'Cygnus Leapt' is a dramatic story about a relationship, one that was lives in the difficult balance between the fear of uncertainty and the desire for reckless abandon, and is cut short by fate. The relationship between the two main characters, Erin and Cygnus, really delves into a dynamic where both persons want the relationship, but one wants more commitment while the other is struggling to keep up. It's a surprisingly mature depiction of how difficult it is to make relationships work, especially when both sides have issues that they're dealing with. The titular twist being that it's cut short, not by either person doing something wrong, but by bad luck and a car accident. The plot device of there being a magical object that can project the last week of memories of the deceased, really only serves for the reader to understand both view points. It's a touching moment, since it allows Erin to work through his grief and learn how Cygnus felt, but it makes me wonder if there could've be other ways for Erin to find out about it or to get that kind of viewpoint to the reader. In such a grounded and realistic story, having a plot device like that feels a bit too much of a magic bullet solution. The art is beautifully done, from the sprites, the dancing scenes, and the intimate lovemaking. Visual novels that deal with the death of a loved one always are going to hit 'right in the feels', but I was more drawn in by the ups and downs of the relationship than the grief of it ending prematurely. This might just be my expected desire for happy endings, but I feel like the relationship deserved to reach a better conclusion, either one where it ended or flourished on their terms (one idea that has all the pieces there is a potential of Erin seeing Kosta being a better partner for Cygnus than he). Still, the story as is deserves all the high praise for how well it was written and put together.