Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

⭐️ The Past [5/5] ⭐️

Sophii's POV:

I heard my three companions arguing outside on the balcony.

Addison shedding angry tears, Marshall trying to restrain her, and an unconscious Edward splayed out on the marble tiles.

It was quite the sight.

I pawed at the velvet carpet beneath me, arching my back in a quick stretch.

Out of the Horizon Library's five official inhabitants, I was the only former-human, non-human creature.

I'm Sophii, and I'm a shadowshifter.

A shadowshifter is a mortal being that has the ability to manipulate their bodies in order to blend in with the shadows, primarily in the form of an animal.

I prefer to appear as a black cat most of the time, to make myself appealing to others.

Just your average tiny, unassuming black cat, no big deal.

Well, it is.

Sometimes, when I sense Addison somewhere in the library, I sneak around to find a book she might like.

If I know she's sad, I'll try to grab a romance novel to cheer her up.

It usually works.

There are times when I realize that to her, I'm just your average, sentient creature... That's capable of human speech.

After eavesdropping on Addison and Marshall's conversations for a couple years now, who wouldn't have learned how to communicate with them?

I used to be human, but I preferred to have nimble, versatile paws over useless, lanky fingers.

With a great leap, I perched on the top of one of the ancient bookshelves, swiveling one ear toward where the chaos was unfolding.

Each one of them were blissfully unaware of the fact that I knew almost all of their deepest secrets.

Well, except for Addison. She's a good person and keeping everything that should be private as a secret.

The other three, however, underestimate my ability to hide in the darkness.

Edward isn't really King Arthur's biological son, but he is the queen's child. Yes, there have been some secret affairs circling around Northwynd... It's a very troubled kingdom from what I've heard.

Marshall has tried to burn down Baywharf's city, which resulted in the loss of Tia's father that she never really knew. Only a couple of buildings had toppled over, though, so it wasn't really a big deal. ( Side note, Tia's father was a human, and her mother was an orca. Genetics is weird, blame Mendel. )

Tia has been secretly training with someone for personal hand-to-hand combat lessons, but she always refers to them as "Paintwater". That's mainly why she's out so often, she disguises her little trips as "voyages".

Only a few minutes ago did I hear of our newly-promoted captain being accused of nine counts of first-degree murder.

"I can't, Marsh..." Addison whispered, staring down at Edward's limp, unconscious body. "It's too much to take in, I..."

"It's fine, Addi." The blacksmith said nonchalantly, reaching down and picking up the former prince by the back of his shirt. "Hopefully the blood in his mouth tastes like regret."