The roars of a blazing inferno slammed and washed over Zalroth, tossing and tumbling in his sleep as he tightened his eyelids. An eternally expansive veil of the spirally dark ayton green mist etched its way towards Zalroth, with him balling up his fists when a portion of the mist reached out to him. The faint sound of an alarm bell rang throughout Zalroth's mind but gradually becoming more clear as the mist crawled away before the alarm was loud enough to snap Zalroth awake.

Zalroth (in his kitsune cub form) snapped his eyes open, and he was greeted by Chronia's derpy face; she snored and clung to Zalroth as she murmured in her sleep. Zalroth loudly exhaled and looked at the screaming alarm clock trying its best to wake up Chronia. Zalroth raised one of his tails and repeatedly tapped it against Chronia's face. Chronia groaned in her sleep, aimlessly raising an arm towards her silver Candy Cats-themed alarm clock and bonking the clock's raised cat paw until she completely lowered it and shut off the alarm.

Chronia sat up, with Zalroth under her arm like a plushie, and yawned as she scratched her scruffy hair. Chronia kicked the bedsheet off herself and scooted over to the edge of her bed before hopping off. Chronia placed Zalroth on her shoulder before waddling over to the bedroom's bathroom. Chronia stopped in front of the mirror and swiftly brushed her teeth, while Zalroth was flicking the circular, cat-eared, name tag on his pet collar.

"You sure do like... cats," Zalroth remarked before Chronia grabbed him and placed him on the bathroom counter. Chronia grabbed a hairbrush and brushed Zalroth's tails.

"Naturally... I mean, have you seen my mother's cat beauty pageant trophy room?" Chronia said with a groggy tone.

"Are you saying you inherited your love for cats from your mom or that you want your own trophy?". Chronia was silent for a few seconds as she brushed Zalroth's tails.

"I mean, trophies are nice.". Zalroth hung his head and sighed as Chronia placed the hairbrush on a shelf before picking up Zalroth and leaving the bathroom.

Chronia exited her bedroom, wearing a kindergarten school uniform, and placed Zalroth on her head before giddily skipping down the hall, walking down a large staircase, and into a posh dining room. Chronia scanned her vision across the empty room and raised an eyebrow at the desolate room.

"Good morning, Little Miss Nai- I mean Chronia...," a deep male voice said before a butler (the voice's owner) entered the dining room. Chronia turned and looked at the tall anthropomorphic demi-human black panther, staring into pitch-black cat eyes as his scleras glowed an emerald green.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Morning, Marok. Where's mother and father?". Marok rubbed his black fur, with grey stripes, covered chin, before seemingly recollecting the answer to Chronia's question.

"Still resting, I'm afraid, young lass.". Chronia rolled her eyes before stomping over to the table and sitting on the chair with a clock insignia on it.

The front gates of the estate opened before Chronia and Marok walked out onto the street.

"Did you remember your bag, Young Master?". Chronia rolled her eyes and lifted Zalroth up to Marok.

"I have him right here.". Chronia boastfully smiled and pulled out a sketchbook from one of Zalroth's tails to prove her point. Zalroth rolled his eyes, swiping his tails over the sketchbook and making it disappear.

"I see.". Chronia held Zalroth in her arms and took a few steps forwards before stopping in her tracks, looking over her shoulder to see Marok was just standing by the gate.

"Aren't you going to take me to school?" Chronia asked.

"I'm sure you can handle walking to school by yourself but, in truth, I don't want a repeat of last week.". Chronia flinched and giggled awkwardly as the image of her, Zalroth (kitsune cub) and Marok hanging from a tree flashed in her mind.

"Uhm... cya.". Chronia swiftly scampered off and left Marok in her dust as he ran his hand through his slicked back, spikey black and grey striped hair.

"I was gone for half a month, and she's somehow got even more rambunctious over the summer break.". Marok turned on his heel before marching back onto the manor estate as the gate closed behind him. Chronia carried Zalroth around the block, and once her home was out of sight she placed Zalroth on the pavement. Zalroth stretched like a cat and wrapped his body with his tails. The tail sphere rapidly expanded before unravelling from Zalroth, revealing him to be in his human (with kitsune ears and tails) form and wearing a simple white T-shirt with a cartoony cat face on it, pink shorts, and pink sandals.

"Reduced to wearing girl clothes," Zalroth said as he flicked his collar's tag before Chronia jumped onto Zalroth's back and rested her chin on Zalroth's shoulder.

"I think saying wearing clothes worn by a girl would be more accurate.". Zalroth rolled his eyes at Chronia's nitpicking.

"I wouldn't have to wear your clothes if you told your parents I was a kitsune and not a multi-tailed fox.".

"I can't do that! I've seen enough anime/manga to know if my parents learned I'm letting someone they don't know and a boy at that stay in my room all helz will break loose.". Zalroth rolled his eyes again before he jogged down the street.