The streets of Aegis were slowly beginning to fill in the twilight of dawn. I was miserably tired; the sun wouldn't rise for at least another hour. But it gave me some comfort that the other people already out and about looked just as tired as I felt.

  "Urgh… Pip, aren't you tired at all?" I asked exhaustedly, watching her as she darted through the streets. She was the picture of vitality, which was a mystery to me. Cats usually sleep a lot, but today she had been obsessed with getting out. At first, I thought she just needed to do her business, but when she took the path towards Aegis, I knew exactly what was going on.

  Why did she want to go into the city so badly? I probably wouldn't get to the bottom of this mystery if I was going to spend most of the day in Mantris's cellar, and since the shop was already in sight, that time was coming soon. I just hoped everything would go well and that nothing would happen to her.

  My steps echoed slower than usual on the cobblestones, each one sounding like a farewell letter. Slowly but surely, I began to doubt myself. I was so torn; my fear of losing Pip in this big, unknown city outweighed my understanding that she wanted to have her own adventures and not always just be a part of mine.

  But it was too late now. I stood on the curb in front of the shop, and Pip sat patiently beside me. Crouching down, I gently and lovingly stroked Pip's little head before taking a deep breath.

  "Pip, please take good care of yourself, okay? And if you're scared or think it might get dangerous, please come straight to me, okay?"

  Pip purred loudly and closed her eyes, enjoying my pets. Then she looked at me and meowed, confident and ready to begin her adventure. That was my cue, I guess. With a heavy heart, I stood up and went into the shop. A single tear ran down my cheek.

  POV: Pip

  My child…

  A deep ache resonated in my chest, echoing his own. His suffering, born solely from letting me go, was a sharp pain to witness. For a long moment, I sat before the great stone den, uncertain if I should follow him inside. But the scent from yesterday, the sharp, coppery tang of hurt, was a hook in my nose. It pulled at me, insistent and undeniable.

  I left the hard stone paths of the humans, disappearing into the bushes to follow that call. The human nest smelled of fire, stone, and old blood, but also of the shiny, cold things they carried in so many shapes. I did not understand their purpose. But the scent that called to me above all others was pain.

  After a time, the bushes ended, and I had to set my paws on the stone paths once more. Moving like a shadow, I weaved between the humans as the scent grew stronger. It led me past countless stone dens until I reached my destination.

  My ears twitched. I heard the sounds first—the soft, wet noises of humans in pain. Creeping closer, I tasted the air. Blood, rot, and the sour fog of sickness. They lay in thin coverings on the ground or leaned trembling against the walls. All were sick… but some were already cold and still.

  I walked among them carefully, observing. In a corner, away from the others, lay an old one. Her fur was the color of frost, but her eyes held a gentle light. A wet bark burst from her chest, and the scent of new blood filled the air.

  The sight caused a bitter ache within me. Padding toward her, my steps silent, I waited until her eyes found me.

  “Ohoho… you’re a pretty one. When I was a little girl, I had a cat who looked very much like you…” she said wistfully, her voice as dry and scratchy as leaves in the wind. Her gaze drifted upward, her mouth trembling. “Oh, my sweet, dear Anna… how I miss you…”

  The water of sorrow leaked from her eye. My own soul hurt to see the old human suffer so much. I approached and carefully stepped onto her thin legs. She looked at me, surprised but happy, and stroked me gently.

  This was a kind one.

  Letting my guard down a little, I settled onto her lap. A deep, soft vibration began in my chest as she petted me, speaking quietly. “My Anna purred so beautifully, just like you. Thank you, for sharing your love with this old woman.”

  Every so often, she barked again, and the smell of fresh blood would return. But it didn't bother me, and so I stayed.

  The old woman's barking grew less and less frequent. But then, she stopped stroking me, and I looked up at her, puzzled. “You’re an angel Anna sent me, aren’t you? Whatever you did, I feel so much better. Thank you. You are a… a Well of Solace.”

  The old woman’s eyes were wet again, but the water didn't smell of sorrow anymore. She began to pet me again with care, but then said, “You should move on, angel. There are surely more people out there who desperately need your miracle. Thank you so much for giving me such comfort in my old age.”

  I followed her gaze and saw the other sick humans, lying in the cold dirt, suffering. I closed my eyes.

  My child… please have a little more patience. I will try to be back soon.

  POV: Grim

  "Hey, get up."

  A voice at the edge of my consciousness pulled me from the darkness as someone shook me awake.

  "Wh-what?" I mumbled, completely exhausted, rubbing my eyes. Mantris was kneeling in front of me, his hands on my shoulders.

  "Boy, what are you doing out here? You're not supposed to start for another hour," the voice with the southern accent asked, confused.

  My head was pounding, and I could barely open my eyes. I had been sitting in front of Mantris's shop all night because Pip just didn't come. For a while, I had thought about going to the orphanage, but what if Pip came here at that exact moment? I couldn't bring myself to leave. We had agreed to meet here, and I was going to stick to that. I just hoped Pip was alright and had a good reason for not showing up.

  Sighing loudly, I looked at Mantris, who was watching me with a somewhat disturbed expression. "I was waiting for my cat, but she didn't come all night, so I waited here," I explained, overtired and barely coherent. My body felt like it weighed ten tons.

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  "I see… come inside for now," he said, surprisingly understanding.

  Leading me into the house with his hand on my shoulder, he steered me past the counter and the door to the cellar, deeper into the building. A pleasant warmth washed over me, and the smell of a fire greeted me. We were now standing in a cozy living room with a roaring fireplace and two armchairs in front of it. Without a word, Mantris pushed me into one of the chairs and fetched a cozy blanket, which he draped over me almost lovingly.

  "You rest for a bit and warm up, okay?" he said confidently.

  I nodded, completely exhausted. A small smile appeared on his face, and before he left, I managed to say, "Thanks, Mantris…" Then the exhaustion crashed over me and the world went dark.

  I didn't know how long I had slept, but at some point, I woke up because my face was tickling. When I sleepily opened my eyes, I saw a finger poking me gently in the cheek again and again. I blinked away the blurriness and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. A girl my age with brownish-blonde hair and hazel-brown eyes was looking at me curiously.

  "Who are you?" her crystal-clear voice asked.

  …just let me sleep, I sighed internally. Blinking heavily, I replied, "I'm Grim. I work for Mantris."

  The girl's eyes widened. "You work for my father? What do you do for him?"

  My eye twitched in annoyance. Mantris could have told me he had a daughter. But if he was deliberately locking me in the cellar, I probably shouldn't say I'm an Appraiser; everyone knows kids can't keep a secret. So, I opted for the simplest answer.

  "Ask your father. I'm sure he can explain it better."

  But the young lady didn't seem to like that answer, because she stomped out of the room with an indignant look. With my luck, I wouldn't get another quiet minute.

  Annoyed, I fought my way up and neatly folded the blanket on the armchair. I dragged my feet across the floor until I reached the showroom and saw Mantris just saying goodbye to a customer. The girl stood patiently beside him, waiting.

  As soon as the customer left the shop, the girl blurted out, "Father, what's the deal with that rude boy?!"

  Mantris looked at me angrily, but I held up my hands placatingly. "She asked who I was," I explained, exhausted. "When I told her my name and that I work for you, she asked what I do. I just told her she should ask her father."

  Mantris's face showed confusion, his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed. But then the 'aha' moment hit, and his expression returned to normal. "Grim catalogs the incoming goods for me, my treasure. He just started here yesterday. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you," he explained gently.

  His daughter didn't seem satisfied. "Then he could have just said that." And with that, she stomped off again.

  Mantris sighed heavily and then looked at me. "Why didn't you just make something up?"

  Annoyed, I rubbed my chin theatrically. "Hm, let me think. Maybe because you lock me in the cellar for 'my' protection and I didn't want to tell a different story than you? It would look bad if I told your daughter I help with stocking shelves and sales, and you tell her something completely different. If we want to tell a good lie, our stories need to have the same content."

  Mantris nodded in understanding. "That makes sense, and it's good that you're thinking ahead. I'm sorry, I was in the wrong. When it comes to my daughter, I can be a bit hot-headed sometimes. By the way, her name is Cansu. She's a sweet girl, though perhaps a little too spoiled by me. Please try to get along with her. She doesn't have many friends, unfortunately, and I think she'd be very happy to have one," he explained, a bit wistfully.

  I know that feeling all too well… Besides Pip, I never really had any friends either… at least not after my parents died… and suddenly the fear was back, that something might have happened to Pip and that's why she wasn't coming back.

  Shit. Even if I started looking for her now, could I even find such a small cat in this gigantic city? But I had to do something… and an idea came to me, even if I wasn't exactly thrilled about it.

  I looked at Mantris with a worried expression. "I'd like to ask you for something."

  Mantris looked back at me, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

  "I'm very worried about my cat, and I'm afraid that if I go back to the orphanage, she won't find me. So, I want to ask you to let me sleep in the cellar. That way, I can work here even longer with breaks. All I need is a sleeping bag. I'll leave the cellar window open when I work, and during my breaks, I'll wait in front of the shop. That gives us the best chance of finding each other again. You would just have to have a letter delivered to the Little Garden orphanage for me. I'll work more for the same pay. It's a win-win situation," I tried to sound as convincing as possible.

  But Mantris gave me a strange look and said, "That is not a win-win situation. That sounds more like you're offering to let me rob you. But fine, I don't care. Since I'm not losing anything, I agree."

  Mantris brought me paper and a quill, and I sat down at the small table in the corner of the shop. I chewed on the end of the quill for a moment, trying to find the right words. Honesty was the only way. If they knew I was waiting for Pip, they would understand.

  Dear Elodie, Dear Verity, I wrote, the scratch of the quill loud in the quiet shop.

  Please forgive me for not coming back last night. Pip didn't return to our meeting spot, and I'm incredibly worried about her. I've decided to stay here at Mantris's shop and sleep in the cellar for a while. If she comes back, this is where she'll look for me first. I can't risk missing her by being at the orphanage. Please don't worry about me; Mantris is letting me work extra hours in exchange for shelter. I'll be back as soon as I find her.

  Thank you for everything, Grim.

  It was the truth, or close enough to it. I folded the letter and handed it to Mantris. He glanced at it briefly before nodding and handing it off to a courier boy waiting by the door.

  With that done, I descended into the cellar. The familiar, dusty smell greeted me, a comfort in its own way. I threw myself into the work, using it as a shield against the gnawing anxiety in my gut. Crate after crate, item after item.

  Days turned into nights, marked only by the shifting light through the small cellar window and the meals Mantris brought down. I slept in short, fitful bursts on the sleeping bag in the corner, waking up at every slight noise, hoping it was the sound of soft paws on the stone floor. But the window remained empty.

  The work became a blur. I appraised swords, shields, strange artifacts, piles of raw ore. My hands were constantly stained with ink and dust. I lost track of time completely.

  What day is it even? Does this world even have a Monday or Friday? Does the week have seven days, or ten, or five?

  I realized with a jolt that I didn't even know the names of the weekdays here. It felt like I had been down here for an eternity. The isolation was suffocating, broken only by brief exchanges with Mantris when he brought food or collected the appraisal sheets. Every time I went upstairs for a break, I scanned the street frantically, my heart leaping at every black shadow, only to crash when it turned out to be nothing.

  The silence in the cellar grew louder, heavier, filled with the echoing question: Where are you, Pip?

  One afternoon, after what felt like an endless cycle of this mindless routine, a sound tore me from my concentration. The cellar stairs creaked. It wasn't Mantris's heavy tread. These steps were lighter, but firm. I turned, my heart hammering, half-expecting—hoping—it might be her.

  But it was Verity standing before me.

  Her bright brown eyes seemed to look right into my soul, filled with a mix of relief and deep concern. "Grim, you haven't been home in almost two weeks. Is everything alright? Are you being held here against your will?" she inquired, her forehead wrinkled with worry as she took in my disheveled appearance and the dark circles under my eyes.

  I just shook my head, the fight draining out of me. "I'm here voluntarily. But… but I'm so worried about Pip, and I miss her so terribly much…"

  The tears overwhelmed me, hot and fast. My heart ached incessantly, a constant, dull throb that had become my entire world. After this agonizingly long time, this endless waiting in the dark, I had the sinking feeling that I had truly lost Pip forever.

  Suddenly, I was pulled into a gentle embrace. Verity held me with a maternal tenderness that felt achingly familiar, rocking me slightly.

  "Grim… please, you must never lose hope," she said, her words calm and confident against my ear. "Even when we lose everything else in life, we cannot let hope be the thing that abandons us."

  "But what am I supposed to do?" I sobbed, my voice muffled against her habit. "I'm so scared for Pip."

  She lovingly stroked my back. "You don't have to be afraid," she said softly. "You are both so incredibly strong and kind. I firmly believe that she is alright."

  I could only hope she was right.