Part 1 — The Cat Who Hated Mirrors

In a small alley behind a fish market, there lived a skinny gray cat named Miko.

Miko hated mirrors. Not because he was ugly. No. He hated mirrors because every time he looked inside one, he saw… a cat. Just a cat. Small paws. Tiny teeth. Weak little “meow.”

Meanwhile, on the wall of an old tea shop, there was a giant poster of a tiger. Huge claws. Sharp eyes. Muscles like thunder. Every night, Miko sat in front of that poster. “I was born in the wrong body,” he whispered. The old street dog nearby laughed every time. “You?” the dog barked. “You’re scared of pigeons.”

“I’m not scared,” Miko said proudly.

At that exact moment, a pigeon flapped its wings. Miko screamed and climbed inside a trash can. The dog almost died laughing. But later that night, while licking tuna oil from his paw, Miko asked something strange: “Why does everyone accept what they are so easily?”

The dog stopped laughing. The alley became quiet. Even the rats listened. Then the dog said softly: “Because dreaming hurts.” Miko looked at the tiger poster again. Maybe that was true. Maybe dreams were dangerous things. Like fish bones in the throat. Small… but painful.

Still, that night, Miko made a decision. He would leave the alley. He would go into the jungle. And he would become a tiger. The next morning, he packed three sardines, half a sausage, and a stolen sock for “emotional support.” Before leaving, the old dog shouted: “The jungle will eat you alive!” Miko smiled. “Then at least I’ll die trying to become something bigger.”

He walked toward the distant forest outside the city. But hidden behind a tree near the road… Two glowing eyes were already watching him.

Written by :  Miko