Toman's Black Cat

The Choice He Gave You

A few days had passed since they visited me, but I felt hopeful about it. Even if it takes them a while, I hope when I see them again, I can respond with something more than a broken heart.

It's still so crazy. Do they follow each other around or something?

I fixed myself a cup of coffee when I heard a snap. The sound scared me, making me spin in fear and knocking my mug off the counter. Before it shattered on the floor, it froze midair.

Oh no...

"Oh my dear, do you realize I am only doing this for your good!"

I turned to face the voice just in time to see the same black cat shift into its more familiar form. Rage and confusion flooded my veins until a sudden new presence filled the air.

"Mahal..." The familiar voice grabbed my attention with such an intensity, even his eyes widened.

"White Tiger..." I gasped out before hearing the creature suddenly tsk.

"So annoying. Anyway!" The creature exclaimed, prancing quickly to my side, but not before Izana could stand in the way. The stare off caused the lights around me to flicker wildly until the creature put up both hands, taking a few steps back while keeping his eyes on me. "I only came to offer you that choice I mentioned before, Mahal."

The name dripped from his lips like venom causing both me and Izana to flinch although he didn't move from his spot between us.

"I know by now you're use to dying and whatnot by now, but I wanted to warn you that if you do one teensy little thing, then you won't have to worry about your soul dissipating little by little with each death. See, no human can survive being killed over and over again."

He began to pace, taking a look around my apartment, occasionally throwing me a glance. "Surely you've noticed there are things you can't even remember anymore, hmm? Maybe a certain little girl you used to know?"

.....little girl?

I blinked with he sudden realization. "Wait, I thought that was because of Kisaki! The drugs he gave me!"

The creature gave me a pitiful look. "Oh no, my sweet. But that's not important right now, back to your soul!" His look carried a strange sense of determination, but also something I couldn't place my finger on.

"Mahal, you don't need to listen to him."

"Says one of the main jerks who kept getting her killed! Wow!"

I turned to a frozen Izana. He turned slowly to me with eyes filled with regret. "What...?"

"As I was saying! So many interruptions. I may or may not know that you will die again very soon! If you keep dying, your soul will be gone and being reborn or whatever, won't ever happen again. However..."

The air turned cold as he approached but stopped only a few steps away. "If you kill the one all of this started for, it can be reversed!"

"The one..."

"Oh my, MIKEY SANO OF COURSE! You're such a cute little idiot, my dear. Anyway, if you kill him, you'll be saved! Along with so many other friends of yours, yeah?"

He raised his hands to snap his fingers. Izana quickly turned to me but the creature interrupted. "Catch ya later, Pillock!" Snapping his fingers and letting time move forward again.

The sound of the breaking mug fell on deaf ears.

My soul....will die unless I kill....Mikey?