Chapter 1: A Question
The attic had always been Sung's favourite place in the entire house.
Most people saw nothing more than a cramped loft filled with old boxes, forgotten furniture and years' worth of dust. To Sung, however, it was something entirely different.
It was a doorway into another age.
Every faded photograph, every cracked journal and every weathered keepsake carried a story waiting to be uncovered. While other young felines spent their afternoons with friends or exploring the town, Sung spent nearly every spare moment hidden beneath the sloping roof, chasing fragments of a history that fascinated her beyond measure.
Ever since she was little, her grandparents, Haldon and Sapphire, had filled her imagination with incredible tales of a world that no longer existed. They spoke of the Ancient Tree whose branches touched the heavens, of shimmering rivers of living light flowing through the enchanted forest, and of adventures so extraordinary they sounded less like history and more like scenes from a fantasy film.
To everyone else, they were simply old stories.
To Sung...
They were real.
She never doubted a single word.
Sometimes she found herself wishing she had been born centuries earlier, before the Ancient Power disappeared. She longed to know what it felt like to stand beneath the Ancient Tree, to watch the glowing light particles drift through the air, and to experience the wonders her grandparents described with such bittersweet smiles.
Instead, she lived in an ordinary world.
A peaceful world.
But one that always felt as though something beautiful had been lost.
That longing had become an obsession.
If anyone asked where Sung was, there was a good chance she would be in the attic, buried beneath piles of old family belongings. It had become her own little archive, a place where the past refused to disappear.
Dust coated every exposed beam, drifting lazily through shafts of sunlight that slipped between the roof tiles. Stacks of weathered boxes leaned precariously against one another, each containing forgotten memories—old clothes, handwritten letters, broken ornaments, family records and countless objects no one else in the household had any interest in keeping.
To everyone else...
It was junk.
To Sung...
It was treasure.
Her amber eyes wandered across the room until they settled upon a particularly old wooden box resting on the highest shelf.
"There you are..."
she whispered with a smile.
Standing on tiptoe, she carefully lifted it from the shelf. It was almost as tall as her waist, but being a feline, she possessed strength far beyond that of an ordinary human. With only a slight grunt of effort, she carried it across the attic and gently lowered it onto the wooden floorboards.
A thick cloud of dust exploded into the air.
"Cough... cough..."
Sung waved her hand in front of her face, laughing quietly at herself before lifting the lid.
Inside lay decades of forgotten memories.
Bundles of yellowed papers tied neatly with faded ribbon.
Leather-bound notebooks with cracked spines.
Maps whose ink had almost disappeared.
Letters written in handwriting she barely recognised.
And photographs.
Lots of photographs.
Carefully lifting her skirt beneath her knees so she could sit comfortably on the dusty floor, Sung began sorting through everything with the excitement of an archaeologist uncovering a lost civilisation.
Every page made her heart race.
Every faded note hinted at another unanswered question.
Then...
She found it.
Nestled beneath a pile of loose papers rested an old photograph.
She gently picked it up between her fingertips, brushing away decades of dust.
A warm smile spread across her face.
Her grandparents.
Haldon and Sapphire.
Much younger than they were now.
Standing together beneath enormous trees, smiling as though nothing in the world could ever separate them.
Sung traced the edge of the photograph with her thumb.
"I wish I'd been there..."
she whispered.
At that exact moment—
"SUNG!"
The sudden shout echoed through the house.
Sung jumped so violently she nearly dropped the photograph.
"Oh, come on..."
she muttered under her breath.
With an exaggerated sigh, she crawled across the attic floor until she reached the small opening where the ladder disappeared below.
Leaning over the edge, she looked down.
"Yes, Mum?"
There was just enough annoyance in her voice to reveal she'd been interrupted at the worst possible moment.
Below, June stood with both hands planted firmly on her hips.
She pointed directly up at her daughter.
"Don't 'Yes, Mum' me."
"Lunch is on the table."
"So get yourself down here."
Sung hugged the photograph against her chest.
"But Mum..."
She smiled hopefully.
"Just five more minutes?"
"I think I've found something really important."
June wasn't convinced.
"You've been saying 'five more minutes' for the last two hours."
Sung gave her most innocent smile.
"This time I mean it."
June raised an eyebrow.
"I've heard that one before."
"But—"
"No buts, young lady."
June folded her arms.
"You spend so much time up there searching through the past that you're forgetting to live in the present."
She pointed towards the kitchen.
"Now get your head out of the clouds and come and eat before your lunch goes cold."
Sung let out one long, defeated groan.
"Fiiine..."
She gave one last reluctant glance towards the open box.
"So close..."
she mumbled.
Reluctantly, she tucked the precious photograph safely back inside before climbing carefully down the ladder.
The moment both feet touched the floor below, June smiled knowingly.
Together they pushed the folding ladder back into the ceiling until the attic hatch clicked shut.
As Sung followed her mother towards the kitchen, she couldn't shake the feeling that the old box had been hiding something far more important than a handful of photographs.
Somewhere amongst those forgotten journals and faded papers…
A piece of the past was waiting to be discovered.
Sung followed her mother down the narrow staircase and into the kitchen, her thoughts still lingering on the dusty attic and the photograph she had reluctantly left behind.
The moment she stepped through the doorway, another feeling replaced her curiosity.
The rich aroma of slow-cooked vegetables, herbs and roasted potatoes filled the room, wrapping around her like a warm blanket.
Her stomach growled almost instantly.
She breathed in deeply and smiled.
"Oh, wow, Mum..."
She laughed softly.
"That smells amazing."
June glanced over her shoulder while stirring the large cast-iron pot resting on the stove.
"Thank you, sweetheart."
She nodded towards the sink.
"Go and wash your hands while I get dinner out of the oven."
"Already done."
Sung walked over to the sink anyway, turning on the tap before thoroughly washing the dust from her hands. Tiny streams of brown water disappeared down the drain before she dried them carefully on the nearby towel.
Behind her, June slipped on a pair of thick oven gloves before opening the oven door.
A cloud of fragrant steam burst into the kitchen, carrying with it the irresistible smell of roasted vegetables and freshly baked bread.
"Mmm..."
Sung grinned.
"I think you've outdone yourself tonight."
June laughed.
"Let's hope it tastes as good as it smells."
She carefully lifted the heavy casserole dish onto the centre of the table.
"While I'm finishing up, would you mind setting the table?"
"Of course."
Sung crossed to the cupboard, retrieving two plates before placing them neatly onto the woven table mats. She added knives, forks, spoons and two glasses before filling a clear jug with fresh water.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Sung's mind, however, refused to leave the attic.
Or the stories.
As she placed the final spoon beside her mother's plate, she finally broke the silence.
"Mum..."
June looked up briefly.
"Yes?"
Sung hesitated.
"Do you really believe it?"
June frowned slightly.
"Believe what?"
"Our history."
She leaned lightly against the table.
"The Ancient Power."
"The Ancient Tree."
"Haldon."
"Sapphire."
"Everything."
She shrugged uncertainly.
"Do you honestly believe it all happened?"
June carefully carried the steaming casserole to the middle of the table before removing the lid.
A fresh wave of delicious aromas filled the room.
She picked up the serving ladle.
"Apparently it did."
She spooned thick vegetable stew into two waiting bowls.
"I mean..."
She paused thoughtfully.
"It's certainly what we've always been taught."
She placed one bowl in front of Sung.
"It's written in every history book."
She served herself.
"And..."
She smiled faintly.
"It's part of our memories."
"But..."
She admitted honestly.
"I've never really questioned it."
Sung slowly poured water into both glasses.
"That's exactly what I don't understand."
June looked across the table.
"What do you mean?"
Sung sat down opposite her mother.
"I understand learning history."
She picked up her spoon but didn't begin eating immediately.
"Every civilisation studies its past."
"Humans do."
"We do."
"Everyone does."
She stirred the stew absent-mindedly.
"But..."
She looked directly at June.
"Why do we already remember it?"
June blinked.
Sung continued.
"That's the strange part."
"We don't just learn about the Ancient Power."
"We're born already knowing the story."
She tapped gently against her temple.
"It's... here."
"Ever since we're children."
She frowned.
"Doesn't that seem odd to you?"
June opened her mouth to answer...
...then stopped.
Sung carried on.
"I mean, history is supposed to be something you discover."
"You read books."
"You listen to teachers."
"You ask questions."
She finally took a spoonful of stew.
"But our people already know the names."
"Haldon."
"Sapphire."
"The Beings."
"The loss of the Ancient Power."
She shook her head slowly.
"No one ever seems surprised by any of it."
"It's almost..."
She searched for the right word.
"...like the memories were placed inside us before we were even born."
Silence settled across the kitchen.
June stared quietly into her bowl.
For perhaps the first time in years...
She genuinely thought about it.
She replayed her own childhood.
No one had ever sat her down and explained the story.
She had simply...
Known it.
Just as her parents had.
Just as their parents had before them.
She slowly lowered her spoon.
"You know..."
She looked thoughtfully at Sung.
"I've never considered that before."
Sung raised an eyebrow.
June smiled.
"You've actually made a very good point."
Sung almost dropped her spoon.
"I'm sorry..."
She blinked dramatically.
"Did you just say..."
She placed the back of one hand against her forehead.
"...that I made a good point?"
She leaned backwards in her chair.
"I think I'm going to faint."
June couldn't help laughing.
"Oh, don't get carried away."
Sung grinned mischievously.
"No, no..."
She continued the performance.
"I need to remember this moment forever."
"My mother admitted I was right."
She pretended to wipe away an imaginary tear.
"It's a historic occasion."
June rolled her eyes with a smile.
"It was one good point."
She pointed her spoon towards her daughter.
"Don't let it go to your head."
Sung laughed.
"So you agree with me?"
June hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"I agree it's... unusual."
She looked down at the swirling stew.
"Perhaps even a little unsettling."
She folded her hands together.
"It does seem strange that every feline simply... remembers."
Another thoughtful silence followed.
Finally, June looked back up.
"But..."
Her expression became more serious.
"That doesn't mean I believe all this talk about the Ancient Power returning one day."
Sung smiled knowingly.
"I never said it would."
June narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"No..."
She smiled.
"But judging by the amount of time you spend buried in that attic..."
She pointed upstairs.
"...I'd say you're hoping you'll be the one to prove everyone wrong."
Sung looked away innocently.
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
June laughed.
"I know that look."
"It's the same one your grandmother used to have whenever she was about to uncover something she probably shouldn't."
Sung couldn't help smiling.
Perhaps her mother was right.
But deep inside...
She couldn't shake the feeling that the answers to those impossible questions weren't hidden in history books.
They were still waiting for someone curious enough to find them.
Their conversation continued long after the meal had ended.
Neither of them had noticed that the stew sitting in the middle of the table had grown cold, the rising steam long since vanished. What had begun as an ordinary lunchtime conversation had become something much deeper.
Sung had asked a question.
One simple question.
Yet it had unsettled her mother in a way neither of them had expected.
For the first time in years, June found herself questioning something every feline had simply accepted without hesitation.
Sung rested her elbows gently on the table, her curiosity refusing to fade.
"So..."
She looked thoughtfully at her mother.
"Don't you think we're supposed to learn from what happened?"
June looked up.
"What do you mean?"
"Our history."
Sung's voice became quieter.
"The Ancient Power."
"The day we lost it."
She absent-mindedly traced circles on the wooden tabletop.
"Every feline is born remembering that day."
She tapped lightly against her temple.
"The memories are already inside us before we're old enough to understand them."
She sighed.
"The Ancient Beings made sure we'd never forget."
She paused.
"So surely..."
"...that means they wanted us to learn from it."
June folded her arms thoughtfully, resting one finger against her lips as she considered the question.
For several moments she simply stared across the table.
"When you look at the ancient writings..."
she finally began.
"...and when you think about the memories every one of us carries..."
She slowly nodded.
"Then yes."
"I suppose that's exactly why they left them with us."
"So we'd never repeat the same mistakes."
Her expression slowly became more reflective.
"But..."
She sighed quietly.
"I'm not convinced we've actually learned anything."
Sung frowned.
"What makes you say that?"
June gave a small, sad smile.
"Because remembering something..."
"...isn't the same as understanding it."
"We all know the story."
"We all know the names."
"Haldon."
"Sapphire."
"The Ancient Beings."
"The day the power disappeared."
She spread her hands.
"But knowing history doesn't mean people change because of it."
She looked towards the window.
"Every generation says they'll do better."
"Every generation believes they would have made different choices."
Then she looked back at Sung.
"But people rarely change as much as they think they do."
Her words lingered between them.
Sung remained silent for a moment.
Then her eyes lit up with the familiar spark of optimism her mother knew so well.
"But what if..."
She leaned forwards excitedly.
"...one day we finally do learn?"
June raised an eyebrow.
"What if that's the whole point?"
Sung continued eagerly.
"What if the memories are waiting for the day when the Feline race finally understands why it happened?"
She could barely keep still now.
"And when we do..."
She smiled broadly.
"...what if the Ancient Power comes back?"
"Can you imagine that?"
She laughed.
"The Ancient Tree returning."
"The enchanted forest growing again."
"The light particles filling the skies."
"Wouldn't that be incredible?"
For just a moment…
June allowed herself to picture it.
An impossible dream.
A world reborn.
The Ancient Tree towering once more over the land.
Children growing up beneath glowing branches instead of brick rooftops.
It was a beautiful thought.
Almost enough to believe.
Almost.
She smiled warmly at her daughter before gently waving the idea away.
"Some dreams are wonderful to imagine."
She stood from her chair.
"But..."
She placed a comforting hand on Sung's shoulder.
"Some things can't be changed."
"The Ancient Power is gone."
"It has been for generations."
"And perhaps..."
She looked thoughtfully around the kitchen.
"...that's simply the way the world is meant to be now."
There was no bitterness in her voice.
Only acceptance.
Sung lowered her gaze.
Part of her wanted to argue.
Part of her refused to believe that something so extraordinary could be lost forever.
But another part of her knew her mother wasn't trying to crush her dreams.
She was trying to protect her from hoping for something history had already declared impossible.
After a few moments, June suddenly smiled.
"Come on."
She clapped her hands together.
"It's too nice a day to spend talking about impossible things."
She grinned mischievously.
"Let's go into town."
Sung looked up.
"For what?"
June laughed.
"You've been talking about that blue dress in the market for two weeks now."
"I think it's time we finally had a look."
Sung's entire face brightened.
"Oh!"
"I'd completely forgotten!"
She jumped to her feet so quickly that her chair toppled backwards with a loud crash onto the floor.
June couldn't help laughing.
"Still as graceful as ever."
Sung pulled a playful face before picking the chair back up.
"I got excited."
"I noticed."
Without another word, Sung carried both empty plates to the sink, rinsing them automatically before placing them neatly beside one another.
June lifted the lid from the casserole pot.
The stew was completely cold now.
She smiled to herself.
"I'll deal with that later."
Replacing the lid, she switched off the kitchen light before following Sung into the hallway.
Together they slipped on their boots.
June reached for her coat.
Sung eagerly opened the front door.
A warm afternoon breeze drifted into the house.
For a little while, thoughts of ancient prophecies, forgotten powers and impossible dreams were left behind.
The two of them stepped outside together, laughing as they made their way towards town.
Neither of them realised that while some things truly could never be changed...
Others had merely been waiting for the right person to question them.
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