02

Juno's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she wasn't sure where she was. Above her, the dark wooden ceiling was uneven and swayed slightly. The scent of salt lingered in the air and she could hear the distant lapping of water.

Her body felt waterlogged; her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her skin; and her hair was plastered against her face and neck in damp, cold strands. Water still dripped from the ends of her hair, pooling on the rough blanket beneath her. She could taste salt on her lips and feel it burning in her nostrils.

She sat up slowly; her mind was groggy and her stomach hurt. Her lungs ached with each breath, as though she had been coughing up water not long ago. She pressed a hand against her temple, trying to gather her thoughts. Memories came in fragments: flashes of terror, violet eyes and something about a choice. The details were hazy, slipping away whenever she tried to grasp them.

The memory of water hit her more clearly. She could feel the cold shock of it closing over her head and filling her lungs as she fought desperately for air that wouldn't come. The realization that she was drowning made her panic.

She tried to focus on her surroundings in an attempt to calm down. The bed beneath her was narrow and stiff, and the room was small and rocked gently with the movement of the water below. A boat. She was on a boat. But not just any boat, but one she didn't recognize. How was she here? How was she breathing? Someone had pulled her from the water, but who?

Her breath quickened as uncertainty gripped her. Then, her gaze landed on something at the foot of the bed.

It sat there, tail wrapped neatly around its paws, its violet eyes fixed on her. The moment their eyes met, understanding crashed over her like another wave. The cat. The Time Devil. It had appeared when she was dying, offered her that impossible choice, bound her soul to escape death. But then she'd fallen into the water, and now..

"Hello, sleepyhead."

Juno flinched and pressed herself further back against the headboard, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the creature.

The cat or whatever it really was let out a soft, amused hum, its tail flicking lazily. "You look confused. Can't say I blame you. Waking up in a stranger's boat after nearly dying… and nearly drowning, no less? Pretty unsettling, huh?"

Juno swallowed hard, her throat still raw from the seawater. "I... I was drowning," she whispered, the words barely audible. "After I accepted your deal, I fell into the water and I couldn't... I couldn't get back up. The water was everywhere, and I..." She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. "I escaped death only to nearly die again."

"Oh, you were getting there," the cat purred, tilting its head with disturbing casualness. "Sinking like a stone, lungs full of salty water, consciousness fading fast. Quite the dramatic exit you were making."

The memory came back; accepting the Time Devil's pact as she lay dying, reality shattering around her, and then later, someone pulling her from the water when her own strength had failed completely.

"You," she whispered, voice shaky but filled with dawning realization. "You... saved me."

The cat's expression didn't change, but its tail twitched in satisfaction, as if it had been waiting for her to piece it together. "Clever girl. Though 'saved' is such a loaded word, don't you think?"

A shiver crept down her spine that had nothing to do with her wet clothes.

"Luckily for you," it continued, "you had me looking out for you. And now, here you are! Breathing, heart beating, eyes wide with fear—oh, wait, I mean gratitude." The Time Devil grinned, or at least, the closest thing a cat could do to grinning. "Saved, doomed, all depends on how you look at it, really. But yes, thanks to our little pact, you're still alive, Juno—try to look grateful."

Juno barely had time to process the weight of those words before another thought cut through her like ice. "Yves," she breathed. "What about Yves? Is he…?"

The moment his name left her lips, the cat shifted. Its expression remained composed, but something behind its eyes sharpened, tail stilling completely.

"Oh, him?" it said, tone flatter now. "No need to worry about that."

Juno sat up straighter, pulse quickening. "Did he die?"

There was a pause long enough to make her blood run cold. Then, the cat answered with maddening neutrality. "He’s just… not here."

"That’s not an answer," she said sharply.

The Time Devil's ears twitched. "Why do you care? He was just noise. A momentary companion. A warm body with a mediocre joke or two."

Juno’s throat tightened. "He tried to save me."

The cat sighed and turned its gaze to the ceiling as if bored. "Yes, yes, very noble. How quaint."

"You don’t care about him," she said, her voice low, disbelieving.

"Of course not." Its smile returned, faint and lazy. "You’re my concern, not some boy who thought himself a hero."

Juno’s grip on the blanket knotted into fists. "You sound like you hated him."

The Time Devil regarded her, head tilted, amused. “Observant, aren’t you?” Its tail flicked, that eerie violet gaze sharpening just a hair. “Not bad, considering you’re so ill.”

Juno’s patience, already threadbare, snapped. “Excuse me?”

It smirked. “Oh, you know… sick girls like you usually have foggy minds. But look at you—still stringing thoughts together.”

Heat rose to her cheeks, but before she could fire back, the cat cut in smoothly.

“I’m just messing with you,” it said lightly, its expression softening into something almost sympathetic. Almost. But the glint in its eyes never faded. Then, without shifting its gaze, it added, quieter now, “But while we’re on the subject of Yves…”

A pause.

“You should be careful,” it said. “He seems quite… unpredictable.”

Juno’s breath hitched.

The way the cat said it, it wasn’t a warning out of concern. It was a warning dressed as a riddle. A private joke it didn’t care to explain.

The Time Devil knew something she didn’t. And it wanted her to feel that.

As Juno’s fingers brushed her neck, she felt the cool press of metal against her skin. Frowning, she pulled the object into view: the same pocket watch she had found before, hanging from a fine chain. Its hands were motionless, frozen at twelve o’clock.

She lifted her gaze to the cat, who was watching her intently, its violet eyes shimmering with amusement.

"What is this?" she asked, her grip on the watch tightening.

The cat’s ears twitched, and a slow, satisfied grin spread across its face. "Oh, that?" It stretched lazily, as if reveling in the moment. "That’s my watch, of course. A little reservoir of my power, if you will."

Juno’s brow furrowed. His power?

"What exactly does that mean?" she pressed.

The Time Devil leaned in slightly, its voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper, yet its tone remained playful.

"You see, the position of the hands on that watch? It reflects the flow of time. And right now…" It grinned wider, its tail flicking. "Time on your body is stopped. Because I stopped it, my dear~"

A shiver ran down her spine.

"Stopped time… on my body?" The words left her lips in a whisper, barely audible over the rhythmic creaking of the boat.

The Time Devil let out a pleased hum, as if savoring her realization. "That’s right!" It practically purred. "Just keep that little thing around your neck, and you’ll never have to die! Isn’t that wonderful?"

The cheer in its voice was laced with something darker, something just beneath the surface. And for a brief moment, its violet eyes gleamed with a sharper, more sinister light, something akin to ownership.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, the unsettling glint was gone.

The cat beamed at her.

“Aren’t you grateful?”

Juno said nothing, gripping the watch a little tighter.

This creature was… strange. Unsettlingly unpredictable. Yesterday, it had been ominous, lurking in the shadows like some ancient specter. Now, it was disturbingly cheery, almost theatrical in its delight.

Which one was the real Time Devil?

Instead of demanding to be sent home, she decided to take a different approach. She needed to understand this place first, assess the situation before making any reckless moves.

Slipping her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet met the cool wooden floor. She spotted her boots nearby and slid them on, taking a moment to stretch, regaining her balance. The cat watched her closely, its tail curling idly as it observed her every movement.

"Where are we?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

The Time Devil’s grin widened, pleased with the question.

"Ahhh, now that’s a good one~" It hopped onto a nearby shelf, sitting primly. "This, my dear, is the Limbo."

Juno frowned.

"The in-between," the cat elaborated, its voice dripping with amusement. "Not the living world, not the afterlife. A little nowhere, a little everywhere. Quite funny, don’t you think? A place that’s neither here nor there, hehehe~"

Juno processed the words carefully, nodding as she let her eyes drift across the cabin.

The dark wood was polished to a smooth finish, and the occasional beam of faint blue light filtered through the small windows, casting soft, dappled patterns on the floor.

The boat held a simple, rustic charm. An abundance of objects and curiosities scattered throughout the small room.

The interior was filled with an eclectic mix of artifacts, trinkets, and oddities. On a weathered wooden shelf, there were rows of antique pocket watches displaying a different time, some of them frozen in place while others continued to tick.

She moved slowly, scanning for anything she could use for protection.

Then, her gaze landed on it.

Hanging from a rusted nail on the wall was an old knife, its blade dulled with time. Her fingers brushed against the worn handle, testing its weight before slipping it discreetly into her pocket.

She wasn’t sure if she’d need it. But she wasn’t about to be caught defenseless.

The Time Devil, perched atop its shelf, made a soft sound in the back of its throat, somewhere between a hum and a chuckle.

It saw that. It let her take it, but said nothing.

Instead, its eyes gleamed with quiet amusement as she continued her exploration.

On a small carved table, a collection of colorful marbles was arranged in a neat spiral, catching the dim light and casting fractured reflections against the walls.

In one corner, a display of ornate, crystal vases held a variety of dead, dried flowers. Juno couldn't fathom the purpose of preserving such lifeless blooms.

The boat's floor was scattered with small items like marionettes with missing strings and cracked porcelain dolls with chipped faces, which made her feel uneasy.

Juno turned to the Time Devil, curiosity lacing her voice. "Why is all this stuff here?"

The cat, still lounging on its perch, flicked its tail idly and cast an uninterested glance at the objects around them. "No idea." It stretched luxuriously, as if the question itself bored it. "I’m surprised the owner of this boat actually collected all of these."

Juno froze.

The owner of this boat.

The words settled uncomfortably in her mind. She turned slowly, eyes locking onto the cat’s.

"Why do you say it like that?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "Who is the owner?"

The Time Devil’s ears perked up as if it had been waiting for her to ask. A slow, pleased chuckle escaped its throat, its tail flicking with delight.

"Ah, now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?" It grinned. "But where’s the fun in that? You’ll know when you need to know."

Juno’s jaw tightened. "So you’re not going to tell me anything?"

The cat let out a dramatic sigh, hopping down with effortless grace. "Must you be so impatient? Secrets are like fine wine, you know. Best enjoyed slowly, at the right moment."

Juno exhaled sharply. "I’m just trying to understand what’s happening."

The Time Devil turned its back to her, feigning indifference as it inspected a delicate, dust-covered trinket. Then, with an exaggerated ear twitch, it spoke in a sing-song tone.

"I told you already, dear Juno. You’ll know when you need to know! Now why don’t you just, mmm, sit over there and relax." The way it stretched out that last word sent a prickling sensation down her spine.

Juno scowled. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But don’t expect me to trust you."

At that, the Time Devil turned back to her, its violet eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

"Oh, but trust is such a delicate thing, isn’t it?" It tilted its head, mockingly pensive. "So easily broken. So hard to earn back."

Juno huffed, turning away, frustration simmering beneath her skin. She had the distinct feeling that prying anything useful out of the Time Devil would be a very difficult challenge.

Finally, she decided to venture outside. Pushing open the wooden door, Juno was met with a sight that left her awestruck. The boat floated upon a vast, fog-covered sea that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. The world was a blend of ethereal mists and a gentle, otherworldly light that filtered through the fog.

Juno gazed out at the surreal landscape, and made her feel small and fragile. The boat appeared to be adrift in this mysterious expanse, making her feel lost and claustrophobic.

As she continued to take in the scenery, Juno heard faint footsteps approaching from behind vibrating on the wood that rested under her feet. She turned to see a man coming from the other side of the boat. He had short dark gray hair that seemed to blend seamlessly with the misty atmosphere, it covered his right eye, maybe trying to hide the black patch under it, and a light green eye. Juno couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine as she made eye contact with the man.

Instinctively, she edged backward, her hand discreetly slipping into her pocket, fingers wrapping around the small knife she'd found earlier.

"I—I didn't mean to trespass," Juno started, then stopped, realizing how absurd it sounded. She didn't even know where she was, really, beyond the Time Devil's explanation.

She waited for him to explain, to tell her something about what was going on, maybe even show some concern that she'd nearly drowned. Instead:

"You've scattered my catch," the man said, his voice carrying slight annoyance. There was a distance in his tone, a clear signal that he wasn't here to make friends.

Juno blinked, looking around frantically at the misty water. "Your what? I—sorry, I don't—" She pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling overwhelmed. "What catch?"

"The fish," he said, irritation sharpening his voice as he gestured toward the murky depths. "You scared them away when you were thrashing around in there."

Relief and embarrassment flooded through her all at once. Fish. Normal, everyday fish. Something that actually made sense. "Oh—sorry. I didn’t—"

He studied her for a long moment, that strange green eye taking her in with intensity. His expression was guarded, calculating, like he was trying to figure out if she was dangerous, or maybe just trying to decide what to make of her.

"You're not dead," he said finally, like he was solving a puzzle that had been bothering him.

The words hit her like cold water. Even though part of her had already known, hearing it stated so matter-of-factly made her stomach drop. "What do you mean?"

"Your heart's beating. You're warm. You're breathing," he said, more certain now, like he'd been testing a theory and just confirmed it. His gaze swept over her again, something almost like curiosity flickered in his expression. "So what are you doing in a place like this?"

Juno's throat felt tight. She already knew she was in Limbo; the Time Devil had explained that much, but hearing it confirmed by someone who seemed to understand this place made it feel more real. "I... the Time Devil said he—"

"Ah ah ah!" The Time Devil's voice cut through the air like a blade, suddenly bright and artificially cheerful. "No need to bore poor Gin with all the tedious details of our first meeting, dear Juno!"

Juno whipped around to stare at the cat, startled by the sudden interruption and the warning edge beneath his playful tone.

The cat hopped down from his perch, tail swishing with more agitation than casualness. "What matters now is that you’re here, safe and sound! Water under the bridge, as they say." He padded closer to Gin, eyes gleaming. "So tell me, Gin... what do you think of my little gift?"

"Gift?" Juno’s voice was strangled, disbelieving.

Gin’s jaw tightened. "I don’t want your gifts, cat. Never asked for them."

The Time Devil’s grin widened unnaturally. "Oh, but she’s interesting company, isn’t she? So many questions, those wide scared eyes… I thought you might enjoy the stimulating conversation. Bored out here as usual, yes?"

Gin's eye narrowed as he looked between them, and Juno could practically see the gears turning in his head. "The cat interfered," he said slowly, like he was working through the implications. "That explains why you're alive in Limbo. That explains quite a bit, actually."

"Interfered is such a strong word," the cat purred, tail flicking with what Juno was starting to recognize as barely controlled irritation. "I prefer 'provided assistance at a crucial moment.' Really, Gin, your tendency toward melodrama is showing."

The suspicion in Gin's gaze intensified as he looked at Juno. Living people didn't just stumble into Limbo, she was beginning to understand that much from his reaction. And the cat's obvious evasiveness wasn't helping her case.

The way Gin was looking at her now, like she was some kind of anomaly that didn't belong... it made her feel even more lost than before.

"I'm Juno," she said quickly, hoping to break some of the tension. Maybe if she seemed normal, human, non-threatening, he'd stop looking at her like she might explode.

"Gin," he responded, nodding slightly but making no move to come closer. His posture remained tense, ready, prepared for her to suddenly turn dangerous.

The silence stretched awkwardly. Juno felt the weight of his distrust pressing down on her. But she had to ask—

"Before… before I woke up here, I was with someone. A man. Blonde hair with some black strands, kind of messy.” She gestured vaguely at her own hair, trying to show the pattern. “He was… helping me when everything went wrong. Did you see him? Was he… in the water too?"

Gin’s expression remained unreadable. "I found you alone," he said flatly.

Her chest tightened as the memory of Yves reached for her, his expression full of fear and determination. She shook her head slightly, as if the thought itself could make the truth vanish.

Her eyes snapped toward the cat. His head tilted, ears flicking, and for a heartbeat, he looked almost… apologetic? Or maybe just amused. He gave a small shrug, as if to say what can you do?

The pieces clicked together. The cat had to know. He had orchestrated something, she felt it in the shift of his posture, the way his tail twitched, the gleam in his violet eyes.

"You… you know what happened to him, don’t you?" Her voice was quieter now, edged with tension.

The Time Devil’s playful mask slipped for just a moment, revealing something darker beneath. "And why would you think that, my dear?"

"Because you know everything else!" Her voice cracked with frustration, but there was a sharp edge of control beneath it. "You saved me, brought me here somehow, and you’re playing games with everyone—" She gestured at the boat, at Gin, at the impossibly fog-covered sea. "Tell me where he is! What did you do to him?"

The Time Devil sighed. "Must you be so insistent? It’s exhausting."

"Tell me." The words came firmer now.

"Fine, fine." The cat waved a paw dismissively, like he was swatting away an annoying fly. "If you absolutely must know... I redirected him."

"Redirected him where?"

"Devil Town." The words rolled off his tongue casual as discussing the weather, almost bored. "Lovely place, really. Very educational. Builds character. All sorts of interesting challenges to overcome."

Gin went very, very still. Even his breathing seemed to pause, and something flickered behind his single visible eye.

"Devil Town?" Juno whispered, though something deep in her gut already knew she didn't want to hear the answer. "What... what is that?"

"What humans call hell," Gin said quietly, his voice flat and emotionless as stone.

The words knocked the breath from her lungs. Hell. Yves was in hell. Because of her.

"You—" She could barely form words, could barely breathe around the crushing weight in her chest. "You sent him to hell? He was trying to help me and you sent him to hell?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic about it," the Time Devil said with a dismissive flick of his tail. "He'll either find his way out or he won't. These things have a way of sorting themselves out. Natural selection, if you will."

The casual cruelty made her jaw tighten.

"I can take you there," Gin said suddenly, his voice carefully neutral.

Juno's head snapped toward him. For a moment, she couldn't process what he'd said. “What?”

"Devil Town. Hell. Whatever you want to call it." He was already moving toward his nets. "If that's where you want to go."

For the first time since waking up in this nightmare, Juno felt a genuine spark of hope flicker in her chest. "You'd do that? Really?"

Gin shrugged, not meeting her eyes as he began checking his equipment. "Makes no difference to me. I go where the current takes me anyway."

The Time Devil had gone unusually quiet, watching this exchange with narrowed eyes and a twitching tail. There was something in his expression that Juno couldn't read; surprise, maybe? Or irritation that his game was being interrupted.

"It's dangerous," Gin continued, still not looking at her. "Devil Town isn't a place for living humans. Most people who go there don't come back."

Juno swallowed hard, but her resolve didn't waver. "I have to try." Her voice got smaller. " He's there because of me."

"That's remarkably noble of you," the Time Devil said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And remarkably stupid."

But Gin was nodding slowly, like he'd expected that answer.

Juno took a steadying breath, forcing the racing thoughts in her head to settle for a moment. Her chest still felt tight, but a spark of gratitude broke through the fear.

“I know you don’t owe me anything,” she said quietly, meeting Gin’s neutral gaze. “I know I’m just some stranger who… interrupted your routine. But—thank you. Really.”

Gin didn’t look at her, only gave a slow, measured nod as he continued checking his equipment. It wasn’t a warm gesture, but it was acknowledgment enough.

She heard a soft, amused chuckle from behind her.

"Well, well," the Time Devil purred, his eyes gleaming with wicked delight. "So eager to chase after him into the depths of hell itself... How wonderfully, tragically sentimental."

"You think this is funny?"

"Oh, I think it's absolutely delicious," the cat replied. "All this drama, all this beautiful desperation... it's quite touching, really."

The smugness in his voice pissed her off. But before she could even respond, the Time Devil's expression shifted. His grin became sharper and he leaned forward with sudden intensity.

"But tell me, dear Juno," he said, his voice dropping to a silky whisper that somehow carried perfectly across the misty air despite its softness. "You do remember, don't you?"

A chill ran down her spine at the abrupt change in his tone, at the way his violet eyes seemed to bore into her soul. "Remember what?"

The cat's smile widened. "You hold the upper hand in our little pact."