Chapter 29: The Bond

David provided Thomas with their address, a simple string of numbers that would lead them to his home. Nestled in a quiet, unassuming neighborhood, the house exuded a charm that mirrored the Allen family's own. It was a humble abode, its façade warm and inviting, with light streaming through the windows and a well-tended garden framing the door. But for Yuqi, the exterior was merely a blur—her focus was elsewhere.

Chapter 28: First Scent

Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.
 

David kept a cautious distance as he followed Melissa toward the abandoned hardware store. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cracked pavement of the old strip mall parking lot. Johnson's Hardware had been closed for nearly three years, its windows covered with weathered plywood and faded "For Lease" signs.

DeShawn stood at the edge of the track, watching his teammates finish their cool-down laps. Even at rest, everything moved with a slight sluggishness - just enough to be irritating, like watching a video at 90% speed.

"DeShawn, my man!" Coach Martinez approached, tablet in hand. "Another record today. You're making history out here!"

Chapter 26: Exercise the Mind

The next morning, Yuqi awoke enveloped in a renewed sense of purpose that pulsed through her veins like an invigorating tide. The warmth she had felt in her dream lingered within her, a radiant glow flickering like a steadfast flame, eagerly awaiting her nurturing touch. No longer just a figment of her imagination, it had taken root within her, alive and vibrant, ready to be embraced.