The silence surrounding Vince was suffocating, an anguishing void. He struggled to understand what was happening. Just a few seconds ago, he was writhing on the floor of his office, betrayed by his sworn brother and best friend. Now, he found himself lost in a place devoid of life or any presence. Only him.
His thoughts were a whirlwind. His life had amounted to a fleeting breath, and everything seemed like a waste, after all, he was alone. No one would cry at his funeral, no one would mourn his loss.
As he pondered his past, Vince's vision was completely obscured by a growing light that seemed to approach increasingly. He squinted, trying to decipher the meaning of that brightness.
Vince's retinas burned, as if he were staring directly into the sun. The luminous form took shape, shrinking in size but not in intensity. Only when it was close enough did Vince manage to discern the sender of that intense light. It was...
"A Siamese cat?"
The perplexity in Vince's voice seemed to amuse the cat, who ended up showing a faint smile.
"Technically, I'm not a cat," the animal began to speak, further bewildering Vince. "I chose this form because it would be easier for you to grasp. My true form is too overwhelming for the human mind. The last person who saw the true form of a Perpetual simply collapsed, and their head exploded." The cat made a paw gesture, as if representing a small explosion.
"A talking cat?!" After a few moments of bewilderment, Vince finally managed to speak.
The animal shrugged, as if expecting such a reaction.
"Even though I said I'm not a cat, this is the reaction people usually have."
Vince approached the cat, crouching down to be at the creature's level, and simply began to poke the animal's head, as if to confirm that it was real.
"Stop poking me and pay attention, you lunatic," the Siamese cat said, pushing Vince's finger away from its head. "We don't have much time to talk. If you keep poking me like a darn teddy bear, we'll run out of time, and your soul will simply be thrown into limbo."
Vince stopped. The cat was too serious to be just a joke. If beings known as Perpetuals assuming the form of Siamese cats make jokes, that is.
He took a deep breath, doubts lingering about what was happening, but with a certain apprehension about what he was about to hear.
"Before you start talking, just tell me one thing... Did I really die?" His voice was restless and fearful.
"Yes and no," the cat began to say as it circled Vince. "Your physical body is dead. But thanks to me, your soul can still be saved. However, you'll have to make a contract with me."
The Perpetual stopped walking and stared fixedly at Vince, with a certain air of curiosity.
Dead.
Vince was really dead. Or maybe, semi-dead?
None of what the cat was saying made sense. Well, considering that a cat was talking, the lack of sense was understandable.
The man sighed; it seemed that the entire conversation was leading to that question.
"What kind of deal are you talking about?"
The cat smiled, the conversation going as he planned.
"Basically, we'll form a vital bond. My life energy and your soul will merge. This way, you'll 'return' to your body with certain 'upgrades'," explained the cat, gesturing enthusiastically. "But you'll have to do two tasks for me. First: you need to free my original body from the prison of the red flowers. And second: prevent the emergence of the tower."
"Original body? Prevent the tower? Speak in a way that I can understand."
With a subtle movement, the cat placed its paw on Vince's forehead. His eyes began to glow, along with the spot where its paw was. Vince then had a vision.
In it, there was an enormous tower, colossal and sinister, rose menacingly, its fingers grotesquely intertwined in a dance of deep purple. Each block that composed it seemed to be formed by distorted and corrupted hands, creating a structure that emanated an aura of unnameable malevolence. Countless, watchful eyes stared from every direction, observing with disturbing intensity. As the tower ascended, the hands continued to multiply, as if eager to extend beyond the visible, achieving a distressing omnipresence.
The sky, steeped in shades of deep purple, offered no comfort. It was as if the very atmosphere was saturated with the essence of the tower, transforming the environment into a surreal nightmare. Descending from the distorted heavens, translucent and grotesque hands plunged toward the earth. Each touch of these extremities resulted in agony, crushing and tearing apart those who dared to stand in their way. A terrifying spectacle of destruction and despair, where the hands moved like puppets of a cosmic horror.
The cat moved away from Vince, who was completely covered in sweat. He knew he had just glimpsed the future.