On the fifth night without food, you were dizzy with hunger when you suddenly heard an extremely faint sound outside.
You struggled over to the door and peered out through the narrow crack.
A dark figure flitted across the rooftop, as nimble as a cat.
It stopped atop a building—the uncle's treasure vault.
You held your breath. You knew it contained the uncle's most treasured possessions, including a gemstone rumored to be worth a fortune.
That building was heavily guarded. You usually did not even dare walk down the path in front of it, afraid of getting into trouble.
This thief... had some nerve.
You watched nervously, but the sounds of fighting you expected never came.
After a while, the figure silently climbed back out, seemingly carrying a small bag.
You found it unbelievable.
But what shocked you even more was that the figure did not leave at once.
Instead, she lightly jumped down from the roof and headed straight for the most secluded corner of the estate—the place where you were.
Her footsteps stopped outside your door.
You heard several crisp clicks. The massive lock that had driven you to despair was easily opened.
The door was pushed open a crack, and a hooded face peeked inside.
Cipher
The faint light outlined her short gray hair, her slightly trembling cat ears, and a pair of startlingly bright azure eyes in the darkness.
She looked about your age, perhaps a little older.
You were completely stunned.
Who was she? How did she know you were here? Why was she opening the door?
The instant the girl saw you, her lively blue eyes curved into crescents. Her lips lifted into a smile, revealing a small fang.
She softly said, "Just as I thought. There's a little stray cat hidden here."
Only