My Servant Is An Elf Knight From Another World-Chapter 882 The Birthday Star, Part 2

The giant bird began to take flight.

In light trails of burning gold, gliding slowly, magnificently, with its deep crimson colors. The shrill whistle of fireworks still soaring, like its sonorous call, its signature song, piercing through the night that it almost entirely encompasses.

Suffice it to say, it was a pretty big fucking bird, alright. Everyone knows that bigger always means better, and who'd say no to Ria in giant form?

That's sarcasm, I feel I should mention, just in case.

I don't actually think the world can handle a level of snark large enough to engulf a portion of the stratosphere. I'm pretty sure that's how you create a black hole or something.

That being said, all things considered, what filled the nightly view here, the lustrous twinkle and sparkle of dozens of makeshift feathers, the dive and soar of wings majestic and grand... what a sight to behold she was, indeed.

Not even Irene, the jaded realist herself, could do much to hide the awe on her face. She certainly did try her best - but the eyes don't lie, and hers were entirely fixated, glazed with a glimmer, to the phoenix's display.

"So this was your personal request?" I asked, too entranced to look away. "You, but bigger?"

"Pretty much," Ria said.

"Why?"

"Why not?" She said, a beaming smile in the corner of my eye. "It's my birthday. Figured I might as well get something dedicated to me."

Turns out, we weren't the only captivated audience here. From the festivities in the distance, the distinct sound of cheering and clapping traveled far and wide with a lot of heads slanted directly upwards into the sky.

Once again, Ria smiled. But it wasn't her usual cheeky smirk, different somehow. The cheering resounded even louder as a line of fireworks exploded like embers, and that was when I noticed why - she didn't find their applause just amusing, but also gratifying.

Almost endearing.

"You hear that there?" Ria remarked, catching my gaze. "It really does almost seem as if they're celebrating me, doesn't it? Could almost pretend and believe that they really are."

I thought back to everything I'd heard throughout the night, to that young, bright little bird soaring her little wings, flying so free, and that small child, wearing that same smile I was seeing now, and only wearing it, believing she was loved.

But she wasn't.

She never was.

'Why New Year's?' I remembered asking her. 'Why not?' I remembered her saying. And that was where we left it - for my part, simply chalking it off as Ria being Ria.

Quirky, whimsical...

Now I know it was anything but whimsical.

The only day of the year when the world celebrated in unison, cheering and celebrating for all sorts of reasons.

The only day of the year when Ria could almost pretend that she really was...

"Hey, Riri~" I blinked, and Ria was suddenly standing shoulder-to-shoulder, leaning against and practically tipping Irene all the way to one side. "Got nothing to say? Speechless? Or are you struggling to come up with some compliments for me? That's okay, take your time."

Irene didn't seem to mind the skinship. If anything, she looked slightly distracted - bearing the signs of being deeply lost in thought, much like I was a moment ago.

"This isn't the surprise, is it?" She finally said after a while. "Otherwise, I don't see the need for you dragging us all the way here just for a light show."

Ria stared in unfazed merriment. "Implying that this isn't good enough to warrant being a surprise?"

And Irene gazed back at her with a look that was all too knowing. "Not for you, anyway."

"Ah, clever - that's clever. You got me all figured out, don't you, my dearie Riri?" she cooed and gushed, pinching her cheek and earning a rightful scowl for her cheek. "In any case, you're right. This is just one-half of it... and the other half just ain't complete without you."

"How so?"

"Tonight isn't just only all about me, you know? Maybe a good percentage of it is, but there are other things too, including you. It's like I said earlier - happy birthday one hour, goodbye the next. And every minute we're inching closer and closer towards the latter. And it'll be over my dead body if this second chance to say goodbye ends on a note forgotten by the next morning. I want to remember what happens here tonight, and I want to do it with you."

For the next couple of seconds, it was a silent, heavy rush of mixed emotions. That I could tell... after all that Irene's said she has felt... hearing all of this, a sincere display of love and affection from the one person she believed didn't harbor any at all... it's got to have her shook, second-guessing, doubting... maybe believing...

Irene sighed. "What are you proposing we do?"

"What you've always loved to do," Ria answered back. "Your most favorite thing in the whole wide world. For old times' sake, you know?"

She just looked confused, her lips in a frown, and her brows scrunched. Then, from afar, cheers erupted again, as the phoenix above swooped below in a graceful plunge before careening back up amongst the stars.

"Oh," Irene muttered softly, realization leaving in a breathless breath. "No, Ria, we can't - "

"Don't tell me you've already outgrown it, that'd be bullshit," Ria chided playfully. "Take it from old, ancient me - there's not a soul in the universe that outgrows soaring across the skies."

"You know that's not it. People will see - "

"And I know that's not it either," Ria retorted, rolling her eyes. "Like you care what people will see. Who the hell sees what they actually see drunk and celebrating? So what is it? Rather not fly with me or something?"

She didn't answer. Not a yes, not a no, stuck in a hard place between doubts and desires.

"Yeah, why not?" I said, deciding to step in and try wriggling her free. "No reason not to."

Irene stared straight at me, her eyes gleaming brightly with what she couldn't say. And once again, I saw the same troubled look plaguing her all this time, still holding her back.

The fear of being lied to. The fear of being loved.

If this grand lovely gesture was just another lie, then...

"Riri," Ria grabbed her hand, squeezing it tight. "I just want to spend this time with you, alright? This one last moment I have with you. That's all."

They met eye-to-eye, mere inches in-between, Irene quite literally facing her fears in the burning glow of scarlet.

"Won't you let me?"

And once again, there was nothing about her that gave her away, nothing of her feelings, nothing of her decision. Nothing that is, but her eyes.

The eyes never lie.

Slowly, Irene squeezed her hand right back.

"Alright..."