As medics and officials arrived onto the scene, Lumine stepped to the side and pulled out her phone. It picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Mom. Can you talk?"

"Not your mom, I'm afraid." A familiar voice giggled on the other end of the line.

Lumine frowned. "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, we've met before," the voice answered airily. "You won't remember yet—but we have. I'm excited to hear how the story goes this time."

"Excuse me?" Lumine glanced over her shoulder. Ajax—for that was apparently the asshole's name—was now trying to schmooze one of the medics into letting him go. Based on the stretcher being pulled toward him, he wasn't succeeding.

"Ehe, sorry, you'll have to wait and see—no spoilers." Lumine was pulled away from Ajax to the voice again.

"Could you stop being a horror-movie villain and get to the point?" She shifted her phone to her other ear.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm just a little friend, and I'll be there to help soon." The voice on the other end paused. "I just have to rally the others first. But in the meantime, a few old friends of mine should keep an eye on you."

"Help?" Lumine echoed. "With what?"

Ajax was now trying to fight the medics, but that didn't seem to be helping his argument that he was "Fine, really, look I even got this shiny cool stone."

"You'll see, ehe. Just wanted you to know, for the record, I'm glad you're back, Lumine."

Before Lumine could demand further answers, the call ended with a definitive click.

She glanced back over as Ajax summoned a wave of water, drenching the medics.

Everyone froze, even Ajax.

"Hang on, is this—" He pulled his new shiny stone out of his pocket. It was blue and round, framed in a curved diamond with four wings off the side. In the center of the gem was a pale blue spiral that resembled waves of water.

A Vision.

Lumine looked to her own hands. No Vision had appeared in her hands. But she felt the call of the elements all the same.

"Hey girlie!"

Shit.

She started to turn away.

"Tell them I'm okay, that I don't need to go to the hospital or anything!"

Lumine groaned and turned around. "Ajax, go to the hospital. They're trying to help you, don't make their jobs any harder."

One of the medics shot her a grateful look, but she barely noticed as Ajax met her gaze. There was something terribly intense about it, like a thunderstorm on the high seas. Still, Lumine did not look away.

Even if there was something familiar and exciting about it all. Something that she liked.

Those eyes met her inside of the Golden House as he appraised her for a moment, drawing upon blades of water.

"Oh, you intend to fight me then? Good. I won't kill you, Traveler."

He blinked first, and seemed taken aback. A second of uncertainty flickered across his finely-carved features.

"Alright then." He turned back to the medics and had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry about that part, by the way."

The medics didn't acknowledge him, instead sighing heavily.

"It's going to be a long night," one of them decided.


Ajax wasn't the only one who had to be taken away by the medics at the party. Several of Lumine's friends, including her roommate. Which meant that for the night, Lumine would have to walk home.

She sighed and headed towards the ferry that would take her back down from the Jade Chamber and back to the Liyue Academia campus. Waiting by the ferry stop were three students: Zhongli, a girl with blue hair and a hairpiece that gave off the impression of horns, and a handsome boy almost as short as Lumine.

"What did Barbatos have to say about this?" Zhongli asked in a low voice.

"He's as cryptic as usual." The handsome boy shrugged. "But it's time, he said. Time for the story to start, or whatever that means."

"Has anyone made contact with Dainsleif?" The girl asked. "He might know more about what's going on. I thought he was keeping things under control until she can come back."

A guilty look flickered across Zhongli's face.

"You two are friends to me. I can assure it brings me no pleasure to disappoint you. But as the God of Contracts, I cannot go back on my word." He looked to the stone tablet in front of the ancient tree.

"She's coming."

Everyone looked directly at Lumine, causing her to stop in her tracks.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no." Zhongli and the blue-haired girl exchanged a look. Then the girl with blue hair stepped forward.

"I'm Ganyu, I work under Ningguang for the Student Government," she said. "I wanted to extend an apology on behalf of Ningguang as the Student Body President for what happened tonight. We do hope otherwise that you had a good party."

"It wasn't your fault." Lumine shrugged. "I don't think anybody could have predicted anything like that happening."

"No, I don't think so either." Zhongli was watching her closely with golden eyes. "Thank you for helping with my friend back there. He can be a rascal, and normally I would deal with him myself, if it weren't for the situation at hand."

Lumine shrugged again. "For some reason he decided to listen to me."

"Indeed." Zhongli laughed—it was the conspiratorial sort, the infuriating kind like the voice on the phone. He knew something that she didn't, and it was amusing to him to see her stumble along without the punchline.

"So, when's the next ferry coming along?" Lumine shifted uncomfortably.

"In a few minutes." Ganyu glanced down. "We truly are sorry for any trouble this caused."

"Again, not your fault." Lumine crossed her arms over her chest. "I hope no one's giving you trouble about it."

"Nothing we can't handle." Ganyu smiled wearily.

"Oh look, there's the ferry." Zhongli pointed, then looked to his short friend. "Xiao, would you mind accompanying our friend to her dormitory?"

"Of course," he grunted. He looked to Lumine and the boy's gruff expression softened. "I'll make sure you get home safe. You live on campus?"

"In the Emerald Peak dorm."

Xiao nodded. "I know where it is."

The ferry pulled up. It was a gondola that hung in the air, with an operator that looked quite exhausted.

Lumine glanced back at Zhongli and Ganyu. "Are you guys coming with?"

"No, we have some business to attend to for the Student Government." Ganyu smiled apologetically.

"Besides, we would prefer to make sure all students have left the Jade Chamber safely before we leave." Zhongli nodded. "Safe travels."

"Thanks."

Xiao and Lumine quickly climbed into the gondola. She glanced over the side as the ferry began its descent.

Emergency lights flooded the city streets. People were rushing about frantically below, cellphones to their ears.

It was quiet, however, this high in the air.

Lumine found herself looking at her traveling companion. In his hands was a diamond-shaped stone surrounded by a geometric casing. It was teal, with a winged symbol.

"You have a Vision too—why didn't you go to the hospital?"

"Oh, this?" Xiao held up the stone. "I've had this a while."

Lumine frowned—it didn't entirely make sense, but then again, what did now?

"Besides, I'm fine, I've dealt with worse." Xiao shrugged. "You came from Mondstadt, didn't you?"

"Yes, I grew up there." Lumine played with the ribbons coming off of her jacket's hem. "I never got the chance to travel, so I thought that when it was time to go to an Academia, that would be the best chance."

"You wanted to then?" He tilted his head.

"Always." Lumine looked out over Liyue. "I. . .I never felt entirely comfortable, staying in one place all my life. When I was a little kid, I even tried to run away."

"What happened?"

"I went toward the Tyrant's Tower, I'd been there once on a school trip." Lumine struggled to remember the details. There was a hazy fog surrounding the experience, eclipsed by the reaction of her parents when she came home and everything after. "I. . . I think I got into trouble. I guess not all the Ruin Guards were deactivated after the war a hundred years ago."

Xiao nodded. "Yeah, there's a spot in the mountains near Lingju Pass that's still crawling with them."

He then softened. "You got out alright?"

"Yeah, I must have, but I can't really remember how. . ." Lumine paused. "Wait. . . I'd seen a boy, some teenager who must have wandered in too. With golden hair and a scarf. . . "

She strained to push through the fog, to recall exactly what had happened that day.

"I think he took me home and saved me."

Xiao nodded.

And he looked exactly like the boy I'd seen at the station.

"After that, my parents kept a closer eye on me," Lumine continued, outwardly brushing over her own revelation. "But I never stopped wanting to travel."

"Well, I hope you enjoy Liyue Harbor." Xiao looked out over the city. "It's a beautiful city."

"Yeah." Lumine instead looked at him. "It feels like home."

He looked back at her in surprise as they saw the city from the temple in the mountains. "I've said so much today. But I don't need to hold back as much when I talk to you."

"Are you alright?"

The gondola had come to a stop. Xiao helped Lumine out of the ferry as she held a hand to her head.

"Yeah, I just. . . " She looked at him, as rationality hit her like a train. "Never mind. I think I just need some sleep."

"We're almost there." He guided her through the pavilions of the Liyue Academia campus.

Before long, they had approached her dormitory building.

"Thanks, Xiao." Lumine felt a little better at the prospect of sleep. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I always am." He waved his hand dismissively. "And if you ever are in any trouble, just call my name, I'll be there."

"But I don't have your number, hang on—" Lumine glanced down to grab her keys and phone. But when her eyes flicked back up, Xiao was gone.

She had two choices. She could question it, or she could accept the weirdness of the night and get some sleep.

She decided she'd question it tomorrow. For now, she would sleep, and maybe in dreams this would all make sense.