On the eighth day atop Dragonspine, deep into the night, howling winds whipped the snow into a merciless storm, battering the world with nature's fury.
Shao Yun sat alone at the entrance of Albedo's laboratory, his eyes staring past the flurry of snowflakes, lost in the desolate beauty of this blizzard-stricken landscape.
Not far away, Paimon, Aether, and Dainsleif lay quietly on the ground, their breathing calm and steady, seemingly already drifting into sleep.
Aether lay on his side, his back to Shao Yun and the door, motionless like a sculpture carved from stillness.
His posture made it hard to tell whether he had fallen unconscious from sheer anger over having his sister "stolen" by Shao Yun—
—or whether the exhaustion from the past seven days of running had finally claimed him—
—or perhaps, it was simply his way of avoiding the inevitable farewell, pretending to wander still within a dream.
At that moment, soft footsteps broke the silence. Lumine, dressed in her legendary white bison leather coat, appeared beside Shao Yun.
She sat down next to him, glanced back at her "sleeping" brother, then turned to Shao Yun and asked softly, "My brother's asleep. Do you think he's really exhausted, or just too mad at you?"
Shao Yun smiled faintly and tossed the snowball in his hand into the storm, watching it vanish into the white abyss.
He looked over at the unmoving Aether and sighed with mild helplessness.
"I think… he's faking. We're leaving tomorrow—how could he really be asleep? He's probably just lying there pretending, avoiding reality, not wanting us to see what he's feeling."
But those words weren't just about Aether. They were about Shao Yun himself too—he didn't want to face the truth either.
He remembered what the Man with a Top Hat had said before he left.
Before sunrise, he could still change his mind.
Shao Yun glanced at Lumine beside him. After a moment of internal struggle, he finally asked cautiously.
"Lumine… hypothetically, if I had a way to completely free us from the Abyss Order, but the cost would be the deaths of many people we've never met—do you think it would be worth it?"
Lumine's expression shifted subtly, her eyes flickering with surprise.
"Shao Yun, I don't understand why you'd suddenly think about something like that. Does this have anything to do with… what's going on now?"
Shao Yun hesitated, then boldly explained, "I'm just making a theoretical guess. Just want to know your thoughts. I mean, if it were possible—if some strangers had to die, but your brother could stay by your side, and you could—"
But Lumine didn't let him finish. She gripped his hand tightly, her voice trembling.
"Shao Yun, please don't say things like that. It frightens me to hear such hypotheticals from you. And what do you mean, strangers die and my brother stays? I don't understand."
Seeing the fear and worry in her eyes, Shao Yun realized the truth: this path could never work—not even if the people were strangers. Let alone killing the people of Mondstadt and Liyue. She'd probably kill me herself.
He smiled gently, softly reassuring her. "Relax, Lumine. I was just joking. Don't take it seriously."
Then, changing the topic, he reached into his Legend of the East satchel and pulled out the precious Algernon's Revolver, a compensation from the system.
Smiling, he offered it to Lumine, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Forget what I just said. Here—help me check this out. I picked this specially for Paimon. What do you think?"
Lumine's eyes lit up at the craftsmanship, instantly forgetting the earlier conversation. She accepted the revolver with delicate care, examining every detail closely.
It was smaller than a regular outlaw's revolver, but even so, a bit big for Paimon's tiny hands.
"For Paimon's little hands, it's still kinda big. I don't think she can grip it with one hand."
Shao Yun chuckled and studied the gun again. A wry smile tugged at his lips.
"Yeah, one hand might be tricky, but two should do it. As long as she can hold it, aim, and pull the trigger—that's enough. Shooting's easier than eating, anyway."
He didn't miss the chance to tease her.
"From now on, Paimon can handle those wild boars no problem!"
Lumine burst into laughter and playfully tapped his shoulder. "You really are something… I don't know what to do with you."
After the laughter faded, Shao Yun's tone turned more serious.
"By the way, Lumine—about our next destination: Inazuma. I've got a few ideas, but I'd like to hear yours first."
Lumine thought for a moment, tapping her chin.
"I remember there's a girl from Inazuma at the harbor in Liyue. Her name's Atsuko. Maybe we can ask her if there's an easy way to get there."
Shao Yun nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. If that doesn't work, we'll go ask Lady Ningguang. I'm sure she has a way to get us across."
As they discussed the trip to Inazuma, Shao Yun's mind wandered back to earlier that day.
The demon's provocation still lingered. Though he brushed it off, curiosity had driven him to ask this question.
"Lumine… about your decision to keep traveling—I'm not questioning it, but I am curious. Was it something your brother said to you?"
Lumine's eyes softened, her gaze growing deeper, as if recalling their very first meeting.
"Shao Yun, do you remember the first time we met? I told you my brother and I were stopped by a mysterious god. But it wasn't a god—it was the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. I've lost the power I once had. My brother said that power is vital, that I can't give up on it. I have to journey across all seven nations to reclaim what belongs to me."
That reminded Shao Yun—she wasn't just looking for her brother, but also her lost power. He'd completely forgotten that part.
Then her expression softened further, and a gentle smile spread across her face.
"But… that's not the real reason I chose to keep traveling. There's something else—something more important."
She bumped his shoulder playfully and winked at him.
"My brother said… as long as I keep traveling, he'll support our relationship and give us his blessing. Even if he hadn't said that, I would've chosen to be with you—but having family support makes it easier on the heart."
Shao Yun stared at her in disbelief. That's it? That's why you decided to keep traveling? I don't buy it!
"Just because of that blessing? That's all it took?"
Lumine met his gaze with those wide, sincere eyes and nodded earnestly.
"Mm-hmm."
Shao Yun couldn't help but laugh, torn between frustration and amusement. If she'd left out the part about the blessing and just said she wanted her power back, he would've sworn loyalty on the spot.
But this added "blessing" thing… just felt off.
Was this that awkward tension between rated-12+ and rated-18+ reasoning?
It made all the struggle over the past seven days feel like it had just bought him her brother's blessing.
"No other reason?" he asked again, hopeful. "Not even something like Paimon not wanting to see me kill Venti and Zhongli? Something to justify my delusions?"
Lumine shook her head slowly, her face innocent and blank.
"Nope."
Shao Yun was caught in a storm of emotions—anger and helplessness swirling together.
Let's just pretend this was all a dream. The demon's offer… yeah, no way he could've taken it anyway.
In the end, he could only sigh and smile with gentle indulgence.
He reached out and stroked Lumine's cheek, affection in his voice with a hint of mock scolding.
"You… Thank goodness you said you wanted your power back. Otherwise, I really would've thought you went through all this just for your brother's blessing…"
Lumine held onto his shoulder tightly, her voice soft with apology.
"Sorry…"
Shao Yun shook his head. No point saying more. At this point, he'd just accompany her to reclaim her power.
And the Archons? No more pleasantries. No more grateful smiles. They used them as couriers, and expected gratitude?
Bullshit.
Though that final reason still sat a little awkwardly with him, well—he'd find a way to make up for it some night soon.
"Forget it. Like I said before—as long as you're happy."
The two of them sat outside Albedo's lab, quietly enjoying the snow-covered view.
The world outside was veiled in blizzard. Snowflakes danced in the night air, swirling and drifting downward.
They watched in silence, and time slipped by unnoticed. Eventually, Shao Yun broke the stillness.
"Alright. It's getting late. Let's head in and get some rest."
"Okay~"
Lumine responded softly and turned to head inside, lying down atop the "bearskin" (a three-star giant gray bear pelt) Shao Yun had laid out for her. Her thoughts drifted back to the events of the day…
…
"Lumine, you need to travel and reclaim your power. Not just for yourself—for Shao Yun too. He listens to you completely now."
"Brother, what do you mean?"
"Well… Lumine, have you ever thought about how long Shao Yun can live?"
"Huh? I haven't."
"Shao Yun doesn't have our kind of lifespan. He's mortal—he'll die. Do you really want to watch that happen?"
"Then… what are you saying?"
"When your journey ends, I'll figure something out. For you—and for him. You must keep going."
"Then… I should tell Shao Yun—"
"Wait, Lumine. You can't tell him. You must stop him before he does something he'll regret."
"Why can't I tell him? This would mean so much to him—"
"I won't hurt you, Lumine. But don't tell him this."
Shao Yun's voice echoed from outside.
"Enough talk! From this moment on—we're enemies! If I win, I won't remember you!"
"Go stop him! Or it'll be too late!"
…
The memories replayed in her mind like a movie.
She closed her eyes, whispering silently to herself:
"I'm sorry, Shao Yun… My brother also told me—at the end of the journey, he'll find a way for you to live as long as we do."
"Regaining my power doesn't matter. What matters is you. That's why I must keep traveling… I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. He wouldn't let me… and you had to bear that burden alone…"