Life Beyond End

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The girl I had saved kept hugging me. Tight. Too tight.

I could feel the weight of her body pressing into mine, and if I'm being honest, I wasn't sure if it was a hug or some sort of human-sized bear trap.

Okay, this is fine. She's scared. But I can't even breathe anymore!

"O-okay... c-could you let me go now...?" I asked, voice croaking from the lack of air. I probably sounded like I was gasping for my life, which, in a way, I kind of was.

The girl blinked, then suddenly pulled back, her face a bright shade of red. "O-oh... I'm sorry..." she said, looking more embarrassed than I'd expected. "I was scared..."

I couldn't help it. I grinned. I mean, how could I not? She'd been hanging onto me like I was her lifeline, but now she was apologizing, looking all flustered. I must've looked like an idiot too, standing there with my arms up, half-suffocated, and trying not to fall over.

"No, it's okay," I said, laughing a little. "You don't have to apologize!"

Okay, Flynn, that was cringe. Stop acting like a dork.

I straightened up, trying to regain some composure.

She smiled a little, but it didn't last long. Her eyes went wide again as she looked me over, her face lighting up with awe. "You... you defeated all of those guys... single-handedly!"

Yeah... well, when they're weak as hell, it's not that impressive.

I didn't want to come off as bragging, so I tried to downplay it. "Yeah, but they were pretty weak," I said, casually shrugging it off.

The girl looked like she was trying to process what I'd just said. She blinked a few times, clearly still surprised. Then, like a lightbulb going off in her head, she asked, "What race are you?" Her voice was filled with curiosity, like she had just stumbled upon something rare and valuable.

Oh. Shit.

I wasn't sure what the right answer was. Was I supposed to lie? That probably wasn't a good idea, considering how bad of a liar I was.

"Well... just human," I replied, scratching the back of my neck. "Pure human."

She froze.

Wait, did I say something wrong?

I watched her expression shift from disbelief to outright shock. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and she leaned forward as if trying to confirm what I just said. "What!? You're human!?"

I frowned, confused. "Yeah, I'm human. What's wrong?"

Her face scrunched up like I had just told her I was from another planet. "H-humans are the weakest race in the world!" she exclaimed, as if I had just dropped the biggest bombshell of her life.

Humans? Are we really that weak?

I didn't know how to respond. Was that a common opinion? Had I missed something in this world's history? Sure, I was pretty sure humans weren't at the top of the food chain, but weak? Really?

Before I could ask more questions, I noticed something—a small movement at the corner of my vision. Her ears.

Wait. Hold on.

My gaze snapped to her head, and I stared, processing what I saw.

"Y-you're a cat!?" I blurted out.

She froze, looking even more embarrassed than before. Her face was now as red as a tomato, and she fidgeted with her fingers, avoiding eye contact. "Y-yeah..." she mumbled.

I couldn't help myself. My jaw nearly hit the ground. A cat? Really?

Her ears twitched slightly, and she nervously tugged on a strand of her hair. Her tail, though, was wagging furiously, almost like it had a mind of its own. It wasn't exactly what you'd call dignified behavior for someone who just took down a bunch of thugs, but it was... cute.

Get a hold of yourself, Flynn. Get a grip.

I shook my head. Focus.

Okay, so I'm talking to a half-human, half-cat girl. I didn't think that was going to be my day when I woke up. And I definitely didn't expect her to be the one asking me questions after I just saved her. But it's fine, I guess.

Okay, calm down. First things first. Don't look like an idiot.

I took a deep breath, trying to regain some sense of control. "Alright, first things first," I said, trying to sound calm. "Tell me your name."

She blinked, caught off guard by my sudden shift in tone. "My name?" she repeated, a bit surprised. Then she straightened up, trying to compose herself. "It's Jane. Jane Ivis."

I nodded, making a mental note of it. "Nice to meet you, Jane."

Then it was my turn to introduce myself. "I'm Flynn Neworld."

There was a brief moment of silence, like she was processing the sound of my name. I didn't know why it felt weird to say it. Maybe because I wasn't sure what was going to come next. Maybe because everything about this encounter felt like it was heading somewhere I couldn't predict.

But... wait. What's this now?

I noticed her right ear twitch again. It wasn't much, but it was enough to catch my attention. And then I saw it. Her tail, still wagging like crazy.

Is she... happy?

I didn't know what to make of it. Was this her way of showing affection? Was I that interesting to her? Or was she just nervous?

Oh god, I think I'm blushing.

I quickly looked away, pretending I didn't notice. Damn it, Flynn. You're not a teenager anymore. Get it together.

"So..." I began, trying to break the awkward silence. "You're, uh, part cat, huh?"

She nodded again, her face still flushed. "Y-yeah, I'm a catkin," she said, looking almost shy now.

I raised an eyebrow. "Catkin?"

She giggled nervously, shrugging. "It's, uh, what we call people like me. We're, uh, kind of a mix of human and cat... you know, with the ears, the tail, the agility..."

Agility, huh? I'm starting to get it.

I took a step back, letting everything settle in my mind. The whole thing was weird. Part of me wanted to laugh, part of me was still processing the fact that I was talking to someone who wasn't fully human.

And then, I caught a glimpse of her again—her tail, still wagging, and those big, cat-like eyes staring back at me.

I let out a small sigh.

She's cute. God, stop it, Flynn. Stop acting like a teenager. I mean, I am still a child... but physically!

I forced myself to refocus, trying not to get lost in her innocent charm. This situation was too strange to be thinking about stuff like that.

"Anyway, how old are you, Jane?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me. I had to know. She seemed so... I don't know, mature, for a kid. So, it only made sense to ask.

"Im six!" she replied, her eyes lighting up like Christmas lights.

Six?

I blinked, taking that in for a second. I could've sworn I saw a smirk tug at her lips.

Damn. She's older than me. Physically, at least.

I let out a sigh, feeling the weight of my embarrassment. "Five," I muttered, a little too quietly, hoping she wouldn't catch it.

But, of course, she did.

Her lips curled into a smile, and she started giggling, her little hands covering her mouth.

Great. Just great. Now I feel like a kid again. Or worse... a little brother.

I crossed my arms, doing my best to look serious, but I could feel my cheeks heat up. "What's so funny about that?" I grumbled, trying to hide the embarrassment.

She shook her head, still laughing under her breath. "N-nothing! It's just... someone like you is so strong..." she said, barely holding back another chuckle.

I couldn't help but scowl, feeling even more childish now. Mentally, I'm way older than you. I mean, come on, I've been through some stuff. Does that count for anything?

But as much as I wanted to argue, the whole thing just felt... silly. In a way, it was kind of nice, hearing someone laugh so freely after the chaos we'd just been through.

Still, I had to keep up appearances. I'm an adult. Sort of.

The awkward moment stretched for a second, but then the weight of our situation hit me again.

Okay, enough with the kid stuff. We need a plan. A real one.

We weren't going to stand here forever, joking around. We needed to figure out where we were going.

I glanced around the ruined farmyard. The place was trashed—burnt-out remnants of what looked like a once-functioning farm, the soil charred and cracked, the trees broken from my skill. I could still feel the residual energy in the air, like a faint, lingering pulse.

It didn't take a genius to know we couldn't stay here. Not unless we wanted to end up like the farm.

"Flynn?" Jane's voice broke through my thoughts, soft and a little hesitant. She was looking up at me, her face serious now. "Where are we going to go after this?"

I knew she was going to ask that eventually. Hell, I'd been expecting it from the moment we walked away from the mess I caused. But that didn't mean I had any good answers.

"I don't really know," I said, my voice dropping slightly. I tried to keep my tone light, but it came out more like an apology. Not the best answer, I know.

She frowned slightly, her ears twitching at the uncertainty. "Maybe we could camp outside the forest," I added, trying to sound more hopeful. It was an option, at least. We could lay low for a while, find somewhere quiet.

But then, I saw it. Her tail.

It straightened up—completely still for a second, as if some sort of signal had gone off inside her.

I know that look. I've played enough dating games to recognize the signs.

She had an idea. I wasn't sure if it was a good one, but I could tell she was about to throw it at me.

"Flynn," she said, her voice suddenly more energetic, "We could go to the city where I live in!"

I blinked. City?

Not a village. Not a town. But a full-on city.

A city in the middle of a forest. That didn't seem right. The forest barely looked like it had room for anything, let alone a city.

I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to sound rude, but... a city? It just didn't make sense.

I opened my mouth to question her, but I stopped myself. She's probably not lying. I saved her, after all. But this sounds like a stretch.

She must have seen the doubt on my face because she quickly added, "My parents can help you when we get there!" Her tail was wagging now, and she looked so sure of herself, so confident.

Help me?

I didn't know what kind of help she meant, but it wouldn't hurt to go, right? I didn't have much else to go on, and I really didn't want to end up wandering the forest with no direction. Plus, what was the alternative? Camping out in the open with no idea what dangers might be lurking?

"Alright..." I said, rubbing my temples, my mind racing through the options. "I'll go with you. But don't expect me to babysit you the whole way, alright?"

Her ears perked up at the word "babysit." She looked up at me with wide eyes. "I'm not a baby!" she said, looking offended.

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "I didn't say you were. But you're going to need someone to keep an eye on you. It's dangerous out here."

She grumbled under her breath, but I could tell she wasn't too upset. Guess she's not a fan of being treated like a kid. Can't blame her. But she's still pretty young.

We stood there for a moment, each of us processing the situation in our own way. The idea of heading to some mysterious city didn't sit entirely right with me, but Jane seemed to be convinced it was a good plan. And that was enough for me, at least for now.

Let's just hope this city is real and not some pipe dream she's pulling out of nowhere.

I shifted my weight from foot to foot, thinking it over. Jane seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders, but I didn't know enough about her to trust her completely.

Still, there wasn't much of a choice. She was right about one thing—we couldn't stay here.

"Alright," I said again, this time with more conviction. "Let's go to this city of yours. But I'm warning you... I'm not doing this for free. You better have some answers when we get there."

Her eyes lit up, and I could see the wheels turning in her head. She's planning something. I can feel it.

"I promise," she said, her voice full of determination. "We'll get there, and everything will be fine. My parents will help you."

Her tail gave a little wag again, and I couldn't help but notice how... trusting she looked. Like she believed with all her heart that this was going to work.

I, on the other hand, wasn't so sure.

But it wasn't like I had much of a choice.

"Alright," I repeated, pulling myself together. "Let's go."

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Sorry for the sudden hiatus! Now im back!