Elysha stared listlessly at her reflection in the flowing stream.
While doing so, she couldn't help but notice the details that caught her attention: Her small figure in the blue-and-white outfit that her guardian had chosen, her silver hair moving in the light breeze, and her gray-gold eyes that flickered back at her—it was like looking in a mirror as if it were yesterday.
The little girl couldn't help but say to herself, “I look quite cute…”
She stared a little longer at the stream, which meandered gently through the quietude of nature, its surface reflecting the sunlight’s rays.
“Meow…”
Elysha turned her attention to her feline companion and couldn't help but ask a question. "Kitty, can you understand me?"
In response, Kitty tilted its head and swayed its tail. “Meow?”
Although Elysha doesn't understand cat language, she continues to ask more questions. "Kitty, I was wondering, do you have a place where you come from? A place where you would call home?"
Kitty, as if it understood her question, meowed softly and jumped on her lap.
“W-Woah…!” She flinched in surprise as the cat snuggled comfortably against her and looked at her with an expressionless eyes.
“Y-You scared me there haha…” said Elysha, gently stroking its fur as Kitty purred. She listened as she began to drift off into her own thoughts aloud.
“Hm… You know, Kitty, I could only imagine that you've had many adventures before I met you.” Elysha whispered. “You see, I've only just met you, but I feel as if I am beginning to understand you. Even though I don't know where you are from, with you by my side, I imagine the adventures and stories we could have together. Because I remembered last night when Elder Mera told me some stories before I went to sleep, and I couldn't help but think of those stories, but instead with myself having fun and being part of those stories. I thought I had a dream last night—a dream where I was living in my own story, where I saw many wonders and things. Like, I was walking in a forest, and everywhere I looked there were many trees and grasses, but there was something that I saw, something that I know what it was, and…”
Elysha took for a moment to breathe and then continued, “It was like my own story to find my soul identity, because I have yet to find my own. I wanted to find my own so that one day I can grow up to be like Elder Mera. So that maybe one day, I would read a story about myself fulfilling my own wishes and dreams.”
Kitty remained silent as it nestled against her. Elysha continued, looking at the flowing river in front of them, “Now that I think about it, you have a story too, don't you Kitty? Just like I said you must have had many adventures, right? I was really wondering what kind of adventures you had before I met you.”
She tilted her head and thought, “Hm, what do cats go on adventures for? What did you see? Can you tell me what they are?”
Kitty remained silent.
Elysha couldn't help giggling, “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. Hm…” She thought for a brief moment, and then said, echoed by the river in front of her, “To be honest, Kitty, now that I think about it more, for me… maybe I don’t really know who I am, because I don't seem to understand myself very well, though I have some idea of who I am—because I am Elder Mera’s pupil, and I wanted to learn more about theonum magic since yesterday, but it’s only been a few days since I woke up here in the forest and… I know nothing about this world, just like I know nothing about what you are, Kitty.”
The cat swayed its tail as Elysha continued, “You are a cat with black fur, and I didn’t know what cats were until yesterday, when Elder Mera told me a story about cats, just like I didn't know what birds were until yesterday too. And… I don’t know what to say, if I meet you without knowing what cats are, how could I make memories with you, then? Making memories is important, isn’t it? Maybe… I enjoy feeling happy or feeling like I am myself as I was before I met you, but even now—even if I were to learn new things every day like Elder Mera wants me to, I feel as if—as if I've been empty of everything since I woke up in this forest.”
Kitty blinked its eyes. Yet, as if sensing Elysha's thoughtful mood, it nuzzled her hand and let out another soft purr.
Elysha looked deep into Kitty's white eyes and found reassurance in the cat's silent understanding. “... You being here with me makes me happy, you know that?” She spoke softly. "You know, Kitty, I think that you are indeed a strange cat.”
She giggled again, and Kitty tilted its head in confusion. "Hehe, it's just that I think we might have some fun making memories together in the forest.” She said. “We can find something that makes sense of who you and I are—that is, what something inside me wants to say."
“Meow.”
Unable to keep from giggling softly, Elysha looked to the trees across the river. “I have no memories of the time before I met Elder Mera, so I want to find the key to my past and remember who I was before.”
She lowered her gaze and watched the gentle rippling of the river for a moment. "Just as you have your own hidden story, I am in my own story to discover what I am missing within me.” Elysha continued. “Along the way, we can learn more about ourselves and write our own stories about who we are.”
After a while, the little girl stood up and stretched her limbs. Then she turned to the cat and said, “Come with me, Kitty. Let’s go on an adventure together!”
The little girl and the cat followed the meandering stream, with Elysha walking in front and Kitty behind her. As they strolled, Elysha hummed a happy tune that danced through the air like the rustling of leaves in the wind.
"I think that I’m having fun exploring the forest," Elysha said. "It’s my first time out in the trees, you know? There's something interesting about it, and I think I know what it is."
“Meow.”
She looked towards where the river flows with a wistful expression on her face, and said, “Looking out of the window in my room fills my heart with something I don’t know. I can't help feeling that there is so much out there waiting for me to see. Not only that, but I think I have until noon to do what I want, and that is to be with you, Kitty.”
She skipped and pranced along the meandering stream, giggling softly, her laughter dancing through the air. "Hehe! There are so many places in the forest I've never been. Every place I've ever been has been a fulfillment for me.”
She tapped the edge of the stream with her shoes, causing the tips of her socks to become soaked with water. “I've never known of this village I heard about from Elder Mera. Could there be other people in this forest besides her and me? And the world outside the forest, what places could there be? I don't know, but every time I think about it, I get more excited. I can't wait to tell Elder Mera about my adventures today, and that includes meeting you, Kitty!"
When Elysha turned around, her friend was nowhere to be found.
“… Kitty?”
~ ❈❇❈ ~
Elysha called for Kitty several times, her voice trembling with a mixture of worry and fear.
“Kitty?”
But neither the presence nor the sounds of the cat came to her. Nothing but the echo of nature around her.
Frantically, she searched every nook and cranny, her heart sinking with each futile attempt to find Kitty. As she examined every bush, checked behind the trees and splashed into the river, the realization dawned on her: He was gone, vanished without a trace.
"Kitty! Where are you?" Her voice trembled as she stumbled onto the dry land, her wet hands touching dirt and grass.
She couldn't imagine what could have happened: Had he run away, or worse, was he in danger? The questions swirled around in her head, adding to her growing unease.
“No… no way…” Elysha’s arms shook as the wet drops fell from the strands of her hair. “Kitty… you couldn’t leave me, right? I… come back…”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized the cat was nowhere to be found.
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But she shook her head.
“No, there’s still time, right? I need to find him.”
Determined not to give up, Elysha stood up and continued her search, her steps becoming more frantic with each passing minute.
"Kitty?!"
As she walked back into the trees, something caught her attention—a small creature sitting one of the tree branches.
A glimmer of hope flashed through her as she muttered, “Kitty…?”
As Elysha cautiously approached the small creature, her eyes filled with longing. But the closer she got, the more her hopes faded before her eyes. It became clear that this creature with its strange appearance was not her dear Kitty.
The creature had gray fur rather than black fur, and a brown, thicker coat of fur around its chest. The creature had two long ears and a large, fluffy tail that wagged back and forth for some reason. On its head sat a sort of leaf between its ears, and its eyes were larger and more expressive, staring down at the little girl.
It was unlike any other animal she had seen in her picture book. Their behavior seemed familiar, as if they had anticipated her arrival, and Elysha stood frozen, her disbelief giving way to perplexity as she processed the surreal encounter.
“...”
She turned around and walk away, continuing her search for her black-furred companion.
“Hey! Don’t leave me behind!”
Elysha stopped, and turned around, “Huh? Um…”
She looked around and scanned her surroundings before her gaze landed on the gray-furred creature again, this time staring at her with narrowed eyes as if it were frowning at her.
“... Me?”
“Yes, you! Who else should Micah talk to in this corner of the forest if not you?” The gray-furred creature's voice rang out, and his tiny form radiated an aura of knowingness that belied his size.
“... You also talk like me?”
“What do you mean ‘Micah also talk like you’? Do you think Micah is an animal who can’t speak or something?!” He pouted.
“...”
Elysha thought for a moment before continuing, “But I've never met an animal that can talk like you until now.”
“Ehhh? Who did you met then?”
“I’ve met some birds, I think, and then a cat—ah! I am looking for a cat with black fur and white eyes, have you seen it?”
“Nope! Never seen a cat like that in my life!”
Elysha frowned, dissatisfied with the creature's direct and blunt answer.
“Wait a minute,” the creature’s ears perked up, “so you are saying that you’ve only met some birds and a cat so far, that’s all you’ve ever seen?”
She hesitated, then nodded and replied, “Um, yes, those are the only animals I’ve seen...”
“Really? Not even a deer or a rabbit or a squirrel or a fox—wait! You don’t even know what kind of race Micah is to you?”
Elysha nodded her head, signifying ‘no.’
“Hmm, this is quite peculiar,” the gray-furred creature muttered, scratching his head in confusion. “I guess you really are new to the forest then.”
“It’s my first time walking in the forest alone,” she replied, feeling vulnerable to the tone of the conversation.
“Looks like Micah will have to show you the tour of the Forest of Iröstos from now on!” The creature said, then suddenly frowned and wagged its tail ferociously. “You know, I was just about to say, ‘Hello there, child! How are you? Nice to see you on this fine day, isn't it?’ but you decided to spoil it for me by walking away!”
“Um, sorry…”
“I forgive you, but don’t walk away from me again! Okay?”
“But you didn't say anything though, you just looked at me.”
“.... Ah, you are right. Micah was just nervous.”
Elysha remained silent, her eyes fixed on the strange creature talking to her.
‘Kitty has disappeared and now a talking creature I don't know...’ Her thoughts spun in circles, unable to comprehend what was happening, ‘Am I dreaming?’
“Well, in any case, this was a good first impression of me, right?” The creature's voice faded as Elysha's mind wandered elsewhere.
It wasn't the first time Elysha had encountered a strange creature, and she could tell inwardly from their eyes that they were different from the other animals.
She remembered the first time she woke up in the morning, after the night Elder Merakia had told her stories from the book. She blinked her eyes again—she saw not only the light of morning but also that her ceiling was blocked by strange beings she did not recognize—all looking at her curiously. She immediately fled her room after they disappeared and told her guardian about it, and in a detailed conversation, Elder Merakia explained to her what these beings were.
Lost in her thoughts, Elysha came back to the present as the gray-furred creature grew impatient. He yawned and stretched, his eyes conveying a hint of boredom.
"No answers? Hm, well, anyways," the creature mused lazily, "what was your name again? Erush? Erushk? Elarska?"
Elysha shook her head to clear her confusion and turned her attention back to the gray-haired creature.
‘I want to find Kitty,’ she mused. ‘Should I keep staying here, or find Kitty? I don’t know… should I trust this creature? This creature seems so weird, but…’
Though it was her heart's desire to search for her missing cat, she wondered if this strange encounter could have any meaning. Elysha remembered the time when she was about to set off into the forest, when she remembered that Elder Merakia had told her that she would not be entirely alone on her forest outing.
"And who will be with me then, if I won’t be alone?" Elysha asked, curious.
"He's a peculiar individual," Elder Merakia replied, her posture stern and her eyes narrowed slightly. "As for his personality and behavior, I'd say he's a little eccentric and lazy. I told him he was supposed to be here since yesterday and he still hasn't shown up." Her guardian sighed before continuing, "Anyway, I'm sure he’s excited enough to meet you on your way—"
“HEYYYY ANSWER ME WILL YOU???” The creature shouted. “Are you dreaming in your head or what?! Micah is getting impatient here!”
Elysha hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to make of the gray-furred creature standing before her.
‘According to Elder Merakia, this creature was supposed to watch over me.’ Elysha thought, recalling her guardian's words. ‘Maybe he can help me find Kitty.’
She took a deep breath and decided to address the creature.
“My name is Elysha,” she spoke softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty. “Are you the one Elder Mera mentioned? The one who is supposed to watch over me?”
When she spoke her name, the creature raised an eyebrow and made a pouty expression, as if hurt by her previous silence.
"I'm crying," he uttered, feigning sadness. "You finally spoken to Micah after ignoring me all this time."
Confusion showed on Elysha's face. "I don't understand this. I don't even know who you are."
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, the gray-furred creature leaped down from the branch and continued, “Elysha, huh? Sounds sophisticated for a little kid like you. I know another sophisticated lady too, but she's uhh... very uhh to me.”
Puzzled by his cryptic remark, Elysha frowned and pressed for more information. "What do you mean? Who are you?"
"Very amazing! That’s all Micah will say.” He replied, clearly pleased with his own clever response.
Elysha's confusion deepened, unsure whether the creature's playful antics were simply a façade or if there was a deeper meaning behind them.
With a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity, she asked, “Can you help me find—”
"Elysha, Micah going to take you to a place I've wanted to show you for a long time!"
Elysha blinked in surprise. "Huh? Where?"
A gleeful wag of his fluffy tail accompanied the creature's reply, "You'll see!"
As the gray-furred creature began to move away, Elysha was left standing there, still confused by the encounter. However, a sudden idea sparked within her—
‘Maybe, he will take me somewhere interesting.’ She thought. ‘But, what about Kitty? Should I just go—?’
“COME ON! LET’S GO TOGETHER!” He shouted enthusiastically from a distance.
Elysha flinched from the sound, and with a mixture of anticipation and caution, she made the decision to follow after him.
The gray-furred reature moved forward unwaveringly, humming a song as he strode through the woods, whether on the forest floor or among the branches. Elysha followed close behind, her steps following the creature's brisk pace. She broke the silence that surrounded her and asked him a question.
"So, Mi-Micah," she began, stumbling over her words. "Where are you taking me?"
With an air of enigma, he simply replied, "As Micah said, you'll see when we get there."
Before Elysha could probe further, the gray-furred creature proceeded to ask, "If you don't mind me asking, what do you think of us 'spiritual beings' existing around you?"
"Um..." Elysha hesitated, her voice barely audible against the sounds of the surrounding environment. "Well, you're different and new, and I'm still trying to get used to you…"
An amused and at the same time understanding chuckle escaped the creature's lips. "Ah, I understand. You are not accustomed to our presence yet. Well, we, the Zhivopians were not originally meant to dwell on the surface level. Our form was bestowed upon us by the Asnoiji and blessed in such so that we may travel freely and engage in activities that please Him."
Elysha's ears perked up at the mention of a name she had never heard before. “Shi-vo-what?” She questioned, struggling to pronounce the unfamiliar term. “I don’t understand what you said. I still have a lot to learn.”
With a smile, the creature replied, "Elder Merakia can explain it more clearly than Micah when we return. I take it you haven't met many of us yet, have you?"
"Um, I may have had a short encounter with your kind in the morning, so yes, I think.”
After a brief pause for thought, during which she kept looking at the creature's fur, Elysha added, “And I’d like to know your name again, should I called you, ‘Mister Fluffy?’”
Wagging his tail in retort, he responded, "Ah, of course NOT! I apologize for the lack of proper introductions. I am Micah! You may call me Micah!"