Her focus turned inward, analyzing the strange new sensations coursing through her body. She felt… different. Changed. The clarity of her senses, the strength in her limbs, the growl that had slipped free without her consent -it was all nuts. Too much was happening at once for her to fully grasp any of it, and yet, one emotion rose above the maelstrom inside her: unabashed excitement.

  First, there had been the attack by that bizarre man-bug-thing. Then, the unexpected gift from her mother -a puzzle box tied to a mystery Dom had barely begun to unravel. And now, this.

  She had been the one to unlock it, breaking the hundred-year silence surrounding its secrets.

  The thought brought a bittersweet smile to her face. Her mom would have been proud. Her fingers brushed against the faint dampness on her cheeks, and it took her a moment to realize that tears had slipped free. I hope you’re proud of me, Mom, she thought, the words forming like a silent prayer. The ache of loss twisted inside her, sharp and raw, but it was tempered by a flicker of triumph.

  She let herself linger in the moment for a breath too long, almost forgetting about the watcher. But he hadn’t forgotten her. His glowing eyes narrowed, fixated on her with a predatory intensity. The subtle changes in her posture, the supernatural gleam in her eyes -he noted it all, waiting, calculating.

  And still, he made no move.

  Dom gave herself a small shake, pulling her thoughts back to the present. The thrill of her transformation buzzed in her veins, but a nagging unease reminded her that she didn’t fully understand what had just happened -or what it meant. She needed answers, and there was only one person she trusted to help her make sense of this madness.

  She scooped up the puzzle box, now sealed once more and humming faintly with latent energy, and stuffed it into her bag with quick, deliberate movements. Her mind was already racing ahead, strategizing her next steps.

  But then she froze. A new thought elbowed its way to the forefront of her mind, loud and insistent: Wait a damn minute. I have superpowers!

  Her breath caught as excitement hijacked her previous intentions. She was on the verge of opening the system menu, eager to discover the full extent of her abilities. A montage of Peter Parker-level experiments flashed through her mind -voidstepping across rooftops, summoning shadow tendrils -if she even had those- maybe taking out a few bad guys just to test her limits.

  But before she could act, a system message appeared, hovering in her vision like a warning sign.

  System Message: Warning! Hostile entity detected.

  Her stomach dropped. What the hell? Did the system just read my thoughts?

  The idea was both thrilling and terrifying. Deciding to test the theory, Dom reached out with her mind, forming a question in her thoughts. Are you there, system?

  The reply came almost immediately.

  System: Yes.

  Dom’s jaw dropped. Holy shit. She hadn’t expected it to actually respond. But now that it had, her mind raced with possibilities. If the system could communicate telepathically, that meant she wouldn’t need to mutter to herself like some lunatic -or a Bluetooth addict. Small victories.

  Alright, system, why don’t you want me to try out my new abilities? She thought the question clearly, half-expecting a snarky response.

  System: It is not strategically recommended to reveal newly acquired powers to unknown and hostile entities.

  Dom grimaced. Ouch. The system wasn’t wrong. She nodded to herself, suppressing the urge to pout. Okay, fine. I’ll hold off. For now. But I have another idea then…

  As if sensing her compromise, another message blinked into existence.

  System: Agreed.

  Her lips quirked into a wry smile. Alrighty then, partner. Let’s get out of here.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  System: Suggestion: Place unnecessary items inside dimensional storage. Surreptitiously.

  Taking the hint, Dom knelt beside her bike, positioning her backpack between her and the watcher. Using the shadows cast by the bike, she willed the items into the Umbral Pocket. The process was seamless, almost intuitive, and the realization hit her like a lightning bolt: the pocket worked specifically with shadows. Of course, it does, she thought, her grin widening. I’m literally working with darkness. Or void. Whatever.

  She tested the ability a second time, focusing on the faint shadows inside her pack. The puzzle box within the backpack vanished effortlessly into the darkened pocket dimension, leaving her staring at her now-empty hands. She barely suppressed a giggle. I’m freaking Mary Poppins.

  Her fingers itched to experiment further, to push the limits of what she could do. But her gut warned her to listen to the system’s advice. Revealing her abilities to an unknown enemy was asking for trouble. And Dom had no intention of taking on a fight she wasn’t ready for -especially after the chaos at the sky resort party. The memory of Peanut’s sudden, heroic appearance flickered in her mind, and she shivered. She didn’t want to rely on luck or a miracle next time.

  With her items safely stored and her curiosity reluctantly curbed, Dom slammed on her helmet and swung onto her bike.

  The watcher shifted in the shadows, his glowing eyes tilting slightly as he observed her. Dom could feel his gaze, a phantom weight on the back of her neck. His presence radiated deliberation, as though he were still deciding whether to pursue her or let her go.

  But Dom couldn’t afford to dwell on him. Her instincts screamed at her to move, to put distance between herself and this place. I have to find Nile, she thought, clinging to the name like a lifeline. He was the one person who might be able to help her make sense of this chaos, to help her get a handle on her new self.

  Her imagination ran wild with the thought of their reunion. “Hey, Nile,” she would say, voidstepping behind him just to mess with his head. His reaction would be priceless - “What the hell?” - and she’d grin, showing off her badass new skills. Then she’d whip out the puzzle box from her dimensional storage, just for dramatic effect. Ultimate flex.

  The thought was enough to make her laugh softly, her nerves settling as she revved the bike’s engine. The roar beneath her was a comforting vibration, grounding her amidst the chaos of her thoughts.

  Without a backward glance, she sped off into the night, the watcher’s glowing eyes a faint memory in her rearview. But even as the wind whipped past her, a nagging sense of unease lingered. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still watching, a silent specter in the shadows.

  And he wasn’t the only one.

  From the darkness, two more pairs of glowing eyes emerged, their presence cutting through the shadows like twin beacons of authority. Silent but deliberate, they moved to confront the watcher, their steps as fluid as the night itself.

  “She has successfully claimed her heritage,” growled a deep, resonant voice. The canine form, tall and imposing, spoke with a warning that rumbled through the air like distant thunder.

  “You have no place here,” the feline yowled, her sleek body coiling with tension as she moved to flank the watcher. Her voice was sharp and cutting, a blade of sound that left no room for debate.

  The watcher, momentarily caught between them, regarded his challengers with a calculating stillness. The glowing eyes of the canine and feline reflected the faint starlight, glinting with primal intelligence. Peanut and Charlie began to circle him, their movements precise and predatory.

  The watcher shifted, as though weighing its options. Deciding that this confrontation was neither the time nor place for conflict, it retreated. With a ripple of motion and a faint shimmer, it dissolved into the night, leaving no trace of its presence behind.

  Peanut’s tongue lolled from the side of his mouth, his demeanor shifting from tension to casual curiosity. “What do you make of that one?” he asked, his voice carrying an edge of suspicion beneath his usual levity.

  “He’s trouble,” Charlie replied flatly, extending a claw and cleaning it with deliberate precision. Her tone was cool, her movements calm, but her glowing eyes betrayed a simmering unease.

  “Agreed,” Peanut said with a growl, pausing to scratch at his side with a hind paw. The motion was instinctual, unceremonious, and entirely canine.

  Charlie hissed in disgust, recoiling slightly. “Could you be any less… you?”

  Peanut chuffed, the sound half laugh, half scoff. “I could, but then I wouldn’t be me.”

  Charlie rolled her eyes, her tail flicking in annoyance.

  “So, what next, oh feline supreme?” Peanut grinned, as he bowed and stretched.

  “A milestone has been achieved,” she said, her voice gaining an air of gravity. “The box has been opened, and Dom has claimed her heritage. Now, we guide them.”

  Peanut’s ears twitched as he regarded her with a sidelong glance. “Easier said than done,” he growled. His usual levity had vanished, replaced by a rare note of seriousness.

  “But necessary,” Charlie countered. She stood taller, her claws flexing briefly before retracting. “They need to be prepared. Now that they have both awakened, it is time to introduce them to the wider world.”

  Peanut shook his head, his body language betraying his reluctance. “They’re not going to like it.”

  Charlie let out a soft, dismissive purr. “Oh, I don’t know about that. Dom has a good head on her shoulders, and Nile -well, Nile is a force to be reckoned with.”

  Peanut barked a short laugh. “Yeah, he’s on a mission. Relentless even.”

  Charlie’s ears flattened briefly, her tone turning icy. “The Necromancer,” she said with a sigh of disdain. “He’s but a pawn, a tool for his master. He is of no consequence.”

  Peanut tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “Tell that to Nile.”

  “Touche,” Charlie said with a swipe of her claw, her acknowledgment reluctant but genuine.

  As the two guardians melted into the shadows, hurrying after their charge, the park fell silent once more. Neither of them made mention of the subtle but profound change that had taken hold of the place. The air shimmered faintly with an energy that hadn’t been there before, a quiet hum of power that resonated beneath the surface.

  The magnitude of unlocking the box and claiming her heritage had forever marked this spot as something more. The once-ordinary park was now a place of significance, its mundane facade giving way to the extraordinary.

  A new node had been born.

  Like other places of power scattered across the world, this node would serve as a focal point for energies both ancient and arcane. Dragon Ley Lines, invisible and immense, would now draw toward it, threading their way through the fabric of reality. The ripple effects of this transformation would be felt far and wide, though for now, the park remained still, its secrets cloaked in the quiet of the night.