Project: Cayro

Chapter 13: Acceptance and Achievements

Cayro Bracton:

August 22, 2025

10:20 EST

The Bracton House

Hampton VA.

I sat at my desk, staring at the last email I received from Star. Her advice, while somewhat strange, had started to make sense. The nagging thought that Team SAF's operation might have caused the cat to appear had been gnawing at me. With the information Star had shared, it seemed even more plausible. If her suggestion was correct, I needed to follow the cat, no matter how bizarre it sounded.

Taking a deep breath, I let out a sigh of defeat, feeling the anxiety that had been clawing at me for days finally begin to loosen its grip. With a sense of resolve, I reached over and flipped on my computer monitor for the first time in days, preparing to face the aggravating hallucination head-on. As the monitor powered up, I turned and pulled down the towel I had draped over my mirror—a makeshift solution that had offered me temporary relief. Just as expected, the cat appeared a moment later, its ethereal form materializing in the glass. I shot it a glare, then walked over to my door, shutting it quietly to avoid drawing my grandparents' attention.

"All right, since you won't leave me alone, I'm going to take Star's advice and figure out what you want," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

The cat responded by sitting down on its haunches, tilting its head slightly as if it were amused or curious.

"I know you know how to use a computer, so let's go," I continued, a low growl of frustration lacing my words as I pointed toward the monitor.

The cat stood up and, in an eerily fluid motion, walked out of the mirror. I turned away, sat in my desk chair, and, as if on cue, the cat appeared on my monitor. It opened Notepad without any intervention from me, its tiny paw moving with a grace that was almost unsettling. I moved the cursor to the blank page and began to type, my fingers hovering just above the keys as if waiting for the cat to explain itself.

Cayro: What do you want, cat?
Cat: To help you find the piece you are missing.
Cayro: What do you mean?
Cat: You are missing a part that is needed to help you become whole.
Cayro: That doesn't make sense, cat.

I leaned back in my chair, watching as the cat sat on my screen, tapping its chin with a paw as if it were contemplating how to make me understand. After a few moments, it opened my web browser and navigated to a computer hardware site. My eyes narrowed as it scrolled through the page until it reached the section for solid-state drives. The cat selected a basic SSD, opening the product page and pointing at the device with a determined flick of its tail. A chill ran down my spine as the pieces began to fall into place. I moved the cursor back to Notepad and resumed typing.

Cayro: Are you telling me to look for the C Drive?
Cat: Yes, it was placed with your father's belongings.
Cayro: Wait, what? Are you sure?
Cat: Yes.

The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. I shot up from my chair so quickly that it toppled backward, hitting the wall with a thud. Cringing slightly at the noise, I turned and bolted out of my room, dashing down the stairs in search of either of my grandparents. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart so as not to alarm them, and found my grandmother sitting calmly at her desk, absorbed in her work.

"Grandma, do you know where Dad's belongings were put after he passed?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as even as possible.

"Hmm, I believe your grandfather put them up in the attic a few years ago. Why?" she replied, looking up from her work with a curious expression.