Speed.
Reflexes.
Two things Kai envied and respected above all else.
No matter the martial art: when someone perfected these skills, they dominated everyone. You could train strength, but those fighters with monstrous talent would surpass you. And even if you spent years trying to mimic their reflexes, it was futile.
Kai was disappointed not to have been born with that gift. That's why he trained relentlessly, obsessed with perfecting every movement. Only perfection would save him if he faced such a talent.
'How is this possible...?', thought Kai, hidden in the alley's shadows, watching Lyra, transformed, fight the wolf.
Though she was haggard, she dodged each claw with supernatural precision, her feral eyes glinting in the dim light.
'With just a bit of training, she'd be unstoppable...', Kai imagined, daydreaming.
He didn't understand his fascination. Perhaps years of seeking a worthy rival had blinded him. But he didn't care. Before him was the talent he'd always awaited.
'I have to fight her!', thought Kai, his smile widening as he saw her bite Robber's neck.
A flash gleamed from the wolf's collar, and he collapsed with a howl, knocked out. Lyra, panting, turned toward the alley's exit.
Kai stood frozen, his blood burning for a fight. But seeing her drag herself, her fox tail brushing the ground, his enthusiasm wavered. Excitement gave way to doubt, then disappointment.
She could barely stand, her pointed ears trembling, her steps clumsy. Suddenly, her form shuddered, a soft glow enveloped her, and her feral body faded, leaving an exhausted girl, ears and tail still visible.
"Ugh...", Lyra groaned, her voice weak, sweat dripping from her forehead as she took another step.
'Will she drop dead any moment...?', thought Kai, his eyes on her trembling ears. An unexpected pity gripped him. 'Just when I find her, is this what I get?'
Lyra stood before him, swaying, her eyes clouded with pain. She tried to speak, but only gasped before collapsing, a moan escaping her lips.
Anxiety surged in Kai. 'She's a Feral... Why the hell was she fighting a feral cop? If someone finds out, she—and I, if I help her—will be in trouble', he reasoned, searching for excuses to leave.
He turned, took two steps, but stopped. 'When will I get another chance like this?' He glanced back at Lyra, then at the alley's exit, ensuring no one saw them.
He'd take her away, hide her until she recovered. He'd have his fight, and then... would he turn her in? Her pained face made him hesitate. Taking advantage of her like this would betray his own code.
'To hell with it... A favor for a favor', Kai decided, swearing to keep what happened in that alley a secret.
---
Lyra woke slowly, her body aching, her vision blurry. She didn't remember when she'd passed out, but being alive brought a bitter relief.
'I got carried away... My body can't handle a transformation like that', thought Lyra, sighing in frustration.
She felt warm, unusual in the city's perpetual cold. Wrapped, comfortable, as if a blanket molded to her, offering a forgotten rest.
'When was the last time I felt like this?', she thought, recalling her parents' smiles, the warm days in a bed that was hers. 'It's almost like—'
She snapped her eyes open, sitting up abruptly. Pain stopped her, forcing her to stay seated, fingers clutching an unfamiliar sheet.
She was in a strange room, on a bed that wasn't hers. It smelled of cologne, with weights and training ropes scattered haphazardly. A practice knife rested on a nearby table, too close to be casual. It was practically a gym with a bed.
Lyra frowned, her ears drooping. 'Where the hell am I?', she wondered, trying to recall. The fight with Robber. The collar. And then... that human staring at her.
'Damn it! I passed out in front of him', she thought, her heart racing. She glanced at the window by the bed, opening it slowly.
But she stopped. Her arms, carefully bandaged, surprised her. She checked her body: every wound had been tended to. 'Who did this...?'
'Should I thank them?', Lyra hesitated, but her instincts screamed danger. 'No human would help a Feral without wanting something.' She frowned, suspecting a trap. 'If they wanted a reward, why didn't they turn me in while I was out?'
She looked at the door at the room's far end. She didn't feel indebted, but curiosity won. She stood, ignoring the pain, and moved toward the door.
A scent of spiced soup and warm bread wafted from the other side, making her stomach growl. 'It's been so long since I've had hot food...'
She walked with difficulty, her wounds still aching despite the bandages. 'I just want to know why they did this', Lyra told herself, though her nose followed the smell. 'I'll find out the truth and leave.'
She quickened her pace, the thought of hot food driving her wild. 'They let me rest, tended my wounds... Without help, those wounds could've killed me. Will they give me food too...?' Her stomach growled, and she salivated, imagining the taste.
But as she touched the doorknob, shouts stopped her.
"Are you out of your mind, Kai?!", roared a deep, rough male voice, full of authority. "First, you bring that 'thing' into my house! And now you want it to stay?"
Lyra flinched, her tail tensing. Though he didn't say it, the 'thing' was her. Yet, in those words, in the soft bed, in the warm scent, she felt a spark of innocent hope.
Decided, Lyra opened the door and moved through a narrow hallway, silent to avoid detection.
The shouts continued, now with Kai's younger voice defending her.
"You didn't see her! She's got talent! Aren't you the one who says we must nurture talent when we find it?", Kai retorted.
"For God's sake, Kai, she's a Feral! And not just that—a criminal who attacked a feral cop!", roared the deep, rough voice, like that of someone who tolerates no disobedience.
Kai seemed about to reply but stopped as he noticed Lyra at the entrance to the room. His gaze, once fiery, softened as it fell on her.
The older man snorted, casting Lyra a look of contempt before ignoring her. "I want her out of the house by tonight, got it?", he told Kai.
'Can I really... stay here?', Lyra wondered, her heart torn between suspicion and a longing she feared to admit.