The egg moved again.
Kael remained crouched beside it, one hand resting against the damp ground while Nyx stood several steps behind him.
Scratch.
Something dragged a claw across the inside of the shell.
CRACK.
The fracture widened.
Kael leaned closer.
“Need help?” The response through the newborn Soul Pact came instantly.
No.
Kael blinked.
It was much clearer than before.
Not words exactly.
Emotion wrapped around intent.
Determined.
Possessive.
Annoyed.
“You’re sure?” No help.
Mine.
Kael slowly withdrew his hand.
“Alright.” Nyx tilted its elongated head.
Approval passed through their bond.
Kael glanced at it.
“Don’t encourage this.” CRACK!
A small claw punched through the shell.
Four fingers.
Each ended in a tiny black claw.
The limb disappeared.
Another strike followed.
Then another.
Pieces of shell fell outward.
A pale snout appeared.
It pushed.
The opening widened.
A small reptilian head finally broke through.
Two golden eyes opened.
Kael stopped breathing.
The hatchling looked directly at him.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Curiosity entered the bond.
Kael smiled.
“Hello.” The golden eyes narrowed.
Then the hatchling noticed Nyx.
Curiosity vanished.
A tiny growl escaped its throat.
Nyx hissed.
Kael closed his eyes.
“Of course.” The hatchling attacked the shell with renewed determination.
Claws tore pieces away.
Its head emerged.
Then shoulders.
Long forelimbs followed.
Finally, with one violent push, the remaining shell collapsed.
The hatchling rolled onto the wet ground.
It immediately stood.
Kael stared.
It was approximately the size of a medium dog.
White-gray scales covered its body.
Small bony ridges ran along its neck and back.
Its hind legs were powerful despite its age, while its forelimbs were unusually long for a creature that otherwise resembled some form of giant reptilian predator.
Four clawed fingers flexed.
A long tail moved behind it.
Its head was large.
Its mouth— The hatchling yawned.
Kael saw the teeth.
“…Right.” Many teeth.
Nyx moved slightly.
The hatchling’s head snapped toward it.
A growl.
Nyx hissed.
“Pack.” Both ignored him.
The hatchling approached Nyx.
Nyx lowered itself.
Kael stood.
“Don’t.” Neither attacked.
Not immediately.
They circled.
Nyx moved with patient silence.
The hatchling moved differently.
Every few seconds, its eyes shifted.
Nyx.
Kael.
Surroundings.
Escape routes.
Distances.
It was evaluating everything.
Kael felt the newborn’s mind through the Soul Pact.
Not merely instinct.
Thought.
Simple thought, certainly.
But unmistakably calculating.
The hatchling suddenly snapped at Nyx.
Nyx moved aside effortlessly.
Its tail flicked.
Tap.
The hatchling rolled onto its side.
Silence.
It stood.
Fury exploded through Kael’s bond.
Nyx sent amusement.
“No.” The hatchling charged again.
Kael stepped between them.
“Enough.” The hatchling stopped.
Nyx stopped immediately.
Kael sent the concept clearly.
Pack.
He touched Nyx.
Pack.
Then pointed toward the hatchling.
Pack.
Nyx accepted.
The hatchling stared at Nyx.
Then Kael.
Then Nyx again.
A reluctant thought formed.
Pack.
Kael relaxed.
Then another feeling followed.
Rival.
Kael stared.
Nyx’s amusement intensified.
“Close enough.” He crouched and reached toward the hatchling.
Snap.
Its jaws stopped centimeters from his fingers.
Kael didn’t pull away.
The intention through the Soul Pact wasn’t hunger.
It wasn’t aggression either.
A question.
Strong?
Kael understood.
This was another test.
He placed his palm against the hatchling’s snout.
It pushed.
Kael pushed back.
Not enough to hurt it.
Enough to refuse.
The hatchling increased the pressure.
Kael’s arm trembled.
For something only minutes old, it was ridiculously strong.
“No.” Golden eyes stared at him.
Kael didn’t move.
Finally, the pressure stopped.
The hatchling stepped backward.
A feeling entered their bond.
Acceptable.
Kael’s mouth twitched.
“I don’t know whether I like your attitude.” The hatchling seemed completely unconcerned.
Kael examined her more carefully.
Female.
Some instinctive information from the Soul Pact made that clear.
He needed a name.
Finn wasn’t here.
Good.
That eliminated Death Lizard before it could happen.
Kael studied the pale scales.
The powerful legs.
The proud posture.
“Rexia.” The hatchling turned.
“Rexia.” She considered the sound.
Then— Mine.
Kael smiled.
“Rexia it is.” Nyx approached.
Rexia immediately growled.
“Pack.” The growl became quieter.
Progress.
Then Rexia’s head snapped toward the jungle.
Kael felt it.
Movement.
She sniffed.
Then ran.
“Rexia!” She disappeared into the ferns.
Nyx followed instantly.
Kael stared after them.
“…Wonderful.” He ran.
The jungle wasn’t designed for humans.
Roots grabbed his boots.
Wet leaves slapped his face.
Something screamed in the distance.
Kael followed both contracts.
He eventually found Nyx first.
Hanging from a tree.
Watching.
Below it, Rexia crouched in thick vegetation.
Kael followed her gaze.
A small herbivorous dinosaur fed beside several ferns.
Rexia didn’t attack.
She watched.
Kael became still.
The hatchling shifted position.
Then stopped.
Wind direction.
Kael realized she had moved downwind.
The herbivore raised its head.
Rexia froze.
Waited.
It returned to feeding.
Rexia moved closer.
Nyx watched silently.
Kael could feel something from Nyx.
Interest.
Rexia wasn’t hunting purely through instinct.
She was learning while she hunted.
The hatchling moved.
Fast.
The herbivore screamed and bolted.
Rexia snapped.
Missed.
She chased it through the ferns.
Ten seconds later, she returned.
Empty-mouthed.
Furious.
Rexia roared at the vegetation.
It wasn’t particularly intimidating at her current size.
She clearly believed otherwise.
Nyx dropped from the tree.
Amusement.
Rexia slowly turned.
Nyx tilted its head.
Rexia growled.
“Don’t start.” Kael crouched beside her.
“You failed.” Offense struck him.
“Yes.
Failed.” More offense.
“That’s good.” Confusion.
Kael pointed toward where the herbivore had escaped.
“You attacked too early.” Rexia stared.
“It knew you were there.” He recreated the hunt mentally through their bond.
Position.
Wind.
Distance.
Patience.
Then the failed attack.
“Now you know.” Rexia looked toward the jungle.
Her anger faded.
Thought replaced it.
Kael smiled.
“Exactly.” Failure wasn’t something Rexia enjoyed.
But apparently…
Learning was.
They spent several hours exploring.
The Jurassic Pocket World was completely different from Nyx’s.
Nyx’s world had started almost empty.
This one was alive from the beginning.
Fish moved through streams.
Insects filled the air.
Small dinosaurs hid among the vegetation.
Larger herbivores traveled in distant groups.
Predators existed too.
Kael kept Rexia away from them.
She objected.
Repeatedly.
“No.” Hunt.
“Too big.” Hunt.
“It will eat you.” Rexia stared toward a predator six times her size.
Later.
Kael laughed.
“You and Nyx really are going to get along.” Nyx hissed.
Kael also noticed something missing.
The giant white predator.
He searched.
Nothing.
The enormous creature that had appeared while the leaf formed simply wasn’t here.
Kael eventually understood.
It had never been a resident.
A template.
An echo.
Something the Tree had used to show him what the egg represented.
Rexia was the true inhabitant connected to the leaf.
And eventually…
She might become something resembling that enormous predator.
Kael looked down at the hatchling attempting to intimidate an insect.
Eventually.
Returning home created another disagreement.
Kael reached for Rexia.
“Come here.” She moved away.
“We’re leaving.” Rexia stared.
Kael picked her up.
She immediately struggled.
Walk.
“You’re three hours old.” Walk.
“You don’t even know where we’re going.” Walk.
Kael sighed.
“Fine.” When they appeared in his bedroom, Rexia stood proudly beside him.
Nyx stood on the other side.
Kael looked at both.
One black nightmare.
One pale dinosaur.
“This is becoming strange.” Downstairs, Clara was preparing lunch.
She turned.
Saw Kael.
Saw Nyx.
Saw Rexia.
Then slowly placed the knife she was holding onto the table.
“You have another beast.” “Yes.” “Already?” “Apparently.” Rowan entered.
His reaction was considerably more serious.
“Another leaf?” Kael nodded.
His father’s gaze moved toward Rexia.
“So it wasn’t a single occurrence.” “No.” “How many leaves?” Kael hesitated.
“More than I can count.” Silence.
Clara looked toward Rowan.
Then toward their son.
Nobody needed to say what that meant.
Ten contracts.
That was the limit every Beast Master knew.
Kael’s Tree didn’t appear to care.
Small footsteps came from the hallway.
Lily entered.
She saw Rexia.
Her eyes widened.
“It’s adorable!” Three people answered simultaneously.
“No.” Lily ignored them.
She approached.
Kael immediately watched Rexia.
“Careful.” Lily crouched.
Rexia sniffed her.
Her golden eyes studied the small human.
Kael felt the thought.
Small.
Another sniff.
Human.
Then— Pack.
Rexia allowed Lily to touch her head.
Lily smiled.
“See?” Kael stared.
“You tried biting me.” Rexia ignored him.
Finn arrived twenty minutes later.
He entered the house eating a pastry.
“Kael, Thunder stole my—” He saw Rexia.
Silence.
Finn’s pastry slowly lowered.
“Dinosaur.” “Keep your voice down.” Finn pointed.
“You got a dinosaur.” “Apparently.” Finn looked toward Thunder.
Then Rexia.
Then Thunder again.
“I have a tiger.” Thunder growled.
Finn immediately dropped to one knee.
“A magnificent tiger.” Thunder stared.
“The greatest tiger.” Thunder relaxed.
“I meant nothing by it.” Kael covered his face.
Finn approached Rexia.
“What’s her name?” “Rexia.” Finn looked offended.
“You named her without me?” “Deliberately.” “I had excellent ideas.” “No.” “You didn’t hear them.” “I didn’t need to.” Rexia sniffed Finn.
Then his pastry.
Finn noticed.
“No.” Rexia stepped closer.
“No.” She growled.
Finn raised the pastry.
“Kael.” “What?” “Your dinosaur is robbing me.” “Give her some.” “This is mine.” Rexia growled louder.
Finn tore off a piece.
“Extortion.” Rexia ate it.
Thunder approached.
The two beasts stared.
Rexia growled.
Thunder’s fur crackled.
Electricity jumped.
Rexia froze.
Her head tilted.
Thunder crackled again.
Rexia stepped closer.
“Rexia…” She touched Thunder.
Zap!
Rexia fell backward.
Finn gasped.
“Thunder!” Kael felt her through the bond.
No fear.
No serious pain.
Rexia stood.
Her eyes locked onto Thunder.
Then— Again.
“No.” Rexia stepped forward.
“Absolutely not.” Thunder looked confused.
Nyx watched from the corner.
Amusement radiated through the bond.
Clara examined Rexia later.
The process took twice as long because Rexia attempted to inspect every instrument Clara used.
Eventually Clara sat back.
“This makes no sense.” Kael had heard that before.
“What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” She looked at Rexia.
“That’s the problem.” Clara pulled out several notes.
“Her biology is extraordinarily complex.
It’s almost as though multiple compatible characteristics were combined into a single organism.” Kael frowned.
“A hybrid?” “Possibly.” “Of what?” “I have no idea.” Clara looked toward Nyx.
Then Rexia.
“This beast wasn’t created by ordinary evolution.” Kael smiled faintly.
“Nyx wasn’t ordinary either.” “I’m beginning to notice a pattern.” Over the following hours, Kael watched Rexia constantly.
She learned quickly.
Far too quickly.
She understood doors after watching one open twice.
She learned where food was stored.
She discovered that Lily would secretly give her treats.
She learned Finn protected his food.
She learned Thunder produced electricity.
And she learned Nyx could disappear.
That last discovery bothered her enormously.
Rexia spent nearly ten minutes searching after Nyx camouflaged itself against the wall.
When Nyx finally appeared behind her, Rexia jumped.
Nyx hissed.
Rexia growled.
Kael laughed.
They were completely different.
Nyx was patient.
Silent.
Instinctive.
Its loyalty to Kael felt almost biological.
Rexia was proud.
Curious.
Stubborn.
Always testing.
Always learning.
Always asking, in her own way— Why?
Kael’s ability gave him beasts.
It didn’t tell him how to raise them.
That part…
Was his responsibility.
Then Kael remembered something.
“The academy.” Finn looked up.
“What?” “I have to register Rexia.” Finn stared.
Then slowly smiled.
“They are going to love you.” Kael imagined Mira Vale seeing another completely unknown beast only days after Nyx destroyed the academy’s testing crystal.
“I think Instructor Mira is going to kidnap me.” Finn nodded.
“For science.” “That’s not comforting.” That night, Kael entered the Infinite World Tree.
Two leaves glowed above him.
Nyx’s.
Rexia’s.
Two worlds.
Two companions.
Nyx appeared on his left.
Rexia on his right.
Then Kael noticed something.
Farther along the branch…
A bud.
Tiny.
Closed.
The third.
Kael approached.
Nyx became alert.
Rexia sniffed.
Nothing happened.
Then— Click.
Kael stopped.
Click-click-click.
A strange sound echoed through the darkness.
Not an animal call.
Not entirely.
Something mechanical accompanied it.
Three red dots appeared.
On Kael’s chest.
He froze.
Nyx moved instantly.
It placed itself between Kael and the bud.
Rexia growled.
The three dots shifted across Nyx’s head.
Then disappeared.
Kael stared into the darkness beyond the unopened leaf.
Something moved.
Or perhaps light bent around something.
For the briefest instant, Kael saw a distorted humanoid shape between enormous trees.
Tall.
Broad.
Then nothing.
Click-click-click.
Rexia lowered herself.
Nyx’s tail rose.
Kael felt both companions.
Alert.
Ready.
But no attack came.
Only observation.
Kael slowly looked toward the third bud.
The first world had given him a biological nightmare.
The second had given him a prehistoric apex predator.
Whatever waited inside the third…
It wasn’t simply an animal.
It had watched them.
Evaluated them.
Perhaps even targeted them.
Kael placed one hand on Nyx.
The other rested against Rexia’s head.
“I think the next one already knows we’re here.” Three red dots appeared against the ground.
Then vanished.
Far beyond the unopened leaf, something cloaked moved silently through the trees.
Watching.
Waiting.
And somewhere in the darkness came one final, distorted click.