The light was warm and gentle, unlike the eerie chill of the Abyss, nor the sharp edge of battle. It carried a reassuringly familiar sense—the unique breath of Mondstadt's wind.
"It's light!" Lydia's eyes suddenly lit up, her exhaustion seemingly dispelled by more than half in an instant. She tightly gripped Lumine's wrist, her voice unable to hide her urgency, "Lumine, let's go there quickly!"
Lumine also felt a surge of energy, the oppression and pain accumulated in her chest finally finding an outlet.
Ignoring the gruesome wounds all over their bodies, they supported each other and quickened their pace, stumbling and running toward the light.
The intense light gradually filled their vision, making them subconsciously close their eyes.
Their bodies were suddenly enveloped in a gentle power, and the previous exhaustion and burning pain of their wounds slowly dissipated, as if being lightly brushed by Mondstadt's spring breeze.
Only when the light gradually faded did the two slowly open their eyes and see the surrounding environment clearly.
What met their eyes were familiar houses, and windmills turning slowly in the distance, carrying the unique aura of freedom in Mondstadt.
This wasn't the depths of the ruins, but the Mondstadt they knew so well!
"H... How is this possible?" Lydia's eyes widened as she looked around in disbelief, her snow-white eyelashes trembling violently.
She instinctively pinched herself, and the sharp pain told her this was no dream: "We were clearly in the ruins, so how did we suddenly return to Mondstadt?"
Lumine was also stunned. She reached out to touch the wall beside her, her fingertips feeling the rough yet real texture, not the cold stone of the ruins, but the warm touch unique to the houses of Mondstadt.
She quickly walked to the center of the street and looked up at the Statue of the Seven in the distance. Its familiar silhouette was exceptionally clear under the sunlight, and the Anemo aura gently swirled around it, exactly like the Mondstadt in her memories.
Yet this familiarity carried a strange sense of wrongness.
The pedestrians on the street all wore faint smiles, but they appeared hollow and stiff, like soulless puppets; children chased butterflies and laughed, their laughter clear but devoid of any lively emotion, sounding more like pre-set mechanical noises...
"Something's wrong." Lumine's brow furrowed deeply. She instinctively tightened her grip on the Prototype Rancour in her hand, as pale golden Geo energy quietly coalesced around her, forming a thin layer of light. "The Mondstadt here... is too 'perfect.' It's so perfect it doesn't feel real."
Lydia immediately realized the truth as well. The Festering Desire in her hand suddenly trembled slightly, the Abyssal aura swirling around its blade completely out of place in the peaceful surroundings.
"Is it an illusion? Or... a spatial displacement?" she murmured to herself, her eyes filled with vigilance, not daring to let her guard down for a single moment.
Just then, a familiar figure stepped out of the "Angel's Share" tavern. He wore his signature green cloak, the Holy Lyre der Himmel hung from his waist, and in his hand, he held a freshly opened bottle of apple cider, the liquid inside the bottle shimmering with fine light as it swayed.
It was Venti, the one she had longed for day and night!
"Venti!" Lydia's eyes instantly welled with tears, all her vigilance shattered by the sudden surge of joy.
She instinctively ran toward the figure, her snow-white skirt sweeping across the cobblestone path and kicking up fine dust.
Venti stood just a short distance away, his green cloak fluttering in the sunlight, a characteristic playful smile on his lips. He looked exactly as he did in the countless memories she held.
"Venti!" Lydia's voice choked with heavy sobs as tears streamed down her face without warning. The moment she ran close, she threw herself directly into that familiar embrace.
Venti tightened his arms around her, holding her firmly. The warmth from his palms felt real and comforting.
"Silly girl, why are you crying?" His voice still carried that same nonchalant tone, but it was tinged with a subtle, barely noticeable tenderness. He patted her back gently, his touch as soft as if he were soothing a frightened little bird. "I'm back. I've already dealt with the Abyss. No one can ever hurt you all again."
Buried in his embrace, Lydia felt the security of this regained peace. Her tears flowed even more fiercely, yet the panic and anxiety in her heart gradually subsided.
The dark purple runes on the Festering Desire slowly dimmed, as if it too had sensed the surrounding "safety" and ceased its warnings.
Lumine stood in place, watching the tender scene unfold. The tension in her nerves eased slightly, yet her grip on the Prototype Rancour remained tight.
All of this was too smooth, too perfect, like a meticulously woven dream. How could the Abyss's schemes be resolved so easily?
Could the peace Yunqin and Osial and his wife had bought with their lives be brought to such a casual end?
Countless questions swirled in her mind, gnawing at her peace.
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her, tinged with a hint of hoarseness and fatigue, yet instantly striking Lumine's heart: "Lumine."
It was Aether!
Lumine's body stiffened violently. Almost instinctively, she turned around, the tip of the Prototype Rancour glowing with a faint golden light, pointed straight at his chest.
What met her eyes was none other than the brother she had searched for countless days and nights.
His figure was still tall and straight, but his brows and eyes were tinged with an indelible weariness and guilt, exactly the same as the gentle and reliable brother in her memory.
"Brother..." Lumine's voice trembled uncontrollably.
She wanted to question him, wanted to roar, wanted to ask why he was involved with the Abyss, but a thousand words were choked in her throat, finally turning into a single sob.
Aether did not dodge, just looked at her quietly, his eyes churning with complex emotions.
He slowly took a step forward, and at the moment the sword tip was almost touching his chest, he suddenly reached out his arm to pat away the sharp blade and held Lumine tightly in his embrace.
The familiar warmth, his unique scent, and the blood bond etched into her very bones instantly shattered all of Lumine's defenses.
"I'm sorry, Lumine." Aether's voice sounded in her ear, tinged with deep guilt, each word weighing a thousand pounds. "I'm sorry for making you worry for so long. It's my fault."
The three words "I'm sorry" were like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of Lumine's long-suppressed emotions. All her grievances, longing, and fear erupted at this moment.
She could no longer hold the Prototype Rancour in her hand. The longsword fell to the ground with a "clang," making a crisp sound.
She wrapped her arms tightly around Aether's back, pounding him with her fists while sobbing uncontrollably, her heartbreaking cries echoing through the streets of Mondstadt for a long time.
Lydia and Venti stood aside, not interrupting, just quietly watching the long-lost siblings.
Lydia's eyes also turned slightly red as she looked at the two embracing.
"I've always been here, and I'll always be here from now on." Aether let Lumine vent her emotions, gently patting her back, his voice gentle yet firm. "I'm sorry, Lumine, I won't let you be alone ever again."
Lumine's sobs gradually subsided, yet she still held Aether tightly, as if he would vanish from her sight again the moment she let go.
The sunlight spilled over them, warm and dazzling.
The pedestrians on the street still wore their hollow smiles, and the children's laughter still lacked liveliness.
But at this moment, Lumine was willing to believe: perhaps the Abyss had truly been defeated, perhaps her brother had truly returned, and perhaps they could finally settle down in Mondstadt with peace of mind.
But this peace did not last long. Lydia's brow suddenly furrowed. She looked down at the Festering Desire in her hand, its dark purple runes quietly glowing again with a faint but urgent warning.
She quietly looked up at Venti, only to find that the smile on his face had somehow become a bit stiff, and his gaze had grown somewhat unsteady.
Something was wrong.
Lydia's heart sank violently, and a strong sense of unease crept up her spine to the back of her neck.