Justyn was human too. He could spend an entire night consumed with worry over a cat, and when left alone too long, he’d show signs of loneliness.
It wasn’t even a contagious curse, was it? Judging someone like Justyn based solely on that one trait was just cruel.
Unless…
Is there more to it than that?
The longer Ries stayed by his side, the more questions he had about Justyn.
But no matter how much Justyn seemed to care for him, it wasn’t like he’d pick up a cat and start pouring out his life story. If Ries wanted answers, he’d have to find them himself.
Like that’s even possible.
Take just now, for example. A question he’d asked with all sincerity had probably come across to Ketir as nothing more than a string of meow-meows.
Sure enough, Ketir answered in a voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
“Tonight’s dinner is salmon steak.”
A response just begging to be misunderstood. Anyone hearing that might think he’d been whining about being hungry.
…Still, just hearing the words was enough to make his mouth water. So instead of arguing, he let it go.
***
Dinner, as usual.
A particularly radiant salmon steak dominated the plate. The crispy skin and perfectly grilled pink flesh were enough to make his mouth water on sight.
Each bite melted in his mouth—the tender pink meat blending with a creamy, savory sauce that lingered on the tongue.
The flavor leaned on the mild side, but that only made the salmon’s natural richness stand out more.
It was sheer perfection. Ries eagerly shoveled it down. Letting something like this sit and go cold would’ve been a crime.
But just as he polished off about two-thirds of it, he suddenly jerked his face up from the plate.
“Hh—!”
The first thing that hit him was the agonized groan.
A chair clattered to the floor, and plates and utensils shattered across the ground.
He froze—just for a second—before a sharp scraping sound across the tabletop sliced through the panic fogging his mind.
Ries bolted toward Justyn. Something was terribly wrong. A prickling sense of dread had his fur standing on end—he couldn’t just sit there.
“Kh… Hnn… Rie… Ries…”
He was swaying, clutching tightly at his chest—no, right over his heart. His clothes were wrinkled from the pressure of his grip, and the one exposed eye was bloodshot and contorted with pain.
And yet… behind that suffering, Ries saw something else. Desperation. A silent plea.
He knew instinctively—Justyn was reaching out to him for something.
“Kahh!”
Before he could figure out what, Justyn let out a harsh breath—and collapsed halfway across the table.
—!!
Ries’s eyes flew open.
Thick, dark drops splattered from beneath the mask. The metallic stench of blood filled the air as it pooled on the floor.
He hadn’t gasped. Justyn… had coughed up blood.
Poison?
That was as far as Ries’s frozen brain could process.
His mouth opened and a panicked cry burst out.
“MyaaAAAH! MyaaAAANG!!”
He was still a cat. There was nothing he could do…
No—there was one thing.
He could cry as loud as he could and hope Ketir, somewhere on this floor, would hear.
He ran to the shut door and clawed at it frantically. His paws raked across the wood, leaving long gouges.
“WEOOooong!!”
He didn’t dare look back. The thought of seeing Justyn collapsed behind him sent a fresh wave of fear crashing over him. He’d lived a life mostly untouched by violence—he wasn’t used to the sight of someone bleeding like this.
No.
This couldn’t happen. He had only just started thinking of this place as home. Justyn had only just started to matter to him…
The door suddenly burst open.
Outside?
No. It had opened from the inside. With a creak, he turned around—
Justyn was still there, struggling to breathe.
“…Ries. It’s time for you to go back now.”
“…?”
Ries froze, his ears ringing.
What… did I just hear?
It was so ridiculous, so out of place, that the all-consuming fear inside him began to deflate.
He stared at Justyn more closely.
Blood still dripped steadily. His bloodshot eyes glistened with pain, and the strands of black hair spilling over his mask were drenched in sweat, clinging to his face.
If he were human, he would’ve shouted. How the hell can you tell me to go back in this state?!
Justyn took a step forward, like he was trying to push him toward the door.
Ries immediately flattened his ears and hissed.
“HhAAK!!”
Ries slammed his tail against the floor with a loud thump thump, full of irritation. It was a blatant refusal.
He knew he was useless right now—that he couldn’t actually help. But being kicked out? That was something entirely different. This wasn’t about being helpful. It was about trust.
Maybe Justyn realized Ries wouldn’t back down so easily, because he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Instead, he slowly lowered himself down.
The smell of blood was overwhelming—so strong it made Ries’s head spin. The harsh, ragged breathing, laced with occasional groans that scraped against his nerves, reignited the fear he’d just barely managed to suppress.
He’s going to say something awful again…
Ries bristled, tail raised high.
“Huff… Huff… Ries…”
Justyn took a few shallow breaths, then spoke in a voice so low it crawled across Ries’s skin.
“…Please.”
And just like that, every ounce of fight drained from him. He forgot to flick his tail, forgot to move. He simply froze.
“Just… go back for tonight… Kkh… Ngh… We’ll see each other tomorrow. Tomorrow.”
In that moment, Ries understood. This—this quiet plea—was what Justyn had been desperate for. To be left alone. Tonight, at least.
Another drop of blood splattered to the floor. His body was shaking, looking like it could collapse at any second. Yet with a trembling, bloodless hand, Justyn reached out and stroked Ries’s fur.
Ries felt it clearly—those fingertips, twitching uncontrollably. The pain Justyn was in… he was still holding it all back.
And still, his voice remained calm.
“…It’ll be fine. Just like it always is.”
Just like it always is. For some reason, that line dug into Ries’s chest like a barb. Justyn slowly nudged him again… and this time, Ries didn’t resist.
That was when chaos broke the moment—Ketir burst into the room, breathless and sweating.
“Your Grace!”
His eyes quickly swept over the scene: the wide-open door, Justyn standing firm in front of it, Ries crouched at his feet.
Ketir’s expression turned sharp as he pieced everything together. Then, with a wary glance at Justyn, he asked:
“You haven’t taken your medicine yet, have you?”
“…No.”
“…I’ll take Ries with me. Please rest now.”
The cat between them tried to make sense of it all.
Medicine… Just like always… The words echoed in his mind. Then—like lightning—realization struck.
It wasn’t poison?
That meant only one thing.
The curse Justyn suffered from—the one that made him writhe in agony every day—was still with him. And the only thing keeping it at bay was that medicine.
Then why?
Why did he push me away?
It made even less sense now. But before Ries could untangle the thoughts crowding his mind, Ketir scooped him up.
Clearly, he had no intention of letting Justyn face this with anyone else around. He started to back away, and with him, Ries was slowly pulled further from Justyn.
Creaaak. The door let out a harsh groan as it began to shut.
Just beyond it—Justyn’s silhouette.
No. This isn’t right.
Just before the door closed completely, Ries lashed out with everything he had. He braced one paw on Ketir’s arm and stretched the other as far as he could.
By some miracle, his paw hit the door.
And in that instant—
Justyn turned.
“…!”
Black hair. Crimson eyes. A face bare for the first time—unmasked and raw. The image burned itself into Ries’s memory with searing clarity.
Blood spilled like rain from where the mask had been, revealing the pale skin underneath.
But that skin…
Bulging black veins crawled across his face. They began at the neck, twisting over his jaw, spreading across his cheeks and eyes—dense, jagged, like a living web of shadow.
They’d already consumed half his face, writhing, pulsing—like they were hungry. Like they were alive.
That—that was a curse. There was no other word for it.
And suddenly, Ries understood.
Why Justyn had fought through the pain.
Why he’d insisted on sending him away.
He didn’t want me to see him like this.
