“Aaaaand done!”

“Oh! Did you finish your cake, Yumiko?” My manager peeked her heard around the corner into the kitchen. She was wearing an apron over one of those fancy business suits, with little buttons up the front and a matching skirt. Her hair was perfectly styled too, which I guess happens when your sister is a world famous hair stylist.

“Yup! Fully decorated and everything, I daresay it’s my masterpiece.”

I had been working on this cake for almost two days now; I felt like there wasn’t much left to do but eat it myself... But noooooo, my manager told me she wanted to keep it on display as a memento.

“How long has it been since you first started working at this cafe, Yumiko?” My manager asked.

I took my apron off and tied it around my waist. “Well, I started working here when I was 14 and I’m 18 now, so 4 years.” I took my hair tie out, letting my pony tail fall loose. “But I’ve been coming here since I was just a little girl.”

My manager smiled. “I remember being so excited to see you walk in every day with your parents. You were always so cute...and your beautiful silver hair has stayed just the same.”

I blushed a bit. “Thank you...”

The truth is, when my family moved to this neighborhood back then, they didn’t have any friends or relatives nearby. On top of that, talking to the other kids at school was difficult because I was from a different country, so I was pretty lonely. If not for my mom and dad taking me here every day after school, I probably would’ve gone crazy. My parents were killed by a Sálarkista 4 years ago. The rest of my family is on the other side of the world, so my manager was the one who took me in. As payment, I work for her, but even then, nothing will repay the debt I owe her.

My manager sat down at one of the empty tables and rested her chin in her palm. “Y’know, you are really leaving me in a tough position by going away to school. Where on Earth am I gonna find someone as good as you?!”

I laughed. “Ahaha, don’t worry about it.” I paused to take a look around the place. “You already found some great new employees, so it’ll be fine.”

She pouted. “Oh, please! They can barely handle their duties half the time. I know how hard I worked to train them up to this point, and now they won’t even try anymore... No wonder everyone else thinks I’m a complete pushover!” She sighed and turned her head towards the entryway, looking out the big window left of the door. “What school was is that you were going to again?”

“I’m going to try to get into Arkphis.”

“Oh yeah.” She said. “That’s the Gift school right? Is your Gift good enough? I know you had it since May, but you’ve never shown me what it does.”

I pointed to my neck, which held a collar with a bell on it. “I turn into a cat.”

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My manager turned her head around at me, surprised. “Really?! Like, a real cat?!”

“Yes, exactly like a real cat.”

She raised her hands and rubbed them together. “No way! That’s awesome! What kind of cat are you?”

“Um...well, I guess I have two kinds, I suppose.”

“So there’s a normal-type cat, and then a super-cat? Huh! So you’re a two-faced cat?”

“Oh, um...no. There’s actually three types. Normal cat, Super Cat, and King Cat.”

“King Cat?”

I nodded. “Honestly, I have no idea how to transform into it. I just know that I can.”

My manager looked impressed. “Wow, that’s an Awesome Gift, Yumiko! Screw school! We can turn the Cafe into a cat cafe! Think of the revenue, Yumiko, the revenue!”

“I dunno if that’s such a good idea...”

I glanced at the clock hanging above the counter. It was nearing closing time. “Speaking of, I should go home soon.”

“Okay, okay. Well, I gotta say, you’re an amazing employee. I’m gonna miss having you around. I know you are gonna do great in school.” She paused for a moment. “Just, promise you’ll be careful, ok? Gift schools are dangerous. Not only are you fighting Sálarkistas, but in the event of a war, you guys are some of the first-“

I put my hand up to cut her off. “I know that. It’s ok, I’ll be fine.”

My manager heaved a sigh. “Well, you better be, ‘cause you’re basically my only family left.”

I laughed and shook my head. “No, you still have your sister, right?”

“That good-for-nothing? I wish I could punch her in the face sometimes...” She sighed again. “But yeah, I guess you’re right.“

I smiled. “Anyway, thank you. For everything.“

My manager smiled back. “Don’t mention it. Just make sure you come visit us every once in a while, alright?”

I nodded. “Of course I will. And hey, maybe I’ll let you start that cat cafe...”

She gave a satisfied nod and stood up. “Alright, it’s getting late and I’m getting emotional, so hurry and leave before I cry all over you.”

I laughed and headed towards the door. “Goodnight.”

We hugged for what seemed like forever, and then I finally left the cafe behind. Once outside, I walked through the dark streets. I was tired, so I wanted used the Gate Network to teleport directly home. The Gates were located at major points around the city, the closest one was a 5-minute walk from the Cafe. I finally made it to the Gate. Despite the late hours, there was a bit of a line to use them. December was always a busy month for the Gate Network. After waiting in line, it was finally my turn, but before I could scan my ID, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a boy.

He had black hair that with white tips. Who dyes their hair like that nowadays? He had lavender eyes as well that seemed to glow because of the dark atmosphere. He wore fully black clothes, a black scarf around his neck, and was carrying a bag on his back that had a single strap going across his body.

“Uh, do you need something?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m reallllly sorry to bother you, but I’m new here and don’t know how any of these thingamajigs work.”

“Every city has Gates, though. Were you never taught?”

“I grew up on a farm in a small village.”

I sighed. “You just use your ID to scan into the Gate system and then you select where you wanna go. You can only select other Gates to teleport to though.”

He looked at me, confused. “ID?” he then snapped his finger. Ohhhh! ID!"

The boy then took the small bag that he had on his back and started rummaging through it. With a big smile he pulled out a small card.

“ID!“ He yelled.

“Uh..Yeah...” I said.

I quickly show him how to scan the ID and select his destination. “Well, that is about all there is to it.” I selected the Gate closest to my house and began teleporting. A bright light began overtaking my vision. Then, I heard the boy speak.

“You’re a kind person. What’s your name?”

I wasn’t one to give my name out to strangers, but he seemed different for some reason. “Yumiko.”

“That’s a nice name. Easy to remember, too.”

“And yours?” I asked him.

“Ajal.”

The light had fully encompassed me, and I had arrived on the other side.

Ajal. That’s not a bad name.