The Final Chapter

Hatred

Chapter 14

"I will come back, I promise!"
Tonia crossed her arms and frowned. Her brother looked at her, touched her shoulder and smiled gently. She looked at him and her expression softened: "You want to help a friend, so I guess it is allright..." Tartaglia got up from the floor and looked at his partner. Lumine put the coat, that Childe gave her, on, her back turned on the two. Those few hours with Childe and his siblings hurt a lot... But this journey will hurt so much more. She opened the door and stepped outside in the cold snow. The same snow that almost killed her. An eerie feeling. The door behind her closed. The Traveler turned back around to Childe's empathetic eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't-" However he shook his head: "No need to. We will come back for sure. I just have to promise every time" He managed to get Lumine to chuckle at that. "Come on, let's go!" They began their journey. Around Childe's house was the village she saw before passing out. Few people were out here, but all they passed by looked at Childe strangely. He was a Harbinger after all and the Tsaritsa was rumored to rule her land with fear. Although he always talked about her as graceful and kind. Not for the first time she doubted his judgement.
After a while the houses got fewer and the snow got higher. Nobody clears the snow here anymore. Suddenly Childe stopped and looked at her: "Do you even know what we are looking for? Or where?" She paused. "Noo... Like I said, I just stumbled through a portal with no plan. There was nothing interesting on the other side though..." Visibly frustrated Childe sighed and looked at the ground. For a moment he was silent then he adressed her again: "So... you could not have come far in the snow. Not far from where I found you, is a lot of unusual hilichurl activity I was investigating before the war, this could-" "Sounds like him", Lumine responded turning her head to the empty field ahead of them, "that has to be where he's hiding" Her eyes gave Childe chills. He was always glad to fight and would gladly join the Traveler on any vengeance quest, but this... This was not just vengeance, this dipped into pure hatred. Something as villainous as the things Il Dottore or the Jester would do was burned into her look. That was not like her.
They continued their way. He looked at Lumine's stone cold stare in front of them. The more he thought about it, the more he realized, they weren't to different. Both of them loved their siblings, in a way they could never love anyone else. They would go to war if they were hurt. But Lumine did not go to war. Her brother did. Dooming the world his sister lived in for a long time now. Without asking her, discussing it with her or even informing her. That must feel like the biggest betrayal she could ever imagine. It would to him too. Maybe this hatred would expect him if his siblings ever found out about him being a Harbinger and what he did in his job. This thought alone twisted his stomach.
"It's kind of funny isn't...", he began a conversation to distract himself from the situation. His words broke Lumine's stare forward and she looked a little confused at him: "What do you mean?" Childe chuckled. "There was a time where you saw me as an enemy and now we're working together. A lot changed, didn't it, comrade?" Comrade. The Traveler smiled at that word. "Yes it did. At first I mistrusted you for being with the Fatui. Although I was right in Liyue, the more I learned about you, the more I knew you are different from them. Yes your actions were drastic and threatening to destroy Liyue was not right way... But you have a good heart", she replied. As Childe looked into her eyes he noticed the same warmth she had for everyone around her. The same warmth she has had for Teucer. "Well, you are right. Threatening Liyue was a bad decision. I would not do that again", he laughed but then his face became earnest, "thank you, Lumine. For believing in me" She smiled more broadly. "Thank you for saving me"
In the distance they heard a roar. Both of them stopped and readied themselves for battle. Their eyes crossed. They had arrived at their destination. "So that's it, huh...", the Traveler sighed. Childe nodded: "Hilichurls are gathering here since a few weeks. All getting drawn in, never getting out again. I decided to look into it, although the Jester said it wasn't important..." Lumine drew her sword and looked foward then back at him. "You don't think the Fatui are covering for my brother, do you?", she asked. "I don't know. It seems like the Tsaritsa counts on your brother winning this war, even supporting him in killing off the archons..." She looked forward again, her eyes filling with hatred again. "Whatever you do, do not stop me. Just watch my back", she said, her voice deep and menacing. Then she dashed straight ahead  leaving him there. Normally he would smirked at such confidence, but this left a bitter taste in his mouth. Was that it? Would she now abandone all of her morals? No. He could not let that happen.
Childe followed her, trying to catch up but failing. He only cought up to her for a brief moment, because she had to strike down a Lawachurl. All the other enemies were nothing but little obstacles to her. Lumine just took them out fast on her way without getting caught up in a bigger fight. The further they got, the more worried Childe got. Was this her full potential? Had she just held this back the whole time? Or was it the hatred that fueled her?
The next time he cought up to the Traveler she stood in front of a cave entrance. She turned around to him looking at him with blood on her face. Then she stepped into the cave without a word.