Wallowing | Albedo's Descent Book 2

Chapter 8: Executing the Plan

"Is it today?! Is it today?!" Klee was jumping up and down. It felt like it had been forever since she had seen Lisa.
Lisa smiled, "tonight. Meet me downstairs at around 1:00 o'clock, okay?"
"Klee can do that! Once Kaeya falls asleep he doesn't wake up!"
Lisa chuckled, "yeah, he sleeps like a baby."

Lisa brought her hands together. She sat on her knees in the middle of a big circle, silently chanting her spell.
She gave Klee a smile and a wink for reassurance.
Klee seemed really wary about being near the shell that used to be her brother.
Lisa felt like she might have rushed a bit on some of the preparation. She just didn't want to take too long and loose Albedo entirely. She really hoped this worked.
Lisa took a deep breath before saying the last word as she shot her arms out towards Albedo and closed her eyes.
Klee blinked repeatedly, squinting. There had been a bright flash of light and now Lisa say lifeless on the ground.
Though terrified, Klee sat down nearby the small chalk circle. She had to do her job. She would not let Lisa down. Plus, she really wanted her brother back.

Lisa worriedly opened her eyes. She took a deep breath. Well, it wasn't a breath. She couldn't breathe, she wasn't in her own body anymore.
Then, the sounds of agonized screams filled her ears. It was several garbled voices. Was it that smoke being? She looked around, why was it so dark?... Was this really the inside of Albedo's mind?...
There didn't seem to be anything here at all... not even a defense system...
Then Lisa realized the screaming wasn't coming from one place, but all around her. Now that she could see a little better, she saw that there was a twisting cloud of deep black, misty body parts swirling around everywhere.
All the faces screamed directly at her. She glared at them as she maneuvered around in what she could only assume was Albedo's mind. But if it really was his mind... then where was he?...
"Albedo?!" Lisa called out. Her voice echoed on and on...
"Albedo?!" She called again as she hurried her search. She couldn't be too late! And how was there all this smoke still?! She had gotten rid of so much of it!
Then, finally, in the distance she saw a faint golden glow. That had to be him! She moved as fast as she could.
Seeing Lisa getting close to their victim, several arms started grabbing at her. The screaming got louder as the disformed bodies madly tried to stop her.
Lisa shot purple lightning at them, hoping it wouldn't damage Albedo's mind.
She finally got closer to the golden glow. She could see Albedo's form surrounded by a small bubble. His eyes were barely open and he was a lot smaller than Lisa remembered.
She called out again as she got closer. Albedo's eyes flicked towards her for a moment before his lips curled upwards. Then, the bubble flickered and his expression grew hard again. His protection bubble shrank a little bit, forcing him to bring his knees closer to his chest than they already were.
Lisa reached out, she was so close! She sent out her lightning again, saying a silent apology to the Alchemist.
He didn't seem to notice or care. He was busy maintaining his shield as many clawed hands scraped at it.
Lisa watched in fear as the bubble flickered repeatedly and a few smoky body parts closed around Albedo's wrists and arms. He struggled against them, but didn't seem to be able to put his shield back up.
Lisa rushed forward, scooping up Albedo as she expelled more lighting from her consciousness.
Albedo mumbled something as he clutched onto Lisa's clothes.
Lisa had been right. Albedo was much smaller than he used to be. He was probably only a few inches taller than Klee. Then again, this was only the representation of his consciousness... it could just be small because he was lacking power.
Lisa desperately fought off the smoky limbs, racking her brain for her list of spells that would help in this situation.
Lisa had tried everything. There was just too much smoke! She couldn't possibly get rid of all of it!
Albedo had almost been wrenched out of her grip a few times and he kept getting smaller. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it felt like forever.
She only had one option left... To destroy everything in here that wasn't human.
But she didn't know if it would hurt Albedo or not. That's why she closed around him, hoping the spell wouldn't reach him there.
Lisa sank down onto her knees, curling around Albedo and whispering a spell. She prayed this wouldn't kill him.
Instantaneously Lisa felt her insides rumbling as an enormous amount of magic flowed out of her.

Klee held as still as she could. She was absolutely horrified once again.
Albedo's body hadn't moved but there was a pool of golden liquid forming around him as it leaked out of him from several places. Then, she heard something from the stairs. Klee stood up, determined to get rid of whatever problem was approaching.
"Klee?... what are you-" Jean stopped in her tracks seeing Lisa collapsed on the floor and a slowly expanding pool of gold around Albedo.
"Don't come in, Jean!" Klee held her hands out, "Lisa said we can't go in the circle!"
"What's going on," Jean asked sternly as she stepped in the cell.
Klee pushed at her legs, "no! No, you can't go in the circle!"
"Klee, is Lisa sacrificing herself to get Albedo back?"
Klee froze, "what.... No! Lisa is bringing him back..."
"Do you know how?!"
"N-no... But Klee knows we absolutely cannot step in or on the circle!" She held her arms out to block Jean.
Jean pushed her inside, heading straight for Lisa.
Klee squealed as she was pushed aside. In the corner of her eyes, Klee saw that the pool of gold was getting extremely close to the edge of the circle. She hurriedly got back up, "wait!"
Jean took another step, the tip of her boot resting right over the chalk, barely not touching it.
Klee pointed, "Jean!"
Jean ignored her stepping again, her foot about to fall over the rim of the circle.
Then, the world shook. Dust and small pieces of stone fell from the ceiling and the metal bars of the cell reverberated. There was a deep rumble from inside all of Teyvat.
Jean stumbled backwards before she could disturb the circle.
Klee shrieked as the gold spilled over the chalk. She ran over, but was unable to do anything about it. What if she made it worse?!
Then Lisa sat up suddenly. She shook her head, buzzing her lips. She blinked a few tomes, "well that was an experience."
Jean placed her hands on her hips, "Lisa, what are you doing?"
Lisa stood up slowly, stretching out her arms, "bringing our Alchemist back?"
"Really? Because to me it looks like you were trying to sacrifice yourself."
Lisa tilted her head, "oh, I guess it does sort of look like one of those rituals."
Jean huffed, "at least you're still here."
Lisa looked over at Albedo, "... has he been leaking like that this whole time?..."
Klee nodded.
"Well that can't be good," Lisa gazed worriedly at him, "I just hope that worked... my own spell kicked me out..."
Klee pointed, "didn't that... not-blood... kick you out?"
Lisa shook her head, "that probably wouldn't have done anything except blind me. But if the chalk had been severed, then something bad would have happened."
"Like what?" Jean asked, starting to feel bad for almost disrupting the circle.
Lisa shrugged, "a number of things. I don't want to explain right now." She knelt down next to Albedo, her clothes getting coated in the heavy liquid. She made a disgusted face as she touched it, "what... is this...?"
"Lisa doesn't know?" Klee asked, "I thought Lisa knew everything..."
Lisa shook her head, "not this... And I don't know how long it will be before he wakes up..."
"... earlier you said you "hoped" it would work..." Jean kept her distance, "I don't want you near that thing if it didn't..."
"Oh chill out, I can take care of myself," Lisa waved her off. But she was lying. That spell would leave her unable to use magic for a few hours as least. At most, it could be a week. She carefully touched Albedo's arm.
Slowly, very slowly, Albedo's eyelids closed, pushing the golden liquid down his cheeks. Then they slowly opened again. His mouth fell open, barely forming the word, "Li... sa?..."
Klee gasped very loudly as she covered her mouth.
He sounded so tired, like he had been awake for a month. But he kind of had been. His pupils were small and dilated, gold completely covered his waterlines and his bottom eyelids. Albedo's eyes slowly wandered around the room, "... good... morning?..."
Lisa threw her arms around him, finally overcoming her shock from the situation. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Clothes," Albedo squeezed out, having what little wind he had in his lungs squeezed out of him.
"I don't care if I'm soaked in your weird blood juices! I'm allowed to be happy that you're back!"
Klee scampered over and hugged Albedo as well. She promptly started sobbing.
Jean stared. She couldn't believe this... had Lisa really brought him back?... she wasn't just dreaming this, right?
It was too good to be true...