In a distant corner of space, a small spacecraft floated like a beaten-up white van drifting through the void. Its surface was scratched, dented, and clearly showing the wear of countless journeys. Inside, a tall man, Mas, roughly twenty-seven, with a lean yet muscular frame, dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants, and wearing black sneakers, muttered angrily to himself. A faint mustache traced his upper lip, giving him a rugged sort of charm.
"Damn it! Just my luck… why now? Why does it have to break now?" he cursed under his breath. "Is there even a place on this planet to fix this ship? Come on… let us survive this…" His eyes narrowed, jaw tight, face etched with tension, every word carrying the weight of desperation.
Next to him, Ruby sat cross-legged, calmly nibbling on a chocolate bar. Her short black hair framed a delicate face, cat ears twitched, and a tail flicked behind her. Her piercing blue eyes contrasted with her pale skin, while twin strands of hair fell neatly on either side of her face under side-swept bangs. Dressed in a white shirt under a black cloak and a red skirt, she exuded a quiet confidence.
"Mas… calm down," she said softly, her voice carrying a playful purr. "I don't think it's that dangerous. Just focus on controlling it and landing safely. That's all you need to do, meow."
Mas shot her a frustrated glare. "You're crazy, meow! Why don't you try flying this thing, huh? And don't think I've forgotten—this mess? Your fault. Who spent all the repair money on snacks? The place is a disaster! And that… did you just throw trash in my ship?"
Ruby's expression didn't falter. Instead, she smiled brightly, tilting her head. "Really? Me? Meow~"
And then, chaos erupted. The spacecraft plummeted toward Earth.
"Ahhh! You damn cat!" Mas roared as the van-shaped ship crashed near a mountain. The impact shook the ground, throwing up clouds of dust and debris. A wide grassy field, bordered by forests and nearly ten kilometers from the nearest town, received the twisted wreck. Boom! The ship landed amidst trees, now a mangled heap of metal and smoke.
Mas blinked, coughing from the dust. "Still alive… thank god, not dead yet…"
"See? Told you, meow," Ruby said, hopping down from the wreckage, her tail flicking playfully as she surveyed the scene.
The two began to walk away from the wrecked ship. Mas turned to Ruby. "Ruby… go find something to eat. I'll look for parts to fix the ship."
Ruby tilted her head, blinking. "Huh? Me? But I don't have any money from this world… just chocolate. Want some, meow?"
Mas groaned, exasperated. "Who even brought you along? Ugh… fine. You can stay here and guard the ship."
Ruby's lips curved into a sly, almost mischievous smile. "Sure… meow," she said, a glint of curiosity in her eyes, as if plotting something that only she knew.
Meanwhile, back in his own apartment, Kai returned to his quiet room, alone. "So boring… might as well shower and sleep," he muttered.
He took a shower, dried himself, changed into comfortable clothes, and settled into bed. Soft music filled the room as he drifted into thought.
"Why… why are lives so short? In the blink of an eye, everything is gone… and yet, people chase after everything—things, money, power—knowing it all ends the same way. Why can't we just stop thinking for a while?" His mind swirled with an uneasy melancholy. Slowly, he let himself drift into sleep.
Suddenly, he felt frozen. His body wouldn't move. Fear gripped him. "What… what is happening? No… no, I don't want to die!"
He raised his hands. Translucent. His vision flickered with shifting lights, confusing images, and strange, surreal visions. A voice echoed in his mind:
"Don't forget… you must remember… you will remember!"
Kai's eyes shot open. White light stretched infinitely, interspersed with the vastness of space. Awe and confusion battled inside him as another voice whispered:
"It's time for you to return."
Heart pounding, he sat up in bed. "What… what just happened? It felt so real… and yet… so good. What was that?"
He swung his legs off the bed, standing slowly. Thoughts raced: "I'm starving. I need something to eat." Glancing at the clock: 1 AM.
"Lucky… the convenience store is still open. Rice porridge with egg, maybe some chocolate milk… yeah, that'll do."
Kai left his apartment, grabbed his food, paid at the counter, and walked back home, head down, lost in thought.
From a dark corner by a trash pile, a soft sound reached his ears. Curious, he turned and spotted a small cat, rubbing against the discarded items.
"Where… am I? This feels… nice… meow," the cat murmured, looking up at him with bright, curious eyes.