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On the top of Mt. Aocang in Liyue, there is a lake with water so clear, you can see the bottom without much difficulty. During the day, the lake glittered like diamonds under the sunlight. There, in the middle, lies a small island with a big maple tree, its branches stretch far and create a cool canopy of red leaves. Under its shade is a stone table with three seats and an inscription on each seat.
Zhongli loves to spend his free time there. It’s a place that holds many memories - of his meals with the first Archons, of times with the late Guizhong and Cloud Retainer, and of his drink with a certain Archon whose presence he’s been waiting for.
A strong gust of wind blows and with it, comes the Anemo Archon.
“You are late.” Zhongli murmurs, noticing his presence.
Venti rolls his eyes. “You’re just early, Morax.” he grumbles, though he does take a seat in front of him, on the stone seat that says “Here sits Rex”.
As if they had done this a thousand times before, Venti casually takes the wine Zhongli had served. Clicking his tongue in approval at the taste. “So, how are you doing?”
Zhongli shrugs. “The same as ever. Hu Tao had her 44th birthday yesterday, begged for a coffin-shaped cake. Xiangling made it for her. Chocolate with Jueyun Chili and a slime jus filling.”
A grimace creeps up to Venti’s face. Disgusted. “There are some details you don’t need to point out, you know, Morax? Did you eat the cake?”
The pained look on Zhongli’s face is enough to answer. The ever eccentric Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Director never fails to rope Zhongli into misery, be it to pass discount flyers on the street, or try a cake made with one thing almost all Archons seem to hate: slimes.
“I… put it in my mouth, then dumped it when nobody’s looking.”
“Figures.” Venti clicks his tongue before drinking down his wine again. “Anyway, while I absolutely appreciate your love for Osmanthus Wine - and its taste, too, I want you to try something."
"Oh?"
The Anemo Archon snaps his fingers and a bottle of liquor materializes out of thin air. It has 'Dawn Winery' label plastered on it, yet somehow Zhongli is unfamiliar with this particular product.
"Diluc's been branching out, trying to make new stuffs. The people of Mondstadt have been taking a liking to this one. Myself included.” without even asking if the other archon wants a taste, Venti already uncorks the bottle and pours it for them.
The liquid is light, like translucent gold but in the palest hue, fizzing and sparkling delightfully. It’s somewhat a familiar color and questions start to appear on Zhongli’s head.
“Try it with me, Morax! It’s very good.”
The taste is… unique. A scent of honey, apple, and crusty bread fills the air. Its flavor is rich, reminding him of berries, with a hint of brioche and honey. “This is delicious,” he comments.
“Diluc calls it champagne. Heh, to think that they manage to brew a new type of drink now. I’m impressed.”
“Considering the lack of continuous guidance you gave them, this is an achievement.” Zhongli replies dryly. “But it is delectable… and about time the humans finally make new innovation.”
"Time," Venti repeats slowly, as if disliking how the word rolls off his tongue. "Does it really feel like time is passing, though? Because for me, personally, it's like…" he trails off, either having difficulty trying to express what he feels, or deciding against it.
"Nevermind." he shakes his head, drinking down the champagne in one go yet again. In a mere seconds, though, the empty glass is filled to the brim with the translucent liquor once more.
Zhongli mulls over his words. "It's like time passes for everyone else and not for you, isn't it?"
Venti opts not to answer that and busies himself with his drink. Yet Zhongli, having been sharing this stone table with the Anemo Archon for the past decade, knows it will only take… fifty glasses before whatever feelings get bottled up inside him to burst and spill out. And knowing his love for wine, Zhongli isn't too surprised when another bottle of champagne magically appears as soon as the first bottle gets empty.
Then comes the third bottle, and fourth, tenth, seventeenth…
Venti finally relents at the twenty fourth bottle - a bit quicker than usual. Perhaps the fizz in this champagne intoxicates people more easily.
"Why are you doing this, Morax?" he asks, eyes bleary, cheeks red, the upper half of his body sprawles ungracefully over the stone table. "I could just… sleep this all over and wake up seven centuries from now, but nope! You just had to do this."
"You need to live, Barbatos." Zhongli replies sternly. "You've had enough sleep in the past. Are you going to waste an entire eternity in slumber?"
A grimace creeps up to Venti’s face. “Asleep, awake, what’s the difference? Nothing’s better than the other. Can’t even decide which is less troublesome.” he shrugs, pouring yet another serving of champagne into his awaiting glass.
For a moment, a contemplative look settles upon his youthful face, as if he’s fully sober. Emerald eyes trained on the tiny golden bubbles inside the delightful drink. “Looks like the color of her hair, don’t you think?” a wry smile blooms on his lips before he takes a sip. “I miss her, Zhongli. I…” Venti trails off.
There are times where there are so many emotions brewing deep inside your heart. Or maybe, there’s only one emotion, but it runs so deep and burns so hot, that trying to communicate it feels like an impossible task.
“I…” the words just stuck in his throat. Well, if he even had one.
It’s not the first time Zhongli sees the ever carefree Anemo Archon in such a state - wordless, lifeless, openly vulnerable. A limbo Venti would often fall into after the Travelers left Teyvat nearly a decade ago.
But then, he inhales a sharp breath and the insurmountable regret reflected in his eyes quickly disappears. Pushed down back into the bottle before he corks it up again. "Well, I guess wishing she never left is useless now, right?"
Zhongli thinks it's ironic how the joke that comes out of Venti's lips is actually the true mirror of what the man is feeling deep down. The only way he can make heads or tails of what he's feeling is by making a humor out of it.
The Geo Archon stays silent for a moment and it's a gesture Venti appreciates. Even years after Lumine left, the pain is still fresh on his body. Still remembered her glorious wings, her glossy eyes, and tear-stained smile. Remembered how he stubbornly, stupidly, refused to be honest and took the plunge, missing his last chance.
If only I didn’t do that. If only I asked her to stay, tell her how I feel. Or at the very least, give a better, more sincere farewell.
What would it feel to see her smile again, or to hold her for one last time?
Regret and self-hate rises to his throat, choking the air out of him and Venti feels like he’s going to throw up. It hurts. It hurts so much and there’s nothing he can do to numb the pain. Pain, regret, and self-hatred have taken root deep inside, eating him away for years and not even the finest wine can appease it.
“Two thousand six hundred and twenty two years,” Zhongli says, then, calmly pouring the champagne into his own glass. “You’ve lived that long, Barbatos. You and I know better than anyone else in this world how to make amends with the past.”
Venti lets out a sigh but says nothing else, so Zhongli doesn’t push him. For a moment, there’s only silence, with the wind blowing every now and then, rustling the maple leaves above their heads. Zhongli notices how it has a bit more moisture lately. A pleasant change.
When Lumine and Aether left, the wind was dry and arid, or vicious and menacing. Sometimes it barely even blew at all. The people of Mondstadt called it the Anemo Archon’s Sorrow.
By the time the sun nearly sets, twenty fourth bottles turn forty nine. Zhongli didn’t even try to question how Venti is going to settle the bills with Diluc later. Not that he cares, honestly. Perhaps he should’ve known better than to blindly copy what Venti does - drinking themselves to oblivion - but for some reason, today Zhongli feels more mellow than usual.
As amber eyes gaze upon the drink, he recalls Venti’s words. Huh, the color of this champagne really does resemble the twins’ hair. Resembles long, blonde locks flowing in the wind. Striking golden eyes dulled with grief, yet listened with rapt attention when he told stories of Teyvat and Liyue.
“Funny how those twins seem to wreck our lives so much, huh?” Zhongli mutters.
Venti laughs. “Does he remind you of someone?”
“No,” Zhongli shakes his head. “But it’s been a while since I found someone with whom I can talk so freely.”
“Yeah. Guess when we’re already so old and there’s nothing new under this sky, coming across two aliens from another universe really turned our world upside down, huh?” the Anemo Archon replies, hiccuping a little.
But then, Venti speaks again and his words nearly make Zhongli’s heart stop.
“They will return. Someday.”
A frown appears on Zhongli’s forehead, trying to comprehend what he heard. “Is this a statement or wishful thinking?”
“Statement,” Venti nods, swirling the champagne in his glass and cursing when some of it spills to the grass. “There’s this… song from the future. I didn’t fully understand what it meant at first, but I could grasp the emotions behind it. Lumine and Aether will return… but who knows when? Maybe next year, maybe next century?”
“...Maybe when we’re both no longer here.” he finishes, the words pierce his own heart like daggers, before Venti shakes his head and flashes Zhongli a wan smile. “Though, it’s sort of unlikely, because I am the one who wrote that song.”
It was hazy at first. Bits of tunes separate from one another as if there’s something missing. Incorrigible words here and there, some he understood, others too foreign and futuristic. The melody came to his consciousness a few years after she left and it took him months to understand what it meant. Once he had understood, though, it felt too good to be true. Too good that he didn’t dare to put too much thought into it. Because the future is a fickle, unreliable thing.
“You could’ve at least written the date and time.” Zhongli scowls, though he sighs afterward. “But I guess knowing that still isn’t enough to comfort you, is it, Barbatos?”
Another breeze of wind blows, drier than before. “It was a comfort at first, to know that you will receive what you want. But when you don’t know how long you must wait for it… your faith will start to waver and shake.”
Emerald eyes gaze up at the sky and Venti exhales. The sun is almost setting and another day will pass. Another day of longing, of waiting, of excruciating grief and regret. Where is his star now? Is she safe? What worlds have those golden eyes see? Does she remember him? Venti desperately hopes she does.
It is at times like these he is reminded just how weak and powerless he actually is. His people prayed to him for fair winds and for their wishes to be fulfilled. Yet when the Archon himself has a wish, who does he pray to?
Lumine, Venti whispers her name in his mind. Offering it to the blowing wind. He could not utter his love when it counted, could not even whisper it when the world needed it shouted. But maybe, just maybe, if he keeps saying her name now, even if no one's there to hear it, perhaps the wind will carry it to her.
A boy and a girl are standing atop a hill covered in lilac-colored grasses. Trees with blue leaves are sprouting from the ground, towering over them. Not too far ahead is a river, the water is a pale shade of aqua. Once or twice, small fishes with wings would splash out of the water.
But the strangest of it all is the sky - emerald in color, with two asymmetrical suns casting its light to the world below.
"Well," the girl asks, turning to the boy. "What's your verdict, Aether?"
They are twins, a pair of voyagers traveling from one world onto another in search for a suitable place to rebuild their homeworld. This one is barren, but has a couple of the basic things one needs to build a civilization. For the past weeks, they’ve been scouring this planet, assessing its habitability. The twins both have blonde hair. The boy's long hair is tied into a ponytail, golden hair falling to his waist like waterfall, while the girl's hair is much shorter, only reaching her nape, with longer front bangs and flowers and feathers.
"The air is clear, the soil's healthy… water's sort of bitter and the two suns are sort of strange, but nothing we can't handle. At the very least, this is so much better than any world we've visited." the boy answers with a bright smile, turning towards her. "This place is perfect, don't you think so, Lumine?"
The girl stares at the land wistfully before nodding. "It is wonderful." she smiles, but says nothing else, opting to stare at the sky instead.
Aether let out a hum, taking a seat under the cool shade of the tree. There’s something going on with Lumine. Ever since they set foot on this planet, her smile becomes dimmer, often loses herself in her own train of thoughts, and most of the time, she would always gaze at the sky with the barest hint of sadness.
He thinks he knows why.
"The color of this sky resembles the sky in our hometown, is it not?" he asks, giving her a smile.
Rather than the smile he expected, what he gets is an ashen look on Lumine's face.
"Lumi?"
Look into my eyes, do you not find me trustworthy?
The color of your eyes is like the sky in my hometown.
Ahaha! That one won't work on a bard!
"I… I'm sorry, Aether." Lumine sighs. "There's something on my mind."
It is at times like this he realizes that there is so much he's yet to understand about his sister because of the times they spent apart.
"Would you like to talk about it?"
She forces a smile. "It's… the sky…" Lumine searches for words, before she settles with. "It reminds me of someone.”
“You mean Venti?”
500 years, even for them, is a long time to be away from someone. They’ve lived a vastly different life during that timespan and after she saved him, it was then Aether learned that his sister had fallen in love.
Lumine has always been strong. Masking her soft edges with fearlessness and confidence, proving to everyone that even though they are twins, they are most certainly not each other’s shadow. Yet when she was with Venti, she had been the softest Aether had ever seen. Genuine and honest, any facade she made for the world was comfortably left behind when it’s just her and the wine-loving bard.
Aether thought it was so beautiful.
“It resembles the color of his eyes, don’t you think?” his sister says, a sad smile tugging on her lips as she sits down beside him.
“Now that you mention it… it does.” he replies, naturally wrapping one arm around her small frame and pulling her close.
A shaky breath leaves her lips. “I’m sorry Aether, I’m so silly, aren’t I? It’s been who knows how long, and I’m still like this. We’ve finally found a new start, after all. It’s… it’s time to leave the past in the past.”
“But you’ll be even sadder, Lumi.” he feels her tenses up in his arms and he lets out a sigh. “I’ve been wondering… why did you decide to leave without even telling him in the first place?”
Lumine pulls away, hands fisting the white hem of her dress. “We still have to find a new place. Still have to rebuild our homeworld. And… while Teyvat was beautiful for me, it was painful for you. I don’t… I can’t do that to you.”
It’s a valid reason, of course, and Aether did not deny that at first, it was mortifying to try to reintegrate back into Teyvat. The thought of living there while he nearly burned the entire world to the ground, even harmed its Archons - the gods who have become Lumine’s friends and confidante - had been unbearable. The guilt is too hot and searing.
And yet…
“I have a feeling that there’s also something else.”
A grim smile creeps up to her lips. Trust Aether to never fail to read her like an open book. “Why indeed.” she mumbles. “I guess one of the reasons is that… I want to escape. Or at least, I thought that if I left, I would forget about this feeling in the end.”
“But we don’t forget. Our kind hardly ever forgets. So why didn’t you tell him?”
Her throat feels like it's lodged and words spill out of her mouth like a broken dam. “Because… I was afraid of rejection. I’m scared he didn’t feel the same way. Which was infuriating, really, because sometimes… sometimes there’s just something… different in the way he looked at me. And he would say such sweet words, write such a romantic poem for me, and make love songs for me. What kind of person would do that to his friend?”
“But then again, he’s also an Archon. Archon of Freedom, to be exact. How can one confess love to a God of Freedom?” a sardonic laugh leaves her lips. “And he kept on telling me to… to focus on you - which is good, I won’t deny that - but he also kept saying I shouldn’t have ties to Teyvat because one day I’d have to leave. He’s always pushing me away. Everytime I tried to tell him, he would build up this wall, create this distance and… it hurts so much.”
By the time she finished talking, Lumine was sobbing. Her shoulders tremble as she tries to stop the tears.
Aether mulls over his words. “Those are valid, I agree. But Lumi… in the end you still hadn’t tried to tell him, no? Well, he was dumb for giving you that half-assed goodbye, but I think it’s because he’s also holding back.” he rubs her back comfortingly. “I understand why it hurts twice as much for you, though.”
She wipes her tears away and draws in a deep breath. “Well, not that it mattered. We don’t know how long time has passed in Teyvat since we left. Venti… he probably has…” the words die on her throat as she’s unable to finish it.
Silence falls over them as Aether starts to think. “Want to go back?” he asks after a while, earning a shocked look from his sister. “What? You missed him. Let’s go back.”
“What do you mean ‘what’ ? You have bad memories of that place, Aether. I’m not going to do that to you.”
But he only shakes his head. “It doesn’t bother me as much. I’ve… well, Zhongli told me to let the past stay in the past and during our last days I had made amends. I’ve mostly healed, now, Lumi. Those memories… they don’t bother me as much now. We can return if you want to. Perhaps even stay. I know how much you love Teyvat.”
“No,” Lumine shakes her head. It would be a dream come true, there’s no denying it. But it’s too good to be true and she’d rather not consider it at all or else she would pine. “No. We have a task to rebuild our home. We owe this to everyone back home.”
“Lumi, would you spend your entire undying life in regret? If you’re hurting this much, then you must’ve really loved him, no?”
“What if he’s not… there anymore?” she asks, her voice small and timid. “What if…” so many possibilities, so many scenarios, and Lumine doesn’t have the courage to say it.
Aether takes her hand in his. “If a rather bad scenario happens… then it is really the time to move on. We’ll leave and make a new home here. But if things went well, it’s up to you to decide. Whether you want to stay, or do something different, I’ll be with you through it all.”
She doesn’t say a word, still caught up in anxiety. Still, Aether is patient and gentle and comforting. “I know you, Lumine,” he says, “I’ve spent an eternity with you. I’ve seen you happy, I’ve seen you cry, I’ve seen you in love… and I know this love you have for him runs deeper than any love you ever had for anyone in your life.”
There’s nothing but truth in her brother’s words and she sobs again, warm tears run down her cheeks. “Okay.” she nods. “Okay, Aether. Let’s go back.”
They arrived at Teyvat not long after, on top of a mountain that, if she remembers correctly, is called Mt. Aocang. As soon as they set their foot there, though, she can already feel the change brought by time. It’s heavy in the air - how it no longer has its usual crispness, how the sun feels a bit hotter against her skin, and how the sky is slightly murkier.
Then, her eyes spot the old stone table on an island on the lake, where Rex Lapis, Guizhong, and Cloud Retainer used to sit together. Presently, a man is sitting there, wearing a white shirt and black pants, a strange outfit considering the place. His hair is dark and short, only reaching his nape with the tips fading into light brown. Still, there’s no mistaking those amber eyes that seem to hold thousand years of wisdom - lighting up when they land on her.
“Lumine… Aether…” their names spill out of Zhongli’s lips in disbelief. “Have you really… returned?”
“It’s been a while, Zhongli.” Aether smiles, while Lumine trembles beside him.
It is sort of bittersweet - all propriety and tension leaves their bodies when Lumine takes the first step and quickly pulls Zhongli into a hug. “Zhongli, it’s so good to see you again,” she sighs, surprising the Archon.
“Teyvat is glad to have the both of you back.” he replies, and when Lumine pulls away he turns to look at Aether. “You remembered what I told you.”
“That if we ever want to return to Teyvat, go to Mt. Aocang because you’ll be there?” Aether repeats, a hint of smile tugging on his lips. “Yes, I remember, Zhongli.”
“Then, what brings you two back here? Is there anything you need?”
And with that, Lumine tenses up again, exchanging worried glances with her twin. Aether took the initiative. “We… were looking for Venti, actually. Is he still… around?"
Amber eyes soften with something Aether can’t quite decipher as Zhongli gazes at his sister. “Barbatos, huh? Worry not. He’s still here, Lumine, and he's alright.”
It’s like the color returns to her face. Aether’s heart warms, then, because this is the first time Lumine has truly been able to breathe ever since they began their journey back to Teyvat. She let out a shuddering breath, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
“That's good to know… I'm glad.” a weak smile curves on her lips while her eyes return to Zhongli once more. "Can you take me to him?"
Zhongli’s eyes widen for only a fraction before a knowing smile graces his lips. "Of course. But you have to prepare yourself. It's been almost four thousand years since you left… Teyvat has changed a lot."
Four thousand years? Her heart sinks. “Then the others…” she remembers their names and faces in their heads.
“...Ganyu, Xiao, and Yanfei are still around.” the Archon says only that and Lumine nods. Of course, such is the passage of time. Strangers get born, strangers get buried. “Let’s go, Lumine. Barbatos would be so happy to see you again.”
Her heart swells, picking up its pace as they head for one of the Teleport Waypoints that would take them to Mondstadt.
“These waypoints still exist?” Aether asks.
“Only a few of them. Some were destroyed by time, but this one still works and it can take us to Mondstadt.” Zhongli answers, placing his hand on the old mechanism. His eyes find Lumine’s again. “Are you ready?”
She nods. “I’m ready.”
They traversed through space and time and, despite her words, nothing can truly prepare her for what she sees when she opens her eyes. Mondstadt has changed so much, it’s barely recognizable. Gone were the lush meadows, the sea of trees, and the stone and dirt pavement. There are now tall buildings reaching the sky, black colored road made of something unknown to her, vehicles made of steel and rubber tires come and go atop the road, its smoke filling her lungs.
There are also streets for people, too, and it is very crowded. Much more crowded than old Mondstadt has ever been. They all seem to wear the type of clothing that Zhongli wears, too. Lumine realizes then just how strange she and Aether might’ve been to them because their eyes would linger on her and her brother, eyebrows raised quizzically.
"An era of humans has settled across Teyvat. Archons and other immortals still exist, but... we mostly keep to ourselves and lived our own lives. Only a very few mortals know of our existence. The Gunnhildrs and Ragnvindrs still exist. And we still talk with the head of each family from time to time." he explains as they walk past a shop that seems to be selling bread. Only, in a more ornate shape and colors than she used to see in old Teyvat.
"With the Celestia gone, civilization can really advance without hindrance, huh?" Aether murmurs, bright eyes eagerly taking in the view around him. "To see the green landscapes turned into this... how do you feel, Zhongli?"
"It was bittersweet. Change has always been bittersweet. You'd miss the things you left behind, but when the future has so much to offer, of course you have to take it. Nevertheless I feel proud of what the humans are able to achieve." he answers with a knowing smile.
“How is Venti doing?” Lumine can’t help but ask. “Is he still the same, or has he changed?”
A contemplative look settles on his face. "He hasn't changed at all. As if…" Zhongli stills, mulling over his words. "As if time stops for him. Your departure affected him more than any other in this world. But I suppose you have an inclination?”
That took the words right out of her mouth and she stills. “A little. Very little.” the girl finally answers, biting her lower lip.
“Straightforwardness has never been his favored method to express himself and to be openly truthful is rather challenging. So when you left and didn’t return, Barbatos was drowning in regret.” he tells her. “Barbatos keeps everything inside. Even when you can see it in his eyes, or hear it in his voice, he would only push his feelings deeper when you ask him about it. What he cannot mask, though, was the way the wind blew.”
“For years, the wind that coursed through Teyvat was arid and dry, or vicious and wild. Only with those winds he was able to truthfully express whatever feeling he’s been holding inside.” Amber eyes find her once more and Lumine feels her throat tighten up, emotions overflowing from her chest.
Silly Venti. She would’ve stayed if he asked.
“Did he have someone to comfort him?” she asks, because, God, how painful it was to experience that all by oneself. She’s no stranger to regret. All too familiar with how it can manifest into sinister voices that urged her to blame herself for everything. Millenniums ago, when she’s still trying to find Aether in this strange world, Venti had been the one who cradled her heart and silenced all those voices.
“Me and Xiao would drop by from time to time and we’d have drinks. Yet still, that sadness persisted. For someone who claims to love freedom and represents freedom, Barbatos himself is still shackled to that regret and the past even years after, even when his shackles have started to collect dust-”
He stops then, realizing that the woman he’s been talking to is no longer by his side, trying to match his steps. Instead, Lumine freezes, unmoving a few steps behind. The delicate line of her shoulders tremble and shakes and Zhongli realizes she’s crying.
“Venti is not the only one who’s trapped in the past.” Aether mutters as he gathers her into his arms.
“I had my suspicions.” Zhongli replies, carefully placing a hand on her shoulder. “What matters is that you’re here now, Lumine.”
“I just think it’s so silly,” she hiccups, wiping the tears away from her eyes. “I’ve tried letting him know my feelings so many times in the past, hinted at it so much, but he- he keeps on… avoiding it. I thought-”
Zhongli gives her a gentle squeeze. “I know he has trouble with truthfully conveying his feelings and it’s not your fault to have doubts. It’s best to hear this from Barbatos himself, but rest assured, Lumine, your feelings are far from unreciprocated.”
Lumine takes a deep breath to steady herself, wiping her tears away and painfully aware of the stares she’s been getting. A sigh falls from her lips. “Okay. Sorry for breaking down like that all of a sudden…”
His gaze is warm and it gives her comfort. “Wipe your tears, Lumine. We’re so close now.”
It is then she truly realizes her surroundings. They’re standing in front of a tall gate made of stone and steel. Behind that gate is green as far as her eyes can see. Verdant trees towering over the grown, it’s leaves are falling down lazily in the wind. The cobbled roads are fenced with white rose bushes, where passersby are strolling under the sun. Somehow, this foreign place gives her a sense of nostalgia. A familiarity.
“Where are we?”
“You’ll know.” is Zhongli’s only reply.
He takes them deeper into the garden, past a small area filled with food stalls which aroma tickles her nose delightfully, past a playground filled with little children running and playing around. Then, her breath stops as they arrive at what seem to be the center of the park.
It must be, because this one is decorated more beautifully than the other. Before is a fountain made of stone, yet instead of water, a bush of calla lilies are placed there, dangling down lazily from the top basin. Behind that fountain is a giant, old oak tree, towering over the rest of them with its branches reaching far and wide, creating a cool canopy with its verdant leaves.
Gentle wind wafts through them - clear and soothing and healing - and Lumine immediately realizes where they are.
Windrise.
Only, instead of the familiar meadow in her memory, this area has been transformed into a huge park. Four thousand years, she thinks. Four thousand years she has left and Vennessa’s Tree still stands tall and strong.
Then, under the tree, is a sight that makes her heart ache, steals her breath away and fills her chest with so many emotions - longing, joy, affection, guilt…
Love.
Under that tree is a petite man, surrounded by a group of people, his skin fair and soft, and - she let out a strained gasp at this - his hair short and dark, with longer front bangs faded into teal and braided, framing his face, with emerald eyes, the color of the sky in her homeworld, and a lyre in his hands.
Venti.
Still exactly the same even four hundred years later. Still the same save for the modern clothing he’s donning. Still as lovely as the day she left him.
The air carries his sweet voice, along with the melodious strumming of the lyre. Pain stings her heart, shocked that the wish she only dared to entertain in her deepest dream has manifested right here, right now, in front of her, just an arm’s reach.
Yet somehow, she’s rooted to the ground. Afraid.
“I’m…” Lumine stutters, hand reaching up to her chest, trying, but to no avail, to calm her racing heart.
“It’s okay, Lumi. Go to him.” Aether nudges her from her side, giving her courage.
Baseless doubts creep up on her, whispering false assumptions that, for some reasons, seem so valid. So very possible to happen. After all, she had left him. For centuries, in fact.
A hand holds her shoulder and Lumine flinches. Looking up, she finds Zhongli already staring at her with a kind smile. Old friend, always so wise and understanding. Always ready to give her counsel. “Go on, Lumine. Don’t be afraid. He’s been waiting for you.”
Her vision blurs once more and she inhales, shutting her eyes tightly so the tears wouldn’t fall. Finally taking the plunge she should’ve taken all those centuries ago.
The first step was the scariest, but once she took it, she couldn’t stop. As if her feet are moving on its own accord. Walking through the group of people who are starting to disperse once his song has ended.
Is this not a familiar sight? Thousands of years ago, she found him just like this. Making her way through the people watching his performance as he sang under the statue in front of Mondstadt’s Cathedral. A beginning that changed her entire life.
Now, his back is turned on her as he gathers whatever money he has obtained from his performance. He has yet to see her.
So Lumine takes a deep breath.
“Excuse me,” she calls out. “What a wonderful performance you made. Is it alright if I request a song?”
She sees how those small shoulders of him flinch. He knows, she realizes, and euphoria rushes through her veins. He knows. He remembers.
"Of course," he answers tentatively, still keeping his back turned to her. Oh, how her heart races at the sound of his voice. The sound she has been missing for the past eons. "Might I ask what song you would like?"
“It’s a rather old song. A very old song, in fact." her voice wavers and she places her hand on top of her heart to steady herself. "But I’m sure you know it. It’s called ‘The Wind and The Traveller’.”
His lyre drops to the ground. With a gasp, he turns his body and oh, their eyes meet. Gold clashes against emerald and the breath leaves their lungs as the world halts to a stop.
For a moment, neither says a word until he lets out a strangled sound. “Lumi? You’re… back?”
A breathless laugh falls from her lips. “I’m back, Venti.”
Nobody knows who moved first, but longing has taken full control over their bodies and they run to each other, then. And Lumine feels so light she could take flight. Her arms are stretched wide, ready to pull him into her embrace as she should have done before she left. Yet once again, the past repeats itself. Because just when they almost touch, Venti stops abruptly, as if realizing what he’s about to do. Just like he did four thousand years ago. Hesitating to take the plunge and soar. Hesitating to be truthful.
“Lumine,” he blurts, “You’re-”
“Oh, enough with this.” She gives him no chance to finish and pulls him into her arms instead, nuzzling her face into his chest, squealing upon realizing he still smells the same. Like cecilias and apples and a hint of wine. Still the same.
“L- Lumine?”
Venti was frigid for a moment, before nervously wrapping his arms around her and a rush of emotion overcame him. Archons, she’s here. Lumine’s here, soft and warm in his arms. Still so very beautiful, still the same - with those white and blue flowers and feathers on her short, blonde hair with the longer front bangs, with the white dress and flowy straps on her body. So utterly, indescribably lovely that his heart aches.
Immediately, he tightens the embrace, breathing in her sweet scent. The scent of stars.
“I missed you,” he buries his face in the crook of her neck. “You really do come back.”
“I’m back,” she murmurs because, God, it feels like coming home. Feels like returning right where she belongs. "I'm here."
He pulls away slightly, though still has his arms around her. “Why did you come back? Did something happen-”
“Because I love you.” Lumine says. Genuine, honest, and fearless. “Because I have always loved you and I want to be with you.”
Venti inhales sharply, the sudden, unexpected confession makes his cheeks turn red just like the apples he loves so much. “L- Lumi! You can’t just suddenly say something like that! It’s… That’s my line!”
Yet she only laughs, hands moving up to cup his cheeks. Oh, her sweet, beloved bard. How adorable. How silly. “Really? And risking another four thousand years for you to really get the courage to say it?”
“Wh- why are you bullying me like this? You’ve literally just returned!”
She chuckles. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I missed my beloved bard so much that I promised to myself I’d tell him how much I love him as soon as I get the chance to see him.”
The blush on his face deepens, but he holds her closer, eyes staring at her with so much softness it steals the words from her mouth. “I thought I’ll never see you again. I thought I’d never get to see your face again for the rest of my life… but you’re here. You’re real. In my arms…” he trails off, as if the weight of his words and vulnerability has caught up to him.
Ah…
A rosy blush blossoms on her cheeks as she smiles, basking in this blissful feeling. “Yes. I’m here, Venti. I’m with you.”
He let out a chuckle, eyes suddenly turned glassy. “Heh… I’m sorry. It took me thousands of years and you leaving Teyvat, even professing your feelings first, before I could have courage…” Venti pauses before gazing deeply into her eyes and takes a deep breath. “I love you, Lumine. I should’ve told you this ages ago, I’m sorry for being stubborn, for pushing you away. My feelings for you never change even through the times we spent apart. So if…”
He hesitates, searching for words.
“So if you want to have this foolish, silly bard… I’m yours.”
Lumine lets out another laugh, airy and mirthful, as a single tear runs down her cheek. “I’m yours, too, Venti. In the past, present, and future… I’m yours.”
For the first time in four thousand years, Venti feels happy again. Truly happy, like he could float, like he’s able to shoulder any of the world’s grievances, like he could truly live and hope. All because she’s here. In his arms. Giggling, he cups her cheeks, pulling her for a kiss that has been long overdue.
The shy press of his lips to hers was lovely. Soft and warm. And their bodies instantly melt into each other. Conveying centuries of longing and love into one, intimate contact. Her hands are gentle on his cheeks, guiding, as their lips move together languidly, while his hand slither down to hold her waist. It feels pure, it feels divine, and he wonders just how could he deny himself something so beautiful for so long?
Only when their chests become tight due to the lack of air do they part. And only then, with her brilliant golden eyes gazing adoringly at him, he realizes that… regrettably, they’re still in public. Some had the audacity to stare, some had the decency not to.
But Lumine doesn’t seem to mind.
“It was wonderful.” she smiles, dainty finger tracing the curve of his jaws.
“Mm, it is. Would love to have more.” he hums, nuzzling closer to her.
“We have time. As long as immortals can live.”
Venti arches an eyebrow, giving her a teasing smile. “Does this mean you’ll stay? In Teyvat?”
When she nods, he feels like he could scream in happiness. “If you want me to.”
“Oh, dear, if it were up to me… I think the answer would be obvious isn’t it? The only way you’ll be able to leave Teyvat is if you take me with you, sweetheart.” he lightly taps the tip of her nose.
“Sounds fine by me.” she grins, pulling him into another kiss.
As the love birds bask in the euphoria of requited love, two figures watch over them from a distance.
“Well, looks like they had it sorted, no?” Aether smiles, feeling lighter than ever upon seeing how his sister’s face lit up after Venti’s confession.
“Took them long enough.” Zhongli only chuckles, though amber eyes soon peer at the golden traveler beside him. “While the love birds are enjoying themselves… what do you say we leave them be? I know this good restaurant nearby that serves old Mondstadt cuisine.”
Much to Zhongli’s surprise, the smile on Aether’s face only grows wider. “A meal as we catch up over lost time? How pleasant. Do lead the way for me, Mr. Zhongli.”
And thus, nostalgic conversations are shared over a fine meal. Just like they did all those years ago, in old Liyue or in old Mondstadt, where Zhongli told him stories and wisdoms of old. But this time, Aether’s no longer haunted by the past. No longer a gold whose glow has been dulled. Instead, he shines now. Healed and free and ready to welcome what the future has to offer to him.
And rest assured, all that's coming for him, and all his loved ones, are only good.
Years later, Venti learns, then, when and why that one song which indicated Lumine’s return was made. It is for a night under the stars as they dine on the beach, with the gentle sound of waves in the distance. With her looking so beautiful under the moonlight. Her hair has grown slightly longer, long bangs braided to the back of her hair and body wrapped in a white silk dress. Just like an angel.
It is a song he made so he can offer her the diamond ring nestled in the pocket of his tux. A song for a proposal. To solidify the love that is as undying as their life.
Her golden eyes shine brighter than the stars above, glassy with tears, as he gets down on one knee.
“Lumi, will you marry me-”
“Yes!” he didn’t even get to finish, because she already threw herself into him, arms wrapped around his neck. Pouring all her love and happiness into that one contact. “Yes, yes, yes. A thousand times yes!”
He lets out a teary laugh, then, as he holds her close, planting a kiss on her lips before sliding the ring into her finger. “Not even waiting for me to finish? My, you love me that much, don’t you?”
She tears her gaze away from the ring and sticks out a tongue at him. “I thought you’d take a whole century before you’d propose.” Lumine huffs, though a thoughtful look soon settles upon her face. “In fact… I didn’t think you’d propose at all.”
“Hmm? You wound me, Lumi. How could you think so?”
A shrug. “Marriage is a commitment that lasts until death. I thought you wouldn’t want that.” she answers, but soon adds, “Though, it’s completely fine by me. As long as I have you with me, I already have everything I need.”
Mirth courses through him and Venti can’t resist the urge to press his lips to her forehead. “My love, I thought you’d understand by now that I would gladly tie myself, body and soul, to you?” he caresses her cheeks, chuckling, when her cheeks are starting to turn red. “Besides, I’m quite fascinated with the idea of having a family of my own. Do you think Archons can conceive? I’m quite interested to find out.”
Affection surges through her chest, filling her whole body with joy. “Well, if you put it like that,” she giggles, once again gazing lovingly at the ring around her finger. “Till death do us part?”
He nods. “Till death do us part.”