Time flew by.
Perhaps their time together was always too short. Perhaps only after losing someone did they suddenly realize there were still enough unspoken words to last a lifetime.
Out on the distant wasteland, her ears drooped, and she clenched her paws tightly against her chest in misery.
She fought to keep her tears from falling. More than once, she had told herself she couldn't cry anymore. She had to be a strong child, a good girl who wouldn't make Mother worry anymore.
But at that moment.
She still couldn't help wanting to cry out loud.
"Don't be sad, Miao Miao."
The boy placed his hand on her head, trying hard to muster a faint smile.
But only after trying for a long time did he realize that, ever since falling into Hell, he had long since forgotten how to smile as a human.
He raised his head and gazed at the roiling black mist in the distance, yet his voice softened as though he felt a measure of relief:
"Honestly, I never imagined that our naughty, silly cat would one day become such a cute girl in Hell, or even call me Older Brother. So, all things considered, I suppose I should be content. Though I'd still love to see Mom and Dad again, even if I did, I wouldn't really know what to say..."
Warmth and a trace of reluctance to part showed in his eyes.
But he knew it, too.
Ever since they had fallen into Hell and endured so much suffering, everything from their past had long since become impossible to recover.
They talked about many things.
Within his shattered memory, those recollections of the past that had long since faded with time seemed to emerge clearly before his eyes again, just as they had