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Footsteps echoing off the walls, the musk of mold in the air. With each second that Keqing and Aether drew further into the ruin, their breathing became more thin.
Something here was very wrong. That much had been obvious since Aether stepped foot into this accursed place. He was hesitant to even take Keqing along, but to send her away would only cause a miniature riot between them. Dainsleif looked as if he wanted them both to leave - but Aether was not about to abandon the man to his own devices in this hellish ruin.
“Do you think it’s here?” Keqing asked. Her voice bounced off the old stones, sounding far too loud in the eerie quiet.
“There’s nowhere else it could be,” Dainsleif answered, “It’s here, I know it.”
He didn’t look as if he had a vision, but he certainly could fight. Aether was begrudged to admit that Keqing had been carrying their last several battles against the hydro Abyss Herald, though the remnants of electrified water were not very pleasant to step in.
Dark hallways and traps abounded. The glow of the overturned statue lay ahead like a bad omen. Aether felt a shiver crawl down his spine, and his hand reached for Keqing’s. Under normal circumstances she would yank it away in a flurry of embarrassment, but now she only tangled her fingers with his.
It has been a very odd day so far. Keqing, as the Yuheng, was taking notes for Ningguang, while Aether was only focused on destroying the threat. He supposed that’s why they made a good team, she did the paperwork and he did the violent fumbling, it worked wonders for his ability to get out of any situation.
Yet, in this moment, as he approached the overturned statue, Aether wondered if this would be the exception.
The Abyss Herald stood in the middle of the room. It felt like the hundredth time Aether and Keqing had faced the creature just this day, yet their energy was not yet replete. Dainsleif, even, brushed past Aether to approach the tower of black and blue armor.
The two traded words for a moment. Keqing’s grip on his fingers tightened, almost to an uncomfortable degree. As Dainsleif spoke to the creature, she glanced up at him, “Aether?”
“Y-Yes?” A forced smile, some sad attempt to seem strong for her. She didn’t need it as much as he thought she did, though, and that was made obvious by the flicker of irritation across her face.
Her gaze fell into a flat sort of frustration, “Stop zoning out and just focus.”
“I am focusing!”
“You’re zoned out, I can tell when you’re lost in thought.”
In her words, he looked constipated. He chose to not believe this - and it mattered little, anyway, he had no choice but to focus. The fight began before he could even blink.
Dainsleif dodged the first attack. Aether, with his hand leaving Keqing’s, rushed past him, aiming straight for the chest. Whether this creature had a heart to pierce or not, he wasn’t sure, but he’d try. Keqing was not far behind with her electro stiletto, and a quick teleport to the spot behind the herald.
Yet, it dodged. It sidestepped and slashed with waves of cutting hydro. Aether felt a cut on his leg, and the warmth of his own blood mixing with the herald’s attacks, but he ignored it in favor of keeping an eye on Keqing as she teleported about the room.
Soon, the floor was covered in electrified water. Aether was able to swirl enough of it to slow the herald down with an elemental reaction. His half second of pained twitching was enough time for Aether to lift his sword, charge, scream and-
Purple energy, a black hole in the middle of the room. The Abyss Herald was scrambling - as best as a seven foot tall tower of armor could - towards the portal. He could not get far, as Dainsleif raised his hand and squeezed his fingers into his palm, as if there was a throat between them to suffocate.
“What’s he doing?” Keqing asked, breathless. She was dripping wet from the battle, while the herald kicked in the air and screamed for mercy.
That is, until the flash of white. Until golden eyes, until the shift in the air. Aether didn’t even realize what happened - that shockwave, like an earthquake, knocking both him and Keqing down. He had enough sense of mind to catch her in his arms, but they both hit the ground with gasps of shock.
The herald had been dropped. And the woman that stood over him, at the top of the stairs and in front of the portal, was looking right at Aether.
That feeling of dipping into a cold pool, that feeling of being slapped unexpectedly. Horror and magnificence and surprise. The face that he’d stared at for so very long.
“Lumine.”
She lifted her chin. Her eyes were not warm - they were always warm, he recalled, his sister was kind. Now, she looked blank, “Aether.”
Dainsleif was staring. Keqing, quick to recover as always, pushed herself up from the ground with a dagger-like glare, “Who are you?”
“He just said,” she raised one brow, “Lumine. Are you so insignificant to him that he’s never told you?”
He’s told her, but even saying her name out loud was difficult at times. Keqing never pushed him to reveal much when he became uncomfortable at the memory, it was one thing he adored about her.
Keqing narrowed her eyes and analyzed. She was always so perceptive, giving Aether the hope that she may be able to read this cold version of his sister. She was not the woman he remembered. Nevertheless, he stood up and took the spot beside Dainsleif, “You’re… You’re alive. Lumine, I-”
“Why are you with Dainsleif?”
The question caught him off guard. Even Keqing, who was not so usually affectionate, placed a hand on his arm. It was as if she was asking him if he was okay, and Aether wasn’t quite sure how to answer that.
“We’re reunited and…” he took a deep breath to calm himself, “and you’re asking a question like that?”
Again, Keqing’s hand on his arm. She ran her fingers down his skin and to his hand, tangling her fingers with his as she had before. It was not often that they touched in this way - and it was rare for her to hold his hand twice in one day. Lumine watched the Yuheng’s every move as if she was a snake about to strike.
Silence. Dainsleif cleared his throat, the Abyss Herald shifted awkwardly.
“...So, you’re dating?”
“What?” Keqing exploded, “E-Excuse me? No, we’re not dating. I swear, you have to be the worst sister in the world if that’s all you have to say to him!”
Lumine crossed her arms and glared, “There’s not much to say, really. I just see you feeling him up-”
“I am not feeling him up!”
What’s happening right now?
“Silence,” Lumine snapped, “do you really believe you’re worthy of my brother? That’s hilarious, I haven’t seen something this funny in ages.”
“Funny?”
Keqing looked as if she was about to blow up this entire ruin. Aether attempted to step in with a peaceful wave of his hand, “Hey, girls, can we not do this right now?”
“Shut up, Aether.”
They said it in unison. His lost sister and almost-girlfriend just told him to shut up in exact unison.
He would have never guessed that he wouldn’t want them to meet. If family reunions were going to be like this in the future, he’d just skip them.
“I bet you can’t even cook him a proper meal,” Lumine accused, venom lacing her tone. He could see Keqing’s jaw stiffening in anger.
“At least I’m around,” she shot back, “at least I don’t show up randomly and act rude and cold.”
(Actually, she did that quite often, but Aether never minded much.)
“You’re not good enough for him, I can tell.”
“You can’t tell anything! You don’t even know me!”
Lumine sneered, “As if a girl wearing cat ears could ever be good enough for my brother.”
“They are not cat ears!” It was almost a roar. Even Aether flinched, most of Liyue knew to not comment upon the Yuheng's hairstyle. It was the common law of the land. Even Dainsleif, who was not a citizen to Liyue, cringed.
Yet, Lumine stood tall and proud. Despite the absurdities of this conversation, he still felt a culminating worry in his stomach. This woman was very different from the Lumine he once knew.
Except for the overprotectiveness. That was rather normal.
“What have you done to deserve my brother’s hand?”
Keqing sputtered for a moment, looking a bit like a fish out of water. She still held Aether’s hand and was now squeezing his finger’s in a death grip, all while her face turned red. “E-Excuse me? I’m more worthy than anyone else!”
Lumine raised an unamused brow, “I don’t approve, and that is that.”
“You don’t even know me! Besides,” she huffed, glaring, “I don’t need your approval.”
“Oh yes, you do.”
The abyss herald looked as if it wanted to say something, probably something along the lines of ‘can we please leave?’ Lumine proceeded to ignore it’s fidgeting in favor of glaring at Keqing, who’s grip on Aether’s hand grew tighter by the second.
If this kept going, one of them would explode. The last thing he wanted to do was fight his sister.
“Lumine, we haven’t seen each other in ages,” Aether stepped forward, though he nearly flinched when the coldness of her gaze hit him, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, and the first thing you do when we see each other again is nag my girlfriend?”
Pause. The world seemed to shift, the air in the room thickening like fog.
Complete and utter silence.
“G-Girlfriend?” Keqing gasped. She yanked her hand away from his and stumbled back, “I’m your… We never agreed on that!”
Technically, they did. There wasn’t much else to call their relationship other than ‘girlfriend and boyfriend’. Everybody knew it, even if it went unsaid.
Aether was not in the mood for shenanigans. While Keqing had an existential crisis, Lumine’s eyes had switched from cold to an unbearable, passionate heat. She lifted her chin and glared, “She never asked for my approval, and she wouldn’t have it even if she did ask!”
“Come on,” he sighed, “this is just like that time in another world when I liked this other girl-”
“-Who also had cat ears. Your type, apparently.”
Aether decided to ignore that. “And you made her fight to the death just so we could eat lunch together. We’re not doing this again, Lumine.”
“I’ll do it,” Fiercely, Keqing lifted her chin, “I’ll fight to the death, let’s go right now.”
Lumine looked unamused, “Are you sure you can handle it?”
“I can handle it far better than anyone else!”
“I don’t believe you, cat girl-”
“It’s like you’re asking me to attack you.”
Lumine sort of was, she was egging on the fragile temper of the Yuheng. The tension was so thick that it could be cut with a butter knife.
Aether knew that this was his moment to step in.
“Lumine,” he began, “it’s been so long, I’d rather you not argue with my girlf- M-My friend.” The much needed correction came at the right time. Keqing stiffened in surprise, as if she couldn’t decide whether to be offended or not.
Lumine only lifted her chin in defiance. She glared like she’d never glared before.
“I don’t approve, and that’s final.” Was her answer, “Keqing, is it? Cat girl, I’ll be watching you. Work hard to gain my approval.”
“I don’t have to do that!” Keqing screeched. Yet, before the argument could be furthered, Lumine stepped away to leave. The portal was a wall of swirling purple in front of her.
Aether almost ran after her. Almost. If not for Keqing at his side, keeping him grounded to this world, he’d jump in after his sister.
The room was quiet and empty in just several seconds. Lumine was gone. Aether dropped to his knees.
Silence.
Until, Keqing stuttered, “…What do I have to do to gain her approval?”
It was just a day later that a group of abyss mages delivered a list of the necessary actions to the Yuheng. Lumine, apparently, required her to prove herself through a series of very dumb activities.
(Keqing wouldn’t admit it, but she did them all.)