Darkness.

Oh, no!

A limitless abyss with no hope of escape.

I recognize this place—!

"I love you," was uttered in Subaru's ear canal.

He whirled with a yell. "You—!"

"And I'm making you suffer."

Subaru wished he hadn't noticed the dampness tracing her soft features. "Yeah. No kidding." Three years' worth of lifetimes flashed before his eyes.

"I love you. But you're suffering because of me."

The lurch in her voice allowed Subaru to shake himself free of anger—he could never forget the kindness Satella granted back in Sanctuary. And that wasn't including the fate he himself had chosen because of her Authority. "It's not like you're the one forcing me down this path. I do this to myself, mostly. You don't."

"But I do. You're suffering for it." The darkness encompassing her cloaked form softened, somehow. It hadn't changed; dark was dark, after all. And yet, it's as though it finally reflected the witch's true nature. "I love you."

"I don't understand."

"The people in your life, those whose love I allowed you to know," said Satella, "they notice your pain and are helpless to do anything to stop it." A fist balled tight against her chest. "But I can. I should. Because, I love you, too, just as I empathize with the pain of watching you suffer as a bystander... However," Satella added with a feeble smile, "they have the power to mend your wounded heart, just as I do. I only need to allow it, just one final time. I love you, Subaru. I love you more than anything."

A slight terror still gripped Subaru, as it always had in the presence of the Witch of Envy. Yet, suddenly, without provocation, a tautness within his breast untangled on its own. Made it easier to breathe than it ever had in the years living within Lagunica. "What'd you—?"

"I love you." A smile pushed against the enclosure of Satella's tears. "I hope you can sleep more easily after this."

And Subaru Natsuki awakened in bed, Emilia and Beatrice's worried faces flanking him above from either side.

"You've never bawled like that in your sleep before!" Beatrice cried, a fact from the lack of "I suppose."

His other hand was squeezed even tighter than the Beako-clasped one. "Yes. Subaru, um," Emilia hesitated, biting her lip before rejoining his gaze, "were you just dreaming about… your friends back home? From before you came to Lagunica?"

"Err, in a manner of speaking, Mili." It had to be fate that they found the courage to bring this up now of all times, having always been considerate of Subaru's oh-so-terrible trauma, being unable to recollect finer details. Such as those "friends" being Otto, Rem, Petra just to name a few. "Um, hey, about that…"

Beatrice cocked a brow. "Yes?" She was squeezing his hand really tight.

"Subaru, don't force yourself," said Emilia. She sounded too much like Satella had moments ago.

Satella, who apparently gifted yet another blessing. A blessing too good to be true, not to mention possible. "Um, I can… I-I can…" If his heart was squeezed, he could just backpedal like always. "I can… I mean, I've been able to…"

"Yes?"

"Go on."

"I can… Return by Death."

Out of Love