Following our escape from the royal gathering, we found ourselves nestled in a forgotten corner of the castle. The book, Ultimate Assassin's Secrets, was securely wedged between my palms, though at that moment, reading it held little appeal. There was something far more compelling—something that drew my attention and held me in its grip.
This book was no ordinary tome. It pulsed with a strange energy, an undercurrent of magic that vibrated through my fingertips. It wasn't just a guide for assassins, I realized. This book knew things—secrets, ancient lore, and forgotten truths. As my eyes traced the cryptic text, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. There was something oddly familiar about it, as though I'd known this book all my life, though I couldn't put my finger on why.
The book fluttered open to a page I hadn't seen before, revealing a chapter title that made my breath catch in my throat:
"Mochi, The Cat Assassin: Past and Present"
I froze. The name—Mochi. It was me.
For a moment, the world seemed to tilt, spinning on its axis, until all that was left was this chapter. This revelation. I had always recalled fleeting fragments of my past life as a cat—fragments of fur, of sunlight, of a child I loved. But now, on these pages, the pieces I had long buried came into sharp focus, as if the book itself held the answers I never knew I was seeking.
The tale began innocently enough—my days as a seemingly inconspicuous house cat, the companion to a young girl. We had been inseparable—chasing shadows, curling up together at night, the simple pleasures of a cat's life.
But it was the next part that struck me—the part I had never truly understood until now.
The fire.
The chapter described the blaze that had torn through the house, engulfing everything in its path. But what struck me, what made my heart race and my chest tighten, was the way it described my actions in that moment:
"Mochi, the cat, was a brave cat. When the fire erupted, engulfing the house in flames, it was her instincts that guided her to the little girl. The child's shrieks pierced the smoke, and Mochi, fearlessly, sprinted into the flames. Her own safety, second thoughts—none. The only consideration on her mind was to save the one she cherished. As she dragged the child out from under a collapsed beam, she received the full force of the damage. The building collapsed around them, and Mochi was killed there, the sole survivor who would understand the full extent of her sacrifice."
The words seared into my mind, the vivid imagery almost too much to bear. I had always known I had died in the flames, but I had never fully understood the depth of that sacrifice until now. I had jumped into the inferno without a second thought, driven only by the need to save the child I had loved with all my heart. There had been no glory, no recognition, just a simple act of devotion.
The book then shifted, moving to the present, to this life. To me.
I turned the page, my fingers trembling, desperate to understand how this was connected to who I was now. And then I saw it—another entry:
"Mochi, reincarnated now as a human, bears within her the same ferocity of spirit she did in her former life. Though now her intellect is sharper, her abilities refined by the hardships of a life lived in the shadows, she still carries the weight of the love and devotion she once bestowed. But there is something more. A decision awaits—a decision that will require a sacrifice of its own."
"Will Mochi, the cat, once again be tied to the same passion she felt in her previous existence?"
I gasped, my chest tightening as the words swirled in my mind. A decision. A choice I would have to make.
Before I could process it any further, something strange happened. The pages of the book fluttered, as if caught in a wind that didn't exist. The ink began to blur and twist, the words stretching and distorting until they disappeared entirely. Panic surged through me as I reached out, trying to grasp the book, but it was already slipping from my fingers, the pages evaporating into the air.
"No," I whispered, my voice breaking. "No, no, don't do this."
Rael, who had been pacing nearby, spun around at my panicked cry. His expression twisted into one of confusion and concern as he saw the space where the book had been.
"What the hell just happened?" he demanded.
"I... I don't know," I stammered, still shaking. "It was writing about me—about my life as a cat. The fire. My sacrifice. And then it just... vanished."
Rael's brow furrowed. "Vanished? What does that even mean?"
I stood, running my hands through my hair in disbelief, the weight of the book's words still crushing me. "It's like it knew everything. My past, my present. The choice I have to make. The sacrifice I'll have to face."
Rael stepped closer, his voice suddenly serious. "A choice? What kind of choice?"
"I don't know," I whispered, the words tangled in my throat. "But I think it's connected to everything happening right now. To the choices we're making. Something big is coming, Rael. And I don't think I'll be able to escape it."
Rael's expression softened, a rare intensity in his eyes. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it together."
But even as I said those words, doubt twisted in my stomach. What would I have to sacrifice this time?