"Oh right, I meant to ask—what’s with this cat?" Cold Night Feather’s forehead creased with dark lines as she glared at the pure white feline devouring a fish at her feet. The cat paused, flicked her a lazy glance, and meowed twice.

Li Xiao Xiao chirped up, "Oh! It followed us home from the market. I fed it a fish, and it just… stuck around. Actually, it’s been clinging to Bai Xin!" As if on cue, the white cat finished its meal, yawned widely, then rubbed against Bai Xin’s ankle before curling up at her feet with a contented purr.

More dark lines etched Cold Night Feather’s brow. *Fearless little thing…* But she saw deeper truths. Too many people here. She’d confirm her suspicions later.

Bai Xin gazed up at Cold Night Feather with sparkling eyes. "Can we keep it? Please?"

Cold Night Feather shrugged. "Keep it if you want. No need to ask my permission. Though you’ve slipped into your ‘big sister’ role fast—already used to me as your guardian?" She tapped her own chest on the last word.

Bai Xin coughed awkwardly. She hadn’t meant to seek approval instinctively. "Then… let’s name it White Feather!"

Lin Mi watched their exchange, then frowned. "Hold on. This cat’s too clean to be a stray. What if its owner comes looking?" The other girls nodded in agreement.

Bai Xin waved a hand. "Pfft. I’ll keep it until they do! Look how much it loves me!" She scratched the cat’s belly. It stretched, purring louder.

Cold Night Feather studied the lazy feline, thinking: (*Loves you? It’s bound to you by some strange pact.*)

After finishing the last grain of rice in her bowl, Cold Night Feather clapped her hands. "Hey, girls! Food’s getting cold. Eat up. I’m done."

Only then did the others realize their half-empty plates.

…

"Ugh, so full! Bai Xin, your cooking’s amazing!" Wang Lin burped, slumped back in her chair with zero grace.

Ouyang Meng shot her a glare. "Wang Lin! Weren’t you just saying you’re on a diet?"

Wang Lin wailed, "I couldn’t help it! Bai Xin’s food is too good!"

Li Xiao Xiao and Lin Mi cleared the storm-ravaged table while Bai Xin lounged, claiming chef’s fatigue. The two could only sigh and wash dishes, whispering girl-talk secrets.

Cold Night Feather ignored the chatter. Eyes closed, she stretched her spirit across the city. *Hmph. A calm surface hiding darkness and taboos as numerous as hairs on an ox.*

Seizing a moment when no one watched, she scooped up the cat—now named White Feather, a name that felt oddly like a child born of her and Bai Xin—and dragged it into a shadowed corner.

They locked eyes. Cold Night Feather hissed, "What’s your game? Sneaking a contract with Bai Xin? If that pact wasn’t harmless, you’d be dust by now."

White Feather’s golden pupils narrowed. Its voice was a child’s—genderless and sharp. "Hmph! You think I *wanted* a master-servant bond with that girl? I smelled something tempting on the market girl earlier. Followed the scent. Then that necklace around *her* neck—more alluring than fish—forced the contract on us! Now I’m stuck here! Ugh! I’d just gained sentience!" Its ears drooped. The whole cat radiated feline despair.

Sensing truth, Cold Night Feather ruffled its fur. It hissed. "That necklace never stops recruiting Bai Xin’s bodyguards, huh? It tried binding *me* too. I shattered its contract."

White Feather’s eyes widened. "That was a *law-level* pact! So you’re—"

"I command laws," Cold Night Feather cut in. "But from another world. Here, I wield only my divine authority."

White Feather’s tiny paws clamped onto her calf. "A divine authority wielder?! You’re nearly a god! Please, take this newly-sentient kitty under your wing!"

Just as Cold Night Feather grimaced, ready to peel it off, Bai Xin’s voice cut through the air: "Huh? Night Feather, what are you muttering about in the corner?"

*How did she get so close without me noticing?* Cold Night Feather’s mind raced. Full sensory alert was exhausting—reserved for battle. Instinct took over. She scooped up White Feather, laughing too loudly. "Just bonding with White Feather! Right, buddy?" The cat meowed obediently.

Bai Xin narrowed her eyes. "You’re hiding something."

Cold sweat pricked Cold Night Feather’s neck. *An idiot’s intuition?* She almost confessed—but quitting halfway wasn’t her style. "No way! Just cat-chat!" She smacked White Feather’s head as it nodded eagerly. The cat froze, trembling.

Bai Xin studied them, then sighed. "Fine. Time for school."

They headed out early: first, for naps on classroom desks (Bai Xin’s second bed); second, to warm up before combat classes. Cold Night Feather scoffed inwardly. *Training brats? Child’s play. If I can’t handle this, I might as well bash my head against tofu and skip godhood.*

"White Feather, stay home. Don’t wander." Cold Night Feather patted the cat’s head. It mewed sweetly.

The bus ride followed. Cold Night Feather had offered to fly Bai Xin—and the others—"to the heavens." The girls were eager, but Bai Xin threatened to disown her as a sister.

"Tch. I was gonna boost the Seal Barrier’s power and fly slow for you," Cold Night Feather grumbled on the bus. Bai Xin rolled her eyes.

At school, the girls dragged Cold Night Feather toward the training complex—a sprawling building dwarfing the classrooms. Locker rooms lined the halls; the government supplied combat uniforms here, cheap per set but costly nationwide.

Lin Mi, walking beside Bai Xin, frowned. *What did I forget?* She shook her head. "Must not be important."

…Meanwhile, City Hospital.

Wu Xia lay bandaged, arm in a cast. "Zhi Jun," she called to the man in the next bed, "Has the boss forgotten us?"

Wang Zhi Jun sighed. His silence was answer enough.