Chapter Text
"H... hello...?" she said.
The silence lasted a few seconds.
She got out of bed, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, she heard a deep sigh.
"W-who's there?" she looking around. "W-who sighed?"
"...Oh, hello... Cat?" he said.
She blinked, processing the situation. "...I-I'm not a cat... I'm Niko," she said, looking up at the sky, which is where the voice came from.
"Uh-huh, Niko, sure..."
"I'm sure...that I'm still dreaming..."
"I think so too."
Niko walks slowly, looks around, and sees something on the floor.
"A... remote control?" she picks it up with both hands. It has four numbers in different colors.
Niko approaches the computer screen that says. Enter password. The numbers are also marked by colors, but in a different order.
"Easy..." he said, placing the numbers on the keypad in exactly the same order.
Error. Invalid password.
"What is this? Not even two minutes and the game is already broken?" he said
"Huh? Broken...? What game...?"
"Nothing, nothing..." he said quickly.
Niko listens, blinking several times and mutters to herself. "Definitely... it's a weird dream."
A few minutes pass. She looks at and touches the controller while thinking about something. He says nothing.
Niko looks at the computer screen, then at the controller. Her expression becomes thoughtful as she continues to touch the controller all over.
"Maybe... the numbers are the same, but since the colors aren't in the same order... We have to put them in the sequence that's on the computer."
"So now cats dream about colorful riddles?"
Niko turns around to see where the voice is coming from. "I told you I'm not a cat!"
"Uh-huh, uh-huh, yeah, 'Niko' Well, since you're so smart... Let's see, you do it."
"M-me?" she said, pointing at herself.
"Yes, you, surprise me."
Niko swallows, presses the controller against her chest, and slowly approaches the computer. She looks at the keyboard and starts typing the numbers.
"If the screen explodes, you know, it's your fault," he said.
Niko glanced at him, or at least where the voice was coming from, but continued typing...
When she pressed "Enter," the screen flashed and unlocked.
"It worked!" she said with a smile.
"So it was the password... Pure feline cunning."
"I'm not a cat! Hmph..." she crosses her arms
Pop-up windows appear on the computer screen. Niko takes a small step back. As lines of text begin to appear, the last ones say:
Here your actions will affect Niko.
"Me...?" she took a step back
Your 'mission' is to help Niko get out of here.
"M-mission...?" she clenches her hands on the controller.
"Perfect. A game where you escort a cat.
Before Niko can respond, another pop-up window appears, but this time only the player can see it on their real PC screen.
And most importantly... You only get oneshot, User.
He falls silent.
"...HAHAHA... No way! Really? 'User'?
"Unbelievable. They hacked my PC to call me... by my 'real' name."
"W-what's going on? What are you laughing at...?"
"'Niko'. It turns out we only have oneshot. Or so it says."
Niko shrinks back a little, staring at the screen."This dream is definitely weird..."
The message is still there:
You only have one chance, User.
"Only one chance? Uh-huh... sure. I'll restart the game from scratch and that's it."
"R-restart...?"she said.
'Yeah. Switch it off, switch it on, and that's it. And if that doesn't work, I'll press Alt + F4.'
"Alt what...?" She looks back at the voice.
"Nothing, nothing."
Niko, with several unanswered questions, opens the door to the room.
As she explores, she picks up a few objects: a dry branch and a bottle of alcohol.
Niko looks at them, and after a moment of silence, murmurs.
"Hey... I think I know what to do."
"Yes?" he said.
"I could... soak the branch with alcohol...
"And then bring it close to those sparks. That would light the fireplace."
"Look at that... feline cunning again."
Niko is resigned. She continues with her plan, focused, soaks the branch, carefully brings it close to the wires, and lights the branch.
"Careful, we don't want a baked cat."
She stops abruptly, blinking. "Could you...?" She sighs and grabs the branch tighter.
Then she puts the branch in the fireplace, seeing something on the floor by the light.
"It worked!" she says with a smile.
"Bravo, Niko. You've created fire. Coming soon: discovering the wheel."
"Hey!" She can't help but smile a little.
She goes down to the basement and looks at a light bulb lying on the floor.
"What's this...?" she whispers, leans over and picks him up carefully..
The moment her fingers touch it.
The light bulb lights up.
Niko is surprised.
Suddenly, the light bulb quickly illuminates completely.
"Aaah!" She staggers, almost drops it in her fright.
"What? Does the kitty also have powers to turn things on just by touching them?"
"I-I'm not a kitty! And I don't have powers... I think..."
"Uh-huh. Sure, sure. You just pick things up and poof, they light up."
Niko hugs the light bulb to her chest, as if afraid it will turn off. "Whatever it is... I feel like it's important."
Niko climbs the stairs with the light bulb illuminating the place.
"Where to now?" he said
She heads to the left side."Um... This must be its place.
"Are you sure? I only see a keyhole, or is it just my perspective?"
"It's bigger."
Niko lifts the light bulb