"Ridley, what happened to your eye?" Micah looked up from his paper at the man in his mid-forties that entered his study.

Micah had grown used to Ridley's piercing gray eyes, and to have one of them covered by an eye patch was a surprising sight.

"This happened." Ridley set down a crate with black mana stone-infused walls atop Micah's desk.

"The cat?" Micah furrowed his brows.

"Aye," Ridley said.

Ridley had been in Micah's service for a few years now and, despite his rough appearance, was one of the most talented mages in Adovoria. Micah liked him because he could count on Ridley to get the job done and done well without asking unnecessary questions.

Micah gazed at the metal box on his desk. "It's unusual for you to have had this much trouble."

"The eye? That can be mended. The seven people I lost to this damned cat, those lives cannot be brought back," Ridley said.

Micah clasped his hands and rested his chin atop.

"Seven? Were they mages or regulars?" Micah asked.

"Mages, obviously. Some of my best disciples, too." Ridley sat down on a chair across from Micah and leaned back, spreading his long legs. "Three were kids I swiped from the Spiders after they had them go through the transition. But four, I had found and raised myself."

Ridley pulled out a flask and tilted his head back to finish off the remaining liquid in it.

Micah noted a black goo and wispy smoke that floated out of the flask into Ridley's mouth.

"Damn, I'm out. I need to brew more of this stuff to get through the day." Ridley pocketed the flask.

"The Fountain of Metamorphosis?" Micah asked, referring to the black liquid.

"It's the only thing keeping the infection from spreading beyond my eye." Ridley leaned back in his chair. "I knew when you put out the order it couldn't be just any ordinary cat, but if there was dark magic involved, a heads up would have been nice."

"I didn't know," Micah said.

"Well, what's done is done. The cat's in here." Ridley stood up and pulled out a key rune to unlock the metal box.

Click. Click. Clonk.

The top of the box lifted, and the metal walls unraveled to reveal a very lush and fluffy white and violet cat.

"It's dead, correct?" Micah asked. His right hand held a defensive artifact in his pocket, ready for anything, just in case.

"Obviously," Ridley said. "I wouldn't have risked bringing it to you alive even if you asked. This thing is bloody dangerous. A cornered rat is dangerous, but a being that doesn't care about what the dark magic would do to their lifespan is unlike anything else."

Micah reached over and carefully opened one of the cat's eyes.

Golden eyes. Well, that's unfortunate.

"It's a shapeshifter? Are you able to transform it back into its original form?" Micah asked.

If I can at least figure out who's the shapeshifter, I can inform Luca. It might alleviate one headache for him.

"No, unfortunately, when he realized he was beaten, he used the last of his lifespan to entomb himself into the form of a cat. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do. Perhaps another warlock could undo this magic, but I wouldn't trust anyone that delves into the dark arts," Ridley replied.

"You said it's a 'he'?" Micah asked.

"He may have shapeshifted this part, but usually shapeshifters stick to the gender they know." Ridley picked up the lifeless cat by its fluffy tail and pointed to its body. "See?"

Micah nodded.

"Very well, thank you for killing and bringing him to me," Micah pulled out a pouch of phoenix eyes. "Here's your payment. I added extra for the trouble."

Ridley let the cat drop unceremoniously to the table and took the pouch.

"Thank you," Ridley said. "And about the other cats in the city?"

"Continue the cleanup," Micah replied. "There's no telling how many more are potentially as dangerous. I'll inform everyone else about the involvement of dark magic."

"Very well," Ridley bowed and tossed a gray hood over his face. "Until next time."

He exited the study, leaving Micah with the dead cat.

"Gerald!" Micah called out.

"Yes, young master Micah?" Gerald immediately entered the study.

"Go bring Luca here now. Tell him I have his white and violet cat."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Young master Luca?" Henry called out. "Micah wants you to come by his study right away. He has your white and violet cat."

I stared into Leona's golden eyes as she awaited an explanation.

"I'll be right there!" I called back.

"I'll explain it later," I whispered to her. "I have to go. This cat thing is important."

Are you running away?

Leona glared at me with her golden eyes.

"No. I'll explain it later. When I have time." I quickly threw on some clothes. "But the cat thing is vital to attend to."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

In truth, I was thankful for the interruption. I didn't see any amicable way to go about explaining my situation without sounding like a madman.

I tossed on a red velvet jacket over my oddly put-together outfit.

Then again, she is a phoenix. She has the knowledge of her ancestors, so perhaps she might even know something about the game I'm in?

Fine. I'm coming with you to see this so-called important cat.

Leona fluttered up and sat among my disheveled, unbrushed black hair.

I sighed. There wasn't any point in denying her request to tag along now.

***

Micah gazed at me while I walked around his table, looking at the ball of white and violet fluff.

"Is it asleep? Or is it dead?" I asked.

"It's a 'he,' and he is very much dead," Micah replied.

It was strange how peaceful and elegant this cat appeared in its death. It seemed to be napping.

"He's a shapeshifter," Micah said. "However, he used dark magic just before he died to prevent himself from shifting back. Thus, unfortunately, I have no way of identifying who this shapeshifter is."

I raised an eyebrow.

"A warlock?" I asked.

Micah nodded.

Mages were rare enough, but warlocks were even fewer in numbers. I had never come across one in my life. Or even heard of anyone who had. They were so far and few in between that many considered them a myth. They were a bedtime horror story told to children about the evils and dangers when a mage is too obsessed with power and magic. Like mages, warlocks were capable of magic, but rather than just drawing from their mana, they drew from their own lifespan.

However, it wasn't that simple to become a warlock. If there was a way to turn out warlocks, the Spiders would have long done so since they cared not about the lives of the young mages they nurtured. However, whatever the requirement that allowed for warlocks to exist wasn't that easy to fulfill.

Leona fluttered down to the cat and inspected it.

"Peep!"

Well, this certainly is rather interesting. I recall only one warlock in the memories of my ancestors.

Incredible, even with all her memories, her ancestors had only come across one warlock.

She hopped over to the cat's face and opened one of the eyes with her talons.

Ah, phoenix eyes. The only warlock that my ancestors knew also had such eyes.

She glanced up at me.

I told you, humans with phoenix eyes are special.

Are phoenix eyes perhaps the unknown requirement needed to be a warlock?

I only had two warlock examples, so it was quite a jump to conclusions.

And besides, I have these rare 'phoenix eyes,' and it's not like I'm a warlock myself. Heck, my mana is a mere '2' according to the System. I'm about as talented at magic as a random rock on the side of a road.

Micah stared down at Leona with his arms folded.

"The cat has the same eyes as your bird," he commented. "Are you certain she isn't dangerous as well?"

His green eyes met mine.

I felt a shiver go down my spine and the hairs on my arms rose.

Leona zipped up into my hair again.

How scary! I told you he wants to eat me.

I suddenly understood why Leona had such strange concerns about my brother. He was used to sensing danger everywhere he went; he probably sensed that Leona wasn't ordinary and felt it prudent to warn me.

"She isn't dangerous," I told him. "Don't worry. Besides, I have the same golden eyes, don't I?"

Micah sighed, and his face relaxed into his usual expression.

"Yes, but you're different," he said.

I blinked.

Does he know something about my eyes as well? Leona keeps bringing them up, and Micah is the most intelligent and well-read person I know.

Knock. Knock.

"Young master Luca?" Gerland, Micah's guard, called out. "Denise is here. She says the pink-haired woman is here. She's waiting in the greenhouse."

"Ah!" I had forgotten about her between all the surprises, one after the other. "I'll be right there."

"Thank you for taking care of the cat," I told Micah.

"Of course," he gave his usual brilliant smile.

I decided it was probably best to not dig too deeply into how he managed to produce a dead warlock before me. I didn't want to reveal my own tainted and far from innocent background, which would be difficult to explain. However, it hinted that Micah was far more resourceful than I had imagined, which was quite a relief.

***

"—and that's how you get a petrifying solution," Kathy moved her pink, gloved hand from mixing the blue solution before her. "Now, Jarvis, try putting a dropper of it on that leaf."

I walked into the greenhouse with Henry. Instead of finding Kathy at the tea table that Denise had left her at, I found her a little ways away with my younger brother, Jarvis, running some sort of experiment.

Kathy wore a white and pink striped suit and towered over Jarvis in her tall, pink boots. Her bright pink hair was let down, with her bangs hanging over her glasses.

A crackling noise sounded from the leaf after Jarvis put the blue solution over it. It turned to gray stone, but remained in the form of a leaf.

"That's incredible," Jarvis marveled and picked up the stone leaf with one of his gloved hands.

"Ahem," I announced my presence.

"Ah, there you are. I was just playing with your brother." Kathy turned and smiled at me. She pulled off her gloves and adjusted her large, thick glasses. "And I see you have a rather curious yellow hair ornament."

Her gray-blue eyes looked up at Leona sitting atop my head.

"Peep!"

A hair ornament! Hah, she couldn't even imagine a glorious phoenix like me could be in her presence.

I felt Leona adjust her position in my hair.

"After I'm done with your brother, I'll come back." Kathy turned back and spoke to Jarvis. "I'll show you how to make the antidote for the petrifying solution. And in return, show me how you managed to breed the manchineel tree with so many other fruit trees."

"You have a deal." Jarvis nodded his head of curly red hair with a serious expression.

I clicked my tongue. I wasn't sure if having my sweet younger brother interacting with the underground's number one poisons dealer was such a good influence. But, then again, there were few that Jarvis could share in his enthusiasm towards plants.

"Well then, Luca, did you wish to discuss what you needed to procure? Or have me first take a look at that ill friend of yours?" Kathy strode over towards me.

"Someone is ill?" Jarvis perked up from his station.

"Jasper, my head attendant is," I replied. "No one knows what he's ill with. I'm hoping Kathy here can figure out what's wrong with him."

"Is that so?" Jarvis frowned and returned to repotting some new crimson red flowers.

I lead Kathy inside the mansion and through the maze of halls within the servant's quarters before appearing before Jasper's room. Henry followed silently behind the whole time. It was the quietest he'd ever been.

Knock. Knock.

I tapped on the wooden door to Jasper's ward.

"Jasper, it's me," I called out.

"Luca? Come in." A tired but otherwise cheerful voice sounded.

Kathy and I entered the modestly sized room with a small window providing light. Jasper lay in bed, his freckled face as pale as the last time I had seen him.

"I brought someone to look at you," I said. "This is Kathy. She's an expert on making antidotes."

I glanced over at her and noticed an odd expression on her face. She sniffed the air.

"Ah, I've been bedridden for two or so days. So I haven't had a proper wash," Jasper quickly explained and tried to fix his messy ginger hair.

Kathy ignored him and continued to sniff the air. She picked up an empty bowl and cup on the table beside Jasper and took in a whiff.

"Ah, is it the food remains?" Jasper perked up. "Denise made it for me; I'm telling you she has a thing for me. She takes such great care of me."

Kathy didn't respond and set the dishes back down, moved to sit beside Jasper, picked up one of his pasty hands, and continued sniffing.

Jasper gave me a perplexed look. "Hey, what's with all the sniffing? I'm getting self-conscious here."

"Peep!"

I felt Leona stir in my hair.

It does smell rather sickly sweet here. And that lad seriously needs a shower. Phoo-wee!

He pulled his hand out of Kathy's grasp.

"Let me look at your fingers," Kathy said and reached out her hand.

Jasper looked over at me again.

"Do as she asks. She's an expert in this," I said.

Jasper rolled his eyes and handed his hand back to Kathy. She turned it over and pulled up his fingernails to her large pink-framed glasses.

"Luca, if this is meant to be one of your pranks, it's rather unusual," he said.

"Mmmmm, I thought so." Kathy let go of Jasper's hand and stood up from the lone chair in the room.

"What? What is it?" Jasper asked.

"Luca, can we speak outside?" Kathy asked. "Or rather, somewhere private?"

"Hey, you can't be serious," Jasper protested. "Hey Luca, this is a prank, right? Why is she being so serious?"

I looked into Kathy's gray-blue eyes. She wasn't messing around.

I was glad to know that she was taking Jasper's illness more seriously than all the previous doctors, but I didn't like her expression.

Why do I sense that she won't be able to help save him either?

[ Perception : +1 ]

[ Perception : 43 ]

I stared at the blue screen before me.

Ah, damn it.