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---
Chapter 55
Link woke up smiling.
There was no immediate reason for him to.
The room was dark. His body was still asking for a few more hours of sleep. Luci rested on the back of the chair, and the stone Charmander continued giving its eternal thumbs-up from the table, forever approving decisions it did not understand.
Nothing had changed.
Except everything.
Link remained on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Rem was his girlfriend.
He closed his eyes.
Opened them again.
The sentence was still true.
Rem had chosen him.
She had kissed him.
Twice.
And afterward, she had remained lying beside him while they discussed conditions, spells, horns, and the future viability of a relationship that had barely existed for a few hours.
Link raised a hand to his lips.
There was no physical evidence.
No mark.
No lingering taste.
Nothing that could prevent his own insecurity from trying to turn the previous night into a dream that had been far too kind.
Then he remembered Rem's final words.
Rem is happy.
His smile widened.
Luci lit up.
Link turned his head.
—Good morning.
The sphere flashed.
—Yes. I'm still the same person.
Another flash.
—I'm not going to do anything stupid.
Luci floated upward.
—Today.
Her light gained a faint reddish tint.
Link sat up.
—That was unnecessary.
He got out of bed, drank the water left on the table, and began getting dressed. He chose a clean shirt reinforced with openings for his kagunes.
Then he attempted to fix his hair.
It did not work.
He wet it.
That made it worse.
Eventually, he left it alone.
Standing in front of the mirror, he practiced a normal expression.
The first looked guilty.
The second looked sick.
The third showed so many teeth that he seemed to be threatening his own reflection.
—Normal —he muttered.
The smile returned.
—Shit.
Luci circled his head.
—Don't help.
Link took a breath.
Today, he needed to behave like a mature adult who had just entered a relationship.
He was not exactly sure what that meant.
But it probably included not walking into the dining room screaming that he had a girlfriend.
Subaru would do that.
Which was precisely why Link should not.
Rem had woken up first.
Of course.
When Link arrived in the dining room, he found her placing the final cups on the table. She wore her usual uniform, her hair arranged beneath her maid's headdress, and such a professional expression that, for one instant, she managed to make the previous night seem impossible.
Then she looked up.
Saw him.
And smiled.
Not the polite smile she used when receiving orders.
Not the small curve that appeared when Link said something tolerable.
A private smile.
Knowing.
His.
Link stopped in the doorway.
Rem tilted her head slightly.
—Good morning, Link.
—Good morning.
They remained looking at each other.
Ram sat beside the window.
She held a cup between her hands and watched them over the rim with the patience of someone who had already understood the situation and was merely waiting for the people involved to reach the same conclusion.
—The gardener is blocking the entrance —she said.
Link reacted.
—Right. Sorry.
He entered.
Rem finished serving.
When she walked past him, her fingers brushed the back of his hand.
Barely any contact.
Deliberate.
Link almost knocked over a chair.
He caught it before it fell.
Ram drank her tea.
—A promising beginning.
—The chair was badly placed.
—Naturally.
Rem continued toward the kitchen.
The movement of her skirt looked exactly the same as always.
Link watched until she disappeared.
—Gardener.
—What?
—Ram hopes you at least remember to blink when there are guests.
Link sat down.
—I don't know what you're talking about.
—Neither does Ram. It must be another coincidence.
Subaru walked in yawning.
His hair was in a state that made Link's look disciplined.
—Good morning, residents of the mansion. Another glorious dawn in which we remain alive, my muscles remain offended, and—
He saw Link's face.
Stopped.
Then looked at Ram.
Then toward the kitchen.
Rem was returning with a tray.
Subaru observed her expression.
Looked back at Link.
His eyes widened.
—No.
Link hardened his expression.
—Sit down.
—No.
—Subaru.
—No!
Emilia walked in behind him.
—Why are you yelling so early?
—Because something happened!
Rem set down the tray.
—Subaru should sit down.
—Not until someone confirms what I'm thinking!
Beatrice appeared through a side door.
—Betty would prefer that nobody confirm anything while Barusu maintains that volume, I suppose.
Roswaal was the last to arrive.
He took his place at the head of the table with a tranquil smile.
—It seems breakfast already has entertainment.
Link looked at Rem.
She held his gaze.
They had agreed to tell everyone together.
They had not decided who would start.
Subaru pointed alternately at both of them.
—You have the face of a happy idiot. She's smiling without Ram doing anything. You both disappeared for part of the night. Don't tell me—
—Rem and Link are a couple —Rem said.
Silence.
Link looked at her.
—That was direct.
—Link was taking too long.
Subaru inhaled.
Link stood before he could shout.
—No.
—BROTHER!
—Lower your voice.
Subaru went around the table and hugged him.
Link tried pushing him away.
—Let go.
—You did it!
—It wasn't a mission!
—You survived Elsa, curses, Wolgarms, and three days of housework to reach Rem's route!
The room fell silent again.
Subaru stopped talking.
He had used a strange expression.
Link looked at him.
So did Ram.
—A romantic route —Subaru corrected—. Like in novels.
—Barusu should learn to breathe before speaking —Ram said.
—Yeah. That.
Emilia approached Rem.
—Really?
Rem nodded.
Emilia took both of her hands.
—I'm so happy for you!
Rem's smile became more visible.
—Thank you, Emilia-sama.
Puck had not manifested yet. It was still too early for his usual active period, but Emilia already looked as though she were saving the news to tell him the moment he appeared.
Beatrice took a seat.
—Predictable, I suppose.
Link pointed at her.
—You weren't that sure.
—Betty was certain the blue maid would eventually make a questionable decision. The only thing left was discovering which one.
—That was offensive to both of us.
—Efficiency.
Roswaal rested his face against one hand.
—A relationship inside my residence.
Link watched him suspiciously.
—Don't make that smile.
—This is my usual smile.
—That's the problem.
Ram set down her cup.
—Ram has a question.
Rem turned toward her.
—Yes, Nee-sama?
—When did it happen?
—Last night.
—Where?
Link answered before Rem.
—In the garden.
—I see.
Ram looked through the window toward the open grounds.
—Ram expected the gardener to produce another crater. Instead, he produced a relationship.
—That almost sounds positive.
—It was not.
Rem approached her sister.
—Nee-sama...
Ram raised one hand.
—Ram does not object.
Rem blinked.
So did Link.
Subaru stopped grinning like a lunatic long enough to listen.
Ram looked at Link.
—The gardener possesses numerous flaws.
—Thanks.
—He is noisy, destructive, proud, incapable of accepting limits, and possesses a childish fascination with objects that are on fire.
—We already knew all that.
—Ram has not finished.
Link closed his mouth.
—But when Rem decided to remain beside him, he waited. When she spoke, he listened. And when he could have turned his feelings into yet another debt for Rem to carry, he chose not to.
Link's expression changed.
Ram looked back at her sister.
—Rem has chosen. Ram will respect that choice so long as the gardener respects it as well.
Rem's blue eye became slightly wet.
—Thank you, Nee-sama.
—However...
Link knew it was coming.
Ram picked up her cup again.
—Ram hopes not to become an aunt before the Royal Selection is over.
Link choked on air.
Subaru slammed the table.
Emilia turned completely red.
Beatrice closed her eyes as though wishing to depart that plane of existence.
Rem tilted her head.
—Rem also considers it prudent to wait.
—DON'T ANSWER LIKE THAT! —Link and Subaru shouted simultaneously.
Roswaal burst out laughing.
Ram drank her tea.
—The oni population has declined. Ram is merely considering the future needs of the species.
Link covered his face.
—We haven't even been together for a day.
—Precisely. It is better to establish expectations before the gardener attempts to improvise.
—I would not improvise something like that.
Ram raised an eyebrow.
—Link improvises explosions.
—THOSE ARE NOT COMPARABLE!
Rem placed a cup in front of Link.
As she leaned down, her lips approached his ear.
—Rem agrees that waiting would be best.
Link felt his face ignite.
She withdrew with impeccable composure.
Her skirt moved slightly more than necessary.
Only once.
Link followed the motion with his eyes.
Ram snapped her fingers in front of him.
—Breakfast.
—I hate you.
—Ram survives.
The first difficulty of having a girlfriend was not kissing her.
It was behaving normally in front of other people after having kissed her.
Link discovered that while working in the garden.
Rem had returned to her duties.
So had he.
Nothing required them to spend the entire morning together. The mansion still needed food, cleaning, supplies, and a ridiculous number of small decisions. The fact that Rem was now his girlfriend did not reduce any of her responsibilities.
Even so, Link seemed incapable of going more than ten minutes without listening for her footsteps.
At first, he pretended he was checking the grounds.
Then he pretended to be searching for tools.
Eventually, he simply accepted that he was waiting to see her pass by one of the windows.
Luci floated near the flowers.
—Don't say anything.
The sphere blinked.
—I'm not distracted.
Another flash.
Link placed a new plant into a hole.
Covered it.
Looked at it.
It was the third time he had planted the same species in the wrong place.
He removed it.
—I'm adapting.
Luci approached his face.
—You don't have a girlfriend. You wouldn't understand.
The sphere turned blue.
—Rem isn't your girlfriend.
Luci spun indignantly.
—She's my girlfriend.
The small light flew away.
Link followed her.
—Don't get jealous.
Her answer was a sudden acceleration toward the mansion.
—I was joking!
Luci disappeared through a window.
Link sighed.
—Perfect. First family conflict.
—It is impressive that it took until after breakfast.
Link turned.
Rem stood behind him.
She carried an empty basket over one arm.
—Did you hear all of that?
—From the part where Link explained that Luci does not understand romance.
—That was a reasonable observation.
—Luci seems to disagree.
—Where is she?
—With Emilia-sama.
—Betrayal.
Rem approached.
Link set down the tool.
For several seconds, both of them seemed to forget what they were supposed to be doing.
—Hi —he said.
—Hello.
—We already greeted each other.
—Yes.
—I didn't know what to say.
Rem smiled.
—Link usually speaks even when he does not know what to say.
—Everyone is using that against me today.
She put down the basket.
—Rem came for the herbs for lunch.
—They're over there.
Link pointed.
Rem did not move.
—Was that the only reason?
—Yes.
Silence.
—Then why did you put the basket down?
Rem looked at the container on the ground.
—There was no need to keep holding it.
—Right.
Link took a step closer.
Rem remained still.
—Can I kiss you?
She glanced toward the windows.
—We're working.
—That wasn't a no.
—Nor was it a yes.
—Ambiguity is cruel.
Rem raised a hand and adjusted his shirt collar.
Her fingers brushed his skin.
Link stopped breathing properly.
—It was crooked —she said.
—Is it fixed now?
—Yes.
—And how long has it been fixed?
—Several seconds.
—Then you're abusing your duties.
Her hand remained there.
—Rem does not consider fixing her boyfriend an abuse.
—That sentence has too many possible interpretations.
She looked up.
Link lowered his face.
The kiss was brief.
Shorter than the ones from the previous night.
In full daylight, it felt different.
More real.
Also much more dangerous, because now there were windows, hallways, and an older sister with the supernatural ability to appear at the least convenient moment.
Rem stepped away.
Link was smiling.
—We could do that again.
—Rem needs the herbs.
—I'll cut them.
—Link was planting.
—The plant can wait.
—That is what Link said about every task during his third day.
The strike was precise.
Link picked up his tool.
—Go get your herbs.
Rem picked up her basket.
Before leaving, she passed beside him and pressed her chest against his arm.
It was not an accident.
The pressure lasted barely an instant.
Enough.
Link looked down.
Then at her.
Rem kept walking.
—Was that necessary?
She glanced back over her shoulder.
—The path is narrow.
The path was wide enough for a carriage.
—Liar.
Rem smiled.
Walked away.
The movement of her hips was only slightly more pronounced than usual.
Link watched.
A gust of wind struck the back of his neck.
Ram was sitting at a first-floor window with a book resting across her lap.
—The plant —she said.
Link turned back toward the hole.
—You can't watch me all the time.
—Ram believes Rem deserves at least one week before the gardener becomes completely useless.
—I'm still useful.
He planted it again.
Ram looked at the species.
—Wrong place.
Link removed it.
Beatrice found Link after lunch.
She did not have to search for long.
The spirit opened a door in front of him as he crossed the corridor and emerged carrying her thick book beneath one arm.
—You have unfinished homework, I suppose.
Link stopped.
—Today is a special day.
—Letters do not respect relationships.
—That was surprisingly profound.
—Sit.
The Forbidden Library appeared behind Beatrice.
Link looked at the door.
Then down the corridor.
Rem was at the far end, organizing clean laundry.
He raised one finger.
—One hour.
Beatrice grabbed his sleeve.
—Two.
—Beatrice!
The door closed.
The lesson began with a confession.
Not the romantic one.
Beatrice already knew.
—I tested the circuit —Link said.
The little spirit placed her book on the table.
—Betty knows.
—How?
—The charcoal left mana on the board. Also, you are incapable of concealing satisfaction for more than three minutes.
—It worked.
—It produced a spark.
—Light.
—A spark.
—The instruction was light.
—The output was disappointment.
Link sat down.
Beatrice opened the book to a page covered in diagrams.
—Today, you will learn why dividing an output reduces stability.
Link's eyes lit up.
—Dividing?
—Do not get excited.
—I'm not—
—You are imagining firing from multiple points.
Link placed both hands on the table.
—Can I?
—Yes.
—How many?
—It depends.
—Five?
—Yes.
—Ten?
Beatrice stared at him.
Link spread both hands.
—Ten fingers.
—You already possess ten fingers. Betty knows how to count.
—Each finger as an output.
—Theoretically.
—What if the source is the same?
—The path must distribute the mana evenly. If one output receives too much, it overloads. If it receives too little, it fails.
Link stared at his hands.
—I could alternate between them.
—Yes.
—One at a time.
—Yes.
—Or sequentially.
—Yes.
—Like—
Beatrice struck the table.
—Not like a weapon.
—I didn't say that.
—You do not need to.
Luci was present in one corner, still somewhat offended but interested enough to move closer.
Beatrice drew a simple structure on a sheet of paper.
One central circle.
Five paths.
Five outputs.
—You will send a minimal amount —she ordered—. Light only. Each finger will illuminate in turn.
Link placed his right hand down.
Breathed.
Directed the mana.
His thumb glowed.
Then his index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Five small, warm, reddish lights.
Link smiled.
—That's pretty good.
—It is an exercise for children.
—Children have good ideas.
—Turn them off.
Link did.
—Now both hands.
—Ten?
—That is what having two hands means, yes.
Link placed both down.
The first sequence worked.
The second failed at the left ring finger.
The third ended with two fingers illuminated simultaneously.
On the fourth, all ten lit up.
They were not burning.
They did not produce enough heat to cause injury.
Only ten small points of light.
Link moved his hands through the dimness of the Library.
Ten trails remained suspended for a second before fading.
—Words —he said.
Beatrice looked up.
—What?
—I can write with light.
—You can attempt to write. Those are different things.
Link drew a line.
Then another.
The traces of mana remained in the air for a moment.
He formed a Lugunican character.
It came out crooked.
Beatrice stared at it.
—That says "radish."
—It says "Rem."
—It says "radish."
—The intention was Rem.
—Intent does not correct spelling.
Link tried again.
Worse.
Luci approached the line and stabilized it with her glow.
The trace lasted longer.
—She can maintain it —Link said.
—Luci can stabilize a small amount of mana for several seconds.
—Then I can write.
—You do not know how to write.
—That's a separate problem.
Beatrice understood where his mind was going far too late.
—You will not use this at night.
—Why specifically at night?
—Because you just imagined it.
—Only light.
—And fire.
—I didn't mention fire.
—Your fingers increased in temperature when you thought of it.
Link extinguished his hands.
—I could make signals.
—Under supervision.
—Decorations.
—Under supervision.
—A small demonstration.
—Under supervision.
—Something romantic.
Beatrice fell silent.
Link took advantage.
—Rem agreed to be my girlfriend.
—Betty knows. The entire mansion knows. Barusu made certain the birds in the forest probably know too.
—I could make something for her.
—Flowers.
—She already has flowers.
—Food.
—I cook all the time.
—Read a book.
—I want her to like it.
Beatrice narrowed her eyes.
—Then do not use magic.
—That was cruel.
—It was prudent.
Link looked at his fingers.
Glowing tips.
Independent paths.
Divided outputs.
An idea began to form.
Not an Explosion.
Something much smaller.
Controlled.
Pretty.
Beatrice closed the book.
—No.
—I didn't say anything.
—You never need to.
Link found Subaru in the rear courtyard.
He was practicing characters on a board under Ram's distant supervision. The maid sat in the shade, turning pages and correcting him without raising her voice.
—I need advice —Link said.
Subaru put down his pen.
—Romantic?
Ram looked up.
Link lowered his voice.
—Yes.
Subaru immediately stood.
—Brother. You've come to the right man.
—No.
—Then why did you come to me?
—Because you're the only other person from Earth.
—Which makes me the right man by default.
Ram struck the board with a gust of wind.
—Barusu has not finished the line.
—I'll finish it afterward.
—Now.
Subaru sat down.
Link grabbed a nearby chair.
—What are you supposed to do on the first day?
—As a couple?
—Yeah.
Subaru rested his chin on one hand.
—Talk. Walk together. Eat something. Give her a little gift.
—We talked.
—Good.
—We walked.
—Excellent.
—I gave her two horns.
Subaru stopped thinking.
Ram turned a page.
—That sentence requires too much context even for Barusu.
—It was symbolic.
—I hope so.
Link continued:
—I want to do something tonight.
Subaru narrowed his eyes.
—What kind of something?
—Small.
—I don't trust that word when it comes from you.
—A light display.
—Only light?
—Mostly.
—No.
—You don't even know what it is.
—I heard "mostly."
—It won't be an Explosion.
—How many times did you think about Explosion while planning it?
Link remained silent.
—No —Subaru repeated.
—It'll be pretty.
—Flowers.
—Beatrice said the same thing.
—Because it's sensible.
—I want something personal.
Subaru looked toward Rem, visible through a kitchen window.
—Then write her name.
Link slowly smiled.
Subaru realized.
—Not with fire.
—You didn't say that at first.
—Link.
—Glowing letters. Maybe a heart.
—Small.
—Small.
—No crater.
—No crater.
—Don't wake up Arlam.
—Probably.
Subaru pointed at his face.
—That word just voided the agreement.
Ram closed the book.
—What is the gardener planning?
Both looked at her.
—Nothing —they said together.
Ram held their gazes.
—Ram will ask again after the incident.
The afternoon passed with suspicious tranquility.
Link worked.
Ate.
Practiced finger movements without magic.
Tried writing Rem's name in the air.
First in his own alphabet.
Then in Lugunican characters.
The former had the advantage that nobody could correct him.
The latter had the advantage that Rem could actually read them.
He decided to use both.
He also prepared simple words.
Rem.
Beautiful.
I love you.
The final sentence was dangerous for orthographic reasons. One badly drawn letter could transform a romantic declaration into an observation about vegetables.
Petra could have helped.
But explaining to a twelve-year-old girl that he needed handwriting lessons so he could write fiery messages to his girlfriend seemed like a poor decision.
Subaru offered to help.
His handwriting was not much better.
Ram refused to participate in "atmospheric vandalism."
Eventually, Link copied the words from a note Rem had written and practiced until he could reproduce them without looking.
During dinner, he acted normally.
Too normally.
Rem watched him several times.
Link smiled at his plate.
Subaru avoided looking at him.
Ram watched both of them.
—They are hiding something —she said.
—No —they answered together.
—Very convincing.
Rem placed more food on Link's plate.
—Does Link have plans for tonight?
—Sleep.
Luci turned red.
Rem looked at the spirit.
Then Link.
—Flexible rest plans.
—Magic?
—Possibly luminous.
Rem sighed.
—Beatrice-sama prohibited it.
—She prohibited doing it without supervision.
—Who will supervise?
Link looked toward Subaru.
Subaru shook his head.
Link looked back at Rem.
—My girlfriend.
She lowered the ladle.
—Rem is not qualified to supervise magical mechanisms.
—There are no mechanisms.
Beatrice looked up from her seat.
—Then it will be worse, I suppose.
Link ate faster.
—Don't worry.
Ram looked toward the sky through the window.
—Ram will begin worrying in approximately two hours.
Night fell clear.
There were no clouds.
The wind was gentle.
Stars covered the sky with a clarity that still surprised Link even after several nights in Lugunica.
He waited until dinner ended.
Until Beatrice returned to the Library.
Until Puck withdrew.
Until Roswaal disappeared into his office.
He did not wait for Rem to go to sleep.
He found her arranging the last utensils in the kitchen.
—Can you come with me?
Rem looked up.
—Where?
—The courtyard.
—Why?
—Surprise.
—Is there a risk of fire?
—Minimal.
She put down the cloth.
—That does not reassure Rem.
—Then consider it a risk of illumination.
Rem studied his expression.
Link did not look like he was hiding a catastrophe.
He looked like a child trying not to reveal a gift.
—Very well.
They went outside.
Luci accompanied them.
Subaru pretended not to follow from an unconvincing distance.
Emilia followed him out of curiosity.
Ram came after them because she already knew both men.
Beatrice opened a door beside the exterior corridor and remained there with her arms crossed.
Roswaal appeared at an upper window.
Link noticed none of them.
Only Rem.
He guided her to the center of the garden.
—Stay here.
—Link...
—Trust me.
Rem looked at his hands.
—That depends on what your fingers do.
—Nothing bad.
He stepped five paces away.
Extended his right hand toward the sky.
His index finger lit up.
A red spark shot upward.
Rose only a few meters.
Stopped.
Burst with a small pop.
A red flower, no larger than a parasol, opened over the garden.
It lasted one second.
Disappeared.
Rem lifted her face.
Link watched her reaction.
—Did you like it?
—Yes.
The answer was sincere.
Enough to destroy any possibility of moderation.
—I have more.
His middle finger launched a golden spark.
His ring finger, blue.
His pinky produced a small crown of white dots.
Each rose a little higher.
Each burst with a soft sound.
Rem was smiling.
Link raised his other hand.
Two fingers fired simultaneously.
The lights crossed.
Red and blue.
They opened into two flowers that blended at the center.
Luci ascended, circled the remnants, and kept several sparks suspended.
Link moved his index finger.
Drew a glowing line.
Another.
Then a curve.
Letters appeared over the garden.
REM
They did not belong to Lugunica's alphabet.
They were straight, strange, and bright.
Rem tilted her head.
—What does it say?
—Your name. In the letters from my homeland.
The word remained for several seconds.
Then dissolved into golden points.
Rem placed one hand over her chest.
Link started another.
This time, he used the characters he had practiced.
The first letter came out tilted.
The second was too large.
The third nearly merged into the previous one.
Even so, it was readable.
Rem.
She laughed.
—Your handwriting is still bad.
—I wrote it in fire in the air.
—That does not make it correct.
—You don't respect artistic effort.
Link launched another spark.
A heart appeared.
One side was larger than the other.
—That is crooked too —Rem said.
—It's anatomically realistic.
Subaru burst out laughing from the corridor.
Link turned.
—How long have you all been there?
—From the beginning —Emilia answered.
—It was supposed to be private!
Beatrice pointed toward the lights.
—Then perhaps you should not have written across the sky, I suppose.
Ram leaned against a pillar.
—Ram considers it difficult to hide something that shines above the roof.
Roswaal applauded from the window.
Link looked at Rem.
—We can stop.
She watched the final sparks.
—No.
Link blinked.
—No?
—Rem wants to see another.
The sentence sealed his fate.
—Of course.
He raised both hands.
Two rockets shot from his index fingers.
Then two more.
Red.
Blue.
Gold.
White.
They exploded above the roof.
Emilia clapped.
Subaru shouted excitedly.
Beatrice frowned but did not order him to stop.
Yet.
Link alternated his fingers.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Every fingertip functioned like a tiny launcher. The sparks rose in different arcs before opening.
A flower.
A star.
A spiral.
A shape that was supposed to be a dragon and ended up looking like a worm with a fever.
—That one was difficult —Link said.
—It was horrible —Beatrice replied.
—The next one will be better.
—There should not be a next one.
Link had already fired it.
The worm was replaced by a slightly more recognizable winged creature.
Subaru pointed.
—It looked like a Charizard!
—Exactly!
—What is a Charizard? —Emilia asked.
—An evolution —Link said.
—Do not ask —Ram added.
Link rotated both wrists.
Five lights shot from each hand in sequence.
The sky filled with small trails.
A dozen bursts illuminated the mansion's facade.
The Wolgarms raised their heads inside their enclosure.
One howled.
Link answered with another volley.
—This is beautiful —Subaru said.
—This is no longer small —Emilia observed.
—There's still no crater —Link replied.
Beatrice stepped forward.
—Reduce the frequency.
—I am reducing it.
He launched eight instead of ten.
—That does not count, I suppose.
Rem remained beside him.
The lights changed across her face.
Red.
Blue.
Gold.
Link looked at her.
Instead of firing upward, he traced words.
I LOVE YOU
The phrase appeared enormous.
Far too enormous.
It occupied a good portion of the sky above the courtyard.
Rem's eye widened.
Subaru made a strangled noise.
Emilia covered her mouth.
Ram closed her eyes.
—The population of Arlam will know the news before sunrise.
Link lowered his hands.
—Maybe that was too much.
Rem took one of them.
—It was beautiful.
Link looked at her.
—Yeah?
—Yes.
The luminous words began fading.
Link smiled.
Then looked at his fingers.
He still had plenty of mana.
The night was perfect.
The air was clear.
He had learned to control ten outputs.
And everyone was watching.
—One more.
Beatrice immediately spoke:
—No.
Link fired.
Five rockets rose.
Exploded into concentric circles.
—That was the last one —he said.
Then he noticed he could fit others into the spaces.
He launched six.
—Now I'm done.
One spark lagged behind.
He compensated with another.
Then another to preserve the symmetry.
The sky received fifteen consecutive explosions.
The windows rattled.
Several birds fled the trees.
The Wolgarms began pacing in circles.
—Link —Rem said.
—I'm almost done.
Two fingers fired to the left.
Two more to the right.
The sparks formed fans.
—You do not seem to be finishing —Emilia observed.
Link spun around.
Every finger launched a spark as it passed.
Ten trails rose around the garden.
They exploded almost simultaneously.
Night disappeared for an instant.
The mansion was bathed in white light.
Subaru raised both arms.
—ANOTHER!
—DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM! —Beatrice shouted.
Link heard only the first voice.
Ten more rockets.
Then more.
His fingers no longer rested.
Right index finger.
Left pinky.
Right ring finger.
Both thumbs.
Every movement produced a whistle.
The sky began filling before the previous lights could disappear.
Red flowers over golden crowns.
Blue spirals between white stars.
Trails crossing above the roof.
One word appeared only to be covered by another shape before fully fading.
REM.
A heart.
BEAUTIFUL.
A flame-shaped figure.
Another heart.
MY GIRLFRIEND.
—Link! —Rem protested, completely red.
—It's important information!
He launched two more lines to underline it.
Subaru was doubled over laughing.
Emilia had begun covering her ears.
Beatrice raised a small barrier in front of herself to block the noise.
Roswaal was no longer at the window.
Link did not notice when he had disappeared.
The sound grew.
They were no longer little pops.
Each volley contained slightly more mana than the one before. Not enough to create real danger, but enough to produce hard bursts of sound that traveled across the grounds.
The magical stones along the paths seemed dim beneath so much light.
The sky barely regained its darkness between one volley and the next.
—I'm finding the right rhythm! —Link said.
—THAT IS THE PROBLEM! —Beatrice answered.
Link planted his feet apart.
Raised both hands.
All ten fingers glowed simultaneously.
—Finale.
Rem looked at him.
—Link...
—The actual finale.
Luci hid behind her.
Link inhaled.
Mana traveled down his arms.
Ten rockets launched.
Not together.
In a sequence so fast they looked like one fragmented stream.
They rose.
Separated.
Exploded.
Each released five smaller lights.
Fifty flowers covered the sky.
Red.
Blue.
Orange.
White.
Gold.
The mansion, garden, trees, and even the Wolgarm enclosure were illuminated as though daylight had returned in a violent, chaotic form.
The thunder came afterward.
The windows shook.
The animals howled.
Far in the distance, lights appeared inside several houses in Arlam.
Link stared at the sky.
His eyes were wide like a child's.
A massive smile covered his face.
—Look at that.
Rem was looking too.
It was beautiful.
Excessive.
Loud.
Completely unnecessary.
Entirely his.
—Link —she said as she moved closer—. I think that's already—
A new whistle interrupted her.
Link had fired another series.
—That one went off by itself!
Beatrice pointed at his hands.
—YOUR FINGERS DO NOT ACT ON THEIR OWN, I SUPPOSE!
—MUSCLE REFLEX!
Another ten rockets ascended.
Ram disappeared from the corridor.
Link did not notice.
He was preparing a new figure.
Something large.
Maybe a rose.
Maybe two horns surrounding Rem's name.
He needed more altitude.
He brought both hands together.
Spread his fingers.
Mana gathered.
—This one really is the last.
A solid blow landed on his head.
The wooden pole used to raise the clotheslines snapped in two.
One half went spinning across the grass.
The other remained in Ram's hand.
Link stopped channeling.
The final cluster of sparks died between his fingers.
He remained still.
—Ow —he said.
Ram dropped the broken piece.
—The object was of good quality.
Link brought both hands to his head.
—You hit me!
—And you broke another tool.
—You broke it!
Ram grabbed him by the ear.
—Inside.
—Ram!
She began dragging him toward the mansion.
Link's heels left two lines across the ground.
—I can walk!
—Ram does not trust you to use your feet to approach the house instead of turning back toward the sky.
—Rem, help!
Rem approached.
Link extended one hand toward her.
—Tell her to let go.
Rem looked at the final lights disappearing.
Then at the sky, still filled with glowing smoke.
Then at the illuminated windows of Arlam in the distance.
—It was beautiful —she said.
Link smiled victoriously.
Ram continued dragging him.
—See?
Rem finished:
—At first.
His smile disappeared.
—At first?
—Before the sky stopped having dark areas.
—I was perfecting the composition.
—The Wolgarms believe the end of the world has arrived —Beatrice said.
Subaru appeared beside Link while Ram continued dragging him.
—Worth it.
Ram looked at him.
Subaru stepped backward.
—Although discipline is important too.
Emilia approached Rem.
—Are you happy?
Rem looked at Link.
He was still protesting.
Trying to negotiate the continued possession of his ears.
Ram was dragging him with one hand.
Beatrice followed behind them, listing new prohibitions.
Luci floated above Rem's head, still glowing with the colors of the final explosions.
—Yes —she answered.
Then she walked after her boyfriend.
Before entering, Link managed to turn his head.
—Rem.
—Yes?
—Did you like the words?
She approached closely enough that Ram had to stop.
Rem took Link's face between both hands and kissed his cheek.
—Very much.
His protest died.
Link went completely still.
Ram observed the blank expression that appeared on his face.
—Excellent.
She pulled his ear again.
—Now Ram can transport him without resistance.
Link was dragged inside wearing a stupid smile.
Rem followed them.
Outside, the smoke began to disperse.
The night slowly reclaimed its darkness.
Only one shape remained above the mansion for several more seconds.
One final word, written crookedly and held in place by Luci before she too went inside.
REM.
The handwriting was terrible.
She understood it anyway.