Choose Your Companion

I came awake with a gasp that scraped my throat raw. My eyes snapped open to my room, I sat up too fast. The room tilted, then settled. My body felt… sharper. Skin tighter over muscle. Breasts heavier, n*****s already sensitive against the thin tank top I didn’t remember putting on. Between my legs a low, unfamiliar ache pulsed like it had been waiting for me to notice. “What the f**k…” The words came out hoarse. I pressed a hand to the side of my head where it should have been split open and bleeding. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, crossing to the mirror above the dresser and stared. “Okay. Concussion dream. That’s all this is.” A soft blue glow bloomed in the air right in front of my face. *Welcome, Vespera Hale. You have been reborn. Pleasure System initializing…* I jerked backward so hard I nearly fell onto the bed. “Who the f**k is talking?” The text floated. *Core Directive: Earn points through acts of pleasure. Flirt, touch yourself, take shifters to bed. Climb the ranks or fall. Gift Shop unlocked at 100 points. Companion selection available now.* My heart hammered against my ribs. I reached out and my fingers passed straight through the glow. “This is a dream. A f****d-up, dying-on-the-floor dream. I’m going to wake up in a hospital with a tube down my throat and Cassian crying fake tears at my bedside.” *Negative. You are deceased in your previous world. Cause of death: blunt force trauma to the cranial region inflicted by Cassian Drake. You have been selected for transfer.* The name hit like a second shove. “Cassian Drake. He doesn’t even deserve the last name.” *Noted. One of twelve annual transfers. Your invitation was scheduled for 11:47 p.m. local time via the job offer at Meridian & Associates. Early termination of original body accelerated the process by approximately six hours.* I stared until the words blurred. “The job offer was an invitation? To this?” *Correct. The human world you knew was a holding pattern. This is the true layer. Nearly every individual you encounter will be a shifter. You will see the system. They will not.* I walked to the window on unsteady legs and yanked the curtain aside. The street below looked identical but the people moved wrong. A woman tilted her head and sniffed the air like she was tasting it and a teenager on a bike had a shadow that didn’t match his body. “Holy shit.” Companion selection is required before tasks can begin. Please choose. A new screen unfolded in the air, translucent and waiting. Rows of creatures. Images that looked too real, like photographs taken in places that shouldn’t exist. A sleek black panther stretched across a rock, eyes half-lidded. A massive golden eagle with wings that could block out the sun. A serpent with scales like wet obsidian, body coiled thick and heavy. A fox with two tails curled around itself, mouths open in matching grins. A dragon the size of a bus, copper scales dull with age, one claw resting on a pile of dark coins. I scrolled with a trembling finger through the air. Each one came with a short description that made my stomach twist. *Shadow Panther – Stealth. Possessive. High s****l drive. Bond risk: jealousy-induced marking. Storm Eagle – Aerial. Territorial. Prefers dominance displays. Bond risk: aerial claiming. Obsidian Serpent – Dual-cored. Flexible. Enjoys prolonged restraint and dual penetration. Bond risk: constriction play. Tail Fox – Playful. Requires attention and climax. Bond risk: teasing denial. Ancient Drake – Beast-form capable. Heat-inducing. Extremely high riskeward. Bond risk: full shift mounting.* My throat felt dry. “I don’t want any of this. I want to go back. I want to wake up.” *Refusal is not an option. Companion will serve as protector, witness, and eventual mate candidate. Choose wisely. Loyalty ratings are permanent and visible only to you.* I kept scrolling, heart slamming, until I found it near the bottom. The image was simpler than the others. No dramatic pose. Just a black wolf sitting in a field of tall grass. *Black Wolf – Loyal. Protective. Silent until bonded. Will not abandon under any circumstance. High potential for human shift upon deep bond completion. Bond risk: none listed.* All I needed was loyalty, so I didn’t hesitate. My finger tapped the image hard enough that the glow flared. *Companion selected: Black Wolf. Manifesting…* The air at the foot of the bed thickened, then tore open with a low sound. He stepped through like he had always belonged there. It was massive. Shoulder height to my chest even on all fours. I swallowed hard. “Hi.” He blinked once, slow and deliberate. “You’re real. You’re actually f*****g real.” No answer. The description had said silent until bonded. I took a step closer. He didn’t retreat. When I stretched out a shaking hand, he lowered his big head just enough for my fingers to brush the fur between his ears. “Loyal,” I whispered. “That’s the only word that still makes sense after everything.” I let my hand slide down the side of his neck, “Do you have a name?” “I’m Vespera. I just died. My fiancé was f*****g my best friend on our couch and then he shoved me into a table. And now I’m here and you’re here and nothing makes sense.” He leaned into my hand, just a fraction. The blue interface bloomed brighter beside his head. *Companion bond initiated: 1%. First task loading…* I dropped my hand and stepped back. “What task?” *Task 001 – Witnessed Release Masturbate in front of your companion until you climax. He must remain present and observing for the full duration. No toys, no clothing barriers below the waist. Eye contact encouraged but not required. Reward: 50 points. Failure to complete within 30 minutes of acceptance: system penalty (temporary sensory amplification across all zones + risk of public scent notification to nearby shifters).* Heat flooded my face so fast it hurt. “You’re kidding me.” *Negative. This is the standard initiation task for all transfers who select a companion. Acknowledgment required to begin timer.* I looked at the wolf. He had settled onto his haunches at the foot of the bed, like he had all the time in the world and every intention of using it to watch me fall apart. “I just died,” I said to the floating text, voice cracking. “I just watched the man I was going to marry bury his c**k in my best friend. I felt my skull crack open. And now you want me to spread my legs and finger-f**k myself in front of a giant wolf for points?” *Correct. The body you inhabit is calibrated for heightened response. Delayed completion increases penalty severity. Acknowledgment required.* I sat down hard on the edge of the mattress, hands shaking. “What happens if I refuse?” *Refusal registers as failure. Penalty will apply. Task will reissue with increased difficulty and reduced reward.* “And if I do it?” *Fifty points. Bond percentage increases. Access to basic Gift Shop items unlocks at one hundred points. Companion remains at your side.* I dragged both hands through my hair and laughed, short and jagged. “This is insane. You’re insane. This whole world is insane.” The wolf shifted his weight, his eyes staying steady on mine. “You’re really going to sit there and watch?” I looked straight at the floating blue text, and said the only word that would move anything forward. “Fine.” The interface pulsed once, bright and final. Task accepted. *Timer: 29:59*