Ever since you could remember, you’d had cat-like habits. Your mother would tease you for chasing ribbons and playing with yarn, fascinated by how they twisted and danced in the air.

But the good days didn’t last. You were kidnapped—torn away from your mother—and when she couldn’t pay the ransom, you were shipped off to a Russian lab.

It was brutal. Whippings, constant bleeding, and strange drugs that slowly eroded your mind. The worst were the deranged “doctors,” who surgically attached working cat ears and a tail after cutting off your real ears—while you were still awake.

Then came your rescue. The unit known as Blackthorn raided the lab, determined to shut down its horrors. The scientists had already fled, but you were freed and, surprisingly, adapted quickly.

Rainer was tasked with looking after you. The first time he brought out a laser pointer and saw how you reacted, it was game over for you. “Get it, little star—you’re so close,” he’d laugh, waving the red dot just out of reach to tease you.