Monday mornings were never kind to Ava.
But this one? This one felt different.
For once, she didn't dread the office.
Maybe it was because she'd survived a disaster. Maybe it was the satisfaction of handing in a flawless report. Or maybe just maybe it was the faint sound of a certain smug cat's voice in her head saying, "I told you so."
She shook her head, smiling to herself as she walked into the building.
"Good morning!" Mina called from across the lobby, waving a cup of coffee dangerously close to spilling. "You look way too alive for a Monday. Who are you and what did you do with my best friend?"
Ava grinned. "I slept for nine hours straight."
"Ah, so that's what victory looks like." Mina handed her the second cup. "Extra caramel, two shots. You earned it, hero."
"Thanks," Ava said, accepting the drink. "But let's not say 'hero' too loudly. I still don't know how we pulled it off."
"Oh, I do," Mina said, dramatically lowering her voice. "Sheer panic, caffeine, and a sprinkle of divine intervention."
"More like dumb luck," Ava muttered, taking a sip.
"Luck, caffeine same thing."
Daniel joined them near the elevators, holding a stack of files. "I heard Mr. Park praised you in the meeting this morning."
Ava blinked. "He did?"
"Yeah," Daniel said with a small smile. "Called your presentation 'exceptional initiative.' That's basically a standing ovation in Mr. Park language."
Mina gasped. "You got a compliment from the Ice King himself? Girl, that's worth framing!"
Ava rolled her eyes, though her cheeks warmed slightly. "It's not that big of a deal."
"It is," Daniel said sincerely. "You saved the team."
Ava hesitated. "We all worked hard."
"Sure," Mina said, smirking. "But let's not pretend anyone else broke into the office at midnight."
Ava nearly choked on her coffee. "Mina!"
"What? It's not like I told him."
Daniel frowned. "Told who?"
Mina blinked innocently. "No one! Forget I said that."
Ava sighed. "Please tell me you didn't"
"Of course I didn't," Mina said. Then, after a beat, "Probably."
"Mina."
"Okay, fine, I might have mentioned it to Evelyn when she was bragging about her new perfume."
Ava groaned. "Fantastic. She's going to use that forever."
When they reached the office, the atmosphere was lighter than usual. People were smiling, laughing even Evelyn was unusually quiet, though she gave Ava a cool nod as they passed.
Mr. Park was in his glass office, typing furiously as always, but for once he didn't look ready to bite someone's head off.
Daniel leaned toward Ava. "You know, he actually smiled at the end of the meeting."
Mina gasped. "That's it. We're officially in the Twilight Zone."
Ava laughed softly. "Don't jinx it."
They settled into their desks. The morning hum of the office filled the air keyboards clicking, printers whirring, someone in the corner whispering angrily at the coffee machine.
Mina leaned back in her chair, sighing dramatically. "You ever notice how, after every crisis, the office gets really peaceful? Like everyone's collectively traumatized but too tired to argue."
Daniel smirked. "It's called the 'post-apocalypse calm.' Happens after every deadline."
Ava chuckled. "Can we make it last this time?"
"Not a chance," Mina said. "Evelyn's already plotting something, I can feel it."
Ava glanced toward Evelyn's desk. Sure enough, she was typing furiously, her trio of friends gathered nearby like a miniature gossip council.
"Just ignore her," Daniel said softly. "She'll get bored eventually."
"Or she'll start another rumor," Mina added cheerfully. "You never know with her."
"Great," Ava said dryly. "Something to look forward to."
At lunch, the three of them sat together in the small cafeteria by the window.
Mina was halfway through her sandwich when she said, "So… weird question. How's the cat?"
Ava froze mid-bite. "The cat?"
"Yeah, your mysterious black cat. You mentioned you found him on your kitchen table, remember?"
Ava blinked, forcing a casual tone. "Oh. Yeah. He's… fine."
Daniel smiled. "You've really taken to him, huh?"
"Uh, yeah," Ava said quickly. "He's… talkative."
Mina laughed. "That's cute! What's his name again?"
"Noir."
"Ooooh, fancy. You've got a whole aesthetic going on."
Ava smiled nervously. "Yeah, something like that."
"You know," Mina said thoughtfully, "I read online that black cats bring good luck. Maybe he's your little guardian."
Ava almost snorted into her drink. "Trust me, luck isn't the word I'd use."
Meanwhile, back at her apartment, Noir was perched on the windowsill, staring out at the city below.
The late morning sun glinted off his dark fur, making it shimmer like ink. He watched the people rushing along the streets so fragile, so distracted, so mortal.
His reflection in the glass looked back at him: a cat's face, but eyes that held centuries.
He sighed softly. "What am I doing here?"
For a moment, his mind drifted to another era, another form, another life.
A voice echoed faintly in his memory. "You'll wander forever, cursed to see what you once ruled, until the world forgets your name."
He closed his eyes, shaking off the thought.
And then the front door rattled.
"Hey, I'm home!"
Ava's voice.
Noir straightened immediately, tail flicking with something that might have been anticipation.
She stepped in, tossing her shoes aside and dropping her bag. "You will not believe the day I had."
He jumped down gracefully, landing in front of her. "You survived without me, I see."
"Barely." She smiled tiredly. "But I did get a free lunch, so maybe you are my good luck charm."
He purred lightly. "As you should have realized sooner."
"Don't let it get to your head."
"Too late."
She went to her laptop, setting it on the table. "I have to send some follow-up reports before tomorrow."
Noir leapt onto the couch, curling into a perfect circle. "And thus, the cycle continues. Work, stress, repeat."
She sighed, typing. "That's life."
"Not mine," he murmured.
She glanced at him, curious. "Then what was yours like?"
He didn't answer right away. His tail twitched once. "Louder. Bloodier. And much, much lonelier."
Ava paused, fingers hovering above the keys. "That… sounds sad."
Noir opened one golden eye. "It was. Until now."
She looked at him for a long moment. "You're full of surprises."
He gave a small, almost human smile. "So are you."
The next day began too quietly.
Which, in the unwritten rules of office life, meant disaster was brewing.
Ava was sipping her morning coffee when Mina burst through the door like a hurricane, waving her phone.
"You will not believe what's happening in the break room!"
Ava groaned. "If it's another coffee machine rebellion, I'm not getting involved."
"No! Worse!" Mina whispered dramatically. "Mr. Park's parents are visiting."
Ava blinked. "He has parents?"
Daniel, seated nearby, looked up from his computer. "Everyone has parents, Mina."
"Yeah, but can you imagine Mr. Park having a mom? What if she's like… a female version of him?" Mina whispered, shuddering.
Ava chuckled despite herself. "I'm sure they're perfectly normal people."
"Normal people don't show up unannounced with gift baskets and scold the staff for 'working too hard,'" Mina countered.
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Wait, seriously?"
Mina nodded, eyes wide. "I saw her handing out cookies! Cookies, Daniel! From the Ice King's mother!"
Ava set down her coffee. "I have to see this."
They cautiously peeked into the break room.
A woman in her sixties stood by the counter, radiant smile and floral dress brightening the sterile space. She was handing out cookies with military precision.
"Eat, eat! You're all so thin!" she insisted to a terrified intern.
Behind her stood a tall, stoic man clearly Mr. Park's father nodding approvingly at everything she said.
And in the corner, utterly frozen, was Mr. Park himself, holding a paper cup of tea like it might explode.
Ava had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
Mina whispered, "I've never seen him look this human before."
Daniel murmured, "He looks like he's about to cry."
As they tried to retreat quietly, Mrs. Park spotted them. "Oh! New faces! Come, come!"
Ava froze. "Uh...hi!"
The woman smiled warmly. "You must be the one who helped with that big project! My son told me all about you."
Ava blinked. He did what?
Mr. Park choked on his tea. "Mother."
Mrs. Park ignored him. "You're Ava, right? Such a pretty name. You work too much look at those tired eyes!"
Mina snorted, trying to stifle laughter.
Ava smiled awkwardly. "I, uh, appreciate your concern."
"Oh nonsense. You young people need rest! And cookies!"
Before Ava could react, Mrs. Park shoved a cookie into her hand, patted her cheek, and moved on to interrogate another employee about their lunch habits.
Daniel leaned in. "I think I just saw your life flash before your eyes."
Ava whispered back, "If she starts asking about my weekend plans, I'm running."
By noon, the entire office had been force-fed baked goods and "motherly advice."
Even Evelyn had accepted a cookie grudgingly after Mrs. Park told her she reminded her of her younger self.
Mr. Park, however, looked like a man on the brink of a breakdown.
As everyone dispersed, he approached Ava's desk, adjusting his tie like he was negotiating peace.
"I… apologize for my mother's enthusiasm," he said stiffly.
Ava smiled. "She's lovely."
"She is… persistent."
Mina leaned over from her desk, grinning. "She's adorable, sir. We love her."
Mr. Park gave her a look that could curdle milk. "Let's… keep personal visits minimal in the future."
"Yes, sir," Mina said, suppressing laughter.
When he left, Mina collapsed into giggles. "Oh my god, his mom likes you. That's legendary!"
Ava covered her face. "Please stop."
"Too late. I'm making it my phone wallpaper."
Daniel chuckled softly. "At least the mood in the office is better."
"Yeah," Ava said, smiling faintly. "It's nice to see everyone laughing."
That evening, Ava returned home exhausted but oddly content.
As she opened the door, Noir was waiting on the couch, tail flicking lazily.
"You smell like sugar and fear," he commented.
Ava dropped her bag. "It's been… a day."
"Ah. Humans again."
"Mr. Park's parents came to the office."
Noir tilted his head. "Parents. Those are the creators, yes?"
"In a way, yeah."
He jumped onto the table, peering at her curiously. "Do they command as he does?"
Ava laughed. "Actually, they command him. His mom made him eat a cookie."
Noir blinked slowly. "And he obeyed?"
"She's terrifying."
For a long moment, Noir studied her face, then said with mock seriousness, "Perhaps I should meet this woman. Anyone who can control such a man might be useful."
Ava burst out laughing. "No! You'd probably insult her hat or something."
He purred. "Only if it deserved it."
She sat beside him, still giggling. "You have no idea how weird it is trying to explain days like this to you."
"I understand more than you think," Noir said softly. "Human chaos is… familiar."
"Yeah?"
He looked away. "In another form, another age, there was always noise. Always people. And me, watching them ruin and rebuild."
Ava leaned back, letting the words sink in. "Sounds lonely."
"It was." He met her gaze again. "But you make it tolerable."
Ava's smile faded into something gentler, warmer. "You're getting sappy again."
He flicked his tail. "And you're pretending not to like it."
She chuckled. "You're impossible."
"So I've been told."
Just then, her phone buzzed. Mina had sent her a picture: Mrs. Park hugging Ava with a cookie in hand.
Caption: "Our new office princess 🍪👑"
Ava groaned aloud.
Noir peeked at the screen. "You seem distressed."
"She's going to post this in the group chat, isn't she?"
"I fail to see the tragedy."
"It's embarrassing!"
He considered that, then said calmly, "Would you like me to destroy her device?"
Ava froze, staring at him. "…You're joking, right?"
He blinked once. "Mostly."
"Okay, no more cat assassination plans."
He smirked. "You humans take all the fun out of things."
Later that night, Ava sat at her desk, still chuckling at the memory of Mrs. Park's invasion.
But beneath the laughter, something lingered a quiet warmth she hadn't felt in a long time.
It wasn't just survival anymore. It was belonging.
And as Noir curled beside her, his golden eyes half-lidded, she realized how strange it was that the one creature who made her feel most human… wasn't human at all.