RedMoon

The shrill chirping of cicadas dragged me out of sleep. When I opened my eyes, the ceiling above me was pure white, glowing faintly with artificial daylight set to early morning. I stretched until every muscle in my body went taut, my joints cracking one after another in reluctant protest. Then I sat up, silenced the alarm, and pulled out my earplugs. After smoothing down the fur around my snout a few times, I resigned myself to getting out of bed and headed to the bathroom to was

He’ll learn his lesson, but it’s going to take a while.

In the dim corridor, Piqsirpoq and I moved swiftly and silently, careful not to draw the attention of anything lurking in the darkness. "Have you noticed we've passed this spot three times already?" my brother grumbled in a low voice as I paused to examine the gray patterns on the wall to confirm our position. "It might be an illusion. The internal structure of the Tower looks the same everywhere." Feeling a tug on my tail, I turned to see Piqsirpoq pointing expressionlessly at the blu

"We need to talk," I said firmly, pressing my paws on the table. "But obviously, not now." The Altai wapiti let out a moan that I couldn't quite decipher, while the jet-black wolf seemed oblivious to my words. They both leaned on the table, heads in their hands, faces twisted in almost identical expressions--a dissonance or oddly harmonious--who can tell. "But after all the drama, I think some things need to be clarified, to make sure we're on the same page." I glanced at the Altai wap

Lovers: Emotion, connection, and care—some believe this is the very essence of love. With a heart full of unease, I checked the terminal again to confirm the time. One more minute than a minute ago. Great. I decided to count the various objects in the wormhole docking area again--a rectangular adamantine plate, two rectangular adamantine plates, three rectangular adamantine plates... "Please stop," Tadao's irritated tone jolted me from my spiraling anxiety. It was onl

Teenagers are always such a headache.

We will see her in Book 3 and come to understand what happened.

Spouse: What does it mean to be family? "...The white-spotted pufferfish creates 'nests' in the sand with intricate patterns to attract females and secure mating opportunities," I explained, switching the slide to reveal a stunning image of a radiant, nautilus-like symmetrical design on the seabed bathed in blue light. "This aligns more with the sexy son hypothesis--since males born to such fathers are likelier to inherit their artistry in crafting appealing nests." The next slide s

Priestess: Intuition, insight, secrecy, transformation--ultimately, touching upon hidden truths... "Let's see how this works." Dawn carefully inspected the bandages again, ensuring that blood circulation to my fingertips was unaffected. Then, she wetted my forearm, helping the cast take shape. "Although the blueprint's still in the database, no one's used this method in centuries. I hope I didn't mess up anything," she muttered, glancing at her terminal. "It looks close enough to th

They’re going to become good friends! This course isn’t really useful for Richter, but it still helps with his mental resilience. The elusive Border Collie is definitely a bit stressful to deal with, but Hemp can be counted as part of the faction that’s clearly friendly toward Richter. Then again, everyone’s definition of “friendly” can be very, very different.

Ad astra per aspera!

We’ll come to know about it in the first major arc at the Academy. It’s going to be a sad one, and for now, I want Richter to stay happy a little longer, so it will still be some time before we see it. From some of the words and actions of Richter’s own Phantom, we can tell that in many timelines, Richter becomes a terrifying figure feared by all. The one we recently saw had slaughtered everyone in his own planetary system, leaving only himself behind to slowly lose his mind. Some sacrifices will have to be made to ensure that in this timeline, Richter grows into the person he needs to become.

Coffee: I know you're dying to crack some digestive jokes, but please don't. The mutt's stance screamed unease--his tail tucked between his legs and the occasional absent-minded scratching of random spots were clear signs of how unbearable his anxiety was. Good. Maybe this'll teach him some restraint. Arthur stood silently behind me, clearly there to ensure I wouldn't lose control again. His posture and demeanor were a perfect replica of the demonstration in the basic training

Strength: courage, confidence, compassion, and, quite literally--strength. In the dim, narrow hallway, I stepped lightly, setting my boot heel down first before each step, prioritizing silence above all. There was no other sound around, so even my breathing, and the rustling of fur against my clothing, were audibly clear. Still, I sensed no danger until that overwhelming pressure made the hairs on my neck stand up. Before I could fully draw Gray Snow or turn, a heavy slash

This part is already included in the planned writing schedule, so it will take some time before we get to see it. However, we’ll first witness a not-so-successful attempt...