstyle. She closed her eyes just feeling the heat of his body colliding with her pores, intoxicated by the subtle sensation she had missed so much.

“That flower literally screams ‘Lumine’ as soon as you see it,” replied the traveler. “I miss it too.”

“Well, maybe you should go for it. You look more beautiful that way.”

His hand continued to travel over every inch of her satiny skin and returned to caress her crimson cheeks. His fingers played with the tip of her mask, which was tied to a string that circled Lumine's head. He was dying to take it off and see her face without silly restrictions. Unable to resist the temptation, he tried again: his heart nearly broke when he saw that he got the same results. His maid made him take his hand away and move away from her face, shaking her head reluctantly. Not even she wanted it that way, but she couldn't afford to reveal her identity.

Lumine lowered her head as if something embarrassed her. In response, Childe took the opportunity to look around: he could see The Knave talking to the current ruler of Fontaine. Suddenly, he remembered why he was at that party and what he should really be doing. Arlecchino seemed too distracted, purely willing to do one task at a time.

It's now or never.

“What if we run away from here? I don't feel like continuing my etiquette lessons today.”

Lumine's eyes widened in surprise. Childe's ear-to-ear smile caught her off guard, but instead of making assumptions or questioning his sudden change of heart, she sighed with relief. With a thoughtful expression, she pretended to be pondering her next words, a smile threatening to break out on her face impulsively.

“You know, you look very handsome in that suit too...” Lumine waited for him to understand her words, and he just looked at her with a raised eyebrow, waiting for her to finally finish her sentence and end the intrigue that had been consuming him throughout the dance.

“But?”

“You'd look better without it.”

Childe turned red as a tomato. He quickly took off his mask and dropped it on the floor, not caring if someone else picked it up.

“Let's get out of here before I kiss you in public.”

Chapter Text

“Ajax! Ajaaaax!”

Lumine couldn't even wait for her partner to come inside. While Ajax shook the snow off his boots on the doormat, she came down the stairs wearing her casual clothes and slippers that kept her warm in the winter cold.

“Okay, okay! I'm here. What's up?” He laughed at his girlfriend's excitement and made an effort to enter the kitchen. He carefully placed the shopping bags on the table, watching as Lumine stood behind him, waiting for him to step aside.

“Did you bring the strawberries I asked you for?” she asked.

“Here they are,” Ajax placed his hand on one of the paper bags and she peered inside to find what her stomach craved so much. She quickly spotted a smaller bag full of fresh strawberries underneath other spectacular-looking foods. She took it in her hands and was flooded with the bright red color before putting one of them in her mouth.

“Do we have any cream?”

“In the same place you left it before,” Ajax replied to Lumine's impatience, at the same time taking off his coat, damp from the melting snow. “I didn't know you loved strawberries so much, Lu. Just try not to eat too many, I was planning to cook you a new recipe tonight.”

“Don't worry. I'll be hungry by dinnertime.”

He stared absorbedly at his girlfriend, who was energetically searching for the bowl of whipped cream she had put in the fridge the night before. An almost childlike laugh escaped her lips when she found what she was looking for and sat down on the kitchen counter. One by one, she meticulously dipped the tips of the strawberries into the cold cream and savored the sweetness and smoothness of their textures.

Lumine had been restless all week, and Ajax was aware of it. Something about her was different: a different sparkle in her eyes, an energy atypical of her... and an appetite that was hard to match. It was strange, to say the least: Lumine was not in the habit of straying so drastically from her diet and daily exercise routine so easily.

Just seeing her enjoy such a simple yet delicious dessert with such happiness, Ajax shook his head and tried not to think about it anymore. She was happy, and that was all that mattered to him. What more could he ask for in life after being blessed with such a perfect life partner?

“I'm feeling a déjà vu,” Ajax couldn't help saying after he let go of his worries.

“Why?” Lumine asked, with one of the strawberries between her teeth. Her partner turned his back on her for a moment as he tried to take off his snow boots back at the front door of the house.

“You remind me of my mother when she was expecting Teucer. She couldn't resist her cravings.” Ajax smiled to himself, suddenly enveloped in old memories of his childhood and adolescence. Indeed, his girlfriend's voracious appetite was very similar to that of his own mother years ago.

He waited patiently for a response while searching for his slippers with his eyes, but Lumine didn't say a word. Instead, the clang of metal hitting the marble countertop echoed throughout the kitchen, immediately alerting Ajax.

Lumine dropped the bowl of cream and set her strawberries aside. She quickly got up from her seat and walked away, hugging herself with an expression that was impossible to decipher. That only left Ajax even more confused. “Lumine?”

“Put that away for me,” the blonde girl murmured before walking slowly beside him toward the stairs of the house, probably to go to her room.

When he approached the kitchen and inspected the strawberries and cream, he found nothing out of the ordinary, just an unexpected reaction that he couldn't quickly explain. Lumine stood motionless on the first step, sinking deeper and deeper into herself.

“I thought you were dying to eat your...” Something in his head made a noise. A light bulb went off, or rather, a spark caused a fire that made his blood boil with nerves. “Lumine...”

“Shut up.”

A knot formed in his stomach. Suddenly everything was so obvious, clearer than water. He needed to look her in the face to catch his breath. He felt foolish for not having noticed it before, and also for not being able to react because his emotions quickly overwhelmed him.

“You...?” Ajax approached her and tried to take her hand. We are...?

Lumine turned away abruptly and didn't let him get any closer, much less touch her. Her face revealed feelings completely opposite to the situation Ajax was experiencing. Her forehead was wrinkled with frustration and anger. She bit her lip constantly, almost as if punishing herself.

“No, no, shut up!” I had it all planned out!“ His girlfriend was on the verge of tears, swallowing words she didn't dare say out loud. Her reddened cheeks made her look even more tender and angry than usual. “You weren't supposed to just figure it out like that, damn it! Ugh, I'm an idiot, that's what I get for not–”

Ajax's arms wrapped around her at just the right moment. He clung to her like a lifeline and rocked her back and forth, caressing her slender body. Tiny tears welled up in his blue eyes.

“Eat all the strawberries you want,” he whispered sweetly in her ear. “I love you.”

Even if Lumine wanted to bang her head against the wall repeatedly, that warm embrace managed to melt her anger in an instant and replace it with an enormous sense of relief. “Even if I ruined it by eating too much?”

Ajax laughed out loud, never letting go of his partner. How could she ruin anything when she had just made him the happiest man in Teyvat? He barely realized that perhaps Lumine had a much more extravagant way of telling him that he was going to be a father. His mind went blank; the only thing he focused on was celebrating with the woman of his dreams.

Chapter Text

Ekaterina entered the office of the eleventh Fatui Harbinger and placed a stack of papers and files on the table for review and signature, which she was required to deliver to her boss every morning as part of her job. She checked that everything was in order before leaving the room and walking back to her desk in the center of the Northland Bank.

Things had been tense lately at her workplace. Many rumors and gossip were running through the hallways that were impossible to avoid. Ekaterina moved her neck to release the tension in her muscles and focus on tidying up her desk once and for all.

“Hey, Kat, mail.”

One of her coworkers walked past her and left a box containing all the letters she had to deliver. The mailman walked away from the desk as quickly as he could, almost as if he wanted to avoid Ekaterina forcing him to deliver the letters himself. She just grunted in annoyance and got up from her chair again, preparing for her routine walk.

From the vault manager to the newbie with a family that never stops writing to her, the bank secretary delivered all the letters one by one. On her way back to her desk, Ekaterina heard the same whispers that had become a strange habit in recent days: a possible rebellion, revolution, act of betrayal against Snezhnaya and against the Cryo Archon. She tried to avoid getting involved in these conversations, as she was guilty of being too skeptical.

She had only three letters left in her hand, all addressed to Lord Tartaglia. Ekaterina sighed before re-entering her boss' office to add the envelopes to the harbinger's pile of tasks. However, something quickly caught her attention as she lined up the mail on the table: one of those letters was particularly strange, not only because it looked like it had survived a hurricane, but because it had no sender or stamp to indicate its origin. The only thing on the envelope was the code name “Childe” in terrible handwriting.

This was the kind of thing her colleagues often talked about: they had warned her before that she should pay close attention to any anomalies within the bank, especially with so many rumors circulating freely and causing unnecessary panic. Ekaterina shook her head to herself, but her curiosity and morbid desire to rummage through her boss' belongings was stronger than she was. “Just a quick look,” she said to herself.

Ekaterina found no clear explanation for what she read in that letter, yet a chill ran through her body when she reached the end of it. Whatever it was, she felt the need to let someone know. Why would someone write something like that? Why was this person interested in Tartaglia? What macabre intentions could they have? Who the hell was hiding behind a declaration of hostility against their queen?

“Tartaglia is... conspiring against us?” she whispered. She covered her mouth, unable to contain her surprise and a hint of fear that began to spread throughout her body. She couldn't believe that a Fatui Harbinger was the traitor everyone was theorizing about at the bank.

Tap, tap, tap. Footsteps approached dangerously close to the office door. Ekaterina put everything back in its place, trying to hide the fact that she had been reading something that wasn't hers. She took a deep breath and turned to greet her boss, who stared at her when he found her in front of his desk.

“Hey, good morning,” Childe broke the silence with a serious and thoughtful tone of voice.

“I left your paperwork, and...” She cleared her throat. “There's mail for you, Lord Tartaglia.”

He looked at her with disdain. “Thanks, you may leave now,” he replied curtly and took two steps forward, clearing the way for his secretary.

Ekaterina almost ran out of the office. Her head was down and her nerves were on edge, still processing what she had just read. She sat down at her desk and looked around. How could she be calm after reading that? How could she continue working and pretend that nothing in that letter concerned her?

Perhaps she was overreacting. Perhaps the person who wrote it wasn't actually talking about a rebellion against Snezhnaya exactly, but it was impossible for her to feel calm knowing that her silence could be covering up something much worse. She preferred to be safe than sorry.

Almost without thinking and impulsively, Ekaterina searched her desk for everything she needed to write her own letter. Ink, a quill, unused paper. Her hand trembled slightly, but she forced herself to take care with her handwriting to avoid any misunderstanding.

Dear Mr. Pantalone:

Please excuse my clumsiness in writing this letter, but I felt it necessary to inform you or any authority close to Her Majesty the Tsaritsa of what is happening at one of your branches of the Northland Bank in Liyue.

Sir, I do not wish to alarm you, but lately there has been a rumor circulating in the corridors of the bank about a possible betrayal or revolution by an important member of the Fatui. A coup d'état to overthrow our Cryo Archon. No one mentions names or confirms with certainty any specific act of rebellion against Snezhnaya, but I myself found something in the mail for Lord Tartaglia while doing my job of collecting his paperwork.

I do not seek to blame him or attest that he has anything to do with these rumors that the workers of the Northland Bank are spreading throughout the headquarters, but I certainly believe that this document—or rather, letter—with no sender may be something you should take into account if you wish to investigate this issue further.

She quickly withdrew her hand from the sheet when her body shivered with fear. The loud bang of a door closing alerted her, and she quickly pretended to be doing something else, hiding her letter under a pile of papers.

“Lord Tartaglia, is everything...?”

“Cancel my appointments for today,” demanded Childe, who strode toward the bank exit while putting on his jacket. He gave no further explanation and didn’t even give her a chance to respond, simply disappearing through the bank doors in a state of alarm that was evident even to the security guards.

His attitude and his haste to leave the place made Ekaterina even more concerned. She didn't think twice when she decided to re-enter her boss' office, hoping that no one would notice anything strange about her.

On the desk, the same letter she had read was open right in front of the chair. Most likely, its contents had a lot to do with Tartaglia's sudden departure, which only made the secretary feel even more uncomfortable. She put her ethical values aside and stole the letter from its place, taking it with her behind her desk. Under other circumstances, she would have preferred to simply steal it and send it inside the envelope, but Ekaterina feared that Tartaglia would retaliate if the letter magically disappeared from his desk. She would be the prime suspect. So, letter by letter, she began to transcribe it…

Dear Ajax:

I still don't know how to address you after what happened the last time we met. Childe? Tartaglia? Do those names even represent you anymore? Today, I decided to write to the person behind it all. I hope you don't mind me using your real name. I suppose it will also be easier to cover the tracks of this letter.

I just treated a wound on my leg after a bad move while clearing a camp of hilichurls. Lately, I've been having trouble concentrating on my battles, no matter how small they are. I just want this to end soon, Ajax. This absurd quest, this game of cat and mouse, this exhausting attempt to understand what is really going on in this world. I'm tired.

This “journey” no longer makes sense to me.

I went to the theater a few days ago. I saw a play that lasted for hours. Hours and hours of jokes and pranks that only made me nauseous: I felt like they were playing with me in every exaggerated song and hilarious and ridiculous conversation. I wanted to throw my chair on stage and ask for a refund of all my Mora, or at least a banquet in compensation for my pet (you know what I mean). Throughout the first act, I could only think of you, as I usually do.

I need to start this thing I've been putting off for so long. I'm sick of going around in circles as if anything I do in this world really matters. I can no longer tolerate being the only one who still doesn't understand, who needs—for some reason—to follow a path laid out by an idiot who, I'm beginning to believe, never cared about me as he led me to believe.

Ajax, you understand this. I know you understand. You have listened to me like no one else ever has. You have been to hell and back once, you have seen how these people wrote an evil play and show it to us every day, every hour, in every possible place. Ajax, you know who is behind the scenes. We could go on stage and have our perfect third act. Maybe even finally blow off the masks of those who planned this life for us.

Ajax. You know she's guilty too. She also pulls the strings behind the curtain and punishes those who no longer want to follow the script... No one knows her better than you. This is your chance to prove that you can be better than everyone wants you to be. Conquer the world, don't you remember?

Ajax, oh, dear Ajax. I could never relegate you to being a mere office worker. Ajax. We could be incredible together, unstoppable, insatiable. It's time for you to decide, Ajax. Who needs you more? Her and her group of puppets, or me? 

Ajax, just as I needed you to teach me how to use the polearm, just as I needed you to take refuge in your arms, just as I needed you to make love to me one last time, just as I needed you to make me realize that following the path of the naive is not the only option.

Ajax. Ajax. Damn it, Ajax. I'm going crazy. Join me, Ajax. Come with me or you'll be against me. 

AJax

Ajax. Ajax. Ajax Ajax

I won't finish this journey anymore

Ajax Ajax

Ajax

Ajax Ajax Ajax

AJAX

Ekaterina drew a line in the paper and continued writing, this time with more calm and less tension caused by the terror of the unknown author's words.

It is impossible to know the name of the person who wrote it because the rest of the letter is covered with ink stains, scratches, and even other scribbles that do not make much sense in themselves. As I am writing this statement to the Fatui Army authorities, Lord Tartaglia left his workplace without warning. All of us bank employees witnessed his rush to cancel his schedule and leave as soon as possible. I hope this letter reaches you in time.

Best regards,

Ekaterina, Secretary General of the Northland Bank in Liyue.

Chapter Text

8:00 AM. Lumine slowly reaches her hand out to her right side while her eyes remain closed. She can't find that huge body that usually keeps her warm at night and that huge heart that keeps hers calm.

She sighs and opens her eyes. The day begins for her, but she doesn't feel like getting out of bed when there's no one next to her. She covers herself with the blankets to keep the sun coming through the window from touching her skin.

Her two beautiful twins burst into the room, making noise when they see that their mother is not yet fully awake. They jump on the bed and give her a little push so she'll decide to start the day once and for all.

8:30 AM. She makes a simple breakfast, but one she knows her children will love. Today, she chooses one of the many recipes she learned after traveling all over Teyvat. Lumine eats slowly, cleans up, and drinks more coffee than she should.

Her children eat as if there were no tomorrow and run to their room to get dressed. There isn't a day that goes by when they don't go out to play in the snow after eating breakfast. 

9:00 AM. She puts on a coat and runs out of the house, still wearing her pajamas and a thin robe. Her mailbox is full of letters that should have arrived a week ago. She curses the incompetence of the mailman.

Her heart pounds when she finds what she was looking for: a letter with the Fatui Army seal. She ignores the rest of the envelopes in the mailbox and opens only the one she is interested in.

All of her husband's letters begin the same way: My dearest Lumine. She raises an eyebrow when she realizes that there is something different about that routine greeting today. There's a comma after dearest. He wrote, "My dearest, Lumine.”

“I will be home this weekend at the latest. I have gifts I bought in Inazuma for you and the children. This time, I will make sure nothing breaks during my long trip.”

Lumine looks at her calendar as she tilts her head toward the interior of the house. The paper indicates that today is Sunday. Something unsettles her, but she shakes her head to return to reality. Ajax is a Fatui Harbinger after all.

“Don't worry about me, Lumine. I'll get home in one piece.”

She hugs the letter. She knows her husband will be back soon.

Her heart calms down.

9:30 AM. Her mind begins to come up with special details to celebrate Ajax being home that day. As she watches her children through the window, she wonders what she could prepare that night. Perhaps seafood would be a good option; she knows how much Ajax loves fish.

She tidies up the mess in the house a little and reminds herself that she must insist that her children put their toys back in their place themselves. Just this once, she decides to do it herself. After all, today is a special day, and she doesn't want anything to get out of control.

10:30 AM. Her children rush into the house and call for their mother. Their uncle Aether is finally home, ready to visit his beloved sister. Lumine sighs with relief when she sees him. She knows she will need him much more today than on other days.

11:10 AM. After chatting for a while, the Viatrix siblings walk through the streets of Snezhnaya accompanied by the twins. They are excited to go to the market and ask their uncle for some candy, as he usually spoils them without a second thought. Aether makes a silly joke about how their genes caused another pair of twins in the family. Lumine laughs even though she no longer finds the punchlines of such jokes funny.

11:15 AM. Lumine walks away from Aether when her children drag their uncle into a store that sells candy. She lets them be for a moment while she buys ingredients for lunch and dinner. She fills her bags and walks forward with the intention of going to the Adventurers' Guild to hunt down some unruly hilichurls. That would distract her a little.

11:20 AM. It's Sunday. No one usually leaves commissions on a day when everyone is resting. She quickly turns around, frustrated. She refuses to come back tomorrow knowing that Ajax will be home by then.

Before walking back to where her brother and children are, she turns to Katherine as soon as Ajax's name comes back to her mind.

“Save some fun commissions for me... Just in case.”

1:30 PM. Lumine makes a light lunch, her brother's favorite. Her children are focused on emptying their plates and interacting with their uncle. He happily answers all their questions about the places in Teyvat he has visited during his absence. He doesn't miss the opportunity to make more jokes that both Luka and Yulia love.

2:10 PM. Everyone except Lumine goes out into the snow to play and enjoy the scarce rays of sunshine. She, as usual, watches them from behind the window while drinking a hot cup of tea and making her double bed.

She wonders how long it will take Ajax to arrive. She also thinks about how much he would love to watch their children play with Aether. Then she thinks that he would surely join in the snowball fight she sees from the window. She feels his absence by her side, but she fights to stay calm and trust. He will come home. That's what he said, after all.

3:30 PM. The little Luka enters the house exhausted and takes off his snow boots. Behind him, Aether carries Yulia in his arms, who started her nap a bit early after an exhausting play session. Lumine sends them to their room to get some sleep.

She talks to her brother. “You seem distracted today,” Aether mentions. She dodges the question by talking about her frustration at not having any commissions for today and her desire to have a partner to spar with while the children sleep. His eyes light up enough to make him forget how the conversation originally started.

4:00 PM. Lumine puts on her iconic white dress and walks with Aether to a place far from home, a lonely spot but with enough space for them to stretch their legs and train like in the old days.

She summons her sword and points at her brother. She feels that old energy coursing through her body once again. He responds in kind, reciting ridiculous phrases in an attempt to make her laugh, and at the same time, to let her know that he won't go easy on her during their battle.

5:10 PM. She loses. Her mind clouds as her sweaty body falls onto the snow and her hands release her sword. She growls as she feels a little blood drain down her arm. Luckily, the snow cushions her fall and her back doesn't suffer too much in the process.

Aether sticks his sword into the ground, just inches from his sister's face. “Are you out of practice? You don't usually let yourself lose so easily.”

She avoids his gaze, almost embarrassed that he is, in a way, right. Aether decides not to press the issue when he realizes his sister is unwilling to answer his question. "Come on, let's go home. I'm gonna bandage that arm."

Lumine walks silently, covering the cut on her arm so it doesn't bleed too much. Fighting with Aether doesn't feel the same. She misses her husband so much. She misses kicking his butt at least twice a week.

6:30 PM. Lumine keeps checking the clock as she sets the table. Aether puts the finishing touches on dinner, and the children quickly wash their hands. Her gaze swings like a pendulum from the kitchen to the front door. No one opens it.

Everyone enjoys dinner as much as possible that night. Lumine leaves half of her plate untouched, as if waiting for something or someone. Her children don't understand; Aether, just a little. For her, that night ended up being a waste.

8:10 PM. Lumine tucks her two little angels in, strokes their heads, and wishes them both sweet dreams. Her little Yulia falls asleep almost instantly, hugging tightly a stuffed animal that Ajax gave her last year, while her brother stops his mother before she leaves the room.

“When will Daddy be back?” he asks her.

Lumine tries to convince herself and forces a smile in front of Luka. She smiles and ruffles her son's hair. “Soon, baby. While we wait, do what your father taught you and take good care of your little sister.”

The boy nods confidently. She sighs. His bravery and determination only remind her even more of his father. He is his carbon copy in every way.

11:00 PM. Lumine says goodbye to Aether. As a final gesture, he puts his hand on her shoulder and says, “Go and get some sleep, Lu. I know he said he'd be back today, but maybe there was a delay and he'll arrive tomorrow.”

She doesn't react at all, determined to keep her pride intact. Aether tries to understand her, but he can't find the right words to make her understand that, at this time of night, Ajax will surely not return. He ends with a slow “good night,” followed by a kiss on her forehead.

11:30 PM. Lumine wanders around her house cleaning furniture, reading silly news in the newspaper, or mending her children's clothes that need minor adjustments. She doesn't want to go to sleep knowing that Ajax will be coming soon.

Even if he didn't come in the morning.

Even if he didn't show up in the city of Snezhnaya.

Even if Aether didn't see him when approaching the house.

Even if he didn't arrive in time for dinner.

Even if there's a storm brewing outside.

1:00 AM. Lumine goes to her room hoping to get some sleep. The snowstorm rages outside, but she tries not to let it bother her. She covers herself up to her neck with the blankets. She reaches out her arm to her right side: nothing.

Time passes and she can't sleep. Her body is too small for such a big bed. The clock ticks louder and louder, giving her a headache. Her stomach tightens and her breathing becomes agitated.

She closes her eyes and breathes deeply. Finally, she gives up. She's not strong enough. She's not.

Her eyes fill with tears. She cries. She knows she made a mistake.

He won't come home. Not today, maybe not tomorrow either. She mentally prepares herself to seek information from the Fatui army when she goes to complete those commissions with Katherine tomorrow.

Ajax was surely saying goodbye with that comma after “dearest” and she fooled herself once again.

She sobs. She is grateful that her children are sleeping peacefully in their room.

1:48 AM. Crack. A loud crash makes her tremble with fear. Something heavy drags across the floor. The wind blows hard and suddenly creeps through the house. Unfamiliar, unintelligible whispers echo in the hallway. Lumine is immediately alert.

She jumps out of bed and draws her sword as quickly as possible. With slow steps, she silently approaches the door, covering her body with a thin robe that doesn't even protect her from the cold.

The sword falls to the floor when she sees the figure covered in a huge coat with the Fatui logo at chest level. She can't breathe, and at the same time, she feels like she's never been able to breathe so calmly.

“Ajax!”

The snow on the harbinger's coat melts upon contact with his wife's porcelain skin. He doesn't want to touch her too much so as not to take away the warmth from her body. Once again, she doesn't care.

He's fine. He's alive. That's all that matters to her.

“Hey, hey, I told you not to worry,” Ajax replies with a playful laugh that quickly lightens the mood. “Look at me, in one piece. The ship was a little late leaving Inazuma... Besides, carrying a bag of gifts during a snowstorm is no easy task.”

She sobs on his shoulder. He hugs her without restraint. Screw the snow.

“I was so worried.”

She finally says it. That weight she carried all day finally falls from her shoulders. She trusts him, she always has, but it's impossible not to feel afraid when she knows all the dangers Teyvat hides in its roots.

“But I'm here now,” he whispers in her ear. “I'm not going anywhere.”

Chapter Text

“Ah!”

The traveler collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. The harbinger followed suit, sitting down beside her on the grass near the river. Liyue looked beautiful that afternoon. The sun was setting, filling the sky with color.

Both warriors put down their weapons and slowly caught their breath. There were beads of sweat running down their skin, drops of blood on their clothes, and two hearts beating fast.

“How does it feel to lose again?” Lumine asked, struggling to get up from her spot to sit closer to him. The fight and the adrenaline seemed to have dizzy her.

“Against you? I don’t care. It motivates me to train harder," he laughed in response. He used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the sweat from his forehead and some bloodstains that had ended up on his face.

Lumine searched her backpack for something that Childe couldn't see. Her hands moved quickly, looking for a cloth or fabric that would be sufficient to remove the traces of blood from his wounds. It pained her to ruin the pristine white color of a handkerchief she had bought on one of her trips to Sumeru, but she knew she had to use something quickly.

“Give me your arm,” Lumine asked. Childe agreed, a little distracted at first. The soft touch of the traveler's fingers wrapping around the cut on his forearm made him tremble. It felt comforting somehow. Perhaps not because his arm was no longer bleeding aggressively, but because it was she who was taking care of him.

Lumine tied a small knot with the ends of the handkerchief and made sure that not a single drop of blood seeped through the edges. Everything seemed in order. “There, good as new.”

Childe laughed. "It's the least you can do, pretty girl. You almost ripped my arm off."

“Oh, come on, don't be dramatic, ” objected the traveler, slowly stroking his forearm. She couldn't take her eyes off him when the wind made several strands of red hair sway gracefully. “Although you might have a scar. I'm sorry.”

“Oh, you apologize as if that bothers me.”

Childe laughed again, this time with a more mocking tone. Gently, the harbinger slipped off his gray jacket and raised his opposite arm, seeking to show off his well-worked biceps. He pointed to a fixed spot on his skin as pale as the snow of Snezhnaya. “I treasure this scar as if it were a gift from the gods.”

Lumine saw nothing unusual at first glance, just a clean cut that ran across much of his arm and appeared to be more than a year old. She merely raised an eyebrow in response, until the words came out of her mouth almost sarcastically. “A god wouldn't give you such a... normal scar. I have worse ones, you know that, right?”

He rolled his eyes and let out another laugh. With his other hand, he ruffled Lumine's blonde hair, almost as if he still wanted to tease her. Moving his arm quickly caused Childe to whimper a little from the pain of the cut covered by the fabric.

“This, comrade, is the best memory I can have of our first battle in Liyue,” Childe explained, his eyes slowly lighting up at the old memories flooding his mind.

"Oh, really? Well, thank you for cherishing that day. Even if I kicked your butt... It's nice that you consider it a day worth remembering." Lumine looked away after a while to hide the blush on her cheeks. An idea came to her mind, and she returned to what she was doing: secretly appreciating the small details on the harbinger's face.

“I also have a scar that you made. I would like you to make more of them.”

“Really? Which one?” His face suddenly turned serious.

Lumine tried to stifle her laughter as she tilted her head to further accentuate the skin on her neck. Childe watched the small reddish spots and tooth marks paint her anatomy. He laughed nervously and buried his face in both of his hands once she began to laugh uncontrollably.

“Archons! Don't remind me!” Childe exclaimed, feeling the burning of his cheeks from embarrassment clouding his thoughts.

“What? Would you rather I not let you do it anymore?”

Childe stopped complaining in an instant and stared at her. “Don't you dare.”