As far as Melon knew, he was the only patient whose presence made the principled Gouhin break his own rules and smoke in the psychotherapy office. It flattered him a bit, but now the bear pushed aside the pack of cigarettes and silently stared at him.

There was likely a reason for this – after a brief conversation on random topics, the hybrid fell silent, and his gaze roamed along the items in the room, stopping at random flower pots or folders with papers. This seemed curious because Gouhin didn't have computers, and he didn't have a printer either. However, several shelves were still filled with cardboard folders with prints on various topics. All of them were labeled with large, readable font. The old man was famous for his meticulousness as much as for his grumpiness.

Melon shifted his gaze to the owner of the office and clinic. He waited.

"And?" the patient broke the silence, unable to wait any longer. The panda gestured towards him with an open palm, "Please."

"And what about the introductory word? Some wise advice?" Melon asked.

"This isn't a one-man show. We're both here to help you. Moreover, you demanded this meeting, which means there's a problem that needs to be worked out," Gouhin replied.

"Fair enough," Melon reluctantly responded. Then he tilted his head to the side, "Doc, what do animals want from friends? Especially from the pushy ones?"

"If you're asking about my experience, I've been to many places with friends in my youth. We traveled. Found common interests – women, alcohol, movies, various entertainments. However, if we're talking about the community as a whole – anything really," Gouhin chuckled. "Why do you think Bill is pushy?"

"And why did you give him my home address, old man?"

"I thought that both of you needed company during this rather difficult moment in life. By the way, my condolences about 'Khud Tej'."

"What is there to offer condolences about? And what about the sanctity of doctor-patient confidentiality?"

"Your address is not a medical secret at all. Especially when it comes to animals who are friendly towards you."

Melon grimaced as if he had bitten into a lemon, "Doc, you've been digging into my brain. And you know I don't need anyone."

"I remember my own notes perfectly, Melon. And the problem is that any diagnosis would be good to confirm experimentally. So far, I see that you've both become fairly confident focal points for each other," Gouhin said.

"Crutches…"

"Perhaps, crutches," Gouhin nodded, looking at the pack of cigarettes and pushing it further away with a quick but stingy gesture of his fingers.

"But I'm not disabled. I don't need crutches."

"Yes. You're one of those animals who, even if deprived of a leg, will stubbornly hop on the other, refusing any help. However, I must note that you showed great courage by agreeing to therapy."

Melon grinned darkly, ignoring the praise, "So, do I hop on one leg? Metaphorically speaking, of course."

"I would say…" Gouhin paused, "that you've learned to live with it very well. And compete with bipeds on an equal, if not higher, level. However, one of my theories was that the leg actually exists. It's just paralyzed."

"Now I'm drowning in metaphors. So, I'm not a psychopath? Funny."

"We don't know. We can judge by your actions, perception of the world, communication… but for that, extreme honesty is required."

"Um… ask away, Doc," the hybrid shrugged. "If it'll help."

"Okay. As usual, I'll ask a few questions. You can answer them or not; each of them indirectly contributes to the overall picture. But the more honest you are, the better."

"Got it."

"Do you want to remember anything from our previous discussions?"

"No."

"Okay."

"You're getting fancy… okay, okay," Melon grumbled, twitching his tail like a cat.

The doctor remained silent. Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "What has changed in your life since you started therapy?"

"I found a job. Lost a job. Killed less… well, didn't kill anyone until they shot up our lousy little restaurant."

"And did you feel the desire?"

"Yes. After that black-striped nuisance showed up at my place on your tip. That's when I wanted to off both of you – him and you."

"Well, the complaint is fair. Sorry. Usually I respect patients' personal space boundaries more, but with you, Melon, it's very difficult to define them at all." Hearing that, the hybrid snorted and crossed his legs. "I expected less apologies."

"I showed incompetence and risked Bill's life. So, I owe him as well," Gouhin chuckled.

"And what guided the great savior of souls?"

"I thought that you both could tolerate each other's company voluntarily… so, his presence would be appropriate."

"I shot through the door. If he wasn't such a cautious son of a bitch, there would be one more tiger with a hole in his head in this world."

"So, you still attempted it?"

"I was drunk. More specifically, I was five-star excitingly drunk like a god of whisky," Melon shrugged. "That bastard broke in and dragged me into the bathroom to sober up."

"In Bill's consciousness, I assume, a friend would have done the same. What happened next?"

"We went to Els."

"Did you see her? Were you there?"

"Yes. It's really bad. Complete dissociation, up to stupor."

"May Bill forgive me, but I won't treat her. It's not my profile."

"I told him the same."

Gouhin nodded, jotting something down in his notebook. "So, you also acted as a friend…"

"Well… now the tiger owes me one wish."

"An interesting detail. If Bill hadn't put this wish at stake, would you have gone?"

"Angry and depressingly sober? Definitely not."

"And under different circumstances?"

"…maybe. Legoshi was with us, if it matters."

Another note.

Melon was curious about what the old man was writing, but Gouhin's handwriting would have been beyond even the best cryptographers.

"Does he see you only as a friend?"

"Bill? Yes. He's so amusingly defensive every time I hint at his fa… Oh, excuse me," the hybrid sneered, gesturing around the office, "we're in the sacred realm of psychology and medicine. At his homosexuality."

The panda tilted his head slightly with mild surprise, ignoring Melon's traditional clowning:

"Is it noticeable in his behavior?"

"Not really. That's what makes it funnier in the end."

"What kind of relationship do you have with Legoshi?"

"None. I've met him exactly twice since our year-old skirmishes – here, at the clinic, and when he went with us to Parsons. Still the same naive pup, dreaming of reshaping the whole world according to his ideals."

"The last one – how would you describe Bill?"

"Want to know if I've developed an attachment?" the hybrid chuckled, circling his temple with his index finger.

"The motivation behind my questions is to help you. I don't need a specific answer, any is fine."

"An intrusive tiger."

"Is there a more elaborate description?"

"An intrusive tiger trying to befriend a psychopath."

"Hm… do you not think that this description predefines you in any way?" the doctor asked cautiously. He replied with a hint of audacity in his voice:

"And what if it does?"

"Understood. Besides his intrusiveness, what is Bill like?"

"Soft. On the black market, he would've lasted a week tops, and in the condition I saw him – two days. Physically strong, mentally weak. Can't handle alcohol. Looks good, obviously takes care of himself. Fixated on the 'macho' mode… or maybe not anymore, but clearly suffered from it for a long time. Pretty kind until he gets angry. And no matter how much I mock him, he seems to let it all go in one ear and out the other."

"Are you deliberately trying to push him away?"

Melon shrugged with a puzzled grimace. "Maybe. Wouldn't interaction with me harm this almost twenty-year-old kitten?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, I know that, otherwise he wouldn't have revealed my hideout."

"Tell me, Melon… no, not like that. I'll add a couple of extra questions to the main session. Have you ever been together somewhere not at his initiative, but at yours?"

"In the clinic," Melon smirked. Then he twisted – the beast remembered the airsoft game he suggested going to, and the bar where he dragged those two idiots. It was even… not bad?

"…and not only. Yes, there were some cases."

Gouhin silently nodded, and from his oppressive silence, the hybrid began to compose an extremely venomous phrase in his usual style, but the panda asked, not allowing him to unfold:

"Did you tell him anything about yourself?"

"Yes."

"How personal is this information?"

"Considering the number of relatives and close acquaintances I have?"

"Sorry. I mean - would you trust this information, for example, to Legoshi or San?"

"Hell no."

The bear nodded slowly once again. Then he closed the notebook and directed a probing gaze at Melon, making him feel uncomfortable again. He spoke calmly:

"I think I have the answer you need. I won't label anything or obligate you to anything, but… from many activities, you can derive much more pleasure if you're not alone. Consider it as a convenient form of social mathematics for yourself. Two is more effective than one."

"Two is more effective than one," Melon repeated, then shook his head negatively. "That's some nonsense crap. I'm self-sufficient."

"And I don't deny that. Although, when it comes to finding a new job or a business you like, it's not worth delaying to continue being financially self-sufficient. But friends - they're such a free addition that also increases the quality of life."

"And if it doesn't increase?"

"Then what's the point of having such friends?" Gouhin answered a question with a question, raising an eyebrow.

"So…"

"Go on."

"Ha! Sooner or later, I'll want to kill him."

"I think Bill can still surprise you. Besides, he's a tiger who almost jumps into a fight himself. When you crave blood, just invite him to the boxing ring or somewhere else."

"The problem is not that I don't understand why animals need friends," the hybrid sighed quite seriously, looking at the psychologist from under his brow. "It's when I start projecting it onto myself and can't find a single match."

"Not a single one for sure?"

"Yes."

"Well, if you're that sure…"

"What kind of therapy is this, where the doctor mocks the patient?" Melon asked innocently, sensing the carefully hidden tone. Stretching and cracking his powerful shoulder joints, the bear remarked:

"I thought we were coming to the end of the session. Maybe some tea?"

"Don't use my nullified taste, old man. Your tea is awful, everyone knows that."

"I can put some pepper in it."

"Better pour some brandy."

"For brandy, you need black tea, and better not tea, but coffee."

"Don't care," Melon grinned. Gouhin made that annoying pause again, but the hybrid didn't react and just looked at him questioningly.

He asked:

"Did I… help you in any way?"

"Ha…"

Usually Melon would ridicule any hint of uncertainty in the grumpy old panda's tone, but now he himself pondered. And answered his own question:

"How many friends do you have left, doc? Just those 'real' ones, the ones trembling gray beasts tell stories about by the fireplace?"

Gouhin smiled:

"Two. Plus a couple of those I would call students, although they're not much younger than me, but… they're also friends of a kind. But these are all animals that have been tested more than once."

"And why do you need them?"

"Life wouldn't be as interesting without them," the bear chuckled. The hybrid slowly stood up to his full height and tilted his head slightly. A gesture of gratitude? If Gouhin hadn't studied him so well, he would have thought Melon was playing to the audience again. But the dichotomous beast was serious. He said:

"Well… let's consider that I didn't come in vain."

"Then let's end it there," Gouhin demonstrated a hidden, elusive smirk.

In his gleaming tower of glass and steel, the illegitimate prince-turned-king not long ago, released ministers, completely satisfied with the state of affairs in the country. Louis recounted as he made his way to the elevator in the office after the board meeting. Employees bowed politely; he nodded in response. Not that everyone loved him, but after overcoming the crisis following Oguma's death, the employees began to regard the young stag with respect.

As usual, the silent Utamaro caught up from behind, walking a few steps away. Louis glanced in his direction.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Protocol, Louis-san. I'm expressing concern again about your presence at school without security," Utamaro replied.

"There are guards there too," Louis retorted.

The wolf's contemptuous squint spoke volumes about what he thought of school guards - usually animals unfamiliar with weapons or defensive martial arts, attempting to control students by the sheer authority of their position and barring outsiders.

"And, for the worst-case scenario, I have a weapon."

"I'm afraid you can't defend against a sudden attack, boss. Perhaps Nikolai can arrange for a permanent security detail from one of our subsidiaries?"

"I've said it before - no," Louis said firmly. "You can't fill the whole world with guards."

"We could position them in key locations. Schools, businesses, love hotels…"

The deer sharply turned around. Utamaro, with a stony expression, looked straight ahead.

"Are you implying spying on the boss?"

"Protecting. Considering your fervent reluctance to have us nearby."

"And were you there?"

The wolf calmly nodded. "I happen to suffer from insomnia. Quite convenient for work."

"And no comments?"

"That would be unprofessional, boss. Just regrets that I'm not twenty years younger," the wolf said with a barely noticeable smile. "She's beautiful."

Of course, the last comment was also beyond professional ethics, but his boss merely closed his eyes, more than a hundred percent in agreement.

The elevator beeped softly, opening its doors. Louis pressed his passcode to the reader, and the elevator shot up to his private office. There was another one on the lower floors for receptions and small conferences, but for the CEO's convenience, the entire top floor was dedicated to his domain - half office, half apartment for times of extreme busyness.

Utamaro usually sighed with relief when the boss stayed in the skyscraper. At least here, the security chief reigned supreme, his priorities and clearances even higher than those of regional directors. SD of Horns was rightly considered one of the world's best in business; they acted when action was needed and remained invisible and unheard when the situation called for it.

Louis had experienced both sides firsthand.

Leaving the head of security outside the doors, the deer walked in and activated the massive interactive board. He stared at it, still pristine, then turned it off again. Enough with the pomp. Placing his phone beside him, Louis opened Agata's letter and copied the entire text into a new document. He started rereading, as the lion had done a splendid job.

Leader – Nobu, honey badger. Cruel, cunning, strong. Controls the gang with nine henchmen.

Sisu saw him. The beast appeared personally as an ordinary worker to provoke Gon. Then… what happened happened.

Brief descriptions. Name, species, roles in the gang.

Makoto – Agata's current boss. White lion, combat prowess.

He's given a dozen individual bandits, but it's not an elite guard. More like a 'fist' that can be directed to various tasks.

Soldier – moose, fighter.

Voices – condor, fighter.

Both have no subordinates. The moose due to stupidity and insane cruelty, Voices overall being inadequate. Like Nobu's personal attack dog, controlled only by him.

Both are extremely dangerous in direct confrontation.

Atsu, the "Splinter" – gang's eyes. Hacker, spotted hyena. Likely a drug addict.

This is bad. According to the letter, hidden surveillance cameras are installed in various places on the black market. Of course, they couldn't cover the entire area, but even Shishigumi didn't have such resources. Any major attack will be detected.

Chon Hee. Flying squirrel, responsible for reconnaissance and strategic planning. Third in seniority in the gang.

Agata saw that they didn't hesitate to use even smaller animals for reconnaissance. Through Chon Hee and Atsu, the leader is informed about everything happening in the market. Literally everything.

But there are some others. There's Hinagawa — nominally holding the second position but in charge of supplies. Nothing remarkable, according to Agata's notes. A cowardly african dog that even Nobu had on a leash, simultaneously enjoying his absolute trust, fanatically devoted to the leader.

There were two lieutenants, whom the embedded Congolese lion had never seen, but from rumors knew. There was a ferret called Dwight and Pibb, whose appearance had never been mentioned. It was only noted that he was secretive and agile. Both were involved in 'dark deeds,' so they clearly appeared at the base much less frequently than others.

Well, this information was difficult to underestimate. The gang consisted of almost a hundred animals of different species, plus fugitive animals, plus a few controlled 'objects' - former bases of other gangs.

There were some things that had become taboo for the old Shishigumi gang. Louis excluded slave trading and heavy narcotics, which caused limbs to rot. However, he was neutral about illegal meat supplies, racketeering, arms trading, and 'pearl farming,' as the gang couldn't survive without funds.

The slaughterhouse, however, dealt with everything. No, not just everything - EVERYTHING. Their jaws greedily grabbed anything that could bring even a little profit. The momentary desire to snatch a piece was balanced by competent planning, and ultimately, they ventured into external 'markets' - attacked 'Khud Tej' and attempted to gain control of the school… Louis grabbed his head. However one looked at it, Agata did a good job, but this… the deer felt he wasn't just dealing with a gang of the old pattern, which had been relatively easy to deal with. No. They had evolved into a criminal conglomerate.

With their directors, subsidiaries, development planning…

Louis took a slow breath. Exhaled.

No, the Security Department squad definitely wouldn't help here. And neither would the police. Here, either an army was needed, or…

A good strategy.

He looked at his watch. An hour and a half until rehearsal. There was still some time to at least outline the main points.

"Did you ever think, father…" Louis said aloud, slightly pausing before the word 'father,' "that I would use the knowledge I gained from you for thoughtful planning to combat crime?"

Although, knowing Oguma, he would have nodded with dignity and said something like: "If effectively applied knowledge brings profit to the company, the sphere isn't that important."

The deer banished the image from his head.

First — technology and finances. The black market gang would never be able to compare with a large corporation, which also had several developments at the intersection of military and police spheres. Horns Electronics hardly dealt with it, but there were some biochemical compounds… alright, request a list of third-level access products. Most of them DON'T relate to what could be used, but Louis hoped that some useful things would be discovered, as with Agata's equipment.

Then — animals. He didn't have his own gang; he wouldn't risk friends.

So direct confrontation could be ruled out. He could hope for Agata — to try and buy five or six fighters from Makoto's squad — but with all the charm of the young lion, he wasn't Legoshi and was unlikely to befriend the enemies in a weirdest way possible.

Rival gangs? Agata writes that the Slaughterhouse seized almost everything. If there were any remnants, they were hiding in a corner, leading a very miserable existence.

Police assistance? Absolutely not, they just won't. If they didn't interfere with the black market before, upon learning the true power of the gang, the Cherryton Police Department would also retreat to a corner and barricade themselves there, not showing their noses on the streets.

In fact, Louis had no one. And this problem needed to be addressed first and foremost. He wrote 'Personnel Shortage' and put a question mark. Even if a distracting maneuver could be carried out successfully, impressive forces would be needed to capture or kill Nobu and the lieutenants. Agata… would be needed. And it would also be good to have thirty more Agatas. But from the fighters, at most Utamaro and Nikolai could be drawn, who would only go with him and supposedly protect the boss. The rest of the security service, unfortunately, was ruled out — they followed only the conglomerate's rules.

Three fighters. Maybe Mitsui from the SD. Perhaps San, he always had a good attitude towards "kicking the scum," especially against such a deluge. At least from what Louis remembered about the tall alpaca.

Legoshi… no, not Legoshi.

Haru would kill me.

Besides, I have no right to risk his life in a criminal showdown. Yes, Legoshi sometimes takes risks working for Gouhin, but that's his own choice.

The deer sighed, pushed the keyboard away, and clasped his fingers in front of his face. It was necessary to think broader. On a larger scale.

The whole picture needed to be turned upside down… first and foremost, for the Slaughterhouse. And then deliver a precise, calculated blow to the unprotected heart of the enemy.

Checking if he was ready, Legoshi slung a small backpack over his shoulder and opened the door. He decided to postpone cleaning until tomorrow, and all other problems seemed even less significant than before. Tsu and Eri were staying at the club tonight, and the weather… Damn, the weather. The wolf returned and grabbed a well-worn umbrella from the hanger, black, with a thin yellow stripe. The pattern of the umbrella reminded him of his favorite beetles, so Legoshi didn't want to replace it yet — he fixed the spokes, carefully patched the worn fabric at the center, in general, he cherished the item as much as he could, although nobody deprived him of the ability to buy a new one at any moment.

Outside, it was pouring rain. Thinking about whether to take the subway, the beast decisively dismissed this possibility— it was a twenty-minute walk to the subway, and the bus stop at least provided some shelter. Yes, he kept a spare set of clothes in the club's locker room, but he still needed to get there without catching a cold.

Nearby, workers, desperately arguing, were setting up yellow barriers and a flashing signal with a bright orange lamp — asphalt yawned with a fresh sinkhole. Perhaps the water pouring from the sky had indeed undermined the surface, and the services were trying to somehow secure the area. Legoshi watched them thoughtfully, as if watching a new episode of a nature show. Finally, after carefully marking the dangerous area, the bus approached the stop.

The rain drearily drummed on the smooth roof, the gray sky unfriendly stared at the lone transport on the deserted street, which slowly pulled away from the stop and rolled on. As expected, there were few animals. Only on the back platform sat a she-wolf, who… she was reading a book and not looking ahead, but Legoshi could swear that…

With a surprised look, he stepped forward.

No. Not her. The smell was different, and the fur on the face was slightly different, but at first glance, the stranger terribly resembled Leano, his mother. The wolf decided to take a risk and asked in a trembling voice:

"Excuse me… Good day. Have you… ever been acquainted with a she-wolf named Leano?"

"No. I'm sorry," she replied quite coldly, raising her eyes to him. Trying to calm his pounding heart, Legoshi turned away and sat by the window, apologizing again. The umbrella was in the way, so the wolf pushed it to the window, hanging it on the seat back in front of him.

Through the neighborhoods of Cherryton, they passed rhythmically — dirty-gray, wet, in some places the rain poured down so heavily that the traffic lights on the neighboring streets were barely visible. One stop, then another. The bus took longer even considering the walk to the subway, which would have to be done on foot, but it almost reached the school.

The right turn appeared, and bright lightning flashed in the sky somewhere aside. It seemed, aside from the school. The wolf was calm about the club—after all, he himself had recently checked the antennas and old lightning rods on the roof, sticking out like weapons aimed at the sky.

Ahead, the voice of the driver, a raccoon in a uniform shirt, was heard:

"Uh… is someone getting off at the Academy?"

Legoshi didn't immediately understand the question, but after a second, he jumped up:

"Me! I'm getting off!"

"No one else? Kid, I don't want to go there. Look what's going on."

He moved forward and leaned against the glass. Despite the falling rain, the vivid lightning and thunder, fiercely tearing the sky to shreds, were clearly visible even from a great distance. And right above Cherryton Academy… but nowhere else. The raccoon tentatively suggested:

"Shall we take a big detour?"

"Can I get off here?" he pleaded. The driver looked at him as if he were crazy:

"You planning to fight the elements, kid?"

"I need to go to school, I work there!"

"As a lightning catcher? Alright, go…" the raccoon shrugged.

The doors opened. Grabbing the umbrella, the wolf jumped outside and opened it, quickly walking towards the source of the disturbance. Lightning. Rain. Sisu loved the rain.

Could it be that the magic of another world… he pulled out his phone, then cursed. No signal. Hastening his pace and resisting the gusts of wind, Legoshi began to climb the hill. A small sports car of dark color rushed past him, splashing water, then slowed down on the shoulder.

"Jump in," the deer waved.

"Thanks, Louis."

"Sorry about your pants. Did you see what's happening?"

"Yeah. Something bad. Tried to call our guys?"

"No connection. Hope they're all sitting in the dorms," the deer replied shortly and drove the car forward.

They emerged onto a straight stretch of road to see an especially strong lightning bolt, which, like a branching tree, reached up to the sky — actually, out of it — leaving a burnt streak in their eyes. But then the space behind the school buildings seemed to shrink. Legoshi leaned forward with widened eyes, not noticing how he scratched the dashboard, Louis's fingers whitened as he gripped the wheel.

And then, out of their sight, there was a giant flash of light, breaking through the windows with beams and spawning an equally destructive shockwave.

In a matter of seconds, the Academy was wiped off the face of the earth.

Raising a storm of water and mixing it with broken asphalt, the explosion hit the car straight in the forehead, tossing it playfully in the air, flipping it several times, and hurling it hood-first onto the metal fence of the parking lot. The wolf hit the roof several times, at some point a piercing pain split his head, and he blacked out.

…the pain didn't go anywhere.

The first thing Legoshi saw when he woke up was a puddle of blood in front of him. There was so much blood that it seemed like such a puddle wouldn't fit an animal. His head lay straight, on the lower jaw, but the body was twisted and bent in such a way that it was a miracle to stand up now. But he stood up. Groaning, he raised himself on his elbow, then pulled up his knee and looked around. The rain somehow disappeared, and the evening came… quickly.

Did I really black out so much? And I'm bleeding… I should have been dead a long time ago.

Swaying and risking falling with every movement, the wolf got to his feet. His body hurt entirely. He looked at the car—ripped almost in half, mangled—and finally, he looked up at the school.

And there was something to see.

A whimsically distorted space of blue and blue color, dimly glowing, penetrated the remains of the buildings — the administrative building, dormitories, almost destroyed classrooms. They were closest to the park, where the explosion originated. And, most terrifyingly, Legoshi almost immediately understood what could have caused the explosion.

Coughing and occasionally spitting blood, he slowly crossed the parking lot and approached the gates, or rather, the place where they once were. Now the ground was surrounded by glowing rifts, and his eyes, trying to find something familiar, told the beast—this is impossible. At least, not from the things that come from their world.

Louis, miraculously surviving, sat right on the ground—behind him stretched a narrow bloody trail from the crash site. Hornless, blood flowing from his nose, in tattered clothes, and with a wild look, he did not tear his gaze away from the nightmare sight. And he swayed slightly back and forth, as if he had discovered the best swing in the world.

"Louis…" Legoshi hoarsely spoke, limping and approaching him.

Thud, a demanding contraction under the ribs. At least he was alive. At least… the pain in his chest was not so much physical as it was tearing his heart apart from unwillingness to acknowledge what happened to their friends, the club, the school…

"Do you see how it sometimes turns out," the deer said with a mad smile on his face, not looking at him. "You have to pay for everything."

"Do you think it's…"

"It's US. WE gave her shelter. We didn't think about the possible consequences. And here it is — the result. We lost them all in one second."

Louis spoke surprisingly calmly, but the expression on his face would have been terrifying… if it weren't for the much more horrifying sight right in front of them.

No wreckage. Not a single corpse. As if the explosion didn't scatter everything around, but, on the contrary, greedily swallowed everything within the reach of those violet-blue tentacles of energy. They were in a frozen state, as if what had happened made the world picture unexpectedly freeze, capturing the moment of disaster.

A disaster most likely caused by magic gone out of control.

Another heartbeat.

"I lost them all. Underestimated the threat again," Louis said lifelessly, then turned his head to Legoshi. "Strange that we were lucky to preserve… Oh."

"Oh?" the wolf asked, realizing it was hard to breathe.

"And you too," Louis said sadly, rising and bringing his hand to his chest with a familiar gesture. As if he wanted to grab the tie.

But the wolf hadn't worn a school uniform for a long time. From under his rib on the left side protruded a short piece of metal, stained with blood, which had now spread to Louis's fingers adorned with scratches.

Thud?

No, there was no thud.

Legoshi felt himself tilting to the side, and the unexpected vibration of the ground under his cheek clouded his consciousness.

Or, rather, forcibly pulled him out of the viscous, dark nightmare.

The wolf jerked up on his hands and took a sharp breath, grabbing the air with his open mouth. He and Haru had been talking late into the night, or rather, until the next day, and for a few more hours, Legoshi had left his phone under the pillow. Maybe he wanted to put it under the pillow, but instead, he tucked it under his cheek. And the message woke him up at just the right moment…

Rex. Magical disaster… that won't happen, will it?! But the dream was so real… he shook his head, shaking off the sticky threads of the idiotic mirage. Looked at the phone. No, definitely not. But it's better to check now.

The message was from Haru, sent "now":

"How did you sleep? Good morning, Gosi!"

The wolf felt a slight warmth in his heart, melting the icy horror.

He muttered aloud:

"You keep me even in my dreams…"

He gathered courage and called Tsu, they did say they would spend the night at the club with Eri. After a few rings, the fox picked up:

"Yes, Legoshi? Is everything okay?"

"I'm asking the same question… everything's fine at the club?"

"Yes, of course. We're trying to come up with a blog for Sisu, but so far nothing comes to mind."

"And at school?"

"Umm… as far as I know, yes. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Legoshi turned from side to back and placed the back of his hand on his forehead:

"Yeah… had a bad dream."

"Understood," laughter was heard. "I used to have some nasty dreams in my childhood, especially in elementary school when I started sleeping horizontally. Like drowning or suffocating…"

"Listen, Tsutomu-kun, please tell Sisu not to do any magic for now. I'll explain later."

"Okay, I'll pass it on… Are you worrying too much about just one dream?"

"No… it's something else. Thanks, Tsu. Sorry for bothering."

"No problem. Just make sure you don't fall asleep again, rehearsal starts in just an hour. Louis will be angry."

The wolf looked stunned at the phone screen after ending the call. He had overslept for over twelve hours in total, and he didn't feel particularly tired yesterday. Maybe he still wasn't used to… the social aspect of his life?

Dialing another number, he sighed into the receiver:

"Hey, hon."

"A-awww…" a pleased sound came from the other side. "You're so sweet in the morning… well, I mean your morning."

"How are you?"

"I called the boss, said I'm still feeling unwell. He seemed to understand everything and threatened that this is the last day, like, tomorrow I should be on shift."

"Don't overdo it, Haru," the wolf said with a smirk. "Even if they suddenly single you out from the rest, it's not worth it very much…"

"I know. And make a selfie…"

"What…"

"Ple-e-ease!" the bunny pleaded. "And I'll send you mine. If you want, I can even…"

Legoshi hastily said:

"No need for that! Just a selfie is enough."

"Shyest guy ever…" she giggled.

"I'll take one later. Are you coming to the club today?"

"Yes, of course. I already miss our colorful company after the weekend."

"And then?"

"And what, do you have plans?"

"I thought of catching an evening movie. And as for which one, we can decide later."

"Just the two of us or the whole group?" Haru cunningly asked. He replied:

"Just the two of us."

"Great! And in the back row."

"Deal…" the wolf smiled.

The anticipation of a good evening and meeting with the alive and unharmed club members finally shattered the stone on his heart. The wolf shook his head, driving away the remnants of sleep, and rummaged in the closet for some clothes.