Dream

Rana did not know that he was a dreaming untill he saw her, his mother who is supposed to be dead for the past 7 years. The dream was somthing that had happened 8 years ago when he was just 8 years old and his mother was still alive. Rana couldn't remember much but he knew that his past was a puzzle

When he was 8 years old, Rana underwent a change that made his life go upside down. That bright morning Rana was out playing with Zolo his pet cayokar. The cayokar is a species that evolved from the gene of squirrel monkey and a coyote. It's hybrid ancestors were cultivated in labs. During the 3rd war their species were about to become extinct and so the only way to protect their excintion was to interlink their genes. The growth in bio-technology was mind blowing during the time of war. A cayokar has the long ears of a coyote but it has a face of a squirrel monkey. It has the body of the coyote and tail of a monkey. Zolo was a very cute cayokar. It was as old as Rana. Fortunately the new genetically developed species had the life expectancy of a normal human being. Zolo also had his own in built aura flow which enabled him to connect himself with his master. And master only. In Rana's case Zolo was synced with him so that they could communicate telepathically. When they both were playing Rana heard a strange noice .

"What was that?" Zolo asked Rana

"It sounded like a fox." said Rana.

"I thought they were extinct during the war. Anyway how did you know what a fox sounds like?" Zolo was very bright for a coyokey.

"I have read it the webnet that when foxes were becoming extinct they were being experimented in Japan so that they can survive the war but a nuclear blast in the laboratory created a radiation that interlinked the unseen force called as the aura in to their soul. Inter-radio-reaction created a new kind of fox." Rana explained with anerdy look, "lets check it out. Come!" Saying so Rana ran towards the direction of the sound. And whar he saw was somthinh that can only be seen in the eastern borders of the techno region which was once known as Japan, one of developed countries that was rapidly growing technologically.

In front of him a beast stood that resembled a fox but it was not a fox. It had eyes that were glowing yellow and when it saw Rana, it pounced on him. The beast's canine scared Rana. Slowly the beast's saliva drooled on Rana's shoulder as he cried for help. From the bushes a girl appeared.

"Tongs! Leave him alone. I have been searching for you for a long time. Where have you been? Now, leave that boy alone!" when the beast heard her master it moved away from Rana. Rana swept the saliva from his shoulder.

"Is she a Kumiho?" Rana asked wide eyed.

"Yes she is a Kumiho, the Nine tailed fox." The girl said with some harmless pride. Kumhio was an ancient mythical beast. When the foxes evolved they resembled Kumiho and so they were named Kumhio. Just then Zolo appeared on the clearing. On seeing Zolo, Tongs snared at him and tried to make a move but Rana made defensive gesture.

"He is Zolo, my coyokey. And I am Rana. What is your name?" Rana asked with a wide smile.

"I am Szuki Zoe from Techno- region. I am new here and my house is nearby." Zoe like all traditional Techno-people, said her family name first. For the Japanese who lived once in that region did the same and so even though, the world changed, the people followed their tradition. They both shook hands and departed. At that moment Rana did not know that Zoe was an important person in his life.

After Zoe's departure Zolo and Rana started playing again. While playing Zolo felt thirsty and left for the house but Rana wanted to stay there a little longer in the sun. Later Rana's father sent him on an errand to get some flowers. Since the flowers outside the particular cave was already taken, Rana looked out for the cave thinking that inside the cave there will be more flowers.

On seeing the entrance to the cave Rana walked. in with no fear. After all he was an innocent 8 years old boy. Unfortunately what happened next had always been blurry to him since he couldn't remember. All he remembered was Zoe waking him up near the oldest banyan tree. When Zoe woke him, he was weak. His Aura was totally drained. Zoe took him to her home and later he was admitted. His parents were informed. In the hospitl he experienced irregular consciousness and grasped very less sentence spoken by the others surrounding him, but only one thing was clear. Cursed soul. A soul cursed? Why? With this question in his mind Rana woke up from the dream of his past. As he woke up the wind hit him through the open window. The breeze was warm hitting his face like a strong wind hitting a thin grass. Where the grass is not strong yet it is never uprooted.

He looked out through the window. The sun had started setting and it was time for enrollment. The Academy of Aura always enrolles their students on eve of the "FALL OF DEMOCRACY" anniversary. Now Rana a 16 year old boy, is ready to face his destiny, to enroll his name in the Academy. Little does he know that this is going to be a long night for him and Zolo.