Terry and Tania exchanged a nervous glance as they prepared to test their handiwork. Tania gently set Eleanor down on the stone floor, her fingers lingering for a moment in its soft fur.

“Ready?” Terry asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tania nodded, her eyes fixed on the cat. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Terry took a deep breath, centering himself. He raised his hand, palm up, and focused on his Master of Light Skill. Energy tingled through his fingertips as he shaped it, preparing a small but startling burst of light.

The cat sat peacefully, its tail swishing lazily across the floor, blinking up at them with innocent eyes.

“Here goes nothing,” Terry muttered.

In a quick motion, he released the energy he’d been holding. A bright flash erupted from his palm, flaring in front of the cat’s eyes.

It’s reaction was instantaneous. Its eyes widened in shock, and its fur stood on end. It let out a startled yowl, its body tensing. In a blur of motion, it bolted across the stone floor, darting between the legs of nearby refugees. Terry’s heart sank as he watched the feline disappear into the crowd without a trace of teleportation.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Terry sighed, shoulders slumping. He ran a hand through his hair. “I really thought we’d done it.”

Tania stood up, brushing cat hair from her pants. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up.” She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Didn’t you say Marlon’s been working on this for twenty years? Give yourself more than twenty minutes.”

Terry nodded, trying to keep the discouragement from his voice. “I know, I just... I thought I understood it. I was so sure I’d replicated Marmalade’s aura pattern correctly.”

“Maybe you did,” Tania said, her brow furrowing in thought. “But there could be other factors we’re not considering. What if the cat needs to be trained? Needs to consciously trigger it?”

Terry perked up slightly at her suggestions. “That’s a good point actually.”

Tania grinned, her enthusiasm infectious. “Those are the only kinda points I make! Come on, let’s go wrangle her and try again. You can do this.”

Terry couldn’t help but smile at her optimism. “Fine, fine. You go. I’ll just get in your way and spook the whole herd.”

After a few minutes of determined effort, Tania managed to coax Eleanor out from her hiding spot behind a stack of supplies. Terry watched from a distance, surprised at this version of Tania. Her voice was gentle, her tone patient, and with seemingly no effort, she was able to approach the cat without startling it.

“There you go, sweetheart,” Tania murmured, her fingers lightly scratching behind the cat’s ears. “No one’s gonna hurt you.”

Terry watched in amazement as Tania scooped up the cat and cradled it against her chest. The animal, which had been so skittish just moments ago, now seemed content in her arms.

“I swear, Tania, you’ve got some kind of cat-whisperer ability you’re not telling me about,” Terry said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Tania chuckled softly, careful not to disturb the cat. “Nah, just been around a lotta cats. My grandma had a whole clowder of these little guys.”

Terry stared back blankly.

“A…clowder?”

She settled back down on the floor, gently arranging Eleanor in her lap. It kneaded her thighs for a moment before curling up, its tail wrapping around its body. She glanced up, nodding.

“It’s a group of cats.”

Terry knelt beside them, moving slowly.

“Okay, admit it, you made that word up.”

She chuckled lightly. “Nope, it’s legit.”

He shook his head, turning back to the task at hand. His brow furrowed in concentration as he steadied himself to make another attempt. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The sounds of the refugees around them faded into the background as he turned his focus to the cat in her arms.

“Okay,” he said quietly, opening his eyes. “I think I’m ready to try again.”

Tania nodded, her hand resting lightly on the cat’s back. “I’ll keep an eye on its aura, see if I can spot any changes.”

Terry raised his hands, holding them just above the cat without touching it. He could sense Eleanor’s aura, a soft, pulsing energy that seemed to radiate contentment. Carefully, he began to examine the aura, trying to match the patterns he’d made to Marmalade’s.

As he worked, Terry felt a bead of sweat form on his brow. He spent as long as he needed, isolating every little fold, shift, and node in the cat’s aura, comparing them to the molds in his mind.

As he delved deeper into the intricacies of the aura, he noticed something new, something he’d missed before. There was a subtle difference in the way the energy flowed through certain nodes. In Marmalade’s aura, there had been movement in these nodes, pulsing with a rhythmic energy, almost like a heartbeat. But in his current test subject, these same nodes were static, lacking that vital pulse.

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Terry’s eyes snapped open, a spark of realization igniting within him. “I think I’ve got it,” he whispered, careful not to startle the cat.

Tania leaned in, her voice low. “What is it?”

Terry’s brow furrowed as he searched for the right words. “There’s a... rhythm to it. In Marmalade’s aura, certain points pulse with energy. But in this cat, those same points are just... still.”

He placed his hands gently on either side of the cat, not quite touching its fur. Closing his eyes again, he focused on those static nodes. He imagined them beginning to pulse, matching the rhythm he’d sensed in Marmalade’s aura. Slowly, he pushed his own power through them to see if he could jumpstart the flow.

As he worked, Terry felt a subtle shift in the cat’s energy. The static nodes began to flicker, weakly at first, then growing stronger. He poured more of his own energy into the process, coaxing those flickering nodes into a steady rhythm.

Terry’s focus was locked on Eleanor, his hands hovering just above its fur. He could feel the subtle currents of aura flowing through the feline, pulsing in time with its contented purrs. As he worked to manipulate its aura, he noticed Tania’s gentle strokes aligning with the rhythm he was trying to create.

The air around them felt thick with energy as Terry poured his concentration into the task. He sensed the strain on his own aura, pushing himself to maintain the delicate balance necessary for anchoring the teleportation ability. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he pushed the cat’s aura into the flowing pattern he’d observed in Marmalade.

Minutes passed, and Terry felt the pulses growing stronger and more consistent. He watched in fascination as the cat’s aura began to shift, adapting to the new rhythm he was imposing. It reminded him of weaving, each adjustment like threading a new strand into an intricate design.

The cat stirred slightly, and Terry held his breath, afraid the movement might disrupt his work. To his relief, Tania adjusted her stroking, keeping the feline calm. He heard her whisper softly to the cat, “Easy there, little one. You’re doing great.”

As Terry continued his efforts, he sensed a building tension in the cat’s aura. It felt like a rubber band being stretched to its limit, and he wondered if this was the crucial moment they’d been working towards. He held his focus, hoping this tension was the key.

His aura quivered as he struggled against unexpected resistance from the cat’s aura. What had started as a smooth process was now becoming increasingly difficult. Eleanor’s energy seemed to push back against his efforts, like trying to mold clay that kept springing back to its original shape.

His limbs began to shake as he poured more of his own energy into the task. He gritted his teeth.

So close! So close…

The pulsing nodes he’d established began to flicker erratically, threatening to revert to their static state.

He could feel his own aura stretching thin, sucked into the cat’s aura like a vortex. The resistance grew stronger, and Terry found himself locked in an invisible tug-of-war.

His brow furrowed in concentration. “Come on.” He tried to visualize the rhythm he’d sensed in Marmalade’s aura, attempting to imprint it more forcefully into Eleanor’s energy.

But the more he pushed, the more the cat’s aura seemed to resist. It was as if the feline’s very essence was rejecting the foreign pattern Terry was trying to impose. The pulsing nodes began to fade, slipping away from the rhythm he’d worked so hard to establish.

Terry’s frustration mounted as he felt his control fade. And the more frustrated he became, the more difficult it was to maintain the flow.

His muscles clenched, his aura spasming. The resistance he encountered was unlike anything he’d experienced before. It wasn’t just a matter of shaping energy or manipulating light; this was like trying to redirect a river with his bare hands.

He’d been so sure he’d understood the process, so confident in his ability to replicate what he’d seen in Marmalade’s aura. But now, faced with the reality of anchoring a skill to a living being, Terry realized just how naive he’d been.

The complexity of the task dawned on him with crushing clarity. It wasn’t just about copying a pattern or replicating an energy signature. The cat’s aura was alive, dynamic, and stubbornly resistant to change. Every time Terry thought he’d made progress, the energy would slip away, reverting to its original state.

“Hey.” Tania’s voice broke through the building frustration. “You’re doing great, Terry. I can feel something happening.”

Terry’s eyes flickered open for a moment, meeting Tania’s gaze. He could see the subtle optimism in her eyes.

His jaw clenched. “This is harder than I thought.”

Tania nodded, her hand still gently stroking the cat in her lap. “We’re not in a rush. Don’t force it. Just…let the aura take shape as you go.”

The words sank in and he let his shoulders relax.

She was right. I was rushing, anticipating a power up. I just need to be methodical.

Terry took a deep breath, letting the relaxation seep from his shoulders, down to his arms, his back. He realized that even his toes had been clenched tight.

Her eyes sparkled with quiet confidence. “You’ve got this. Just breathe and focus.”

Terry nodded, closing his eyes once more. His aura shifted, the angry, jagged edges smoothing out as he regained his composure.

As he returned his attention to the cat’s aura, he took a different approach. Rather than try to force the power through, he began to work within the natural flow. He visualized the pulsing, offering avenues of movement, but not forcibly manipulating its aura framework.

A suggestion, rather than a command.

As he worked, he felt the flow of its aura now like a gentle current rather than a raging river.

A flicker of hope sparked in his chest as he felt the cat’s aura begin to yield. The pathways he had opened up began to fill with power, but the connections were incomplete. Emboldened, he worked to create those connections, bridge the nodes with options, not carved pathways.

He felt the progress like a growing flame, added fuel to the fire.

Tania’s hand suddenly gripped his forearm, her nails digging deep furrows, smashing his concentration.

“Tania! What the—”

The moment he caught her expression, his annoyance shifted to fear.

“What?” He let the aura go, reaching out toward her. The cat rubbed against her hands, clearly annoyed that she’d stopped petting it. But Tania didn’t seem to notice, her eyes widening. “Tania, you’re scaring me!”

Suddenly, a tremor shook the platform, causing the cat to leap from Tania’s lap with a startled yowl. It disappeared into the crowd of people as Terry reached for Tania.

“What was that?” Terry asked, his voice tight with concern.

Before Tania could respond, another tremor rippled through the stone platform, stronger than the first. Around them, the evacuees began to stir, confused murmurs quickly giving way to frightened exclamations.

Sol rose into the air, his skin brightening like a beacon.

“Remain calm! Everyone remain calm!”

Tania snapped back into awareness, her grip loosening on Terry’s arm.

“They found us.”

Terry’s heart dropped.

“Qui Shen?” He kept his voice low so the nearby people wouldn’t hear, but despite his efforts, the fear he felt managed to sneak in anyway.

Tania shook her head slowly and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Then who?”

She looked over toward the far wall of the tunnel, just as it began to part like liquid.

When she looked back, the fear drained away, replaced with confusion.

“It’s…Tinker.”