The afternoon sun was slowly sinking, painting the village sky in hues of orange and pink. A gentle breeze slipped through the bamboo slats, creeping into the modest room where Mathien had been lying since morning.
He opened his eyes slowly, then sat up.
Silence.
No footsteps, no humming from Hana as she watered her flowers. No scent of soup from the kitchen. Just... calm. An opportunity.
Mathien stood up carefully. He stretched a little, then turned toward the window. This time, the shutters were wider open. The evening breeze lifted the thin curtains, as if inviting him out.
"This is the moment."
He leapt down from his pillow. His small paws moved cautiously across the wooden floor. Not in a rush this time like last night. Now he was... calculated.
He stepped onto the window ledge, gazing out. The flower field behind the house stretched far and wide, and beyond it—a small forest, slowly darkening.
"If I can cross that field... maybe the magic path will open."
"Maybe I'll feel the remnants of my power again."
He looked up at the sky.
Then jumped.
Tap!
His paws landed perfectly on the grassy ground. His body was round, heavy, but he made it.
He started to run—or more accurately, waddled in a determined, plump-cat kind of run. With every step, his belly wobbled. But he didn't care.
"I am not Chiro. I am Mathien Caevior Valtherion."
"I am not a pet. Not some fat house cat."
"I will be free!"
One meter. Two meters. Ten meters.
He kept going, pushing through branches and lavender shrubs.
But then—
"CHIROOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The voice echoed from afar.
Mathien froze.
He turned around. Behind the fence… Hana had just gotten home from school. Her uniform was wrinkled, her bag half open, and her face filled with panic.
"CHIRO?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Mathien clicked his tongue quietly.
He kept walking, away from the flower-filled house, passing through the small bamboo fence that had long lost its strength. He glanced back once, making sure no one was chasing him—and yes, Hana was still looking around the garden.
"Forgive me, reckless human... but I must go."
"We come from different worlds."
He moved on through the narrow path that connected Hana's home to the village road. Rubber sandals hung on a clothesline. A chicken passed by. The smell of banana leaves and fried snacks filled the air.
And in the distance... the sound of the market could be heard. Bustling. Alive. Shouts of mothers and vendors echoed all around.
Mathien crept closer, slipping between people's legs. His body was heavy, so every step dragged. But he didn't care.
"If there is any place in this world brimming with energy... it must be where humans gather: the market."
But what he didn't expect—
"HEY! FAT ORANGE CAT FULL OF FLEAS HERE!!!"
The scream made everyone turn.
Mathien froze in the middle of the street.
His round body glistened under the golden sunset. His tail hung like a white flag.
"Damn it."
"Whoa! That cat is huge!"
"Careful, it's gonna get stuck in the basket!" "Awww, it's so cute! Look at those cheeks!!"
A group of kids swarmed him. They tugged at his paws, pinched his belly. Someone even stuck a bunch of kangkung leaves on his back.
"NOOOOOO!! I AM THE HEIR TO THE THRONE!!!"
He struggled. Twisted. Zig-zagged toward a pile of rice sacks. Jumped onto a tofu cart. And finally—fell straight into a bucket of fresh fish.
Water splashed.
Mathien landed in a pool of cold water. His body half-submerged, fur soaking wet, and a fish leaped beside him, smacking him in the cheek.
"This is disgraceful."
"This is humiliation."
"But…"
He turned to his right.
A fresh salmon—huge, soft, tempting—flopped slowly beside him, as if reaching out and whispering, "Take me… heir of Valtherion…"
"…I can't resist fate."
"Forgive me, Father."
With the speed of a fat cat driven by destiny, Mathien bit the salmon's tail.
"GRRAUHH-!"
The fish seller screamed. The children laughed. A veggie vendor pointed, "Hey, the cat's stealing a fish!!"
But it was too late.
Mathien had already leapt out of the bucket, a giant salmon clenched in his mouth like a warrior returning from battle. He ran through the market alley, soaked and slippery, but… victorious. His belly heavy, his fur slimy, and his movement... like a flying rice cake.
People still laughed.
"This is not my end."
"I SHALL RETURN WITH MY DIGNITY INTACT!!"
And with one dramatic leap—only high enough to reach half a crate—he disappeared beneath a vegetable cart.
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Evening crept in. The sky darkened, and the market noise slowly faded. The clamor was replaced by carts being dragged home, and chickens retreating to their coops.
Behind stacks of empty sacks and wooden boards, a wet, round orange cat crouched silently.
Mathien.
With a whole salmon before him—fresh, tender, and irresistible. The first few bites were hesitant. But then…
GRUKK. CHRUP. KRRSSKKK.
"This… is too good."
"Do Earth's humans really live like this? Eating salmon without summoning magic?" "No wonder this world is in chaos. They're spoiled by flavor."
He devoured it with hunger. One piece. Then another. Until nothing was left but tiny bones and oily stains on the wooden floor.
Then…
Mathien stopped.
His body tensed. His nose lifted high. His eyes widened slightly. The air around him seemed to flow straight into his pores.
"What is this…?"
His body began to glow faintly. A soft mist of magic swirled around his front paw. His eyes… gleamed a bright blue.
"This power… finally."
"After two days of being a helpless creature."
Mathien stood firm. He was still a cat. Still round. But inside, the soul of a prince had reignited.
And even more shocking—
A deep voice came out of his tiny mouth.
"Finally… I can speak again."
He froze.
His mouth still slightly open.
He looked down at his paw. Then tried again.
"This… is my voice."
"Not full. Not complete. But it's a start." "Salmon. Turns out the key… is Earth's food called salmon."
He chuckled. Softly, but echoing.
"Heh. This world is not ready for my return."
Suddenly, from a distance, Hana's voice rang out.
"CHIROOOOOO-!! WHERE ARE YOUUUU?!"
Mathien froze. His face stiffened.
"Crap."
"She's coming."
That voice echoed from the now quiet market alley.
Mathien, still standing on a stack of sacks with bits of salmon stuck to his face, instinctively turned. His eyes widened.
"She's back. Oh gods, that voice... it pierces my soul."
He immediately turned and jumped down from the sacks.
Plop.
He landed softly, but heavily. His belly jiggled right then left. His tail dragged behind.
"I must leave. I must escape that shrill voice before she—"
"AH!! THERE YOU ARE!!"
Mathien whipped around.
Hana stood a few meters behind him, breathless but eyes sparkling.
"Chiro! You ended up in the market?! I looked all over the village for you! Oh my gosh, look at your belly—it's all wet!"
"I'm not Chiro—!!"
"And that's not a belly, it's—"
"Wait, are you carrying a fish?"
Mathien spun around and ran.
Or tried to.
His body swayed side to side, paws scrambling against the rough pavement, each leap resembling a rubber ball with no sense of direction.
"Move, body! Come on, Mathien! You're the heir, not... a circus cat!"
"CHIROOOO—!!"
Hana chased after him.
She kept running down the narrow path, her hair flying in the wind, her bag swinging. Panting, yet smiling to herself.
"Don't run away again! Are you trying to disappear like earlier?!"
Mathien tried to speed up—but damn, the road was full of pebbles.
Hana didn't see one of them.
And then—
"W-WAAAHHH!!"
THUD!!
Hana tripped on a stone, her body flung forward and crashed awkwardly. Her bag flew, and her face landed square on a used banana leaf.
"UGHH…"
Mathien paused.
Turned back.
He saw Hana rolling slowly, hair a mess, cheek pressed to the leaf, her mouth half-open as she muttered weakly, "ow…"
"..."
"She's a fool. Truly a fool."
"But why... does my chest…"
He looked down.
Then let out a long sigh.
"Ireally am cursed… by this world."
🌸🌸🌸