Swaying wineglasses, a decadent ball.
What had begun as Nome simply digesting the Potion within him had turned into intoxication with the experience itself. For several days straight, he had followed Shanlin into a haze of drunken pleasure.
Shanlin was like a seductive fox, always keeping him dangling at the last moment, leaving Nome itching with desire.
On the third night.
They finished another dance. Compared to the refined, gentle classical dancing in the main hall, the heavy metal rock here was far more exhausting. Panting, they went over to a booth to rest.
After catching his breath, Nome said, "Shanlin, I think I've fallen in love with this feeling."
Shanlin smiled sweetly. "Me too."
Just then, the ballroom's lights and music suddenly went out, and darkness swallowed all the clamor.
Click!
A dazzling spotlight abruptly came on. Nome knelt on one knee, holding a bouquet. "I love you."
Shanlin shot to her feet, her eyes shining. Her lips parted, but not a word came out.
"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!" People began cheering, even louder and more enthusiastically than the heavy metal music.
"Are you willing to accept me as I am?" Shanlin asked.
Nome glanced around and declared loudly, "Why wouldn't I? I love you. I'm willing to accept everything about you. Your past, your present, your future-I'll love you through it all."
But in the middle of his heartfelt confession, Nome failed to notice that quite a few people present were watching him with strange looks.
For the first twenty years of his life, he had been bound by rules. Shanlin had shown him a different kind of splendor.
Rebellion, madness, unrestrained self-expression.
Kissing and embracing, they left the ball amid the crowd's cheers.
Nome took Shanlin up to the rooftop.
Beneath the star-studded sky, they nestled against each