The name struck Lumine and Paimon's hearts like a massive boulder, leaving them both stunned.
"Venti, don't be impulsive! This could be a trap!" Lumine quickly reached out to grab Venti's sleeve, but she only grasped the cold air.
Venti seemed to completely ignore her warning, as well as Paimon's shock, stumbling forward toward the young woman.
"Lydia, is it really you? I've been searching for you for so long... I thought... I thought I would never see you again..."
Every one of his steps seemed to drain his entire strength. Shock, wild joy, and disbelief surged in his eyes, and tears welled up, his voice thick with a clear sob.
Venti's commotion quickly drew the attention of the two figures in the clearing.
Lydia and Dainsleif turned their heads to look at them simultaneously.
Lydia tilted her head, her snow-white ponytail swaying gently. An innocent smile touched her face, a smile exactly as Venti remembered, as pure as the first snow of Mondstadt.
"It seems our goal has been achieved," Dainsleif spoke slowly, his voice low and calm, without a ripple of emotion, as if he had long expected them to come.
He nodded slightly, then took a few steps forward and turned sideways, making an inviting gesture to Venti and his companions. "Since you're here, why don't you come over and talk?"
Venti could no longer suppress the longing in his heart. He quickened his pace and rushed forward, opening his arms to embrace the figure he had dreamed of day and night.
"Lydia!"
Lydia also smiled and reached out her arms, her slender wrists forming an embrace, the smile on the corners of her mouth still innocent.
But just as Venti was about to touch her, he passed right through Lydia's body!
There was no sense of touch at all, only a wave of icy chill, as if he had passed through a mass of cold mist.
Venti's movements froze abruptly. He stood rooted to the spot, his body still in the posture of an embrace, trembling slightly.
He slowly lowered his head, looking at how he had passed through the young woman's body, then raised his head to look at the still smiling Lydia. The wild joy in his eyes was replaced by bewilderment. "Lydia, you..."
Lydia's figure swayed slightly in the moonlight, and the white light surrounding her became ethereal, like mist that could dissipate at any moment.
She still held the posture of an embrace, and the smile on the corners of her mouth remained unchanged, but there was no emotion in her eyes.
The young woman seemed to have no joy, no longing, not even a ripple of emotion, like a... soulless statue.
Venti froze in place, his fingertips still tingling with that icy void, as if he had passed through a bank of impenetrable mist.
Yet from the depths of his soul, a faint but familiar ripple emanated: it was Lydia's unique soul aura, as pure as the morning breeze of Mondstadt, etched deep into his memory, never fading.
He suddenly realized the truth, the bewilderment in his eyes instantly replaced by a surging, agonizing pain. Tears finally broke free and fell, splashing onto the fallen leaves on the ground, spreading into small, dark, wet stains.
This was no illusion, nor a trap set by the Abyss. This was the soul of Lydia, whom he had yearned for day and night, calling her name countless times to the wine bottle beneath the old tree at Windrise.
She stood right before him, her snow-white ponytail swaying gently in the breeze, even the individual strands of hair clearly visible.
The young woman's face bore the same innocent smile as in his memories, as pure as fresh snow falling on Cecilia petals.
But this smile, so familiar it was etched into his very bones, now felt like a dull knife, carving into Venti's heart stroke after stroke, the pain so sharp he could barely breathe.
He opened his mouth, trying to call her name, but his throat felt as if it were choked, and he could only manage broken sobs, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Just then, Lydia's figure leaned forward slightly, her slender arms gently wrapping around Venti's shoulders.
Though there was no physical substance to her touch, he could clearly feel the icy void of her body passing through his clothes.
Yet a sudden warmth surged in Venti's chest, as if he were being tightly embraced by Mondstadt's midday sun, instantly dispelling the surrounding chill and the piercing pain in his heart.
"Venti, don't be sad," Lydia's voice was as soft as wind brushing against strings, carrying a soothing power. "To see you again, to hear you call my name again, I am already very happy."
Lumine and Paimon stood by, watching the scene unfold, their hearts filled with a mixture of emotions.
Paimon's eyes were already red, her small hands clutching the hem of her clothes as she secretly wiped away tears with the back of her hand, afraid of disturbing this hard-won reunion.
Lumine gently bit her lip, her eyes brimming with emotion. She could feel the joy and pain intertwining within Venti at this moment, and she could also empathize with the hardship Lydia faced in existing as a soul.
The two exchanged a glance and slowly took a step forward.
Lumine's voice was extremely soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing this fragile reunion: "Lydia?"
Lydia released her "embrace" of Venti and turned to face the two, her face still wearing that same pure and flawless smile.
"Lumine, Paimon, thank you both so much." Lydia bowed her head slightly to them. "During the time I've known you, listening to your stories of your journey and adventuring with you, I've been truly happy."
Her gaze slowly swept over the two, her eyes filled with genuine gratitude. "When the Abyss invaded Mondstadt, thank you for being willing to stand up and protect this land, as well as everything I once cherished: the places that hold precious memories, the things I considered most beautiful, and every single person who smiled."
"We didn't really do much!" Paimon was a bit embarrassed by the praise, her cheeks flushing bright red, and her voice dropped a few degrees. "And in the end... in the end, we still couldn't save you."
"If only we were a little stronger, if only we had discovered the Abyss's conspiracy earlier, maybe you wouldn't have..."
"It's okay," Lydia gently shook her head, her smile still gentle, "You have already done so well. It is a very lucky thing for Mondstadt to have friends like you, people willing to fight for it. I have never blamed you."
The three exchanged polite words, their tones filled with sincerity. The air in the woods grew soft, as if the air itself had become a little more gentle.
Venti stood to the side, watching the way Lydia talked with Lumine and Paimon. His eyes were full of warmth and cherishing, the sharp pain from before gradually fading away with this reunion he had regained after loss.
What remained in his heart was a full sense of longing... wanting time to stop at this moment, wanting Lydia's figure to linger for a few more moments.
But just then, Dainsleif slowly shook his head, his deep voice breaking this warmth: "Alright, there's no need for further pleasantries."
"The Abyss is still active within Mondstadt right now, and countless people are still facing danger. Now is not the time to dwell on the past." His gaze swept over the three, his eyes sharp and serious.