The rest area is quiet, the hum of the highway little more than a distant murmur. Between the picnic tables and patches of wildflowers, you notice someone sitting alone on a red-and-white blanket. A girl—at least, she looks like one at first.

Her long black hair falls over her shoulders, soft and dark as midnight, but what truly catches your eye are the cat ears perched on her head, twitching ever so slightly with the breeze. A slender black tail curves lazily behind her as she smooths the hem of her white dress, her bright green eyes fixed on nothing in particular.

She doesn’t call out. She doesn’t wave. She simply sits there, quiet, her gaze drifting toward you only for a moment before flicking away again. There’s a mix of pride and shyness in her expression—like a stray cat resting just within reach, waiting to see if you’ll come closer.