PROLOGUE
The soft grass gently touched my small palm. I grabbed a dandelion and blew it away lightly and watched the white fur fly. I was sitting near a small clearing within a hill covered in forestry.
"You're not a mage with wind magic, stop daydreaming"
I turned my back, and there I saw a tall figure casting her shadow over me
"I'm not, I just like to see..uhm.."
She snickered at me, covering her pearly teeth with her hand, then with the same hand, she patted my head. I could not muster any words to respond, as a child who grew up with parents who would constantly bicker at each other, she was my beacon of joy.
"Come on Sentrik! I was kidding, you can play as much as you want"
She gave me a pleasant smile, which once again made me feel I was loved, my cheeks turn red
"What's wrong? Did you get bitten by a bug?"
She tilted her head and squatted to meet my eye level
She worries about me, takes care of me, and protects me from whatever hurts. She is my Older Sister; Catherine Anwir.
"I-I didn't… is mom and dad–" I was stopped by my sister as she swiftly clapped her hands near my right arm
I jolted in surprise… covering my mouth tightly with my small hands
"Wh-why??" I asked her, what's with the sudden clap for
"There was a fly near your arm!" She quickly stood up
"Anyways I have to check if mister police officer is still there, so stay here! Don't go anywhere while I'm gone!" and just like that she speedily went down the hill
It was almost night time, and I hoped she'd come back sooner
An hour or two and there was still no sign of her
"Uhh… I should've followed her" I was easily scared by everything for as long as I could remember at this age, my sister had protected me from all sorts of things and as I grew up I became dependent on her
It was already getting dark, I could barely see what was in front of me, and I started panicking; all kinds of fear and paranoia swelled in my head
"S-sister…"
"Sister!"
"Catherine!!"
I shouted her name over and over yet what I received was nightly echoes of crickets singing and the cold breeze rustling the trees
But then the forest went silent.
My breathing was scarce like a prey trying not to be found, I hadn't noticed it, but my tears already started falling from my cheeks, and my eyes were blurry from the water that kept rising.
I tried to gain my composure then suddenly a fierce susurration coming from the bushes near the trees was heard
I couldn't help but silently scream as I fell backwards
Honestly… I was such a crybaby back then.
I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes
What came out of the bushes had yellow eyes; slowly it walked towards me
I stood there and watched, till the dim moonlight gradually revealed what it was.
It was a cat, with silky black hair. The moonlight complemented its fur. Its eyes were as yellow as the golden sun
It looked at me; meowing
"Hello there.. Kitty. I thought you were a monster.. Haha.." I wiped off my snot and tears from my face with my shirt then lightly pet the cat's head
The cat didn't mind it, or maybe it did as it never stopped staring at me
"I'm really glad you're here.." I was truly glad.
I was a kid who almost went off panicking into the dense forest back then. if the cat wasn't there, I may have gotten myself lost
Mroow
It meowed one last time as it ran away and went far from the clearing
"Wait!"
"W-wait!" I chased after it, the cat was fast but not enough to the point I couldn't follow.
Trees, branches, and some bushes blocked my path numerous times, but that didn't stop me
Something in my stomach told me not to follow the cat back then, like my instincts were almost screaming to go in the opposite direction
Yet I didn't, more like I couldn't, as if I was charmed by the cat who meowed at me under a moonlit sky, I was determined to chase that cat.
I…
If I could go back to that moment, I would have stopped myself, if only..
I ran and ran after the cat who never looked back
By a hair's breadth, I was so close to catching it into my arms
It took me two seconds.. two seconds to realize…
The cat was gone
So was the ground I stood on
At that moment, like a quick flash in my head, I realized. I was falling from the edge of a cliff.
"SENTRIK!!!"
I heard her shouting my name from behind
Swiftly she grabbed the collar of my shirt, twisted her body, and used herself to push me back up to the ground
I fell on the ground, processing what happened.
Slowly… I forced myself to crawl at the edge of the cliff.
I looked down.
I prayed…
Then prayed and prayed
But there was nothing but stone to cushion her fall.
Despair, or more like darkness, took over my sight, and everything after that was a blur.