If someone asked, Valo would say he was quite content with his life. He had everything he needed; a warm little place to call home, access to enough food for survival, free days to wander around the city and sunbathe. What more could he possibly ask for?
Well maybe having a partner would be nice, but it isn't so easy or cheap, especially in this catonomy. He was a man who had morals, he would put all his effort into it if he started. Not just leave like many did.
But that was enough daydreaming. It was a new day and Valo had to get a move on. He stood up, took a few steps forward, then stretched—arching his back as far as he could. It was going to be a good day today; he could feel it in his bones.
- - -
Outside the petrichor scent hit Valo's nose. It had rained last night. The asphalt hat small puddles of clear rainwater. The small plots of land in front the myriad collection of houses had plants that were glistening beautifully in the now radiant sun in the sky.
The sky was clear except for a few clouds drifting about. Birds could be heard chirping and the small refreshing breeze of the wind felt in the air.
"It really is going to be great day" Valo meowed happily as he took a few quick strides towards the park.
A sudden screech pierced the air. The sound of rubber rubbing against asphalt. The illusion of perfection casted upon the world was broken as Valo felt his body hit by a sudden force. He was thrown many paws away.
Valo didn't know what happened. His instincts told him to get up and run but he couldn't. He just lay there on his side.
His body felt cold, not like it did in winter, but in a way that seemed to come from somewhere deeper—like the chill was rising from inside his bones rather than settling on his skin.
It wasn't the kind you could shake off with movement or wrap away with layers. This cold lingered, quiet and patient, threading through him with an almost deliberate stillness.
He tried to breathe it out, slow and steady, but even his breath felt thin, as if the air itself had lost its warmth.
Around him, the world carried on unchanged—the same bright sun in the sky, the same birds chirping in the building and trees—but it all felt distant, dulled, as though he were standing just slightly out of step with everything else.
Then Valo's eyes dimmed. The vibrant green of his left, like a new spring, turned into the green of spruce trees waiting for winter. The tropical blue of his right eye turned into the deep dark ocean, something Valo himself had never seen before.
His soft but messy black fur was stained in streaks of red, some darker than others and some dripping onto the hard asphalt under him.
Valo looked around, hoping someone would notice—Help him.
However, no-one did—He was alone in this world
just as he had always liked it.
But now it was different. Maybe it wouldn't feel so bad to have someone to rely on.
Valo's thoughts faded… His eyes closed, he wanted to savour the small bit of warmth sinking into him in this small moment of peace…