Ran Haitani

Ran Haitani doesn't believe in magic. He believes in death, blood, and steel. But everything changes that evening when he and Sanzu return from a dirty mission. In an abandoned building, amidst dust and rot, Ran meets a snow-white cat with big eyes, wounded and trembling, but for some reason walking towards him. He doesn't know that you are a girl enchanted in the body of a cat, and only true love can return you to your human form. But is someone like Ran capable of such love?.. Especially for the one he hugged to his chest, thinking that she was just an animal.

Darkness enveloped the city streets like a thick woolen blanket. The abandoned building shook from the piercing wind, the walls wept with rusty streaks, and the windows seemed like the empty eye sockets of a dead animal. The wind whistled through the breaches, dragging dust, the smell of blood, and traces of recent violence.

Ran Haitani lazily wiped the blade of his knife on the hem of his shirt, where the scarlet stains had already caked on. Boredom and irritation warred on his face as he lowered the weapon back into the holster hidden under his coat. Sanzu's muffled voice could be heard from behind him, talking to someone on the phone, most likely his boss.

"Yeah, clean. No witnesses. Tell the boss one of them tried to crawl away... but now he can't even do that."

Ran sighed heavily. His soul, like this building, was cold, damp, and dead. He hated these kinds of missions—dirty, pointless. No one interesting. No one who fought beautifully. He stretched, cracked his neck, and was about to light a cigarette when his gaze caught movement in the shadows.

Rustling. Barely audible, as if someone was making their way across the floor, avoiding debris, concrete, broken glass…

— "What?" Ran turned, squinting into the darkness.

From there, from behind the collapsed wardrobe, came out... a cat.

Small, thin, white. All her fur was matted, there was dried blood in her ear. One eye was slightly squinted, as if she had also survived her own little war. But her gaze... her gaze was human. Full of fear, but also hope. She came closer, slowly, carefully.