A sound that hummed regularly from the dream horizon dragged me out of my heavy slumber slowly, with each iteration, the sound got louder and louder until I managed to identify the tone of my wake-up alarm, bringing me to consciousness a second time that same morning.

“Ugh...”

I took the phone from the small table near the bed and with my half-closed eyes thanks to the intensity of the light coming from the screen, I managed to turn off the annoying sound once and for all. For a moment I was about to make a similar mistake to the one I had committed the… previous? Morning, by postponing it; this time I definitely canceled the alarm so I wouldn’t be sleeping another fifteen extra minutes.

Suddenly, a jumble of memories invaded my mind, causing me to sit bolt upright on the bed, staring at the floor with the characteristic drowsiness of having gone to bed so late the night before.

As the tiredness dissipated, I looked away from the floor, the cold that had been waiting for me all morning until now, attacked me as soon as I got out from under the thick sheets, now scattered all over the bed; I started to shiver.

Shaking my head a few times, all the memories were organized in a way that allowed me to analyze the current situation.

—If you were going to restart the day, you could at least take away the tiredness of just waking u- wait...

A few moments ago, I had not realized it thanks to how sleepy I was... but now that I am somewhat more aware of my surroundings, I realized that perfectly.

“She can’t be serious...”

And I think that if she were listening to me right now, she would laugh out loud and say something like ‘oh, of course I’m serious~.’

An elegant suit of the highest quality was replacing what should be my dark blue pajamas, the same suit that Monica bought for me in that boutique... and the same suit that I was wearing in front of the school before she restarted the day.

Almost unconsciously I let out a sigh just thinking about everything that will probably happen today.

“Anyway... this is already happening.”

Without further ado, I shook my head once more and slapped myself on both cheeks, squeezing my face with both of my hands.

“Let’s do this!”

After all, this is what it takes to be with a person like her, and despite being a bit of a grueling routine at times… I also think it’s a lovely part of her.

***

Let’s overlook what I’ve just said.

This woman is really pushing my weak points in the right order to piss me off.

“Miss Monica... it’s time to wake up, if you keep sleeping, we won’t be able to get to school on time.”

And of course, although what I wanted was to pour a bucket of icy water on her and yell at her ‘damn, Monica! Wake up already!’, for some reason, when I thought about going to fill a bucket with ice cubes and water, my legs instead moved into her room and I began saying polite words as if I was her butler.

Obviously, I’m not so stupid as not to realize already what is happening; she bought this suit to control my actions so that I would become her butler… or something like that, I guess. Spending quality time with the always nice Monica has made me get used to these kinds of situations at pretty high speed… which scares me a bit.

“Five... more minutes... Danny...”

“Excuse me but I cannot condone such behavior, lady Monica.”

That can be translated as ‘you know… It’s your fault you’re sleepy, so, move that perfect and statuesque ass of yours from there before I kick it off.’ Somewhat violent, yes, but not that I’m really upset… well, maybe yes, but just a little.

Also… lady? What the hell? Still, there’s something I can’t complain about… and is that this refined language is quite interesting, I don’t usually speak like that but I think I like the way it sounds to use these words.

As I was thinking about that, my legs moved on their own and placing one knee on the edge of her bed, I leaned closer to her… beautiful sleeping face with pink hair scattered here and there. After using both hands to push the thick hair out of my way, I leaned in a little more until our lips met.

The scent of her distinctive perfume as well as her own body scent, both of which mingled in her rather comfortable-looking bed, entered my nose as I thought of nothing beyond how good she smells. For half a minute I was immobile in that position, without even taking my tongue out of my own mouth; a kiss without malice, a pure one with the sole intention of motivating Monica to wake up.

After exactly thirty seconds I changed my position and stood next to the pink padded bed, watching the girl as she twisted slightly between the world of sleep and consciousness.

“W-wow... that was unexpected, even to me…” She said, lifting her body and sitting up on the mattress with a certain characteristic elegance while touching her lips softly with the index and middle fingers from her right hand.

It was?

“I am delighted to hear that you found it gratifying, lady Monica.”

I could understand what this was all about, yes, I know perfectly well… but even if in my mind I would do that, even if I cannot resist and I just want to give all of my love to her, to have done it so frankly was too embarrassing. Anyway, it seems that shame wasn’t part of the guide of things a butler can’t do, since I was able to partially cover my face with one hand... it feels hot...

Although... seriously... calling her ‘lady Monica’ is a bit excessive in my opinion.

“Well, now you must be wondering… what did lady Monica do to me now? Ufufufu… well…”

“Actually... Mo... ahem, lady Monica” and like if my own brain ignored my efforts to be free, I keep adding the ‘lady’ at the beginning. “I already guessed what is happening, well, the truth is that I already figured it out.”

Commonly that would be a ‘yup, I know you possessed my body or something, like a WITCH.’

But… what if I use chivalrous words on my own? That is…

“My body is being intervened… partially. Yes, that cleared my doubts… ah… it feels good to be able to speak on my own.”

“I’m pretty sure it is! Hahaha.”

Now that was clear, if I choose the right words, I can say what I think, more than what she imposes on me.

“Still, there is something you don’t know; I will explain the rules of today’s game.”

I stared at her almost without blinking, we have already reached the part that concerns me the most.

“Throughout today you will be acting as my servant, let’s say this is a role-play in which I am a girl from a rich family and I took you with me after finding you, abandoned in an alley… in the middle of a terrible storm… then, I offer you my own umbrella, from so on, you serve me with your life... or something like that, what do you think?”

“Did lady Monica just come up with that premise?”

Well, I feel like I’ve seen that setup before in a novel or manga… probably.

“Mm… however, that happened when we were children and we have grown up together… up to this point.”

And the feeling that I’ve seen that story somewhere else just keeps growing.

“I see…”

“Anyway, the point is that you will serve me all the day long, you will have to act as my servant, I took away your capability of being rude towards me. Also... if, in my opinion, there have been more times that my control over you has done that you treat me courteously than those where you have done it that way... I’ll extend the game one more day.”

“I-I get it...”

As always, her game, suddenly, escalated dangerously.

“And so on until the day when, again, in my opinion, you have been gentle enough with me.”

“…Can I ask something?” I raised my hand before speaking, just in case.

“Go ahead.” She nodded.

“Will we go to school like this?”

“Of course we will! Darling, it would be too easy for you... and boring for me, to play this game just between the two of us, wouldn’t it?”

If just moments ago it had escalated from zero to one hundred with the ‘approval’ factor, this time it went up from one hundred to one thousand with the ‘public execution’ factor. Seeing my dignity at stake, I had to put up with the urge to yell something indecent, instead, I swallowed my words and began to sweat nervously.

“I-I understand... l-l-lady Monica.”

“But fear not little one, as soon as the game is over, the whole world will disremember that they saw you under such extremely disconcerting conditions…” She paused for a moment, making a strange pout with her mouth. “I think you infected me with all the sophisticated speech... anyway, there is an extra detail: if we have to repeat the game, everyone’s memory will be preserved... so the shame will accumulate until you finish it.”

I don’t know why I feel that Monica is getting crueler each day… of course she has done worse things than this, yes, but for some reason I end up enjoying those things.

ALTHOUGH I DOUBT THAT I WILL ENJOY BEING SUBJECTED TO PUBLIC DERISION.

...Or will I end up drooling at her feet as she leads me on the leash down the street?

I got goosebumps at the idea, hopefully I won’t reach that point.

“You were thinking about dirty things huh…? Mmmm?” Using her usual invasive protocol, she brought her head closer with every ‘huh’ that left her mouth.

“Shu...! I-I don’t think so, lady Monica.”

I almost end up telling her to shut up… one more day like this? I won’t be able to bear it, I definitely have to win this game today… so tomorrow I’ll have my revenge, after all, she’s just throwing fuel into the flame.

“Ah... and I almost forgot one last thing” as she was about to walk out the door, Monica seemed to remember something and turned, walking towards me with her dirty and typical malicious smile. “Obviously, I will take away your size throughout the day, isn’t that lovely?”

Before I could reply, she touched my forehead with her left index finger. It didn’t take long for me to realize that she shrunk me to her same size… which was significant, considering she would be doing it all day long.

Apparently, this is going to be a pretty rough day...

“But before that…”

For a moment, her face became gentle and friendly, leaving to a side all of that false malice of hers as she looked at me with some concern before giving me a hug that surprised me.

“A-are you okay with all that? Am I overdoing it?”

...I almost laughed when I heard the reason behind her concern... she’s Monica, after all.

“It’s fine, don’t be silly... although I’m not sure about the part where my classmates see me like this but I think it’s fine since it’s part of one of your fabricated realities, am I right?”

I forgot to speak formally... but the words came out as fluently as they always do... honestly, this girl...

But she didn’t answer, I only felt a faint affirmative movement coming from her head as I gently patted her fragile back, so fragile that for some reason I wanted to hold her in my hands for a long time.

“I know it’s time to go to school, but… how about we stay like this for a while?” I unconsciously closed my eyes… I felt a little sleepy.

I managed to surprise myself with my own behavior… but no, it wasn’t my mouth betraying me thanks to her powers, I genuinely felt that way, just wanting to hold her for a while.

“…Are you sure?”

“Of course, silly.”

“Okay…”

“With the list of disadvantages and advantages that you brought along with the package of being my girlfriend… I suppose one of them is that given these situations, you can stop the time.”

“Boo… the way that sound is quite rude.”

For a moment I felt unstable since the floor at my feet disappeared, and it was replaced with void; when I opened my eyes to check my surroundings... we were in the middle of nowhere, of...

“Stars?”

“Isn’t that great?”

I couldn’t help sighing.

“For some reason I think I’m becoming more and more attached to you. You’re not manipulating me, are you?”

“Hey! That’s cruel!”

“Of course it is! Hahaha.”

“Pfft…”

We both started laughing at the same time, I can’t believe we’re laughing at something as dumb as this.

But still…

Our laughter slowly faded into silence amid the starry landscape until it disappeared completely… being replaced by the quiet sound of our breaths.

“...I guess this time I couldn’t keep up the act... damn, the costume I bought you is useless now... anyway, I think you can have it… and since it’s quite elegant I don’t think I won’t ask you to do an exclusive cosplay session for me in the future.”

“Uh? Are you not going to continue the macabre game you prepared for today?”

She sighed looking tired, but in the tone of voice that proceeded to that sigh moments later, I caught an ‘are you serious?’ mood.

“Do you really think I feel like being an evil dom after you did this? Duuh, you completely crushed the atmosphere.”

“Aaahahaha...”

For some reason I felt I should apologize, even though she’s the only one who should apologize anyway for coming up with such a hideous role-play.

“Do you know how many hours I spent planning it?”

“Well, as horrible as the background sounded, I’ll give you an hour... and I’m being generous.”

“You… you don’t hold back with me at all….”

“Monica, you are... oh my… Monica, you are omnipotent and... in fact! I should stop saying ‘oh my god’ when surprised and change it to “oh my Monica.”

“Nghhh... don’t do that please, it feels pretty awkward.”

“Do you think it’s fair for me to hold back around you when you literally have the universe in the palm of your hand?”

As soon as I finished saying that, I felt her hug become much stronger… firmer… it felt exactly like if she didn’t want to let me go.

“Something wrong?” I asked her.

“I just…”

“Hey! Look!”

The moment the firmament turned into a shower of stars, I ended up interrupting what she was about to say almost instantly.

We both ended our hug while floating in the middle of nothing, still holding our hands and looking in the same direction.

“How beautiful…”

It was Monica’s voice that spoke while I gaped at numerous shooting stars flying through the ‘sky’ that surrounded us from every direction, she simply smiled and spoke once more.

“Do… do you remember?” She said, timidly.

...

...

...

“But... how could I forget it? Monica... of course I remember.”

“Huh...?”

“Your beautiful face, always bathed in melancholic tears full of regret.”

“No…”

“Full of helplessness.”

“You…”

“Let me forgive you Monica... let go of my hand, please.”

“I can’t… I can’t do that… d-don’t ask me to do something impossible!”

“Have you forgotten?”

“That is…”

“That… promise.”

“…”

…

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl, a beautiful girl filled with shining potential, a potential so beautiful and so great that it was able to bring her ruin by itself.

“Stop…”

Her tears did not stop flowing, until one day the pain apparently left, the cause?

“No... I won’t...”

Was it compassion? Tenderness? Maybe not even her was aware of it. Still, inside of her, even inside a being as injured and tragically beautiful as her… something special blossomed, something genuine and sweet… and at the same time, deleterious.

“Don’t do it… stop... stop now, please!”

…Below a shooting star, she sealed a promise with the purpose of healing the insane pain growing inside of her, a promise that she knew she would never fulfill. Everything because of the origin of the beautiful thorny flower that took root in her heart, in a permanently wounded heart that had reached the sky, the stars and infinity itself.

“You are... so... cruel...”

Those thorns never let her heart rest, however... something different, maybe... something cruel had already claimed her heart before the beauty that flooded her insides turned into a sea of r03;r03;perennial venom.

“Despite... despite everything...”

With tears in her eyes, the girl who had lived through countless springs...

“... She... never gave up...”

And she kept going…

“And she kept going…”

Incessantly…

“Incessantly…”

And she continued walking...

“And he continued walking…”

She persisted ...

“She persisted...”

And remained constant...

“And rem... remained constant...”

She insisted...

“She… in…insisted…”

And persevered... until she failed at the only task she had...

“And per... per...”

Until inside of her...

“Sev... severed...”

There was only pain...

“Until... until she… fa...”

Sorrow…

“...”

And a hollow reminder of a promise she forgot in her own heart.

“...”

The same promise that manifested as a penance that would last just for that girl... and who took over her interior before the sea of r03;r03;thorns became insurmountable.

That is why only when she cried…

“...”

…That hollow reminder...

“That’s enough...”

…Was filled with something…

“Shut up…”

Since the only thing that could fill it were her bitter tears, tears that could never reach someone else.

“That’s all.”

***

“How beautiful…”

It was Monica’s voice that spoke while I gaped at numerous shooting stars flying through the ‘sky’ that surrounded us from every direction, she simply smiled silently.

Perhaps out of fear of letting go of her and getting lost in the void of space, I squeezed her hand tougher than before, of course, considering my own strength so as not to hurt her.

“I want us to grow up together, Monica...”

"Yeah…”

“I want to be with you for a long time.”

“Why don’t you say forever instead”? She looked away from the shiny show to take a look at me with a lightly pissed expression.

“Well… ‘forever’ sounds kind of scary… and since I know you enough…”

“Are you implying that you wouldn’t spend an eternity with me!?”

“E-eternity sounds even worse!”

“Oh... you’re right...”

“No way... pfft...”

And so, our laughter was sheltered by the seemingly incessant void that stretched out to the stars once more.

***

Once upon a time, in a land abandoned by memories, many meters underground, there was a girl named Monica.

That very young girl had a unique gift; the gift of a prodigious intelligence never seen before.

But despite her fortunate initial circumstances, the world didn’t want to be nice to a privileged girl… instead.

The world was cruel.

Atrocious.

And maybe, if there is still something higher than the girl who was over the stars and existence itself, maybe if there is someone or something much higher dictating what that girl does and thinks... maybe her soul still can be saved.

Because even in the darkest of hearts, despite being an incomprehensible soul for the girl who can understand everything...

There is still mercy for a spirit that seeks rest... and another one that desperately looks for compassion.

Forgiveness for not being able to keep a promise she never planned to accomplish.

Chapter 16: The horrid prospect of a laughable tragedy that goes hand in hand with this funny vision of a pathetic comedy.