Lydia watched as the wound on Lumine's arm grew deeper, the blood flowing more and more, and her heart ached sharply.
She didn't want to be a burden to others anymore, nor did she want to watch the people she cared about get hurt while protecting her.
The Abyss Knight saw the wavering in Lydia's eyes, his voice as soft as honey-coated poison, yet each word pierced her heart: "Lydia, do you think only Venti and Lumine will get hurt for you?"
"Have you forgotten how your parents died on the snowy mountain?"
These words were like a thunderbolt, striking Lydia's heart mercilessly.
Her entire body stiffened, her snow-white eyelashes trembled violently, and her originally hollow eyes were instantly filled with pain, tears gushing out once again: "Father... Mother..."
"They could have escaped on their own." The Abyss Knight's voice dropped even lower, as if recounting a long-buried secret, his fingertips gently stroking the back of Lydia's hand, bringing a trace of icy touch, "But to protect the weak you, they stood before the monsters and had their bodies torn to shreds by the claws of the Abyss."
"We were just infants back then, only able to watch as our parents died before the heart of the Demon Dragon Durin, being sucked dry into a mummified corpse..."
Lydia's body trembled violently.
"If you had only had the power back then," the Abyss Knight's voice was full of allure, his eyes filled with manipulation, "if you could have controlled the power of the Abyss back then, your parents wouldn't have died, let alone be captured by the Abyss later and suffer that bone-eroding pain."
He raised his hand, pointing to Lydia's chest, exactly where the Festering Desire was located: "The Festering Desire within your body originally concealed the power of the Abyss."
"As long as you are willing to accept it, you can obtain the power to protect others, and never again have to watch the people you care about get hurt because of you!"
"The grudge of your parents, your own pain, can all be reclaimed by this power."
Lydia's breathing grew more and more hurried, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her fingernails almost digging into her palms.
She remembered the scene when her parents met her again as Poison Dragon Knights, remembered the despair when she was imprisoned by the Abyss, remembered the blood continuously flowing on Lumine's arm, and remembered Venti's unknown situation trapped in Old Mondstadt.
These images intertwined with the Abyss Knight's words, making her will crumble bit by bit.
"See," the Abyss Knight chuckled softly, the dark energy on his fingertips winding around Lydia's wrist, "as long as you nod, all this can be changed."
"You can become stronger, you can protect the people you want to protect, you can avenge your parents, and never again have to be that coward who can only hide behind others."
Lydia's eyes gradually grew empty, and tears stopped falling. She slowly raised her hand, wanting to touch the dark energy on the Abyss Knight's fingertips. It seemed that the power to make her stronger, the hope to rewrite everything, was truly hidden within.
The runes of the Festering Desire grew brighter and brighter, and the Abyssal aura around her surged like a tide, almost enveloping her.
Seeing this, the Abyss Knight's lips curled into an imperceptible smile, and he continued to gently persuade her: "As long as you return to the Abyss, you can immediately possess the power to save them."
"You can defeat Yunqin and save Lumine; you can manipulate time and space to bring Venti back from Old Mondstadt a thousand years ago."
"Come, Lydia, return to the place where you belong. Together, we will rewrite destiny and never have to be bullied by anyone again."
Come!
Come!
Sinking into the Abyss...
Return to my embrace...
The Abyss Knight watched Lydia's hand draw closer, his lips curling into a triumphant smile.
It was the excitement of prey about to be caught in the net, the arrogance of controlling someone else's fate.
She had already begun to sketch the scene of Lydia's descent in her mind, as if the very next second, this girl she regarded as her "weak half" would completely become a puppet of the Abyss.
But at this critical moment, a wisp of green Anemo suddenly drifted out from Lydia's hair.
That Anemo was as weak as a candle flame that could be extinguished at any moment, yet it carried an unquestionable resolve, wrapped in a familiar, warm scent of dandelions, gently colliding with the Abyss Knight's fingertips entwined with dark energy.
"Buzz—!"
The moment the Anemo and the Abyssal aura collided, a crisp yet deafening hum rang out.
The Abyss Knight felt a sharp sting on her fingertips, and the dark energy entwined around them instantly melted away like ice meeting fire.
An invisible force also sent her stumbling back two steps, her palm still burning from the Anemo's touch.
"What is this?!"
She looked up in a mixture of shock and rage, only to see that wisp of green Anemo circling in front of Lydia, its soft light dispersing the surrounding black mist and shielding the girl within.
And Lydia's originally empty and lifeless eyes, the moment they touched the Anemo, suddenly regained their clarity!
She shuddered all over, her snow-white eyelashes trembling violently, as the confusion, pain, and struggle in her eyes were replaced by sudden realization.
It was the relief of being caught firmly, the joy of being pulled back into the light just as she was about to fall. Warm tears fell onto the back of her hand, their heat making her heart ache.
"Is this... Venti's Anemo?" Lydia slowly raised her hand, tentatively touching the wisp of wind.
The familiar warmth spread from her fingertips throughout her entire body, like the warmth of countless mornings when Venti smiled and ruffled her hair.
Like the breeze that brushed her cheek when he played the Holy Lyre der Himmel and sang "City of Wind and Song."
"That damn busker!" The Abyss Knight spat viciously as she watched this scene, her armor trembling slightly with rage.
She had meticulously planned this for so long, using her parents' death, her friend's injuries, and the temptation of power to lure her in layer by layer.
Just as she was about to succeed, it was all shattered by a wisp of residual wind left by Venti!
This resentment and fury burned her reason like a raging fire, the coldness in her eyes almost condensing into a tangible substance.
But at this moment, that wisp of green Anemo grew brighter and brighter, and the surrounding air began to flow, faintly showing the tendency to condense into a wind blade.
That was the protective will Venti had left within the Anemo, and even as a mere lingering wisp, it carried the inviolable majesty of the Anemo Archon.
The Abyss Knight knew that staying any longer would not only yield no benefit but might even leave her trapped by this wisp of Anemo, so she could only glare fiercely at Lydia.
The dark energy around her body suddenly surged, and she instantly vanished into the thick black mist without a trace.
With the Abyss Knight's departure, the black mist gradually dissipated a little.
Lydia looked at the Anemo floating before her eyes, which was gradually becoming transparent, and a smile mixed with tears slowly curved her lips.
"Venti... thank you." She raised her hand and gently brushed against the wind that was about to dissipate, her voice choked but gentle, "Even though we are separated by time and space, you have always been protecting me, haven't you?"
The Anemo seemed to understand her words, gently nuzzled her fingertips, and then completely dissipated into the air.