Wish

Since then, Ryo had been taking on minor jobs—finding missing pets, tracking infidelity cases, conducting surveillance—the usual small-time detective work. It wasn't exactly thrilling, but it kept him afloat.

But as time passed, the flow of clients began to dwindle. Days went by without a single case.

One quiet night, Ryo stood by his window, a cup of tea in hand, staring out at the streets. His expression was distant, his mind weighed down by uncertainty.

"Sigh… there's hardly any clients anymore. And most of the jobs I did get were boring ones," he muttered to himself.

He took a sip of his tea, exhaling as he leaned against the window frame.

"Though… I guess I can't complain. They were at least putting food on the table."

But the thought lingered, gnawing at him. At this rate, he wasn't just stuck—he was sinking.

"If this keeps up… I'm gonna be in the red soon."

The room fell silent, save for the distant hum of the neighborhood outside. Ryo clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around his cup. He needed something—anything—to break this cycle.

As Ryo stood by the window, sipping his tea, something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. It was distant at first, a small figure moving swiftly under the moonlight.

As it drew closer, Ryo realized it was a cat—or at least, it looked like one.

Its thick, silver fur shimmered under the moonlight, almost as if woven from stardust. Two soft tails swayed elegantly behind it, leaving a faint, glowing trail of glitter-like dust in its wake. Its dark face contrasted sharply with the luminous fur, and at the center of its forehead, a small, radiant flower-shaped mark pulsed gently with light. The creature moved with both grace and desperation, its wide eyes reflecting pure terror.

But what was it running from?

Then, he saw them.

A sudden chill shot down Ryo's spine. His fingers stiffened around his cup.

From the distance, a dense, writhing black smoke rolled forward, twisting unnaturally as it pursued the glowing feline. But within the darkness, Ryo spotted two distinct shapes.

They were dogs—but not like any dog he had ever seen.

Their bodies were covered in thick, roiling miasma, shifting like liquid shadows. Their eyes burned a sickly yellow, piercing through the night like twisted lanterns. Their jaws stretched impossibly wide, revealing jagged, needle-like teeth that gleamed even in the darkness. And as they ran, their three grotesquely long tongues lolled out, dripping with thick, black saliva that sizzled as it hit the ground.

The air grew heavy. The temperature seemed to drop.

Ryo felt his entire body lock up. His breath hitched. His pulse pounded in his ears.

As the monstrous hounds passed by his office, relentlessly hunting the glowing feline, Ryo stood frozen in place, his mind racing.

He watched the strange cat in the distance, panicked, exhausted, running with everything it had.

"Oi, oi… what the hell were those things?!" Ryo whispered, barely able to find his voice. His hands trembled slightly, the weight of what he just saw crashing down on him. "That… that's not good. At all."

Fear gripped him. Instinct screamed at him to shut the window, pretend he saw nothing, and go to bed.

And so, he did.

He slammed the window shut, locked it, turned away, and quickly made his way toward his bedroom.

But then… he hesitated.

His mind wouldn't let go of the image of that cat. Its terrified expression. Its desperate sprint for survival.

The more he tried to dismiss it, the stronger the nagging feeling in his chest grew.

Ryo exhaled sharply, rubbing his face. "Damn it…"

His fingers curled into fists. His pulse steadied. He stood up straight, and with a sudden burst of resolve, he slapped both of his cheeks.

"Alright! Screw it!"

He grabbed his trench coat, threw it over his shoulders, along with his tonfas and put it inside his trench coat for safety measures, and stormed toward the door.

Locking up his office behind him, he took off into the night—his heart racing, his instincts screaming, his feet chasing after the unknown.

As Ryo sprinted through the dimly lit streets, his breath came in sharp bursts. His legs burned, but he pushed himself harder.

In the distance, he caught a glimpse of the chase—the glowing cat, sprinting with all its might, and the monstrous hounds, accelerating like beasts born for the hunt.

Ryo's eyes widened. They were too fast.

"Damn it! Are they part cheetah or something?!"

The silver cat was running on sheer survival instinct, but it couldn't keep this pace forever. Sooner or later, it would tire. It would slow down. And then… it would die.

Ryo gritted his teeth. He had to get ahead of them.

And that's when his detective instincts kicked in.

He closed his eyes for a split second and pictured the entire neighborhood like a detailed map. He knew these streets better than anyone. He had spent years chasing criminals, tracing their escape routes, anticipating their next moves.

Every alley, every shortcut, every hidden path—he memorized them all.

If he were the cat, where would he go?

A safe place. A hidden spot. Somewhere it could escape but still breathe.

Ryo's brain worked lightning-fast, predicting the cat's next move as if tracing a fugitive's steps.

And then he saw it.

A crossroad intersection. A small alley up ahead, perfect for hiding—except it had only one exit. If the cat went that way, it would be trapped.

That's where he needed to be.

"Alright, let's go!"

Without hesitation, he veered left, cutting through an empty lot, vaulting over a fence, dashing down a narrow passageway.

Faster. Faster. Faster.

The sound of claws scraping the pavement echoed through the air. The cat's breathless cries grew fainter. The low, guttural growls of the hounds sent chills down his spine.

He had to make it.

And then—

He saw it.

The cat had slowed down, its tiny legs trembling. Its breaths came out ragged, desperate.

Its glowing fur dimmed. Tears welled in its terrified eyes.

It was running on empty.

And the hounds knew it.

Their blackened, miasma-covered bodies surged forward, tongues lolling, jaws unhinging unnaturally wide.

Then—it happened.

The cat tripped.

Its small frame hit the pavement hard.

And as it turned its head, pure horror filled its golden eyes.

The hounds lunged.

Their grotesque mouths stretched open, revealing endless rows of jagged teeth, dripping with blackened saliva.

Their glowing yellow eyes locked onto their helpless prey.

This was it.

The cat squeezed its eyes shut, bracing for death.

But death never came.

Instead, there was a sudden rush of wind. A flash of movement.

And strong arms wrapped around its small body.

A deep voice grunted, "Gotcha!"

Ryo had arrived.

In a single, desperate lunge, he scooped the cat up just before the jaws of death could clamp down.

He hit the ground hard, rolling onto his back, shielding the cat with his body. The hounds' snapping fangs missed by mere inches, their momentum carrying them forward.

For a second, everything was silent.

Then, Ryo exhaled sharply, sitting up, still holding the cat securely.

"Phew… That was close. You okay, furball?"

The small creature in his arms slowly opened its eyes, looking up at him.

It blinked.

"Nya?"

Ryo raised a brow. "Nya?"

But he had no time to process that.

A deep, inhuman growl rumbled behind him.

Ryo turned his head slowly.

The two monstrous hounds were staring directly at him.

Miasma swirled violently around their bodies. Their eyes glowed brighter. Their muscles tensed.

They had missed their prey.

But they had found a new target.

Ryo inhaled sharply.

He placed the cat behind his right shoulder to hang on, and reached inside his trench coat—his fingers wrapping around the twin tonfas he had brought.

He pulled them out in a swift motion, gripping them tightly.

His stance lowered. His eyes sharpened.

A small, confident smirk played on his lips.

"Alright, strange-looking cat," he muttered, spinning the tonfas in his hands. "Looks like we're surrounded."

The cat in Ryo's shoulder suddenly cried out frantically, its voice high-pitched and desperate.

"Nya! Nya! Nyaaaaa!!"

It was almost like a warning.

Ryo blinked, confused. "Aren't you supposed to say 'meow' instead of 'nya'?"

But there was no time for that.

He quickly glanced around—they were completely surrounded.

The air grew heavy with an oppressive, suffocating pressure. The two grotesque hounds snarled, their blackened saliva sizzling against the pavement as they circled him like starving predators.

Ryo's hands trembled. His body screamed at him to run.

But he couldn't.

Not now.

Fear was a luxury he couldn't afford.

Then—one of the hounds lunged from behind.

Ryo hadn't even noticed.

"NYA!!"

The cat suddenly shrieked.

Ryo's instincts kicked in.

He twisted his body just in time, dodging the incoming attack by mere inches.

The hound's massive body soared through the air—and Ryo saw an opening.

WHAM!

With a sharp swing, he drove his right tonfa straight into the beast's stomach.

A sickening impact echoed through the air.

The hound let out a guttural snarl as it was sent flying, crashing against the pavement.

For a moment, Ryo thought that was enough—

But the creature immediately got back up.

Its twisted form twitched, the miasma around its body swirling even more violently.

And before Ryo could even process it—

Both hounds attacked at once.

One from the left.

One from the right.

Their massive jaws stretched open unnaturally wide, revealing endless rows of jagged teeth and those disgusting, writhing tongues.

Ryo's stomach churned.

"That's gross!"

Desperate, he dropped low at the last second—

And the hounds smashed into each other instead.

A sickening crunch echoed as their faces collided.

The monsters let out a choked, strangled sound, momentarily disoriented.

This was his chance.

Still with the glowing cat on his shoulder, Ryo turned and ran.

His legs moved on pure instinct, his breath coming in sharp, ragged bursts.

But just as he thought he was getting away—

A deep, monstrous roar ripped through the night.

The sound shook the very air, sending a paralyzing chill down Ryo's spine.

It was unlike anything he had ever heard before.

Not a bark.

Not a growl.

A roar.

One that was unnatural. Inhuman. Otherworldly.

Ryo risked a glance back—

And what he saw made his blood run cold.

The two hounds were no longer just chasing.

Their bodies had begun to shift.

Their forms grew darker, the miasma around them thickening, twisting unnaturally like something was trying to break free from within.

Their eyes burned brighter.

Their mouths unhinged wider.

They weren't just hunting anymore.

They were evolving.

Ryo swallowed hard.

"They went from barking… to growling… and now roaring?"

His breath hitched.

"This is ridiculous!"

The monstrous hounds gained on him, their twisted bodies moving unnaturally fast after their terrifying evolution.

Their deep, guttural snarls grew louder, echoing in the empty streets like a death omen.

Ryo's heart pounded in his chest. His lungs burned. His legs screamed at him to stop.

But stopping meant death.

"OH COME ON, GIVE ME A BREAK, YOU FREAKY PUPPIES!!"

The beasts lunged.

Their grotesque claws swiped at him, missing by mere inches—each slash sharp enough to tear flesh from bone.

Ryo's coat flapped violently behind him, barely avoiding their attacks.

Then—

As they reached the next streetlight, something happened.

The hounds flinched.

Their bodies jerked backward, the swirling miasma around them recoiling like a snake burned by a flame.

They… backed away from the light.

Ryo's eyes widened.

That was it.

He wasn't just running blindly anymore.

He had a chance.

His mind raced, piecing together a plan like he would on a case.

"THINK, ME! THINK!!!"

If those things were afraid of light—then he had to trap them in it.

But how?

Ryo's eyes darted across the dark streets, searching for anything—anything—that could give him an edge. Then, he saw it.

A construction site just ahead, its skeletal frame lit by scattered floodlights. His eyes locked onto something crucial—a row of massive tower lights, the kind used for late-night work.

And even more importantly—a deep pit in the ground.

It looked like they were preparing to install a drainage system. A perfect trap.

Ryo's mind raced. If he could lure those monstrous hounds into that pit and activate the tower lights, he might have a chance. But there was one problem—how the hell was he going to get them in there?

Before he could think of a proper plan, the cat jumped from his shoulder and leaped away.

"Hey, where are you going?!" Ryo shouted, reaching out—but the cat was already bounding across the construction beams, its twin silver tails flicking behind it.

The hounds, still snarling and dripping with miasma, abandoned Ryo immediately and chased after the glowing feline, their elongated limbs twisting unnaturally as they leaped onto the metal framework.

The cat turned back toward Ryo for a brief moment, its shining flower-like marking glowing faintly in the dark.

"Nya nya nya!!!"

Ryo's breath caught in his throat.

It was telling him something.

Something like "Leave this to me. Do your part."

His eyes widened in realization.

"You better not die on me, furball!"** he growled before turning back toward the tower lights.

He sprinted to the nearest one, gripping the thick power cable and following it frantically until he spotted a generator nearby.

"Yes!" He yanked the plug free and jammed it into the socket.

Now for the hard part.

The cat was still darting across the beams, the beasts snapping at its heels. It was fast, but not for much longer.

Ryo needed those hounds in the pit.

He ran to the edge of the pit and whistled.

"Oi! Over here!" He waved his arms. "Jump to me, furball!"

The cat's ears perked up. It didn't hesitate.

Ryo expects to catch the cat, then immediately crouch, and the hounds land directly into the pit.

With a powerful leap, it soared through the air straight toward Ryo—

—but so did the beasts.

Everything slowed.

Ryo braced himself, arms outstretched. He caught the cat—

—but the beasts didn't fall for it.

They twisted mid-air, their monstrous claws digging into the dirt right in front of him.

"I'm so screwed."

The hounds lunged.

Ryo barely had time to react, he quickly threw the cat to the side, grabbed his tonfas, before they pounced, tackling him to the ground.

Their teeth clamped down on his tonfas, their slimy, grotesque tongues wrapping around his weapon.

He gagged. It was disgusting. Their saliva, almost dripping on ryo's face, burned like acid, and their growls vibrated through his bones.

He tried to push them off, but they were too strong.

"Get off me, you damn mutts!!!"

The survived cat watched in horror, its big, glowing eyes welling up with tears, thinking that the person who saved it is about to die...

Then—

Something changed.

A soft, melodic chime filled the air.

The cat's body began to shine.

Then—a radiant, glittering explosion of light burst from its fur, illuminating the entire construction site.

The beasts howled in agony, their bodies convulsing violently as if the light was scorching their very existence.

Ryo seized the opportunity.

With everything he had left, he wrenched his arms free, spun around, and swung his tonfas—HARD.

CRACK!

The beasts let out bone-chilling screeches as his attacks sent them flying—straight into the pit.

Ryo sprinted to the generator.

He slammed the switch.

A deafening whirr filled the air—

Then, blinding white light flooded the pit.

The hounds screamed.

Their bodies thrashed violently, their miasma sizzling and twisting like dying embers.

They're desperately trying escape, but the pit was too deep.

The monstrous figures convulsed, their limbs shaking uncontrollably as if their very forms were being unraveled.

And then—

They vanished.

Gone.

Erased from existence.

The silence that followed was almost deafening.

Ryo stood there, panting heavily, his arms aching, his body trembling.

Then—he let out a long, shaky breath.

"Holy hell..." He wiped the sweat off his forehead. "That was way too close."

A soft weight nudged his leg.

He glanced down.

The cat, still glowing faintly, gazed up at him with bright, celestial-like eyes.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, finally, Ryo chuckled weakly.

"You really are one strange-looking kitty, huh?"

The glowing feline sat up straight, puffing out its fluffy chest with an air of pure majesty.

"Thank you, human! You saved me-nya!"

Ryo, still catching his breath, let out a tired chuckle. "Hahaha… yeah, no prob—"

Then his brain caught up.

His eye twitched.

His whole body froze.

Wait.

Did that cat just… talk?!

Ryo's face went pale.

"HUUUUUUUUHHHHH?!!! IT TALKS?!!"

The cat tilted its head. "What are you saying-nya? It's normal that we talk-nya!"

Ryo frantically waved his hands, his voice rising in panic. "No no no NO! That's NOT NORMAL! Cats don't just—just—TALK like humans! You're supposed to go 'meow' and lick your fur or something! NOT hold a damn conversation!!"

The cat blinked.

Then, as if only just realizing it, it gasped.

"Oh yeah! You're right-nya! Hahaha!"

Ryo nearly collapsed. "HOW DO YOU FORGET SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"

The cat, ignoring his existential crisis, suddenly stood up, its tails swishing dramatically.

Then—it struck a pose.

With the moonlight illuminating its silver fur, it lifted its head high and declared with absolute grandeur:

"I am LUNARIA FAWNWHISKER VELTHARION MOONSHADOWMIST! A proud race of Nyxiri! I hail from the majestic land of SYLVORIA! REMEMBER THAT, HUMAN-NYA!!!"

A gust of wind somehow blew past, making Lunaria's fur flow majestically. The scene was dramatic. Powerful.

...Utterly ridiculous.

Ryo stood there, eyes blank.

His brain? Completely fried.

"...The heck did I just hear?"

He held up a finger, opened his mouth—then stopped.

He pointed at Lunaria.

"Say that again."

Lunaria grinned smugly.

"Lunaria Fawnwhisker Veltharion Moonshadowmist, proud Nyxiri of Sylvoria-nya!"

Ryo blinked.

Paused.

Then let out the biggest, most exhausted sigh of his entire life.

"Yeah, okay. I need to lie down."

Lunaria watched as Ryo lay on the ground, chest rising and falling heavily, his breath still uneven from the fight. Her glowing tails flickered slightly in the night air.

"You okay-nya? That was a tough battle."

Ryo let out a sharp exhale, staring up at the sky. "Yeah… If you hadn't pulled off that ninja stunt, jumping from beam to beam to stall for time, I'd be dog food by now."

Lunaria smirked, puffing out her tiny chest. "Hehe, of course-nya! I am quite agile!"

She was about to ask something when Ryo cut her off.

"By the way, furball, I have a name. It's Ryo."

Lunaria's ears twitched. "Then call me by my name too, human-nya!"

Ryo sat up slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh yeah, about that… I've decided I'm just gonna call you 'Dusty.'"

Lunaria's entire body stiffened. "W-WHAT?! IT'S LUNARIA FAWNWHISKER VELTHARION MOONSHADOWMIST-NYA!!"

Ryo grimaced. "Yeah, that's exactly why I'm calling you Dusty. That name is way too long. I could bite my tongue by accident just trying to say it."

Lunaria gasped in offense. "H-How dare you-nya! My mama gave me this name! I love it! I'm proud of it!"

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "You sure mama didn't just look up 'What's the longest name possible for my brat' before naming you?"

Lunaria's ears twitched aggressively. "I—I don't know! But I still love it! And don't call me a brat-nya!"

She huffed and crossed her tiny paws. "Besides, why 'Dusty'? That sounds messy-nya!"

Ryo smirked. "Because you keep spewing out that weird glittery dust stuff. So, congratulations, you're Dusty now."

Lunaria sighed dramatically, her tails drooping. "Siiiiiigh… Whatever-nya."

Ryo adjusted his trench coat, his usual smirk fading as he leaned forward.

"Alright, Dusty. Let's get to the bottom of this."

Lunaria's ears perked up. "Hmmm?"

Ryo folded his arms. "You said you're from... Sylvo-whatever-that-is."

Lunaria frowned. "It's Sylvoria, you tongue-twisting fool-nya."

Ryo waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Never heard of it. Not even in school. So where is it? And what the hell were those things that were chasing you?"

Lunaria's expression darkened.

"Sylvoria is a hidden land somewhere on Earth. But we keep its location secret to protect ourselves... or at least, we thought we were safe."

Her tails lowered, the glow in them dimming slightly.

"Until they found us."

Ryo's eyes sharpened. "Who?"

Lunaria's ears flattened. "The Vrakul."

The name itself sent a chill down Ryo's spine.

"Vrakul?" he repeated, testing the word on his tongue.

Lunaria nodded, her normally playful expression now completely serious.

"They're a dark, sinister race that feeds on life energy. The more souls they devour, the stronger they get-nya."

Ryo said nothing, letting her continue.

"Those hounds we fought? That wasn't even their true form. They can be anything. One of them infiltrated Sylvoria, disguising itself as one of my kind. It lived among us, waiting, watching... then, one night, it struck."

She swallowed hard. "We fought back, but they were too strong. You saw how hard they were to kill—our powers weren't enough. And unlike tonight, we couldn't just trap them in a pit of light."

Ryo thinking to himself "so even if dusty's race knew their weaknesses, they're still hard to kill."

Her voice trembled slightly as she continued. "They started killing us. Violently. Our land turned into a battlefield, and my people… my family… started falling one by one."

Ryo clenched his fists. "...Damn"

Lunaria exhaled shakily. "I couldn't let them keep slaughtering my kind. So, I made a choice—I led them away, luring them into the forest where a portal to this land, Japan, was opening. I figured if I could just get them away from my home, maybe I could save everyone else."

She shut her eyes, her tails curling around her. "And then... you know the rest."

Ryo sat in silence for a moment before speaking.

"So… the Vrakul, huh? How do you know about them?"

Lunaria's ears twitched. "The truth is… we don't know much. We just started calling them Vrakul because it sounded terrifying. But…"

She met Ryo's gaze, her eyes glowing in the dim light.

"There's one thing we do know for sure."

Ryo's gut tightened. "And that is?"

Lunaria's next words sent a chill down his spine.

"The Vrakul are not of this world."

Ryo felt his stomach drop. "...Not of this world?"

Lunaria nodded grimly. "We killed one of them once. In broad daylight. It was a weak one who can withstand light that had shapeshifted into my kind—the one that led those hounds into Sylvoria. But those hounds… they were different. Stronger. Smarter. Even with our best warriors, they couldn't be beaten through sheer force alone."

Ryo with a concerned face "Now that's troublesome, especially knowing that not all of them are vulnerable to light."

She turned back to him, eyes fierce. "Ryo… you need to be careful if you ever come across them again. They're not just beasts. They think. They hunt. And they don't stop until they've devoured every last drop of life from their prey."

A heavy silence hung in the air.

Ryo let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "Man… what the hell kind of mess did I just get myself into?"

Lunaria suddenly perked up, her usual playful grin returning.

"Hahaha, sorry for the horror story-nya!"

Ryo groaned, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, thanks. I'll probably sleep real well tonight."

Just as he was about to brush it off, something Lunaria had said earlier clicked in his mind. His eyes narrowed.

"Hey, Dusty… you mentioned 'hidden lands' and 'not of this world' during your little nightmare fuel session."****"Are you telling me those actually exist?"

Lunaria's ears twitched mischievously. "Oh, Ryo, I can't tell you those things-nya."

Ryo's eye twitched. "Oh, come on—"

Lunaria suddenly leaned in with a sly grin. "Buuuuuut… I will give you one small piece of information since you helped me. Just this once."

Ryo immediately straightened, his full attention on her. "I'm listening."

Lunaria's grin widened as she delivered the bombshell.

"You'll be shocked to know that my homeland and those hounds' other world… are not the only ones-nya!"

Ryo's entire body stiffened. "Huh!?"

His mind raced as he tried to process what she had just said. "Wait, wait—are you telling me that there are more hidden lands on earth and more other worlds out there?"

Lunaria gave him a cheeky wink. "That's it! I can't tell you any more than that! Hahaha-nya!"

Ryo practically lunged forward. "Oh, come on!! You can't just drop that on me and leave me hanging!"

Lunaria spun around dramatically. "MY MOUTH IS ZIPPED! ZIPPPPPED-NYA!"

Ryo let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand down his face. In his head, he thought:

"Kaji—no… my former partner Fantasy-chan—would absolutely lose his mind over this. If he knew there are multiple hidden lands and other worlds out there, he'd never let it go."

He glanced at Lunaria, who was smugly flicking her tails.

Ryo thinking in his mind "But since Dusty here won't spill anything else… I guess this is one secret I'm taking to my grave."

Lunaria flicked her tail and sighed. "Sorry, Ryo. Like I said, those places are secret for a reason—just like my homeland. We've worked hard to keep them hidden from humans-nya."

Ryo exhaled sharply, slumping his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah… figures."

Lunaria gave him a cheeky grin. "But cheer up, pal! As thanks for saving me and taking down those nasty hounds, I can't just leave without giving you a reward!"

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "A reward?"

"Yep! I wanna bless you with a wish!"

Ryo stared at her, deadpan. "So now you're a genie? I don't remember rubbing you out of a lamp."

Lunaria's ears twitched in annoyance. "Oh, shut up!! And besides, we Nyxiri's can grant some sort of wish to an extent"

She then waggled her paws dramatically, her voice turning eerie. "So… what shall it be, human? Do you wish for world domination? To become the king of all? To control the masses like some wicked overlord? MWAHAHAHA!"

Ryo, unimpressed, reached out and pinched both of Lunaria's fluffy cheeks, stretching them.

"OW-OW-OW!! What was that for-nya?!" she whined.

Ryo scoffed. "First of all, those three things mean exactly the same thing and is beyond 'to an extent', you dumb furball. Second, if I were still a cop, I'd have you locked up for plotting world domination and confiscate your catnip stash."

Lunaria puffed up her cheeks. "I was joking!" She rubbed her sore face before crossing her paws. "Anyway, I can't grant wishes that big. So, got something in mind?"

Ryo hummed, thinking. Then, reality hit him—his struggling business, the lack of clients, his near-empty wallet.

He straightened up. "Alright, Dusty, I got one."

Lunaria's tail swayed eagerly. "Sure! Tell me!"

Ryo smirked. "I wish… for more clients."

Lunaria blinked. "Huh? Clients?"

"Yeah. I'm a private detective. My job is solving cases, helping people. But lately, I'm barely getting any work. If I don't get more clients soon, I'll be out of business—and out of food."

Lunaria blinked at him again, then sighed, her ears drooping slightly. "On behalf of my kind, I feel sorry for your miserable life-nya."

Ryo twitched. "Oi!!"

Lunaria stares down, smiling softly. "A detective, huh? That means… maybe you can…"

She trailed off, her eyes momentarily distant.

Ryo frowned. "Huh? Maybe I can… what?"

Lunaria quickly shook her head. "Nothing-nya! Never mind that!" She straightened up and puffed out her chest. "Alright, Ryo, your wish will be granted!"

Before he could react, a glowing white magic circle appeared beneath them. The air shimmered, and their surroundings filled with radiant light.

Ryo shielded his eyes. "What… what the hell is happening?!"

Lunaria's form began to fade into the glow, her silver fur blending into the ethereal radiance.

She gave him one last, knowing smile. "Ryo… no, Detective Ryo…"

Ryo hesitated. "What?"

Lunaria's voice softened. "These clients… please help them."

And then, with a final, bright shimmer—she was gone.

Darkness followed.

—

Ryo jolted awake.

He sat up, breathing hard, his hand instinctively reaching for something—Lunaria? But she was nowhere in sight. Instead, he found himself in his office, laying down on his couch.

Morning sunlight streamed through the blinds. His desk was exactly as he left it. His coat was neatly draped over his chair.

Ryo blinked.

"...Huh?"

His head ached as he tried to process what just happened. "Wasn't I at the construction site? With Dusty? And those… those things?"

He rubbed his temples. "Was that all… just a dream?"

But even as he said it, something about it felt too real.

He sighed, dragging himself up to start the day. Shower, breakfast, coffee, paperwork. Back to the usual routine.

Then—knock knock.

Ryo glanced at the door.

A client?

Readying himself, he called out, "Come in."

The door creaked open.

And the moment Ryo saw who—or what—stood on the other side…

His breath caught.