Ding dong!

  I woke up with a start from a loud, shrill sound: it was the bell marking the end of class. I looked around and noticed my classmates were packing up their things and leaving the classroom.

  Looks like I fell asleep during the last subject… Suddenly, someone held a paper napkin in front of my face.

  "Here you go, Mochi. Wipe yourself, you've got drool on your face, sleepyhead."

  There was only one person who called me by that nickname. When I looked, I saw the girl offering me the napkin: she was slim, of average height, and had medium-sized breasts. She had a pretty face, bright green eyes, short white hair, and beautiful long pointed ears—typical of elves. She was my best friend, Haruka.

  "Seems like you still can't stay awake during math. The teacher was annoyed at you, but decided not to wake you up."

  "Ugh, even if he didn't say anything, I'm sure he'll scold me harshly tomorrow anyway," I replied while using the napkin to wipe the drool off my face.

  How embarrassing to be seen sleeping like that… again.

  "Haruka, give me a second. I'll pack my things and we can go home."

  I quickly grabbed my notebooks and textbooks to put them in my bag.

  "Mochi, remember what we talked about: we can't go home together today."

  "Oh, right, your part-time job. I forgot. I guess I'll go home alone today," I replied, purposely making a sad face.

  Haruka pinched my cheeks.

  "Mochi, you saw the news, didn’t you? There have been several disappearances in the city lately. Don’t waste time—go straight home, got it?"

  "Yes, mom, I got it. I’ll go straight home."

  Haruka gave my cheeks another squeeze before saying goodbye and leaving the classroom—of course, not without reminding me once again to go straight home.

  I finished packing everything and left the classroom. I decided to stop by the bathroom to wash my face first.

  After washing up, I looked at myself in the mirror above the sink. My reflection showed a girl with long, wavy pink hair, bright matching eyes, and cute black cat ears and tail—characteristic of Catsiths like me.

  After leaving the bathroom, I walked through the school’s empty hallways. It was strange to see the classrooms so quiet and deserted; normally, they would be full of students enjoying their club activities, but that wasn’t the case anymore.

  All of this was due to the recent disappearances happening around the city. Because of that, the authorities had ordered the suspension of all extracurricular activities so students would head straight home after classes.

  The walk home was pretty calm. The streets were still full of people, and the sun was setting, painting the sky a warm orange. I loved this atmosphere—it gave the city a magical touch. I could have stared at the sky for hours. I stopped for a moment in front of a shop and bought an anpan; it was delicious.

  Suddenly, my phone rang: Ring ring!

  When I looked at the screen, I saw it was Haruka. She probably wanted to know if I had made it home.

  "Hi, Haruka. What’s up?"

  "Mochi? How are you? Are you home yet?" —she sounded worried.

  "I’m almost there, you don’t have to worry so much. I can get home all by myself."

  "Sorry for being so insistent, Mochi. I was afraid you’d get distracted eating something or staring at the scenery."

  I choked a little on the bread. Haruka had hit the nail on the head... just how predictable am I?

  Suddenly, I noticed something strange. The street, which just moments ago had been full of people, was now completely empty. But that wasn’t the most unsettling part: everything was covered in an absolute silence. No sound of cars, no birds chirping… nothing. It was as if I had suddenly been transported to another world.

  "This is kind of creepy…" I muttered without meaning to.

  "Mochi? What’s going on?"

  "Nothing, it’s just that the street suddenly emptied and it spooked me a little, but don’t worry—I'll be home in a second."

  I picked up the pace, but then came to a sudden stop. About ten meters ahead of me, there was someone standing in the middle of the street. He was tall—over two meters—and extremely thin. His arms and fingers were abnormally long, and I couldn’t see his face because he was holding a black umbrella that covered it.

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  "Mochi?! What’s happening?!"

  He doesn’t move. He just stands there, planted in the middle of the street, and with every passing second, he scares me more. I want to move forward, go around him, avoid him somehow, but my legs won’t respond—as if they weighed a ton.

  Suddenly, he begins to lift his umbrella, revealing his face. Or rather, the lack of one.

  He had no face. His skin was paper-white—no mouth, no nose, no eyes. Where his face should be was a blank canvas. I lost my breath.

  Suddenly, a vertical line appeared down the middle of his face, from chin to forehead, and it began to open like a crack, revealing two rows of long, sharp teeth.

  GRIIIIKZTCH

  Before I could react, that thing let out a terrifying howl—a mix between an animal's screech and the static of a poorly tuned radio—and lunged at me, arm outstretched.

  "Kyaaaaaaaa!"

  I turned around and ran desperately through the empty streets. It didn’t matter where I went—every building and shop was closed, and not a single soul was around. I didn’t need to look back to know it was chasing me; I could hear its footsteps getting closer and closer.

  "What the hell is that thing?!"

  Then I remembered—I was still on a call with Haruka. I had to ask her for help!

  "Haruka! Something’s chasing me, I need help!"

  I called out to Haruka, but there was no response.

  I looked at my phone screen: at some point—probably when I started running—the call had been cut off. I tried to call again, but I tripped on the edge of the sidewalk and my phone went flying, rolling far away from me.

  I got up as fast as I could. I couldn’t afford to go back for it; that thing was too close.

  I tried to keep running, but to my horror, I realized I’d reached a dead-end alley. I looked around desperately, and then I saw a narrow gap between two buildings—just wide enough for me to squeeze through.

  Without thinking, I slipped through it.

  On the other side, I found myself in an unfamiliar place: a tangled maze of alleyways and corridors between buildings.

  I looked back.

  He was also squeezing through the same gap, chasing me.

  I couldn’t stop. I kept running as fast as I could, deeper and deeper into the maze of alleyways.

  Soon, I ran out of road again when I reached a small garden boxed in between tall buildings. It wasn’t very big—a patch of wild, overgrown grass, in the center of which stood an old moss-covered altar, forgotten by time.

  GRIIIIKZTCH

  The screech tore through the air like a rusty knife. I covered my ears, trembling. "I can’t lose focus," I repeated to myself over and over as I desperately searched for an escape. But there was no way out. I was trapped.

  "Hey, girl... Looks like you’re in a pretty nasty situation. I could help you."

  A voice suddenly echoed in my head. It was the voice of an old man—raspy and brittle, each word dripping with a mocking tone, like he was savoring my fear.

  "Who are you? Where are you?"

  I looked in all directions, trying to find the source of the voice, but saw nothing.

  "I can save you... but first, you must do something for me."

  Everything inside me screamed that I shouldn’t trust it. But the shadow chasing me was already almost upon me.

  "Fine! What do I have to do?! Tell me quickly!"

  "Go to the altar. Tear off the seal on the door."

  I ran toward the altar. My legs were shaking. Just as the voice said, there was a seal stuck to it. I reached out my hand—but hesitated. The air around me grew colder, as if the altar was breathing.

  GRIIIIKZTCH

  The scream, now much closer, made me let out a sob.

  "What are you waiting for, girl?! Tear it off or die!" the voice growled impatiently.

  I couldn’t keep hesitating. I clenched my teeth and ripped the seal off with all my strength. As I did, a freezing wind exploded from the altar, slicing at my skin like invisible blades and lifting my skirt.

  "Kyaa!"

  I quickly grabbed my skirt to stop it from flying any higher.

  "Hahaha…!"

  The laughter echoed, growing deeper and deeper, turning into something no longer human.

  Behind me, I heard a wet, heavy crunching sound. I turned around and saw my pursuer, its massive mouth full of jagged teeth twisted into a ravenous grin. I tried to step back, but felt the altar pressing into my back—cold and rough.

  The monster lunged at me.

  "Stay back! Don’t come any closer!"

  No matter how much I shouted, the creature didn’t stop. Its footsteps pounded like drums on the earth, its arm stretched toward me, unstoppable.

  Then, something fell from the sky like lightning. A dry thunderclap, snapping branches, a dull thud. I felt something warm splash across my face. I wiped it off with a trembling sleeve—only to see my hand stained red.

  I looked up, my heart pounding like a drum.

  Before me stood a majestic beast: a colossal black cat, its fur as dark as the abyss, and its eyes burning like furious stars. Its body, ethereal, seemed to be woven from the fabric of night itself.

  "At last... free again," it rumbled. "But my power is weakened."

  Its blazing eyes pierced through me.

  "I need to feed... to be reborn."

  A chill ripped down my spine. I had barely escaped death, only to face something perhaps even worse.

  "Do not fear, girl..." it said, baring its fangs. "You won’t feel a thing."

  The monster lunged at me in a blur.

  "Stop right there!" a shout cut through the air.

  A figure emerged from between the trees—Haruka. Her dress flowed behind her, and her crystal fan gleamed with its own light. She was panting from running, but her eyes were firm as steel.

  "Get away from her! I won’t let you lay a hand on her!"

  At the sound of her voice, the knot of terror in my chest loosened. Haruka was here. And as long as she was by my side, nothing could hurt me.

  The monster laughed—deep and wicked.

  "An even better prey," it growled, redirecting its attack toward Haruka.

  "Haruka!"

  She didn’t even flinch. Her voice rang out, full of power: "Pierce."

  The air trembled. The ground froze beneath our feet. Stalactites of ice shot up like spears, impaling the monster from all directions.

  The cat roared in pain, its shadows twisting and unraveling like smoke.

  "This can't be happening! I finally gained my freedom!" it cried in fury, its voice trembling with rage as its body continued to dissolve, every part of it seemingly fighting against its own erasure.

  "I won't allow it!"

  Its voice grew even more feral, as if its entire being was now fueled by rage.

  From its disintegrating body, a spear of pure darkness burst forth. It flew straight at me, piercing my chest in an instant.

  There was no pain—only a deep numbness, as if my body had been suspended in a void.

  "Mochiii!"

  My vision began to blur, darkness wrapping itself around me. I saw Haruka’s face rushing toward me, her expression transformed by a desperation I had never seen before.

  I had never seen her like this—so vulnerable, so full of anguish.

  Before I lost consciousness completely, the last thing I saw was the flash of her figure running toward me, her eyes reflecting an overwhelming sense of helplessness.