Chapter 54 — The Traveler of the Wind
She had golden hair that shimmered like sunlight on rippling water, and her figure, though youthful, carried an air of grace and quiet strength. Her expression mixed innocence and confidence in equal measure — a rare balance that felt both divine and human.
Lumine tightened her right fist.
A current of Anemo energy began to gather within her palm, swirling like a miniature cyclone. It was faint — fragile even — yet undeniably pure. She could feel its rhythm, its breath, its pulse in sync with her own.
Though weak now, it was hers.
And in time, she knew she could nurture it — sharpen it — until it became a power strong enough to protect herself once more.
Perhaps, one day, she could reclaim the strength she had lost.
It wasn't the same as before — not the god-slaying power that had once torn through realms and stars — but it was a beginning.
---
Lumine sighed softly, looking around at the desolate plains of Mondstadt. "Paimon, are you sure there are people in this world? Because so far, all I've found are monsters and ruins."
Her golden eyes swept the horizon. "The villages we passed through were abandoned… like ghosts left behind after a war."
Paimon hovered beside her, frowning, her tiny arms crossed. "Paimon doesn't know either! This should be Mondstadt's territory! There are always some monsters around, sure, but the Knights of Favonius and the Adventurers' Guild usually keep them under control!"
She floated around in a small circle, flustered. "At least, last time Paimon was here, Mondstadt wasn't like this!"
Lumine gave her a long, skeptical look. "You say that as if you've been here before."
"Uhhh…" Paimon scratched her head nervously. "Maybe I have? Maybe I haven't? Paimon kind of… forgot?"
"Of course you did." Lumine sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You really are a strange creature, you know that?"
"Hey!" Paimon puffed her cheeks. "Paimon's not strange! Paimon's… special!"
Lumine chuckled softly. Despite her companion's antics, she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed. There was something about Paimon — something warm and familiar. Even though they'd only known each other a short while, the little being's presence soothed her in a way she couldn't explain.
She had thought Paimon was simply some kind of sentient creature native to this world — but deep down, she wasn't so sure anymore.
"Let's just move," Lumine said finally, gesturing toward the distant waters of Starfell Lake. "If this really is Mondstadt, we'll find people there eventually."
---
The wide expanse of the lake shimmered under the morning sun. A gentle breeze swept across its surface, carrying the scent of wildflowers and the faint hum of elemental energy.
Lumine tested the Anemo power in her hand again, forming a small sphere of wind. To her surprise, it responded easily — almost instinctively. The energy flowed through her body like a forgotten melody remembered.
Her control was imperfect, but it felt… natural.
She smiled faintly. "Not bad."
After crossing the lake, she spotted smoke rising from the nearby cliffs — a small Hilichurl camp.
About a dozen of them. A few archers, a Samachurl, and a couple of mitachurls.
She rolled her shoulders, gripping her sword. "I'll take care of this quickly. Paimon, stay here."
Paimon saluted. "Got it! Paimon will, uh… cheer you on from a safe distance!"
Lumine leaped forward, her body moving with precision and grace. She was a blur of motion — swift as a hawk, silent as the wind.
The first Hilichurl archer barely had time to raise its weapon before she was upon it. One strike — clean and efficient — sent it tumbling to the ground.
Without pausing, Lumine pivoted and charged toward the Samachurl, gathering Anemo energy in her palm.
But then —
Something changed.
The air around her rippled violently as an immense surge of Anemo energy flooded her body, far more than she had intended to summon.
Her eyes widened. "What—?"
The wind sphere in her hand swelled in an instant, growing from the size of an apple to a massive vortex nearly a meter wide. The Samachurl screamed as the blast of compressed wind tore through its body, scattering it into dust.
The remaining Hilichurls tried to flee, but the cyclone expanded again — spiraling out of control. Razor-sharp blades of wind erupted in every direction, shredding everything in sight.
When the storm finally subsided, the camp was nothing but rubble.
Lumine stood in the middle of the devastation, her hair whipping in the lingering currents. Her breath was unsteady.
"What… just happened?" she whispered.
The energy hadn't come from her. It had answered her — as if the very air of Mondstadt had resonated with her command.
It was as if… the wind itself recognized her.
Before she could process it, another surge of power rose within her chest, even stronger than before. The ground trembled as the Anemo force erupted outward, forming a second vortex — this one large enough to consume the entire encampment.
When the dust settled, only silence remained.
From a distance, Paimon's tiny voice echoed faintly. "Whoa! The Traveler's that strong?! Paimon didn't expect that! You could probably blow up a whole city if you sneezed too hard!"
---
What they didn't realize was that they were being watched.
Far off, standing near the cliffs overlooking Starfell Lake, Kael and Barbara had seen everything.
Barbara's mouth hung open in awe. "That… that was incredible! Such pure Anemo energy — I've never felt anything like it. It might even be stronger than my sister's!"
Her gaze softened. "She doesn't even have a Vision, and yet she can wield the wind as freely as Lord Barbatos himself… Could it be…?"
Kael arched an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're about to call her the Anemo Archon reborn."
Barbara hesitated, her cheeks flushing. "I mean… it is possible, isn't it?"
Kael couldn't help but chuckle. "Good grief. Now the Traveler's being mistaken for Barbatos. If Venti hears that, he'll never let me live it down."
---
[Group Chat Feed]
Jean: "Ahem. My apologies. I'll make sure to educate Barbara on basic theology later."
Venti: "Ehe~ I don't blame her! If I were watching from afar and saw someone tossing around my element like that, I might think I had a twin!"
Diluc: "The Anemo Archon being a woman… that would certainly be new. Still, if she's capable of power like that, she might be the herald of something greater."
Kael: "Forget the Traveler for a second. I'm more curious about that floating elf beside her. Why does she get a companion like that while I don't?"
Zhongli: "Actually… you do. You simply may not remember."
Kael froze, his gaze drifting upward toward the distant, gleaming silhouette of Celestia hanging in the sky.
He sighed. "Great. Lumine gets a talkative mascot, and mine is the Arbiter of the Heavenly Principles."
---
Lumine wiped the sweat from her brow, unaware that her every move had drawn divine attention.
Soon, she too would be pulled into the currents of fate — and into Kael's growing circle of allies.
But not yet.
For a traveler as extraordinary as her, the world itself seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for the right moment to welcome her into the story.
---
End of Chapter 54 — The Traveler of the Wind