"Unfortunately, I can not bring your memories back," the cat began, again reading my mind. "But we can play a little game. I will answer any three questions that you might have. Because I am sure you have many. But I have two conditions, as nothing comes for free."
"What conditions…?" I muttered, feeling the weight of the cat's gaze. It was the first time I have really looked into its eyes, so deep, layered with mysteries I couldn't begin to understand. I felt like I could fall right in.
"I'll decide after hearing your conditions."
I think i saw cat's lips curled and form a smirk, and suddenly, the chaos of battle in front of us froze. The dragon and the shadowy figures remained motionless, their magic suspended midair as though held captive. Everything was frozen in time.
The cat turned to me with an elegant motion, flicking its tail.
"As I mentioned earlier, it's only history, a part of an other world. Now let's get back to our game. My conditions are quite simple," it continued, calm yet strangely menacing. "I can refuse any one question I don't wish to answer. And, secondly when I'm done answering, I will bite you."
A shiver ran down my spine. "So…only three questions, one skipped, and a bite?"
The cat's eyes glinted, a low purr vibrating in the stillness. "Three questions, yes. The choice is yours, though it hardly seems you have one."
Swallowing the tension building in my throat, "Fine, Let's get this over with." I said.
"Remember," the cat whispered, continuing by giving me warning "the answers may lie beyond your comprehension. Are you sure you're ready?"
I hesitated, feeling an icy drop of doubt settle within me. "I… I'm ready."
The cat's gaze shifted slightly, it knew my thoughts already, reading me before I'd even spoken. "Ask, then, but be mindful—your unspoken thoughts count, so think carefully."
I stared at the frozen scene before us, the seven figures still froze around the enormous dragon. They looked fierce, powerful, but I couldn't make out the details of their faces, as if they were cloaked in shadows.
The cat's eyes didn't waver from mine, and I knew it was waiting. But my mind was spinning. Should I ask about this place? Why am I here? Why can't I die? Who are you, even?
Finally, I took a deep breath and said, "Tell me about this place."
The cat's eyes narrowed as it tilted its head, and for a second, I thought it might refuse. "Eden, this place is ■■. It exists at the end and beginning. That's all I can tell you. Nothing more, nothing less." It looked at me thoughtfully, tail curling around its paws. "Now, your next question?"
My mind spun as I tried to make sense of its words. The end and beginning? I could feel my heartbeat racing faster, echoing in my ears as I considered my next question. I needed more than cryptic hints. Something that would help me survive here, or get out.
"Is there any way to get out?" I finally asked, my voice betraying a hint of desperation.
The cat's gaze softened, almost pitifully, before it replied. "Yes, there is a way out."
A spark of hope flared within me, and I didn't even realize how tightly I'd been holding my breath. How do I get out of here?
The cat's eyes glinted with something sharp, and its lips curled into a slight smile. "I cannot answer that." It shook its head, a note of finality in its tone. "I will pass on this question."
Frustration surged up inside me, but before I could voice it, the cat moved, leaping onto my shoulder with a grace that was almost too fluid, its weight surprisingly heavy against me. I felt its claws lightly pressing into my shoulder as it leaned close, turning my head toward the still-frozen battlefield.
The air shimmered with suspended energy as the seven figures held their ground around the massive dragon, their forms flickering like candle flames in the dim light. A figure with a golden sword was frozen, aiming a glowing strike toward the dragon's exposed scales. The dragon, bound by chains of darkness, had its jaws parted wide, mouth full of white-hot fire ready to be unleashed.
"They are echoes," the cat murmured, as if reading my thoughts. "Ghosts, if you will. Remnants of the past, playing out before you in this illusion. If it were real, you would already be dead—consumed by the sheer weight of their magic. But," it paused, "you are lucky. For now."
I could feel the cat's claws digging slightly deeper, like a reminder of its earlier promise. The scene before me wavered, and the clash resumed. The figure with the golden sword moved, striking with a brilliance that seared into my eyes. The dragon was still restraint, but not enough to fire another blast of darkness towards the figure.
As they collided the world erupted into blinding white light. It was like watching a supernova, intense and all-consuming.
Then, something wet and warm dripped onto my hand. I looked down to see a drop of a crimson liquid. It was blood, my damn blood, leaking from the back of my neck.
And then the pain hit, sharp and freezing, I couldn't breathe, my breathing was becoming heavier. Couldn't think. It felt as though every bone in my body was being frozen and then torn apart, grinding against each other. The pain pulsed through my veins, turning every heartbeat into a shockwave.
It's unbearable pain.
Lying on the ground in pain, the cat's voice floated into my mind, strangely it's clear for me to comprehend. "■■ is connecting with you. Bear the pain, As this is only the beginning."
I gritted my teeth as hard as i could, feeling the heat of my own breath and the racing pulse in my throat. I couldn't scream; the agony had stolen my voice. But as the cat's words settled in, so the spark of home.
I can't give up, I thought, barely able to focus on anything but the pain. I had to endure. I had to return… but to where? To who?
Is there someone waiting for me? Or is it all in vain? Maybe I should just die.
I'm ready to embrace my death.