Fate Wheel | Naruto

𝟑𝟐| Paranoia

"Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
—Sarah Williams

───※ ·❆· ※───

DAWNS POV

Sahiro used to tell me that our fate was written in the stars.

He was a firm believer that through astrological compositions we were able to determine the paths that were predestined to be carved through our decisions and a prolonged chain of events. At night, when mother and father were asleep we used to sneak away into the forest and to our favourite spot on the tallest tree where the sky was unalloyed and the stars were it's brightest, he then used to connect the stars that would soon form some sort of shape and that very shape symbolised a web of eventualities that sooner or later would occur. Despite the naivety of my age, I was one to contradict his beliefs with my own. I didn't want to be subdued by heavy manacles and forced to conform to the way things were, I wanted to carve my path.

But I now know, due to the forged imprisonment of my mind I had no control over my future. That sooner or later, I would be found. And yet, I continued to wonder that if it was my choice to stay here would it influence the choices of others to prevent me from leaving?

Whenever I had the chance, I humoured the thought of my ridiculous string of hope that somehow fomented despite the mental and physical torture I was put through. Did that mean that the hope that I held was the one thing that they hadn't taken from me other than my will to live life without being fearful of death happening around me?

"Meow."

My ears perked at the sound. Normally I wouldn't spare a thought towards a stray as there were a couple lingering around the dustbins in alleyways and on the streets, but this one sounded all too familiar.

"It's you." I mumbled, staring at the cat's spellbinding emerald eyes.

This time, when I looked into his eyes they were no longer frightened. Instead, I could detect a hint of recognition as it slowly yet calmly strolled towards me. My lips curled upwards as I bent down and allowed my fingers to rub against his ear, the cat purred and leaned into my hand. It surprised me that he was no longer starved to the brim with his bones visible and his black fur lifeless and dead, at least I did something right for once.

If I hadn't helped this cat, he wouldn't have lived to see another day and likely to be preyed upon. It made me wonder if someone else had stumbled upon him and nursed him back to health. I guess in his case, the odds turned to his favour.

"Why are you touching that disgusting creature?" Jiro sneered, glaring at the small cat hatefully.

I rolled my eyes. "Are all hounds born into some eternal opposition towards feline or something?" The cat cocked his head to the side, releasing another mewl.

Jiro's red eye narrowed intently at the cat, who ignored his presence. It wasn't like Jiro to be so easily riled up by cats nor did he exactly go around picking fights with any other animal, because unlike any other animal Jiro's mind worked like a human's. He had emotions and he could think for himself, but he wasn't exactly a summoning animal either.

"No," he clicked his tongue and let out a huff. "that thing bothers me."

"Meow?" The cat blinked innocently.