The apartment was silent, the faint hum of the city outside providing a distant lullaby as the night stretched on. Lumine lay in her bed, her breath slow and steady as she drifted into a deep sleep. Beside her, curled up in his midnight-furred form, was Scaramouche. He watched her for a moment, her peaceful expression softening his usual sharp demeanor.
At least she looks calm tonight, he thought, before closing his own eyes.
The quiet was comfortingâuntil it wasnât.
---
Sometime in the middle of the night, Lumineâs breath hitched. A strange weight pressed down on her chest, heavy and suffocating. Her eyes fluttered open slightly, but something was wrong. She couldnât move. Her limbs felt like lead, frozen against the bed as though held by an invisible force.
Her chest tightened, her heartbeat racing as a strange pressure filled the room.
The air felt cold.
What⦠is this?
Out of the corner of her eye, Lumine noticed itâsomething dark shifting in the corner of the room. At first, it was just a blur, a shadow darker than the night itself, but as her vision adjusted, the shadow took on a faint, looming form.
It felt alive.
Lumineâs breath quickened, her mind screaming for her to move, to run, to do anything, but her body refused to respond. The shadow seemed to notice her panic. Slowly, it inched closer to her bedside, its presence spreading like ink across the room.
A soft, static sound filled her ears, low and disorienting.
The shadow loomed over her now, its formless figure bending unnaturally as though peering directly into her soul. She couldnât see its faceâif it even had oneâbut the weight of its presence alone made her want to cry out.
Move. Move. MOVE.
---
Beside her, Scaramoucheâs ears twitched. Something felt⦠off.
His indigo eyes shot open, his senses immediately on high alert. He lifted his head, his fur bristling as he scanned the dark room. Thatâs when he felt itâa presence, one that didnât belong. The air was heavy, thick with something malevolent.
His gaze shifted toward Lumine, and his stomach dropped. She was still, her face pale as her breath came in shallow gasps.
What the hell is going on?
Scaramouche growled softly, his sharp instincts screaming that something was in here. He leapt off the bed in one fluid motion, his small feline form landing gracefully on the floor. The dark presence lingered by Lumine, its formless shadow looming ominously over her frozen figure.
âGet away from her,â Scaramouche hissed under his breath. His fur stood on end as his claws dug into the floor.
Of course, he was still in his cat formâhardly intimidating against a thing like that. His indigo eyes narrowed as frustration boiled inside him. He needed to do something.
---
Lumine felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Her throat burned as she tried to call out, but no sound escaped. The shadow was too close now, its darkness threatening to swallow her whole.
Then, through the suffocating pressure, a sharp, familiar voice cut through the static.
âLumine.â
Her mind jolted. That voiceâ¦
âLumine! Wake up!â
Her body felt lighter, as if someone had broken the invisible chains holding her down. The shadow recoiled sharply, as though startled, and Lumine gasped, finally sucking in a deep breath. Her limbs twitched as life returned to them.
The room snapped back to normal. The static noise vanished.
---
Lumine bolted upright, coughing as she greedily inhaled air. Sweat clung to her forehead as she frantically glanced around the room. The shadow was gone, the oppressive feeling fading as though it had never been there.
âW-Whatâ¦?â she whispered shakily, her voice trembling.
A soft weight landed on her lap, and she looked down to see Kuniâher midnight-furred catâstaring up at her with those indigo eyes. He looked tense, his fur still bristling slightly, but there was something⦠softer in his gaze.
Kuni nudged her hand with his head, a rare sign of comfort. Lumine blinked, her shaky hand reaching out to gently stroke his fur.
âKuniâ¦â Her voice was barely above a whisper. âDid youâ¦?â
The cat let out a soft mrow, almost as if to scold her for worrying him. He curled up protectively against her, refusing to leave her side.
Lumine sat there for a long while, her heart still racing, but the warmth of Kuniâs presence grounded her. Whatever had just happenedâwhatever that thing wasâit was gone now.
She lay back down slowly, her hand resting on Kuniâs fur as she whispered, âThank you⦠for being here.â
Scaramouche stayed awake long after Lumine had fallen back asleep, his indigo eyes fixed on the corner of the room.
He wasnât sure what that shadow was, but he knew one thing for certain:
It wouldnât come back. Not while he was here.
---
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