Fading With Time | Genshin Impact |

Chapter 22

The ship had finally arrived, Lumine went to the docks to meet them and Childe decided to tag along while Tonia went back to her place to pack a bag. 

"This ship?" Childe pointed at a dark-colored ship trying to figure out where they were supposed to be. "I'm not sure I didn't ask what the ship looked like. Maybe look for something with a Fatui insignia?" Lumine looked around and retracted her words, there were multiple Fatui symbols and carvings on ships. "I don't think that'll work in Snezhnaya, Lumine" The two glanced around the harbor looking lost even though they'd been to that harbor many times before. 

Then Lumine and Childe saw a child in red running around with Albedo behind her waving at Lumine. 

Lumine smiled and walked over to Albedo leaving Childe to stand awkwardly by himself. 

"Was the trip okay?" Lumine asked Albedo while keeping her eye on the child running around. "The accommodations were nice." 

"That's Klee." Albedo said while gesturing over to her. He called over to her to come back, her reply was pushing up her backpack and running in Albedo's direction.

"We have to get to the castle soon, we have a carriage leaving in a few hours." Lumine turned and then looked back. "Childe! We're leaving!" Lumine called out to him as he had moved to the stands to look at things merchants were offering. Childe quickly ran over to them and they all walked up the path to the castle. 

Klee was ecstatic about a carriage, she didn't know what it was but Albedo attempted to explain that it was for transportation. 

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At the castle, Lumine gave gifts to Albedo and Klee.

"Lumine don't you think it's time to go?" Childe asked while standing at a doorframe while everyone else was in the drawing-room. "We have to wait for the luggage to be moved, we'll leave soon," Lumine answered. 

"Where are we going?" Albedo asked, he wasn't aware that they were leaving. "Didn't you get my letter? I said we'd be going to the capital." 

"We must've left before it came," Albedo replied looking down, a bit upset he wasn't able to get all the information before leaving.

"Lady Lumine, we're prepared to go." Everyone's eyes went towards the voice, it was one of Lumine's subordinates telling her that everything was prepared. "Alright, thank you." Childe turned from the doorframe and looked down the hall, "Tonia isn't back yet, I'll go grab her." Childe ran through the hall slightly disrupting the peace and workers. 

"So who's he?" Albedo asked. "That's Childe, a friend." Albedo was satisfied with the answer and went back to writing something while drinking tea, he was aware that Childe was a Fatui harbinger's name but he couldn't say anything in Snezhnaya. 


Lumine scribbled down a restaurant name that was along the way so they could also book that place, she also prepared for the whole menu to be ordered for when they arrived. 

Childe came back inside with Tonia, a blizzard had started outside and they were both covered in snow. Lumine walked over to them and had mixed emotions about the blizzard, it hadn't snowed in a while but it was also bad timing. "We are ready to go." Lumine looked into the drawing-room to see Albedo getting up and taking Klee's hand and walking over to them. 


Everyone filed into the coach. The coach was lined in gold and had four horses in the front. There was a covered cart following the coach and a few guards for safety, they were going to go through a few non-populated areas that were semi-dangerous. 

"What's that?" Klee pointed at the horse, Mondstadt didn't have many horses because almost everyone traveled by foot. "That's a horse, Klee." Albedo answered as they went into the coach. 

The first thing Lumine decided to say as they were inside the coach was, "Albedo don't talk about work, this is a vacation." Only a sigh came in response from Albedo.

Lumine leaned against the window watching the snowfall, hearing quiet conversation in the background.

"Lumine!" Tonia was trying to talk to Lumine but she didn't hear her and Tonia poked her. 

"What?" Lumine fidgeted in her seat since Tonia disturbed her. "I asked if you've ever been to Sumeru" Lumine took a second before answering. "I have, why?" Tonia's eyes seemed to light up, "Have you seen the academy!?" 

"I went to the academy for a few months as an 'honored guest.'" Lumine had been invited overseas to Sumeru to stay there and study for a few months, she could only assume they wanted to test her in some way but it was a good opportunity to go to the academy so she did go. "What was it like?" Lumine was puzzled why Tonia was bringing up Sumeru and the academy there until Childe spoke, "Lumine if you didn't hear what she said earlier, Tonia said she wanted to go to Sumeru to study." There was just an 'oh' look on Lumine's face when the words set in.

"I never thought that would be what you wanted to do for a career." Tonia shrugged and leaned back into her seat, "Well I don't want to be here all my life, and I think research is important." 

"You should go for it, Sumeru Academia is a prestigious place and creates pleasing scholars." Albedo said. He hadn't dealt with the academy directly but he knew it had been pumping out successful people before he was created. 

Lumine thought back after hearing Albedo, people had been troubled going to the academy and usually didn't graduate for years, there were a few exceptions to this but she knew that Tonia wasn't the person that would surpass everyone else attending there. Sumeru Academia was efficient in producing scholars but the scholars had to sacrifice so much time for it, an unfair amount of time in Lumine's opinion. "If that's truly what you wish you can do it, but you have to know it will take a lot of effort and time." 

"Well..." Tonia stopped to clear her throat visibly turning nervous, "I've sent in my application, while I was traveling. Before we met Lumine, I had a teacher I studied under." Lumine was surprised to hear that, when she met Tonia she seemed to be all alone.

Childe seemed to be in distress, he already knew about all that was required to go to Sumeru Academia the time, the sacrifices, he looked into it himself when the Fatui had dealings with them, the students attending there seemed to be falling apart. "Are you sure you want to go there? You can get an education in other places, I could even pay for someone to teach you for a few years." 

Tonia shook her head, "I don't need your help with this, I already have a plan laid out." Tonia was upset that she was still treated as if she was 10 by her brother, he babied her. "But-" Childe was cut off by Tonia, he tried to talk multiple times increasingly becoming more annoyed until he snapped. 

Childe stopped talking, the air became cold and dry. Nobody dared to speak, not even Klee. Witnessing Childe in a rage but not being able to do anything was threatening enough, looking outside was a distraction from the small family feud.