The pale yellow lights flickered weakly, giving the empty streets a soft glow. Though there was no one to be seen, the air felt alive; it seemed to vibrate with memories of joyful moments. A peaceful and comforting silence, broken only by the echo of Lumine's footsteps on the cobblestone road. Fatigue gripped her body, and she was weary from the amount of effort it took just to breathe, but she continued forward. She had no destination, but she feared that if she stopped moving, she would never start again.
It was this unrestrained fear that carried her through the streets of Mondstadt that night. She was brave, of course, and she had the strength to single-handedly defeat monsters that most of the Knights would struggle to even face. She had persevered despite the loss of her home and her family. She had carried others' losses, never refusing to help another in need even when it was inconvenient for her. But though she denied it, the weight of the world and its troubles had been slowly crushing her shoulders, slowly sinking into her heart. And so this fear- this fear that a single moment of rest would be more than enough time for dark thoughts to manifest- forced her to keep moving.
Ignoring the burning pain in her legs, Lumine climbed the dozens of steps that led to the cathedral and circled the great building, taking in the magnificent views. One view in particular caught her eye- the moon's reflection on the lake far below her. She paused to admire the scene and leaned on the stone barrier overlooking the water, allowing her body a moment of respite though never letting herself relax completely. If she ever let her guard down, she might finally have to face the true strength of her memories...
The fog in her brain was growing dense, and her eyes were growing as heavy as the rest of her body. She fought against the feeling, draining so much of her energy fighting exhaustion that many moments passed before she sensed there was somebody next to her.
Suddenly alert, she pushed against the stone barrier with a soft grunt, steadying herself and trying not to appear too disoriented. To her left stood Venti, who watched her with a mix of amusement and concern.
"It's so much more beautiful at night," he commented. "But...have you been able to get any sleep?"
Lumine felt a stab of embarrassment, realizing that her disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and clouded thoughts made for an uncomfortable interaction, not to mention the fact that he had found her wandering alone in the middle of the night. She chuckled nervously as she ran a hand through her hair in a fruitless attempt to appear put-together. "I'm a little tired, but I needed some time to myself," she answered.
"Well, that's not very convincing. Here-" Venti took her wrist, leading her to a nearby bench and taking a seat next to her. "I think what you actually need is some rest and some company."
Lumine hated to admit it, but he was right. She had been under so much pressure for so long, and though most of her stress was honestly self-inflicted, she felt that others always wanted too much from her. She realized she couldn't even remember a time when anyone asked how she was feeling.
A long silence passed. Less peaceful than before, but comfortable all the same.
"So is that really why you're out here?" Venti asked in a tone that invited his friend to tell him the truth.
"I- I did feel like I had to get away for a moment. There's a lot happening, and...I wanted some peace, I guess," Lumine confessed.
"Makes sense. I heard what happened in Inazuma," Venti replied. Lumine shivered- if she closed her eyes for too long, she still saw the lightning flashes of the eternal storm, the lightning flashes that threatened to end her life in a stunning display of the Raiden Shogun's anger.
She searched for a reply, thinking of a lie that could convince him she was doing fine, but Venti continued speaking. "It sounded terrifying. And, if even other gods are afraid of her, then for a human...I can't even imagine."
He fell silent, giving Lumine an opportunity to change the subject. "So what were you doing here in the middle of the night?" she asked more accusingly than she intended.
Venti half-smiled. "Definitely not to cause some sort of divine chaos, just to keep things interesting around here..." he joked. "But in all seriousness, I thought I sensed a disturbance, and I came to see if there were any signs of danger. Doesn't look like anything's wrong, though."
Lumine laughed, smiling weakly. "Maybe I'm the disturbance. People always say they can feel my unique power, after all- whatever that means," she replied.
Venti responded with a short laugh. He thought for a moment before saying, "I know you're joking, but I think you're right."
His statement startled Lumine, and she looked into her companion's turquoise eyes with confusion. "That I caused a disturbance?" she asked incredulously.
"Right- but not a dangerous elemental disturbance. It's more like...a spiritual disturbance. Like there was a problem so fundamental that its negative energy could be felt in the wind."
Venti reached out a hand to touch Lumine's shoulder. The touch felt healing, warm and cold at the same time, and she felt some of the weight lift from her chest. Only when Venti's expression shifted from concerned to frightened did she realize she was crying.
It had been so long since she let herself be vulnerable, and she was so deeply exhausted that she couldn't pretend to be strong in that moment. She turned her gaze back to the moonlit lake and let her tears fall quietly, softly gasping for breath as her shoulders trembled.
She didn't dare to look at Venti again, but she felt his hand sweep across her back and rest on her other shoulder. He shifted closer to her, taking on his role as a protector as he held her. Lumine leaned into him, nestling into his shoulder and relishing both the physical and emotional closeness. Gradually her breathing steadied, and silently she drifted in and out of consciousness.
"How are you feeling?"
Venti's question hardly reached Lumine despite how close he was to her. Slowly, she processed what he had said and assessed how much pain she was feeling. "Better," she managed to murmur. "Thank you."
"Anything for a friend," Venti replied in the same gentle tone.
And they were both telling the truth. Venti may have seemed distant when they first met, but Lumine knew he would fight any battle to protect his loved ones. Lumine, though she still had most of her difficult journey ahead of her, felt more able to face the challenges it would bring. She breathed a deep sigh as she let herself relax, and when she closed her eyes for the final time that night, every flash of lightning was gone from her sight.
