“MyaaAAACK!!!”
Ries shrieked, the sound echoing through the room. He was so weak to this kind of thing. A little warning would’ve been nice!
He yelled, swallowing his indignation, but he didn’t even need to open his eyes to know—Sefiut wasn’t listening.
—Tsk. Can’t be helped. Come find me on the night of the full moon, at the place where we first met. Then we can talk again.
“Waaah…?”
By myself?
The question slipped out before he could stop it. Sefiut lifted an eyebrow.
—What, you want to bring that descendant brat of mine? Or maybe that cowardly young man?
“……”
Yeah, no. Definitely not.
He reluctantly nodded. He had never once stepped outside at night. Just imagining it made his legs tremble.
I’ll ask the rest when we meet again.
He was about to bid Sefiut farewell when something clicked in his mind—the cowardly young man comment.
He cracked his eyes open. Sefiut’s arms were already gone, and now one leg was fading.
Still, there was just enough time for one last question. He swallowed hard, then asked,
“Aeuuuung. Myaaack?”
Why did you mess with Ketir?
The face Ketir made left such a strong impression—it was so intense that even a panda would have declared, ‘We’re not friends anymore!’
Sefiut paused, seemingly thinking it over, then gave a soft “ah” as realization dawned. He turned his head and glanced sharply behind him.
—You mean that young man over there?
Ries gave a small nod.
—Because he was admirable. That’s why.
Admirable…?
His jaw dropped. That answer was so unexpected it left him speechless.
—From what I saw, there’s no shortage of people avoiding him just because he’s cursed. But that guy? He didn’t even flinch. Took care of my descendant, too. He’s smart. I liked him, so I played a few harmless pranks.
Before Ries could respond, Sefiut sighed.
—Ah, now my time’s really up. Full moon night. If you don’t show, you’re getting scolded.
And just like that, he vanished—like a mirage dissolving into thin air.
The words Ries hadn’t said hovered in the back of his throat.
Wait, Elder… What was that even supposed to mean?
He’d mentally upgraded Sefiut to “Elder” without even realizing it.
This whole situation… it was starting to feel like that of a teasing grandpa lightly messing with his grandkid, only to melt when the kid started bawling.
A strange swell of pity rose in his chest.
Poor Ketir…
If Ketir ever found out that ghost had been poking at him out of affection, he might foam at the mouth and pass out—not from fear, but sheer rage.
Setting aside his sympathy, Ries glanced around. The eerie silence that had blanketed the room was gone—vanished without a trace.
“Nnnghh.”
A low groan broke the quiet. Ketir, muttering in his sleep.
Just a little while ago, he’d been lying so still it was eerie. Now? Of course—right on cue. His timing was annoyingly perfect.
He was totally possessed.
Well… yeah. Obviously.
The realization made Ries snort in tired laughter. He wiped his face with both front paws.
It hadn’t even been an hour, and already, he’d learned so much. His brain felt overstuffed—ready to burst.
I’m never going to sleep at this rate.
Still, if Justyn found him awake, he might worry. So Ries decided to lie down for now. He crawled into bed and pressed himself tightly against his master.
His thoughts kept spiraling endlessly… but with the warmth of Justyn’s body beside him…
Somehow, he felt like he could finally relax.
Zzz.
***
Ries sprawled across the bed, jaw wide open in a massive yawn. The sun was already high overhead, yet—miraculously—he still wasn’t fully awake.
…In other words, he’d slept way in.
It was one of those moments where he looked back on his past self, the one who worried about being too anxious to sleep, and found it laughable.
Guess I never need to worry about sleep again.
Wherever, whenever—no matter what’s going on—just put his head down and bam, out like a light. Honestly? A total blessing.
He gave himself a mental pat on the back and focused on enjoying the rest of his lazy morning.
Today’s throne of choice: smack in the center of Justyn’s desk. Perfect vantage point for taking in the entire room. He soaked in the familiar yet somehow fresh details.
The breeze slipping in through the cracked window. Justyn’s bangs swaying with the wind. The messy pile of documents pushed off to one side.
Each time Ries flicked his tail and brushed against them, a soft chuckle would drift down from above—and his heart would skip a beat.
This is peace.
But the moment someone knocked and stepped into the room, that peaceful vibe shattered completely.
It was Ketir—arms stacked high with paperwork, so much that even wrapping both arms around it wouldn’t be enough.
Right.
That conversation from earlier came rushing back.
Sefiut was currently stuck in the gallery. In other words, there were no ghosts left to torment Ketir.
Should I tell him? But… how?
Ries was a cat who couldn’t speak human language. The only option left was to go outside himself—to show Ketir that it was safe.
“……”
He suddenly felt down.
Rising to his feet, he staggered over and crawled into his master’s lap, burying his face in Justyn’s thigh. With a paw, he gently tapped Justyn’s arm.
In response, Justyn began stroking his head with slow, deliberate fingers. As always, his master understood him perfectly—so attentive and sweet.
Such a remarkable master… and yet—
I can’t do anything to help him.
He belonged to the Myo tribe, but couldn’t shift into human form. There was a way to break the curse, but he had no clue where to start.
Trying to act on half-baked knowledge would only make things worse. There was no other reason he’d feel this drained and hopeless.
“Prrrr…”
…Even so, his body couldn’t help but respond. Justyn’s touch was annoyingly precise—his fingers always found the best spots.
He could already feel himself letting go. He really didn’t want to be one of those cats who changed their mind about being depressed the moment they got a belly rub… but in the end, Ries surrendered.
Purr, purr, purr…
The steady rumble vibrated from deep in his throat. His mouth went slack as he leaned into the sensation, eventually flipping onto his back.
Rub my belly too.
That was the message.
Justyn eased up the pressure a little—less forceful than when rubbing his back—but it was just right. He’d gotten good at this. These days, he didn’t even need hints—he could instinctively adjust the pressure perfectly.
Ughh. It felt so good.
Ries melted into the touch like warm cheese.
Wait a sec.
His brain kicked back online.
I’m not a cat. I’m from the Myo tribe.
He might not be able to transform right now, but someday, he might reclaim his human form.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
What was rising… was his dignity.
Somewhere along the way, he’d started resigning himself to life as a cat—but now, that buried human pride cried out:
“Don’t forget who you are!”
He did the math in his head. If his human form matched his age, he was a fully grown adult male by now. And here he was… purring like crazy because someone rubbed his belly?
Ugh. Just… no.
Ries gently twisted his body away.
Sorry, Justyn. But if I want to reclaim even a shred of dignity, we’re going to need a little personal space.
“Ries…?”
“……”
He flinched. Peeking back, he caught Justyn’s expression—or rather, the eye visible through the hole in his mask.
It was filled with the same emotion you’d see when a beloved cat suddenly declares it’s leaving home to live on its own.
Urgh.
…Fine. No helping it.
Ries stretched out, pretending to yawn, then rolled back under Justyn’s hovering hand.
“Nyaaang.”
What could he do? Justyn liked this.
He was a good master—fed him, gave him a home, played with him. Ries owed him.
It wasn’t like he was doing this because he enjoyed it or anything…
Purr-purr-purr-purr-purr.
Let’s just enjoy it for now.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, the answers wouldn’t come any faster. There was only one thing he could do—wait for the next time he could meet with Sefiut.
He needed more clues from him. If he could figure out how to shift back into human form, if he could learn how to lift the curse…
He’d heal Justyn. Sure, lying around as a cat was comfortable—but every once in a while, it wouldn’t be so bad to transform, sit beside Justyn, and talk to him.
The goal: a soft, luxurious Myo life!
***
Thud. Roll…
The fishing rod that had been barely balanced on the edge of the desk slipped off and hit the floor. It was a crude thing—just a long, smooth stick tied with yarn and a paper-folded fish at the end.
Justyn had made it himself a few weeks ago and gifted it to him. The reason? Totally obvious. He probably read somewhere in a book that cats love hunting games.
