Chipmunk did look back.

   Running on the empty street filled with silence and nothingness, a nightmare that he did not want to face was chasing him from behind. Visions flashed in front of his eyes, making him dazed. A piece of him seemed to be washed away by time, by a deep cut buried under his chest. He felt like a beautiful puzzle, but a piece of it was removed. The hole on the puzzle stored his misery, stored his hopelessness, stored his desire for light.

   Tear blurred his version as he glanced at the familiar street, the place where he had grown up in. Leaping among trash cans, sniffing for extra food, the smell of the alleyway was nasty, but it felt like home. He belonged there, belonged to the busy street filled with humans who were too busy to spare Chipmunk a glance. It... just felt right. Everything had been in order. He was not an innocent kittypet who knew nothing more than playing and enjoying his life. He seemed like a criminal, with a clan coming after him, even though, as far as he remembered, he did nothing wrong.

   Most importantly, he always hoped kits would always be kits, but he was not a kit anymore.

   Reality hit him like a car racing past a red light at full speed. The light ordered reality to stop, but reality disobeyed. Facing the reality in front of him, voices spoke in the darkest part of his nightmare. Nightmare or reality? He did not know anymore.

   The gunshot. He remembered the sound of the gunshot. The gunshot woke the beast inside of him. He could not bring himself to think of the lifeless body of Cheese-It, lying in the pool of blood. She died protecting him. Protecting the stubborn 'him' who caused her a lot of trouble. He could feel the same bullet that was shot into her weak body pierced through his heart, leaving a burning sensation in his throat.

   If he was the one who died following his destiny, it would have been better for every cat.

   He could not dwell in one place for too long. Cheese-It told him before, "The city at night is filled with dangers. Be careful." He could not believe how this random advice of Cheese-It could help him at such an important time. He tried to wear a smile to cover his misery, even though his tears that were dripped on his fur had not even dried.

   As he walked confidently on the street, keeping a cautious eye on the surroundings, he knew he was breaking on the inside. The soul inside him was slipping away before he could even grab hold of it before he could even treasure the existence of it.

   The world silently waited, all that could be heard was his breath and his nervous heartbeat. Glancing back at the emptied street one last time, he knew that he would never step another step into his former home.

   He left his childhood on this very street, in this very house.

   And he was not planning on going back.

   Continuing his journey alone on this very road, he felt empty. His emotions were poured and all it left was his empty shell. A piece of him was left here. He was not completed anymore.

   A faint sound of footsteps was added into the duet of heartbeats and breathes. Chipmunk's ears twitched with alert as he inhaled, hoping the fresh cool air can keep his head clear. He had to attack, fight. He was tired of being weak, letting a cat that he loved dying in front of him.

   Unsheathing his sharp claws, he was ready to strike when the figure came near. He counted his breath as his tail rose, waiting for the perfect chance to take it down. The sound of footsteps was getting louder and louder, but before Chipmunk had the time to strike, a voice froze him to his spot.

   "Chipmunk-" a familiar soft voice stopped his action. The voice inhaled deeply as it panted, "It's me, Rise..."

   Chipmunk's heart immediately softened after hearing his friend's voice. His tail lowered as he asked, "R-rise? What are you doing it? You are supposed to be in your owner's house, or she will be worried about you!" Chipmunk paddled on the street, his mind dissolved into the sea of chaos.

   The lamppost nearby revealed the small American shorthair who was now trying to follow him. The she-cat mewed, "I- I should be worried about you! I-I saw you racing out of your house..."

   Rise still remembered how distraught Chipmunk looked as he ran out of his house. The situation certainly didn't seem good. Afraid that Chipmunk would do anything foolish especially when he was filled with anger or depression, Rise chased after him, ignoring the punishments that would have been given to her because of leaving at night. She had to make sure that her friend was all right.

   Chipmunk stopped dead as he held her glance. Rise immediately looked away. Words struggled to rush out of Chipmunk's mouth but all he did was shaking his head. Rise spotted Chipmunk's insecurity as her eyes traveled through his tired and beaten-up feature. Her gaze stopped on Chipmunk's paws as she whispered, "Chipmunk, your paw-"

   Chipmunk held up his paw, glancing at the red that embedded on his paw. Red, the color of glory, of power, of blood. He found red appealing to him, how he wished to see blood on his future enemies' pelts. How he wished to taste them in his mouth, making his fang red with the proudness of winning. He wanted to feel like a winner.

   "C-Chipmunk, g-give me your paw..." Rise's voice trailed away with uncertainty as Chipmunk shook his head slightly, a gesture that she did not understand. When Chipmunk followed her command and gave her his paw, she finally got a clearer vision of the wound.

   The cut was quite deep and it looked as if it was already infected. Rise breathed sharply when she realized how much pain Chipmunk must have endured when he headed to a place that was not known to Rise. Without giving her action a deep thought, Rise's tongue was connected to his bleeding paw as she slowly licked the dirt and small stone on his injured paw.

   Chipmunk's eyes widened at her soft touch. He winced when Rise removed a small stone that was stuck in his wound. He remembered the time when Cheese-It was clearing his wound after his unexpected visit to a clan. Every single thing around him reminded him of Cheese-It, which made the wound in his heart ached even more. Wounds on his paw could be healed, could be cleaned by licking, but it didn't work the same for wounds that were embedded in his heart. It was Chipmunk's turn to look away as he could not withstand the caring and curious glance of Rise.

   No, he could not break in front of her. He could not.

   Rise twitched her round ears nervously when she spotted Chipmunk looking away. Moving away from Chipmunk after she had cleared his paw, she cleared her throat as she asked, "S-so, a-are you going to t-tell-" the short she-cat swallowed with nerve as she continued, "-tell me wh-what happened? W-why did you- run out o-of the house and y-your paw w-was injured?"

   Chipmunk's ears twitched uncomfortably as he avoided Rise's glance. He somehow knew how Rise could see through him and he did not feel like answering any questions, especially after he had lost a cat that meant a lot to his entire life, giving him the love that he couldn't get from both of his parents.

   Rise could feel the tension in the air and she decided not to push further. She could feel that he was hiding something and he did not want to share it now. She asked softly with a small smile, "W-what are you planning on going now? D-don't leave me out! You won't, right?"

   A small smile couldn't help but appear on Chipmunk's face, but it disappeared as fast as it had come. Chipmunk's facial expression hardened as he tried to prevent any emotions from leaking. He nodded as he replied, "Yes, we are going to-" Chipmunk hesitated, then he corrected himself, "going on an adventure!" He tried to sound cheerful, while that was the least possible emotion he could feel in this situation.

   The tom could feel a tail wrapped around him as Rise's voice rang in his ears, "Y-you know, I- I am going to join you. W-whatever difficulties you are facing, c-count me in as well." He saw the she-cat beside him

   The sentence created a ripple in his dead mind, sparking a light in the chaos with no brightness. Chipmunk took a deep breath and that was his only reply.

   Two cats in the dark, heading towards the unknown. At least he was not alone.

   The sky, as blue as usual. The clouds, as soft as usual. The sunlight, as warm as usual. But something was not as usual.

   Chipmunk was used to seeing the light ginger tabby glancing at him with softness or a spark of mischief in her eyes when he opened his eyes after the long night's sleep. The sky was the only thing that came into view, greeting him with a gentle breeze. He looked around in confusion as he tried to seek the warmth of a cat who was like a mother to him. When reality finally sank in, he glanced at the morning sky, feeling as miserable as ever. Tears soaked the fur on his face as he secretly wept. He felt like a mess. The world abandoned him and moved on.

   Hearing a gentle snoozing sound, the tom turned and spotted the sleeping figure of his friend. She cuddled into a ball as she drifted into the wonderful dream in her head, obviously being drained out after the late-night journey. The memory of last night was a blur for Chipmunk. They spun around in his head like a cloud of messy thoughts. The dark brown striped tabby still hadn't told the she-cat about the reason why he left the house permanently, and he was not planning to do so, for now.

   He could not really explain the reason why he found it so hard to explain. But whenever he was trying to tell the truth, an imaginary stone would be stuck inside his throat. The world seemed to topple over as he could not even explain how he was feeling or thinking right now. Part of him had kept a tiny flame of hope in his heart, wanting to believe that Cheese-It was indeed alive. He hadn't seen how the gun was shot and blood was spilled, right?

   But another part of him always pulled out the tiny flame with the cold water running from his nearly frozen heart. It would be impossible. Cheese-It would not have worried him like that. She would appear when Chipmunk needed him and she was always there. Her thereness made him feel safe during a raging storm.

   She would have been here. She should have been here-

   If he hadn't selfishly run off without her. He was a sinner and he would never forget himself for that.

   "Chipmunk? Is that you?"

   Chipmunk had heard that sound before. It sounded so familiar yet unfamiliar as well. Digging through his memory, he started to realize how lucky he was to meet the owner of this voice.

   "Sika?" The tom tried to pack up his emotions and hide them under his smile as he eyeballed the she-cat that once led him out of the mysterious forest when he was lost. He could not ignore the excitement that boiled in his heart as he squealed, "It's you! Where is Fern?"

   "Fern? She is currently busy. I was trying to find you when I accidentally met you here, Chipmunk. You have grown quite a lot! I am glad that I can see you here." The Birman's coal-black eyes sparkled with happiness as she gave the small tom's shoulder a quick lick.

   "Who are you talking to, Chippy?" A voice interrupted Sika's gesture as the rogue stepped back. He licked his chest fur nervously as he could feel the tension between the two she-cats. He smiled with wariness as he introduced, "Rise, this is Sika. Sika, this is Rise."

   The wall of bushes surrounding this area suddenly felt like a cell for the tom as he had no idea what was happening. Struggling to breathe, he could feel the awkwardness being poured and filling the space. A shot of electricity was shared between the two she-cats as they looked at each other in the eye. He obviously did not want to join the weird staring contest between the two she-cats, so instead, he stared at his paws with interest.

   Clearing her throat, the smaller she-cat broke the silence, "H-hi, Sika. I am Rise. H-how do you know Chipmunk?" She smiled friendlily as she closed the space between them. Sika twisted her ears nervously as she responded, "Hello, Rise. I-I am Sika."

   Tearing her glance away from light grey American shorthair, her black eyes met him once again. She panted nervously, "I forgot to tell you this. I was trying to find you all along. A cat wanted me to bring you to him."

   Him? Chipmunk's mind was already overwhelmed by his own complicated backstory to a state that it would explode at any moment. He wanted to say he had had enough of surprises or secrets, but since when fate listened to him?

   Rise stole a glance at Chipmunk, unsureness, and discomfort were written on her face. She still did not know what exactly happened to him last night, but she felt like he had changed a lot. The playful smile that always appeared on his face was replaced by a serious froze. There was something that he was hiding, but she did not want to be pushy.

   "Lead the way," Chipmunk inhaled deeply and tried to drown his messy thoughts with calmness in his head. Rise gazed at Chipmunk with uncertainty but she did not say anything at all. Sika smiled as she wrapped her tail around Chipmunk and whispered softly, "He wants to see you so badly. You are going to have mixed feelings about this, but happiness will eventually take over."

   Uneasiness filled his chest when Sika wrapped her tail around him. Sika was just trying to be nice... would that bring any harm? He was not sure. Following Sika, their paws kept contact with the dirt and grass as they traveled through the forest with greeneries. Chipmunk's view was blocked by tall grass as he landed on the ground after leaping from a sharp rock. He was not familiar with this part of the forest since he had never been here, but his growing trust in Sika told him to believe in the Birman's guidance.

   After an unknown time of traveling through the forest, they reached a river. Fish could be seen from the crystal-clear water while the sound of the flowing river calmed his heartbeat. He hated to admit it, but the identity of the mysterious tom was starting to get on his nerve. A name was repeated in his chaotic mind. He was positive that he knew who the tom was... but was he right?

   Leaping from the shore onto the rock nearby, he struggled to keep his balance with his injured paws from last night. The speed of the flow increased rapidly as droplets of water were splashed on his pelt. He despised water, the annoying wetness that lingered in his fur. One more leap, then he could escape this dreadful place.

   The loud splash caught his attention as he turned, staring with shock as the light grey she-cat slipped from the rock and fell into the rushing water. Her pale blue eyes were widened in horror as the water attempted to swallow the she-cat with a big gulp.

   Without giving his action a second thought, the brown tabby tom abandoned his safe spot and embraced the rushing water. He reached the she-cat with his paws paddling underwater and tried desperately to push her back on the rock. After Rise reached the rock and regained her balance, she gently lifted the smaller tom out of the river.

   Choked on water, the brown tom panted and collapsed on the rock out of breath with the she-cat observing him, worry in her eyes. He should have thought about the fact that he couldn't swim before he did that foolish move. And now, he seemed like the one who was being recused. He could not ignore how his heart raced crazily in his chest because of the she-cat's close proximity, but he did not have the energy to care about that.

   "Aww, you two are so cute together!" Sika purred as she watched them completing the last leap, with Chipmunk nearly tripping over if it wasn't for Sika's quick reaction. Placing the tom on her back before he could reject her help, she led them to a hidden cave by the river.

   The cave couldn't be seen with fern and bushes covering the entrance, which blended in the surroundings and provided a perfect camouflage. Before leading them in, Sika placed the drenched tom down and made a special beat of melody by beating her paws on the ground. Pawsteps could be heard from the cave as Sika led them into the secret cave.

   The cave seemed like a maze with its many tunnels. Cats stood guard over each tunnel. A fresh-kill pile was displayed in the middle of the circular lobby and Chipmunk could not help but miss the taste of the fish tin can that his owner gave. A russet red tom with black freckles on his nose greeted the loner with a smile on his face, "Sika sweetheart, it's a pleasure to meet you here. I miss you."

   Sika rolled her eyes as she replied, "Stop it, Freckles, you can do better than that! I want to meet the leader. Brought something he wanted."

   Chipmunk's ears twitching at an odd angle as anxiety ruled over his head. Hearing Rise shifting uncomfortably behind him, he knew that Rise felt the same. 'Something he wanted' really did not hear that an ideal word to be described.

   "I thought he only wanted the tom?"

   "Yes, I know. But one more she-cat won't hurt, right?"

   "Alright, alright, princess Sika. He is waiting now."

   The red tom moved out of the way, clearly a perfect pathway for the three cats to enter. Walking down the long and dark hallway, the darkness covered his vision again, monsters haunting him in the dark. The unpleasant smell in the hallway made his tail twitch in disgust as he was trying to figure out what else to do except following the lead. He did not know what he should be expecting. He, the tom... wanted to see Chipmunk and only Chipmunk...?

   Reaching the end of the hallway, Chipmunk and Rise were led into another cave. Sunlight sneaked into the cave from a small hole, providing the only source of light in the cave. Standing in the shadow was a huge cat, the dangerous glance following the three cats as they came to a stop in the center of the cave.

   As the cat stepped out of the shadow and into the light, the deep scars that embedded his pelt revealed. Each scar wrote the history of the tom, how he fought for the thing that he always wanted but failed once again. His sharp green eyes shone with something that could not be categorized.

   Brown pelt. Checked. White stripes. Checked. White underbelly. Checked.

   It could not be him.

   It could not.

   His murderer father.