Spare Me

Light Up The Way

"Kaori... I had a question. I saw you in Cider Lake- why?" Lumine whispered as they stayed back for a bit whilst Jean and Diluc scouted their surroundings.

"Well, I just wanted a vantage point to see Mondstadt at night, and I fell into the lake because I couldn't glide across properly in time. Also," Kaori cut in before Lumine could make any comments, "since I'm your adoptive sister, does that make Aether my brother as well?"

She can't know. If she does, everything will collapse.

I have to keep it a secret for a bit longer.

Kaori kept a straight face, letting her thoughts vanish as she heard Lumine's contemplations.

Lumine thought for a moment. "Well, we aren't formally adoptive sisters, though we do consider ourselves so. Whether my brother can be considered your brother is kinda like a complicated issue."

Kaori turned silent. Maybe 'onii-chan' wouldn't be such an appropriate term anymore. Brushing the thought away, she kept things vague as she admired the glowing Anemo present in the lair.

"I think we need to get to the heart of Stormterror's Lair, where that massive building is. Perhaps we'll gain some clues," Jean said as she walked back to the duo. Paimon still lay fast asleep, protected from the wind in Kaori's cape-bundle.

"Let's go, then," Diluc said, and they all put words to action, walking up the stairs, avoiding barriers, taking wind currents as much as they could.

Lumine breathed a sigh of relief as she just made it onto the edge of one of the higher platforms. She helped Kaori up as well as Diluc and Jean managed to land flawlessly. Paimon remained as comfortable as ever, swaddled in the warmth with minimal worry.

"Oh, we can't advance any further. The ruins seem to be guarded by ancient seals," Venti sighed in disappointment. Paimon sleepily murmured, "Is this the work of Dvalin?"

"No. These ruins were once part of an ancient city. Dvalin just happens to be nesting in these ruins for now. These ruins even predate the existence of The Four Winds. Mondstadt is a city without a ruler. However, before it was... It was ruled over by a tyrant."

Venti stopped when he realised that they were wasting time. "Anyway... I'll sing you that story when we have a chance in the future."

"The markings on this seal... If my archaeological knowledge is not mistaken, this appears to be a light actuator. If we retrieve and reintegrate all the parts, we should be able to get it working," Diluc murmured as Paimon finally wrestled free of Kaori's cape, helping the silver-haired girl re-attach onto her shoulders.

"We should be close to completing the ceremony for this actuator. Let's put the last part back and see," Jean ordered.

Lumine and Kaori went towards the Light Prism, grabbing hold of it before placing it in the correct area. In the central part of the building, a flash of blue appeared. It was like a circular platform with intricate design, a momentary pleasing sight to the eyes.