(??? POV)
My parents… they're gone.
It happened so fast. One moment, we were laughing. Smiling. Things were finally starting to look up, my father's clothing factory had just secured an investor. I hadn't seen him that happy in a long time.
The investor's name was Mr. Gremory. He had striking red hair and golden eyes that almost seemed to glow. The first time I saw him standing by our front door, I thought he was just another one of those men who came to harass my father.
So I stepped in.
"Hey! Leave my family alone!"
I shouted before I could stop myself, stepping between him and my dad.
My father quickly rushed over, trying to calm me down. "Vina, it's not what you think," he said gently. "He's the investor I told you about. We're just talking about the business. Go on back to your room, okay?"
I clenched my fists. "But, Dad… that's what you said last time. And then those guys in suits came and took our furniture."
He winced. I could tell he felt guilty.
My mother came into the room and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Please forgive our daughter, Mr. Gremory. She didn't mean it like that."
I glanced at him again, narrowing my eyes.
He was calmly smiling. Almost amused. My heart skipped for a second.
Hmph. Just because you're a little handsome doesn't mean you can smirk like that and get away with it.
"No offense taken, Miss Reni," he said with a small chuckle.
He looked at me in a way that felt like he could see right through me. I stared back and for a moment, I thought I saw something… strange. A shimmer above his head, like heatwaves in summer. Were those… cat ears?
I blinked and rubbed my eyes. The shimmer vanished. Everything looked normal again. Maybe I was just tired.
He gave me a little wave before my mother gently closed the door.
Later, I got scolded for over an hour. Mama kept telling me I had to be more respectful, especially when someone's helping the family. She eventually sighed and told me to apologize.
I dragged my feet down the hallway and stopped in front of the room. Before I could knock, the door swung open.
Papa stepped out, smiling wide. "He agreed," he said softly, and gently patted my head. Then he walked over to Mama, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered something that made her tear up. They held each other for a moment.
I quietly slipped into the room.
Mr. Gremory was sitting on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, hands folded neatly. He looked relaxed, like he'd been waiting.
I took the seat across from him, fidgeting a little. "…Mr. Gremory," I began, trying not to sound too rude. "This might sound weird but… earlier, you looked like a kid. And I thought I saw, um… cat ears? On your head?"
He raised a brow, clearly amused. A slow, teasing smile tugged at his lips.
I blinked at him, unsure if I was just imagining things. But I decided to push it anyway.
"I know what I saw," I said, crossing my arms and leaning forward a little. "There were cat ears on your head. Red ones, just like your hair."
Mr. Gremory chuckled again, the corner of his lips twitching with amusement. "Red cat ears?" he repeated, sounding entertained. "Now that's a first. Are you sure you weren't just imagining things?"
"I wasn't!" I insisted, puffing my cheeks. "I definitely saw them. They were all flicky and moved a little like—like this!" I even mimicked twitching ears with my fingers.
He stared at me for a moment, and then just for a split second two crimson cat ears flicked up from the top of his head. They twitched once. Then vanished.
I gasped and stood up. "Aha! I knew it!"
But he only leaned back in the chair, looking far too pleased with himself.
"Strange," he said with a hum, tapping his chin playfully. "You're the only one who ever said that. Must be your imagination."
"No way!" I pointed at him, frustrated. "You just did it again!"
"Did I?" he teased with a wink.
And then, just to mess with me more, his entire form shimmered for half a second, shrinking down to that of a boy, maybe twelve years old the same age as me, his clothes adjusting perfectly to match. Same crimson hair, same bright golden eyes. And then in the blink of an eye, he was back to the grown-up version, sitting there like nothing happened.
I stared, mouth wide open. "Y-You changed! You're a kid! Wait—now you're not! What are you?!"
He grinned, clearly enjoying himself now. "Just a normal businessman. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Liar!" I accused, stomping my foot. "You did something! That's—That's magic!"
His expression stayed calm, but he chuckled. "Magic? That's only in fairytales."
"It's real, I just saw it!" I argued, face heating up in frustration.
He tilted his head a little, eyes narrowing in a curious way as he looked at me. "What's your name, anyway? You never told me."
I blinked. "It's Lavinia. Lavinia Reni."
He smiled, placing a hand on his chest like he was pretending to be a fancy noble. "Well then, Miss Lavinia Reni," he said in a playful voice, "You really have an active imagination. But don't lose it when you grow up, it's kind of cute."
Cute?
My cheeks burned up. I looked down quickly, flustered. "I'm not adorable! I'm being serious!"
He laughed again, soft and light. It wasn't a mean laugh like the other kids at school sometimes did.
And somehow… that made my heart flutter a little.
"Of course you are," he said with a smile, standing up and giving me a little bow like someone from a storybook. "Now then, I believe I have some papers to sign with your father. If you ever need me, here's my card."
He gently placed a small card into my hand. It was fancy looking. It has black with gold edges and strange writing I couldn't quite read. I stared at it, confused.
Then, as he walked past me, he placed a white witch hat on top of my head.
"Hey!" I swatted at his hand, puffing my cheeks. "Don't just put stuff on people!"
He chuckled. "Something to match your friend there."
"…Friend?"
I blinked and turned to ask what he meant but he was already gone. Just like that. The front door clicked shut behind him.
I stood there for a moment, holding the silly card and wearing the floppy hat, trying to make sense of what just happened.
But I couldn't stop thinking about those ears.
They looked like a cat's. Sharp and twitchy.
He definitely wasn't normal…
After that strange visit from Mr. Gremory, things started to change.
At first, it was small barely anything. Little flickers in the air, like how the road shimmers when it's hot. I thought it was just my eyes playing tricks.
But it kept happening.
Soon, I saw them everywhere. Weird shapes floating around people. Some looked like faint ripples, while others were big and colorful like clouds made of smoke and light. They clung to people's shoulders or swirled above their heads like shadows that didn't belong.
No one else seemed to notice.
Mama didn't.
Not the people in town.
Just me.
And then one day… I saw it.
A doll.
But not the kind you keep on a shelf or hug at night.
This one was taller than me, it was pale and still. It had soft, icy skin and a round, faceless head with glassy eyes that didn't blink. It didn't talk. It didn't move. But I felt it watching me. Always close. Always quiet.
It followed me.
To school.
To the park.
Even at home.
At first, I thought I was imagining it.
But every time I turned around, it was there.
Standing at a distance, like it didn't want to scare me… but also never leaving.
I tried talking to it once.
"Hey… who are you?" I asked, crouching beside it.
It tilted its head but stayed silent. Just stared.
I told Mama and Papa about it.
"There's a weird doll thing that keeps following me," I said, hugging my knees on the couch.
They exchanged a look and smiled gently, like parents do when they think their child is just playing pretend.
"Oh honey," Mama said, patting my head. "That's sweet. What's your imaginary friend's name?"
"I'm serious," I frowned. "It's not imaginary. It's real."
"Sure, sweetheart," Papa said with a chuckle. "But maybe don't tell strangers about it, okay?"
I groaned and rolled onto my side, annoyed. They didn't believe me. No one ever did.
A whole month passed, and Mr. Gremory started visiting our home from time to time. He always looked calm, a little smug even, and dressed sharp like a fancy businessman.
But I noticed something.
Every time he glanced my way… his eyes would flick, just for a second, toward the doll. Right where it stood beside me. He could see it. I was sure.
But he never said a word.
Instead, he brought me books. Big ones. Some were fairytales with glowing forests and magical beasts.
I took them anyway. Even though I didn't ask for them.
Still… I wanted to thank him. Just once.
But I knew he'd just smirk and say something annoying. So I kept it to myself.
One evening, Papa sat me down with a big grin on his face.
"We've got good news," he said, ruffling my hair. "The bank is letting us buy the factory back. We're getting it again!"
My eyes lit up. "Really?! That's amazing!"
Mama pulled me into a hug, laughing. "We'll be busy the next few days handling the papers, but everything's going to be okay."
That was the last time I saw them smile like that.
A few hours later… it was already dark. The house was quiet. I was reading one of the books Mr. Gremory gave me by the window, waiting for them to come home.
Then I heard it.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Someone was at the door.
I jumped off the couch and ran over, smiling. "Mama? Papa?"
I opened the door, only to stop in my tracks.
It wasn't them.
It was a man. A police officer. He had tired eyes and a solemn face. He knelt down on one knee so he was eye level with me.
"Are you Lavinia Reni?" he asked gently.
I nodded, confused.
He took off his hat and held it to his chest. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart... there was an accident. Your parents… they didn't make it."
The world stopped.
"No…" I whispered, shaking my head. "No, you're lying. They just called me. They said they were coming back!"
His voice was soft. "I'm sorry."
My knees gave out. I dropped to the floor, tears falling before I could stop them.
"No… no… Mama… Papa…"
The officer placed a hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't feel anything. Just cold. Empty. Like something important had been ripped out of me.
Behind me, the doll stood silently. Watching.