38. The Holy Heist!

The moon lay hidden behind thick clouds, casting the Cathedral in a darkened, ominous glow as we huddled close in a secluded spot by the outer walls.

The air was tense with a nervous excitement; even Paimon hovered quietly over Aether's shoulder, her tiny eyes wide as they fixed on the Cathedral's towering silhouette.

"So, this is really it, huh?" I murmured, fingers tapping anxiously against the hilt of my sword. I shot a glance over to Aether, whose steady gaze hadn't wavered since we'd begun planning this crazy mission. 

Aether gave me a nod, his expression calm and resolute. "If getting the Holy Lyre helps Dvalin, then it's worth whatever risk we're taking." His voice was low, grounded—like we were just doing an everyday commission, not about to break into one of the most sacred places in Mondstadt.

Paimon's tiny frame shivered slightly, and she folded her arms, frowning as she stole another look at the towering Cathedral. "Paimon still can't believe we're actually doing this!" she whispered, as if she might scare off the last of her nerves if she kept her voice down. "Sneaking in to steal something as important as the Holy Lyre? We'll be so dead if we get caught!"

I chuckled, trying to keep my own excitement in check. "You better believe it, Paimon. We spent nights planning every single detail, mapping out every escape route. No way we're going to get caught. We've got this."

I threw her a quick grin and gave her a reassuring nod, hoping she couldn't tell that my own heart was pounding.

Before I knew what hit me, Aether reached out and gave me a swift smack to the back of my head. "Don't jinx it, you idiot" he muttered, shaking his head. I was about to retort, rubbing the spot he'd hit, but the knowing smirk on his face made me let it go. He was messing with me, as usual.

Paimon let out an exaggerated huff, though she seemed a bit less tense. "If we get caught, Paimon's totally blaming it on you, Tayden."

"Fair enough," I said, rolling my eyes at her but unable to wipe the smile from my face. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that, alright?"

Just as I turned my attention back to the Cathedral, Paimon fixed me with a stern glare, her eyes narrowing. "And Paimon still can't believe you decided to turn into a girl for this mission! Hearing you with a girly voice makes Paimon want to puke!"

Ah, yes. The disguise. In a stroke of what I thought was pure genius, I'd decided to follow TD's example and try out some body manipulation for myself.

Though, let's be honest—I was only a shadow of his mastery over the skill, and all I'd managed was to shift a few, um, obvious features.

The exterior looked... convincingly female, but the rest? Still have all the packages of a guy. That was just about the limit of my body manipulation so far, and only thanks to TD drilling it into my head every dream.

"Hey, I need to stay incognito!" I insisted, giving Paimon a big smile and shrugging. "And what better way than a complete transformation, right? They'd never recognize me like this."

Aether, looking completely unimpressed, shook his head. "And you couldn't have picked a less... elaborate disguise?".

Aether was wearing baggy clothes along with a black mask. Pretty boring if you ask me.

"Come on, I'm just getting creative with it," I replied, patting his shoulder as if to convince him of my ingenious thinking.

But, well, maybe I was trying a bit too hard to justify it. "And besides, if I get caught, they won't know it's me, right?"

Paimon stared at me with an expression that screamed Yeah, right. She gave an exaggerated eye roll, muttering something under her breath that I was probably better off not hearing. "Let's just... get this over with before Paimon loses it."

"Fine, fine," I said, throwing her a playful wink.

"Alright, let's go. We're on the clock now."

Aether nodded. "It's almost time."

The three of us turned toward the Cathedral's back entrance, the last hint of daylight slipping below the horizon. This was it.

---

Night settled fully over Mondstadt, casting shadows that wrapped the Cathedral in an eerie stillness.

The usual daytime bustle of devout visitors and bustling clergy had long faded, leaving only an empty quiet that felt strangely thick.

The dark, heavy doors at the Cathedral's back creaked softly as Aether, Paimon, and I slipped inside, cloaked in the silence of night. Thank the Archons the back door had been left unlocked; we hadn't had to make a scene with any forced entry.

The air inside was cool and faintly smelled of incense and aged wood. Candlelight flickered in iron sconces along the walls, casting long shadows that warped with each step we took.

Every tiny noise—a creak of wood, a whispered breath, the lightest rustle of fabric—echoed back at us, magnified in the quiet. I glanced over at Paimon, who hovered just above Aether's shoulder, her mouth firmly shut for once.

Guess even she could sense that there wasn't room for her usual commentary tonight.

We moved through the winding hallways like shadows ourselves, glancing around each corner and evading patrolling knights before proceeding.

I kept my hand on the hilt of my sword, just in case, but Aether was the picture of calm, his focus sharp as he mapped out our path, nodding to me every so often as we passed each marker from our plans.

Despite everything we were doing here, he looked at ease, like he'd done this a thousand times over.

I leaned in as we passed another corridor, and in a low whisper, I said, "Not bad for a first-time heist, huh?"

Aether gave me a sidelong glance and raised a brow. "First and last time, hopefully," he murmured back with a slight smirk.

Just ahead, the narrow, winding hall finally opened to the basement entrance. And, as we'd expected, two knights were stationed outside, the dim torchlight bouncing off their armor.

They looked tired, glancing around occasionally but showing no signs they'd leave anytime soon. This was our last obstacle before the Lyre.

I took a deep, steadying breath, mentally preparing myself. For weeks now, I'd been training to control my Blood Demon Art, working with TD night after night to learn the finer aspects of Enmu's abilities.

It had been like trying to tame something wild, something with a mind of its own. But tonight, I'd finally get to see if that training paid off.

"Think you can put them to sleep?" Aether asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Think?" I repeated with a slight grin. "Watch this."

Focusing on that strange, dark energy within me, I let my hand hover out toward the guards, feeling for the thin, almost invisible tendrils of power I'd learned to summon.

The familiar, faint prickling sensation around my eyes, and I narrowed my focus, pushing out a subtle but precise wave of energy. I tapped the wall to draw their attention and their eyes met mine. 

Sleep

The knights wobbled for a moment, then slumped against the wall, their breathing deep and even as they slid to the ground.

Painless and quick—just like TD had shown me. I let out a slow breath, the tension in my shoulders easing as I reined the energy back in, shutting off the ability. It was smoother, cleaner than I'd hoped for.

"Whoa…" Paimon whispered, eyes wide as she stared at the two unconscious knights. "Since when did you get so good at that?"

I threw her a quick wink. "Practice, Paimon. Practice."

Aether gave me a nod, his expression impressed but with that usual calm steadiness. "Nicely done. That'll give us a bit of time."

I motioned for them to follow, and we slipped past the guards and down the narrow stone steps, our footsteps muted against the rough-hewn stone.

The basement was dimly lit by scattered torches, the low flames casting erratic shadows across the walls and rows of ancient stone pillars.

The cold air held a faint hint of dust and something metallic, giving the entire space a kind of foreboding stillness.

The further we descended, the tighter the corridors seemed to close in around us. It was a sprawling network of tunnels that wound beneath the Cathedral, and we kept to the right, following our carefully memorized path.

I could feel the weight of the Holy Lyre's aura pulling us closer, that strange, otherworldly energy giving off an almost tangible hum in the air.

As we rounded the last corner, Paimon darted over to hover near me, her voice a bare whisper. "Are we… almost there?"

"Almost," Aether murmured, his eyes sharp as he peered ahead. He seemed to pick up on the energy too. There, at the end of the hallway, stood a single iron door adorned with intricate engravings—this was it.

We stepped up to it, our movements cautious as we slipped inside. And there, in the middle of a simple wooden pedestal, lay the Holy Lyre der Himmel. The soft light of its aura filled the room, casting gentle waves of color across the walls.

I could feel a pulse of energy coming off of it, resonating in my bones like a deep, silent song. The sight of it was mesmerizing, almost otherworldly. What exactly was it about artifacts like these that held such power?

Aether and Paimon seemed similarly captivated by it, and we approached slowly, almost reverently. Aether glanced back at me, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Looks like we made it."

"Yeah…" I breathed out, feeling the excitement bubbling up in my chest. "We actually—"

Just as I reached out, fingers inches from the Lyre, a flash of light burst into the room, cutting through the dark and making me jump back.

Aether's hand flew to his sword, and I staggered, squinting against the light as a voice echoed through the chamber.

"Well, well, I didn't expect to find you three little thieves here."

The light faded, revealing a figure cloaked in dark purple robes, icy eyes glinting as she held the Lyre, the soft glow of the artifact casting shadows across her smirk. A Electro Cicin Mage, her lamp held tightly in one hand, cicins flitting around her with a faint crackle of electro energy. She twirled the Lyre in her grasp, giving us a look of smug satisfaction.

"No! We had it!" Paimon hissed, her eyes wide with outrage.

I clenched my fists, a surge of irritation coursing through me. Damn it! She'd swiped it right out from under us.

The Mage chuckled softly, her voice dripping with smug amusement. "Oh, did you think you'd just stroll in here and take it? How cute."

Her gaze flicked to Aether and then to me, a smirk dancing across her face. "But playtime's over. This belongs to the Fatui now."

Before we could react, she raised her lamp, a crackle of electro energy erupting around her.

The bright flash and noise alerted the guards; their voices echoed down the hall, and I could hear their footsteps racing toward us.

"Great, just what we needed," I muttered under my breath, glancing at Aether, who gave me a grim nod.

"Looks like we'll need to improvise." 

"Right." We turned, bolting for the exit, Paimon flying just ahead of us, her tiny frame practically vibrating with panic.

As we raced through the dark corridors, I could hear the guards' heavy footsteps echoing through the halls. We dodged around pillars, ducking through hidden corners and using every twist and turn to our advantage.

Every second counted, and the adrenaline surged through me as I stayed close to Aether, mirroring his movements as we navigated the labyrinthine basement.

Paimon darted ahead, her tiny voice muffled by the distance. "Hurry! They're right behind us!"

"Yeah, thanks, Paimon!" I shot back, but my tone was lighter than it should have been; this was serious, but I couldn't deny the thrill.

The rush of it all was exhilarating, and there was a part of me—some reckless part—that loved every moment of it.

We managed to evade the guards, ducking into another narrow hallway. Aether motioned for us to stay close, and I nodded, feeling the pressure of every second as we inched closer to our exit. Just as we rounded the last corner, we skidded to a halt.

A group of knights blocked our path, their armor glinting in the dim torchlight, swords drawn as they stepped forward.

I took a quick, steadying breath, glancing at Aether and Paimon. "Alright… I'll distract them. You two slip past when I give the signal."

Aether shot me a wary look. "You sure?"

I flashed him a quick grin, though the tension was real. "Trust me."

He hesitated, then nodded. Paimon was definitely sceptical, but she kept quiet, giving me a nod.

I took a step forward, putting on a confident, easygoing expression as I approached the knights. "Hello there gentlemen! Little bit chilly out for standing guard, don't you think?"

Lets see how good this disguise is!

I let my tone carry just the right mix of casual friendliness, my body language open and unthreatening. 

The knights exchanged confused glances, glancing back at me with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. 

"Who are you, where is the Lyre!" one of them asked.

"Hey calm down~ I'm not here to hurt anyone." I made sure to exaggerate my speech, make them focus only on me. "I just came here to see how the knights handle things you know?"

I motioned behind them as if someone was coming up the hall, and the knights turned their heads just slightly.

Aether and Paimon slipped past behind them, moving with practiced silence. My pulse raced, but I kept my expression calm, nodding politely as I edged back toward the hallway.

Just as the knights turned back to me, I gave them a quick two-finger salute, then dashed off, sprinting to where Aether and Paimon were waiting just ahead.

They grinned as I caught up, and without a word, we bolted for the exit, our footsteps echoing in the Cathedral's hollow silence.

The sound of guards shouting behind us grew louder, and we pushed forward. J

ust as we reached the doors, we see Venti sitting on the railings.

"We got caught!" Paimon yelled and Venti was quick to act.

A powerful gust of wind blasted through the Cathedral, and suddenly we were lifted off our feet.

"Whoa-" I held on to aether as he used his glider to sail smoothly with the wind, Venti was literally flying but Im not focused on that right now.

Paimon was holding onto Venti's cape screaming for dear life and cursing him in every single way she knew.

We soared out into the open air, carried along by a strong current, guiding us safely away from the Cathedral.

As we landed outside, the wind settled, and there, with his lyre in hand, stood Venti, his eyes focused and alert. "Quickly, we can hide at the Tavern!"

And with that, we followed, feeling the weight of our escape as we walked into the tavern.

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Hey there! Sorry for being away for too long, life is a pain sometimes. But Im back now and will be pumping out more chapters soon!