Chapter Text
Freedom. Peace. No shame. No fear. Finally, rest.
Jinu had longed for this moment — to finally be free from Gwi-Ma’s control over his soul. It hurt to leave Rumi that night, but he owed her everything. She had saved him — saved his soul from being imprisoned to Gwi-Ma for eternity, and from disappearing entirely. And if he had even one life left to give, he would always give it to her.
That was how deeply he cared for Rumi.
Now, he drifted in the stillness of the afterlife, weightless, wrapped in silence. No more guilt. No more running. Just silence.
Until— A brilliant light pierced the darkness.
Jinu, whose soul had been floating in timeless limbo, squinted as the radiance grew stronger, until a voice echoed through it — ancient and commanding.
“Jinu,” it said. “You have been forgiven. Your sacrifice has atoned for the sins born of your pact with Gwi-Ma. As reward, I offer you one chance to return to the world of the living — to be reincarnated.”
The light took form — a colossal, glowing hand holding his soul gently in its palm. Below it, a swirling portal opened, crackling with threads of energy that felt both warm and unnerving.
“But,” the voice continued, “because your soul was long bound to darkness, this gift comes with a trial. You must learn. You must live differently.”
The light pulsed gently, like a heartbeat echoing through eternity.
“Before you can return to your human form, you must do one thing: Find your true home.”
The words echoed louder now as the portal beneath him widened.
“Only then will you be human again.”
And just like that, he was dropped.
He spiraled down the vortex, his form distorting and stretching like in a fever dream. His limbs twisted, his vision blurred in all colors, his senses dulled and then sharpened all at once.
When he finally hit the ground — or what felt like it — he gasped awake.
Where… am I?
He blinked groggily, squinting against sunlight. The buildings around him were massive, glass and metal scraping the sky. Cars honked in the distance. A neon sign flickered from a corner shop.
What year is it? he thought, disoriented. Why does everything feel… so tall?
He tried to stand and navigate the place, but he felt weird with how his feet felt. It was when he realized that yes, he was standing, on all fours.
What the hell—?!
He looked down quickly to his feet and froze.
Paws. Furry, striped, oversized paws.
In a panic, he darted into the street, weaving between legs, dodging tires, until he spotted a storefront with reflective glass. He jumped up onto a bench, scrambled toward the window, and stared.
And there he was.
Wide golden eyes. Twitching ears. A tail swaying behind him.
Am I reincarnated as a black tabby cat?!