Chapter 26- Awake at last

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Xiao POV

He had held his breath the entire time Venti and Jiliana were healing Lumine, desperately praying that this worked. If this didn't, then he didn't know what else would.

And work it did. When he saw her twitch a muscle, blink her eyes, a pool of happiness exploded in him as a true smile spread across his face for the first time in who knows how long. Immediately he knelt down beside her bed, quickly followed by Zhongli. Venti and Jiliana continued the tune for a few more moments, to make sure that she was waking, then knelt down too.

When she properly opened her eyes, they widened at the sight of people crowding around her, but it was quickly replaced by guilt. Why? She didn't have anything to feel guilty for. "W-Where am I?" She whispered groggily, trying to sit up. Her voice was still as soft, sweet and melodic as ever, and he could almost not believe that he was hearing it again. Jiliana helped her not fall out of bed.

"We brought you to Liyue to be healed, since three archons in Inazuma would surely not escape the notice of the Shogun." Zhongli replied gently. Lumine grimaced at the thought of the Raiden Shogun. "Wait, what? Three Archons?" Her gaze instantly flitted to Jiliana, who nodded and said, "Let me introduce myself. I am Jiliana, the Hydro Archon of Fontaine. Mo- uh I mean Zhongli and Venti asked me to heal you. You were in a very precarious situation, and I myself wasn't sure if our powers combined would work." 

Lumine sighed as she leaned back into the bedrest. "I'm so sorry.... I should have taken better care of myself. I must have given you all a lot of trouble." Venti blinked. "You have nothing to be sorry for. But would you mind telling us how did that huge amount of karma sprout up suddenly?" A pause ensued, filling the room with silence. Lumine pressed her lips in a thin line, closing her eyes, and said, "I had been acquiring it in my homeland, due to reasons I cannot divulge. However I had managed to suppress it, until an incident some time ago, when it was reawakened. I am sorry, I have sworn upon my life to not tell the rest to anyone without permission."

The Archons exchanged glances at that, probably thinking the same thing. Turning to him, they said, "Xiao, could you please go out for a bit? We would like to discuss something personally with Miss Lumine." He sighed and nodded, going out of the door, but putting his ear to the wall, unable to restrain his curiosity.

Lumine POV

She gave the three Archons a suspicious look. Zhongli spoke up. "Sworn upon your life... Do you mean sworn upon the River Styx?"

Her eyes widened in pure shock. "What the- How?!" She exclaimed, looking at the veterans, who looked back at her with seriousness on their faces. "Please, just answer our question." Jiliana said. Lumine took a deep breath, and said, "Yes."

Not a second later, she had three bodies piled on top of her in bear hugs so hard she couldn't breathe. "WHAT THE HOLY F**K?!" Three archons hugging her so tight was just plain weird. 

Venti excitedly asked, "Do you,  by any chance, remember seven siblings of yours? Living at Olympus too?" "Well, yeah. They went missing several millennia ago. I searched for them all over, but I couldn't find them. Eventually, I was called back by the Olympian Assembly, for the next Great Prophecy...."

They looked at each other with huge grins. Lumine frowned. "Hold on a sec... Seven archons, you say.... Seven siblings..." Her mouth dropped open as she realised what they were saying. "You don't mean-" "YES WE DOO!!" This time, it was Lumine hugging them, with a ridiculously huge grin on her face.

"Oh holy Poseidon, I still can't believe it. Like, how is this possible? Actually, you know what, forget I asked that. I don't care how it happened, as long as it happened."

"Are you guys done talking?" Came a voice from outside. The now siblings looked at each other guiltily- in all the excitement, they had again forgotten about Xiao's very existence.

"Do you want to tell him?" Jiliana whispered. "I don't want to keep any unnecessary secrets from him. I remember how I felt when I discovered that other secret, and how hurt I was, with him too. I wouldn't want something of that sort to happen again."

"Alright" Venti whispered. Out loud, he called out, ""Yeah we're done! You can come in, we need to tell you something!"

Xiao entered the room with a suspicious look at the foursome. Zhongli chuckled. "I know you must have been trying to listen through the walls. Unfortunately, they are very solid. And soundproof." "Yeah I figured that out pretty quick." Xiao grumbled in reply. "So what was it you all wanted to tell me?"

Lumine exchanged a nervous glance with the others, trying to say this in the most un-shocking way possible. "Lets just be plain straightforward." Venti said. "That usually lessens the shock." They all nodded. "Uh, so," Lumine began. "Lumine is us archons' long-lost sister, we all are siblings."

Apparently being straightforward only increased the shock.

(934 words.

Ok, so I know the length of my chapters is decreasing, but I don't want to push myself too hard, or I'll get burnt out and totally lose inspiration, which I don't want to happen. Also, well, quality over quantity, and I want to make sure the readers get the best version of the chapter, not some rushed up stuff. So, till then, au revoir! )

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