Mari sat on her bed, her fingers drumming against her phone as she redialed Jin's number for what felt like the hundredth time.
The silence on the other end gnawed at her nerves.
"He said he'd come… so where is he?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
A knock at her bedroom door interrupted her spiraling thoughts.
"Knock, knock!"
Her heart leapt, and she nearly bolted to the door, convinced it was Jin.
She flung it open with a wide smile—only to freeze as disappointment hit her like a wave.
Standing there was her sister, Luna.
Mari's face betrayed her emotions, and Luna hesitated at the threshold, clearly reading her expression.
"Hey," Luna said softly as she stepped inside. "How are you holding up? Did he show up yet?"
Mari sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Oh... hey," she muttered, frustration seeping into her voice.
She moved aside to let Luna in. "Come in. I thought it was him… I've been calling him for hours, but he's not answering."
Luna crossed the room and perched on the edge of Mari's bed, gently patting the spot beside her. "I'm sure he's okay," she said, her tone calm but tentative.
"It'd help if he were here, though. Not knowing what's going on is… terrifying." She offered a weak smile. "Maybe he fell asleep? Or his phone died?"
Mari shrugged, her unease stubbornly clinging to her.
The quiet that followed felt heavy, and Mari glanced at Luna, noticing the distant, almost haunted look in her sister's eyes.
"Luna?" Mari asked, concern etching her voice.
She leaned closer. "What's wrong?"
Luna hesitated, her lips quivering before she finally spoke.
"It's Kuro," she whispered, her voice cracking.
"Kuro?" Mari frowned. "Your puppy? What about him?"
Tears welled in Luna's eyes. "He's been… sleeping. Ever since people woke up from that… that phenomenon," she said, her voice faltering as she fought to contain her emotions.
Mari blinked, confused. "Sleeping? Kuro hasn't woken up at all?"
Luna shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I don't know what's wrong," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I'm so worried."
"I've asked our neighbors," Luna continued after a moment, her words tumbling out quickly. "Their pets are the same—cats, dogs, even birds in their cages. They're all just… unconscious, like Kuro."
Mari froze, her alarm growing. "What?" she asked sharply, turning to face Luna fully. "You mean all of them?"
Luna nodded, wide-eyed. "Yes. It's like… it's like they're stuck, just like Kuro."
Mari's stomach twisted.
The implications were unsettling. "Could this be connected to the phenomenon?" she murmured, her mind racing.
"I don't know," Luna admitted, wringing her hands nervously.
"But it's not just the people—something's happening to the animals too. And… and what if they don't wake up?"
Her voice broke on the last word as fresh tears spilled down her face.
Mari quickly stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on Luna's shoulder. "Hey, let's not jump to conclusions," she said, trying to sound confident despite her own doubts.
"Kuro's strong, and so are the others. Maybe they're just… recovering. We'll figure this out, okay?"
Luna sniffled, nodding slightly. "I hope you're right," she whispered.
Mari gave her sister's shoulder a squeeze. "Let's check on him," she said, steering Luna gently toward the door.
"Maybe there's something we're missing, or maybe he just needs more time."
Luna wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "He's in my room," she murmured, her voice shaky.
"Then let's go," Mari said firmly, taking her sister's hand.
As they walked toward Luna's room, Mari's thoughts spiraled.
If the phenomenon had affected animals as well as humans, the implications were far more profound than she'd imagined.
Whatever was happening, it wasn't over.
She glanced at Luna, her sister's fear etched clearly on her face, and silently vowed, I'll find Jin… but first, I need to make sure Kuro's okay.
—
In the dimly lit room, the two sisters entered cautiously, the air thick with a mix of anxiety and dread.
Luna immediately moved toward where Kuro lay, his small black-furred body motionless on the bed.
Kuro's tiny form appeared peaceful at first glance, but something about his slumber felt off.
His chest rose and fell so faintly that it was barely perceptible, and the stillness was unsettling.
No sound accompanied his breath.
"Kuro…" Luna whispered, kneeling beside him.
She hesitated, her trembling hand hovering over his back before she gently touched him.
Suddenly—
"Ahh! Ouch!" Luna cried out, jerking her hand back as if she'd been burned.
Mari's heart skipped a beat as she rushed to her side. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Luna clutched her hand to her chest, her face pale with shock. "I—I felt like I was electrocuted!" she stammered, her voice shaky with both fear and confusion.
Mari froze, staring at Luna, then at Kuro. "What?" she whispered, her eyes narrowing.
"That doesn't make sense…"
A growing sense of dread spread between them, and the unnerving realization that something unnatural was happening began to sink in.
"Oh no, no, no, nooo!" Luna suddenly screamed, her voice breaking as tears spilled down her cheeks.
Panic overtook her, and her breath hitched. "What's happening to him? What's wrong with Kuro?!"
Mari quickly placed a hand on Luna's shoulder, trying to steady her, though her own confusion and fear began to spiral out of control.
"Luna, calm down," she said, her voice trembling. "We'll figure this out. There has to be an explanation."
Luna shook her head, sobbing uncontrollably.
"This isn't normal!" she cried.
"Why can't I touch him? What's happening to my baby?!"
Mari glanced at Kuro again, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.
She hesitated, but her concern pushed her forward.
As she stepped closer, a strange, faint hum seemed to vibrate in the air around the puppy, like an electric current buzzing just beneath the surface.
Her pulse quickened.
She glanced back at Luna, then looked again at the sleeping pup.
"This… this isn't just sleep," Mari whispered, her voice barely audible, a chill creeping down her spine. "Something's… happening to him."
The sisters stood in stunned silence, staring at Kuro's unmoving form.
The unease that had been building was now overwhelming.
Kuro wasn't just unconscious—he was changing.
And whatever was happening to him, it was beyond their understanding.
—
Few moments later...
"You should go back to your room and get some sleep,"
Luna said softly, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
She sat cross-legged on the carpet, her arms wrapped tightly around herself for warmth.
Her eyes never left Kuro, who lay eerily still on the bed.
"It's almost morning," she added, glancing briefly at the faint light creeping through the curtains.
Mari hesitated, her worried gaze dropping to her phone.
The screen was blank—still no messages, no calls, no sign of Jin.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" she asked, turning back to her sister, concern etched into her features.
Luna gave a weak smile, trying to reassure her, but the fatigue in her eyes was unmistakable.
"It's okay. I'm going to be fine," she said, though her voice trembled with weariness.
She reached out and squeezed Mari's hand gently.
"Thanks for staying with me, by the way. I needed that."
Mari hesitated again, her heart torn between her sister's quiet resolve and the strange, unsettling situation with Kuro.
But Luna's calm, though fragile, left little room for argument.
"Alright," Mari said reluctantly.
She stood up, brushing off her skirt and glancing one last time at the unmoving puppy.
"If you need anything—anything at all—just call me, okay?"
Luna nodded, her eyes softening. "I will. Get some rest, Mari."
With a final glance, Mari turned and left the room, leaving Luna alone with Kuro.
The silence that followed was thick, broken only by the faint, unnatural hum that continued to emanate from the puppy.
Luna wrapped her arms around herself again, her gaze never leaving Kuro.
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she whispered, "Please wake up, Kuro. Please…"
As Mari quietly closed the door behind her, the soft click echoed in the stillness of the room.
Luna leaned her weary body against the side of the bed, her arms resting on the edge as her teary eyes remained fixed on Kuro.
The dim light softened the harsh lines of worry etched on her face, but her heart remained heavy.
The puppy's still form lay undisturbed, his shallow, almost imperceptible breaths the only sign of life.
Luna's sobs grew quieter, reduced to occasional sniffles as exhaustion began to take hold.
Her body, drained from the long hours of worry and stress, started to succumb.
Her vision blurred, tears pooling before her heavy eyelids.
Kuro's form became hazy as she blinked slowly, the edges of her sight darkening.
"Stay strong, Kuro…" she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Moments later, her head tilted forward, her arms slipping down as her body finally sought rest.
Her breathing steadied, matching the faint rhythm of the room.
Even as sleep claimed her, her position remained protective, like a silent guardian watching over her beloved companion.
05:45 AM — Fifteen Minutes Before the Countdown Ends
Luna was fast asleep, slumped against the bed, her body curled on the floor in exhaustion.
The long hours of worry had finally overtaken her, leaving her unaware of the monstrous changes consuming her beloved pet.
Kuro, once the epitome of innocence, was no longer the small, harmless puppy she had known. Though his eyes remained closed, something sinister had taken root within him, a dark energy seeping through his veins and triggering a grotesque transformation.
The first sign came as a sharp, wet crack that echoed in the otherwise still room.
Kuro's tiny body shuddered, bones shifting and dislocating with a sickening crunch.
His frame, once petite and soft, began to elongate and distort.
His skeletal structure twisted and warped into something entirely unnatural.
Luna's eyelids fluttered open, the soft glow of early morning seeping through the curtains.
Something felt wrong.
The air had thickened, charged with an oppressive heaviness, and there was a faint hum—like static, barely perceptible but undeniable.
Then another crack—louder this time—pierced the silence. Luna's brows furrowed, still half-conscious, as she pushed herself to sit up, blinking away the last remnants of sleep.
Her vision cleared just in time to see Kuro's body convulse again.
Fur sprouted wildly across his skin, but it was no longer the soft, black fuzz she had lovingly petted.
It darkened to a deep, blood-red hue, sharp and bristling like deadly thorns.
His head stretched unnaturally, the once-round snout elongating into a predatory, wolf-like shape.
Fangs jutted downward, gleaming cruelly in the dim light, while his paws twisted into monstrous claws, their tips gleaming like polished steel.
"No…" Luna whispered, the word catching in her throat.
Her legs moved instinctively, pushing her backward until her back collided with the cold wall, a sharp thud reverberating through the room.
Thud.
She froze, her hands trembling against the wall as her heart raced.
Her gaze remained locked on the grotesque creature now taking form before her—what was supposed to be Kuro.
The sickening sounds of transformation filled the room—bones snapping, flesh stretching, an almost electric hum of energy radiating from his twisted body.
His chest rose and fell faintly, but it was clear now: this was no longer her puppy.
Her lips quivered, her breath coming in shallow gasps.
Sweat broke out on her skin, cold and clammy, as she fought the urge to scream, to flee.
But her body was frozen, rooted to the spot, unwilling to obey her instincts.
"Is this… Kuro?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a tremor in the silent room.
Her mind raced, grappling with the conflicting thoughts—love for her pet, and an overwhelming fear that threatened to snap her sanity.
She didn't dare move, not even an inch, not wanting to disturb the creature—the beast—that Kuro had become.
Her eyes, wide with terror, traced every horrific detail—the razor-sharp fur, the monstrous claws, the grotesque snout and its protruding fangs.
"Kuro…" she mouthed, her lips forming the name as though it were a silent prayer, a plea that echoed through the emptiness of the room.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to escape.
Her beloved puppy, the innocent creature she had cared for, had become a nightmare.