That night, the portal grew a little bigger.
Not enough for a leprechaun to cross, not yet, but enough to reveal several human places at once, as if the whole world were trying to send a message.
Pipette was the first to approach it.
On the screen, a street appeared, adorned with large wooden arches illuminated by small candles. Each window seemed to bear a star.
— “Is it… German?” she murmured.
Rudolf gently inclined his head.
— “Erzgebirge. Where humans sculpt light in wood.”
The image then slid to another setting:
a pretty Belgian square, lit with an orange glow.
Children were leaving their shoes in front of a door, a sign that Saint Nicholas's visit had taken place.
The air still seemed warm with speculoos and tangerines.
Pipette sighed, moved.
— “Oh… it smells like the sweetness of the day before yesterday.”
Ludo watched the scene, his eyes shining.
— “It’s as if human magic is speaking to us.”
Then, a third image appeared in the halo:
a Parisian balcony decorated with fine garlands, a white star hanging in front of a window, and on the railing, a twisted bonnet was drying delicately in the winter sun.
Groubelin gave a small smile.
— “Paris… even their hats have elegance.”
The three images remained suspended in the light for a moment.
Rudolf gazed at them for a long time.
— “Three countries. Three lights. Three traditions.”
Humans prepare for Christmas in their own way… but they share the same expectation.
Then, a common thread appeared.
A thread as light as a glimmer, which passed through the three images, connected them, then disappeared immediately.
Pipette brought a hand to her mouth.
She understood.
— “The thread of the bonnet… it circulates in their traditions.
He passed through their light… through their celebrations… through their hands… »
Ludo took a deep breath.
— “To find Santa’s hat, we must follow the light of humans.”
The gate vibrated with a light, almost imperceptible breath.
The quest had just broadened.
She had just become European.