You're a Dýr, Hyeon.

There was something heavy on his chest. Dread washed over him when he realized he was having another episode of sleep paralysis.

Hyeon's eyes peeked open. He saw outlines of people in the room. Next to those people was the familiar shadow figure, something his episode conjured. He attempted to warn them about the unnatural darkness, but he couldn't release a sound as he watched the shadow float closer to Hyeon. Soon, it was right over him. Before it could touch him, his body was released from the sleepy jail. Hyeon sat up quickly.

Bad idea. A splitting pain on the right side of his head made him wince. Laying back down from the headache, he gingerly touched the spot. It was bandaged up.

*What happened?*

What happened? Images of being chased by the demonic hyena, falling hard, and then saved by a gigantic wolf flashed through his memory.

"How are you feeling?"

The person who asked this was new. His hair looked like an interesting concoction that would've been created as a tutorial on a beautician's YouTube channel. The outer layer of his hair was inky black, but orange and yellow peaked through from the roots. Small black feathers spotted around his sideburns and neck. His eyes barely had any white in them which made the pupils look unnaturally large.

...Feathers?

This stranger asked, "You hit your head during your fall, but I think you can take off the bandage after 24 hours. Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"Uh, no, I think I'm fine." Hyeon looked around the small, bare room. They placed him in a twin bed. There was a small table with surgical tools in the corner.

"Where am I?"

Sani spoke from the other side of the room. "After we got separated, you came across a low leveled demon. Since you were injured, you were immediately placed in the medical ward. It's been ten hours. This is Coty who is the current doctor here."

Coty's smile was warm. Well, as warm as a physician could be. "It's nice to meet you. I sincerely hope I don't see you in the medical ward under such circumstances again, HUMAN."

*Is he being sarcastic?*

"Nice to meet you, too, and thank you for helping. I also like what you did with your hair color."

Coty touched his hair, surprised by the compliment. "It's a characteristic that stayed with me from my previous life as an emperor penguin. I'm hoping the color will be brighter when I go through my final shift if I want to find a mate," he winked.

Everything he said was...peculiar. Previous life? Mate?

Coty looked down at the bottom of the bed and jumped with shock. The paperwork he was holding slipped from his hands.

"WHAT is that?" he pointed under the cot. "Is that yours?"

Confused, Hyeon leaned over to see under the bed. Nammi was a few inches from his face. Since it was dark under there, her fur blended in perfectly. The only thing visible was her bright eyes. He pulled her out and placed Nammi at his feet.

Sani explained, "That's his little escort from the human world. Interesting, isn't it?"

"Mmm, charming." Grabbing the paperwork he dropped earlier, Coty said, "You're free to leave anytime, Hyeon."

He made his leave and the shut door behind him.

After the doctor left, Hyeon wanted to know more about the confusing conversations happening around him. "What chased me? Who was the person that saved me?"

Sani sat down in the doctor's chair and wheeled forward to Hyeon's side.

"I'm not going to cookie-cut it for you. You're in Hell. Well, for animal spirits at least. Human Hell is a whole different dimension that is not meant for us."

This was absurd. Then again, he was chased down by a zombie hyena. "So this isn't a dream?"

"No."

"I'm in Hell...for animals," he said with skepticism.

"Every animal has a soul just like humans do. I'm sure you know what the auroras are, correct? The northern lights are reserved for the heroic, pure, and good animal souls. It's like the animal version of Heaven. Darker, malicious souls are sent to the southern lights. Just like Heaven has angel tiers, Hell has demon tiers. The animals who are not powerful enough remain in their original form and it's common to grow limbs from other species. Over time, they can get stronger and gain human characteristics. Basically, the fewer animal features they have, the more powerful they are."

It was very overwhelming to understand the dynamics of this place. "So why am I here?"

"This place was originally dedicated to trap the Festr Castle's wolf. It's an area specifically meant to enclose him. Festr isn't a family name, but rather a term which means 'trap' in the Norse language. After years of residing here by himself, the Lord decided to use the castle as a type of rehabilitation center for animal demons he deems worthy. Although almost impossible, a demon can be switched to the northern aurora or reincarnated through extreme behavior changes. After working here for a while and accepting what the demon did before they died, their soul can be transferred to the other side."

He went on, "These chosen demons work under him until they lose most of their animal features. It can take years. I've seen numerous demons make it to their final trial but fail and revert to their primal selves. If this happens, the Lord releases them back into the southern lights since they can't be salvaged. The chances of failing are high but, and a big but, there's always that tiny hope for redemption."

"Occasionally, I find a dýr candidate to work for us as a seasonal employee. Having such a job on a resume looks phenomenal for when they move on to their family business or some high-profile career in society. This job can be found on a normal job website except it's only visible in the eyes of a dýr. We occasionally hire one to bring perspective and diversity within this castle. Also serve the Lord's needs, of course."

"Hyeon, I know you are adamant that you're human. Do you know where you came from exactly?"

This subject was a sensitive one. He twiddled his thumbs. "From what I know, my parents died after I was born. None of my blood relatives could be found, so they placed me in the system. I was adopted when I was in elementary school..."

Hyeon choked a little when he thought about those people who adopted him. The only thing he was grateful for was them finally giving in to his pleas to put him in bo-staff class. He wasn't ready to talk about the details of his parents' passing and the family who took him in.

"Look, I don't know where I came from. I only know that my maternal grandparents came from South Korea. You could dig information on me from the government but even I know my file is blank."

Sani considered what he said. "You MUST have some dýr blood in you somewhere."

"How do you know?" Hyeon asked. "How can you be sure I come from a...uh...a dýr family?"

"For starters, you found this job and reached out to me. Second, the soul you possess is definitely a strong one. I could see it in your eyes from the photo attached in your application. Third, you wouldn't have been able to experience the signs of a mirror nearby. Lastly, you 100% would not have been able to enter the southern lights. Wherever you came from, you have animal blood."

Hyeon huffed and laid his head back down on the flat pillow. There was so much to process.

"What do I do now? Also, you never told me who saved me."

Sani gestured to the pile of clothes.

"After you clean up and change, I can take you to him. I think it's time you meet the Lord of Festr Castle."