(alarm clock ringing)
Krrrng! Krrrng!
"Good morning, Mom. It's time to wake up," a sweet voice chirped as Ella gently pulled my blanket away.
Yawn
"Good morning, sweetie. What time is it?" I asked, stretching as I got out of bed and wiped the drool from my face.
"It's time for breakfast! I already prepared some for us," Ella answered brightly.
"Really? I really am so lucky to have you," I said, smiling genuinely.
I walked to the kitchen and took a seat at the table while I waited for her to finish washing up.
"I'm done, Mom! Squeaky clean! Tee-hee," Ella announced, beaming with genuine happiness.
"I prepared your favorite food, Mom. It's Sinigang," she said, lifting the lid of the pot on the table.
Without further ado, Ella and I ate, enjoying our quiet, quality time together. After eating, we washed the dishes and settled in the living room to watch a movie on the TV.
"Mom, it's so nice just sitting here with you. I'm glad it's the weekend and that it's your day off," Ella murmured, leaning against me.
"Me too, Ella. I'm glad to just be here with you, enjoying the day," I responded. "Oh, what are we going to watch today?"
"This movie is a banger, Mom. I'm sure you'll love it," she said, turning on the television.
"What's it about?" I asked, curious.
"It's about a bunch of girls who have no families. One day, they meet this wonderful woman who was also sad and alone. She had some unresolved business, and she found comfort with the girls. They all went on a lot of fun and amazing adventures, and they loved every minute of it. In the end, they realized they were already a family and decided to never leave each other's side. Pretty amazing story, right, Mom?" Ella explained, then looked at me.
I was stunned. Tears were already starting to pour down my face.
"M-Mom? Why are you crying? The movie hasn't even started yet," Ella asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
Aah… Why did I forget? I thought to myself as the tears streamed.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
Before I responded, I wiped the tears away and composed myself.
"I just remembered something important. Before I tell you what it is, can I ask you something first?"
"Sure, Mom, what is it?"
"This is not real, isn't it? None of this is real," I stated with certainty, looking deep into her eyes.
It took Ella a few seconds before answering. "It isn't. But you can stay if you want to."
I finally realized everything after hearing her answer. The events of my life and the girls' journey poured back into my mind, and I remembered all of it.
"Aah… I knew it. I died again," I muttered.
"Mom, are you happy here?" Ella asked softly.
"Of course I am, sweetie. I'm so happy that I got to see you again, even though I had already accepted that it never would happen," I responded genuinely.
"Really? Even though I'm not the real Ella?"
"What are you talking about? For me, Ella is Ella. You'll always be my daughter." I hugged her tightly, wanting her to feel that my love and affection for her were absolutely real.
"Then does that mean you can stay?" She asked with genuine hope.
I gently pinched her cheek and smiled sadly.
"I wish I could stay, I really do, Ella. But right now, those girls are in trouble, and they need me. I… I just want to be there for them during the happy times and the hard times. They might not need me entirely, but I need them more than ever. I'm sorry, Ella, I hope you forgive me. It's not that I'm choosing them over you, so please don't hate me for it," I pleaded.
Ella finally shed her own tears. "Mom, I would never hate you. You might not know it yet, but you've already done so much for me. You should go and do the same for them," she said genuinely.
As we talked, the room started fading away slowly until everything turned pure white. The only things left were me, Ella, and a single wooden door.
"Oh, Ella, my sweet, sweet Ella. I'm sorry, but Mama has to go," I said with a heavy heart.
"I understand, Mom. Please be careful out there and make sure you save those girls, okay? They need you more than me now," Ella responded, tears streaming down her face.
"I will, I promise. You take care on the other side, too, okay?" I said with deep love.
I released my embrace and turned to walk away.
Don't look back, Ina, or else…
I reached for the door handle, but the overwhelming emotion was too much. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I spun around and rushed back to hug Ella tightly one last time.
...
"Ella, I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I'm sorry for everything. I hope I've been a better mother to you. I wish I had been there through your highs and lows instead of working all the time. Just remember that I love you so much. I love you so, so much."
I was crying uncontrollably. The pain was unbearable.
"Mom… I love you more," Ella responded, crying just as hard as I was.
Aah… Goddess, thank you for letting me relive this moment.
With our final goodbye spoken, I opened the door. The number eight was carved into it, indicating that I only had eight lives left, just like a cat.
I stepped through the door, seeking another chance at life. Everything turned bright, and as soon as I opened my eyes, I saw myself falling from the sky. Below me was the sprawling Vermine Kingdom.
While falling, I could feel a dramatic change within me. It felt like I was a hundred times stronger than before. Remembering my past helped clarify things, and I now fully understood how this new body of mine worked.
I could feel a rush of strong emotions emanating from the kingdom, all resonating within me. Each one was as clear as day, making it easy to identify their source.
Let's see, who needs me the most right now? I thought to myself, quickly sorting through the powerful emotions.
I closed my eyes and focused.
I see.
I decided where to go first. I landed inside the throne room where Keith was currently trapped.
"Hey there, Keith," I greeted, instantly releasing him from the dark spheres that were binding him, absorbing the energy with a touch of my hand.
"M-Ms. Ina? I-It can't be! They told me you were dead!" He stammered, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I was. But now I'm back," I responded simply.
"Thank goodness. Oh, right! Ms. Ina, hurry! We have no time left, the girls are in danger!" Keith followed up frantically.
"Don't worry, I already know. First, I need you to take a deep breath and calm down," I advised.
Inhale Exhale
"Have you calmed down now?" I asked.
"Y-yes."
"Good. I'll be going to the girls then. But before I go, can I trust you to destroy the portal's energy source?" I asked, meeting his gaze.
Keith stood up, radiating determination and confidence.
"That's why I came here from the start. You can count on me, Ms. Ina," Keith responded with firm resolve.
"That's more like it!" I said genuinely.
I was about to leave the throne room when Keith stopped me and handed me the golden badge artifact.
"Ms. Ina, I'm begging you, please save the Prince too. This artifact can separate the demon from him," Keith instructed, putting his full faith and responsibility into my hands.
I took the artifact and made a solemn promise.
"Rest assured, I'll save the Prince. No, I'll save everyone, no matter what!"
Meanwhile, the girls, including May and Princess Raya, exited the palace to help the others. Multiple inferior demons were still pouring out of the enormous dark hole in the sky, making them worry about their allies.
"Everyone, please hold on a little longer," Princess Raya thought to herself, a sentiment shared by the others.
They were about to cross the palace gate when Prince Zion suddenly appeared in front of them, enveloped in an ominous presence, stopping them in their tracks. He wasn't hiding his killing intent. His bloodlust was so overwhelming that everyone immediately assumed a defensive position.
"W-What's the Prince doing here?!" Astrid asked worriedly.
"I don't know, but this is really bad," Rein answered, sweating heavily.
"Where do you think you're going, Princess?" The Prince asked, his voice cold.
"You're not my brother! Stop this insanity already!" Princess Raya begged, stepping forward.
"I'll never stop. I'll make sure that this kingdom will be tainted in nothing but despair. You will all know the fear of the demons," the Prince declared.
Everyone was worried. There was no room for negotiation. The demon possessing the Prince was pure evil.
"You girls have been a huge thorn in my side. I'm going to let you join the cat on the other side, so be grateful," the Prince said menacingly.
"Everyone, get behind my shield!" May ordered.
The Prince attacked them with a powerful dark sphere. May blocked it, but her massive shield shattered into pieces instantly.
"Ms. May!" Everyone screamed.
May was heavily injured from the single attack, already on the verge of losing consciousness, but she fought to hold on for the girls.
"Struggle all you want, but only doom awaits all of you."
The Prince was about to attack a second time, but I arrived in the nick of time.
I coated my right fist with an incredibly condensed and powerful dark energy, my own evolved magic, and punched the Prince with every ounce of my strength. I had finally fully embraced my magic and named it according to my liking.
[Cat Magic: Purr-fect Punch]
With just one punch, I sent the Prince flying all the way to the enormous wall surrounding the kingdom. The moment his body landed, the huge wall shattered like glass due to the sheer force of the impact.
"W-Whao. I didn't know my attacks were that powerful, even though I was trying to hold back," I said, genuinely surprised, still trying to adjust to my newfound strength.
I approached the girls confidently, but then my mind went blank. How was I supposed to explain any of this to them?
Just like me, they were all in utter shock to see me again. After all, they had seen me die with their own eyes.
"Ms. Ina? I-Is that you?" Fae asked, slowly walking toward me, her face crumpled as if she was about to burst into tears. Rein and Astrid did the same.
"Teehee, who else would it be?" I teased, giving them a genuine, warm smile.
"B-But we saw you die with our own eyes. Are you a ghost?" Astrid followed up, trembling slightly.
"I'm not. It's really me. Look," I said, letting them touch my cheek.
Their confusion was instantly replaced with overwhelming joy after I proved to them that I was real.
"Ms. Ina! It really is you!" The girls cried like babies and hugged me tightly.
"I'm back, girls. I'm sorry for taking my time and making you all worry," I said genuinely, hugging them back just as hard.
"We thought we'd never see you again. This is a miracle!" Rein said happily.
The girls and I were having our moment when I saw Princess Raya standing at a distance with a sad and worried look on her face. She was fidgeting with her arms, trying to hide her true expression.
"What are you doing standing there? Come over here," I called out to the princess, extending my arms toward her.
The princess joined the group hug, crying freely now.
"Ms. Ina, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If only… If…"
I could feel the genuine guilt and regret radiating from the princess.
"Princess, I'll get angry if you keep blaming yourself. None of this is your fault. We were meant to meet no matter what. Fate brought us together, so don't ever regret meeting me, okay?" I responded, gently patting her on the head.
We were savoring our short, miraculous reunion when I felt the Prince recover from my attack.
"I'm sorry, girls, but let's save the sentiment for later," I said, pulling back.
"Ms. Ina, please don't leave us again," Fae pleaded, holding my hand tightly.
I knelt down and patted her head.
"I'll never worry any of you again. For now, I have to go defeat the demon that's been wreaking havoc in this kingdom for years. I'll be back as soon as I defeat him, I promise," I said, hoping to ease their fears.
"Promise?" The girls asked, holding out a pinky finger.
"Promise," I responded, linking my pinky with theirs.
"Now then, I want you girls to go somewhere safe. I'll end this right away," I declared with absolute confidence.
"We'll be waiting for you, Ms. Ina," the girls said, their eyes filled with complete trust.
Princess Raya had a final request before they left.
"Ms. Ina, please save my brother. I know he's still in there, I'm sure of it," she begged with all her heart.
"I will. Now go wait for me somewhere safe," I promised.
As soon as the girls left, I flew instantly to where the Prince had landed after my attack.
I found the Prince already recovered. He looked utterly confused and irritated.
"How are you alive? I took your very life essence, your soul! No one can ever recover from that!" He shouted. The demon was losing his cool and becoming completely irrational.
"I guess you didn't know, but cats have nine lives," I responded, brimming with confidence.
"I'm done playing! I'll kill you as many times as I have to!" He conjured hundreds of dark spheres and directed them at me. Just like before, I absorbed them with a mere touch of my hand. It felt like cheating, but I guess he was just unlucky to have made an enemy out of me.
Realizing his dark energy attacks still had no effect, he tried the method that killed me last time: physical attacks. He conjured multiple gravity spheres, the same ones he used on Keith to restrict my movement, and controlled all the nearby sharp, discarded weapons like swords and spears.
He managed to gather at least a thousand weapons and directed all of them at me. I had already predicted a move like this, but unfortunately for him, I was stronger and faster than ever.
I coated both of my arms and legs in my magic, forming a protective layer of dark energy. I shattered the incoming swords and spears one by one with just my hands and feet, moving with insane speed and precision.
The demon inside the Prince was shaken to his very core. Even physical attacks wouldn't work on me anymore, causing him to feel genuine fear for the first time.
After destroying all the weapons, I smirked and provoked him. "Is that all you got?"
The demon's confidence finally shattered. He was out of options, so all he could do was threaten me. "Ha-Ha. Ha-Ha! This is just great! Even if I'm outmatched by you, you still can't hurt me! Not when I'm still inside the Prince!" He declared with forced confidence.
The demon was certain I couldn't touch him, but he didn't know I already had the solution, thanks to Keith.
"Sorry, but fun time's over," I said, showing him the golden artifact Keith had given me. The demon's remaining confidence instantly shattered.
He knew the artifact would work perfectly in my hands, given my vast mana reserves. I flew toward him with the artifact raised, and he desperately defended himself while trying to gain distance.
Cornered, he planned to run away. He coated himself in a dark barrier while attacking me with dark spheres.
No matter what he did, he couldn't shake me off. I simply absorbed and deflected his attacks. As soon as I was near him, I instantly destroyed his dark barrier. I was about to activate and use the artifact on him when he suddenly smirked at me. He had been waiting for me to get close so he could use his strongest attack.
"I offer half of my life force," he muttered.
[Forbidden Curse Technique: Absolute Nothingness]
My surroundings instantly turned pitch dark, and all my senses were abruptly shut off. I couldn't see, feel, or hear anything. It was like I was stuck in the void itself.
The demon knew nothing could kill me, so he used this opportunity to buy time, hoping to hide and run away. But even with my senses shut off, I could still feel the strong emotion of the Prince inside him, asking for help.
In this sensory deprivation, my magic adapted, forming a physical manifestation of the life force of the person I was feeling strong emotions from. This life force manifested as a tiny golden ember that only I could perceive in the void.
Without hesitation, I followed the tiny golden ember. It was moving away at an insane speed, confirming it was the Prince's life force, and the demon was trying to escape with it.
The moment I closed the distance and reached the ember, I slammed the artifact onto the escaping form, and it instantly started glowing with immense power. After a short time, everything snapped back to normal.
The void-like darkness vanished, and my senses returned. The very first thing I saw was the Prince lying unconscious on the ground. The artifact had worked: I had successfully separated the demon from the Prince. The demon that came out was a blurry, dark, human-like figure, looking sluggish and unstable without a human host.
I carried the Prince and gently placed him somewhere safe.
"Now, all that's left is you," I said to the demon confidently.
"N-No! This isn't happening! I can't let a mere cat ruin all my plans!" The demon was panicking, trapped with nowhere to run.
"You've already done enough damage to this kingdom. It's time to put an end to this. Get yourself ready. I won't be holding back anymore!" I declared, my face serious.
Now that I had learned the basics of magic from Rein and fully understood my body and power since my resurrection, I was ready to use the highest form of unique magic. I focused and channeled all of my mana into my final attack.
"Get ready, demon! This is for everyone you've messed with! Now, get a taste of a mother's wrath," I declared.
[Ultimate Cat Magic: Crashing A-Paw-Calypse]
I conjured an enormous dark energy shape, specifically like a cat's paw, directly above the demon and slammed it down. Upon impact, the demon disintegrated from its very core until nothing was left.
Finally, after years of torment and despair, the looming threat had ended, and the kingdom was free.
The atmosphere changed instantly. The enormous dark hole in the sky disappeared, and the inferior demons stopped pouring in. It meant that Keith had successfully destroyed the portal's source back in the throne room, and everything was finally over.
Prince Zion woke up moments later, and I approached him. He was still lying on the ground due to exhaustion.
"Ms. Ina… thank you for saving the kingdom," he muttered weakly.
"P-Prince Zion, please don't push yourself. Just rest for now so you can regain your energy," I assured him.
I was comforting him when I suddenly realized something.
"W-Wait, how did you know my name?" I asked in confusion.
He gave me a genuine smile. "I was conscious and aware the whole time. I didn't have control of my body, but my mind was active. I witnessed everything that happened over the past five years, so I know every detail. I was powerless, and all I could do was watch everyone I love suffer. But now, that's over. Thank you, Ms. Ina. All of this is possible because of you," he revealed.
I was shocked by his revelation, but it also made me incredibly sad, knowing he was the one who actually suffered the most. I smiled at him, showing him that everything was alright now.
"You don't have to worry anymore. The Princess and the kingdom are finally safe," I assured him.
"Thank you," he said one last time before falling back asleep.
I was about to carry the Prince back to the palace when the girls suddenly appeared, running toward me in tears and snot. Behind them were all our allies who had helped during the battle.
"Ms. Ina!" The girls shouted.
"Oh girls, wel-"
Before I could finish greeting them, they jumped on me and hugged me tightly.
Princess Raya and Keith rushed toward the Prince.
"Ms. Ina, thank you for saving the Prince and the kingdom. We are eternally grateful," Keith said, bowing his head respectfully.
"Sheesh, Keith, lift your head, that is so unlike you," I teased playfully.
"Ms. Ina, thank you," the Princess added, tears still falling.
Amalia and Miguel arrived and saw me. They were completely shocked to see me alive, which made them tear up. Just like the others, they were profoundly glad to have me back.
Komraad was the last one to arrive. He slowly approached me, a shocked and confused look on his face.
"I-Is that really you, Ina?" He asked, looking like he was about to cry.
"Oho… did you miss me? You look like you're about to cry," I said to him sarcastically, leaning in.
"Huh?! Me, cry?!? There's no way!" He denied, looking thoroughly embarrassed as he wiped his eyes.
We locked eyes and smiled warmly at each other.
"Welcome back."
"I'm glad to be back."
"W-Wait, did you just say my name for the first time?" I asked, smiling widely.
"No, you misheard me," he denied instantly, his ears turning red.
After our short, emotional reunion, we all went back to the palace to check on the others. All the remaining demons were defeated, and all the residents were safe.
At long last, the kingdom had finally attained peace and freedom.