Chapter 7: The Lost Cat's Trail

Since the meeting with Myra, Angeline’s mind had known no peace.
> “Ancient Tabaxi techniques... hidden from history... What are they really trying to cover up?”


Her days appeared normal—classes, training, rest.But at night...
She slipped away.
Not to the training grounds. Not to the garden. But to a place no student dared to visit:The academy’s underground library, known as the Dead Archive Layer.

🧭 First Step: The Forgotten Door
She sneaked in by stealing a copied unlocking spell from a professor’s chamber.With a thin rune glowing on her palm, she opened the bronze gate leading downward.
The air turned heavy.Towering shelves lined with ancient scrolls and memory crystals reached into the shadows.Most were covered in dust... but one symbol made her fur stand on end:
> A three-eyed cat head, etched on the seal of a forgotten tome.

“This… isn’t standard arcane sigil work. It’s tribal.”

📖 Forbidden Knowledge
Angeline unrolled the ancient scroll.
It was written in the old Tabaxi tongue. She could understand parts of it—thanks to stories once told by her grandmother.
> “Absolute speed is not the peak.Those born of wind may touch the Voidstep—a step that pierces dimensions, traveling through the 'empty space' between time.”

> But the technique was sealed. Too dangerous.Those who used it… were erased by the Arcane Council.Even their names… were struck from history.”
🧠 The Big Question
> “So… our race wasn’t weak.We were erased… because we were too strong?”

Angeline’s hands trembled—not from fear.From rage.
> “We were made into jokes.Mocked. Forced to kneel.But the truth is — the world feared us.”

🐾 A Further Clue
At the end of the scroll, there was a lead:
> “Those who seek the Voidstep must findThe First Claw — the last Tabaxi temple, hidden within the mists of Eldrave Forest.”

But just as she reached to copy it—
ZRAKK!
The scroll ignited. A protective rune flared—the information could only be read once.But Angeline had memorized it.
> “Eldrave Forest... First Claw... Voidstep.”

Her hand gripped the katana at her side.

💨 The Next Morning: Quiet Preparation
In the morning, she acted normal.
But behind her faint smile, she was already planning a covert journey to Eldrave Forest.Not for adventure.But to uncover the truth that had been stolen from her people.
> “If they want to call me a troublemaker...Then let me tear their foundations apart.”

🌓 End of Chapter
From a shadowed corner of the academy corridor, Myra watched silently — unseen, unheard.
> “Good. She’s taken the first step.”

But behind her, another figure emerged from the darkness.
Clad in full uniform, eyes covered by a black cloth band.
> “If she manages to open the gate to Voidstep…not even the Order will be able to stop her.”