"Why do you keep pretending to be someone you're not, Tara?"
The question came out of nowhere, sharp and deliberate. Tara froze, her spoon suspended over her cereal bowl. Slowly, she turned toward the doorway, where Samira stood watching her.
Her best friend's face was calm, almost unreadable, but her eyes burned with an intensity Tara had never seen before.
"Excuse me?" Tara said, her voice steady, though unease began to creep into her chest.
"You heard me," Samira replied, her lips curling into a small, knowing smile. "The dreams, the symbols, that dog of yours… don't you think it's time to stop pretending?"
Tara's stomach tightened. She placed her spoon down carefully, her mind racing. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, but you do." Samira took a step into the room, the sound of her boots clicking against the hardwood floor. "You've felt it, haven't you? The whispers in the dark? The power buried inside you? That feeling you're more than this?"
Tara's first instinct was to laugh, to brush it off like one of Samira's over-the-top theories. But the air in the room felt different now—heavier. Samira's gaze was unwavering, her tone too serious to dismiss.
"I think you should leave," Tara said, standing up and backing toward Kaelash, who was stretched out on the floor by the couch. His ears twitched at her movement, his golden eyes opening to fix on Samira with a piercing intensity.
"You don't trust me anymore, do you?" Samira asked, tilting her head slightly. Her smile faltered, replaced by something softer, almost sad.
"I don't know what you want," Tara replied, keeping her voice calm.
"What I want doesn't matter," Samira said, her tone growing quieter, more resolute. "It's what they want that matters."
Tara's pulse quickened. "Who's 'they'?"
Samira hesitated for a fraction of a second before her shoulders straightened. "You'll find out soon enough. But before that, Tara, you need to decide. Are you going to run, or are you going to fight?"
Tara felt Kaelash rise to his feet beside her. His fur bristled, and his gaze on Samira remained locked and unrelenting. Tara felt a strange surge of protectiveness for him, as though he were the one who needed defending, not her.
"Get out," she said firmly, her voice sharper now.
Samira's expression softened further, almost pitying. "I hope you're ready for what's coming," she said quietly. "Because it's already here."
Without another word, she turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her.
The room was silent, but the tension lingered like a heavy fog. Tara exhaled shakily, her knees threatening to buckle. She sank onto the couch, burying her face in her hands.
Kaelash nudged her arm gently, his warm nose brushing against her skin. The familiar gesture grounded her, pulling her out of her spiraling thoughts.
"Did you see that?" Tara whispered, her voice trembling. "What just happened?"
Kaelash let out a low, guttural growl. It was a sound she'd never heard from him before—a sound that sent a chill down her spine.
---
Hours later, Tara sat alone in the dim glow of her living room, replaying Samira's words over and over in her mind. They had stirred something inside her, something she couldn't ignore.
For weeks, her dreams had been plagued by strange, vivid images—shadowy figures, battlefields drenched in blood, and endless whispers in a language she didn't recognize. There was always a black dog at her side, its presence unwavering and protective.
She had chalked it up to stress, a side effect of her uninspired nine-to-five life. But now, the dreams didn't feel so random. They felt like pieces of a puzzle she wasn't ready to solve.
"Who am I?" Tara murmured aloud, her eyes drifting to Kaelash.
The dog lifted his head, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. For a moment, they seemed almost… human.
"You're just a dog," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, as though saying it aloud might make it true.
Kaelash stood and padded over to her, resting his head on her lap. The warmth of his presence was comforting, but it didn't silence the questions swirling in her mind.
A sudden shiver crawled down her spine. Tara sat up straighter, her senses on high alert. The air around her felt different, thicker, as though the room itself was holding its breath.
Her gaze darted to the corner of the room, where a faint shimmer distorted the air like ripples in water. Tara blinked, thinking it was a trick of her eyes, but the shimmer grew stronger, more defined.
Her breath hitched as the shape solidified—a dark, humanoid figure with burning, ember-like eyes.
Kaelash immediately moved in front of her, his stance protective. A low growl rumbled from his throat, deeper and more menacing than she'd ever heard.
The figure cocked its head, its fiery gaze fixed on the dog. "Still guarding her, I see," it said, its voice crackling like flames.
Tara's heart pounded in her chest. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The figure didn't answer her. It continued to watch Kaelash, its voice cold and taunting. "You can't protect her forever, Vahan. She belongs to us."
The words sent a chill through Tara, but before she could process their meaning, the figure lunged.
Kaelash was faster.
The room exploded with light as Kaelash's body transformed mid-leap. His fur gave way to armor-like scales that shimmered with an ethereal glow, his limbs elongating into something humanoid yet otherworldly. His golden eyes burned brighter, and his growl deepened into a roar as he collided with the figure.
The clash sent shockwaves through the room, throwing Tara backward. Her head struck the edge of the couch, and her vision blurred.
The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was Kaelash standing tall, his form radiant and victorious, before it shimmered back into that of a dog.
---
When Tara woke, the room was eerily still. Her head throbbed, and the faint scent of burning lingered in the air.
Kaelash lay beside her, his fur singed in places but his eyes alert and watchful.
"What… what just happened?" she asked, her voice hoarse and weak.
Kaelash didn't respond, but the look in his eyes was enough. Something fundamental had changed.
Tara touched her forehead, feeling a strange warmth beneath her skin. Her gaze shifted to the window, where her reflection stared back at her. She froze.
Her eyes glowed faintly, a soft golden hue that sent a shiver racing down her spine.
This wasn't over.
This was just the beginning.