Introduction

The world exploded in a cacophony of barks, snarls, and shattering glass. Radar with hearing was as reliable as a rusty hinge, felt the vibrations more than he heard them. He thumped his tail against the hardwood floor, ears perked, a low growl rumbling in his chest. Something wasn’t right.

Professor Fuzzbutt paused mid-application, a delicate smear of glittery pink blush pausing precariously on his whisker. He’d been crafting the perfect look for his afternoon tea with Mildred (a blend of rosehip and chamomile, naturally), but the sudden tremor in the floorboards sent shivers down his tiny spine. His beady black eyes darted to his makeshift mirror – a shard of reflective glass glued to the side of his cardboard castle, adorned in glitter, of course. There, reflected back at him, was Radar, paws scrabbling on the rug, a low whine rumbling in his chest. But something else caught Fuzzbutt’s eye in his mirror. It wasn’t just Radar’s reflection shimmering in the glass – there was a subtle distortion, a ripple in the image. The mirror itself seemed…alive.

Even he, a hamster who prided himself on afternoon naps and sunflower seed connoisseurship, sensed danger lurking in the air.

to be continued...