I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

There was a single room in the Dmond mansion that Lukas had never managed to enter.

Clavor’s private office, is at the end of the western corridor.

The door was always locked.

No matter the time of day, morning, afternoon, or deep into the night, the door remained shut, the iron lock firm and unmoving, like a silent guard that never slept.

Lukas had only seen it open once or twice, whenever his father entered or exited in a hurry, carrying scrolls or books.

On one of those occasions, while crawling through the hallway at the exact moment Clavor stepped out of the office, Lukas managed to peek inside for a few seconds.

What he saw made his heart race.

Tall shelves, stretching from floor to ceiling, packed with thick books. Dark leather bindings with titles written in golden letters.

Maps rolled into wooden tubes were stacked on a separate shelf. Ancient scrolls, yellowed by time, are stored inside glass containers.

A large, dark wooden desk, covered with papers, notes, and letters.

’A library.’ He thought, his eyes shining with excitement.

’A private library. With maps. Books. Information.’

Information had always been his greatest weapon on Earth. While other children played, he read. While other teenagers partied, he studied. Libraries had been his refuge, his sanctuary, and his battlefield.

Now, in this new and unknown world, his thirst for knowledge burned even stronger.

He wanted to know about the geography of this continent. About the kingdom, or empire, or country, or whatever it was that he lived in.

About the history of the Dmonds, about the wars Clavor casually mentioned during scattered conversations. About magic, the ”inner light” that made people’s skin glow, and that granted them superhuman strength and speed.

And, more than anything else, about the animals.

The beasts that inhabited the forests. The creatures that flew through the skies. The monsters lurking in the depths. The legendary beings, like the Three-Tailed Wolf from the family crest.

’Creatures like dragons. Do they really exist? Do they still exist? Where do they live? How do they behave? Are they intelligent? Are they dangerous?’

The questions swarmed through his mind like ants in an anthill.

But the door remained locked.

He tried opening it a few times whenever he was certain nobody was watching.

His monstrous strength would be enough to rip the lock apart, of that he had no doubt. But doing so would raise suspicions.

Questions. Explanations he was not ready to give.

’Patience,’ he told himself.

He would wait. Observe. Learn everything he could about the mansion, the family, and the world around him.

And when the time came, he would enter that office.

Even if it was the last thing he did.

...

Lukas turned five months old on a sunny afternoon.

The sun hung high in the sky, the blue heavens completely free of clouds, and a gentle breeze drifted through the open windows, making the linen curtains sway like soft ocean waves. The scent of flowers, those growing in the inner garden and those Helga placed in vases around the mansion, filled the air.

Lukas sat on the floor of the main hall, surrounded by cushions Aurora had placed around him to protect him from falls and sharp corners. He no longer needed them, his control over his body was already good enough to avoid accidents, but Aurora insisted, and Lukas did not mind. The cushions were soft and comfortable.

Tilbo was with him.

The small black ant calmly walked along his left leg, climbing up and down as though doing morning exercise. Its body seemed different lately, larger, shinier, with a metallic tone Lukas did not remember seeing before. Its shell reflected the sunlight in tiny silver glimmers.

’She’s changing,’ Lukas thought.

’Ever since the connection... she’s been different.’

He did not know what it meant. He did not know whether it was good or bad. But Tilbo kept returning, kept staying near him, and kept being his friend.

And that was what mattered.

Aurora entered the hall carrying a thin illustrated book with a leather cover, yellowed pages, and hand-colored drawings.

She sat down beside him on the floor, settling herself among the cushions with the grace of someone accustomed to sitting on the ground to play with her children.

”Look, Lukas,” she said, opening the book to a page showing an illustration of a four-legged animal with a long mane and thick tail.

”This is a horse. Hor-se. It runs very fast. Knights use horses for battles and travel.”

Lukas looked at the illustration. The horse resembled those from Earth, but not exactly. Its legs were longer and thinner, its neck more curved, and a ridge of raised fur ran along its spine like an inverted serpent.

’Different subspecies. Or perhaps parallel evolution.’

”Horse,” he repeated, touching the illustration with his finger.

Aurora smiled brightly.

”Very good! You learn so quickly...” She turned the page, revealing another animal. A large bird with red and blue feathers and a long, curved beak.

”This is a Flame Falcon. Flame Fal-con. A rare bird. They say its feathers glow like fire whenever it flies beneath the sun.”

Lukas felt his heart speed up.

’A bird that glows like fire.’

”I want to see one,” he said, his eyes glued to the illustration.

Aurora laughed softly.

”They are very rare, my love. They live in the Gray Mountains, many weeks away from here. Maybe one day, when you’re older.”

’Gray Mountains. The same place where the Three-Tailed Wolf was seen.’

Lukas stored the name carefully in his memory.

Aurora flipped through a few more pages, a fish with silver scales, a wolf with snow-white fur, and a serpent that looked as though it had been made from stone. Until Lukas, feeling the weight of the day in his eyes, rested his head against his mother’s shoulder.

”Tired?” Aurora asked, stroking his hair.

”A little,” he murmured.

”Then let’s rest.”

She picked him up, adjusting him against her chest, and softly began singing a lullaby about the moon and the stars. The melody was gentle, repetitive, and hypnotic. Lukas felt his eyes grow heavier.

Lukas then fell completely asleep, thinking that the next day he would ask to begin learning more about books and language, to read.