The first time Childe opened his eyes, he felt his back laying on a hard surface. He quickly got up and examines his surroundings. A wide room with majestic decorations, and its colors are dark blue and black.

Where am I? Childe mused.

"You are awake."

Someone from afar said to him. The voice sounds familiar. When he turned his head and saw that person walking towards him, he was taken aback.

"Lumine?”

“Oh, you know my name. Did my brother tell you?” Lumine stopped her footsteps when she was only four meters away from Childe.

Childe knitted his eyebrows. The way Lumine talked sounded foreign to him. Usually, she spoke tenderly and happily. But now, she looked at him as if they were strangers.

Suddenly, a portal appeared on her side. A creature bigger than Childe wearing full body armor from head to toe showed up.

Abyss Herald, Childe said to himself.

“Your Highness.” That abyss creature bowed when he greeted her. Childe’s jaw dropped when he saw Herald’s behavior.

“You come at the right time. He’s just waking up after asleep for a long time.”

Huh? "Lumine, wha—"

His remark stopped just as a blade directed towards his face. Only two centimeters apart from that blade could injure Childe.

“How dare you call Her Highness by her name, human!” Abyss Herald rebuked Childe.

For the first time, Childe experienced what was fear in his life. The tip of Herald’s blade and Lumine's icy stare made his whole body tremble. His eyes widened and didn’t blink at all.

“Put down your weapon, Herald,” Lumine said after observing Childe’s gesture.

"Her Highness, this human is disrespect—“

"Let him talk first. No need to worry about that.”

"Alright." Abyss Herald lowered his blade. Childe sighed a relief.

“What do you want to ask about?” Lumine asked.

“Lumi, where are we? Since when I was here? Why ... you’re so cold with me?” Childe's expression saddened when he gave the last question.

"Hmph ... I will answer all your questions since I’m in a good mood.”

“Your Highness—”

"Silence.”

That one word could make Abyss Herald obey. Lumine looked back to Childe and eventually said, “First, you’re in Abyss Order’s Castle. Second, Herald found you unconscious in front of the castle gate, and he carried you here.”

Childe, who was processing those remarks, tried to remember.

“Last, I never met you before.”

“Never met? What do you mean, Lumine?”

“I think I’ve said clearly.”

“I’m your boyfriend! We’ve been together for two years.” 

Lumine’s gaze hardened. “What did you just say?”

Hearing that question made Childe baffled. Why is she furious? I said the fact.

“You’re right, Herald. He’s insolent.”

“Allow me to teach this puny human a lesson, Your Highness.”

“Do it.”

"Wait! I don’t intend—“

“Tell him what the world of sinners is like.” Lumine turned around and entered a portal that unknowingly appeared.

"Lumine!!!" 

Suddenly, Abyss Herald swung his blade toward him. Childe spontaneously dodged it.

“Your opponent is now me, human.”

Childe summoned his dual blade and made a stance to fight that Abyss creature.

"Okay, if that’s what you want. I will show you the capability of a human!” Childe ran and flicked his weapon against Abyss Herald.

Their blades clashed. The strikes from Abyss Herald were able to deflect by Childe, and vice versa.

"Havoc: Obliteration!"

Childe’s dual blade changed its form into a spear. He swung it in a circular motion to Abyss Herald.

"Gwahh!" 

The spear sent Abyss Herald backward. 

"Not bad...for a human. But this is not over yet!" Abyss Herald afterward crossed his two blades in front.

"Wicked torrent!" He yelled and swung his blades.

Childe hastily ran. Unfortunately, his movement wasn’t fast enough. The elemental attack from Abyss Herald lands a blow on his leg. 

"Argh!"

Childe bounced. However, he could still stand on the floor. His dual blade dissipated when that attack struck his body. He tried to summon it again, yet the blade made from hydro element did not appear in his hands.

"Why I can’t summon?!" Childe shrieked.

"Hahaha! Wicked torrent locks your elemental skill when it hits a vision user."

"You bastard!" Crap! I didn’t bring my bow either.

"Now, it’s the time to end all of this!" Abyss Herald holds his two blades in right and left of his hands. Thereafter, he lurched forward to Childe in a spinning motion.

Childe could only helplessly watch Abyss Herald getting closer and closer.

“Nara...”

Huh? Whose voice is it?

"NARA!" 

Childe’s eyes snapped open. What he saw wasn’t Abyss Herald, but a green ceiling. An aranara and Lumine were on either side of him. 

"Oh, thanks Archon. Childe...," Lumine said while her eyes filled with tears.

"Where...am...I?" Childe muttered with a hoarse voice. He tried to get out of bed, but his movement was held back by green aranara.

"Stay on the bed, Nara Ajax. You must keep resting so that the potion from Ararycan can work."

Childe then slumped on the bed.

“Since Nara Ajax has awoken, Arama will report to Ararycan. Nara Lumine, Arama will leave for a while. Is it okay for you?”

Lumine nodded. “Thank you for accompanying me, Arama.”

“You’re welcome.” Arama eventually left his house.

"Childe, you got me worried.” Lumine hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Childe put his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder and rubbed her back. They stayed in this position for quite a while.

Lumine then removed herself from Childe and said, “You’ve been unconscious for three days.”

“Really?” Childe arched his eyebrows.

Lumine subsequently told Childe that Marana attacked him when they were cleansing a withering zone. Childe immediately collapsed and was unconscious. Lumine panicked and afterward carried him out from that area. At first, Lumine tried to heal him using her dendro power. But Childe wasn’t waking up. Childe’s body also had a fever, cold sweat was pouring all over his body, and he was blabbering incoherently. Ultimately, Lumine brought him to Vanarana and seek help from aranaras.

“And so, Arama told me to bring you to his house. He then provided a room for you to rest. Ararycan, who visited Vanarana, immediately came. He diagnosed the symptom and gave you the potion.” Lumine finished her story.

Childe processed everything Lumine had said in his head. A sense of relief washed over him. That means what he just experienced wasn’t real. Remembering ‘Lumine’ was friendly with the Abyss creature made him goosebumps.

But Childe had no recollection of the events that Lumine recounted. No matter how many times he tried to remember it, the things that come to his mind were ‘Lumine’ and Abyss Herald, who almost ended his life.

Was it really just a dream?