I kept my head low, trembling as I stepped into the grand hall. The air was thick, heavy with a presence I dared not face. Stories of the Demon Queen’s cruelty echoed in my mind—jagged horns, glowing eyes, claws that could tear flesh in an instant. I braced for her voice, for my fate.

Then, I saw it.

A tail.

Dark, sleek, fluffy. It curled over the throne’s edge, shifting lazily, catching the firelight. It flicked once, slow and deliberate. My breath hitched.

I should have been terrified. I should have been pleading for mercy. But instead, my fingers twitched with a different urge.

The tail moved again. My heart pounded. The insane thought lodged itself in my throat before I could stop it.

"Can I… pet it?"

Silence. The tail stilled.

Then, it twitched.