[The Final Hours...]
Crow now stood in front of a large white door that seemed to be made of wood with a pink handle.
He was dressed in an all-white suit, with a pink tuxedo and a pink corsage in hand.
He couldn't help but murmur to himself as his fingers gently caressed the pink petals in his hand, "Is this really a game?"
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Finally, he heard a voice from the other side of the door, "O-okay, ready."
A smile spread across Crow's face as he opened the door.
"Woah..." was all he could let out.
Before him was a grand ballroom, with glistening chandeliers that hung overhead and a dance floor that looked like it could host the most regal of guests.
Within the center of this ballroom was the star of the show, wearing an elegant dress.
Lóa's dress was white, of course, and made of what looked to be a satin material with a leg parting on her left leg, giving a mature yet elegant aura.
The upper front of the dress was encrusted with pink jewels, with her shoulders bare, emphasizing her slim frame.
Crow could only stare before a voice snapped him out of his daze, "Wh- why aren't you saying anything, i-is it ugly?"
Crow quickly walked forward, "Nononono, it, I-"
The boy felt his heart slamming against his chest.
His face and neck felt like they were on fire as he slowly approached, "You look really..."
Time seemed to slow down as the 2 stood arms' length from each other.
"You look beautiful," the boy spoke with a smile.
The girl's pale face blushed as she looked down while holding her hands; within it was a pink boutonniere.
"I know you said this was a tradition where you came from, exchanging these sorts of things." Loa nearly whispered as she came forward and began to fumble around with her hands on Crow's jacket, before finally securing the boutonniere onto the suit.
"Yup, and you said it's tradition to do these balls, so let's call it a cultural exchange", Crow responded with a grin as he slipped the corsage over the girl's hand.
"A special gift for a special person," he spoke with a smile, to which Lóa looked down as she blushed.
The boy took a step back and gave an overexaggerated bow, "Now, shall we?"
The girl covered her mouth with her hand as she chuckled, "Well, of course, Sir Crow. It would be my honor."
To which Loa slowly stepped forward and reached out, with Crow taking her hand as they slowly began to dance in silence.
As the pair danced on, Lóa would sometimes stumble or Crow would sometimes be off pace, yet the pair continued to encourage each other, and throughout that night, the lonesome pair danced to the drums of their beating hearts.
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[Some Time Later...]
The pair was sitting side by side on the floor of the ballroom.
All the walls and roof had been removed from the room, allowing the rustling wind and shining white sun to soothingly caress the pair.
Their hands side by side, only a few centimeters away.
The 2 had been talking about their lives, and Crow learned a bit as they talked, including that Lóa had to say she was granted her power by the Goddess, whoever that was, and that she was the daughter of a pretty important family in the city.
However, Lóa revealed to him what she claimed to be her deepest secret, that her powers actually didn't come from the Goddess, to which Crow responded, "Oh, cool."
Seeing that the boy had no idea what she was talking about, the pair moved on to another subject.
Lóa spoke up, "I know you've wanted to ask multiple times by now, huh?"
Crow was silent as he looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
"I can't..."
The girl let out a sigh as she gazed down at the floor, cuddling her knees into her chest.
"I can't see anything."
Crow looked at the girl, observing her milk colored eyes as she narrated.
"Only in this world can I really 'see', and even then it's not really sight like everyone else has. It's like everything is part of me. Like I can have a clear idea of its shape and structure."
Crow was taken aback for a bit before he asked, "Then the fields, how did you make it all the way out from the town?"
A light smile stayed on the girl's face as she stared ahead at the setting white sun in the pastel pink sky, "In the real world... It's like I have an invisible bubble around me. Anything within it I'm aware of, but... I can't really see."
Crow's mouth opened in shock, thinking back to how Lóa knew where he was despite hiding.
The girl continued, "My eyes have been like this since I can remember, and the only colors I know are pink and white.
She reached her hand out, causing a pink flower with a white stem to blossom in front of her,
"Since the things of this world are off what I know..."
The girl put her arms behind her as she slightly leaned back, "...I am my world, and my world is me."
Crow nodded his head as he processed everything he heard.
Lóa's voice called out again, to which he looked to see her milky white eyes gazing at him with a smile, a soft trace of pink within them, "Thank you for letting me share this with you, Crow. Being a blind girl, my future isn't very bright, but it's nice to have moments like this."
Crow returned the smile, "Of course!" The boy stood up whilst balling his fist, "And don't say that! I'm gonna get stronger and level up, and I'm sure I'll find a cure for your blindness, and then we'll have a mansion like this in the real world!"
He silently mused to himself, 'Damn, that was kinda corny. Did I just tell an NPC I was gonna marry her?'
Loa's porcelain eyes sparkled as she smiled at the boy across from her, "You're quite the interesting boy, Crow."
"Hmm?" Crow raised his eyebrow.
"You're not like others I've met in the city, if anything, you're more like those Blessed my parents described. Maybe you're my hero in shining armor."
Crow's eyes slightly widened at this as he responded, "Heh, must be a coincidence." his mind raced as shock surged through his heart, 'Damn, she's perceptive.'
Finally, the girl turned her face away as she spoke, blush rushing up the side of her neck, "Crow, I know this may be a lot to ask since we just met, but…"
Crow's alarms were blaring as he sat back down next to her, 'What is she boutta ask?'
His mind didn't want to wander, but being a young boy, it was hard, 'Damn did that shop owner pack breath mints, does this grass work as a contraceptive, is my-'
"When we get back... C-Can you close your eyes?" The girl finally managed to squeeze out.
Crow's eyes widened before creasing to show a smile, "Sure."
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A few moments later, the world began to melt away like washed away paint, dripping down until the pair found themselves where they were before, with all colors returning to as they were.
The sky had returned to its deep orange tint, and Lòa's small hand was still within Crow's.
The girl, feeling this, blushed as she hurriedly pulled away, "S-stay here, I'm going to go over there in the tall grass so I know you're not peeking."
Crow could only chuckle to himself as he squinted his eyes, pretending to close them as he watched Lóa crawl up ahead, further dirtying her white dress.
Her back was facing him, as if she knew he would peek, and she seemed to be fidgeting with something in front of her.
Finally, after about 5 minutes, she spoke up, "Okay--I'm ready."
To that, Crow fully opened his eyes.
She eyed him carefully, "You better not have been peeking."
Crow put up both hands in defense and replied sarcastically, "I would never."
"Hmmph." Lóa pouted before putting on a smile and holding her hands behind her back.
"I-I just want to say thank you."
"Hmm?" Crow raised an eyebrow.
Lóa continued, "I know to you I may seem like just another spoiled brat who's had everything handed to them, but I can hardly see anyone."
The girl's voice started to tremble as she looked at the ground, "My parents are always busy, my guards don't really care about taking care of some useless blind girl who was pitied by the Goddess, and you're… the 1 person my age I've actually talked to."
Her face lifted as her milky white eyes met his onyx gaze, "And not just trying to cater favor with my parents through me."
She then snuggled forward onto her knees and sat upright, slowly revealing the item behind her back.
The distance between the 2 was now less than an arm's length apart.
"H-here." The girl slowly revealed the item behind her back.
A white flower resembling a rose, with a variety of multicolored herbs making up the stems, was revealed.
TWEEEEE-
Lóa slowly extended her right hand holding the flower, a smile on the girl's face as her soft voice spoke, "Crow, thank you for being my…"
The girl's face blushed a warm pink, "My 1st Frie-"
Her eyes then widened as she leapt up, pushing Crow back.
-KKKKK
Blood splattered through the air.
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