Couch Slouch

Stepping out of the cafe's doors, Lumine's vision was filled with an endless void of stars for a brief moment before she reappeared in Liyue, overlooking the harbor.

She looked ahead and saw the ever-busy bustling city of Liyue Harbor. Somewhere amidst the crowds that plagued the docks, she saw a man wake up in dizziness, and beside him was none other than Zhongli.

Looking at the dazed man, her thoughts started reflecting.

'Azhdaha...'

The fight with Azhdaha was truly a great experience for her. It took the combined efforts of her and the rest of the club to fight it. But even then, they still weren't close enough to killing it.

In fact, the only reason they won was because another fragment of Azhdaha that was free from madness managed to stop itself in time.

Still... There was another matter besides the stone dragon that was gnawing away the back of her subconscious.

'That power...'

Remembering the display of power Isaac had shown, she couldn't help but shudder a bit.

Back then, he was like a completely different person— like a wild beast with no need for restraint nor reasons. Armed with a demented frenzy and exceptionally powerful deformed arms, he brute forced his way through the fight with frightening ferocity.

Even when the other fragment of Azhdaha had appeared to stop the fight, Isaac did not stop. He continued inflicting the stone dragon insurmountable suffering, seemingly finding pleasure in the pain he was causing to it.

And that... that was the most frightening aspect of it all. With no regard for himself or those around him, Isaac had practically become a predator fashioned for bloodshed.

At some point, she and Xiao even tried to stop him yet it yielded nothing. He simply... fought his way through them. At that moment, Lumine swore she saw a bit of lucidity in his eyes that stopped him from piercing them with his claws, yet remained blinded enough for him to not recognize them.

In the end, Zhongli had to be the one to stop the rampaging Isaac.

Recalling Isaac's ferocious look, Lumine shuddered. That, too, was perhaps one of the things Lumine found frightening about him.

'He was smiling... like a lunatic... enjoying it.'

The vivid image of Isaac's cold and ruthless smile that showed his elation was still present in her mind. Complemented by his deep amber eyes, it made him look more eerie.

'I wonder... would I have to fight someone like him someday?'

Such a thought couldn't help but form in her mind. It was a natural course of action, after all, she was still skeptical about Isaac's true nature.

Gripping the railings she was leaning on, she sighed.

'Well... At least he's a friend for now, at the very least.'

There might come a day when she too would perhaps fight someone— or perhaps even Isaac himself— with that same voracious prowess. As such, until then, she must grow stronger.

The terrible memory aside, there was another thing that had left an imprint in her mind.

'That boon... I didn't expect that Isaac could also do something like this...'

Remembering the empowering feeling she experienced after the fight with Azhdaha, she couldn't help but wonder how Isaac had grown their battle prowess as a reward. She doubts he'd truly tell her, but still, it was a mystifying allure.

Each member of the club that participated in the fight received some kind of boon, including herself.

The boons she received, in question, is none other than an upgrade in her elemental control. Previously, she could unleash the elements like opening a faucet, but now, it felt as if she could unleash them like a flowing river. It was an unbelievable feeling.

'With this...'

While Lumine was assessing her new powers, her familiar floating companion suddenly appeared and spoke.

"Traveler! Look! What's Ganyu doing there?"

Shifting her attention, Lumine looked at the location Paimon pointed at.

"Hm? Isn't that the adventure's guild? Maybe she's putting up a request?"

Paimon hummed.

"If so, then shouldn't we help her? That's what we usually do, after all."

Lumine thought for a moment before nodding her head.

"Okay, let's see what she's got."

Completely oblivious to the fact that she was about to meet a familiar masked blond man.

---

[You look lonely.]

[I can fix that.]

Lying down comfortably on one of the sofas inside his cafe, Isaac quietly watched a movie from the screen of his television. The rain outside was quite heavy, but it didn't hinder his experience one bit.

The cafe was closed— the blinders were down and the doors were locked. Currently, he was the only person present. Next to him are a couple of teacups and food.

'This isn't helping...'

Isaac, meanwhile, sighed heavily. Contrary to his usual appearance, he was looking kind of bleak.

His usual austere brown hair was now disheveled and lifeless, while his eyes were sunken as if he hadn't had sleep for a while now. His complexion was also pale as if he was teetering on the edge of chronic anemia. To top it all off, he also had a raging migraine headache going on right now that was pounding his senses.

This was none other than the adverse side effects of using the [Evernight] skill, of course. The price he had to pay for that kind of power.

Yet, despite being in this kind of situation, a thread of hope was still hanging in front of Isaac.

Holding the golden pendant gifted to him, a faint smile appeared on his face.

'Seriously... I'm lucky to have them.'

As this thought crossed his mind, a familiar notification window appeared in front of him.

Name: Radiant Esteem

Type: Charm

Description: A dazzling pendant that radiates a regal aura. It is a token of appreciation gifted to a nefarious barista. Its centerpiece, a warm amber stone, carries the breath of the Lord of Anemo.

Effects: [The Winds of Time]: Let your name be heard in the echoes of the breeze once more.

Looking at the intricate details about the pendant, a curious glint appeared in Isaac's eyes.

'A nefarious barista... Is the system making fun of me?' he scowled.

'Also, that centerpiece... Hmm, a god's breath, huh? Surely something like that is beyond precious...'

Then again, this was the same God who likes getting wasted in wine and beer in taverns— so Isaac was having trouble trying to revere it.

As for its value, the thought of even selling it never crossed his mind. Still, he got curious and thought about it seriously.

'How much are people willing to pay for Venti's breath?'

'...'

'Wait, no— that sounds so wrong...'

Feeling his headache creep up on him, Isaac immediately brushed off this thought away in an instant. Caressing his temples, he frowned.

'Well, no matter. It's not like I'll give this to anyone else...'

He was serious. This pendant was perhaps the only thing he truly cherishes right now— after all, it was a gift from his friends. Giving it away was akin to giving away a part of him.

His attention then shifted to the other details.

'The Winds of Time...'

Isaac tried reading the description of the effect again, but it was to no avail. It was just too vague and didn't specify what exactly the pendant does.

He tried to make sense of it and come up with a theory, but his headache was becoming more and more annoying.

'Darn headache...'

In the end, he had to give up on the matter.

He looked at the pendant and lingered for a bit before putting it around his neck, thus wearing it.

Instantly, he felt as if his weight had lessened— as though he became a feather in the wind.

He smiled lightly.

'As expected from an item blessed by the Anemo Archon.'

With this, some problems for him should become a lot less troublesome. Especially when he's fighting or moving around. Having something that saves weight is always a great boon.

Now wearing his pendant, Isaac felt more comfortable. Snugging himself in the sofa of the cafe, he continued watching the movie as it rained outside.

'Tomorrow is gonna be the ball...'

Remembering the ball Furina had been looking forward to, a wry smile appeared on his face.

By tomorrow, the adverse effects should have already died down or at least subsided— which was great since Isaac did not want to appear like a walking corpse in a large social gathering together with Fontaine's biggest celebrity.

He then made himself more comfortable as he slowly drifted to sleep.

'Tomorrow... I'm just gonna have fun. No worrying about the plan, no worrying about the future, and no worrying about the traveler...'

As these thoughts crossed his mind as he fell asleep, a faint smile formed on his face.

'Tomorrow... I just want to be with her.'

* * *

A/N: Short chapter because... I'm God's sleepiest soldier