The Summoning

Ashmoor Hollow had always been a place of secrets. But on the night of the blood moon, it awakened with purpose. The mansion’s windows glowed red, and the wind carried whispers through the trees. Chase stood before it—not as a visitor, but as the chosen one.

He had heard the legends: that once every hundred years, the mansion would select a master. One who could command not just people, but creatures of instinct and shadow. And tonight, the ritual would begin.

As Chase stepped through the gate, the earth trembled. From the woods, they came—ten animals, each drawn by invisible threads of fate:

• 🐶 A dog, loyal and fierce, with eyes that glowed like embers.
• 🐱 A cat, sleek and silent, its fur shimmering with moonlight.
• 🦜 A parrot, vibrant and wise, speaking in riddles.
• 🐍 A snake, coiled and watchful, its tongue flickering with secrets.
• 🦇 A bat, fluttering above, whispering warnings in the dark.
• 🐑 A sheep, gentle but unnaturally calm, its wool tinged with silver.
• 🐄 A cow, massive and unmoving, its breath fogging the air.
• 🐔 A chicken, jittery and sharp-eyed, pecking at invisible things.
• 🐖 A pig, snorting softly, its gaze oddly intelligent.
• 🐎 A horse, proud and spectral, its mane flowing like smoke.

They formed a circle around Chase. The mansion pulsed. The moon turned crimson.

II. The Bond

Inside the mansion, Chase found the Sanctum of Beasts—a chamber carved from obsidian and bone. At its center lay a pedestal with ten glowing stones. Each animal approached and touched a stone with paw, hoof, wing, or fang.

The stones vanished.

And Chase felt it: the bond. He could hear their thoughts. Feel their emotions. Command their actions.

But this was no ordinary control. The mansion had gifted him something deeper—a psychic tether. They were not just pets. They were extensions of his will.

He named them:

• Ember the dog, his protector.
• Nyx the cat, his spy.
• Echo the parrot, his voice.
• Vex the snake, his enforcer.
• Shade the bat, his scout.
• Woolf the sheep, his healer.
• Grimm the cow, his shield.
• Peck the chicken, his alarm.
• Root the pig, his tracker.
• Phantom the horse, his steed.

III. The Reign

With his menagerie, Chase ruled Ashmoor Hollow. Trespassers were met with glowing eyes and silent hooves. The forest bent to his will. The animals patrolled the grounds, each with a purpose.

Echo repeated the whispers of the mansion to him. Vex slithered into dreams and planted fear. Nyx vanished into shadows and returned with secrets. Phantom galloped through mist, carrying Chase wherever he wished.

But the mansion demanded balance. Each full moon, Chase had to renew the bond—by offering a memory, a piece of his soul. Slowly, he forgot his past. His name became legend. His face, a myth.

And the animals? They grew stranger. Ember began to speak in human words. Woolf glowed with healing light. Shade could pass through walls. They were evolving—becoming more than beasts.

They were his family. His army. His kingdom.