As I sat on the bed, staring at the glowing words.
[The Seal is Successfully Broken]
[The Spawn Of A Fallen Lord Has Awakened]
A knot of anticipation tightened in my chest.
This is it.
My hand trembled slightly as I summoned the cube.
It appeared in front of me, hovering midair, its surface shimmering faintly with the same eerie glow.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then it began to crack.
The sound was faint, like ice splitting on a frozen lake, but it carried an ominous weight.
The cube started to shake, the cracks spreading rapidly across its surface.
I leaned forward, holding my breath.
What was inside this thing?
My mind was racing with possibilities a giant, menacing beast, a creature of destruction, or maybe something even more surreal.
The cube shattered.
Light exploded outward, blinding me momentarily.
When I blinked the spots away, my eyes widened at what stood before me. Or, rather, what sat before me.
It was a wolf. Or at least, I assumed it was supposed to be a wolf.
Small no bigger than a medium-sized dog with silvery-blue eyes that shimmered like the surface of a tranquil lake. Its fur was a soft, jet black.
But what caught me off guard was...
How...fluffy it looked.
This was no terrifying, otherworldly beast.
This was something out of a kid's bedtime story.
The wolf didn't seem to notice me at first.
It hopped off the bed with surprising grace, padding around as though exploring its surroundings.
Its tiny paws made barely a sound on the floor.
I sat frozen, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
This is what came out of the cube?
I had braced myself for something big, fierce badass even.
But this?
The wolf stopped abruptly and turned its head, its glowing eyes locking onto mine.
It froze, and so did I.
For a moment, we just stared at each other. I didn't know what I expected it to do growl, snarl, maybe leap at me.
Instead, it plopped down on its haunches, tilting its head slightly like it was trying to figure me out.
Meanwhile, my brain short-circuited.
This is my pet?
Is it even legal to have something this cute?
I jumped off the bed without thinking, and the wolf leaped back, startled by my sudden movement.
Its small frame practically bounced, and its fluffy tail twitched nervously.
I realized too late that my reaction had spooked it.
"Hey, hey, don't run!"
I said, holding up my hands in what I hoped was a calming gesture.
The wolf's ears twitched, but it didn't move, its wide blue eyes watching me warily.
Slowly, I crouched down and extended a hand.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Come here, little guy."
It didn't move.
I inched forward, trying to be as non-threatening as possible.
The wolf hesitated but didn't back away further.
Finally, when I was close enough, I reached out and carefully scooped it up in my arms.
The fur. Oh, god, the fur.
It was softer than anything I had ever touched, like holding a cloud.
I couldn't help myself, I started squishing it, rubbing its fluffy body and gently poking its small, rounded face.
"You're so soft!"
I muttered, more to myself than to the wolf.
The poor thing looked absolutely stunned, its blue eyes wide as I cuddled it like a child with a new stuffed toy.
"How are you even real?"
The wolf let out a small, confused noise, something between a yip and a whine.
I immediately stopped and set it back on the bed, worried I might've overdone it.
It stood there, staring at me like it couldn't quite believe what had just happened.
Honestly, I couldn't either.
As we both recovered from the ordeal, I sat cross-legged on the bed and looked at the wolf thoughtfully.
"Alright," I said. "My name is Sky and I am your very kind, brave and strong mas-, no friend"
The wolf stared at me without blinking.
"And you..." I said. "Right, you don't have a name yet, So you will need a name."
The wolf tilted its head, watching me intently.
I started listing off possibilities, muttering to myself.
"Shadow? No, too cliché. Fluffy? No, that's just...no. Fenrir? Eh, too dramatic for someone as small as you."
The wolf blinked, clearly unimpressed with my indecision.
After several minutes of brainstorming, I finally settled on something that felt right.
"Ori," I said aloud.
The name rolled off my tongue smoothly, simple yet fitting.
The wolf perked up slightly, its ears twitching.
At that moment, a familiar system window popped up in front of me:
[Name registered: Ori]
I grinned, reaching out to pat Ori's head gently.
"Looks like it's official, little guy. You're stuck with me now."
Ori let out a soft yip, almost as if in agreement.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a spark of genuine warmth in my chest.
Maybe, just maybe, I won't be alone in this world as I thought.