The silence of the house was shattered not by a knock, but by a frantic scratching at the window latch. Ren, who had been dozing lightly in the living room chair, jumped up and undid the lock.
Lumine tumbled in, landing with a practiced roll, followed closely by a floating, breathless Paimon. They were dressed in dark cloaks, their faces smudged with dirt, looking every inch the fugitives they technically weren't, but practically were.
"Lumine!" Ren whispered, helping her up. "The window? Really?"
"Front door seemed risky," Lumine panted, brushing dust off her knees. "The Matra are everywhere. But we made it."
Ningguang and Lisa emerged from their rooms, alert instantly.
"What is the status?" Ningguang asked, her voice calm and authoritative.
"We have a plan," Lumine said, her golden eyes burning with intensity. She moved to the table, sweeping aside a vase to lay out a rough map she had drawn.
"Alhaitham, Cyno, Dehya… everyone is in position. We're going to create a diversion. A massive one." She pointed to the outskirts of the city. "Rahman and his Eremites are going to stage a riot here. It'll draw the Corps of Thirty away from the Akademiya. While they're distracted, Alhaitham is going to infiltrate the Grand Sage's office."
She looked up, her expression grim. "We're going to upload a canister of Knowledge into the Akasha. It will… distract the guards. And then we go for the Sanctuary of Surasthana. To rescue Nahida. And stop the Balladeer."
Ren leaned forward, his hands on the table. "Okay. Count us in. We can help with the rescue. While you deal with Scaramouche, we can get Nahida out."
"No," Lumine said instantly, her voice sharp. "Absolutely not. This is too dangerous. The Balladeer is a god now, Ren. Or close enough to one. I won't let you get anywhere near him."
Ren frowned, frustration bubbling up. "Lumine, stop it. I'm not a helpless kid. I have my powers. I have the devices. I can fight. I can protect myself."
"It's not about capability!" Lumine snapped, her voice rising. "It's about risk! You almost died in Inazuma! Do you think I want to see that again? I'm the Traveler. This is my fight. You stay here, where it's safe."
"Don't treat me like a porcelain doll!" Ren shouted back, his voice cracking with emotion. "I am involved in this! Nahida is my friend too! She spoke to me! She trusted me! I'm not going to sit here drinking tea while she's trapped in a cage!"
He glared at her, his azure eyes blazing. "You're being ridiculous. Just because you're the hero doesn't mean you have to do everything alone. That's arrogant!"
The room went silent. Lumine stared at him, stunned by his outburst. She saw the fire in his eyes, the fierce loyalty, and the hurt.
Ningguang stepped forward, placing a hand on Ren's shoulder, her touch grounding him.
"Lumine," she said, her voice cool and reasoned. "Ren is right. While your desire to protect him is commendable, it is also… inefficient. If you are engaging the Balladeer, who will ensure the Dendro Archon's safe extraction? Who will ensure the Sages do not use her as a hostage?"
"Cyno is handling the Sages," Lumine argued weakly.
"Cyno is one man," Lisa interjected, her tone gentle but firm. "A powerful man, yes. But if Azar has tricks up his sleeve… if he has guards enhanced by that mechanical god… Cyno might need backup. And frankly, darling, you can't be everywhere at once."
Ren stepped closer to Lumine, his anger fading into a desperate sincerity. "I get it," he said softly. "You want to be the hero. You want to save everyone. But that doesn't mean you get to sideline everyone else. We're a team. Or we're supposed to be."
He looked her dead in the eye. "I am going. And you cannot stop me. Unless you plan to tie me up."
Lumine looked at him. She saw the same stubbornness she saw in the mirror every day. She saw a boy who had crossed nations and defied gods just to help people.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Fine," she whispered. "You win. But you stick to Ningguang like glue. Promise me."
"I promise," Ren nodded.
"I will be with him," Ningguang stated, her aura flaring with Geo energy. "I shall not let any harm come to my ward and Liyue's future."
"And I," Lisa said, a spark of violet electricity dancing on her fingertips, "will join the fun in the city. The Matra will be so busy chasing Eremites, they won't notice a little witch causing chaos in the lower levels. It should be a piece of cake."
Lumine nodded, a faint smile returning to her face. "Okay. The plan starts tomorrow morning. Jnagarbha Day. When the Akasha terminals relay their updates… we strike."
She looked at them one last time, her team, her friends. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we save a god."
With that, she and Paimon slipped back out the window, vanishing into the night like ghosts, leaving Ren and his guardians to prepare for the dawn of a revolution.