The Jade Chamber, observation deck.
Lumine stood in the sea breeze, gazing at the Sea of Clouds illuminated by the cold moonlight.
Her silhouette appeared profoundly lonely.
As Lin Mo slowly approached the observation deck, he was accompanied by Yae Miko, Venti, and the little Paimon floating by his side.
Lin Mo now stood beside Lumine and asked with concern, "Lumine, what's wrong?"
Lumine did not answer.
But Lin Mo could see it.
Her delicate shoulders seemed... to be trembling slightly.
"Lumine..."
Lin Mo looked at her profile with concern.
Though her face was not clearly visible in the night, under the moonlight, Lin Mo could faintly make out what seemed to be a glistening teardrop at the corner of her eye.
Lin Mo knew Lumine was strong.
As a young woman, her journey across Teyvat had been accompanied by battles and pain.
Even so, she had remained strong and never shed tears.
There was likely only one person who could make the stoic and resilient Lumine cry.
That was her brother, Aether.
"Missing your brother?" Lin Mo asked with a gentle smile.
The word 'brother' seemed to breach Lumine's emotional defenses.
The tear she had been holding back at the corner of her eye could no longer be contained and trickled down her cheek.
The next moment, Lumine suddenly turned and pressed her head against Lin Mo's chest, sobbing quietly.
Lin Mo didn't know how to comfort her.
He could only gently stroke her back, hoping it would bring her some solace.
"I miss my brother..."
The倾诉, tinged with tears.
Indeed, the joyous atmosphere of the banquet felt incongruous with Lumine's state, making Lin Mo sigh as he looked towards the northeast across the sea. "Yes... during a time of reunion... it's natural to think of him..."
There lay the most direct path into the Abyss.
To fight through the entire Spiral Abyss, reach the thirteenth floor, meet Aether, and give Lumine's longing a destination.
But Lin Mo could not do this.
Because he knew.
While Aether's methods had many issues, he shared the same ultimate goal as Lin Mo: to defy the heavens.
Aether had his own reasons, his own plans, for not reuniting with Lumine.
Moreover, Lin Mo also knew.
Aether's thinking aligned with the Heavenly Principles.
He wanted Lumine to travel this world and truly see its essence.
Now, Lin Mo gently stroked Lumine's soft hair and said with a smile, "I've met Aether. I know where he is, and he knows you have awakened from that long slumber."
"Ah..."
Lumine immediately lifted her tear-filled eyes.
This was the first time in this world she had heard someone else speak her brother's name.
Naturally, she believed Lin Mo's words almost instantly.
"Do you want me to tell you where Aether is?"
"Or, take you to see him?" Lin Mo asked, smiling.
"Please..."
Lumine's voice was very frail.
Lin Mo almost couldn't resist agreeing immediately.
But he closed his eyes, not looking at her tear-streaked face.
Instead, he turned his head, slowly opened his eyes, and gazed once more towards Musk Reef, saying calmly, "Have you ever wondered why Aether, your flesh and blood, your only family in this other world, doesn't come to see you?"
"Why?"
Lumine nervously tightened her grip on Lin Mo's sleeve.
Lin Mo looked towards Musk Reef and began slowly:
"What I can tell you is that he... awoke five hundred years ago."
"Before you, he had already undertaken a journey. He too traveled across Teyvat, witnessing with his own eyes the truth and falsehood of this world."
"His perspective is difficult for you to understand now. You might even disagree with him."
"And so... he made his own plans." At this point,
Lin Mo looked down into Lumine's tearful eyes and said gently:
"You will meet again."
"But not here, not now." "See you at the journey's end."
"Go and witness the sedimentation of all things."
"Only then will you truly understand Aether's predicament."
"The journey's end..."
Lumine's small hand gripping Lin Mo's arm tightened even more.
At this moment,
the期盼 and委屈 in her eyes gradually transformed into a deep resolve.
Lumine looked up at Lin Mo, her gaze firm. "I want to start a new journey right away!" "Now?"
Lin Mo couldn't help but frown.
"Yes, now."
Lumine nodded firmly. "I want to reach the journey's end sooner, to meet my brother."
Lin Mo slowly shook his head and said calmly, "Lumine, that shouldn't be the meaning of your journey." "The meaning of the journey..."
Lumine was somewhat confused.
Wasn't the meaning of a journey simply to travel and see the sights?
"Lumine, don't forget Aether's hope for you."
Lin Mo looked again towards the direction of the Spiral Abyss, reminding her: "The journey itself is not the goal. It is about what you witness on the path to the end: the truth of this world, the sedimentation of all things."
"Witness the truth of the world..." "Witness the sedimentation of all things..."
Lumine softly repeated these phrases, but still seemed somewhat lost.
Lin Mo patiently smiled and asked, "How far did your journey in Mondstadt take you?" "Yes, you traversed much of Mondstadt's land."
"But did you see the legendary sea of dandelions?"
...
"Not just Mondstadt's dandelion sea."
"Your journey in Liyue lasted only a few days." "Did you visit Qingyun Peak, where the adepti drink tea and chat?" "The terraced fields of Qingce Village..."
"The boundary between life and death at Wuwang Hill..." "The magnificent stone forest and sea of clouds at Huaguang Stone Forest..."
"The emerald waters of Luhua Pool..."
As Lin Mo recounted these,
Lumine finally realized.
Her journey had been far too hasty.
Apart from Mondstadt,
she had not truly experienced the beautiful landscapes of Liyue,
nor the island scenery of Inazuma.
She had only symbolically sought to pass through the seven nations, focused solely on finding her brother.
Seeing the dawning realization in Lumine's eyes,
Lin Mo couldn't help but reflect:
"Traveler, when you set out on your journey again, you must remember the meaning of the journey itself."
"The birds, poetry, and cities of Teyvat; the Archons, the Fatui, and the monsters—they are all part of your journey."
"The end does not mean everything." "Before you reach the end,"
"use your eyes to observe this world more."
Hearing Lin Mo's earnest advice,
Lumine finally understood what mindset and purpose she should carry on her upcoming journey.
She bowed respectfully to Lin Mo. "Lin Mo, thank you for waking me up."
"You're welcome." Lin Mo replied with a serene smile.
Now, Lumine slowly straightened up.
Her bright eyes fixed on Lin Mo, but she hesitated to speak.
"What is it?" Lin Mo smiled.
"During the previous battle, the way you protected me without regard for yourself..."
"It made me... feel very safe..."
As she said this,
Lumine lowered her head shyly and asked softly, "In the future... may I call you brother?" "Of course~"
Lin Mo replied with a laugh. "Who could refuse such a beautiful and strong little sister~"
"Then, Brother Lin Mo... I'm going to get some food now! I didn't eat anything earlier because I was feeling down~"
Lumine's sweet smile
made Lin Mo realize that her personality and demeanor
seemed to have completely transformed in this moment.
Before, she was like a girl weighed down by worries, rarely showing her emotions on her face.
Lin Mo had even mistakenly thought
such a lovely girl might be expressionless, which was truly a pity!
But now, seeing her radiant, flower-like smile,
Lin Mo knew Lumine's inner turmoil had been resolved.
Compared to just finding her brother,
Lumine would now also treat this journey across Teyvat as an important experience. This journey would no longer be rushed, nor沉重.
"Go on, eat plenty." Lin Mo said with a smile, waving his hand.
Lumine responded with another sweet smile and skipped happily back to the banquet.
Only then did Venti and Yae Miko approach Lin Mo's side.
Venti looked at Lin Mo, puzzled. "Lord... Lin Mo? The advice you just gave the Traveler... it was exactly what I wanted to say... How did you know my thoughts?"
"Oh? Really?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
He didn't respond directly.
Because that line was precisely what Venti told Lumine under the great tree at Windrise in the game *Genshin Impact*.
"What a gentle older brother you are~"
Yae Miko's somewhat suggestive voice now drifted into Lin Mo's ear.
Lin Mo glanced sideways,
meeting Yae Miko's gentle gaze.
Seeing Lin Mo look over,
Yae Miko gazed deeply at him and said:
"The Traveler has found the meaning of her journey."
"But... Lord Sasayuri, what is the meaning of *your* journey?"
--------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 40 chapters in advance on my Patreon : [email protected]/furinaimpact