In the quiet room, the black cat had not moved an inch. It remained perched near the foot of the bed, its small body rigid, its golden eyes still fixed unblinkingly on the high window panes.
Lin Wan looked down at the creature, reaching out to gently touch its back.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" she whispered softly. "That wasn't just stone settling."
The cat slowly turned its head to look at her. For a terrifying, beautiful second, its golden eyes seemed to glow with a brilliant, shimmering light that was entirely unhuman—a deep, ancient luminescence that reflected the vast starlight above.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the strange light faded away. The cat let out a soft, tiny meow, turned around twice on the wool blanket, and curled itself back up into a tight black circle right beside Lin Wan's feet.
Lin Wan stared at the animal for a long moment, a faint shiver running down her spine.
"You are a very strange little creature," she murmured softly.
