CHAPTER 5 — THE DOG NAMED KAIRO
1199 Words
Kairo was already waiting at the door when Lira got to her car.
He always did that. One ear tilted slightly, tail giving a slow thump—like he was checking, You’re really back?
In her last life, this had been part of the background. A quiet comfort she hadn’t fully appreciated until it was gone.
This time, she didn’t hesitate. She dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the big shepherd-mix, burying her face in his fur.
Kairo gave a soft huff and leaned into her shoulder. No questions. Just warmth and steady presence.
From the living room doorway, her mother called gently, “You’re home late again. Did your project keep you busy?”
Lira nodded. She couldn’t explain the truth: that she was preparing for a disaster no one else remembered. Or that she’d just made a deal with someone who might become dangerous.
She glanced at the couch. Her younger brother was asleep, the television casting flickering shadows across his face.
They were here. Safe. For now.
Kairo followed her to her room, nails tapping softly on the floor. When she closed the door, he curled up on the blanket beside her bed like always.
Lira sat beside him and ran her fingers through his fur.
“I won’t lose you this time,” she said quietly.
Kairo lifted his head and rested a paw on her knee. It was enough.
—
The next morning, the house was quiet. Her mother had already left for work, and Milo was at school.
Lira packed a small bag—just enough to avoid questions—fed Kairo, and locked the door behind her.
She needed to revisit the apartment she’d scouted earlier. It wasn’t hers yet, but she wanted to check the building again, especially now that she had Arden’s input.
Arden was already waiting outside, leaning against a motorcycle like she belonged there. Her jacket was different today—patched at the elbows but clean. Her left arm was still in a brace, though she didn’t mention it, and Lira didn’t ask.
“You brought the dog,” Arden said, raising an eyebrow.
“I take him everywhere.”
Arden studied Kairo for a moment. “And he listens?”
“Better than most people.”
That earned a faint smirk. “Good. This area has eyes and ears. Let’s keep it quick.”
—
The top floor was just as Lira remembered—open layout, high ceilings, reinforced doors. Most importantly, it had a direct staircase to the roof.
Perfect for emergencies. And for what she planned to build.
Arden moved through the space, checking angles, windows, escape routes, even the elevator shaft.
“You weren’t exaggerating,” she said. “Solid structure. Newer foundation. If the weather turns like you say, this place will hold.”
Lira nodded. “I’ll sign the lease today.”
Arden didn’t ask why she was willing to commit so much. She just said, “Then we start stocking.”
—
They sat at the bare kitchen counter. No furniture yet. Just sunlight and the faint smell of fresh paint.
Kairo settled beside Lira, eyes on Arden.
Arden unfolded a sheet of paper covered in rough handwriting.
“I checked your list,” she said. “Water containers, solar panels, heaters, medical kits—you can get them, but not from regular stores. Prices are already creeping up.”
She tapped the bottom of the page.
“These—radiation blankets, emergency rations, filtration tablets—you’ll need black-market channels.”
Lira took a breath. “Can you get them?”
“Not all at once. But yes. If you help me with something.”
There it was.
“What do you need?”
Arden slid over another paper, this one torn and slightly scorched.
A warehouse map.
“Someone’s been moving Eclipse Stones here,” she said. “Not the small ones. These are processed. Bigger. Someone’s getting ready.”
Lira’s stomach tightened. Someone else knew. Someone else was preparing.
“We check the warehouse,” Arden said. “Just a look. No stealing. Yet.”
Kairo growled softly, sensing Lira’s tension.
“He’s loyal,” Arden noted.
“He’s more than that,” Lira said. “He died because of me. Not again.”
Arden’s expression shifted slightly. Maybe understanding. Maybe something else.
“Then let’s make sure you both make it through,” she said.
—
Later that afternoon, the warehouse district smelled like metal and river water. Crates were stacked high, forklifts humming in the distance.
They moved along the perimeter. Kairo stayed close, alert but quiet.
Arden crouched behind a stack of pallets. “Security’s tight. Two guards at the east door. Cameras every thirty feet.”
Lira spotted the logo on the guards’ uniforms.
ARGOS INDUSTRIES.
A name she hadn’t heard before the Collapse—but one that would become powerful soon after.
One guard spoke into a radio. “Shipment’s unstable. Move it before dusk.”
Lira’s pulse jumped.
Were the stones already mutating?
Arden caught her reaction. “What is it?”
“In my last life, a lab accident with Eclipse Stones caused the first radiation surge. People blamed the weather, but it wasn’t natural.”
Arden looked at the crates. “So this is where it starts?”
Lira nodded. “We need to see one. Just one.”
“Alright. But fast.”
—
A forklift operator left his machine idling. One crate’s back hatch was unlocked.
They moved.
Kairo stayed outside, ears forward. Arden kept watch while Lira slipped inside.
The crate was dark, filled with padded steel cases. She opened one.
A low hum filled the air.
Inside was a stone the size of a melon, glowing faintly with pulsing blue veins.
Not raw. Not inert.
Processed. Dangerous.
Arden swore under her breath. “They’re making these?”
“If one cracks, the whole district could be poisoned,” Lira said, closing the case.
“We need to report this—”
“No. They’ll cover it up. We need proof.”
Arden nodded. “Then we come back tonight.”
Kairo growled again—someone was coming.
Arden grabbed Lira’s arm. “Go.”
—
They slipped out just in time, ducking behind a fence and disappearing into a side alley. Only when they reached the motorcycle did Arden exhale.
“That was close.”
Lira knelt beside Kairo, checking his paws. “You okay?”
He licked her hand, tired but fine.
Arden watched them. “You’re planning something big.”
“I am.”
Lira nodded.
Arden looked away. “You’re not the only one with things to lose. Just be straight with me when it matters. That’s all I ask.”
“I can do that.”
Kairo nudged Lira’s hand, as if to agree.
—
As they parted, Arden pulled on her helmet.
“Tomorrow we get supplies,” she said. “Tomorrow night, we go back.”
Lira nodded. Kairo stood beside her, steady as ever.
As Arden rode off, Lira murmured, “This time, we don’t run.”
Kairo gave a soft bark.
The promise was made.
- Writer
