The bells were ringing.
Dong.
Elyra was laughing at something small and incomprehensible.
Kairo was chewing on stale bread like it personally wronged him.
Faran yawned, stretching lazily as he sipped his green tea.
Elyra stepped forward and gently tugged on Faran's sleeve, eyes lowered.
"Um… mister Faran… why are you always so—"
Her voice dissolved into something too shy to hear.
Faran blinked.
"Huh? Why so what?" he asked, sipping again.
Kairo swallowed the last of the rock-hard bread.
"Why are you so… composed all the time?"
Faran froze mid-sip.
He lowered his cup.
Slowly.
Too slowly.
His eyes opened a fraction.
And instantly—
The bells stopped.
The wind held still.
Every cat in Velronia turned its head with identical, horrified precision.
Three rooftops away, a pigeon paused mid-peck as if sensing approaching disaster.
Thump.
Thump.
Kairo's heartbeat hammered in his chest.
He didn't know what the feeling was.
But somewhere deep inside:
Inner thought — fear.
Faran calmly reached into a small pouch, pinched something white, and sprinkled it into his tea.
He took a slow sip.
"You see…" he began, voice suddenly deep enough to bury secrets,
"…as a child, I was always… bullied."
Kairo blinked twice.
Elyra paused mid-tug.
"For having green tea," Faran continued gravely,
"and filling it with sugar.
And salt."
Another sip.
"I was mistreated because of my…"
He lifted his gaze.
Reality held its breath.
Even the sun dimmed slightly.
"…sodium chloride obsession."
The world immediately resumed.
The bells completed their delayed dong.
The wind returned.
All the cats looked away, visibly disappointed.
Kairo stared at him, devastated by the lack of meaningful lore.
Elyra twirled a strand of pink hair in disappointment.
"…that's it?" she whispered.
Faran nodded solemnly.
Kairo wondered why he had woken up today.
Elyra suddenly stood up.
She slammed her gentle, soft hands onto the table with the fury of a mildly offended marshmallow.
Before anyone could stop her, she snatched the cup straight out of Faran's hand.
"Hey—! I was drinking that," Faran muttered, genuinely irritated.
Kairo's mouth fell open.
The audacity…
Elyra inhaled sharply, bracing herself.
Then, with reckless, heroic stupidity—
She took a big sip.
The world inverted.
Colours drained into monochrome.
Shadows crawled across her face like a demon claiming its vessel.
Her pupils shrank into thin, trembling dots.
Kairo grabbed his katana.
Inner thoughts — is she… in danger? Crap.
Faran stood as well, eyes narrowing.
Elyra's shadowed expression lifted.
Her voice echoed in a soft, eerie whisper:
"…so gross."
Thud.
She collapsed instantly.
Out cold.
Completely limp on the wooden floor.
Kairo froze mid-draw.
His heart spiked — then instantly calmed when he realised she was merely unconscious.
Faran stared down at her, expression blank — the look of a man who had watched this happen before.
He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"See why I got bullied now?" he muttered.
"I wasn't joking…"
Kairo crouched and lifted Elyra gently off the ground.
Her head rested against his shoulder, her hair brushing his cheek, her breathing soft — disturbingly peaceful given the cause.
He looked at the cursed teacup.
Then at Faran.
Then at the unconscious Elyra.
Inner thoughts — I wonder…
…how many victims this drink has claimed.
I should report this cup as a weapon.
As Kairo held Elyra a little tighter, the bells began ringing again at the edge of the city.
Dong.
The bells rang on, indifferent to the fallen.