Golden City (5)

The moment Gleipnir’s golden rope was released, Nia’s eyes flashed sharply.

“Haru-nyang…!”

Her black tail swayed dangerously. Crouching like a cat, she stared at the moonlight for a while.

“Are you abandoning Nia again-nyang?”

Her voice trembled. Tears welled up in her yellowish-green eyes.

Her claws gleamed. A deep scratch was carved into the wood with a grinding sound.

“How long… how long have I waited…”

Nia’s ears twitched. Her whole body stiffened with tension, a feeling that was a mix of anger and sadness.

“From the first time we met… Nia knew-nyang…”

Her tears sparkled under the moonlight.

“That only Haru-nyang… could be Nia’s master-nim…”

The claws that were scratching the tree by the window stopped. Nia slowly stood up.

“Everyone else just… called Nia a stray cat…”

Her voice changed. The playful tone was gone.

“Haru-nyang was different-nyang… the only person who understood Nia’s heart…”

Her black tail didn’t sway anymore.

“So… Nia also wanted to be special-nyang…”

She stroked the scratch marks. The deep wounds carved into the wood flickered in her mind.

“Like the other females… next to Haru-nyang…”

Suddenly, Nia’s movements stopped. Her ears perked up.

“That’s right-nyang… the other females…”

Her golden eyes flashed dangerously. Her silhouette began to change under the moonlight.

“A dragon or an elf or a saintess… will try to take Haru-nyang-nyang…”

Nia’s claws grew sharper. Her shadow grew larger in the darkness.

“That won’t do-nyang… absolutely not-nyang!”

Her ears stood up and her tail swung violently. Her cat-like appearance gradually blurred.

“Nia’s Haru-nyang… will never be taken away-nyang!”

Her shadow flickered under the moonlight. It was the form of a huge beast, not a small cat girl.

“To abandon Nia… Haru-nyang is so mean-nyang.”

Tears fell on the claw marks.

“But still… still Haru-nyang…”

Suddenly, Nia’s voice weakened. The form of the beast wavered for a moment, then returned to the form of a small girl.

“I like Haru-nyang the best-nyang…”

She hugged her knees and crouched down. Her black tail wrapped around her body as if embracing herself.

“Nia… Nia can’t hate Haru-nyang-nyang…”

The moonlight shone on her wet eyes. A complex emotion mixed with anger and love swirled within them.

“Even though my heart hurts this much… I still like you-nyang….”

At the fading window in the moonlight, Nia stared blankly at her claws.

“If Nia was stronger? Because I’m weak… it’s all because Nia is weak…”

A cold wind brushed past her ears. Her black ears twitched slightly.

“Everyone called Nia the best thief…”

Her golden eyes sparkled in the moonlight. A self-deprecating laugh escaped her lips.

“The best thief? In the end… I’m just a weak cat who can’t steal what I want most.”

Nia hugged her knees. Her black tail wrapped around her as if embracing herself.

“That’s why… that’s why Haru-nyang… didn’t take Nia seriously.”

Her voice trembled. Her silhouette wavered under the moonlight.

Nia’s small silhouette was reflected in the fading window in the moonlight. She hated herself as much as she loved him.

Now she knew. Why Haru didn’t take her seriously.

Because she acted like a spoiled brat who only knew how to steal.

Suddenly, something hot blazed in her heart.

“If I were stronger…”

Her claws dug deeper into the floor.

“If I could subdue Haru-nyang… and make him completely mine… I could do whatever I wanted!”

Suddenly, her whole body became hot. Even the moonlight seemed to be turning black.

“What… what is this-nyang…?”

A black aura began to envelop her body. Her form gradually changed under the moonlight.

“It’s hot-nyang… my whole body…”

White stripes seeped through her black fur.

“This… this power is…”

Something flowed into Nia’s consciousness. Ancient memories, the lost bloodline of the Black Tiger…

“Ah…”

Her golden eyes shone brighter than the moonlight.

“Now… now I understand-nyang…”

An overwhelming power enveloped her body. No longer a playful stray cat, but an ancient beast awakened.

“Now Nia can… stand shoulder to shoulder with Haru-nyang-nyang…”

The black aura swirled, vibrating the surrounding air.

“Next time…”

Her voice changed. No longer a cute *nyang nyang*, but the dignity of a predator.

“Next time, I will never… let you run away-nyang…”

In the darkness where the moonlight had completely disappeared, only Nia’s golden eyes shone clearly.

“No, it’s okay if you run away-nyang… because Nia will definitely find you… Haru-nyang is… Nia’s mate-nyang…”

The roar of a huge black tiger echoed through the night sky.

“Even by force… I will make you mine-nyang…”

Her silhouette completely changed in the darkness. An overwhelming power enveloped her body, so much so that she could no longer run away.

The moment the moon was covered by clouds, the shadow of the Black Tiger crossed the night sky. Now there was only one path in front of her.

To find Haru… and make him hers forever.

Her black claws gleamed in the moonlight. Now it was just the beginning.

***

The night streets of Goldenhaven, permeated with moonlight. Darkness fell deeply in front of Estelle’s mansion.

Shadows wearing black masks crossed the fence and seeped into the garden. They were the elite of the Imperial Special Forces.

Estelle’s silhouette could be seen through the window. The twelve-year-old guild leader was diligently organizing her ledger at her desk.

“When Haru-ssi comes back… I have to show him this.”

Her muttering flowed out on the night air. But soon the sound was buried in the bleak sound of the wind.

Whoosh-

The black shadows moved in unison. Sharp steel wires flew towards the window.

Krrr-!

A black silhouette exploded from the darkness. Golden eyes flashed in the moonlight.

The steel wires were torn to shreds in the air. It was where sharp claws had brushed past.

“Wh-who is it!”

The Special Forces members drew their swords in confusion. But their movements were too slow.

Shwick-

The black shadow passed by like the wind. In an instant, three Special Forces members fell.

“This is…”

Deep claw marks were carved into the walls and floor. The wounds that had penetrated the stone shone clearly in the moonlight.

“Retreat! Hurry…!”

Before their cries could end, a roar echoed from the darkness. The shadow of a huge beast was revealed under the moonlight.

“Aaaagh!”

With a scream, the remaining Special Forces members fell to the floor. It was a matter of moments.

The black silhouette visible through the window slowly turned its head.

“Nyang nyang… no, it’s *eoheung* now-nyang.”

Nia’s golden eyes sparkled under the moonlight.

“Nia-ssi?”

Estelle’s eyes widened. She felt an overwhelming sense of intimidation, not the usual playful cat.

Nia slowly walked through the fallen Special Forces members. A black aura rose from the tips of her claws.

“Now Nia is… not weak-nyang.”

She took off the Special Forces member’s mask. The insignia engraved with the Imperial crest sparkled in the moonlight.

“Hmm? Did they send you from the Empire-nyang?”

A sharp light flickered in her eyes.

“To find Haru-nyang… doing such useless things…”

The tip of her claw scratched the floor. A new mark was carved under the moonlight.

“Estelle.”

Nia approached the window. Her usual playful tone was nowhere to be found.

“Nia is usually more comfortable alone, but the situation is bad right now-nyang.”

Estelle’s voice trembled. A smile spread across Nia’s lips.

“So, why don’t we join forces-nyang?”

“Yes…?”

“Is Estelle just going to wait until she grows up?”

Nia’s golden eyes shone brighter than the moonlight.

“To grow up and woo Haru-nyang? You won’t even have a chance before that-nyang.”

Estelle’s silver eyes wavered. Nia’s words pierced deep into her heart.

“But… I’m still young…”

“Nyang nyang! That’s why Nia is offering to help-nyang!”

Nia grabbed Estelle’s shoulder. Her smile deepened under the moonlight.

Her golden eyes shone as coldly as the moon.

“Nia is not the only one… looking for Haru-nyang.”

Nia’s tail sparkled in the moonlight. White stripes faintly flickered through her black fur.

“What do you mean?”

Estelle’s eyes widened.

“The Dragonkin sage, Aris… do you know how scary the obsession of a dragon who has lived for thousands of years is-nyang?”

Nia’s claws scratched the window frame. The hard wood was torn like paper.

“Saintess Seraphina… the madness hidden beneath pure white wings. Holy obsession… the tenacity of the Elf Queen Sylvia. The surveillance of the spirits…”

The moonlight shone on Nia’s silhouette. Her form wavered like a huge beast in the darkness.

Estelle’s face turned white. The fear deepened with each of Nia’s words.

“And even Princess Iris… is looking for Haru-nyang with the power of the Empire-nyang.”

“Are they all… after Haru-ssi?”

“That’s right-nyang. Nia will help you-nyang. If our powers are combined…”

Nia held out her hand. Her sharp nails gleamed.

Estelle hesitated for a moment. A ten-year-old girl’s eyes were filled with worry.

But soon she took Nia’s hand.

“Okay, then… the Hero Alliance is established-nyang!”

Estelle’s face turned red. The pure girl’s heart was revealed in the moonlight.

‘What a silly kid-nyang. She’s been completely fooled by the genius cat Nia-nyang.’

Her golden eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Estelle wouldn’t know. How dangerous a beast she had joined hands with at this moment.

“We’re… protecting Haru-ssi together, right?”

Estelle muttered in a small voice. The smile of victory deepened on Nia’s lips.

“That’s right-nyang!”

Nia smiled cutely. But a wicked calculation was hidden in that smile.

‘Anyway, this young female… can be overtaken at any time-nyang.’

Her golden eyes shone dangerously under the moonlight. No longer a playful thief, but the eyes of a true hunter.

‘In the end… Nia just has to steal Haru-nyang-nyang.’

Nia’s silhouette wavered at the fading window in the moonlight.

From a cute cat to a dangerous beast, from a pure smile to the sharpness of a predator, and back to a cat wanting to be loved.

Now the real hunt begins.

And the final winner… will of course be Nia herself.