The world was a blur of rain and asphalt until they pulled me inside.
"Easy now," the woman said, her voice syrup-smooth. She pressed a towel to my face, rubbing away the water—or maybe the blood, I couldn't tell which anymore. The lights above hummed softly, too soft, like they were afraid of being overheard.
"Welcome to Haven," she whispered, draping a blanket around my shoulders. It was warm. Smelled faintly of vanilla. My body, still trembling from the storm outside, sank into it before my brain could say no.
Around me, the others watched. Some wore masks that gleamed under the light—porcelain, animal-shaped, stitched smiles. Others didn't, but maybe they should have. Their eyes flickered too much, their skin shivered when it shouldn't.
But this was a shelter, right? A place for people like me. People who'd fought their monsters and lost.
Not all eerie-looking people are bad.
…Right?
The woman—my guide, my savior, whatever she was—led me down a hallway that smelled like lemon cleaner and old paint. Everything here was too clean, the kind of clean that made my skin itch.
"We're a community here," she said, her heels tapping out a slow rhythm on the tile. "Everyone has a place. Everyone matters."
I nodded, because what else was I supposed to do? My head was buzzing, body half-asleep, but I caught glimpses as we walked—people leaning out of doorways, their faces half-hidden by masks. A porcelain fox. A cracked theater smile. A featureless white oval. They watched me the way birds watch worms.
And then I saw her.
Standing by a vending machine. And punching it.
She was maybe my age, maybe younger. No strange twitching. No masks that looked like they'd been pulled from nightmares. Just a girl—golden blonde-orange hair. And she was holding a black cat mask that looked like something you'd win at a carnival.
Don't know what issue she has with that vending machine. But whatever it is, valid.
Then, from down the hall, a boy appeared. Hood up. Black hair spilling out from underneath. He didn't say anything at first, just looked at her, then at the vending machine.
He kicked it once.
Thunk.
A single bag of chips fell.
"Thanks, Silly!" the girl chirped, flashing him a grin that practically glowed. She grabbed the bag and tore it open like victory itself.
He gave her a half-hearted wave, muttered, "괜찮아요…" and slipped around the corner, vanishing into the dim hallway.
Then she turned to me.
Her bright blue eyes locked on mine, wide and sparkling. A flicker of normal in this sea of wax faces. Aside from the small claw mark on her cheek. Probably a cat. No. Definitely a cat.
I smiled back. Even raised a hand to wave.
Her smile stretched into a mischievous grin—sharp and playful, like she knew something I didn't.
The woman beside me cleared her throat.
The girl instantly giggled, all innocence again, and waved before skipping off down the hall like a child set free.
I stood there, still wrapped in my blanket, watching her go.
The woman takes me further down the hall. "I think you'll fit in wonderfully here. And rest assured, dear, no harm will ever come to you while you're staying with us."
Her smile fades and she suddenly looks very serious when she stops at one of the doors. She knocks. A werecat answers the door. Young adult. Probably 18. Full smirk. Eyes narrowed to slits. Tail lashing like a whip. Messy blonde hair, yellow eyes, and fluffy black ears and fluffy black tail.
...Hot?
"Miss me already, darling?" The werecat purred at the woman, his Australian accent was thick. I might need subtitles for this guy.
The woman sighed through her nose. "No one would even blink if you were dead, Shadow."
Shadow?
"Well that's hurtful." He says, his smirk never wavering.
Shadow then looks at me. "Ah, you must be the newbie Terra's been on about."
Terra? She sounds nice.
"Uh, yeah. That's me...I guess."
So, like, am I actually sharing a room with this guy?
Please don't tell me I'm sharing a room with this guy.
The woman gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze that somehow didn't feel reassuring. "You'll be sharing a space with Shadow for now. He's one of our… more seasoned residents."
...Damnit.
Shadow grinned, all fangs and delight. "Welcome to the madhouse, mate."
Before she left, the woman gave us both that same honey-sweet smile. "Shadow, be sure to show our new friend around."
Then it dropped. Like a curtain.
"And no murder," she added, her tone dropping to a low growl.
Shadow put a hand over his heart, mock-offended. "You wound me, love."
Ignoring him, she turned her attention back to me, the smile returning—too quickly, too bright. "As for you, dear, I'm hoping you'll quickly warm up to your new identity, as plenty of others have."
I blinked. "New identity?"
"From now on," she said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, "your name is Mouse."
She nodded once, satisfied, and turned on her heel, walking down the hall with those sharp, echoing clicks that followed long after she was gone.
I stood there, brain buffering.
Mouse, huh? Great.
Yeah, sure. Not like she just gave the cat another reason to kill me.
Shadow's grin widened, all teeth and trouble. His tail flicked lazily behind him. "Well, Mouse," he purred, "looks like we're gonna have some fun."
I stood there. I'm gonna die. This is how I die. An attractive cat murders me.
...At least I'll die knowing I saw someone who was hot as hell.
"Well? You gonna stand there like a deer in headlights, or are ya gonna come in?"
Shadow's voice had that teasing edge, like he'd already found his favorite new toy.
"Oh! Um… yeah."
I stepped inside, blanket still clutched around my shoulders. The room was… surprisingly normal. Cozy, even. Warm light pooled across a small table, glinting off a chipped mug. The faint smell of cocoa and dust hung in the air, like someone had tried—really tried—to make this place feel like home.
Two others were already there.
One—a guy with bright red hair and amber eyes—wore a magician's cape that swished when he moved. He was flipping a deck of cards through his fingers, the cards dancing like they had minds of their own. The other—tall, broad-shouldered, with wolf ears poking through messy black hair—was sprawled in a chair, sketching something in a notebook. Looked like… clothes?
The door clicked shut behind me, soft but final.
"Oi! Viper! Mimic!" Shadow called out, his tail flicking lazily.
The wolf—Mimic—paused mid-sketch and looked up, smirking. The magician froze mid-shuffle, one card hovering mysteriously before he caught it with a flourish.
"They brought in a new one," Shadow said, gesturing at me with an exaggerated bow. "Try to go easy on her tonight, yeah?"
Viper's grin lit up the room. "Oooh, new blood! I love when we get new people." He snapped his fingers, and a flower appeared between them like it had always been there. "Name's Viper—resident entertainer, therapist, and occasional chaos gremlin."
Mimic chuckled, voice slick and amused. "Don't let him fool ya, kid. He just likes the attention."
"Bruh," Viper muttered, flicking a card at him.
Mimic leaned back, smirk deepening. "Name's Mimic. You got one?"
"Uh… yeah. It's, um… Casey."
"Nah, bro, what he means is the name they gave you," Viper said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Oh! Uh… it's, um, Mouse."
"Mouse?" Mimic repeated, lips curling.
I nodded, clutching my blanket tighter.
From across the room, Shadow grinned—slow and sharp. "Fitting, ain't it?"
"So, um," I said, looking around. "Am I the only girl in here or—?"
"Yeah," Mimic said, casual as anything. "You're the only girl."
"Fun…" I muttered, voice flat.
Viper snorted, tossing his cape dramatically over one shoulder. "Don't worry, darling, I'll keep these animals in check."
Shadow let out a purring laugh. "Mate, you are one."
Mimic smirked again. "Welcome to the zoo, kid."