A wave of panic surged through Lil'blackie. She quickly pushed herself up, the feather sliding off her back and onto the floor with a soft whisper. Her heart raced as she darted between Lin Xiao and Xiao Bai, nudging them with her nose, her mind frantic with worry.
"Xiao Xiao... Xiao Bai..." she thought, trying to reach out to them with her telepathy, but there was no response. The house was eerily quiet, the only sound being the faint rustling of the feather on the floor.
Lil'blackie's mind was in turmoil. The shockwave had knocked everyone out, but for some reason, she had been awakened by this strange feather. It didn't make sense, but there was no time to dwell on it. She needed to help Lin Xiao and Xiao Bai, but how?\
Lil'blackie stared at the feather, her golden eyes wide with both confusion and determination. The feather, despite its delicate appearance, seemed to hold an unfathomable power. She hesitated for a moment, thinking that perhaps this strange object could be the key to waking Lin Xiao and Xiao Bai.
Gathering her resolve, Lil'blackie approached the feather cautiously. She extended one of her white paws, its soft fur brushing against the glowing feather. The light from the feather flickered slightly, almost as if acknowledging her touch. With a deep breath, Lil'blackie carefully hooked her paw underneath the feather, preparing to lift it.
She applied gentle pressure at first, expecting the feather to lift easily. But to her surprise, it remained firmly in place, as if rooted to the floor. Confusion washed over her. She had the same strength as Lin Xiao, thanks to the power-sharing attribute—she could easily lift objects far heavier than this fragile feather. Determined, she tried again, this time using more force. Her small muscles tensed as she focused all her energy into lifting the feather, but it still refused to budge.
Lil'blackie's ears flattened in frustration. She wasn't just strong; she was extraordinarily strong. She had once lifted a car without breaking a sweat, and yet this tiny, seemingly weightless feather wouldn't move. It was as if the feather was anchored by something far beyond physical strength, something intangible yet insurmountable.
Refusing to give up, Lil'blackie tried again, using all the power she could muster. Her paws pressed against the floor, her claws extending for extra grip as she tried to lift the feather with a fierce determination. But no matter how hard she tried, the feather remained stubbornly on the ground, its glow intensifying slightly with each failed attempt, almost as if it was mocking her efforts.
Panting from the exertion, Lil'blackie finally stopped, her body trembling with a mix of exhaustion and frustration. She looked down at the feather, her mind racing. Why couldn't she lift it? What kind of power did this feather possess that made it impossible for her, despite all her strength, to even budge it?
Her gaze shifted back to Lin Xiao and Xiao Bai, both still lying unconscious on the floor. Desperation began to creep into her thoughts. She had to find a way to help them, but without being able to move the feather, what could she do?
Suddenly, Lil'blackie's ears twitched as a strange, faint groan echoed through the room. It was an unsettling sound, low and distant, yet unmistakably there. Her fur bristled in response, and she instinctively scanned her surroundings, hoping to see Lin Xiao, Xiao Bai, or perhaps even her mother or sister stirring from their unconscious state. But the room remained eerily still, with everyone still lying motionless on the floor.
Lil'blackie's golden eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her instincts kicked into high gear, and she crouched low, her tail flicking back and forth in agitation. "Who is it?" she demanded, her voice echoing in the silence. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any sign of movement, but there was nothing. Just the steady rise and fall of her family's breaths, and the oppressive quiet that had settled over the house.
Then, the groan came again, a bit louder this time, sending a shiver down her spine. It was the same strange, otherworldly sound, and it seemed to resonate with an odd frequency, making the very air around her vibrate. Lil'blackie's sharp ears pinpointed the source of the sound, and her eyes widened in disbelief. The groan was coming from the feather.
Cautiously, she approached the glowing object, her paws making no sound on the floor. Each step was calculated, her muscles tensed and ready to spring into action if needed. As she drew closer, the groan became more distinct, almost as if the feather itself was in pain or distress. It was a sound unlike anything Lil'blackie had ever heard before, and it filled her with a deep unease.
Her nose twitched as she tried to detect any scent that might explain what was happening, but the feather gave off nothing but a faint, ethereal glow. There was no scent of danger, no indication of a living being—just that strange, disembodied groan that seemed to emanate from within the feather itself.
Lil'blackie circled the feather cautiously, her eyes never leaving it. The groan persisted, growing more frequent as she got closer, as if the feather was reacting to her presence. She hesitated for a moment, weighing her options. Every instinct told her that this was something far beyond her understanding, something she should be wary of. But she also knew that whatever was happening here was directly connected to the strange events that had just unfolded.
Taking a deep breath, Lil'blackie steeled herself and moved even closer, until she was almost nose-to-feather with the glowing object. The groan now sounded almost like a whisper, a soft, pleading sound that tugged at her curiosity and caution in equal measure. She leaned in, her whiskers twitching as she examined the feather up close.
It was then that she noticed a faint pulse within the feather, a soft, rhythmic light that seemed to beat in time with the groans. The light was mesmerizing, almost hypnotic, and for a moment, Lil'blackie felt herself drawn to it, as if the feather was calling out to her, urging her to come closer, to touch it once more.