Chapter 38: The Near Exposure
Ren was still reeling from the revelation about King Ziro and the 100-Million bounty when a blood-curdling scream pierced through the silence of the apartment.
"AAAAAH! REN! HELP!"
Ren's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He lunged for the door, fumbling with the lock. Is it a Feral? An assassin? Did the Chip alert the Higherups? He threw the door open just as Hana came sprinting down the hallway like a track star.
She didn't stop in time. THUD.
She collided with Ren, and both of them went tumbling onto the floor.
"Ow... my head..." Ren groaned, rubbing his temple. "Hana? What happened? Are you hurt?"
Hana scrambled up, her face pale. "Ren! Something's chasing me! It's fast, it's white, and it's got tiny daggers for hands!"
Before Ren could answer, a white blur skidded around the corner. Snow came sliding into the room, her fur puffed out and her tail looking like a bottle brush. She skidded to a halt, hissed playfully, and then darted toward the bed.
Hana let out another shriek and hopped onto Ren's bed, standing on top of the mattress. "See?! Look at her eyes! She's possessed!"
Ren stood up, sighing heavily as he shook off the adrenaline. He walked over to the bed and scooped Snow up, plopping her onto his shoulder. "Hana, it's just Snow. You've lived with her for days now. How are you still this scared of a five-pound ball of fluff?"
"I'm not scared!" Hana snapped, though she didn't get off the bed. "She was hunting me! She was stalking me from behind the sofa! Tell your cat to stop being a creep."
Snow, sitting regally on Ren's shoulder, tilted her head and let out a tiny, innocent "Meow," making a face so cute and funny that Ren couldn't help but smile.
"Okay, okay. She'll stay with me," Ren said, trying to calm the situation. "Go back to your room and get some sleep. We both have a big day tomorrow."
Hana finally hopped down from the bed, but as she turned to leave, her eyes landed on the desk. The two yellowed, tattered pages were lying right there in the open.
"Wait..." Hana stepped closer, her curiosity piqued. She picked one up before Ren could react. "What are these? Ren, are you writing a secret love letter? Is there someone at the 'Police Academy'?"
Ren's blood ran cold. He lunged forward and snatched the paper out of her hand. "It's nothing! You're getting the wrong idea!"
Hana squinted at him, her arms crossed. "Then why were you hiding it? And what kind of writing is that? It's not Melses... it looks like... weird squiggles and lines. Is it a secret police code?"
"No, it's just... scribbles," Ren lied, his heart hammering against his ribs. "I was just practicing some old calligraphy styles I saw in a book. It's total gibberish, Hana. See? Just lines."
"Then why are the pages so yellowish and burned at the corners?" Hana asked, her voice filled with suspicion. "They look like they're a hundred years old. Ren, are you keeping secrets from me?"
Ren stuffed the papers into his pocket, avoiding her gaze. "You're overthinking it, Hana. It's just old paper I found in a trash bin at the Academy. Now go to sleep before you start hallucinating more 'killer cats'."
Hana puffed out her cheeks, clearly not convinced, but she eventually turned and walked out. "Fine. But if I find out you're a secret spy, I'm telling the landlord!"
Ren watched her go, then let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looked at Snow. "That was too close, buddy. We need to be more careful."