In the dim silence of the abyss, aether stood, half-swathed in shadow, gazing down at the man who knelt before him.
Lucien's body was broken beyond measure—shattered, breath shallow, blood staining the ground beneath him like wilted petals. A strange, ethereal feather hovered protectively in front of him, its soft glow trembling as though resisting the inevitable.
Aether's golden eyes narrowed at the sight. Even with its mystical defense, the feather could not defy fate. Lucien was beyond saving.
"What a waste," Aether murmured, his voice as cold as the void that surrounded them.
Behind him, Wicked Torrents shifted slightly, his tone deferential but expectant. "Your Highness… should I intervene?"
Aether didn't look back. His gaze lingered a moment longer on Lucien's fading figure before turning to his subordinate. "No. Let him be."
He stepped forward, his boots echoing faintly on the stone. Without ceremony, Aether knelt and lifted Lucien's greatsword. The blade, scorched and scarred from countless battles, still pulsed faintly with remnants of honkai energy.
"I'll hold onto this—for now," Aether said quietly, almost as if speaking to the dying man's soul. "Eventually, I'll return it… to your daughter."
With that, he turned and walked away, each step calm and final. The sword rested on his shoulder, heavy with the weight of memory.
As the abyss darkened behind him, Aether closed his eyes. If Lumine—his sister—were to see what he had done today… would she understand? Would she forgive him?
But no answer came.
Only silence.
And this… this was the path he had chosen.
-------------------------
Bright light. Warmth. Laughter. The harsh memory faded like mist.
"Darling, is something wrong?" Cecilia's gentle voice pulled Lucien from his thoughts. He blinked and looked down at the melting ice cream in his hand, its swirl just beginning to drip onto his fingers.
He smiled faintly. "No… it's nothing. Just thought this ice cream reminded me of Kiana."
"What? It looks like me?" Kiana piped up, leaping onto his back with youthful energy. She peeked over his shoulder, examining the cone with critical eyes. "It doesn't look like me at all, Dad!"
Lucien laughed and reached up to ruffle her hair. "It's just a metaphor, Kiana. It reminds me of you, not because it looks like you—but because it's sweet."
Kiana tilted her head, not entirely sure what that meant, but the warmth in her father's smile told her it must be something good. "Okaaay," she said with a tiny grin.
"Alright, Kiana, down you go," Cecilia said, gently reaching to lift her off Lucien's back.
"Let her stay," Lucien replied, adjusting his hold as he carried her. "Better I carry her than let her run wild after all that sugar."
Cecilia chuckled and leaned in, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Then you'd better take this too." She offered her hand with a teasing smile. "It's easier to carry my heart if you're already carrying our daughter."
Lucien took her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. "I'll carry both. Happily."
Nearby, Theresa watched from the corner of her seat, half-hidden behind her soda cup. Her brow twitched as she witnessed the overly affectionate display.
"I swear," she muttered under her breath, stabbing at her snack with a straw, "I came here for fun… and now I'm getting emotionally stabbed instead."
------------------------------
Rain poured hard over Mondstadt as Luna, Amber, and Eula finally reached the city gates, their footsteps splashing through shallow puddles. Luna panted heavily from the run, strands of her wet hair sticking to her cheeks.
"Huff... huff... now I'm craving to eat…" she muttered, placing a hand on her rumbling stomach.
Turning toward her companions with a wide grin, she declared, "Let's eat!"
Amber exchanged a glance with Eula, both of them offering the same helpless smile. Earlier, Eula had mentioned something seemed to be bothering Luna. Amber had braced herself for a heavy talk, maybe even a confession. But now it seemed Luna was just... hungry.
Amber sighed with amusement, her expression softening. "Alright then. It's my treat."
"You sure?" Luna arched a brow playfully, placing both hands on her hips. "I eat a lot."
"Yes," Amber nodded with a bright smile. "It's fine, right Eula?"
Eula gave a small nod. "Yeah. If it's not enough, I'll chip in."
Luna's grin softened into something more sincere. She looked at both of them with gratitude warming her chest. "Then I'll make sure to eat until I'm full!" she said, a spark in her eye.
Amber, smiling still, suddenly had a strange chill—not from the rain, but from the future toll on her wallet.
-------------
"Uncle Diluc!" Luna called cheerfully as she pushed open the door to Angel's Share.
But the tavern was quieter than usual. There was no sign of the red-haired owner behind the bar.
"Seems like Mister Diluc isn't back yet," Amber commented, stepping in behind her and shaking the water from her cloak.
Eula, ever composed, came in last and calmly placed the umbrella beside the door before brushing droplets from her shoulders.
Behind the bar, Charles was cleaning glasses when he noticed their arrival. He looked up with a welcoming smile. "Welcome. Yes, Boss Diluc isn't back yet. What can I do for you three?"
Luna stepped forward proudly, rain still dripping from her boots. "We're here to have a feast! Post-mission reward!"
Charles gave a light clap. "Congratulations."
"Same as usual?" he asked, already reaching for the menu.
"Yes! As usual!" Luna beamed, then followed Amber and Eula up the stairs to the second floor where the warm wood and golden lighting welcomed them from the storm outside.
------------------
The golden hue of sunset bathed the Homu Carnival in warm light as Lucien spent the day playing with his family, laughter filling the air. Kiana's joyous giggles echoed alongside Cecilia's gentle laughter, the sound weaving a tender harmony only a close-knit family could create.
On one of the rides, Theresa crossed her arms, frowning as she argued with Lucien, who was trying—unsuccessfully—to claim the seat beside Cecilia.
"Dad! Aunt! The one who gets to sit next to Mom is me!" Kiana declared with determination, quickly climbing onto the seat beside her mother before either adult could stop her.
Cecilia chuckled, reaching out to gently pinch Kiana's cheek. "Looks like the decision's been made."
Lucien, unfazed, tapped the ride's seat next to Cecilia. "Fine, then Kiana can sit on your lap, and I get to sit next to you."
Theresa scoffed. "That was my idea first!"
Their bickering resumed, the volume rising comically, completely unaware that Cecilia and Kiana had already slipped into the ride without them.
"Look, your grandpa!" Lucien suddenly pointed behind Theresa, smirking.
"You really think I'd fall for that?" she said dryly.
"...Tsk." Lucien clicked his tongue, disappointed the trick didn't work.
He turned to plead, "Cecilia, help me! Your husband is being outnumbered!"
But when he looked at the ride again, the seats were already filled—and neither Cecilia nor Kiana was in sight.
"What?!"
"They left without us," Theresa said, arms folded.
"That's your fault!" Lucien huffed.
"Oh, please. You're the one who stalled!"
A few minutes passed. The ride ended, and Kiana hopped off with a triumphant jump. "Yay! That was so fun!"
Cecilia stepped off more gracefully, her eyes scanning the area until they landed on Lucien, who now slumped on a bench nearby, staring at the sky like a man betrayed by fate itself.
She smiled.
Quietly, she walked up to him. Lucien didn't notice her until her shadow fell across his face and then her lips brushed against his.
Startled, he opened his eyes, only to meet hers so close, so full of warmth and affection. Her kiss lingered—not rushed or embarrassed—but soft and unspoken, held for long, still seconds that felt like forever.
Five minutes might have passed.
Perhaps it could have lasted longer, if not for a familiar voice calling out:
"Mom! Dad! I wanna buy cotton candy!"
Kiana's voice snapped them out of the moment.
Cecilia slowly pulled back, cheeks tinged red with a mix of love and embarrassment. Lucien blinked, lips slightly parted as he stared at her in a daze.
"Can we… do that again?" he asked with hopeful sincerity.
Cecilia leaned in just enough to whisper, "When we get home."
From behind a nearby concession stall, Theresa emerged with her arms crossed and a face full of dramatic disapproval. "Can you two at least try to keep the romance PG in public?"
It was only then that Lucien and Cecilia realized how many onlookers had witnessed their moment—some adults shielding their children's eyes in mild horror.
Lucien coughed awkwardly, trying to regain composure.
Cecilia pretended to play with her hair, as if that could make her blush disappear.
-----------
The carnival lights shimmered in the distance, casting a golden haze across the cobbled walkways. Laughter echoed from every direction—rides spinning, games ringing, and voices weaving into one lively harmony.
Kiana, bright-eyed and carefree, pulled Theresa by the wrist toward a row of colorful stalls. "Aunt Theresa! Come play this one with me!"
Theresa didn't resist. With a faint sigh, she allowed herself to be dragged along, hiding the small smile tugging at her lips.
Lucien watched them go, standing still with a calm expression. Beside him, Cecilia gently wrapped her arm around his and rested her head against it. She followed his gaze, her smile touched with wistful warmth.
"Dear," she said softly, "if only this kind of happiness could last forever."
Lucien looked down at her, his smile sincere but tinged with sadness. "Yeah… I hope so too. But…" he exhaled slowly, "tomorrow is work."
Cecilia chuckled under her breath and nestled closer, their silhouettes gently swaying with the evening breeze.
But then—Lucien's smile faded.
His vision warped, blurring like glass kissed by rain. His breath caught in his throat, heavy and erratic. He raised a hand to his temple, as if trying to steady a sudden, unbearable weight pressing against his mind.
"Dear?" Cecilia's voice quivered, her warmth replaced by alarm. "Dear, what's wrong?"
Lucien couldn't respond. Everything around him—her voice, the sounds of the carnival, the laughter—faded into a low, distant hum. He could barely see. Barely breathe.
Theresa, noticing the panic in Cecilia's voice, rushed over. "Hey! Lucien, can you hear me?"
Nothing.
Then—Kiana. Her small hand clutched his tightly, her eyes wide and welling with tears.
"Daddy…?"
Lucien's gaze drifted upward, unfocused. In the void, he saw it—a door. A single door in the middle of empty space, glowing faintly. Drawing him closer.
"A… door?" he whispered.
Cecilia tightened her hold on his arm. "What door? Lucien, what are you seeing?"
Gently, Lucien pried her hand away and began walking—slowly, blindly—toward the invisible space only he could perceive.
"Hey! Wake up!" Theresa snapped, trying to shake him. "Snap out of it!"
"Dad!" Kiana pleaded, clinging to his hand. Her grip was small, but desperate.
Just as Lucien was about to pull free from her, his eyes fell on her face—so familiar, so precious. Then, a flash—a single name whispered in his mind like a lost echo: Luna.
"Luna…?" he murmured, confused. The name stirred something deep, something heavy and fragile. He couldn't remember who she was—but he felt her. As if a part of his soul knew she mattered more than anything.
He turned back to the door.
———
Far away, in the rainy city of Mondstadt, Luna sat by a fogged window, quietly eating her meal. She watched droplets race down the glass, unaware of the sudden hollow ache creeping into her chest.
———
Lucien stood before the door, hand outstretched.
———
In Mondstadt again, Luna picked up the gun her father had given her, tracing the worn metal gently.
———
Just as Lucien's fingers touched the handle—
A sudden warmth. A soft pressure.
Cecilia's hands cupped his face. Her lips met his in a sudden kiss—not passionate, but anchoring. Real.
Lucien blinked. The door vanished.
And in its place, Cecilia's worried, tear-glossed eyes.
"Dear?" she whispered.
Lucien lowered his hand, trembling slightly. "I… I don't know what just happened." He steadied his breath. "I'm sorry, Cecilia."
"You need rest," she said, voice gentle but firm. "Please."
A small hand tugged at his sleeve. "Dad?" Kiana sniffled. "Are you okay?"
Lucien knelt slowly and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm okay, Kiana. Just felt a little sick. That's all." He smiled faintly, forcing it to stay.
———
Back in Mondstadt…
A single tear slid down Luna's cheek.
She didn't understand why.
"Luna?" Amber's voice broke the silence. "What's wrong?"
Luna tried to laugh it off, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. "I… I don't know. I'm just… crying."
But the tears didn't stop.
Eula knelt beside her. Amber placed a hand on her back.
"I don't know why…" Luna whispered, voice cracking. "Why does it feel like something… someone… is gone?"
And then—
She cried.
Not from pain. Not from sadness she understood.
But from a hollow ache deep in her heart, echoing with a name she couldn't remember.
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(A/n: i feel heavy... did someone curse me?)