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Nighttime—Aaru Village.
Inside an ordinary house, the soft moonlight spilled through the window, spreading gently across the floor.
Shao Yun lay in bed, eyes tightly shut.
After some unknown stretch of time, his eyelids began to twitch slightly before he slowly opened his eyes.
At first, his vision was blurred, but as the seconds passed, everything around him gradually came into focus until the hazy outlines turned sharp and clear.
Eventually, his gaze settled on the ceiling above.
"Cough… cough!" Shao Yun couldn't help but let out a few light coughs, his throat dry and burning with irritation.
"Where… am I?"
He tried to move, attempting to sit up, but the moment he did, an overwhelming weakness washed over him, forcing him to abandon the effort and wait a moment to recover.
When he turned his head to the side, he noticed the woman sitting beside his bed.
Under the warm glow of the lantern, Lumine's face looked even more beautiful than usual, her features softened by the light.
Paimon floated quietly next to her, uncharacteristically silent.
Throughout the exchange, it was Lumine who spoke, while Paimon merely watched, saying nothing—like a silent observer in the background.
When Lumine saw Shao Yun's eyes open, the tension that had gripped her heart finally eased.
She exhaled softly and said gently, "You're awake? Thank goodness!"
Reaching out, she placed a hand against his forehead, her voice full of concern. "How do you feel? Is there anywhere that hurts?"
Shao Yun felt the warmth of her palm on his skin. Raising his right hand, he took hers in his and managed a faint smile.
"I'm fine… nothing serious, really. Thank you for worrying."
As he began recalling the "dream" he'd just experienced, Lumine bit her soft lower lip.
She slowly withdrew her hand from his grasp, her expression turning solemn. "Shao Yun, you need to be honest with me."
Her serious tone made him turn toward her in confusion. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Lumine's voice softened, but her question was firm.
"When did you get sick—and why didn't you tell me?"
Her sudden question made Shao Yun's heart skip a beat, but he quickly took a deep breath, forcing himself upright.
He shook his head slightly to appear more awake and composed, then said calmly, "This isn't the time for that… Has Nahida made any new plans?"
But Lumine wasn't fooled. She knew he was trying to change the subject, and her tone grew more insistent.
"No! Tell me the truth! How bad is your illness, really?"
Faced with her persistence, Shao Yun hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"It's nothing serious, honestly. I've just been… overworked lately."
He averted his gaze and forced a small, weary smile, trying to mask his unease.
At that moment, Candace entered, carrying a bowl of steaming herbal medicine.
She assumed Shao Yun was still unconscious, so she looked to Lumine and said softly, "The medicine's ready. Once he wakes up…"
But when her eyes landed on the bed, she froze in surprise—Shao Yun was already awake, watching her quietly.
"Oh! You're awake," she said, startled. "Perfect timing—have this medicine."
Shao Yun lifted his chin toward the bowl in her hands but didn't respond to her words. Instead, he asked bluntly, "Did you tell her?"
He was referring, of course, to the fact that someone had revealed his condition to Lumine.
Candace hesitated, realizing instantly from his tone that he hadn't told Lumine himself. Setting the bowl down on the table, she said apologetically, "Yes, I did. I thought you'd already told everyone about it."
Shao Yun sighed deeply, confirming his suspicion.
Still, he didn't show anger. He had only wanted to spare Lumine the worry—but what was done was done.
With Candace's errand complete, Lumine turned her attention back to him.
"How long have you been sick?"
Shao Yun's expression remained calm. He shook his head lightly. "Now's not the time to talk about that."
Lumine misunderstood, thinking he meant he should drink his medicine first. She quickly picked up the steaming bowl and offered it to him.
"You're right. Drink this first, then we'll talk."
Shao Yun looked at the dark, murky liquid and sighed in resignation.
Candace's herbal medicine was about as effective as a Special Miracle Tonic—but not nearly as potent. Drinking it would likely change nothing.
He was about to refuse, but Lumine pushed the bowl toward his lips before he could speak.
Seeing her insistence, he swallowed his words and let out a bitter laugh. "Alright, alright… I'll drink it."
He tilted his head back and downed the bowl in one go.
When he finished, he exhaled heavily, wiping the corner of his mouth.
Lumine took the empty bowl from his hands and set it aside before pressing again, "When exactly did your illness start? Be honest."
Shao Yun didn't answer. Instead, he swung his legs off the bed and stood, stretching his arms and shoulders before replying.
"Don't worry. I'll get better. It doesn't matter how or when it started. Just pretend I'm not—"
Before he could finish, the door opened again. Alhaitham stepped in, much like Candace before him, interrupting.
"Lumine, Paimon. Cyno thinks we should hold a meeting to discuss our next move."
He entered, expecting Shao Yun to still be unconscious, but seeing him awake made him pause in mild surprise.
Still, he nodded politely. "You're awake."
Shao Yun stroked his chin and replied, "Just woke up. You said there's a meeting? Let's go."
But Alhaitham corrected him, "I meant Lumine and Paimon. Not you."
Shao Yun's brows immediately furrowed. His response came sharp and instinctive. "What, you think because I collapsed in the desert I've gone soft? I'll have you know—even sick, I could still level all of Sumeru City if I wanted!"
Alhaitham stayed calm. "That's not what I meant. But common sense says—someone who's ill needs rest."
Before Shao Yun could argue further, Lumine gently patted his arm. "Shao Yun, you really do need rest. Let Paimon and me handle this, okay?"
Shao Yun frowned. "What, I can't even listen in?"
Lumine shook her head patiently.
"I'll tell you everything later, I promise. Remember when I was hurt before? You said the same thing to me. So now it's your turn to listen and rest."
She was referring to the time she'd nearly been cut in half during the fight with the Raiden Shogun—when she'd nearly bled out before Shao Yun dragged her to safety.
But Shao Yun was nothing if not stubborn. "No. I can still fight. And what's the harm in just sitting in?"
Lumine's patience wore thin. Her voice rose slightly, carrying real anger.
"Shao Yun, I need you to rest! Do you want me to watch you collapse again—or worse, die—before you finally understand? We're not out of options yet! Trust me, okay? It's just a small meeting. Stop acting like the world will fall apart without you there!"
Shao Yun stared at her. In that moment, Lumine radiated strength—calm, confident, and unyielding.
He felt genuine pride seeing her like this, but deep down, he knew this wasn't the kind of moment he could afford to sit out.
"Seeing you like this makes me proud," he said quietly. "But the Doctor's a madman. Trust alone won't stop him."
Lumine exhaled, weary of arguing. "You need to rest. Just like when I was hurt in Inazuma—you told me to rest then. Now it's my turn to take care of you."
Shao Yun met her gaze stubbornly. "And if I refuse?"
Her expression softened with frustration. She couldn't understand why he was being so obstinate.
Sensing the rising tension, Candace raised her right hand slightly. "Um… Dehya's mercenaries have a lot of wounded, and we're short on ingredients for medicine. Could someone come with me to gather herbs?"
It was clear she was offering Shao Yun an out—a way to step back gracefully.
He understood her intent immediately.
Nodding, he said, "I'll go with you. Lumine and Paimon can attend the meeting. I'll get some air."
And with that, Shao Yun left the room alongside Candace.
Thus, their tense conversation came to an end as the two disappeared into the quiet night.