Page 44 of Court of Aether and Shadows

The war was coming.

The Crowned Monster was awakening.

And all the realms would tremble in her wake.

Building Uncertainty

~SPARROW~

“FUCK!”

I paced the length of my small room, frustration building with each step.

The concrete floor was cool against my bare feet, a stark contrast to the warmth of my skin. I'd been cooped up in here for hours, pouring over research and lab results, and my body was restless with pent-up energy.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered to myself, running a hand through my tangled hair. "All I've done for days is faint and sleep. I'm supposed to be one of the best in the business, not some damsel in distress from a bad fairy tale."

I glanced at the makeshift lab setup on my desk – a collection of borrowed and stolen equipment that would make any real scientist cringe. But it was the best I could do given the circumstances. Vials of various chemicals lined one side, while my laptop displayed a dizzying array of test results and research papers.

The bullet that had nearly killed me lay in the center of it all, now nothing more than a misshapen lump of metal.

I'd spent countless hours analyzing every molecule of residue I could scrape from its surface, hoping to find some clue as to what had been done to it.

What kind of drug or poison could cause the vivid hallucinations and strange physical changes I'd been experiencing?

There had to be something laced in its surface to cause this inconsistent drop in my health and well-being. Enough to make an impact but not enough to kill me.

The perfect dose to be a pain in my arse!

So far, I’d found nothing.

Every test came back inconclusive or showed results that defied explanation. It was as if the bullet had been touched by something that science couldn't quantify.

"Maybe I'm just going crazy," I said to the empty room, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "Maybe that bullet knocked something loose in my brain, and now I'm seeing things that aren't there. Dreaming of monster kings who are good at sex and magical realms so gleamingly beautiful, it makes this place a hellhole!” At this rate, the whole Underground would hear my hissy fit if I didn’t get it together. “God, I sound like I belong in a psych ward."

I flopped down onto my narrow bed, staring up at the cracked ceiling.

The frustration was almost a physical ache in my chest.

I wasn't used to feeling this... helpless. This out of control.My whole life, I'd relied on my wits and skills to survive. But now? Now it felt like I was adrift in a sea of impossibilities, with no shore in sight.

A cool breeze drifted through the room, carrying with it the scent of night-blooming jasmine. Which was odd, considering my room was underground and had no windows.

I sat up, frowning, and that's when I saw it.

Perched on a window sill that definitely hadn't been there a moment ago was a fox. But not just any fox – this one was white as snow, its fur seeming to absorb the light around it. Its eyes, a startling amber color, regarded me with an intelligence that sent a shiver down my spine.

For a moment, I just stared, convinced I must be hallucinating again. But the fox didn't disappear. Instead, it cocked its head to the side, as if asking a silent question.

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, surprising even me with its genuine joy.

"Well, hello there," I said, slowly standing up so as not to startle the creature. "Where did you come from, little one?"

The fox made no sound, but its tail swished once, almost like a greeting. Without really thinking about it, I found myself moving towards the mini-fridge in the corner of my room. "You must be hungry, huh? Let's see what we've got."

I rummaged through the fridge, pushing aside containers of dubious leftovers and half-empty energy drinks. "Ah-ha!" I exclaimed, pulling out a package of turkey slices. "This should do nicely."

Turning back to the window, I half-expected the fox to be gone. But it was still there, watching me with those uncanny eyes. I approached slowly, holding out a piece of turkey. "Here you go, beautiful. Don't be shy."

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