Reed felt strangely peaceful as he lay on the cold asphalt road stained with blood beneath the darkening crimson sky.
His body hurt.
Every breath burned his lungs.
Yet despite the pain, his mind felt calm.
Almost too calm.
Beside him, resting weakly in his arms, was a gray tabby cat no longer breathing.
A faint smile formed on Reed's lips as he gently stroked the cat's fur.
"Looks like we'll be following you too, Mom…"
His voice sounded small beneath the distant noise of the city.
Reed's father had abandoned him and his mother shortly after he was born. Since then, it had always been the two of them struggling together in their tiny apartment.
His mother worked endlessly just to keep them alive.
Even when exhausted, she always smiled for him.
Then one birthday, when Reed was still young, she came home carrying a small trembling kitten wrapped in an old towel.
The kitten had gray striped fur and sharp little eyes filled with attitude.
"From now on, his name is Mr. Tabby," his mother had declared proudly.
At first, Reed and the kitten never got along.
Mr. Tabby scratched his hands.
Reed complained constantly.
The two fought over food, sleeping spots, and sometimes absolutely nothing.
But somehow…
They still stayed together.
Years passed quietly until one day Reed's mother collapsed from illness brought by years of overworking herself.
After the funeral, the apartment became unbearably silent.
Only Reed and Mr. Tabby remained.
The two lonely souls slowly learned to depend on each other.
Reed started working part-time jobs while attending school just to survive. Every morning Mr. Tabby would cling to his leg as if begging him not to leave.
Perhaps the cat feared being abandoned again.
Reed always reassured him before heading out.
Eventually, balancing work and school became impossible. Reed dropped out and began working full-time instead.
Five years passed like that.
Just Reed and Mr. Tabby against the world.
Tonight was no different.
After finishing work, Reed walked home carrying a small bag of canned cat food.
Whiskas.
Mr. Tabby's favorite.
The evening streets glowed orange beneath the setting sun as Reed quietly walked through the familiar neighborhood. Looking around, memories of his mother surfaced one after another.
The convenience store where she used to buy him snacks.
The park where she rested after work.
The old streetlight she always complained about.
Without realizing it, Reed had already reached home.
Standing in front of the small house, he searched through his pocket for the keys.
"Mr. Tabby! I'm home!"
The moment he called out, Reed saw movement across the street.
A gray blur dashed toward him.
Mr. Tabby.
The cat ran excitedly across the road after hearing his voice.
Then Reed saw it.
Headlights.
A speeding truck racing straight toward the cat.
"TABBY!"
Everything happened in an instant.
Reed didn't think.
Didn't hesitate.
For a brief second, he thought he saw his mother's silhouette overlapping with Mr. Tabby's tiny body.
And he ran.
He sprinted forward with all his strength and reached out desperately toward the cat.
At the final moment, Mr. Tabby leaped into his arms.
Reed hugged him tightly and turned his body to shield the cat.
Then—
Pain.
A deafening impact echoed through the street.
The bag of cat food scattered across the road.
The world spun violently before darkness swallowed everything.
…
…
When Reed opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at the crimson sky.
Warm liquid spread beneath him.
Blood.
His blood.
The truck that hit them had already disappeared into the distance.
Reed weakly lowered his gaze toward the cat in his arms.
"Mr… Tabby…"
No response came.
The gray tabby remained motionless.
Reed's vision blurred.
His body was growing colder by the second.
Yet strangely enough…
He wasn't afraid.
He only felt tired.
Very tired.
The crimson sky above him slowly darkened as his consciousness faded away.
And eventually—
Everything went black.
...
...
A cool breeze brushed against Reed's face.
Birds chirped softly nearby.
The smell of grass and soil filled the air.
"…Mr. Tabby… let me sleep a little longer…"
Reed muttered unconsciously while feeling something rub against his hand.
"Meow~"
His eyes slowly opened.
Above him stretched a canopy of enormous trees swaying gently in the wind.
Reed blinked in confusion.
"…Huh?"
The soft sensation rubbing against him continued.
Looking down, Reed saw Mr. Tabby alive and purring happily beside him.
Reed froze.
His mind became blank.
"…Wait."
He immediately sat up and stared at the cat.
"Didn't we die?!"
Mr. Tabby simply tilted his head innocently.
Reed quickly touched his own body.
No wounds.
No broken bones.
No blood.
"I… I'm alive?"
His breathing became uneven.
The last thing he remembered was the truck.
The pain.
The blood.
Dying beneath the red sky.
So why—
Rustle.
Mr. Tabby suddenly stood up alertly.
The fur on his body rose as he stared toward the nearby bushes.
Reed's heart tightened.
Only then did he finally notice his surroundings properly.
A massive unfamiliar forest stretched endlessly around them. Trees towered overhead while strange glowing plants grew beneath the shade.
This was definitely not Earth.
Slowly, something emerged from the bushes.
A wolf.
Its body looked thin and malnourished while an ugly wound stretched across its stomach.
Saliva dripped from its mouth as hungry eyes locked onto Reed and Mr. Tabby.
The beast growled deeply.
Reed's entire body stiffened.
The wolf lowered itself—
Then lunged.
"SHIT!"
Reed grabbed Mr. Tabby and desperately rolled out of the way just as the wolf crashed into the ground where they had been moments earlier.
The beast snarled angrily before turning back toward them.
Reed's breathing quickened.
"What do I do…?!"
Before he could think further, Mr. Tabby suddenly jumped out of his arms.
"Tabby!"
The gray cat stood fearlessly before the much larger wolf.
"Come back here! Don't do something reckless!"
Mr. Tabby glanced back at Reed and meowed softly.
Then Reed noticed it.
A faint light surrounded the cat's body.
Before Reed could process what he was seeing, Mr. Tabby pounced.
The small cat landed directly onto the wolf's face, scratching wildly.
The wolf howled in fury and violently shook its body.
Mr. Tabby was thrown away and slammed hard against a nearby tree.
"MR. TABBY!"
The wolf immediately lunged toward the defenseless cat.
Reed moved instinctively.
He rushed forward and kicked the wolf's head with all his strength.
The impact made the beast stagger sideways.
Pain shot through Reed's leg, but he ignored it and quickly stood protectively in front of Mr. Tabby.
The wolf growled furiously.
Then it attacked again.
Suddenly—
"CAW!"
An ear-piercing cry echoed through the forest.
The wolf suddenly stumbled in pain as if struck by something invisible.
A shadow flashed past Reed.
Steel glimmered.
Slash.
The wolf's body froze.
A second later, blood burst into the air.
"Awooooo—!"
Its dying cry echoed through the forest before the beast collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Silence returned.
Reed stared blankly at the scene.
A man stood before the dead wolf holding a sword stained with blood.
He had raven-black hair, sharp features, and calm gray eyes.
The man sheathed his sword before turning toward Reed.
"Are you alright, boy?"
Reed snapped out of his daze.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
His voice shook slightly after witnessing the wolf's death.
The man approached calmly and extended a hand toward him.
"Here. Let me help you up."
Reed hesitated briefly before taking it.
"Thank you for saving us," Reed said sincerely. "We almost became wolf poop."
The man blinked once before laughing quietly.
"Well, that's one way to put it."
Mr. Tabby rubbed against Reed's leg proudly as if demanding praise.
The man observed the cat curiously before speaking again.
"More importantly… how did the two of you end up this deep in the forest?"
Reed hesitated.
"I… don't really know."
The man raised an eyebrow.
"The last thing I remember," Reed continued slowly, "is dying after getting hit by a truck."
Silence fell briefly.
The man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I see…"
Though his expression remained calm, something flickered within his gaze.
As if he had just confirmed a suspicion.
Eventually, he sighed softly and looked toward the forest path ahead.
"Whatever the case, this place isn't safe for you."
He turned back toward Reed.
"There's a city nearby. I can take you there first, then we'll figure things out afterward."
Relief immediately filled Reed's face.
"Really?! Thank you so much!"
The man nodded.
"Come along then."
Reed picked up Mr. Tabby and followed after the mysterious swordsman through the unfamiliar forest.
Neither of them noticed the faint crimson glow briefly flickering within Mr. Tabby's golden eyes.
Their journey in another world had just begun.