Kieran slipped through the door, keeping the small creature hidden under his clothes. His attempt at stealth was less than successful, as the creature wriggled slightly, nearly giving him away.
The faint sound of humming drifted from the kitchen. His mother was busy. Perfect.
"Now's my chance," he muttered to himself, hurrying through the hall.
His mother heard the quick shuffle of feet and frowned. "Kieran?" she called out, but he was already bounding up the stairs.
Kieran burst into his room and gently shut the door, leaning against it with a relieved sigh. He placed the creature on his bed, watching it curiously as it stretched and chirped softly.
"Well, this is your new home, buddy," he said with a grin.
The creature chirped again, its sound reminiscent of a bird's song.
Downstairs, his mother paused mid-task, tilting her head. "Did he bring home a bird?" she murmured, but she shook her head and went back to her work, deciding not to investigate—for now.
In his room, Kieran crouched to study the creature more closely. Its vibrant orange fur gleamed under the dim light, and its thick, sharp tail twitched as it observed him.
"Hmm," he mused, tilting his head. "What are you, exactly? You've got fur like a panther, but that tail… definitely not."
The creature began to wander, sniffing at the edge of his desk.
"You need a name," Kieran decided, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "How about… Hunter?"
The creature froze, then hissed softly, its ears flattening.
"Okay, not Hunter," he said with a chuckle. "How about… Nox?"
The creature tilted its head at the sound of the name, its golden eyes gleaming with a curious intelligence.
"I'll take that as a yes," Kieran said, grinning. "Nox it is. You're definitely a predator."
Nox chirped again, this time more playful than sharp.
"Though not a scary one," Kieran added, laughing.
As if to contradict him, Nox crouched low, its tail swishing before slamming into the floor with a loud thwack!
Kieran jumped back in surprise. "Whoa! So that tail's not just for show, huh? Is that how you hunt?"
The creature chirped again but gave no other hints about its nature.
"I really don't know what you are," Kieran said, scratching his head. "Guess I'll have to ask Miss Aisha tomorrow. She'll know, Nox."
With that, Kieran left for dinner, glancing back at the creature as it curled up on his bed, watching him with sharp, unblinking eyes.
Elsewhere
In a dimly lit underground hideout, the air was heavy with tension. The distant growls and cries of caged beasts echoed through the space, their shadows dancing against the cold, cracked walls.
A grizzled man slammed his fist on the wooden table, sending papers and a tin mug clattering to the floor. "It escaped!" he roared, his voice sharp with fury. "Do you have any idea what we're dealing with?"
"Boss, I'm sorry!" a younger man stammered, shifting nervously on his feet. "I just turned away for one second, and—poof! It was gone. It won't happen again, I swear!"
"It better not."
Across the room, a lazily sprawled man chuckled, tipping his chair back. "So, a kitten got loose? Big deal. Sure, we're out a few coins, but it's not the end of the world."
The leader shot him a glare, slamming his chair upright. "Not the end of the—do you even know what that was?"
"Uh…" The lazy man scratched his neck. "Not exactly."
"That was a Bloodtail cub," the leader growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Do you know what a Bloodtail is?"
The room fell silent.
The lazy man shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, something bad, I'm guessing?"
The leader leaned forward, his face shadowed. "Let's hope you don't find out. Pray it doesn't start hunting."
The younger man paled. "Hunting?"
The leader ignored him, barking orders. "Find that creature. Now. Before it grows strong enough to turn the tables on us."
As the men scrambled to obey, a low growl echoed from one of the cages, as though warning them of what was to come.