Syri sprung up with a gasp, startled and hugging herself to combat the cold chills in the air. Shifting her legs around, she blinked her eyes repeatedly until her sight adjusted to the darkness surrounding her. Last thing she remembered was gazing into Janette's face in awe and appreciation after being treated to a delightful dinner in what she called a restaurant. Is that what humans called a date? There was this odd feeling growing in her tummy. she initially passed it off as butterflies over the feeling of joy she was experiencing. Being nervous while on a first date is normal, spending time with someone you have feelings for should have been the start of a wonderful night.

  Once that lingering feeling developed into something uncomfortable, she began to grow concerned. Maybe it was the human food, but this wasn't like before when she took a risk and snagged some yummy tasting berries off their stems in the wilderness which led to an unpleasant experience. Her skin started to burn, her forehead grew damp with sweat, and she was starting to feel lightheaded. When she felt like the feeling was too much, her eyes grew heavy, and when she tried to excuse herself, she lost control of her state and reverted into her cat form before fainting.

  "H~Hello?" Her light voice quivered as she twisted and turned to analyze her surroundings. Dusty stone floors, hard brick walls and corners filled with cobwebs. The cell bars crossed in a grid-like fashion, preventing her from squeezing through the little squares of space in her cat form. Her eyes closed halfway as she pressed her forehead against the cell door, struggling to pace her breathing. She had heard of stories about being stuck in scary pces like this, and at a time like this she recalled her mother's words.

  Stay calm, keep your eyes open and study them. As soon as you see an opportunity, you take it!

  "You're awake." A hoarse voice called out, interrupted by a loud cough.

  Syri gasped and scooted her back against the wall, her green eyes scanning around her cell. The Nekomata stayed focused on looking outward that she forgot to check if someone was there with her. Her eyes grew wide when her fears began to corrupt her thoughts, wondering if this stranger was in the cell with her. Was it the Hunter?

  "W~Who's there?" She cried out, shaking her front paws outward. Despite the urgency, her paws couldn't help but tremble nervous as they revealed her cws defensively. But when she looked ahead, she saw the outline of a young man before her eyes gathered the familiar details around his face. That messy brown hair, those amber eyes and his lean figure and short stature. "Felix?"

  "Yea, it's me." Felix smiled back, his eyes offering a soft dim that revealed himself through the dark. Syri couldn't help but to feel drawn to them, fixated on the slit-like shape of his pupils. They strongly resembled the eyes of her sister KuliKuli, nearly matching them in color if not for his natural brown eyes blending in through her yellow eyes. He didn't appear beaten or bruised, although the red in his eyes suggested that he was less than happy with their current predicament.

  "How long have I been here? Where are we, what's going on?"

  "Easy. One question at a time, okay?" He sucked in his breath and turned to look out the cell bars before responding. "I don't know for how long, we're underground but when they brought me here, they had me blindfolded. There are no windows here but if I were to guess... we've been here for some hours now. Honestly, I'm just relieved that you're awake. They brought you here sometime after I was locked in, and even then, it took some time until you changed into your Nekomata form."

  Syri stayed silent, rubbing her chest as she continued panting lightly. Felix spotted her chest puffing back and forth.

  "Hey, take a deep breath." When she looked to him in confusion, he cleared his throat and shuffled his feet around, trying to sit up as best as he could. When he tried to stand up, he hit his head against the rooftop and winced in pain. He shook his hand when she sat up, telling her that he was fine as he made his way toward her. Taking her paws in his hands, he pced them against his chest and spoke to her in a calm voice. "I need you to focus on my heart, can you do that for me? Try to feel how my heart beats. Then, close your eyes and try to follow it. I'll breathe in and you can repeat after me."

  Syri looked him with troubled eyes and nodded.

  "Good. Close your eyes, I'm here with you. Breathe with me." He followed his advice and closed his eyes with her, taking a moment to inhale through his nose. He held his breath for a moment until he was sure she did the same, then he released it through his mouth, feeling the relief as he exhaled. "Good. Let's do it again, okay?"

  "It's not working." She whimpered. feeling his arms around her to comfort her.

  "Then we'll try again, okay?" He smiled and ran his hand over her silver hair, closing his eyes and repeating their breathing exercise. The way she inhaled after him helped him calm down as well, he could feel her heart beating frantically when he held her, but it was starting to wane. It took four more attempts as they held each other in silence, he held her gently until he felt her arms begin to soften as she calmed down. He slowly pulled away, locking eyes with her as that troubled expression remained.

  "Felix, I'm scared. What are we going to do? Are we lost? Where's everyone else, where's Janette?"

  "It's only us and Reta so far, and I hope it stays that way." He sighed and turned away from her with a crossed gre in his eye. "I've tried using Genki to pry the bars away but it's difficult to do. However long we've spent here, it's long enough for me to grow hungry."

  "So what do we do?"

  "We wait." He sheepishly answered back, making his way against a wall to lean back into. "I was hoping after what Reta taught me that it would be enough to change this, but..."

  He sighed and looked to the cell door. "I'll just have to try harder."

  Syri scooted toward him, resting on his side. "How did they catch you?"

  "They were there in the same pce we were staying. They must have arrived sometime after we did. Reta wasn't feeling well, and they found the room we were staying in. I stayed with her while KuliKuli escaped through the open window."

  "You stayed on purpose?" The Nekomata asked with a look of awe.

  He nodded back. "Of course. How did you get caught?"

  "Oh!" She closed her mouth and cupped her face, turning away from him as she felt her face go red. "It's ehh, I don't think I umm."

  Felix blinked and stared with a puzzled expression. "Huh? What, is it embarrassing?"

  "Yea, yes! Very embarrassing!" She replied back, nodding profusely. "Let's just not talk about it okay?"

  Felix blinked his eyes and shrugged, leaning his head back. Relieved, Syri pressed her head against his shoulder and curled herself up into a ball.

  The two would spend a full night together unbeknownst to them, waiting patiently in a dark room uncertain of how much time had passed. Time and time again, Felix would rub his hands together and attempt to concentrate using Genki to pull the bars away or push the cell door open. Syri would cheer for him but to no avail, each attempt would result in blistered hands and a look of frustration. She would pat his back or y her head on his arm to comfort him, no words were shared but he appreciated her presence.

  After what felt like several hours between them. Felix found himself picking up pebbles off the loose stone floor and throwing them against the wall out of boredom.

  "So... how did you and sis get together?" Syri asked politely, resting her head on his p and gazing up at the ceiling. She had grown tired of counting the number of bricks on the wall and slowly that curious question entered her mind.

  "Nityri? Well, hmm..." He paused and smacked his lips. "Found her in a bad storm, I think I expined that to you and Dimyri before."

  "No." Syri giggled. "I mean how did you two get together. She's so different with you now then she was with us, it's almost like talking to a different person."

  "Was she that bad?" He pried out of curiosity, wondering how KuliKuli was like in her previous life.

  Syri sat up to face him. "She got into a lot of trouble before."

  "Really?"

  "Uh-huh! Always sneaking out when everyone else went to sleep, always talking back to the Mothers. She would pull these pranks on some of the girls too!"

  "Really!?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "KuliKuli, a troublemaker? That doesn't sound like her at all."

  "Well, what is she like with you?"

  "Energetic, eager, curious." He tapped his chin and looked up in thought. "Definitely makes her presence known, in a matter of speaking."

  "Sounds noisy." The cat replied with a smirk, watching him scratch his head with a nervous look that seemed to agree with her. "She was noisy before too, so I guess not all is different."

  "Hmm." His fingers pressed against the cell bars. "How long do you think we've been here for?"

  Syri's ears perked up as the two heard an audible growl, turning her sight to his stomach. "Long enough for you to go hungry."

  "Sorry." He blushed, rubbing his tummy. "Guess that answers that-"

  She cupped his mouth with her paw, her eyes wide open as the two froze like statues. He didn't have to ask as a few seconds in, the sound of a door was heard creaking open followed by several boots descending down the stairs. They both looked out the door to see a shimmering hue of light grow stronger as someone was approaching them.

  One look between each other was enough for them to agree to a pn. Syri instantly closed her eyes and felt her body tingle, shrinking down into her cat form and hiding behind Felix.

  "You dropped your key." Someone unknown to them spoke out, their voice echoing down the hollow area. The movement ceased for just a moment before they could be heard approaching them, until the sight of two men came into view. Felix gred at them as they raised the torches until the light enveloped him, with the strange man leaning in and squinting for a better look.

  "This is no beast, just a man." Daemon stated coldly.

  Raz leaned in and shook his head. "Look in his eyes, sir."

  Daemon peered in and drew his head back upon realization. "He bedded one of them!?"

  "It would appear so."

  "Remarkable, just like they said. How does one look with those eyes?" He asked, pushing his torch against the cell bars to get a better look at him.

  Felix smmed his hand on the door in retaliation, causing Daemon to jump back and ugh nervously. "This one certainly has the attitude to accompany it! What of the monster, the one you bedded?"

  "She's not here." Felix muttered under his breath, locking eyes with Raz.

  Daemon tilted his head and turned to Raz in response. "Do we have a monster running around freely once again?"

  Raz kept quiet, drawing a short sword and pressing the tip against Felix's neck. Daemon was about to intervene when a burst of white light emerged from behind their prisoner, followed by Syri's presence pulling him away from the door.

  "Don't!" Syri cried out, pleading for them not to harm him.

  Daemon erupted in ughter, cpping his hands out of amusement. "So it is, those cws and ears! The striking green eyes, and those two tails! Indeed, you have yourself a beast in captivity. I expected nothing less."

  "I am gd to have met your expectations. Shall we return to inform Mr. Dubois of your findings?"

  "Of course, lead the way." Daemon insisted, following behind Raz as the two calmly exited the room.

  Felix and Syri shared a defeated look as the st bit of light faded and the groaning of the wooden door was tched shut, locking them in again.

  "I'm sorry, he was about to hurt you-" She cried out, her voice cracking as she was on the verge of tears. But she was interrupted by a startling discovery as she stared behind him. Following her sight, his eyes widened at the reveal of a tiny pair of yellow eyes staring back through the dark.

  The dungeon was quickly lit with white light followed by the arrival of KuliKuli as she smiled through her clenched teeth where a metal key was held.

  "Kuli?"

  "Sister!" Syri shouted with tears in her eyes, both of them pressing against the bars.

  KuliKuli spat the key in her paws and wiped her mouth. "How are you two, is anyone hurt? What did they do to Reta?"

  "We're fine, everyone's fine." Felix frantically expined, watching her fumble with the lock. "I've no idea about the whereabouts with Reta, where is everyone?"

  "Waiting for you three." KuliKuli answered back, juggling the key in her paws and clumsily smashing it against the lock in frustration. "Hells, how do you work this thing?"

  "Just give it here." Felix requested, slipping his hand through the tiny square hole. "You need fingers to make this faster."

  KuliKuli smacked her lips and groaned, giving it one more attempt before submitting to his idea.

  When suddenly, a figure appeared behind her and wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her back.

  Felix and Syri looked on in shock as Leone emerged from the dark like a demon lying in wait, making his move to catch his next prey.

  "No, no, no!" He shouted, pushing the cell door in anger.

  KuliKuli's eyes were wide open, she felt herself lifted off the floor as she was being swept away as if she were light as a feather under his strength. The key collided with the stone floor, bouncing twice before falling still. Syri followed and tried pressing her paws through the bars with no results.

  "Felix, the key!" She brought his attention to the tool they needed to escape, watching him stick his arm out as far as he could.

  The key was just inches away from his fingertips.

  KuliKuli groaned as she felt his arm wrap firmly around her neck, squeezing harder until her head began to swell and it became harder to breathe. His other arm kept her right paw pressed to her back, restricting her movement severely as he kicked her leg to force her to her knees. Thinking fast, her tails tapped around his cloak before slipping under in search of his belt. He recognized her attempts and swung her body around left and right, dancing around her movement. In the process, his foot kicked the key closer to the dungeon cell. It was swept up by a long white tail, brought in by Syri as she dropped it onto Felixs's hands. He hurried to find the key slot from the opposite side of the door.

  KuliKuli gasped for air as she felt her strength begin to diminish. Her tails felt around his waist but found nothing there.

  "Can't get me with the same trick twice." He whispered to her, watching as her movement slowed down. "Lost your fight already? I expected better."

  "Then... I won't disappoint you." She sputtered out, spitting in his eye.

  "Ah!" The Hunter winced and turned his head, his other eye was soon blinded by her transformation as she slipped from under his grasp in her cat form. Rubbing his eye, he looked up as the cat reverted back to her humanoid state before kicking him in the face, sending him on his back. The cell door opened as Felix and Syri rushed out to embrace her.

  "C'mon, we need to go now!" KuliKuli pulled back, ushering them up the stairs. But their hope was soon fading as the trio were met with a door refusing to budge, tched shut from the other side.

  "Celebrated a bit prematurely, huh?" Leone's voice sounded through as he calmly walked up the stairs to meet them. "One way in, one way out. What do you pn to do next, kitten?"