Nothing fixes a memory as intensely as the desire to forget it.
Michel de Montaigne
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The cool air hits against Yuto's face.
He looked at his body. He was filled with dark gray smoke that slowly molded into brown leather shoes, black pants, and a purple shirt. Around him he could see an alley. He didn't seem to have anything out of the ordinary. Until a small sound was heard behind him. He turned around and saw two entities. Two beings that surprised him.
The first was the black cat that he had already met. That being with dozens of eyes and pointed ears. Beside him, a gray and white amphibian floated in nothingness itself. It was an axolotl about eight inches long.
"Well, we'll see each other again... I'm sorry but I don't know your name." Yuto never cared about the noticeable changes in his body or that he saw an amphibian flying next to a talking black cat. He felt like he was in a dream. A very lucid one.
"Oh, I see I didn't introduce myself. I apologize. Having thousands of eons to live makes you forget many things. I have many names. But the one I like best is The Beginning After The End." His name echoed in the alley.
"..." The axolotl stared at them for a few seconds before going around in circles. Her eyes looking at nothing but full of life seemed to say that she was having fun.
"Okay... what do I do now? I mean, I don't have a house and I don't have any money. So unless you have an idea of what I can do, I'm going to have to sleep here." He said now acting comically. She didn't really care that she had to sleep there, but she would rather have at least a roof.
"Hmmm... There's an abandoned house nearby. It's not in the best shape, but it will do." Yuto nodded. He had a feeling that he could fully trust that. But his gaze strayed for a moment to see the floating animal.
"Who is it? Or rather, what is an axolotl doing here?"
"Ah, that's what I wanted to talk about. This here is what we could call, according to magicians, a familiar. I mean, a servant"
"..." He stopped pacing to look at the boy. His eyes full of life and happiness from him saw him deeply. Almost like he was a happy dog to see his owner. A few seconds later he approached very quickly until he leaned on Yuto's shoulder.
"...Do I have to feed him?"
"Obviously..." They were silent for a moment. Just leaving a somewhat awkward silence. None of them knew what to say.
"Well, are you going to take me to this house or not?" He didn't even care about the rest anymore. He just wanted to lie down and sleep for a while. The cat agreed. The way there was short, since as soon as they started walking they found themselves in a forest with a cabin in the center which they entered. It was missing several things to the naked eye. Pieces of the roof, the front door, a wall and windows. It was full of dust and leaves.
"Waoh. You mean this is the supposed house? It looks good" He said with obvious sarcasm. The cat chuckled at that.
"Well, it's something we can start with..." she trailed off before turning around quickly. She felt a strange presence. Yuto also turned around.
"Meow~"
A small white cat with green eyes came out of a bush as he staggered. He had an injured leg with a cut. Yuto without hesitation walked over and lifted it up to see the cut. The little animal did not flinch or get scared. He seemed very calm.
"Hmmm~" The entity came closer. She seemed interested in something particular.
"What?"
"Nothing, do not worry"
Yuto took the cat inside the ruined house. Inside, everything looked in a better state than outside. It had a table, two chairs, a bed with some blankets, and a fireplace with some wood to make a fire. He grabbed a blanket and tore it to use as a small bandage, then laid the cat on the bed next to the pillow.
"I see you like cats" The entity seemed satisfied with what the young man was doing. Meanwhile, the axolotl continued to float next to him. Nodding happily.
"I like animals. Sometimes even more than humans. They are beings that can become more sincere. They are less likely to tell lies or cheat you"
Both cats looked at him with interest. Something that didn't last long. The boy lay on the bed without bothering to fix the covers, or cover himself. He was too tired to even care.
"I'm going to rest for a while. Good night" The white cat settled on one side while the entity curled up on the other, causing the axolotl to lie on Yuto's chest.
"Good night" Everyone closed their eyes. each one dreaming Yuto, meanwhile, was remembering someone who had his whole life. A lady who abused his power. The landlady of his old home.
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In the dream of Yuto, he was in the entrance of his old apartment talking with that woman.
"It's already two months' rent! Do you even know how much you owe me?!"
"I know very well what I owe him. But the increases that he is making are very large... Many of the tenants have problems paying a month. Not to mention those who are in debt"
"It doesn't matter! If you don't manage to pay me what you owe in the next seven days, I'm going to kick you out!" Hearing that, Yuto dropped to his knees. Begging.
"Please. I need a little more time. A few more days" The landlady clicked her tongue and with an angrier face she still spoke.
"No! Seven days! Just that! If you don't pay me in that time, you know what's going to happen to you!" The woman left. She didn't even agree to listen to the young man's voice for another second.
She couldn't do anything. In addition to the money she owed to the landlady, also to the bank. He was broke.
Yuto got up and with his head down, closed the door. He turned around, searched the cupboard and found a package that said "Instant Udon". It didn't taste the best, but it was better than nothing... And it was cheap.
While the food was being cooked, he leaned with his back against the wall thinking about his life and how he could save himself from this problem. There wasn't much. It was asking for another loan from the bank, or going down a more illegal route.
*DING*
The sound of the microwave snapped him back to reality. He took out the plate and went to sit on the balcony. There was a party outside. But Yuto stared at a family. Enjoying their moment together. The joy they radiated seemed to illuminate them, like the moon in the darkest night.
After a while, he felt that his food had grown cold. He got up and before he could even move, everything went black.
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Out of the dream, a smell of lavender and lemon was strongly felt. You could hear the melodic sound of some bells.
Yuto started to open his eyes and realized that he was not in the same place as before. He now he was in a kind of room with four walls that looked like the inside of a tree, and with a bed that seemed to be made of roots and flowers. Everything was different.
He felt a presence next to him. He moved his head slightly and was met by a tall dark-haired woman with curly brown hair and purple eyes. In the area of the dark circles, she had something similar to scales. She was wearing long pants and a somewhat short white shirt. In her hand, was the same cat that he had previously helped.
"Good morning" The woman spoke as if she were the most normal thing in the world. She seemed cheerful.
"Who... who are you?" The young man was confused. He didn't understand anything that was happening.
"I am Mika, a witch" she remained silent for a moment to smile even more "And you, you are my slave" There was an awkward silence for a moment. Until Yuto spoke again.
"...Huh?"