Yumi sat in front of her mirror, carefully applying her makeup as usual, her fingers steady and precise as she shaped her eyes with dark eyeliner. She hummed along to the music playing softly in the background, her mind focused on the perfection of her goth aesthetic. A few strands of her black hair fell across her face, but she ignored them, too immersed in her ritual of preparation.
The only sounds in the room were the occasional clicks of her makeup tools and the soft, rhythmic hum of the music. That was, until Cerberus barked. Loudly.
Yumi jumped slightly, her eyeliner brush slipping across her eyelid. "What the hell, Cerberus?" she muttered, irritated. The little black Chihuahua had been acting up lately, and it was starting to annoy her. She sighed, trying to fix the smudge, but Cerberus' barking grew louder, more frantic.
"Okay, okay, calm down, you little monster," she grumbled under her breath, standing up from her vanity. As she opened the door to her room, the noise outside grew even more intense. She caught a glimpse of her mom, Ere'ana, running down the hall with a look of concern on her face.
"What's going on?" Yumi asked, her irritation still present. She barely had time to finish the question before Ere'ana appeared in front of her, holding Cerberus tightly, his small body wiggling in her grasp as he continued to bark incessantly.
"Cerberus—" Ere'ana started, panting slightly. Her eyes flicked toward the hallway, and Yumi could see the tension in her expression. "It's... another cat," Ere'ana finished, glancing back toward the door that led to the hall.
Yumi furrowed her brow, immediately catching on to her mom's serious tone. "A cat?" she asked, confused. "Why is that a big deal?"
Ere'ana's face hardened for a brief moment before she looked at Cerberus, who was still barking. The little dog's tiny body trembled with excitement, but there was an edge to his barking, a strange tension that Yumi couldn't ignore. Ere'ana sighed deeply and turned to face Yumi, her voice low.
"Before you were born, Cerberus... had a little incident with a cat," Ere'ana said, her words carefully measured. Yumi raised an eyebrow.
"Incident? What do you mean?"
Ere'ana's gaze softened, but the unease in her eyes didn't disappear. "A while ago, when we were... well, before you, there was a cat that came into the castle. Cerberus... didn't exactly handle it well."
Yumi's eyes widened as she quickly pieced together what Ere'ana was hinting at. "Wait... so Cerberus—"
"Yes," Ere'ana cut her off. "Cerberus killed that cat. It wasn't pretty, and we had to take care of it quickly."
Yumi blinked, unsure of how to respond. Her eyes flicked back to Cerberus, still barking wildly in Ere'ana's arms.
"You're telling me," Yumi said slowly, a little incredulous, "that Cerberus... killed a cat? Like, actually?"
Ere'ana nodded, her tone dark. "Yes, it's in his nature. He's protective, and he sees other cats as threats. We had to be careful after that—especially with you around."
Yumi's eyes widened even further as the implications set in. "So, this cat is—" She started to ask, but Ere'ana cut her off again, her voice firm.
"This cat is different, Yumi," Ere'ana said, her tone suddenly sharper. "We don't know if it's just another random one, or if it's something that's... dangerous. That's why Cerberus is reacting this way."
Yumi glanced at the door, hearing faint scratching noises now, followed by the unmistakable meow of a cat. She frowned. "Great, just what I need—a cat in my life."
Ere'ana, still holding Cerberus tightly, turned back toward the hallway, moving to shut the door. "We're not letting this one get anywhere near the house," she said quickly, her voice urgent. "I'm locking this door. We don't need another repeat of last time."
Yumi stood there for a moment, the whole situation feeling surreal. "How do you even deal with a cat that Cerberus... does that to?"
"Carefully," Ere'ana said, her face hardening as she glanced one last time toward the hallway. "We don't want to make Cerberus think he's in danger, but we also can't let him hurt anything again. It's too dangerous."
As Ere'ana closed the door, she turned to Yumi with a weary expression. "You'll be okay, right? Stay in your room for now. Don't go out there."
Yumi crossed her arms, an annoyed expression on her face. "Sure, I'll stay in my room while you deal with your psycho dog and the random cat."
Ere'ana gave her a half-hearted smile. "It's for your own safety. Trust me."
Yumi huffed but didn't argue. She turned back to her room and plopped down on her bed, trying to shake off the weirdness of the situation. She could hear Cerberus growling faintly through the door, and a soft sigh escaped her lips.
"So much for a quiet day," Yumi muttered, turning her attention back to her makeup.
But in the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the thought of the cat—and what might happen if Cerberus didn't get control of himself.
The End of Chapter 33