Rumble, rumble, rumble… The castle groans. "[scared]Pazu…!" Sheeta's hand squeezed Pazu's arm tightly. "[serious]It's okay, don't let go!" Pazu squeezed Sheeta's hand back. But with a girl's slender fingers, there was barely any strength in it. Frustrating. On the wall of the throne room, ancient letters glowed with a pale blue light. The emergency shutdown spell. But one passage was too old—they couldn't read it. The air was growing thinner. Hard to breathe. "[angry]Damn it! Why can't I read this?!" Pazu slammed a fist against the wall. "[cold]It's pointless. Give it up already." Muska spoke in a cold voice. "[shouted]Shut up! Like hell I'm giving up!!" —Just then. Creeeak… In the corner of the throne room. A small stone door quietly opened. "[surprised]…Huh?" Everyone's eyes gathered there. What emerged from inside was a white robot. A flower headdress on its head. Round blue eyes glowing softly. Wearing a floral-patterned apron, carrying a silver tray in its hands. With every step, it made a charming clinking sound. "[gentle]Now, now, everyone. Please don't make such frightening faces." "[surprised]Wh-Who are you?!" "[surprised]A robot…?" "[laughing]Gahahaha! What the heck is that! A floral apron!" "[cold]…A garden maintenance robot soldier, is it." Lili set the tray down before everyone. On it were seven small, beautiful baked sweets. The sweet fragrance of Laputa's flowers wafted gently through the air. "[gentle]I am Maid Robo Lili. For our first guests in 700 years, I have baked some sweets." "[surprised]S-Seven hundred years?!" "[gentle]Come now, everyone. Please, help yourselves—it will calm your nerves." Lili said this with a smile. "[scared]N-No… this really isn't the time for…" "[whispers]But, it smells so good…" "[whispers]Just a little, one bite…" The three of them reached out, entranced. "[angry]Hey! You idiot sons! This is no time to be eating that stuff!!" Dola raised a fist. But, the next moment. "[surprised]…Hm?" Dola, too, had unconsciously popped a sweet into their mouth. "[shocked]…Huh." Everyone had eaten one. —Several minutes later. "[whispers]…Pazu, you know…" Sheeta came close to Pazu's side. "[surprised]Wh-What is it, Sheeta." "[laughing]…You were this cute all along." Sheeta's face was bright red. Her emerald eyes were glistening. "[excited]I love you!!" "[shocked]Bwuh—?!" Pazu couldn't even make a sound. His ears turned bright red as he backed into the wall. "[excited]Hey, Muska!!" Dola grabbed Muska's shoulder with a thick arm. "[shocked]Wh-What is it?!" "[laughing]You've really got a great body! Let's talk the night away until morning!!" "[scared]L-Let go of me!! I have no such intentions—" Muska retreated all the way to the wall. Their face was redder than anyone had ever seen. "[crying]Big sister!!" "[crying]Big brother!!" "[crying]Which one's the big sister and which one's the big brotherrrr!!" The three clung to each other, wailing loudly. "[shouted]Shut up!! You're pathetic!!" Dola brought a fist down. But this time, they were laughing. The throne room was in utter chaos. —But. "[gentle]…Everyone seems to be having such a good time. I'm so glad." Only Lili was smiling. "[surprised]…Huh?" Sheeta snapped back to her senses. "[worried]Lili… These sweets, what's in…" "[gentle]Yes. I made them with Laputa's flower nectar and levistone powder. They are a medicine for the heart." "[shocked]…Side effects?" "[gentle]They make you want to speak your strongest feelings aloud." "[shocked]Wh-…" Everyone froze. "[cold]…Y-You wretch…!" Muska's voice trembled. "[gentle]I do apologize." Lili bowed deeply. "[gentle]But, 700 years ago, King Teoru said: 'Leave behind sweets that draw out the true feelings words cannot reach.'" "[surprised]…Huh?" "[gentle]This clash of true feelings is the true purpose of the trial of empathy. Only those who have laid themselves bare to one another can open the next door." Silence fell over everyone. The confession panic. This chaos. It was all orchestrated. But it wasn't a trap—it was a mechanism for healing. "[whispers]…Pazu." Sheeta, her face still red, looked at Pazu. "[whispers]…Um, what I said earlier. I meant it." "[surprised]…!" Pazu's heart pounded. "[trembling]…Me too." His voice shook. "[trembling]I've always wanted to protect you, Sheeta. But now—I want to stand beside you." Tears welled up in Sheeta's eyes. "[crying]…Okay." She gave a small nod. Between the two of them, a warmth deeper than ever before was born. "[laughing]Alright! That's enough lovey-dovey stuff!" Dola clapped their thick hands together. "[serious]…We're running out of time. Let's decipher the password." Muska spoke from the edge of the wall. Their face was still red, but their voice had returned to its usual coldness. "[gentle]Ah, the password, yes." Lili pulled a single stone tablet from their apron pocket. "[gentle]Here is a memo, handwritten by King Teoru himself." "[surprised]What?!" Everyone gathered around Lili. On the stone, this was written: *'The password is not the spell. It is words of feeling for someone precious—it lies within each of your hearts.'* "[whispers]…It might be a song." Sheeta murmured. "[gentle]The song in the Laputan language my grandmother taught me… it looked a little like the letters on that wall." "[surprised]…!" Pazu, too, gasped. "[surprised]My father… whenever he talked about the sky, he always repeated the same words." Was that the Laputan language? "[surprised]The passage on the wall we couldn't read—" "[excited]It's a song, or words of address!!" Lili nodded gently. "[gentle]Now, everyone. The next door will open with your voices." The ancient letters on the wall began to glow brighter than before. Waiting. For everyone's true words.