When Elysha regained consciousness, she felt the grass against her skin. she gradually opened her eyes to the sight of clouds drifting across the sky, where the Sun’s rays painted the horizon, casting a golden glow over the lake view in front of her.

Then, the freezing wet sensation hit her, and she shivered as she realized that her clothes were soaked and clinging tightly to her skin.

*whoosh*

The wind blew, not helping in her current state. Elysha blinked several times, trying to make sense of her surroundings. To her left lay Micah, wet and unconscious, not moving.

Confusion swirled in her mind. “What happened...? Micah…?”

She sat up to check on him, placing her hand on his wet fur coat and feeling his body breathe in and out quietly, as if sleeping peacefully, except for occasional grumbling.

“Grr, Micah wants to have his share of the burnt cream custard too…”

“He’s okay,” Elysha said in relief, turning her head forward to take in the view of the lake. Then she remembered what had happened.

The tremors of the forest—the dark giant cat—Micah’s transformation and the chase above the treetops—to the cat’s massive leap over the lake.

“Was that a dream...?” she murmured, grappling with the surreal nature of her recent adventures. “This adventure, this strangeness. It felt like a dream. Am I in a dream?”

“Meow.”

She heard a soft noise to her right and moved her eyes to see a dark cat sitting nearby, his tail swaying from side-to-side as his silvery-white irises looked directly at her.

Elysha’s eyes widened, for it was the same giant monster creature that had been in pursuit of her and Micah earlier, but in his smaller form.

“Kitty…?” her mouth muttered out and trailed off, lips hanging as she struggled for words to continue.

The cat wagged his tail once more then stopped, and closed his eyes.

[‘You are not dreaming.’]

Elysha flinched at the sudden words, and looked around, seeing no one else in the area. She turned back to see his faceless and void-like countenance staring at her, his eyes not reopening.

“Was it... was it you who spoke to me?” she asked in uncertainty.

[‘Who else do you think is speaking to you?’] Kitty responded with indignation. [‘There is nobody else awake here except you. In fact, I am here as well. You are awake in this world, is that not true?’]

Elysha rubbed her eyes and looked back at Kitty. She hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Um… then why did you do all of that?”

[‘Do what?’]

“Everything you did when you were in your bigger form, scaring everyone and hurting the forest, chasing us, making us your next meal.”

[‘You should understand that such behavior is natural for a cat, driven by feline instinct and the natural order of the food chain, unlike you immatures with your limited understanding,’] Kitty replied.

Elysha’s throat went dry, her attempt to respond to his statement stifled by her inability to find the right words.

[‘It was never my intention to harm you, unless, of course, you and your friends chose to interfere with me while I was hunting for my food,’] he went on. [‘What caught my attention was the light emanating from you and the explosion that occurred over the lake. I found the effect quite intriguing to my knowledge.’]

Confusion clouded Elysha’s mind. ‘What is he talking about?’

She glanced over at Micah, who was still out unconscious.

‘Was Kitty always like this?’ she questioned to herself, finding the cat’s vibes to be drastically different from the Kitty she had known. ‘First the big Kitty and now the faceless Kitty. All the Kittys are so different. I’m so confused, what am I going to say next?’

[‘Cursed child.’]

A shiver ran through Elysha’s body, causing her eyes to flick back to the black cat.

[‘I had not fully comprehended the change in events until I saw both the keyhole and the light blasting in front of my face. Now, upon closer inspection, the world has rooted to itself. It is unfortunate that despite her efforts to save you, the curse of distortion has not yet been overcome.’]

“What... what do you mean I’m cursed?” she demanded, confusion and fear gnawing at her heart.

[‘I cannot say.’]

“Why? I don’t understand what you mean!” Elysha exclaimed, then remembered the sensation of pain she had felt in her head yesterday. Her eyebrows knitted together, her lips pursed, and she asked, “Do you… Do you know why I feel so much pain in my head? Do you know why it’s so hard for me to use theonum magic?”

[‘I cannot give you the answer you seek,’] Kitty stated flatly.

“Why? Why can’t you tell me anything?” she pleaded desperately. “Please Kitty, do you know my past? Tell me what you know about me.”

Kitty said nothing, and Elysha’s vision began to cloud, dizziness taking over her senses as the cat finally spoke, [‘Rest, there is no need for you to remember this moment. Your story has only begun, and at the culmination of your journey you will witness the answer you are looking for.’]

Elysha’s vision darkened as her consciousness drifted. “Kitty…”

[‘The spiritual energy I received from you is different yet similar,’] he said. [‘In the end, you are still deeply cherished…’]

~ ❈❇❈ ~

“Uhh, is she okay?”

The two Zhivopians looked down at Elysha’s unconscious self. Examining her condition, a knitted brow etched itself on Micah’s face.

“Hm, I believe she’ll be okay, Sorcha,” he reassured her. “I think that the impact of the water gave her a bit of a shock, but she’ll recover.”

“Oh! That’s good news to hear!” she exhaled in relief. “That giant monster scared my heart out of me! Are you sure the demon is really gone?”

“Micah is certain,” he nodded his head. “I don’t sense that phenomenal creature anymore. It’s like it just disappeared after I blacked out.”

“Disappeared?”

“I don’t see your rat with you. Did you and Billi made it back to your village?”

“That’s right! I told my parents about the scary cat monster. I even entrusted my Billi to my older siblings, so he’s safe now.”

Then she frowned and shouted, “But if the monster has disappeared, how will my people find this gigantic and terrifying creature? Sorcha wanted to see the strong people of my village attack and put an end to this monster!”

She clenched her hands into fists and pounded her feet onto the ground, throwing herself into a spiral of tantrum. “Grr, ahhh! I was hoping they would find it!”

“I guessed it seems like Zhivopia is going to be on alert for a while,” Micah said. “Well, that’s a good thing overall, and in any case I’m glad our home is kind of safe now.

Then he looked at Elysha, who was still sleeping beside him. “It’s still a mystery to me as to where the giant cat went, though,” he sighed. “Aw, I really wish I hadn’t fainted that time.”

“Did this girl see what happened to the giant cat after you passed out?” Sorcha asked.

“How does my unconscious bumhole know that?!” he exclaimed.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Well, anyway, my people will try to search for clues and track down the monster,” she went on. “That evil creature tried to hurt me, my Billi, you and the girl, and our home itself! We won’t rest until we find it!”

“Good luck with that, then,” Micah said with a scratch of his head and a stretch of his limbs. Then, using his theonum core, he imbued his energy onto Elysha’s body.

Sorcha noticed and asked, “Oh? What are you doing to her?”

“I’m about to take her outside of this domain,” he replied, conjuring up a cloud and lifting the girl onto the floating object.

The Nartti girl’s ears and tail hung down “Aw, you are leaving me?”

“Of course! I need to take her back before noon or else the crazy old witch will turn me into a plush doll!” he spoke urgently.

“Crazy old witch…” Sorcha giggled with a hand over her smile. “Ah, haha! I get it now.”

She then took a step back and waved her hand goodbye. “I hope you make it back in time, Micah. See you next time!”

“See you too, Sorcha!”

With Elysha sleeping on the cloud, he soared into the sky and slowly disappeared from view.

~ ❈❇❈ ~

A soft throb pulsed through Elysha’s head as she regained consciousness. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at her surroundings.

She found herself lying on the grass, leaning against a tree under a cloudy, white sky. More trees appeared around her, but they were familiar to her eyes, as if she had seen this place before.

Her observation was abruptly shattered by a shrill cry, “Aaaaahhh! You’re finally awake! Micah was starting to think you were gone!”

Startled by the sudden voice, she turned her head to see a small, gray creature leaping toward her. It landed on her, tears and snot mingled on her face, eliciting a strong feeling of disgust.

“EWW!!! Gross!! Get off of me, you idiot!!” she shouted, pushing him away with a forceful shove and hastily wiping the mess from her face.

“Aw, why won’t you let me jump up to you?” he asked, wagging his tail. “I was so worried after I brought you outside the portal and waited forever for you to wake up!”

“Forever?”

“It felt like it’s been forever!” he sighed. “Can you imagine waiting forever for you to wake up?”

“Was it really been like that?”

Micah blinked his eyes, “Uhh, nope, I was exaggerating.”

Elysha stared at him, then had a flash of memory of what had happened before her awakening in this place. “Oh, what happened to Kitty?”

“Kitty?”

“Yes, I remembered when we were at the lake, flying in the air, and then a giant Kitty jumped up on us. Ah! Are Sorcha and Billi alright?”

“They’re safe,” Micah nodded reassuringly. “Sorcha and Billi made it back to their village. As for the, um, cat, well, let’s just say everything worked out fine in the end.”

Then he chuckled and gave her a puzzled look. “Though I must admit, I’m very curious as to why you insist on calling to this phenomenal creature as ‘Kitty.’”

“Hm? Because Kitty is my friend.”

“Since when did that giant cat demon become your friend? From what Micah remembers, that demon never even recognized you.”

“Um…”

“Um…?”

Elysha’s cheeks flushed pink and she looked down at the grass as she stammered, “I... I don’t know, I was just thinking about keeping him as a pet when I first saw him, back when he was small.”

Micah spat out laughing, “You wanted to keep a phenomenon from the Underworld as a pet? You truly are one of a kind, aren’t you?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Why… you are annoying,” she frowned. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting something cute as a pet and a friend.”

“So you want to keep that abdominal void of nightmares as a pet because it’s cute?” Micah’s face contorted in horror. “I never knew you had such a taste for creepy things!”

Elysha raised her shoulders, her lips biting, and her cheeks grew even rosier than before. She replied, “Oh, you know what? I liked Kitty better than you.”

He gasped, ears pricked up, “You liked him better than me? Micah is hurt, how could you, Elysha?”

“I…”

She watched as he sat on his haunches, his ears drooping and his tail curled pitifully around him. His round eyes shone with unshed tears, and he sniffed.

“I can’t believe you would choose a giant, demon cat over me,” Micah whimpered. “After everything we have been through together…”

Elysha’s eyes quivered and she spoke quickly, “I-I still liked you too, Micah. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Even more than the cat?”

Her lips tightened in a press, and then she shook her head, “Yes, even more than Kitty.”

His tail swayed as he smiled and took a step closer to her. “Really-really?”

“Yes, yes, I mean it!” she huffed out. “Are you happy now—?”

Before she could finish, Micah jumped up and gave her a hug. “Ehehe! Micah always wins!”

“W-ah!” Elysha let out an exasperated laugh, softly shoving him off. “You surprised me!”

He stepped back and puffed out his chest proudly. “Sorry, but Micah tends to have an ego to feed.”

“Huh? An ego?”

“Anyway, let’s proceed with the final part of the trial!” he said as he turned and walked off in a direction.

“Final part?” Elysha asked, but saw Micah continuing ahead.

“We’re right next to the place, so follow me!”

Elysha hurried to catch up to Micah, and together they walked through the woods until they came to the opening of a clearing.

“Here it is!”

There, her eyes took in what appeared to be a platform surrounded by weathered stone pillars. In the center of the platform appeared to be a large stone tablet with engraved writing.

She stepped forward to take a closer look at the tablet, then turned and asked, “What does the writing on that stone say?”

He looked at the tablet and made an irked expression, “Micah is not going to translate all of that.”

“Why not?”

“That stone tells the history of how this forest came to be, Micah’s mind would implode if I had to translate it all for you.”

“Then, what do you want me to do here in this place?”

“Take a look around you! What does your intuition tell you about why we are here?”

“My intuition?”

Elysha wandered cautiously onto the platform, her eyes scanning the ancient stone tablet and the moss-covered pillars surrounding it. The faint rustling of leaves in the trees beyond was the only sound in the otherwise silent clearing. She hesitated, glancing back at Micah, who sat expectantly on his haunches, his tail flicking with a smug air.

“Well?” Micah prompted. “What’s your intuition telling you?”

“My intuition is telling me you’re being unhelpful with helping me understand,” Elysha muttered, rolling her eyes.

She took another step towards the tablet, her fingers brushing over the carvings. The grooves felt cold to the touch, and she felt a sense of curiosity as to what history was contained within.

Elysha turned back to Micah and expressed her confusion, “What am I supposed to discover here? This place seems similar to the other areas of the ruins we’ve been to before, but what does it all mean? Maybe... maybe there is something I do not understand?”

Micah tilted his head, his ears twitching. “Go on. You are asking the right questions.”

She frowned and paced the platform. “There are rocks and statues and trees all around me, maybe they mean something? I don’t know, but it doesn’t make sense... they have to mean something, right? But I don’t know what they’re supposed to mean or if they’re part of the trial.”

She clenched her hands and bit her lips, brows furrowed. “It’s confusing, and I can’t seem to make sense of it all!”

“Oh, for the love of the Asnoiji, you are doing everything right, Elysha,” Micah reassured as he sighed, approaching up to her.

She turned and glared at him. “What do you mean that I am doing everything right?” she asked.

He leapt onto the edge of the stone platform, his tail curling as he looked at her with an amused smirk. “This place along with the entire trial does mean something, Elysha. But it’s not about the ruins trying to tell you something.”

“This what is it?”

Micah’s eyes never left her face as he stepped closer, “It’s not about them. It’s about you. What do you see? What do you feel?”

“Huh? So, you’re saying that it’s about me and not what’s here?”

“Just take your time and pay close attention to the things around you and try to figure out what they mean in relation to your own self,” he said. “That’s all you need to focus on!”

Elysha frowned again, pondering in her mind as she looked around her once more. After a minute had passed, Micah prompted, “What do you feel? Do you feel… connected?”

She shook her head and said, “No, I don’t feel that much.”

“Well then,” he tilted his head, swaying his tail. “Do you want a hint?”

The little girl turned to see him smiling at her. “Of course,” she replied. “I have been wanting another hint from you for a long time.”

“Okay, let’s make this easier,” he said, taking steps across the surface of the stone platform. “You are confused and uncertain about everything, and that is a natural process to go through. The questions you ask reveal your desire for answers. You have to accept this uncertainty and let your curiosity and intuition guide you. Therefore, you need to focus on understanding your place in this process of connecting to your soul identity.”

Elysha’s eyes flickered with recognition. “My soul identity?”

“That’s right,” Micah nodded. “You have to relax, clear your mind, and take in your surroundings. Engage your senses—what do you see, hear, and smell? Allow those sensations to flow through your thoughts. Shift your focus from the objective details to the larger, more subjective picture, both in the external world and within your own soul. Let your mind wander and you will discover the answers you seek.”

Elysha nodded her head in response to his words. “Okay,” she said. Her gaze softened, and she let out a soft sigh.

“Now sit on the stone pedestal right there,” he gestured to her. “And take a moment for yourself. You wanted to find your soul identity right?”

“I do, I’ve wanted to,” she said, walking over to sit on the pedestal. “Huh? Wait, how did you know?”

“Hm? The whole trial is about finding your soul identity? Did you forget that?”

“No, I didn’t,” she shook her head, remembering her personal problems with her theonum core.

“Anyway, you need to close your eyes and find the clarity of your mind within and allow your theonum to flow freely,” Micah said. “Picture your theonum core, but remember not to strain and overdo it, okay?”

“Okay…” Elysha responded, feeling a sense of an uncomfortable deja vu from his words. She focused on grounding herself, quieting her mind, and letting the calmness envelop her.

With a slight wag of his tail, Micah stepped back, his parting words lingering in the air. “Remember, if you ever need assistance, simply call out my name with all of your might!”

Elysha acknowledged him with a nod, her attention drawn inward as she entered the realm of introspection. She could sense the distant pain in her head knocking at her door.

‘Oh no, this isn’t good…’