MIA
I balanced myself on the police officer's shoulder before hitting the ground, my legs buckling for a split second before instinct took over and pushed me forward again.
Run.
Run.
Run.
Pain shot through my body with every step, but adrenaline drowned it out.
Cars towered around me like walls, horns blaring, people shouting, the entire road thrown into chaos as I darted through it all in a small black blur.
"Catch that cat!"
"Don't let her get away!"
I almost laughed.
Catch me? In this? Good luck, idiots.
I zigzagged between tires, slipped under a bumper, narrowly avoided being stepped on as someone jumped back with a startled yell.
Freedom was right there, so damn close. But my exhausted, barely-functioning body chose that moment to betray me.
My steps faltered for a second. A hand lunged and fingers brushed against my fur.
"No—!"
I twisted mid-run, claws slashing instinctively, earning a sharp curse as I broke free again.
'I didn't come this far to die like this.' "Meow meow!" I muttered under my breath, voice raw but fierce.
This city lockdown was a godsent opportunity for me. Whoever caused it had to be an angel sent to my rescue. There was no way I was letting it go to waste.
…
Sapphire Mansion.
The living room was heavy with a deadly silence. Nobody dared to make eye contact with the man seated upon the couch.
Killian's eyes reflected with a look that was hard to decipher. There was a sense of loss and rage in them.
People in the mansion had long become aware of the fondness that he had for his pet. But at this moment, everybody realized that Jade's importance long surpassed their expectations.
"Young Master, we have locked down the entire city but it's difficult…" Kevin gulped as he reported the matter, "It's difficult to find a kitten."
He felt helpless. Finding a human in a place as vast as the Capital city would have proven to be a challenge in itself but finding a cat? Hand him the rope already, he would rather hang himself.
It was a pity that the cat was lost but nobody could have expected such a violent response from their Young Master. The entire city was in a lockdown.
"And we are not supposed to keep the city locked down for long. It would invite unwanted troubles and attention. If the matter reaches the ancestral mansion, then…"
"So, you are saying you can't find Jade?" Killian tilted his head.
"Young master…"
"I want her back in this mansion, in 24 hours," Killian's words left no space for them to deflect, "For that, whether you have to part the oceans or split the mountains, it doesn't matter."
Kevin's knees weakened. Nobody in the room dared to breathe until Killian rose to his feet and walked upstairs.
"Meow…"
Kevin pushed his little finger inside his ear and twisted it ruthlessly, "Now, I am even hearing things."
"Was it the Little Lady Jade?" The old steward looked in the direction of the Master Bedroom.
Upstairs, Killian was enveloped in a gloomy aura as he pushed open his room door.
Suddenly, his footsteps halted. His eyes locked onto the tiny bulge under the blanket on his bed.
He took a step towards the bed and the bulge moved, a small tail swished and peeked out before a head slid out of the blanket.
A pair of jade-like eyes looked at him, lively and innocent as ever. The heaviness in his heart slowly melted.
"Meow…"
"Jade, you tried to escape?" Killian smiled suddenly.
All the fur on Mia's body stood up. She was still covered in filth of the outside dirt, but she tried to cover it under the blanket as she looked around innocently.
'Escape? Escape where?' "Meow… Meow…"
The sight of complete innocence made Killian chuckle, "Very well."
Mia did not have a good feeling about it.
"It looks like you have grown a pair of wings along with an extra pair of limbs. Hmm?" Killian walked to the bed and flipped the blankets.
Suddenly, Mia froze as his words replayed in her mind.
'It looks like you have grown a pair of wings along with an extra pair of limbs.'
Why did she need to grow an extra pair of limbs when all cats had four? Why did it sound so strange…? Almost like he knew she was a human.
'No, I must be overthinking. How would he know…'
Before Mia could dwell on it further, she found herself floating in the air as the man lifted her by her tail.
'Bastard, put me down. I came back for food, you sicko!' "Meow meow meow!"
"Are you cursing me now?"
'Bastard bastard! Jerk!' "Meow!" Had it not been for the dangerous situation outside, Mia would never have made it back to the Sapphire Mansion after all the efforts she had invested in escaping here.
"Now that you are back, don't even dream about leaving again," Killian smiled and that face looked like an angel's art yet Mia could almost see two glaring red horns atop it.
She did not have a good feeling about the smile on his face.