Fred Zhang'24
“Beep boop, beep boop, beep boop.”
The alarm was on time, just like usual.
The bright sunshine poured through the half open curtain and onto the bed.
Half awake, Dobermann Tindalos’ short eyebrows twist together.
Her chest hurts, on her face is the expression usually seen on someone that just stayed up the whole night.
Pulling the cover over herself, her other hand felt around the bedside table, searching for her phone.
Her finger met the screen, with a click, the alarm was silenced.
Last night, she spent the whole night working on her essay. And now she just wants to sleep in.
And about the advanced mathematics class this morning….she’ll just leave it there. Who have not skipped a class once or twice in their college years?
Thinking like this, she flipped over, trying to get back to sleep, but then……
——Ugh……so heavy….what’s on my chest……
Failing to turn herself over, Dobermann realized that the dull pain on her chest isn’t because of lack of sleep……the weight of “something” is actually on her.
Her hand touched the thing that is lying on her chest.
Soft, warm, furry, and moving a little.
Moving……
Moving?!
As if drenched by a bucket of ice water, her brain was as clear as it could be.
Eyes open wide, the quilt came off her with a “swoosh”.
A small black hound like creature is lying on her, sound asleep.
To be honest……Dobermann was rather dumbfounded by the little guy.
After all, she never kept any pets. Where did it come from?
And from how it looks, she can tell one thing: It wasn’t any earthly creature that she recognizes.
Hold on! She recognizes this little guy.
From a game called 《Daemons》，a daemon called “Black hound” looks exactly like this!
Thinking of the black hound, then look back at the little guy on her chest, the two figures start to overlap in her mind.
What is all this?
Dobermann pushes herself up from the bed, her sudden motion waking the little guy that rolled off her chest and into her lap.
The little thing rubbed its eyes with its front paw, yawning widely, a few blue sparks coming out of its mouth.
Okay, situation confirmed, code red warning. Since there is definitely no fire breathing dog on earth.
Taking the phone off the table, entering the password, open Instagram.
When you have problems, go to Instagram. When you have questions, go for google. Dobermann found that true in her life.
Flipping over post after post on her Instagram, Dobermann finally decided that this is the worst decision she made the whole morning.
“Wha….wha….wha……what is all this?!”
Friend A: Got up late today, so I rented a Armorhino to school, accidentally hit the instructor’s three headed eagle on the way, got lectured all the way to school. (Cry emoji)
Sister: Spent the whole weekend working on the new game with electrosaur, almost beat it!
(Yay emoji)x5
……
Excuse me?
Flipping through all the posts, they were filled with daemons, all of them she recognizes.
Why did they become a reality all of a sudden?
Or is this not that world she is custom to no longer?
Shutting Instagram, Dobermann turned to google.
And then, she’s bombarded by information.
“Whale daemons were found beached near the Baltic coast. Daemon rangers already intervened in the investigation. Local animal protection groups urge for protection of ocean environment.”
“The annual League Of Daemons international competition ended on a successful note in London, Britain. The League competition next year was confirmed to be hosted in New York!”
……
Reading all the news, watching all the videos and the pictures, Dobermann finally realized one fact.
The world changed.