Back in the village, the shimmering portal opened once again, and both Luna and Lulu immediately turned to look at it with barely contained anticipation.
Luca stepped out.
His face was absolutely radiant—grinning from ear to ear, eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement, practically vibrating with energy.
And the moment he saw Luna, he rushed toward her like a man who hadn't seen her in years and bent down, scooping her up in a crushing embrace.
"LUNA! LUNA! LUNA!"
He spun her around, then pulled back just enough to look at her face.
"You're an absolute gem! An absolute treasure! A goddess among mortals!"
He started kissing her all over—her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, the top of her head—pressing rapid, enthusiastic smooches like a golden retriever greeting its owner after a long day.
"This is all because of you! It's because you brought those test results over and brought up that topic that I figured everything out!"
