They ran through a narrow alley, down a dirt path, and past an old wooden fence marking the edge of someone's yard. Hana's breathing was heavy, sweat dampening her temples, but her legs kept moving, carrying the small, jostling body of Mathien in her arms.
Until finally—
A stretch of green opened before them.
The flower field, now quiet as the sun leaned toward the west, spread like a living carpet along the edge of a crystal-clear river. Afternoon light danced across the water's surface, shimmering softly. A gentle breeze carried the scent of damp earth and wildflowers.
Hana came to a stop.
Her steps faltered.
Haaah… haaah…
She dropped to her knees in the soft grass, sitting back on her heels as she gulped for air. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair a tangled mess, sweat sliding down from her temples.
She set Mathien down. The cat landed with a soft thump, his round body trembling slightly from the bumpy ride.
"'Hold on,' you said?" Mathien muttered, glancing up at her. "I think I nearly lost a rib."
Hana didn't answer.
She just let out a small laugh. A laugh tired to the bone… yet somehow full of relief.
"I swear I thought they were going to beat me up," she said, wiping her face. "But I hit first. I… I smacked Yela with my bag."
Mathien sat down, flicking his tail, watching the girl bow her head toward the grass.
The wind blew again. Leaves swayed. The river flowed calmly.
No more shouting. No one chasing them. Just the sound of nature, and the two of them sitting side by side at the edge of what could have been a disaster.
Mathien glanced at her again.
And for some reason, in that silence, his chest felt warm again.
Hana was still kneeling, head lowered as she fiddled with the loose lace of her shoe. Her breathing had steadied, though her hair was still wild and her clothes rumpled from running so far with a fat cat in her arms.
Beside her, Mathien sat neatly in the grass, his tail curled around him. His gaze wasn't the usual—no disgust, no mocking look. Just quiet… and fixed on the small girl.
Hana bit her lower lip.
Then let out a little chuckle.
"Funny, isn't it?" she said softly. "I was scared to death, but you're the one who had to run away with me."
Mathien lifted his head but didn't answer, only tilting it slightly.
"I thought you'd run off on your own and leave me at school."
"I am not the kind of low creature who abandons an ally during a retreat."
"Ally?" Hana looked up and smiled. "We're allies now?"
Mathien snorted, turning his gaze to the river.
"That term only applies during emergencies."
Hana ducked her head again, but her smile grew wider. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them.
"I'm glad you came."
Mathien stole another glance. Her face wasn't as bright as usual, but there was an honest glimmer in her eyes—a glimmer quietly pulling him deeper without him realizing it.
"You may be noisy. Pushy. Far too confident for a mere commoner…"
"Yeah?"
"At least you can run fast."
Hana burst into laughter.
Her eyes narrowed, her cheeks flushed. And that laugh… it was like the morning music in a palace garden—light, cheerful, and utterly genuine.
Mathien couldn't hold back anymore. He stepped closer, let out a quiet huff, and leaned his round body against her leg.
Hana blinked in surprise, then turned slowly.
"Chiro?"
"Don't ruin this moment with that ridiculous name," Mathien muttered lazily.
But he didn't move away.
Hana's smile softened. She stroked his head gently, her fingers sliding through his smooth orange fur.
"I'm glad you're here."
Mathien didn't reply. But his tail curled tighter, and his eyes slowly closed.
And by the river, under a calm twilight sky, two beings from different worlds leaned against each other—one with a body full of magic and the dignity of nobility, the other with a warm heart unbroken despite everything life had thrown at her.
For a moment—there was no palace, no magic, no looming shadows.
Only Hana and Mathien.
And a closeness quietly growing into something far greater than they could imagine.
Hana kept stroking his head, fingers combing through the fine fur with slow, affectionate motions. Her breathing was calm now, and she giggled once or twice when the fur tickled her palm.
What she didn't realize was—Mathien felt something different too.
There was a current—warm, soft, and strangely… pure. It seeped into him with every touch. Not from salmon, not from magic rituals, not from royal incantations—but from the small hand of a human who knew nothing of magic.
Mathien shifted slightly. His body tingled.
Strange… he thought.
Is this… what they call resonance?
He tried to stand, but instead felt weightless, as if floating. Then, without warning, his magic surged—spreading from his chest through every part of him. A faint blue glow began to shine from his fur, spilling into the grass.
Hana's hand froze.
"Uh…?"
The fat cat began to glow.
"Uh—UH?!"
Mathien's whole body lit up—so bright Hana scrambled backward in panic, falling onto her rear. The grass around them rustled violently, as if whipped by a wind from within.
"CHIROOOO?!"
A crystalline chime rang out. And then, in a heartbeat—
The light burst upward, spiraling into the sky…
…and vanished.
What remained was a young man—kneeling in the grass, black hair falling over part of his face, eyes glowing winter-sky blue, and a tall frame draped in a deep blue robe embroidered with gold.
Hana froze.
She didn't just freeze—she completely stopped functioning.
Because where her fat, annoying cat had been moments ago now knelt someone who looked straight out of a fairytale. Not the cheap kind—the exclusive kind, dripping with mystery and stardust.
Mathien lifted his head, meeting her wide-eyed stare, his own breath uneven.
"I think you touched me a little too much."
Hana was speechless.
Her mouth hung open.
"I changed?"
"YES YOU CHANGED!!" Hana shrieked, leaping back and pointing at him with trembling hands.
"THAT… THAT IS NOT NORMAL!!"
Mathien sighed, running a lazy hand through his hair before standing gracefully. His long robe swayed in the breeze, his tall frame towering beneath the twilight sky.
"I suppose it's time we had a serious talk about who I really am."
"W-W-WAIT!! I'M NOT MENTALLY READY FOR THIS!!" Hana spun around, her face burning red all the way to her ears.
"DON'T MOVE!! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!!"
"I am wearing clothes."
"CLOTHES THAT HUMANS WEAR!!"
Mathien took a long breath, then smirked.
"And for the hundredth time… Not Chiro—call me His Highness, Prince Mathien of Valtherion."
Hana could only let out a strangled scream… before dropping back onto the grass with her face buried in her hands, her heart pounding wildly.
One thing was certain—
That day, Hana's life changed again.
And all because she cared too much for her fat cat.
Hana stayed on the ground, both hands covering half her face, peeking out between her fingers.
"L-listen, Mathien—"
"His Highness Prince—"
"LISTEN FIRST!" Hana jabbed a finger toward the bushes. "This is an open field! Anyone could walk by and see you like this!"
Mathien turned his head slowly, scanning the area, then back at her. "And?"
"And you're tall. Handsome. Wearing something way too flashy. You stand out!"
She scrambled to her feet, dusting her knees, and marched up to him.
"If anyone in the village sees, I can't exactly explain why a random noble just appeared in the middle of a field—especially not one who just burst out of a ball of light and used to be my fat cat!"
Mathien frowned, clearly displeased. "I don't like being told to turn back into a four-legged lowlife."
"But if you stay like this, you'll get caught!"
"Who would dare lay a—"
Hana reached out and pinched his cheek before he could finish.
"OW—! ARE YOU INSANE?!"
"Come on. Cat. Now." She stared him down, her expression dead serious despite the redness in her face.
Mathien snorted, glancing up at the sky as if asking the gods for patience.
"A noble does not take orders from—"
"A cat can be carried home. A tall human like you? You'll have to walk. Through the village. In broad daylight."
Silence.
Mathien closed his eyes. A flicker of blue light wrapped around him again, magic stirring—and in seconds, his body shrank… shrank… until once again, a plump orange furball sat on the grass, looking utterly resentful.
"Happy now?" he grumbled.
Hana let out a relieved sigh.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
She smiled, lifting him gently back into her arms. And though Mathien's expression was sour, his cheek still rested against Hana's warm shoulder.
In silence, they walked along the riverbank toward home.
Neither of them realized—that what had happened today was only the beginning of a much bigger change to come.
From behind the tall trees across the field, someone stood silently. His form blended with the trunk of an ancient tree, his black cloak billowing softly in the evening breeze. One eye was covered by a silver patch engraved with the royal crest, while the other glowed faintly—not from reflected light, but from magic.
He didn't blink, his gaze locked on the small orange creature in the girl's arms.
Then, a thin smile curved his lips.
"So you really have been hiding in a place like this…"
He touched the crystal pendant at his neck. The stone pulsed faintly, as if responding to the magic flaring strongly in the distance.
"I've found it."
The words were barely above a whisper, yet carried the chill of creeping night fog.
His cloak swirled as he turned away, leaving fallen leaves in his wake.
Above, the clouds thickened—as if reacting to the movement of someone who should not exist in the human world.
And in the quiet of that small village…
The hunt had already begun.
🌸🌸🌸