Marinette gasped, and sat up. She was in her bed. She groped at the blanket, foggy memories washing over her. What did she remember? She remembered her wish. She remembered...

"Nooroo!" she called, glancing around wildly, before finding the two miraculous scattered at the foot of her bed. The peacock and butterfly brooch both sat in front of her. She stared at them, before gasping with the sudden memory of the Great Guardian. "I should bring these to him, shouldn't I?" she asked softly, staring. But something still felt off... The goddess said Marinette would lose a loved one, hadn't she? So, who was it? That was important, Marinette decided and would be her first order of business.

She got out her phone and called Alya, holding her breath.

"Hey!" answered Alya, eventually.

Marinette sighed in relief, "oh, thank goodness, you're alive, Alya!"

"Alya? There is only Lady WiFi! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Lady WiFi? How did you come back?" she asked, holding her phone tight.

Alya chuckled. "I'm just kidding, girl. Your reaction was priceless!"

Marinette sighed. "I'm serious, Alya, that's not cool... I'm really worried, but I'll call you in a bit.

Gabriel Agreste woke in his bed, by the side his beautiful wife. He gasped and looked at her, stunned. "Y-you're back..."

Her eyes widened, and she stared at him, before smiling, "I am, aren't I?"

He chuckled, and they embraced tightly.

Ms. Agreste quickly went back to sleep. Gabriel, however, went to his secret safe, to find none of the miraculous were there. He frowned, staring, before closing the door.

Marinette headed downstairs and smiled upon seeing her parents. "Mom, dad!"

Her mom smiled. "Hello, dear! You seem awfully happy today!"

The teen nodded. "Yeah, I, uh, I figured things out..."

"That's wonderful!" Sabine smiled at her daughter. But one thing was off.

The bluenette glanced around one more time. "Where's... Where's dad?"

"He just went over to deliver a cake at the Agreste's place," she explained with a smile.

Marinette let out a relieved sigh. "That's good... Oh, right, Adrien!" she gasped, before bolting down the stairs.

"Marinette, dear, are you alright?" asked Sabine, frowning.

The girl quickly nodded. "I, uh, have to check something..." She ran out the door and began the long run to the place.

When she got to the gate, she found her father carrying a massive cake. Marinette gasped. "Dad, that's a really big cake... What's it for, exactly?"

"Gabriel Agreste's wife just came back from her yearlong trip around the world, actually. Can you be a dear and get the doorbell? I would, but my hands are kinda full..." he asked with a smile.

Marinette nodded and rang the bell. When the camera popped out of its secret hiding space, the girl waved. "We have your cake!" she proclaimed with a smile.

Over the speaker, Natalie said, "of course. I'll open the gate for you."

But the bluenette was impatient. She couldn't wait... She needed to see for herself. "Bye-bye, dad!" she exclaimed, before running off, the gate opening behind her.

She ducked into a dark, empty alleyway and slipped on the butterfly brooch. "Nooroo... Dark wings, rise!" she muttered and transformed in seconds.

She flew above the world, and flew to the back of the Agreste Residence, peeking in Adrien's window, the one she had hoped through so many times before as Ladybug. She desperately searched for him, for that blond hair and those green eyes... "No, no, no, he can't be gone..." she muttered, staring at the bedroom, looking for even an inkling, just a hair to show he was still here. She opened the window and hopped into the room, before peeking into the bathroom.

"Adrien...?" she asked, waiting for his casual "yeah?". But it never came. And that's when the dread really settled in.

The cake arrived, and it was beautiful. Triple layer, with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The icing was perfect. Gabriel smiled at the beautiful thing, and then at his wife, by his side once more. He glanced at his assistant. "Natalie? Go wake up Adrien, he needs to share on this joyous occasion!" Gabriel told her, with a kind smile.

The woman nodded. "Of course, Mr. Agreste," she said and went off to rouse the boy.

They sat the cake down in the dining room and began to cut into it, carefully preserving the structural integrity. Five plates. One for Gabriel, one for Ms. Agreste, one for Adrien, one for Natalie, and one for the gorilla.

The happy couple sat down and began to eat, smiling and sharing stories.

Natalie rushed into the room. "Adrien is missing!" she exclaimed.

Gabriel's eyes widened. "No," he muttered, the realization hitting hard. Everything tuned out around him. He heard Ms. Agreste shout something, and Natalie say something back, before rushing out. It was all a blur - and the sweet taste of the cake inside his mouth had suddenly turned bittersweet.

It was happening all over again.