I’m now officially a Beast…

The entire room fell into stunned silence. The hum of the scanning equipment seemed to fade into the background, its buzzing a distant hum as the results flickered on the holographic screen.

Kyla's eyes darted to the screen, her pulse racing.

The bespectacled woman recovered first, her voice crisp and dry, almost robotic. "Well, Ms. Kopoya, you are officially an S-Grade Female Alpha with level four abilities. Congratulations."

Kiloil, unable to contain himself, blurted out, "Holy shit," his voice echoing off the sterile walls. The exclamation was abruptly muffled when Gavin clamped a firm hand over his mouth, silencing him.

Kyla felt her legs go weak. She took a tentative step down from the platform, but her knees wobbled beneath her, threatening to buckle. She swayed, feeling the world tilt, and managed to stagger forward a few steps. Just as she felt herself tipping over, Gavin's strong hand shot out, steadying her. His grip was firm.

The bespectacled woman adjusted her glasses with methodical precision and then took a step toward Kyla. She bowed slightly, her movements mechanical, before straightening and locking her gaze onto Kyla's. "Ms. Kopoya, we will now proceed with your re-registration into the Beastial Association. You will be placed into the International Beastial Classification Network's database as an officially recognized S-Grade Alpha," she said, her voice heavy.

She paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. Then, her orange eyes gleamed faintly as she added, "As per Fetericks Federation law, you are required to enlist in a military force of your choosing within the next ten years."

Kyla's throat tightened, the words hitting her like a punch to the gut. She opened her mouth, but only a faint whisper escaped.

"Thanks for the info," she managed, her voice barely audible.

For a brief moment, the woman's professional facade cracked, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by her unreadable expression. "As you are now of age—twenty-two—you are legally required to select one of the GCN's spouse recommendations within the year," she continued, her tone still businesslike. "Alternatively, you may arrange your own selection by registering with any accredited FF matchmaking service. All chosen partners must be officially recorded under your household registry."

Kyla could feel Kiloil tense beside her, his emotions weird. She swallowed hard, her mind spun. S-Grade. Level four abilities. Military service. Legal spouse obligations. Beastial gender dynamics. The strange conversations in the car. Her world view felt like it was collapsing in on itself.

"Let's go," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper, as she turned toward Gavin and Kiloil.

Without a word, they each took one of her arms, helping her make her way out of the room.

Once in the car, Gavin started the engine, and they drove in silence.

As they neared their street, Gavin slowed down, his brow furrowing when he saw the line of cars parked along the driveway. A sleek black hover car hovered nearby, its engines humming softly as it descended gracefully onto their lawn.

Kyla's heart skipped a beat. The scene in front of her was so surreal, it felt like something out of a dream. A woman, followed by a very pregnant man and two others, stepped out of the hover car. Kyla's stomach dropped as she saw the familiar figure—her mother. She had dark caramel skin, brown slanted eyes and long black hair. But the woman standing there wasn't the same person Kyla remembered.

She was different—stronger, more commanding, more imposing.

"That's your mother," Gavin said, breaking the heavy silence. "And your two legal fathers, along with another concubine."

"Fuck," Kyla cursed, her voice low and full of disbelief. Her hand instinctively for her head to brush her curls, trying to ground herself.

"Hells," Kiloil muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes locked on the sight before them.

The entire situation felt like a fever dream.

Their mother was there, alive, well, and standing in front of them with her new family.

The woman walked with confidence, her harem in tow. Behind them, other familiar distant relatives began to arrive, walking into the house with purposeful strides, their movements deliberate.

Kyla's heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene. "She's alive," she whispered, her voice barely a murmur.

"You guys don't look too happy to see her," Gavin remarked, his voice casual, but his eyes were sharp, reading the tension in the car.

Kyla and Kiloil exchanged a glance. Kiloil opened his mouth to speak, but Kyla was quicker.

"She's the reason Dad's—" Kiloil began, but Kyla shot him a glare, quickly covering his mouth with her hand.

"Shut it," Kyla muttered, shaking her head, her voice low and harsh.

Gavin's brow furrowed, but he didn't press them for an explanation. Instead, he fell silent, watching the interaction.

"It's nothing," Kyla said, her voice suddenly soft. She wiped her palm across her jeans, her eyes focused on the window. "She's different here. I can... I can feel it."

"You shouldn't judge her based on feelings, Ky," Kiloil scoffed, his frustration clear. "We don't even know her here. She could still—"

"Shut up," Kyla snapped, the words escaping before she could stop them. The anger flared inside her, a sharp spike of emotion. She slammed her hands into her thighs, leaving angry marks on her skin.

Kiloil froze, his mouth opening and closing as he processed her outburst. He sighed heavily, shaking his head.

"Fine," he muttered, before flinging open the car door and storming off, heading in the opposite direction from their house. His footsteps echoed, fading into the distance, but Kyla couldn't shake the feeling that he was running—running from everything, from the confusion, from the emotions he didn't know how to handle.

She too felt like running away at the moment.

Gavin looked at her, startled, as the car door slammed shut. He glanced from the door back to Kyla, but she didn't know what to say. The silence between them stretched thick, suffocating.

Without a word, Kyla opened the car door and bolted after Kiloil, her heart pounding in her chest.

She called his name, "Koi, Koi!" as she caught up with him, grabbing his arm and spinning him around.

"Koi, you can't treat her the same here," she pleaded, her voice frantic.

"Why not?" Kiloil screamed, his face inches from hers, the raw emotion in his eyes burning.

"Because we don't know her here," Kyla said, her voice softer now as she grabbed his shoulders, trying to make him understand. "It's different here. This world is different. We're different."

"You saw what she did to Dad—you should hate her more than me, Ky!" Kiloil's voice broke, the tears in his eyes threatening to spill. "She hurt you and Dad!"

"Koi," Kyla whispered softly, her arms wrapping around him as he began to cry. She rubbed his back gently, soothing him as best she could. "I know it's confusing. I'm confused, too. For gods' sake, I have powers now. Mum's alive. Dad can speak. This morning was insane. I don't know why we're here or what this means. But for now, we just have to go along with it. We've either crossed over this morning or awakened memories of another world."

"I know," Koi mumbled, his voice muffled against her chest. "But I can't look at her the same."

"We'll figure it out, Koi," Kyla said softly, pulling back to wipe the tears from his eyes. "For now, we just have to go along with it." She straightened his clothes and gave him a small smile.

"Maybe we did drugs, huh?" she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Kiloil sniffled, his eyes still red, but a small chuckle escaped his lips. "As if I'd let you do drugs."

Kyla snorted, relief washing over her as she hugged him tighter.

For now, this would have to be enough.