Chapter 8: Changes 1

"Rhine Cat? That's it?"

"You're just naming it after the brand?"

A ripple of surprise swept through Elias's coworkers.

"What's wrong with 'Rhine Cat'?" Elias asked with a shrug.

"It's our brand's name—makes the mascot an immediate brand ambassador. I can't think of anything more fitting."

"It does sound pretty good," someone murmured.

Ms. Miranda Harrington—the founder of MH—nodded thoughtfully from her seat at the front.

"From the company's perspective, binding the cat to the 'Rhine' name is perfect."

She gave Elias a warm, encouraging look. "Of course, you've made a huge contribution creating this mascot. We'll make sure you're well-rewarded."

Clap, clap…

Ms. Harrington tapped her hands to get everyone's attention.

"I have an important personnel announcement to make!"

The room fell silent. Any talk of promotions or reassignments always drew rapt interest.

Ms. Harrington held up the final sketches of Rhine Cat so everyone could see. "All of you can see how much value and potential this mascot has for our brand. Frankly, using it just as a promotional figure would be a waste."

"So," she continued, "I'm forming an entirely new division dedicated to developing the Rhine Cat IP—everything from merchandise to animated shorts, plushies, accessories, licensing deals…the works. That way, the cat can not only be our cosmetics brand ambassador, but also stand on its own as a compelling character."

She pressed her palm against the sketches. "The new division will be called the Rhine Cat IP Development & Operations Team, and it will report directly to me. And the team lead…will be Elias Crane!"

Boom—

Elias? The entire room erupted in astonishment. A brand-new department, directly under Ms. Harrington, led by a relatively new hire? But the shock quickly melted into excitement. It did make sense. Elias had proven his skills by designing Rhine Cat—there was no one more qualified to lead the project.

Suddenly, applause thundered through the room. Colleagues flooded around Elias, firing off congratulations:

"That's amazing, Elias! You're officially a team lead—can I transfer over to your group? I'll be your faithful soldier!"

"Dude, you've gotta treat us all to dinner now. Your position's on par with Lily's or higher—bet your salary's tripling overnight!"

"Heh, triple's an understatement. With profit shares and licensing, you'll be raking it in. So yep, drinks are on you tonight!"

"Team leader Crane, don't forget us when you're rolling in it! The youngest group leader in the whole company—impressive!"

Their enthusiasm nearly launched Elias into the air. Flustered, he smiled and promised to host a celebration soon.

He was just as surprised by Ms. Harrington's decision. He'd been at MH for under a year.

But Ms. Harrington walked over, smiling, and said quietly, "I really do love your design, Elias. It shows real creativity and commitment. I'm counting on you to help MH expand into bigger markets."

She clasped his shoulder. "Cosmetics can always be replaced, but art and culture can endure through history. Maybe centuries from now, people won't be using MH cosmetics anymore…but they will still remember Rhine Cat."

With that, she turned and left. "I look forward to your results. Keep up the great work!"

***

That night, Elias and his coworkers went out for a celebratory dinner. Everyone was in high spirits, thrilled to see him get such a prestigious position so quickly. Amid the clinking of glasses, a few older employees offered him some friendly caution:

"Ms. Harrington's management style is bold—she's great at spotting talent and promoting people fast. That's how MH grew so big in just two years."

"Of course, she's also quick to fire people if they cross a line, so watch yourself!"

Elias chuckled in agreement. He was drained by the time he got home near ten o'clock. After a hot shower, he poured himself a small glass of yogurt to settle his stomach—he'd had a bit too much to drink at dinner.

Thump

He dropped into a chair and sighed.

"Who knew the dream would actually help me in real life?"

For years, his nightly dream was just a no-consequences playground. He'd never tried to "harvest" an idea from it. But apparently, the line between dream creativity and reality could be quite profitable. It reminded him of something Ms. Harrington had mentioned—how Mendeleev allegedly dreamed up the Periodic Table, or Einstein found clues to relativity in his sleep.

"Though technically, it was Koko Cat in my dream," he mused. Yawning, he added, "Rhine Cat definitely rolls off the tongue better, though."

He brushed his teeth, flicked off the lights, and collapsed into bed.

***

Whoosh.

A familiar summer breeze, the scent of fresh leaves…

Elias opened his eyes. He was back in that same, ever-unfolding city square, exactly as it had been for over twenty years of his life. Or so he thought.

The plaza lights glowed softly, but something was off. He'd gone to bed fairly late, so the dream plaza was emptier than usual—no kids laughing, no one racing around. Probably they were "home asleep," if the dream's logic was consistent.

Elias turned toward the street, expecting to see Claw's van—maybe waiting to pick up the "hero mask hacker" like before. But there was no sign of the vehicle.

"Huh," he said quietly. "So he's already met Cipher and gone to the bank."

He scanned the scene. A nearby toy shop still had its lights on, so he decided to check out the Koko Cat plushies again. Ms. Harrington believed in building a full brand empire around Rhine Cat, so maybe Elias could glean more dream-based ideas.

He slipped into the store, heading straight for the shelf where he'd found the plush. But—

"Where's Koko Cat?"

The shelf was full of random dolls and figurines he'd never seen. No Koko Cat in sight.

A chill raced up his spine. For over two decades, nothing in his dream had changed. Leaves always fell in the same pattern, events replayed exactly, day after day. Yet now…

The store was the same place, the same shelf—but no Koko Cat.

That gave him a bizarre sense of wrongness—like discovering a glitch in a supposedly unchanging world.

"Is this…really my dream?" he whispered.

He whirled around. The shop clerk was standing right behind him, wearing a polite smile.

"Can I help you, sir?" the clerk asked calmly.

"Uh… I was looking for a Koko Cat plush," Elias said, forcing a casual tone. "They used to be right here." He gestured at the empty space on the shelf.

"Koko Cat?" the clerk repeated with a puzzled tilt of the head. "I'm sorry, sir… I think you might be mistaken. We've never carried anything by that name."

Elias's stomach dropped, heart thumping.

She's never heard of Koko Cat?