Flustered and filled with worry, Damian jumped into his car and sped toward the clinic where his aunt and uncle were staying. His mind raced, replaying the events of the day—the strange rabbit, the blue floating window, and the unsettling discovery of the crystal. But above all, he was worried about Uncle Ben. The sight of that bizarre, horned creature had shaken him, and the thought that it might have infected his uncle made his chest tighten.

He gripped the steering wheel harder. Rabies from a rabbit? It was rare, but seeing the kind of rabbit that had attacked his uncle had turned a small worry into a growing fear. Time was not something he could afford to waste.

The clinic came into view, a small, modest building nestled in the center of town. Damian parked and hurried inside, his boots clacking on the tiled floor.

“Hi, I’m looking for Benjamin Park,” Damian said to the nurse at the front desk, trying to keep his voice calm. “Is he here?”

She glanced up from her paperwork and smiled warmly. “Ah, you must be Ben’s nephew. He mentioned you’d be coming.” Her tone turned more businesslike. “Do you have the animal’s body?”

“Yes,” Damian said, pulling a wrapped bundle from his bag. “I already split it for easier examination. I hope that helps.”

“That’s fine. Just hand it over, and we’ll get it checked,” she replied, taking the bundle from him. “Your uncle is in Room 5, talking with Dr. Smith.”

Damian hesitated for a moment, then asked, “This might sound strange, but… has there been an increase in sightings of these creatures today?”

The nurse frowned slightly. “Yes, actually. It’s been quite unusual.”

“Have any of them tested positive for rabies?”

“No, fortunately not,” she said, her tone relieved. “But I have to admit, we’ve never seen anything like these animals before.”

Damian hesitated again, his curiosity outweighing his nerves. “By any chance… have you noticed anything strange inside these creatures? Like, I don’t know, a rock or crystal near their hearts?”

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

The nurse’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Yes! That’s been the most puzzling thing about them. Every single one has had something like that.”

“Could I… have those crystals? I’m trying to learn more about what attacked my uncle,” Damian asked cautiously.

She tilted her head, considering for a moment, then nodded. “We don’t need them for testing, and we’ve been setting them aside. I can give you a jar of the ones farmers have brought in.”

“Thank you,” Damian said with genuine relief.

The nurse disappeared into the back for a few moments and returned with a small jar, filled with about thirty glowing, faintly pulsing crystals. Damian couldn’t hide his amazement as he carefully placed the jar into his backpack.

“Thank you so much,” he said again, offering the nurse a grateful smile before heading toward Room 5.

Inside, Uncle Ben was laughing heartily with Dr. Smith, a familiar scene in the small, tight-knit community. With a population of fewer than three thousand people, it wasn’t surprising that the town doctor was also an old family friend.

“Damian, my boy!” Uncle Ben called out, his voice booming with enthusiasm.

Damian smiled awkwardly. “Hey, Uncle Ben.”

“I told you he’d find that rabbit bastard!” Ben said triumphantly, slapping Dr. Smith on the back.

Dr. Smith chuckled. “I’m just saying it doesn’t hurt to be cautious, Ben. We’ve had reports of these creatures all over the area today.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ben replied with a wave of his hand, his grin unwavering. Aunt Mary greeted Damian warmly, clearly relieved to see him.

Damian caught them up on the day’s events, omitting the strange blue window and the inexplicable abilities it had offered him. Instead, he focused on reassuring them that he had taken care of the rabbit and was there to help however he could. Both Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben beamed with pride when Damian mentioned graduating early, their worries momentarily forgotten.

Before long, Dr. Smith confirmed that Uncle Ben was in the clear—no sign of rabies. The wound just needed to be disinfected over the next few days to prevent infection. Relieved, Damian hugged his aunt and uncle before taking the spare key and heading back to the farm.

The drive back was quieter, but Damian’s mind wasn’t. He couldn’t stop thinking about the jar of crystals in his bag or the strange blue window that had appeared earlier. What had he gotten himself into?

Once inside the farmhouse, Damian sat at the kitchen table and placed the jar in front of him. The crystals seemed to pulse faintly, almost alive. His fingers hovered over the lid, his heart pounding with anticipation.

“What kind of surprises am I about to get into now?” Damian muttered to himself.

He unscrewed the lid and leaned in closer, the glowing stones casting strange shadows across the room.