The beast den's entrance looked like a hotel lobby with a reception desk where everyone had to register.

Inside, rooms were numbered. Everyone needed to write their name and pick a number.

Each room held a different animal. One might face a kitten or a dangerous beast like a tiger, depending on their luck.

However, getting a kitten was extremely rare.

Ariana recalled the number on the piece of paper, quickly moved forward while others were still hesitating, and wrote "nine" beside her name.

After she chose her room, she was taken down a hallway.

Her heart raced with anxiety, uncertain if "nine" meant what she hoped.

But with Adrian here, she didn't feel completely alone.

Trying to reassure herself, she thought maybe "nine" was indeed the room number. Perhaps, instead of a wild animal, she might find Holden behind the door of that room.

The idea was almost laughable. Ariana wondered why she still had such naive hope in this situation.

Approaching room nine, Ariana felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation.

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Darkness enveloped the room.

Ariana fumbled for a light switch near the entrance but found nothing.

Suddenly, the door slammed behind her, leaving her in complete darkness. After her eyes adjusted, she noticed a faint light that seemed like a switch at the far end of the room.

Summoning her courage, she stepped forward, hesitating when she heard a couple of soft barks.

Her heart raced. It definitely wasn't Holden. What was in here? Maybe a hyena?

The recollection of hyenas viciously tearing into their prey haunted Ariana, causing a spine-tingling shiver to course through her. She summoned her courage and ventured inside.

Hastily, she sprinted to the light switch, flicking it on to illuminate the room. Her attention was drawn to a gentle noise, leading her gaze to a white puppy nestled on a mat in the corner.

The puppy snuggled in its bed with a bowl of milk before it. its tail wagged joyously.