omg 100
previous chapter: upon arriving back to celestia academy, lumine had a few errands to take care of. lumine gives kaeya a mondstadt snow globe along with some hope that diluc was coming around. kaeya returned the favor with talks of a certain superstition that promised true love with the coming of first snow. then, she follows up with professor kreideprinz to gather windwheel asters, and she unexpectedly learns more about the odd necklace that huffman had plagued her with.
A cloud of air puffed from my mouth as I exited the dorm building. Casting a glance at the sky, the sun shined brightly with no clouds to obstruct it, but none of that light transferred any warmth to the earth. Buying a proper winter coat in Mondstadt had been Diluc's idea, and I couldn't have planned it better. He'd insisted on only getting the best, so that's why I was perfectly cozy dressed in the wool coat that landed right above my knees—grey to match the academy uniform.
I readjusted the windwheel aster bouquet in my arms and followed the path that led me to the fountain where I would wait for Thoma. Upon my approach, it turned out he was the one waiting for me. I quickened my step when I saw him sitting by the fountain's edge, and the sound of my footfalls must have grabbed his attention.
Only after he quickly stood did I notice the medium-sized object in his hands. My first impression was that Thoma had brought a dog with him, but that made no sense. He met me halfway with a bright smile, and my lips parted in surprise once I got a good look at the object. I was right about it being a dog—a plush toy version.
"I missed you," was the first thing Thoma said before looking down at the flowers. "Are those for me?"
I nodded, holding them out to him. "They're windwheel asters. When I saw them planted in the greenhouse, I was reminded of when we met in the gazebo—when you gave me the omamori."
"The surrounding field had a meadow of them." Thoma's face turned wistful. "I thought I'd have to wait for spring to see windwheel asters again. They're beautiful, just like you. Thanks, Lu."
I blushed at the simple compliment as we exchanged gifts. Before I could ask about the dog plush, he was already diving into an explanation.
"There's a famous teahouse in Inazuma City—Komore Teahouse. This plushie is a replica of the boss there. His name is Taroumaru, and he's arguably more famous than the actual tea being served." Thoma cleared his throat then, looking nervous. "I thought you might like to have one—something to comfort you at night. You always have me to go to when a nightmare strikes, but hopefully, Taroumaru will be enough to keep them at bay."
Accepting the plushie, I reveled at how soft to the touch the fur was. As a test, I held it to my chest and found Taroumaru to be the perfect hugging size.
"I love it. Thank you, Thoma."
He seemed to sigh in relief, though I wasn't sure what gave the impression that I wouldn't like the gift.
"It was either the Taroumaru plushie or the Statue of Her Excellency, the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, God of Thunder," he said.
My eyebrows rose. The what?
Thoma burst into light laughter. "It's the longwinded title for the Electro Archon's doll. I personally don't understand the excitement behind it, but a lot of Inazumans will pay big Mora to get their hands on one."
I patted Taroumaru's head once before swooping my hand down to take ahold of Thoma's.
"I'll take the teahouse boss over an archon any day. Shall we get going? At this rate, if we don't make it to the restaurant today, it'll never happen."
Thoma's hand tightened over mine as we walked up the fountain's steps and teleported into town. In the blink of an eye, we stood in the middle of the town square, each holding the gifts we'd brought for each other. A tantalizing scent tickled my nose, and I couldn't help but lift my nose to the air.
"Smells like croissants," Thoma hummed. "I hear the bakery rolls them with a chocolate spread."
"We absolutely have to go."
"Dessert before the main course?"
Leave it to Thoma to be the most rational one between the two of us.
"As an appetizer, obviously." I grinned. "Come on, our noses can show us the way."
Though my mind was set on getting our hands on those croissants, the town activity drew enough of my attention that we continued at a slow pace. We stopped by the flower shop's stand to admire poinsettias for sale. The red blooms were in season, but I preferred Thoma's windwheel asters. A group of children blocked one area, and we had no choice but to jump along their hopscotch squares to get through. I still held on to Thoma's hand even though that messed up our balance and nearly sent us tumbling to the ground.
The bakery's latticed windows shone with a warm glow, and Thoma stepped ahead to hold the door open for me. A light bell dinged as we walked in, alerting the staff that two more customers had arrived to join the line.
"We're in heaven," I whispered to Thoma and inhaled deeply.
The croissants were by far the dominating scent in the bakery, but I caught stronger hints of chocolate chip cookies, raspberry rolls, and seasonal pies now that we were inside. The display counter was exteremely dangerous. I pointedly looked away from a stack of lemon bars to save my appetite for our meal.
Once we got to the front of the line, Thoma reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch of Mora. I had money with me too, but with one hand busy holding Taroumaru and my pockets far too deep to spare time digging into—I squeezed his hand in thanks.
"May I have two chocolate croissants for here and two lemon bars to go?" Thoma asked.
So, he'd noticed.
The shopkeeper gave him our items with a smile, gesturing to an empty table that sat in front of the window for us to eat at. Thoma rested the bouquet on the windowsill, and I kept Taroumaru on my lap as though it were a real dog.
The two plates of croissants were much larger than I expected. Surely, that wouldn't be a problem.
"Second guessing yourself?" Thoma looked at me with a knowing smile.
"Of course not. I'm having the best time of my life."
I ripped one end of my croissant and watched the chocolate spread melt into the dough. Thoma did the same, and together we sighed after tasting the warm delight. As bits of the croissants flaked away onto our plates and into our mouths, I talked about what my stay in Mondstadt was like and how Madame Ping wanted to meet Thoma.
"The Kamisato head said the same about you," he commented offhandedly. "I didn't spend as much time at the estate as usual. There were a few strays close to Inazuma City that I thought would appreciate some warm winter wear. It took the better half of most days trying to coax them out of hiding."
I wiped my mouth with a napkin. "Rewind. What was that about the Kamisato head?"
"My lord. I told him that I'd met you."
"Isn't he super important? I mean, as the leader of an entire clan and one of the top political figures in Inazuma…surely he wouldn't bother with someone like me."
After finishing his croissant, Thoma leaned forward to capture my hand over the table.
"He plays a big role, yes. But if there's one thing I've learned about the Kamisatos after working under them, it's that they invest in good people. I also used to think I wasn't worthy of their attention, but be it clan leader or housekeeper, we're people all the same. My hard work has proven loyalty and honor, so it's only natural that my lord, Ayato, would believe you to be the same."
I let that information stew in my head.
"If I'm being honest, it was difficult to put it into words—everything about you," Thoma said with a blush. "I worried that the Kamisatos may be skeptical over how talented you are because of my rambling. You can bet I was surprised when Miss Kamisato came forward and said she'd met you already."
"Ayaka—we spoke for the first time during the interview with Kaeya. I wasn't sure if she liked me. Everything about her was so…reserved." I fiddled with the edge of my napkin. "What did she say about me?"
"Don't worry. She's so polite that she doesn't always speak her mind, especially in front of strangers. Somehow, she was able to capture your character and spoke far better than my attempt."
I breathed a sigh of relief. From what I remembered, Ayaka looked ready to pick apart my mental psyche from the moment she sat down. I didn't know how I managed to gain her favor, but I was glad she had good things to say.
"Oh, we both finished at the same time," Thoma said, breaking me from my thoughts. "What do you say we follow up with something savory?"
I grinned and looked out the window, spotting the restaurant not far off. It was time for hot pot.
When I thought my eyes couldn't get any wider, a server came by with two more plates of raw meat. Because this was my first time, Thoma had gone ahead, marking the menu with a series of tallies after I'd told him what foods I liked and what I would like to try. First, a generous helping of vegetables was given to us. Cabbage, carrots, radishes—everything. This was followed up by mushrooms and regional specialties like sea grass and even naku weed. After the fowl was brought out, I thought that was the end.
"Are we really going to eat all of this?"
Thoma smiled as he threw jueyen chili peppers into one side of the pot. "It looks like a lot now, but the ingredients shrink more than you'd expect."
I took his word for it and watched Thoma add more to both broth sections. After getting the gist of what was going on, I joined in and plopped some carrots into the lighter-colored broth. The meat would go last since it cooked the fastest, leaving plenty of time to decide what interesting combinations to make.
"Thoma," I said cautiously, eyeing him. "You know that I trust you, right?"
He froze, about to add a single onikabuto into the mix. "Oh, this? This is nothing."
"It's a bug."
"It adds texture."
With a shell like that, I believed him. Whether or not I looked forward to crunching on an exoskeleton was a different story. Thoma looked like he was having a lot of fun, though. I sighed and waved him on.
"You're eating it first," I told him.
"That's not a problem with me. You'd be surprised with what I can stomach."
"You've saved me from choking down Bennett's creations on more than one occasion, Thoma. I'm plenty aware of what you're capable of."
We laughed together, reminiscing over all the otherworldly-looking dishes that Bennett would proudly present to our table. To my surprise, there was a lot to look fondly on. The highlights of my first semester were so daunting that I'd barely gotten the chance to enjoy the little moments. Thoma, on the other hand, had a whole record of them in his memory. Our conversation moved at light speed, hopping from one topic to the next.
Once the first round of meat was fully cooked, I followed Thoma's example and fished the ingredients from the pot and into my bowl. There was something about eating food that was freshly cooked with close company that made it taste infinitely better.
True to his word, Thoma broke the onikabuto in half, and I watched as he ate it with no negative reaction. After waiting another moment to see if his face turned green—it didn't—I took a chance and bit into the other half.
"Well?" he prodded.
"It's…" I said slowly before swallowing the bite. "Not bad."
"Not bad?"
I gave in. "It's really good, actually. You were right."
Thoma clapped, excited. "I knew you'd say that. Now, I can bring out the scarabs."
"Excuse me?"
He was laughing. I was just told that more bugs were on the menu, and he was laughing. Thinking it was a joke, I laughed along with him up until an actual plate of scarabs was brought to our table. In theory, I should be able to handle this. How bad could a scarab be if I could handle an onikabuto?
After taking one look at the scarabs in front of us, my stomach dropped.
"Thoma," I whispered tensely. "They're moving."
"Why wouldn't they be? They're still alive."
I paled. My mouth went dry.
"You're crazy," I said.
He was still laughing. "I take it you won't be trying the scarabs?"
"I feel betrayed. I thought you liked me." Beside me sat Taroumaru, and I covered its eyes to spare my plushie from witnessing the horror.
Thoma sobered at that and wiped away a few stray tears. "I'll eat them all for you, Lu. It was bold of you to go for the onikabuto, but jumping right into scarabs is understandably a big ask. I just wanted to see how far you'd go…and your reaction."
A wave of relief washed over me, but I didn't show it. Instead, I crossed my arms and pretended to be slightly annoyed.
"Of course I like you," he said. "I wouldn't trade these moments for anything in the world. As long as I'm with you, I love how something so simple as a meal fills me with so much energy. I feel like I could challenge the Electro Archon herself—not that there's any need for that."
"How about you eat those scarabs before thinking about defeating an archon?"
"Don't mind if I do."
And he did. After the scarabs were slowly dipped into the boiling pot, they came out still as stone. That didn't mean I was willing to eat them. Thoma took care of the rest, including the following food challenges I dared him to do. He accepted each one with no complaints.
More laughter followed—from both of us—and it wasn't long before the intimidating spread of food had dwindled down to nothing but scraps and another fond memory to keep.
"It's gotten a lot darker," Thoma commented after we left the restaurant. I was already feeling sleepy from the large meal and agreed to a long stroll. "I didn't expect those clouds to roll in. Do you think there'll be snow?"
My heart skipped as I peered up at the sky. There was certainly an overcast. Snow…I looked at Thoma and couldn't help but blush. Perhaps there was some truth in superstitions.
"I wouldn't be surprised," I said. "It'd be pretty."
"It's the most beautiful when you're at the top of the mountain. From certain spots on campus, you can see the snowfall covering the island all the way to the beach. The waters are less choppy this time of year, and the white shoreline softens the area even more."
"Let's go there," I said. We'd been aimlessly touring the nearby streets with no destination in mind. "I've only been to the beach during Beginner's Gliding. Venti takes us back up the mountain before anyone gets to sightsee."
Thoma smiled. "The beach it is."
We crossed the busy district and away from children playing in the streets. Just as the blacksmith's methodical hammering began to fade, I heard a shout. There had been plenty of casual shouting going on between townspeople before, so I didn't think much of it until the voice became louder.
"Hey!" the man's deep yell turned both of our heads.
My shoulders tensed with the demanding tone, but they relaxed once more when I saw it was only the blacksmith. He was waving at us with no menace, rather, the blacksmith wore a friendly smile. I remembered him from when Childe and I saved his son in the forest months ago. Clearly, he recognized me from that time as well, but what did he want now?
"Let's go see what's up," I said and tugged Thoma along.
Oddly enough, the blacksmith ducked into his shop once he saw us approach. We stepped under the canopy of his outdoor workplace, and I peered into the window to get a glimpse of what he could be doing inside. There was no need for that—the blacksmith strode back out with a large bundle in his arms.
"I thought you looked familiar," he said gruffly. "I'm sorry it took me so long, but your weapons are finally done. I had no way of contacting you, but I guess fate was on my side with this one."
I frowned. What was he talking about?
The blacksmith set the bundle on his worktable and peeled away the fabric to reveal two weapons. A sword and a bow. He tapped on the sword's hilt and nodded to me.
"This one's for you, miss. I crafted it with your build in mind, so it should hold up well in a fight—so long as you do. Of course, that means this bow is for your friend here. I must say, he looks slimmer than the last time I saw the two of you."
Thoma gave me a confused look.
"That was someone else," I explained to the blacksmith. "But I'll be sure to give the bow to my other friend—Childe. My name is Lumine, and this is Thoma. Thank you for the weapons, but I don't think we ever ordered from you. Could there be a mistake?"
The blacksmith barked out a laugh, shaking his head. "Nope. You didn't order from me. All that information they teach you up there must have pushed it from your memory, but I promised a weapon to each of you after my boy was found. It's a token of gratitude—no payment necessary."
I vaguely remembered something like that. Though I was tempted to offer him Mora anyways, I held back out of respect for his offer. The weapons looked gorgeous. The sword was cool blue in color and had a unique, gear-shaped design as a guard. The bow was similar. Right as I finished admiring them, the blacksmith rewrapped the cloth and attached the bundle to a sling that could easily be carried.
"Thank you, again," I said as he handed it to me. It was heavy. "We'll use them well."
"Well then, you two can get back to…whatever it was that you were doing. I won't hold you up any longer." The blacksmith swiped at his nose, gave us a brisk nod, and marched back inside.
Not wanting to linger, I left the area with Thoma at my side. Our destination was still the beach—just with some extra items to bring along.
I turned my head slightly to eye the bundle hanging at my back. "That was unexpected. Unexpected, but still nice. Two new weapons is always a win."
"Are they heavy?"
"No," I lied before amending, "Not really. I can carry them easily enough."
"An extra form of training?"
"Exactly. You get me. After hearing how students prepared for the Grand Tournament, I might as well start somewhere."
"Are you planning to participate?"
I shrugged. "If all things go well."
All things was code for dealing with the Abyss Order. It was actually during the Grand Tournament this year that Comet Paimon would make its appearance. Everything would come to light then—whether or not we failed or succeeded. The idea dampened my mood, so I simply chose to not think about it at this time.
Our journey to the beach was longer than I thought it would be, but I didn't mind. The sky had only grown slightly darker by the time we reached the sandy shores, and we paused to watch the waves.
"I had a good time today," Thoma said. "From the flowers, the bakery, hot pot, and even that blacksmith's goodwill. It was the right amount of everything."
"It's not over yet. We still have this whole beach to tour."
"You do realize that would mean walking the perimeter of this island, right?"
I smiled at him. "Maybe I just don't want the day to end."
Of course, there would be more days. More dates. More time to spend together, to laugh together, and to grow together. Even more than wanting this day to last forever, I wanted to experience what waited in the future—near and far—with the people close to me.
"I've been thinking about these flowers," Thoma said suddenly. "They're beautiful all bundled up like this, but we can elevate that."
Before I could ask what he meant by that, he was sitting in the sand and untying the twine that held the flowers together. I sat with him, setting down the weapons and Taroumaru. Thoma delicately laid each stem out in the sand before looking at me. Very analytically, at that.
"What are you planning now?" I asked.
"There are enough windwheel asters to weave a flower crown—two, even."
I gasped. I'd never worn a flower crown before. "Is it like when you wove that ring out of bits of grass for me?"
He nodded, proud. "I can show you, if you'd like."
"We can make one for each other," I decided astutely.
A bout of happiness came over me as Thoma carefully instructed where to loop the stems, how to place the blooms, and piecing the crown together. After he finished the demonstration, I had a go at it. It only took five embarrassing tries before I could finally get the first loop to stay, but Thoma's praise over that small feat easily kept me going.
"It's perfect," he said once I'd completed mine.
"So is my teacher."
Thoma blushed, and so did I once he lifted the flower crown he made—placing it on my head. I repeated the action for him, and for a long moment, we sat in silence admiring our result. A gentle breeze passed by the beach, rustling the petals enough for them to spin.
As if on cue, the sun broke through the clouds. It hung low enough in the sky to display a breathtaking array of deep reds and dusty pinks. The warm glow landed on Thoma, highlighting every feature that I couldn't take my eyes off of.
His lips parted, and he seemed to hesitate before asking, "Can I ask you a question?"
"You just did," I responded with a cheeky smile despite the sudden somersaults that my heart was performing.
"May I kiss you?"
My world stopped—no—it was sitting right in front of me. I had nothing clever to say back this time. Instead, I leaned forward and hoped he found his answer when my lips met with his.
Kissing Thoma was warmer than the sun's rays on my back. It was more filling than any hot pot meal could ever measure up to. Not even the most mouth-watering croissants compared to when he overcame the shock of my action and softly framed the sides of my face with his hands.
At some point, we both pulled away. Thoma looked just as flushed as I felt, and his eyes found their way to mine before falling back to my lips. This time, it was he who leaned forward, eager to match me.
Then, I heard a howl.
We both froze.
The howl came again, backed up by several echoing responses.
Cold prickled at the back of my neck, and I watched as Thoma's expression shifted from confusion to concern. The sun dipped back into the clouds, casting us in shadow once more.
"I didn't know there were wolves in the forest," I said.
"There aren't. An apex species like that would be too dangerous to keep around with people living here and children wandering into the woods." Thoma's eyes shifted to the trees that stood a distance away. "But if we both heard those howls, then we can't ignore it. The faculty need to be alerted."
I had to agree. Talking with the faculty made a lot more sense than hunting down the wolves ourselves. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do if confronted by a wolf. Hurting one was the last thing I'd want. The Academy must have some sort of protocol for matters like this. The sooner we let them know, the better.
With some bitterness, I stood and thought about how unfortunate the timing was. Thoma grabbed the bundle of weapons before I could reach it, leaving me hugging Taroumaru with mild disappointment.
"Hey, the day's not over yet. After we stop by the administrative building, how about we go to the library's kamera room? We can get some pictures together while our flower crowns still have color in them. How does that sound?"
Just like that, my spirits lifted. "You always know the right things to say."
We followed the footsteps in the sand that we'd made on our way to the beach before halting once more when another set of howls rang in the air. Unease churned in my stomach, mixing with the hot pot from earlier. The wolves were louder—closer.
My eyes flicked to the weapons hanging at Thoma's back. We might be using them sooner than anyone would have anticipated. Like the blacksmith said, fate may be on our side.
"Just in case, we should have those weapons ready," I told Thoma.
The howling, louder than ever before, sounded like a whole pack had joined in. The hairs on my arm stood tall, and I took an instinctive step closer to the water and away from the tree line.
Thoma quickly complied, handing me the sword. It was lighter than I expected, and the balance suited my preferences. I would have to compliment the blacksmith in person one day.
"You know how to use a bow, right?" I asked.
Thoma's mouth twisted. "I've practiced with one a few times. There's a reason why I stick with polearms."
We continued walking back to the town, though slower, and kept an ear out for where the wolves might have run off to. Except, our ears were no longer necessary from the moment we saw the trees rustle abnormally. Dread replaced the unease I felt.
Holding my breath, I tensed as the first wolf revealed itself.
Dark, disconnected limbs were held in place by an invisible force. The wolf didn't step out—it floated from the trees with pointed claws hovering above the sand. Tufts of purple fur stood out against its menacing form, and more wolves followed behind it. Some of them had golden fur, but my mind was more occupied by their number rather than their looks.
It was six against two, and these were no ordinary wolves.
"Rifthounds," I deduced with a quiver in my voice.
Thoma bristled next to me, and I eyed the bow in his hands. Then, I eyed the distance we still had to travel before reaching the port town. Possibilities and scenarios zipped through my mind as I tried to come up with a plan of action.
"Run," Thoma said.
"What?"
"I'll distract the rifthounds. You should run to the town and warn who you can before teleporting back and alerting the Academy immediately."
"I'm not leaving you here, Thoma. How long can you seriously fend off all six of these monsters before they—"
I couldn't bring myself to finish that sentence.
He shook his head. "If we don't warn the townspeople now, they'll be in serious danger."
I reached out and squeezed Thoma's shoulder to remind him that I'm not going anywhere. "There'll be no rifthounds to attack them if we win this. We can win this."
Fake confidence fueled those words, and we both knew it.
"Here," I held out my sword. "You use this, and I'll take the bow."
"Are you sure?"
"Childe showed me his archery technique multiple times. I've got a hang of it. For you, a sword is the closest alternative to a polearm right now."
Thoma nodded silently, and we exchanged weapons.
The rifthounds barked at each other in harsh snaps before falling silent in unison and facing us. A shiver ran down my spine at their eerie coordination, and I first controlled my breathing. Staying calm was key. Though we had no idea how these rifthounds had gotten here or why they chose to come out at this time, we did know that leaving them here wasn't an option. I had a feeling that the rifthounds wouldn't even let us try.
A purple rifthound launched at us, and I quickly learned that its color denoted an element. Electro. I expected speed, but a bolt of fear shot through me when the monster disappeared through a portal. I backed away, bow in position, and frantically scanned the area.
"On your left!" Thoma shouted just as the rifthound came barreling through another portal.
Panicked, I released an arrow and missed entirely. To avoid getting slashed, I had no choice but to dive down into the sand. I picked myself up just as fast, noting that my crown of flowers had fallen off, and notched another arrow. This time, I hit my mark—its maw.
The wounded rifthound howled, and that's when the other five joined in. As an archer, I had range, but that meant nothing if these monsters could easily teleport from place to place. It was better that Thoma and I stuck close together and gave the rifthounds no opportunity for a surprise attack. I ran to him, and we stood at each other's backs.
"What's your plan?"
"Don't get hurt. Kill them all," I said. "Please tell me you've thought of something better."
"Kill them all. Don't get hurt."
With a laugh that held no humor, I refocused on our enemies.
It was a good idea to give Thoma the sword. He clearly knew how to use one—probably just as well as me. Suddenly, another good idea popped into my head. It was a great idea, even. Probably the best idea I'd ever had in my life.
Sucking in a breath I called out a name, loud and clear, "Xiao!"
The rifthounds paused, tilting their heads at my outburst. It would have been cute if they weren't deadly beasts, and it would have been even better to see Xiao enter the scene and destroy them in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the Conquerer of Demons didn't appear when there were demons in need of conquering.
"Instructor Xiao is probably still away," Thoma deduced. "In Liyue."
My hopeful heart sank. Liyue. That was too far from here.
I fired two arrows at a Geo rifthound that got too close. "Back to the original plan, then."
The next few moments were a blur. Arrows flew and jaws gnashed. It was hard to continuously stay by Thoma's side with the monsters constantly lashing at us, and we ended up separated by a few arm's lengths. No matter—we fought hard. The cold was forgotten in the heat of battle. Adrenaline rushed into my bloodstream, chasing away the fear that brought doubt to my mind.
I was angry.
Angry at the rifthounds that dared to ruin my perfect day. Angry at the Abyss that proved itself to be a constant thorn in my side. Angry at anything and everything that threatened the safety of me and those I cared about. With my anger, I pulled together every ounce of power I could muster.
A brilliant teal bloomed at the very tip of my arrow as I sent it flying fast enough to cut through one rifthound's armor. Howls of pain roared out from the beast, and I imbued Geo with the next arrows. Reinforced by the hard matter, the arrows smashed into the monsters, sending a shockwave of energy that knocked them down.
Thoma had his Pyro shield up, giving me some peace of mind for his well-being.
In between attack sequences, I lowered my bow and directed elemental energy with my hands. Boulders dropped down, smashing rifthounds to the ground and holding them in place for Thoma to cut away. Rifthounds that tried to escape were sucked in by the blades of wind that whipped around my hand before I released the pull—knocking the monsters back hard enough to take damage.
Though strong, my anger alone wasn't enough to fuel the energy I was putting out. My right arm soon quivered with overuse of elemental energy, and I had to selectively choose when to fire a specialized shot.
The plan, by some miracle, was working. One by one, the rifthounds began to fall back—some even disappearing into a portal with a tail between their legs. A couple of stubborn ones remained, but I didn't let that deter me. Thoma and I advanced on the remaining monsters, both of us panting, until the beach was empty once more.
Or so we thought.
I felt a shift in the air and had the sudden urge to move away from the spot I stood in. That sense was the only reason why my midsection wasn't currently trapped between the jaws of the biggest rifthound I'd ever seen. I leaped away in time to avoid that fate, but it still got me after directly portaling here.
It was my turn to scream in pain as the massive rifthound bit down hard on my ankle. Powerful arms arced out to claw at me when I tried kicking it off. White hot pain seared down my leg as the claws cut deeply into my thigh.
"Lumine!" Thoma was there in an instant, slotting his sword in the hinges of its jaw and using his weight to leverage it apart.
I fell to the sand once I was released, biting my tongue to keep from crying out a second time. This upper-ranked rifthound needed to be dealt with, and both of my arms were fully functional. I could still fight with a bow. Except, now that I was beginning to lose blood, my shots were getting sloppy.
I put all my faith into Thoma landing a finishing blow.
"It's a wolflord!" He took the time to answer my unasked question.
Golden fur. Geo wolflord. Great.
Because this one had appeared directly on the beach, I briefly discarded my bow and focused all my Anemo energy, using both hands to send a whirlwind of energy that arced into the ocean before curving at the monster. With Hydro swirled, Thoma activated his shield once more in addition to another ability that I'd never seen before.
Jets of Pyro released with each attack that Thoma made, resulting in a series of vaporize reactions. I smiled weakly at our victory and managed to stand on shaky legs as even the wolflord retreated back into a portal. Standing was all I could do, though. The pain in my injured leg didn't allow for anything else.
"Are you…" I paused to take a labored breath. "Okay?"
I swayed only feet as Thoma staggered to me. Why was he staggering? I didn't see any blood. None of the rifthounds had landed a hit on him—not with his shield.
"Lumine, your leg." He sounded tortured. "We need to get you to the…the infirmary…"
Right when I thought I couldn't stand for any longer, Thoma crashed into the sand at my feet. His eyes were closed, and the color in his skin had faded. Frantically, I fell to my knees and searched for what was wrong with him.
"Thoma? Thoma, please wake up."
He responded with a moan. "Corrosion…"
Worry, sick worry, replaced whatever victorious feeling I had from seeing those rifthounds disappear. My hands shook as fear took over. I couldn't think past the pain in my leg, blood soaking up in the sand. I didn't know how to help Thoma. Could this really be considered a victory?
A haunting howl answered that question.
Slowly, I looked up from Thoma's unmoving body to find another pack of rifthounds—double the amount we fought before—glowering from the treeline. More panic crept into my throat, but I couldn't move. I wouldn't move—not from Thoma. I had to protect him.
Until the end.
The first time I tried to stand, I fell. The second time, tears streamed down my cheeks as I held Thoma's fallen sword in my hands. The odds of winning were…decidedly not worth thinking about.
Stumbling forward, I ached inside and out. The rifthounds moved so quickly that they seemed to blur. No—it was my vision fading away. My blood loss is what would take me out, not these beasts. Somehow, that was a win for me. As long as I dodged their attacks, it would be me who decided when the fight was over.
And Thoma…I choked on more tears when I checked to see if he was at least breathing. Though his chest rose and fell steadily, my eyes jumped to his flower crown that had fallen in the sand. Torn petals and trampled stems.
A jolt of…something buzzed through me. It felt electric.
An authoritative voice reached my ears, and I thought my hearing was becoming just as bad as my vision. "Shine down!"
As for the strange energy, I felt compelled to look up. A purple orb hung above my head. It glowed and oddly reminded me of an eye. In the center of the pupil was a brightly lit Electro symbol.
Confusion muddled with the mix of negative emotions swirling in my mind. I gripped my head as a wave of nausea took over, and my distraction withered away any resolve I had left. My leg gave out, and I groaned upon landing in the sand once again.
Get up.
I had to get up.
For Thoma's sake, I couldn't afford to be weak right now.
My body refused to listen to my mind. I wanted to scream, but even that was too much for me. Instead, I turned on my side and tried to see what was stopping the rifthounds from taking their prey.
What was all the commotion I heard? A series of shouts and commands. The sound of quick and heavy footfalls and weapons being put to use…backup? I dared to entertain the possibility. Sure enough, the next time my vision refocused, I saw none other than the Celestia Academy Task Force battling against the rifthounds.
The Raiden Shogun stood at the front lines, annihilating everything in her path. While the guards made quick work of the monsters, another group came running towards me. They didn't have the heavy gear of warriors, so what could they possibly be doing here?
At this point, even my mind gave up on trying to think through an answer. Pain was the only thought, feeling, and sensation strong enough for me to focus on. Pain ached everywhere. My eyes squeezed shut.
I didn't want to do this anymore.
"...your eyes." The ending of a plea reached my ears. "Say something, Lumine."
I knew that voice.
Opening my eyes now was the last thing I felt like doing, but I needed to see. My eyelids must have been weighed down by bricks with how difficult it was to open them, but I somehow managed to succeed. My bleary vision took a moment to clear, but the effort was worth it.
"Kaeya?" I croaked.
"Yeah, it's me." I felt a hand, Kaeya's hand, gently wipe at my cheeks. "You're going to be…you're going to be okay. The healers are on their way."
My lips wobbled. It was so good to see Kaeya's face. If only he didn't look so distraught.
It took two tries before I could get the words out. "Thoma…is he…?"
"They're going to take care of him, too. The both of you fought very bravely. I know you're tired, but can you keep your eyes open for me? Please?"
Had I closed them again? I didn't mean to.
"Please," he said again. "I can't lose you."
If my eyes were weighed down by bricks before, they were sealed with glue this time. I had to keep them open—Kaeya was asking so nicely. After what felt like ages, I was looking up at the sky. Kaeya hovered above me, and I realized my head was in his lap.
Still, I looked only at the sky. How could I not?
My vision blurred again, this time with tears. Up in the sky, falling to the beach, was a light flurry of snow.
i'm sorry
