𝓡𝓟𝓖! || 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓾𝓬𝓪 𝓕𝓪𝓷𝓯𝓲𝓬

Chapter 11: Cat Hunt

"Papa! Please... don't take her away from me, Papa..! Anyone but her!"

The sound of a little girl crying pierced the air, a desperate plea for sympathy coming from her sweet voice. She cried out and begged, hoping that her father would hear her pleading cries. But the silence was deafening, and she wondered if he would ever be able to hear her.

She watched helplessly as he took away the most important person in her life, her gaze fixed on their retreating figures. Her heart ached from pain, and she tried to catch up to them, but the distance between them was too far to reach. Despite her effort, she was caught in a swirl of chaotic emotions, her tears streaming down her cheeks. It was a moment of utter despair and loss, as she felt her life crashing down before her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to hold back her sobs as she accepted the reality of the situation.

"Papa..! Why..?"

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"Player!"

Charli suddenly sprung out of bed, noticing Chip, her digital sidekick, sitting beside her bed with a concerned look on his face. She was puzzled as to what had happened, but she could tell from Chip's worried look that something must have happened that warranted such urgency.

"C..chip?"

She awoke with what felt like a slight headache and a cold sweat on her skin. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up, trying to remember the events of the previous night. Her memory felt fuzzy, and she struggled to recall the details of her dream.

Even then, she still knew it was the same dream that haunted her ever since that day...

"Player! I was worried for you! You were yelling and crying for someone in your sleep! Are you okay?" Chip asked, concerned about her condition, staring at her with such querying eyes.

"..Just a nightmare! Don't worry about it!" She hesitantly responded, which is strange for some reason..usually, she'll rant and cry about a nightmare but I guess..this time is different.

"..Oh alright, just tell me when you need anything" and with that, Chip vanished once more into thin air.

As Charli slowly came to her senses, she realized that she was still in bed. With a yawn, she stretched her body and rolled out of bed, ready to start her day. She got out of bed and began her morning routine, starting with dressing up for the day. She slipped into her comfortable healer clothes and brushed her hair, ridding it of any tangles. A sense of purpose began to fill her as she prepared her body and mind for whatever challenges awaited her. With a newfound clarity, she left her room, ready to face the day.

With a smile on her face, Charli headed to the kitchen where she found Luca, quietly enjoying a book and sipping a cup of roasted coffee.

"Oh! Good morning Charli, I didn't see you there" Luca greeted her by putting his book down and focusing his attention solely on her. He had a warm smile on his face, and she felt a sense of comfort and security in his presence.

"Good morning to you too, Luca!"

The smell of the freshly ground beans filled the air, invigorating her senses as she made her way to the kitchen counter.