Origin | Xiaolumi AU | {READ DESC!}

2. The Plan

Lumine walked through the door of the still-empty house, ignoring Paimon's protests as she marched to her room.

"Lumine! Please!", the fairy floated behind her, chasing after her, "Change your mind already damn it! Plus, Paimon doesn't think you even know a way to get to the surface! The ancient portals in the parks are already dead! The Abyss Bases are heavily-guarded! And going to the surface is a long process!"

"There's a legend within Spiral Park.", Lumine responded, "Deep within the caves, it is said to contain an old portal from ancient times, leading to the surface's 'Starfell Lake'." She took out her journal, writing down a plan and required equipment. "It's just a silly, old legend!", Paimon huffed, tugging at her golden locks, "Even other children would say such a plan is silly!"

"We're in a literal modern-ish fantasy book, Paimon.", Lumine reminded her, "Everything is possible." Paimon kept on bugging her, "Seriously! Lumine, you're graduating high school in a month. Even if you left, it would still make sense to leave a notice of where you're going! You can't just leave out of nowhere for no reason at all! You need a reason, and you need to wait!"

"You... I... I do have a reason, Paimon. To find my twin and your second older brother, and get the others that may have been captured alongside him.", Lumine sounded harsh, "I can wait, but I will still leave." She spoke, standing out of her chair and towards the door, "Feel free to tell Dainsleif everything when I'm gone."

Just as she was about to close the door, Paimon's lips trembled at the thought of Lumine leaving. Suddenly, the shorter latter lunged and clung to Lumine's leg, "Fine! If you're going, I am coming with you!" Lumine only stared in shock, before trying to pry Paimon off her leg, "No, you're not coming! Get off!"

"Then you're not going!"

"Are you serious?! You're still in 4th grade!"

"Paimon will be out next month!"

"Still!"

"It's the same as graduating from high school!"

"No, it is not!", she managed to lift Paimon off her leg and made her sit on the bed, "Graduating from high school is WAY much different. Going to college is optional, but when it comes to you, going to high school is NOT. You. Are. Staying. In. The. Abyss." Paimon, as always, is stubborn.

"No! Paimon is coming!"

"Dainsleif is gonna kill me!", Lumine screamed, "He will reprimand me for taking you, a 4th grader, to the surface and breaking a law! "Leaving the Abyss without permission". I'm not even your legal guardian!"

"I'm sure there's a way! Please, take me with you!"

Great, now she is giving her puppy dog eyes.

Lumine didn't have the heart to continue further, before sighing, "Fine, you can come under several rules. You always stay by my side, don't hoard food, and DON'T speak of the Abyss to anyone, am I clear?"

Paimon nodded, "And will you get me food?"

Lumine sighed, "Of course... Of course..."

"Yay!"

-4 weeks later-
Lumine has been writing up a plan in secret, hoping Paimon changes her mind and chooses to stay home. For the past few days, she has been secretly buying up supplies from stores, and jotting down plans while she tries to seek possible endings, trying to find the best plan before the day of her graduation.

-
The plan will occur on 8/3/40XX.

Important things to follow/remember:

-Explain before graduation to Dainsleif that I will attend a graduation party after.
          -(If Paimon STILL insists on coming, just use the excuse that she's going to a sleepover.)

-Due to going to the surface, my sudden appearance may arouse suspicion if I were to appear during the evening hours on the surface. I could easily get outed as a person from the Depths. I should appear around 'night' to be safe.

-There is heightened security around the cave of Galesong Park, but most of the guards are busy lazying around or playing cards. If I'm careful, I could get in. But if I get caught, I could face legal trouble.

-Try to find a part-time job, probably risk joining the Surface's Adventurer's Guild, and try to find a temporary inn or apartment to stay in.

-Make sure to bring files and documents of your identity and try to cover up the place you come from.
          -(If Paimon comes, there will be major issues, especially with guardianship... I'll probably have to come up with an excuse... But it won't work easily like that.)

Rules:

-On the surface, people are more sociable, meaning staying silent won't be possible. I'll be okay if I don't speak anything related to Khaenri'ah or of the Abyss itself. Try not to make friends, and don't get attached to anyone.

-Speaking about the Abyss may cause misunderstanding and panic, and they may end up thinking they're another enemy due to the belief of Depth-Dwellers being terrible people. Also, people may eventually find a route into the Abyss and although welcoming to outsiders, people challenging the people of the Abyss to fight is not good.

-Try to avoid immortals, they're bad people because of what happened to us in the past, according to our ancestors. No, don't even trust the good ones for precautions. Depending on their abilities, they can sense a Depth-Dweller's aura once in their presence.

-Once you find Aether, kick the asses of the ones behind this, get him and whatever other people they got, and go straight home. No buts. 

-My sudden missing presence, especially with Paimon, may catch attention. Obviously, there will be missing posters up about me like Aether's. If so, I'll have to avoid directing any attention to myself as Abyss Order soldiers do head up to the surface often to perform duties. This means no getting famous, try not to work too hard as an adventurer, and no revealing magic WHATSOEVER.

-Certainly, again, no getting close to people. Don't get attached, don't make friends, and... NO FALLING IN LOVE.

-

Lumine closed her book, placing it into the duffle bag beside her. Bags were under her eyes, and she stretched and yawned. If she stayed awake any longer, she might not be able to properly enact the plan. Eventually, she turned off the lamp.

She sighed, taking off her wilting Inteyvat flower, bound to eventually turn to dust. She sighed, knowing she'll have to get a new one soon. She placed it into the jar where the dust of others has been, along with her feather earrings. She walked towards her bed, opened the blanket that covered almost all of it, and sunk into the soft mattress.

The violet night glowed through the windows, and she felt a bit jealous that the people that lived on the Surface and Heights get to see the moon, but people in the deepest of the Depths can't. She sighed, staring at the elemental traces in the sky as her eyes wandered to her brother's empty bed, which she looked at with a frown. 

Her tired eyes slowly closed, and she was met with nearly-perfect pitch-black darkness.