I’m now a Big Cat?!

"I NEED fresh air."

Kyla whispered, barely audible as she moved down the hallway. The house—once a sanctuary—now felt oppressive, its familiar walls closing in with the weight of a reality she couldn't understand. She ran her fingers through her curls and took a deep breath, trying to ease the strange tightness in her chest.

Then a sound reached her—a raised, panicked voice entwined with a low, rough snarl from Kiloil's room.

Her heart thundered.

Without hesitating, she rushed to the door and flung it open.

Inside, Gavin was gripping her brother's shoulders, his nails digging into the fabric of Kiloil's shirt. Kiloil stood frozen, eyes wide with terror, while Gavin's expression remained inscrutable yet unsettling.

Something primal ignited within her.

"Get your hands off my brother!" she snarled, her voice more instinct than thought.

Before she could register her own words, her body reacted. A wild surge of energy rippled through her as her muscles tensed and shifted in ways that defied explanation. She lunged at Gavin, and they tumbled to the floor in a chaotic heap.

Gavin groaned, instinctively raising his arms to defend himself, but Kyla pinned him down with a ferocity that seemed to emerge from deep within. A guttural growl tore from her throat as she instinctively protected Kiloil.

Kiloil gasped, slamming the door shut as if to contain the unfolding madness.

Then, as Gavin struggled beneath her, cursing under his breath, Kyla suddenly froze. She lifted her hand—and stared in horror.

Her hand…was no longer a hand.

It was a paw.

Her breath caught as she took in the sight: soft, padded skin pressed against the floor, and sharp, curved claws where her fingers had once been. A shiver of disbelief raced through her. This wasn't normal. This wasn't her.

"Kyla, kyyyyy," Kiloil's small, trembling voice broke the silence as he crouched beside her, a mix of wonder and surprise.

Kyla's gaze drifted to the mirror on the wall. Staring back was not her own familiar face but that of a massive panther—its eyes shimmering with confusion and raw emotion.

Her heart pounded, and hyperventilation seized her as terror and sorrow mingled within.

Undeterred, Kiloil edged closer and, with surprising tenderness, reached out to cradle the side of her feline head. "Sis, calm down. Listen to my voice. You're safe. Breathe in… and out."

Following his soothing instructions, she slowly allowed her frantic heartbeat to settle, the wild instincts within her beginning to yield to a fragile calm.

"Can you get off me, Ky? Fuck," Gavin grumbled, finally rolling off as Kyla stepped aside. "What the hell—did you both just have some kind of awakening? And why do you smell different?"

Kiloil glanced at Gavin, then back at his transformed sister—his panther sister.

"Damn. Maybe we awakened parallel memories," he murmured softly, gently rubbing her snout and ears as if trying to soothe a frightened pet, though he couldn't help but compare this majestic creature to the tame, goofy dogs of his childhood.

He wasn't trained for this. "Sis, breathe with me. Imagine trees… think of zen. You are zen."

Gradually, Kyla sank onto the cool, hard floor, her head brushing the low-hanging fan overhead as her breathing steadied.

Then, in a voice trembling yet resonant, she called out, "Gav… Gav. What am I? Why is this happening?"

Gavin's eyes narrowed as he leaned in, sniffing the air thoughtfully before scratching his chin.

Kiloil's gaze shifted between Gavin and his transformed sister.

"I was being honest when I said we weren't from here," he explained quietly, "but now I'm confused—'cause sis is now a big-ass panther."

Gavin's eyes flicked from Kiloil to Kyla. "Koi, explain everything—from the beginning."

With a deep, steadying breath, Kiloil began recounting the morning's chaos—how nothing made sense, memories of home, their deaf father, their mother, and a world where Beastials (beastmen) were nothing more than myth. His raw, unfiltered narrative spilled out over five tense minutes, each word heavy with disbelief.

When he finished, a heavy silence filled the room. Finally, Gavin broke it, pointing at them. "The two of you—smell the same yet different."

Kyla and Kiloil exchanged a bewildered glance.

"Fuck," Gavin swore, settling onto Kiloil's king-sized bed. "Is this some kind of prank? Are you wearing some weird pheromone perfume?"

"No, I'm not," Kyla choked out, tears welling as she struggled to understand. "I don't know why—I don't know why I've become like this."

"Okay, suppose your theory is true," Gavin said, rubbing his thighs and exhaling slowly. "Let's say you awakened memories from another world—where you exist and forgot your old self here."

"Let's go with that theory," Kiloil interjected, nodding earnestly.

Gavin muttered, "Then what the fuck happens now?"

Kiloil hesitated before speaking, "Um… can you teach us how to integrate into this society?"

Gavin's brow furrowed as he replied, "Yeah, but why has this happened in the first place? Why have memories of another-"

Before they could delve deeper, a heavy knock on the door interrupted them. The door swung open to reveal their father, standing frozen in the entryway, shock etched on his face and mouth agape.

"Kyla, you've awakened?!" he exclaimed, the question hanging in the air as the room filled with stunned silence.