Chapter Text
Fate has a funny way of placing people in unusual situations….
That is to say, Lumine found herself just outside of Liyue harbor, slowly dragging herself inside.
Lumine didn’t remember being in Liyue. She should’ve been in Sumeru— had she used a waypoint by accident?
Not only that, but her body refused to cooperate. For some reason, ever since she opened her eyes, there was an indiscernible fog that overtook her. Lumine understood where she was, and she understood that she was walking. Aside from that, everything and everyone was merely a faint, background noise to her dazed existence.
Lumine visited many locations within the harbor, hoping for someone to pull her from her daze, or perhaps have the answers to why she was in it in the first place. But relief didn’t come until a large hand was placed on her shoulder.
A feeling of danger instantly snapped Lumine to consciousness. She drew her sword, jumping forwards and whirling around. Her eyes followed the blade all the way to its tip, which was pointed at the neck of a far too familiar ginger.
Standing before her with a playful grin was none other than number 11 of the Fatui Harbingers— Childe. His hands were up in surrender, and he made a glance from Lumine, to her sword, and back to her.
“Hey, girlie, relax— it’s just me.” He said, a hint of amusement behind his voice.
“That’s ironic coming from you,” Lumine hissed, refusing to move her sword. Relax? In the presence of a harbinger? Never. “What are you doing here, Childe?”
He was supposed to be gone. Childe had left Liyue after his job was done— why come back? Unless he was looking for her specifically, in which case…
Lumine’s grip on her sword tightened. Child studied her for a moment before a knowing smile came to his face.
“I should be asking you the same thing,” he said. “To belong here, you should be about 10 years older than you are.”
Lumine blinked. Of everything she had expected him to say, that was not it.
“What— what does that mean??”
The confusion on her face obviously amused Childe. He carefully reached out and pushed Lumine’s sword down—- and she was too wrapped up in her own confusion to stop him.
“You didn’t notice the differences?” Childe laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment, I guess. That means I aged well.”
Now that he mentioned it… Childe looked different.
He still looked like himself— he had the same ginger hair and dull blue eyes. But he looked a bit older. Not in a noticeable way, but enough that once you realized it, you couldn’t see him any other way. His hair was a bit shorter, too. Perhaps some kind of haircut, or something. Not only that, but his outfit was much different—- it looked more… domestic than what he usually wore.
Lumine wasn’t sure what to do with that information. If he was older, then… what did that mean?
“You’re… older.” Lumine said, hesitantly, taking a glance at the city around her. “Things are… different.”
Liyue harbor, in essence, was still the same. It still held its warm pallet and the welcoming feeling Lumine loved about the place. People were still bustling from place to place, busy at work or enjoying the sights. The trees were still decorated with beautiful, autumn colored leaves that matched the style of the city perfectly.
And yet… little details— building renovations, new faces, etc…. Things were different.
Time had passed.
“You’re in Sumeru now, right?” Childe pointed at the green glowing piece of her dress, near her chest.
Lumine nodded faintly, her focus still held by the differences in the city.
“Then I don’t know how you got here, girlie, but you’re in the wrong time.”
That statement hit Lumine like a ton of bricks. She instantly looked back at Childe, a bewildered look on her face.
“Wrong time?!”
“About 10 years in the future, to be exact.” Childe supplied.
“That’s not-“ she paused. “How is that possible??”
Childe shrugged.
“You wouldn’t happen to have played with a ley line recently, have you?” He asked. “That would be my only guess.”
“But ley line disorders aren’t-….” Lumine’s eyes drifted past Childe. “Aren’t that strong…”
The fog began to return. Lumine knew Childe was still present, and she knew he was saying something to her, but she could hardly hear his voice over her own heartbeat. A tired daze set upon her, and it felt as though she might collapse any second.
Why was this happening? She’d never felt so tired in her life— it was like she was drugged, or something.
“Hey,” Lumine’s eyes were drawn back to Childe when he gently tapped the side of her face with his hand. “You still with me, girlie?”
His voice, while muffled before, was beginning to get clearer the more he spoke. But the daze didn’t lift as it did before.
“…It’s… hard to think..” Lumine uttered in response. Childe let out a thoughtful hum.
“Your body probably isn’t adjusted to being here. I’m sure time travel has its consequences.”
Strangely enough, that made sense. If it was the future, then whatever had sent her there must’ve been screwing with her. But the near delirious state wasn’t good for Lumine, especially around a harbinger. He could kill her in mere seconds if he wanted to, and there would be nothing she could do about it.
“How about this,” Childe offered. “I’ll take you to a place where you can rest for awhile, and you can pester me with questions on the way. Hopefully, your curiosity will be enough to keep you conscious.”
Being at the mercy of Childe wasn’t an idea Lumine liked very much. But as it stood, she was out of place— even more than usual. She didn’t know what had changed, and the absence of that knowledge could endanger her. Plus, what exactly was she going to do, anyways? There was no way she was getting anywhere in the state she was in.
With a reluctant sigh, Lumine’s sword disappeared. Childe took that as a good sign and offered a bright smile in return. He was so chipper Lumine about wanted to punch him.
“Fine…” She agreed. “But if this is a trap, I will end you. ”
“Of course you would. I know better than to trick you again, girlie.” Childe reached out and hovered his arm behind Lumine’s back, using his free hand to motion in the direction they’d be walking. He guided Lumine as they began to walk, but didn’t go as far to touch her. His arm simply hovered for a while before falling back to his side.
The beginning of the walk was silent. Childe seemed to be waiting for Lumine to offer some kind of question, and Lumine was trying to think of what to ask. There were a million things she wanted to know— where would she start? Not to mention her current state of mind making it hard to think.
Noticing that she was having trouble coming up with questions, Childe spoke up.
“Is there anyone you’re curious about?” He prompted.
Lumine was curious about everyone— all of her friends she had met along her journey. But one particular person was at the forefront of her mind, having been strangely absent from Liyue harbor.
“Where’s Zhongli?” Lumine asked. “I went to check for him at the funeral parlor, and Hu-Tao wouldn’t even look me in the eyes when I mentioned him…”
Childe’s eyes remained on the road ahead of them, but his demeanor became more… reminiscent. As if Zhongli was someone he knew a long time ago, now lost to time…. It worried Lumine. Nevertheless, Childe still held a soft smile.
“He’s gone.” Childe said. “As you neared the end of your journey, things got… tense. I don’t recall what exactly set it off, but suddenly peace became all out war…”
Lumine stiffened with apprehension. She stopped abruptly, causing Childe to stop as well. She looked up at him, horrified.
“…What?” It barely came out as a whisper.
Childe didn’t give a verbal response at first. He simply looked back at her with a kind of understanding. Carefully, he reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, looking back out ahead of them. He began to walk again, pulling Lumine with him.
Childe’s grip was the only thing that kept Lumine walking. Her legs were unwilling to cooperate, and her mind was spinning. But with Childe’s guidance, her feet found a rhythm to follow so she could keep up with his pace.
“I couldn’t tell you who fought who… at the time, it seemed like everyone was fighting everyone…” Childe continued, his voice softening. “But what I do know is that the Fatui and the Abyss were two of the main parties involved, and the chaos that ensued caused the archons to intervene. That included Zhongli, who revealed himself to be Morax, as well as Barbatos, who made his official reappearance. Both of their nations were… surprised, to say the least.”
Childe paused briefly, giving Lumine a moment to digest what he had said.
“After the fighting stilled, Mondstadt and Liyue were thrown into madness for a time, trying to figure out what to do. To absolve the crisis, both Morax and Barbatos disappeared… to this day, no one really knows what happened to them.”
The entire story was jarring. To think of war, fighting the Abyss and the Fatui, Venti and Zhongli being forced not only to assist, but also to leave afterwards— it struck Lumine with such sheer horror and panic that it was hard to breathe.
But Childe’s tone made it much worse. He was never one to be readable— always using some kind of chipper, eccentric deposition when greeting everything and everyone. It’s what made him come across as psychopathic during battle. But now, he just… sounded sad. Not overly sad— more of a calm, peaceful sadness. As if it were merely an event from the past… a bad memory.
Lumine felt Childe’s hand squeeze her shoulder blade, effectively pulling her from her thoughts.
“What are you thinking, girlie?” He asked kindly. “I don’t want you stewing in your own thoughts. It’s bound to drive you mad—- and personally, I’d like to return you to your proper time the same way I found you. Otherwise, I’m gonna get maimed by any number of your friends.”
The latter was meant as a joke. And had it been any other situation, Lumine might’ve laughed a little. But right now, Lumine felt like she was sinking, a heavy weight pushing her further and further into a deep ocean without any relent.
How… how could this have happened? Why didn’t she do anything about it?
“...What happened to me?” Lumine asked quietly. “Why didn’t I step in?”
Childe came to a slow stop, causing Lumine to pause with him. He looked down at her, a small smile forming on his face.
“You did, girlie.” His hand lifted from her shoulder, landing on her head instead. “But there’s only so much you can do, even as the almighty traveler.”
Lumine’s heart sank.
Ah. So she just… wasn’t enough.
Childe ruffled Lumine’s hair.
“Don’t sell yourself short, you were a great help during the war,” He said, trying to lighten the mood. “You were the reason the Abyss was stopped. You were also the final strike against the Tsaritsa, which led to her being dethroned and the Fatui dismantled.”
Panic washed over Lumine’s face.
“I killed the Tsaritsa?!”
Childe laughed.
“No, girlie. You beat her in battle. She’s still alive, just… confined. Though, she’s long since accepted her fate.”
“Why are you… so calm about that?” Lumine asked, carefully. “You’ve always been devoted to her— you’ve once threatened to maim me on her behalf-“
Again, another laugh from Childe. But this time, it sounded sheepish. He removed his hand from Lumine’s head and placed it back on her shoulder, continuing to lead her again.
“Ah, let’s just say that alliances changed.” Childe said. “Another thing you can pride yourself on. You’re the only reason I made it out of that war alive.”
Lumine absorbed the information silently for a moment.
“I… convinced you to give up on the Fatui?” She asked in disbelief. Childe nodded a little.
“Don’t get me wrong— it was a long time coming. The further along things got— the more gnosis the Tsaritsa obtained— the more manic she became. Once I realized her priorities had changed… Well, I went to war only fueled by my own desire to fight, not by loyalty.” He said, pausing briefly. “Then… when we faced off on the battlefield… you won, of course, but… you asked me if this is what I wanted… the delusion, the fighting… you asked if I was tired…”
Childe glanced over at Lumine with a genuine smile… a look of adoration that seemed out of place on his face.
“I don’t know how you saw right through me… but yeah, I was tired… I admitted as such, and you offered me your hand. The next thing I knew, I was resting in that teapot of yours. And I stayed there for a while— until the worst had passed for Fatui.”
Lumine was rendered speechless for a while. The whole thing sounded like a fever dream. But coming from Childe— no, not Childe anymore… Coming from Ajax , with the sincerity he presented the story… she was willing to believe it.
“That’s… a lot.” Was all Lumine could come up with. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through.”
“Such is the price of war, I suppose.” Childe said with a wistful sigh. “Things have calmed down a lot since then.”
The two were nearing the edge of the harbor, having passed through the heart while conversing. Lumine hadn’t questioned where Childe was bringing her originally, assuming he’d just drop her in some hotel or something along those lines. Now… she began to wonder what his endgame was. Even if he was Ajax now, deep down he was still a harbinger. And even if this was the future, Lumine wasn’t willing to offer her trust to him. Not with what little information she had.
“What do you do, now?” Lumine asked. “Since you’re not a harbinger anymore.”
It came out more accusatory than she intended, but it was still a valid question. She and Ajax shared a quick glance, both settling back on the path ahead of them.
“I’m flattered you find me so interesting,” Ajax replied. “But I thought you’d be more curious about the Abyss.”
His response was a way of diverting the attention away from himself— something that wasn’t uncommon when talking to the secretive harbinger Childe. Unfortunately, in this instance, it worked. It took a moment to set in— for Lumine to realize what Ajax was referencing. But once she did, she stopped, grabbing a hold of his arm with a vice grip.
“What happened to the Abyss??” She asked, frantically. “What happened to my brother?!”
Truthfully, Lumine could care less what happened to the monsters of the Abyss. Their leader, however— she cared much more about that.
Ajax— no, he hadn’t earned that title— Childe had the audacity to laugh.
“Would you look at that— the spell wore off.” He was making reference to Lumine’s much more awakened state. “I guess it’s an adrenaline thing.”
Lumine tightened her grip, tugging at Childe’s arm.
“What happened to my brother, Childe?!” Lumine demanded.
“Loosen the grip a little– Aether’s fine.” Childe assured her, carefully prying Lumine’s hands from his arm. “If you’re lucky, you might get to see him today. I think he’s visiting—- he likes to come see that adeptus you’re so fond of.”
Lumine let out a sigh of relief, recoiling her hands.
“Why didn’t you start with that?” She whined. “You haven’t changed a bit— here I was thinking you’d actually matured a little.”
“Ouch, no need to be so mean,” Childe replied in feigned offense. “I thought you’d be curious to learn about your dazed state.”
“So I’m an experiment, now?”
Childe let out a sigh, a smile coming to his face.
“You’re the one who hasn’t changed a bit, girlie. Always picking fights with me.” He said. “Especially when I try to help you.”
Lumine reached for her sword.
“I’m gonna give you five seconds to think about how hypocritical that was before I start chasing.”
“Arguments— you always pick arguments with me.” Childe corrected. “And you can’t chase me— you don’t even know where we’re going.”
“And about that— where are we going?” Lumine asked. “We’re just outside the harbor, now— are you planning to kill me in the wilderness or something?”
Childe laughed.
“No, no. I could never dream of killing you, girlie.” He assured her. “My home is just outside the harbor. We’re close, now— you can see it from here.”
Childe pointed to a structure in the distance— one that was hard to see with how far away they were. But it definitely looked to be in the shape of a house.
“Your… home.” Lumine repeated, a bit confused.
Did he mean to say home? Or was it merely a place to stay? To her knowledge, Childe never had a permanent residence. Even if his time with the Fatui was up, she couldn’t see him settling down somewhere. He was just too adventurous for that.
“Yup, my home.” Childe confirmed, leading the way down the path. “It’s quaint, isn't it?”
Quaint definitely fit the style of the home. It held architecture similar to that of the homes in the harbor, but it also had elements of a more domestic home. It was just outside the hustle and bustle of the harbor, allowing it to be bigger in size with a homey little backyard. Autumn colored leaves littered the yard, straying as far as the porch steps. This was, by all means considered, a home.
Childe walked up the steps easily, as if the sight before him was completely normal. To Lumine, it seemed like they were breaking into someone else’s house. The beauty of the yard and the house itself— it stalled her entry to the porch.
“Did you… build this?” She asked with awe. Childe glanced back at her.
“I had some help, but yeah.” He answered, motioning for her to join him on the porch. “You like it?”
“It’s pretty.” Lumine climbed the steps slowly. “It doesn’t seem like your style.”
Childe unlocked the front door with a small chuckle.
“I think you underestimate my capabilities.”
“To what? Cope?” Lumine said. “It seems like someone built their own design and forced you to live in it.”
“I’ll try not to take offense to that.” Childe quipped, opening the door.
He motioned inside, holding the door so Lumine could enter.
“How are we doing there, sleeping beauty?” He asked as Lumine slowly passed by him.
“Mm… it’s not bad, yet. But it’s definitely coming back.” Lumine replied. “I think you were right about the adrenaline thi-...”
Lumine only made it three steps into the house before she stopped. The outside of the home had been a surprise— but the inside was a downright shock .
A path to the living room and kitchen was set out before Lumine with an entrance to another room on her left. The living room was neatly furnished— having a fireplace with a mantle and everything, with a couch set before it. There were pictures lined along the mantle that were just too far to see from where she stood. In the corner of the room there was a small basket, its contents hidden from sight by its lid.
The room wasn’t just visibly nice, though. It felt…warm, and lived in. Not in a messy way— in a way that really makes it feel like a home.
Childe gently shut the door behind him, walking around Lumine and over to the fireplace.
“Make yourself at home.” He offered.
Saying such a phrase almost made him laugh. Lumine hadn’t the faintest clue why. Maybe her future self refused to visit— Childe probably wouldn’t tell her if that was the case.
“This place is nice…” Lumine said, taking a couple steps further into the house.
“Thanks. I can’t take much credit for myself, though. I had a lot of help with the interior design.” His response was simple and reasonable… and yet, it seemed like there was something he left unspoken.
Lumine gently ran her finger tips over the back of the couch as she passed it.
“...Why did you choose to settle down in Liyue?” Lumine asked quietly. “What about Snezhnaya?”
It didn’t feel like her place to ask such a thing. But everything about this home— including its placement— made her wonder….
Although emotion was hard to distinguish from Childe’s eyes, Lumine caught a glimpse of sadness overtaking them as he glanced back at her.
“Ah… after the Fatui fell apart, their ongoings became public…” Childe said hesitantly, choosing his words carefully. “Let’s just say the people of my homeland became a bit… abrasive towards me.”
“Oh…” Lumine paused at the end of the couch.
Childe might’ve been a bit crazy on occasion, but he didn’t deserve to be driven out of his homeland… he always spoke so well of it… she couldn’t imagine what kind of pain he felt having to leave it behind….
Well, maybe she could, but that was beyond the point. Nobody deserved that— Lumine would know.
Her expression must’ve been telling, as Childe turned to her, offering a reassuring smile.
“There’s no need to be sorry about it. I’m doing just fine,” he said. “The people of Liyue have been very understanding about the whole thing. While they don’t like what the Fatui have done, they don’t recall me doing anything particularly bad to them. They were willing to give me another chance, and I’m happy to be able to live here.”
His response was so… sincere. It answered the question of why, and yet it left so much to be desired. Maybe it was the drowsiness seeping back in— her ability to keep a filter from her brain and her mouth failing. Or maybe it was Childe’s simple honesty that made her ask. But either way, Lumine asked another question before she could consider whether it was a good idea or not.
“What… changed?” She asked, hesitantly. “Why are you so… different ?”
Childe cocked his head to the side, curious.
“Is it a bad different?”
“No– er, I-.... I don’t know.” Lumine admitted. “You just seem more… human.”
In Lumine’s head, her words had made sense. However, Childe’s response was to crack up, causing an instant kickback of embarrassment for Lumine.
“You didn’t see me as human before?” He teased.
“That’s not what I meant!” Lumine argued, flushed with embarrassment. “You just— you-”
Childe walked over to a chest that sat next to the fireplace, fishing out a blanket.
“I get what you mean,” He assured her, giving up on his teasing. “I’m not so sure I saw myself as human back then, either. Only around my family, I guess. And we both know I didn’t get to see them all that often.”
He walked over and placed the blanket on the couch before looking directly at Lumine.
“Being in the Fatui, I just… made a facade. A killer unphased by the world— always able to smile, even in the heat of battle… I’m sure you’ve recognized it by now— you’ve always been very perceptive.” Childe said. “But after the war… after the Fatui… there was no need for it, anymore. There’s no more Childe, and no more Tartaglia. Now it’s just… Ajax. Someone you’ve barely gotten the chance to meet.”
“Ajax…” Lumine repeated. “What does that mean..? Just Ajax..?”
Ajax let out a thoughtful hum.
“Well, I still joke around with you,” He said. “I still love to fight— that part could never change. The only real difference is… I am no longer your enemy. And I feel no need to be hostile towards you, or anyone else.”
Hostility… now that he mentioned it, things clicked into place. Despite his constant smiles, many of which were fake, what really defined Childe as a harbinger was his hostility. Sometimes he was playful about it, or used it more as an undertone— but no matter what, it was there. This was… different. Just like it was on their little adventure with Teucer.
Ajax patted the couch a few times.
“Come on, you must be tired.” He took a step back, motioning to the seat. “I told you I’d find you a place to rest. I even got you a blanket and all.”
Lumine blinked a few times.
Oh. That’s right. Rest was the whole reason she came along. Now that he mentioned it, the dazed feeling seemed to be returning ten fold. A nap might be nice…
Seeing the way Lumine was looking at the couch, Ajax smiled. He walked past Lumine, patting her head as he headed to the kitchen.
“Sleep for as long as you like. I’ll be working on supper.” He said. “Call if you need anything.”
Lumine offered a nod of understanding, rounding the couch to the front. She carefully took her boots off, setting them beside the couch. She sat down first, adjusting herself so she could lay down. But something made her pause.
Lumine’s eyes caught one of the pictures on the mantle. She slowly stood back up, approaching the mantle and removing the picture from it. Lumine only recognised two people in the picture— Ajax and Teucer. The others present looked similar to them, many sporting blue eyes and ginger hair. They were all smiling brightly at the camera, save Ajax, with a snowy background behind them. That must be his family… Lumine still had to visit, sometime.
She carefully set the picture back down, prepared to head back to the couch with her curiosity satiated. But something strange caught her eye.
There were three pictures sitting on the mantle, each face up when she had entered. Now, the only one face up was the picture of Ajax’s family. The other two were lying face down.
Thinking back to their previous conversation, Lumine vaguely remembered watching Ajax tip the frames down, hiding them from her view. He had done it so casually that it hadn’t come across as suspicious. She had hardly noticed it at all. But now… things were starting to seem suspicious.
Lumine grabbed one of the face-down photo frames, ready to lift it up when a voice caught her off guard.
“Leave those down, for now. I don’t want to break your mind.” Lumine looked over at the kitchen entrance to see Ajax standing there, now wearing an apron. Apron aside, what had possessed him to come back to the living room? Had Lumine made that much noise, or did he just know her too well?
“Why does that sound like an excuse to hide something?” Lumine replied.
“It’s not an excuse— it’s a request.” Ajax said, simply. “I’d rather have you rest for now. You’ll have time to look at them, later.”
Why was he so adamant on hiding the pictures? If they were that incriminating, why have them on your home mantle? Lumine narrowed her eyes.
“Are you going to stop me if I try to look at them now?” She challenged.
Ajax didn’t reply for a moment.
“...No. But for your own sanity’s sake, I suggest you sleep before you open that can of worms.” He said seriously, but not unkindly. “I don’t think you’re in the right state of mind to process the information those pictures hold.”
The two locked eyes for a moment. If Lumine didn’t know any better, she’d think this was a test of wills. A challenge to get her to back down. And maybe it somewhat was. But Ajax didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping her. He merely seemed worried for her.
Finally, Lumine relented, releasing the photo.
“I hope you realize how shady that sounds.” She told him, walking back over to the couch and sitting down.
“What can I say? Old habits die hard.” Ajax replied. “Get some sleep, okay? I’ll come check on you in a bit.”
“Okay.”
That should’ve been the end of it. Ajax returned to the kitchen, going back to working on whatever he was making for supper. Lumine laid down, pulling the blanket over herself and resting her head on the decorative couch pillow that sat at the couch’s edge. As the daze took over, Lumine was grateful to have such a comfortable place to rest. There was a gentle light seeping in through the window as the sun began to set, creating a wonderful ambiance for a nap.
But the sunlight had also betrayed Lumine. It revealed something she didn’t recognize until it was too late to retain consciousness.
Her final thought— an inkling of realization— hung like a guillotine over her head.
As Ajax was standing in the kitchen entrance, the light reflected off of something on his finger.
On his left ring finger sat a silver ring.
A wedding band.
Ajax was married .
And Lumine had fallen asleep before another question could leave her lips.