Duke

Rune peered through the window and observed the desolate streets of the dilapidated city, littered with abandoned cars covered in rust. At once, a dreadful roar reverberated through the empty streets, causing Rune's heart to race. "Why, why, do we always seem to stumble upon a new monster right after escaping another?" Rune pondered aloud.

Miko, joining Rune at the window, asked if he saw anything. Rune replied, "Well, the good news is that I don't see anything out there. However, the bad news is that I don't see anything out there." Perplexed, Miko questioned, "What do you mean?"

Rune explained, "I'm relieved that there are no monsters visible, but the roar we heard indicates that there is a monster somewhere out there. Unfortunately, we don't know its exact location, and that's not good."

Realizing the situation they were in, Miko said, "So, what do we do now? We can't just stay cooped up in this dark house. We can barely see anything in here, let alone determine if there's a monster lurking within." Rune pondered Miko's words, aware that she was right, but uncertain about their next move.

They found themselves in a quandary. If they remained inside, they would be trapped in darkness indefinitely. On the other hand, venturing outside would put them in possible encounter with the monster responsible for the terrifying roar

"Come on, think, think," Rune muttered to himself, desperately searching for a way out of their dire situation. However, despite his efforts, his mind remained blank, leaving him standing in the dark, unable to see anything. After a while, they began to hear sounds coming from the depths of the house, emanating from the darkness.

"Did you hear that? I heard something from the darkness," Miko whispered.

"Yes, I heard it," Rune replied, his voice trembling with fear. Slowly, they retreated towards the door, preparing to make a run for it. The unsettling sound of movement grew louder and closer from the other side of the darkened house.

As they backed up towards the door, a loud roar pierced the air from outside the house once again.

"Oh no, we're trapped. We're going to die. Our luck has finally run out," Rune thought to himself, looking at Miko, who was breathing heavily with a terrified expression.

He approached Miko and embraced her, preparing for their inevitable fate.

"Why are you hugging me at a time like this?" Miko asked, although she already knew the answer. She didn't want to accept the fact that they were truly on the brink of death. The roar from outside the house grew louder and closer, while the sound of something approaching from the other side of the room intensified. They closed their eyes, holding each other tightly, ready to face their final moments.

As Rune closed his eyes for a while, he began to notice a sudden cessation of the loud roars outside the house. Intriguingly, even the sound of movement within the house came to a halt. Slowly, he began to open his eyes, only to be greeted by an astounding sight. Right before him, there sat a dog, its tail wagging enthusiastically, yet in an unusual manner. What grabbed Rune's attention was the peculiar divide on the dog's body. One side was sleek with black fur, while the other half was adorned with a striking shade of brown. This visual astonishment extended further, as he realized that the black-furred half had two vibrant eyes, while the brown half seemed like that of an ordinary dog, possessing only one eye. Astonishingly, this unique creature wagged two tails, one black and one brown.

"Oh no, we're in trouble," Rune thought, fearing the worst. However, to their surprise, the dog didn't make a move. It didn't bark, nor did it attack. It simply sat there, wagging its two tails, with its two red eyes and one brown eye fixated on Miko and Rune.

"Are we still alive?" Miko asked cautiously, as she slowly opened her eyes and spotted the monstrous-looking dog sitting there, wagging its tail.

"What is that? It can't be a dog, right?" Miko questioned, looking at Rune, who was still frightened, worried that the dog was merely waiting to devour them.

They both remained seated on the floor for a while, while the monstrous dog continued to observe them without moving an inch, wagging its tail.

"Maybe it's just a regular dog," Miko suggested.

"Normal? That doesn't look normal at all! It appears to be infected. I'm amazed it hasn't attacked us yet," Rune replied anxiously.

"Alright, let's try standing up. Maybe it's not dangerous," Miko proposed, slowly rising from the floor. Surprisingly, the dog still remained docile. Feeling brave, she cautiously approached the infected dog.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Rune whispered, concerned, as Miko stopped in front of the infected dog.

Miko glanced at the silver collar wrapped around the dog's neck, its tag displaying the name "Duke." "Your name is Duke, isn't it?" Miko whispered, her voice filled with trepidation. To her astonishment, the dog suddenly rose from its seated position, causing Miko and Rune to be overcome with fear.

Reacting swiftly, Miko instinctively took a step backwards, expecting the dog to bark. However, instead of aggression, the dog approached her with both tails wagging, diffusing their terror.

With her heart pounding, Miko cautiously extended her hand, gently placing it on the head of the imposing dog. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping against hope that it wouldn't pose a threat.

Rune, observing the situation, mustered up the courage to rise from the floor and join Miko. He cautiously walked towards the infected dog, reaching out to stroke its head. To his surprise, the dog leaned closer, rubbing against him affectionately.

"Unbelievable," Rune exclaimed. "This dog is definitely not dangerous. This is very strange."