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Morning.
I woke up with a slight throbbing in my head and dampness in my eyes. …I can still remember the nightmare I saw. …But some parts are blurry. …I don't know what to do. I was never someone who had dreams or nightmares.
It felt too real. …I'm scared.
I got out of bed and went to the river to wash my face. When I saw my reflection in the water, I noticed my eyes were bloodshot. An involuntary urge to vomit welled up inside me. When the moment I stabbed her flashed through my mind, this time I actually threw up.
"Urgh—"
It felt like my stomach was trying to crawl out of my throat. Since I had already digested yesterday's meat, there wasn't much to vomit. After coughing a bit, I washed my chin and mouth with river water. My head was still pounding. It felt like I'd been hit by some vicious disease.
I guess this was what Lumine meant by 'malicious energy.' …I was paying a very heavy price for drinking that tear. …Speaking of which, the tear Lumine purified was still back at the house. …Maybe if I drink it, I'll get better?
I went back inside. Lumine was still asleep. …She has a pretty messy sleeping style. …The hem of her skirt had ridden up. …I looked away quickly and grabbed Dvalin's tear and my axe. I headed into the yard and sliced horizontally at the top of the tear. Just like last time, the glass-like shell popped off, revealing the liquid inside. This time, the liquid was a clear shade of blue. Without thinking too much, I drank it.
It felt like chugging ten energy drinks at once—my heart immediately started racing again. But this time, there was no pain; instead, warmth spread through my whole body. After a while, the headache and fatigue faded. Physically, I don't think I got as strong as before. And honestly, I wasn't in the mood to test it.
I took some meat out of the storage for breakfast and started cooking it outside. I was careful not to wake Lumine and Paimon. By the time the meat was done, fifteen minutes had passed. My pocket watch really was helpful. I plated the food and went back inside to wake them. At this rate, eating meat every day, I was probably going to get gout, but there was no way I'd give it up.
I opened the door, and just as I stepped inside, Lumine must've woken up—she bumped her sleepy head right into my chest. Because of our height difference, her head landed exactly on my chest. After bumping into me, she looked up and saw my face.
"Good morning."
She wiped the drool off her chin and mumbled sleepily:
"Good morning, Kane… Sorry, I didn't see you because you suddenly came through the door."
"It's fine. Did it hurt anywhere?"
She briefly averted her gaze.
"…No, your chest is too big for my head to get hurt…"
…There was a hint of jealousy in her voice, I think. …Not sure why. Maybe she just thinks my chest is big because of my muscles.
"Go wash your face in the river. I made breakfast."
I set the plates on the table, then woke Paimon. She was just as sleepy as Lumine. How did these two manage to travel all across Teyvat like this?
Then we sat down to eat. They both really seemed to love meat. Who doesn't?
Between bites, we asked each other small questions.
"So, Lumine, what do you plan to do after putting up the poster?"
Lumine swallowed her food before answering:
"To be honest, I haven't thought much about it. I'm not confident I'll find my brother quickly after posting it. It's definitely going to take some time. And I don't want to be a burden to you during that time, Kane."
I smiled. For some reason, the dynamic between us felt really nice.
"No, no, you're not a burden at all. Actually, Lumine… if you want, we could take Adventurer's Guild commissions together during that time. You'd earn money too. And… we'd get to spend time together."
Lumine answered without hesitation:
"That's a wonderful idea, Kane."
Paimon, meanwhile, was too focused on devouring her meat to join in.
"By the way, Lumine, how do you use the Anemo element? In Teyvat, you need a Vision to use an element. Why is it different for you?"
It was something I genuinely wanted to ask. She could use it. But how? If there was some underlying logic, maybe it could help me too.
After hearing my question, Lumine looked like she was thinking hard about how to respond. She was probably trying to come up with a reasonable and believable explanation.
"…Well… I'm not sure how to explain it. It's just normal for me. I want the wind to do something, and it does. I don't need anything to use it."
…So it's just desire? …You want it, and it happens? That's how it is, huh…
I guess there's no hope for me.
"…I see."
I already knew it deep down—but hearing it from Lumine herself… it stung. Two weeks had passed, and I still hadn't awakened a Vision or anything even close. …I guess I really am a failure.
…
Lumine must've sensed my mood dropping because she asked:
"Hey, are you okay?"
…No. I wasn't.
"…I… don't know, Lumine. …I'm really frustrated. I want to get stronger. But it feels like everything is getting in my way. …To accomplish anything, I need strength. …A lot of it."
I chose to be honest with her. …I'm bad at lying, and it doesn't feel right anyway.
After I spoke, Lumine paused for a moment—like she'd made up her mind about something.
"Why do you want to get stronger so badly, Kane?"
…At least this was something I could answer clearly.
"…All my life, I've watched things happen in front of me—watched others act while I stood still. …I want to actually change things. …To protect people I care about. To survive. …I want to be strong."
After hearing my answer, Lumine stayed quiet for a moment. Then she looked into my eyes and smiled.
"So beneath that calm exterior of yours, storms are raging, huh? …Alright. I can help you get stronger, Kane. But there's something you have to promise me first."
I almost thought I heard wrong. Was this really happening? I felt like a kid getting his first-ever gift—my eyes practically shining.
"R-really? What is it??"
Seeing my reaction made her smile grow even warmer. …Her smile almost felt healing.
"First… no one else can hear what I'm about to tell you. There are no exceptions. And I want you to do exactly what I say. Otherwise, you might get seriously hurt."
…How am I supposed to repay this kindness?
"Thank you so much… I don't know how I can repay you, Lumine."
"No, no. I'm the one repaying your kindness, actually."
What? …I'm sure I didn't do anything that big.
"If you say so… When can we start this training?"
Lumine finished her meal and stood up.
"After we take care of the poster."
I had already finished eating, so I stood as well. Despite her small size, Paimon had eaten more than both of us. We washed up at the river and set off toward the city.