LAYLA
"Hey, bring that back!" I yelled, watching in exasperation as Xylara darted off, something shiny clutched in her mouth. I had been reading under one of the large trees in the garden, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun when my mischievous cat decided to steal whatever she could get her paws on.
I sighed, setting my book aside. "Of course," I muttered to myself, rising to chase after her. Xylara always had a knack for causing trouble just when I'd managed to settle into some peace.
Before I could take more than a few steps, I saw someone ahead of me crouch down, blocking Xylara's escape route. He reached out calmly, coaxing her to drop the trinket she had stolen. She hesitated for a moment, eyeing him warily, before finally relenting and letting the object fall from her mouth.
