Milkshake always sensed quiet where others sensed nothing. Even as a normal cat in the human world, he could hear the difference between silence and stillness—silence was empty, but stillness was alive.
One evening behind an old bookstore, the alley dimmed into a hush so complete it felt intentional. Milkshake paused mid-step.
The air softened. The world held its breath. And then the light appeared.
Between two cracked brick walls, a soft radiance unfurled like a page turning itself open. It didn’t beckon. It simply existed.
The Solace Gate.
Milkshake felt no fear. No urgency. Only recognition. He stepped forward because stillness had always belonged to him.
BECOMING WHAT HE WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE
Crossing the Gate wasn’t a transformation—it was a settling. His body rose into its Nexus form smoothly, without shock or strain.
Some cats fight their shape. Milkshake simply arrived in his.
THE WHISPERING ROOFS
High above the glowing alleys of the Nexus, wind chimes made of spoons and glass pieces tinkled softly. Monks stood along the rooftops, watching him with gentle recognition.
"The Solace Gate has finally opened."
They had been waiting—not for a warrior, but for a cat who could listen to the world as it frayed.
A CHOICE MADE IN STILLNESS
Someone had to be the first to stay.
Milkshake whispered, "I'll stay." The Gate dimmed gently and closed.
THE FIRST OF THE FIVE
- A storm-heart crackling with restless energy
- A wanderer following the horizon’s pull
- A rhythm cat leaving echoes in every footstep
- A voice powerful enough to awaken the world
They would come. Not today. But they would come.