Galina did not leave tonight either, but she stayed downstairs with Tifa and the others, leaving the upper floor to Shade and Luvia.
It was already very late, so there were no other family activities tonight. Shade prepared a delicious late-night snack for the cat that had saved his life today and let it sleep beside his pillow.
When the midnight bell rang, Shade, embracing Luvia, unsurprisingly saw that ruined home in his dream again.
Meeting only after using the Black Time Key was a rule Long-Haired Luvia had set for herself, to prevent the contamination carried by her soul from affecting Shade. In truth, however, they could meet whenever they wished.
The Long-haired Girl was still waiting for Shade beneath the dim yellow sky on the rooftop. Once Shade sat down and embraced her, she smiled as she spoke:
"Don't worry. That Mermaid won't do anything like this again."
"So it really was you who acted while I was down in the lake?"
"Shade, wasn't that why you left the Yggdrasil Staff with me? But I didn't use my power. It was Little Mia. Don't ask about it; there are some things I can't answer right now."
She held him affectionately.
"That Mermaid represents the purest concept of 'Desire.' You gradually came to trust it, and even felt that it was not so bad. That wasn't your fault. No living being with a soul and Wisdom can escape its influence.
"But this will only happen once. In the future, you can speak with it or work with it without worry."
"Little Mia is that powerful?"
"Why can't it be that I'm this powerful?"
The Girl with Purple Eyes spoke as though acting spoiled. Shade kissed her, and Luvia was quite pleased by that.
"I have dealt with Desire before,