It's been three months since the incident.
During these past months, the residents of Vermine Kingdom slowly rebuilt what they had lost, including their trust in the royal family. Now that the demons were gone and the real Prince was back, a new system was implemented, signifying a new dawn for the kingdom.
They physically took down the enormous walls that had long separated the rich and the poor. Prince Zion ensured that the residents of the Vermine Kingdom would live a happy life, free of discrimination and oppression. He promised everyone he would dedicate his entire life to serving the kingdom for the better, alongside Princess Raya and Keith.
Astrid's people, the commoners who once lived in poverty outside the kingdom were finally part of the general population and given the same rights and provisions as the others. Now, everyone could truly say that the Vermine Kingdom had changed for good.
As for our allies, Stephany's gang and the witches stayed for the first month to help with the recovery, but they immediately left afterward to resume the work they had abandoned. Of course, I didn't forget to thank them, and we threw a festive farewell party before they departed.
The girls, Komraad, and I also helped significantly in rebuilding the kingdom. We continued to stay at the orphanage, which felt like a true home to us now. Amalia and Miguel dedicated their lives to managing the orphanage and taking care of the orphans.
Now that everything was back to normal, a ceremony was organized to properly crown Prince Zion as the King of the Vermine Kingdom. Since Prince Zion was no longer possessed by the demon, Princess Raya willingly ceded her right to the throne to her older brother.
Prince Zion invited us because he wanted to publicly award us for saving their kingdom. We told him that he didn't have to, but he insisted, purely for formality's sake, so we had no choice but to agree.
Days passed, and it was finally the day of the coronation. Everyone went to watch Prince Zion be crowned. Afterward, we were called on stage to be officially recognized and awarded as the kingdom's saviors.
"Everyone, please let us welcome the saviors of our kingdom!" One of the royal butlers announced.
Komraad, the girls, and I walked onto the stage after the introduction. Everyone cheered wildly. Even Amor and his daughter were happily applauding in the crowd.
This is embarrassing! I'm not used to being the center of attention. But the girls seem to be enjoying it, so I'll just go with the flow until it's over.
The ceremony took longer than usual, but we were finally free to go.
"I'm glad that was finally over!" I exclaimed in relief.
"Ms. Ina, we're glad too. It was really hot out there," Rein added, fanning herself.
Komraad, on the other hand, was ecstatic.
"Look, Cat, it's real gold! I can buy so many foods with this!" He said, showing me the heavy medal he had received.
"Mr. Komraad, that's not for sale!" Fae reminded him patiently.
This dog never changes! Oh, he's also back to calling me a cat again.
"What do we do now, Ms. Ina?" Astrid asked.
"Let's just go back to the orphanage. It's really hot right now, so I don't feel like sightseeing," I answered.
We took our carriage and headed back to the orphanage.
As soon as we arrived, we noticed something was odd. We didn't see anyone around the house. We opened the door and were shocked: everyone was actually waiting inside to surprise us.
"Welcome back!" Everyone greeted us in unison.
Everyone was present: the orphans, Amalia, Miguel, and even Princess Raya. Behind them was a huge feast they had prepared for us to celebrate our award.
"G-Guys, you didn't have to do this," I said, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment and warmth.
"Ms. Ina, this is nothing compared to what you have done for us. At least let us repay you with something," Princess Raya responded genuinely.
"Just come here and party already!" Miguel interrupted, looking excited to start eating.
"Hell yeah!" Komraad and Astrid immediately rushed toward the food.
Keith, May, and King Zion also arrived later to celebrate with us.
"Sorry, we're late," Keith said.
We ate, laughed, and partied all night. Everyone was enjoying themselves to the fullest, without having to worry about anything at all.
After a long day, the party finally came to an end. All the kids fell asleep, and the others went back to the palace to resume their duties.
I helped Amalia and Miguel clean up, and after that, I went to the balcony to get some fresh air and stare at the moon. I was deep in thought. A lot had happened since I came to this world, and I was overwhelmingly thankful that everything had worked out in the end.
While I was deep in my thoughts, Komraad suddenly appeared and sat down right next to me.
Inhale Exhale
"Hey, Cat. Isn't it nice to feel at peace once in a while?" Komraad asked, looking up at the moon.
"Yeah, it does feel nice. Recently, all we ever did was fight. After that was more fighting. A change of pace is kind of what I need right now," I answered truthfully.
We were both quietly admiring the moon when I felt like asking him a silly question.
"Hey, Komraad. Aren't you going to turn feral if you stare at the moon for too long?" I teased lightly.
"I might turn feral if you keep asking dumb questions," he answered, maintaining his sarcastic tone.
Tee-hee
"Anyway, where did that thought even come from?" He followed up.
"Nothing important. It's just something I watched before. It's a really famous concept in my old life, especially for teenagers," I responded.
"Old life? What do you mean by that? Wait… do you remember your past now?" Komraad noticed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yeah, I remember everything now," I responded with a genuine smile.
"Since when?" Komraad asked, leaning forward with curiosity.
"When I came back to life."
"Oh. Why only tell me now?"
"I just thought it wasn't the right time yet. But now that everything's okay, would you mind listening to my story?" I asked.
"As long as it's not boring," he responded, settling in.
"Oh, I'll definitely tell you something that'll blow your mind!"
I told Komraad everything. I told him I was from Earth, that I was a Mom who died in an accident, and how I was reincarnated in this world as a magical cat.
"Other worlds exist? That's freaking awesome!" Komraad was more interested in the concept of parallel worlds than the emotional story itself. I couldn't blame him, there really wasn't anything interesting about my old life.
"So, after that, what happened next?" He followed up.
"That's it for my past. I thought death was the end, but look where it took me now. I woke up in this world in a different body. I got to explore different places and meet different people. It was fun and scary at the same time, but it was totally worth it!" I said, a satisfied look on my face.
"My only regret was not being able to properly say goodbye to my daughter and not being there to see her grow up. Maybe that's the reason why I'm so attached to the girls. I see my daughter in them, and I want to atone by trying to make things right this time," I revealed, speaking my deepest truth.
Komraad knew when it was time to get serious, a quality I genuinely liked about him.
"I see. It was really fun going on a lot of adventures with you and the girls. But now that I think about it, everything started because you had no recollection of your past. Now that you remember everything, does that mean our adventures are going to end here?" He asked, his sad expression genuine.
"What are you talking about? This is only the beginning of our adventures. We still have lots of places to explore! Plus, I promised the girls I'd be showing them the world and how beautiful it is," I responded, nudging him.
"Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Komraad said happily, his serious expression gone.
Komraad and I had a blast talking, and it was satisfying to finally be able to open up to him. We went to sleep after our long conversation.
Morning came. Komraad was still sound asleep, so I quietly went to the kitchen to get some milk.
I was about to leave the kitchen when I saw the girls with Amalia through the window. They seemed to be holding a large piece of paper.
Oh, I wonder what they're up to this early in the morning?
I approached them to ask what they were doing. "Hey, girls, what's with the paper?"
"Ms. Ina, it's something very important to us," Rein answered with a warm smile. Astrid and Fae had the same hopeful expression.
"What is it?" I asked out of curiosity.
Amalia handed me the paper. I read everything written on it and was completely shocked by the end.
"Ina, it's an adoption paper. The girls want to be adopted by you," Amalia explained softly.
"Ms. Ina, we didn't mean to eavesdrop, but we heard your conversation with Mr. Komraad last night," Astrid chimed in nervously.
"After hearing your full story, the three of us decided that we wanted to make things official," Rein added, her voice unwavering.
"Ms. Ina, the three of us have no family, not until you found us. We made up our minds, and we decided that we want you as our new Mom. That is, if you want us to be your daughters," Fae explained further, her eyes glistening.
The look in their eyes said it all.
I was speechless. I didn't even notice that tears had already started falling down my face.
"Are you girls sure you want me as your Mom? I always put you all in danger, and I don't think I deserve to be your mom because of that," I said, genuine self-doubt creeping into my voice.
"It's you who we want. No matter what happens, we'll stick with you until the very end," Fae answered genuinely. The others nodded in fierce agreement.
It was an emotional rollercoaster, but my decision was already set the moment I read the paper. I wanted to be closer to these girls. I wanted to be there for them when they needed me the most, when they were at their lowest. I wanted to see them smile and be happy all the time. I simply wanted to be their mother.
I took the paper and signed the space below their names. The girls had already signed it before they handed it to me.
"It's official. You girls are now my daughters," I declared with a genuine, joyous smile on my face.
The three of them rushed in to give me a tearful, tight hug.
"Can we finally call you Mom?" The girls asked in unison.
"Yes, of course, you can," I confirmed, choking up a little.
"Mom, we love you so much," the girls said in unison.
Aah… a happy ending. And I'll make sure it'll stay this way until the very end. No matter what hurdles life throws at us, we'll overcome them together.
I can't wait to have more adventures with my newfound family.
… … …
Far, far away, other human kingdoms were also facing the same crisis as the Vermine Kingdom, and the demons in those kingdoms were successfully collecting a massive amount of life force.
On an unknown island, a woman sat on a shadowy throne inside a dark fortress. She was sipping wine from a silver chalice, her identity hidden beneath the deep shadows of the room.
"Aah… What a sad way to go. I had huge expectations for them, but the demons I assigned in the Vermine Kingdom failed," the woman whispered, her voice chilling. "How do you assess the ones who ruined our plans, Saro?"
Saro materialized from the shadows, her form becoming visible.
"It was a tough fight. I stayed and watched until the very end. They were truly powerful, especially the cat. She will be the biggest threat to us. I was lucky that I was able to get away with my teleportation, or else it would have been the end for me as well," Saro explained, her tone resentful.
"I see… How about the chosen ones? Have they noticed?" The woman in the shadows asked.
"No, they still aren't aware of our plans," Saro answered.
"Hmm… Good. But we are finally short on time. We must act as soon as possible for the Demon King's immediate return. Notify the other demon generals residing in the other kingdoms. Tell them to meet us back here at our fortress. Tell them that there will be changes in our plan," the woman instructed.
"Understood," Saro responded, and immediately teleported away.
(Laughing Menacingly)
"At last, chaos will once again engulf the world and the Titans will stand at its center"
[End of Season 1]