Sunset watched her intently, every step she took left her half submerged in snow. The cameras blurred and glitched a second, even the best technology buffeted by the rough nature. Hopefully this place would keep her safe. This was not sacred land, and his team had only just discovered the strip far from the forest. He had already told them about the figure he saw back. The shield was no use but that could wait. He was safe now. She was hopefully safe as well, even though she was still quite a while from the mountains. Would she notice the cameras? Would the sleet block them? She must be confused and probably mad at him for leaving.. she would always be cold. Sometimes, he wondered if he really meant anything to her. Why did she always have to be so cruel?

  The dappled tortoiseshell known as Maple fixed her green eyes on him. Sunset, did you establish any sort of.. connection with her? He sighed and glanced at the camera. She was struggling to move but the mountains were now visible to her eyes. How insignificant they were compared to the vast enormity of the distant lands, the oceans that stretched endlessly across Catanaria! That name sprouted more questions. Was it different for every animal residing here? Did they have their own names? Maple was still staring at him. ‘You’ve wandered again.’ She snapped, then flicked her tail affectionately across his ear. Having a sister was both annoying and helpful at once. He had to concentrate. The snow was now pounding at the cameras so hard that some had cracked from blunt force but the figure was clearly struggling to keep moving towards safety. Nothing was following her. She was safe.

  The tunnels had changed since he had been there, five years before the instability forced him out to start the forthcoming omen. Now, the dome had widened though he could still reach the top if he stood on his hind paws. The mini-dens were laid out neatly, each the color of the respective owners pelt, in contrast to the somehow polished layer of melted sand encrusted onto the ceiling. Sunset’s was still there, in between Maple and Daisy. The scarlet tips that faded to golden yellow as the bedding wore down was as bright as ever. Home. He was truly home.

  He could finally relax as the progress Silver made slowly led her towards the rocks and jagged peaks. He could almost taste the sharp, freezing air hitting her lungs as every breath exhaled in a cloud of snowy mist, the grayish cloud slowly dissipating and mingling with the fog swirling around her pelt. As sudden as the paws connecting with stone on the multiple cameras, his eyes fluttered shut, and the last thing he saw was Maple carrying him to his den, musty though fresh at the same time. Sleep overtook him and peace finally clouded his mind, of dreams that one day they would reunite as a family, together.

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  Meanwhile, Silver could see the mountains looming ahead of her again as the dense mist parted, leaving her face and whiskers full of dripping icicles that dropped onto her aching paws. They were so close… right now all she needed was somewhere to lie low so she could go find Sunset once her strength was regained. He would be fine. the shield… now did he create that out of thin air? Were they both different? They must be. He knew too much and so did she. She was safe now.. she was safe. Her paws finally connected to the lump of rock that she could reach and the vastness of the world reached her with awe. This must be one of the many, many peaks of mountains scattered all around the world! Sunset had never mentioned this in the little time they had compared to the time it took to form the simple structures spread out around her, curving naturally to form places for the many owls and other night creatures that surely roamed here. Food. The basic need was conquered. Other inedible pieces of nature would lead her to water sources. Flimsy and infected prey that were dying from fever, or the bubbling of frozen fish lurking too close to the water when winter’s hurricane hit.

  There had to be caves. She had never seen them before but she somehow knew that the tunnels would end eventually. Were there chambers? Did anything else lurk there? A huge ball of hail hit her just then, and she snapped out of confusion. There was at least some distance between the nearest opening and the foot of the mountain, so she began climbing. there were rides for her to grasp with her claws as the ground zoomed out with each crumbling ledge, barely holding her paws. Sometimes a rock would skitter down, the crunch of it breaking growing more distant as she went higher up. Soon the ridges could barely hold her weight and many more pieces disappeared, out of her into the snow still pelting her from above. A ledge particularly huge that she could put all her paws on loomed ahead. She was so close to reaching it but her limbs were so tired and all she wanted to do was collapse and.. sleep. Why was this so hard? She just wanted to have a normal life, surely there were cats without omens on their heads and normal vision!

  For now, she had to settle with the life she had. One last push and she sprawled across the ledge that turned out to be the entrance to a set of caves. Moss was growing vertically on the walls but it was plush and comfy as she settled onto the floor. The cushioning made falling into unconsciousness as soft as possible as ’Safe, I am safe’ echoed through her mind. Then, all became dark.