The night felt almost mystical. The flickering of neon signs brought to life the trash bins and fire escapes — street romance in its purest form. But not everything fit together as neatly as it seemed. Foul-smelling steam rolled out from sewer grates. From deep within a nearby alley came distant screams, followed by hurried footsteps. Somewhere above, the shriek of a police drone was concealed by the noise of the district.
Not far from there, at the corner of a food stall, Cat sat. Poking at cold noodles with a pair of chopsticks, he gazed at the stars and thought about home. Then, suddenly, he froze, his eyes locked at something in front. Someone was approaching fast, with a familiar stride.
“Heads up, fluffy.”
“Doc…”
“We don’t have much time. Let’s shake hands and forget about the fight.”
“You think you can just vanish and then reappear like nothing happened?”
“I was being an idiot. I know that. But it’s not safe here. I’ll explain on the way.”
Cat nodded and followed silently. Memory and logic tangled into a knot — clinging to the professor’s voice, his tone, his face. Something felt… off. It wasn’t just the apology. There was something weird about him. The doubt that was creeping through him gave way to determination. They had a lot to talk about.
