Prologue
"Carmen, wait for us!"
The she-cat in question did no such thing. Instead, she only quickened her pace. Hot summer air rippled across her ruddy pelt. Her pads, calloused from months of walking on broken concrete, pounded against the barren earth. The highway nearby loomed over her on concrete pillars and blocked out the light of a coming dawn. There was nothing all around as far as the eye could see, and a half moon was slowly sinking below the horizon. Stars twinkled faintly in a pale blue twilight, staring down at the world with cold and hazy auras.
Lean muscles danced beneath Carmen's skin. Her tail streamed out straight behind her. Her whiskers were pushed back against her muzzle, and she panted hard. Her amber gaze, clear as crystal and sharp with fresh wisdom, remained fixated on the crest of a great hill.
The Abyssinian had learned and experienced so much since leaving home, sneaking out of her human's apartment one night after StarClan had come to her in a dream. They'd offered her vague promises of freedom and destiny should she walk their path and follow the most brilliant star she'd ever seen. One that only her eyes were privy to. They were almost there, almost close enough to stand beneath the star and finally see what it had all been for.
She and the Clan had stayed awhile in a comfy suburban area, much longer than they'd first intended to. It was the right move, thought the Clan's leader, Darkwood. Now, even the most impatient among them had come to agree. They'd needed that time to rest and regain their strength. Carmen had continued training under Hawktalon, and now felt a power in her that she never would've thought to appreciate as a sheltered kit; she was stronger and faster than ever before. Despite her life's goal of becoming a Show Cat, a life of daintiness and grace, she was proud of her physique. Her kitten fluff was long gone, and she'd matured into quite the impressive cat.
She reached the top of the hill and skidded to a halt. She took in the sight which laid before her and hissed, burying her claws into dry dirt. Her tail thrashed. Someone came to stand beside her, also panting from the chase. Carmen saw in her peripheral, a dark tabby warrior by the name of Mosswhisker.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," said Mosswhisker in a voice so thick with exhausted aggravation that one could almost taste it.
Before them was a horizon dark with towers of glass and stone. Its reach was so far that they couldn't glimpse the edges of it. Even from here, they could tell that it was a dense cluster where bits and pieces of nature would be few and far between. The last thing they wanted was to push through another tangle of iron and filth, but the star was somewhere just beyond it. Carmen could feel it in her bones. They were close. They were so close. To try and go around this place would delay their arrival for who knew how long? The two of them agreed that it might be worth it.
Ultimately, that wasn't their decision to make, and dread seeped into their hearts as they realized what was likeliest to happen.
"Well," said Carmen, voice taut, "here we go again."