Thomas blinks, heat prickling his skin as the last echoes of the transformation fade. He reaches a trembling hand toward his son, struggling to comprehend their new reality.
Leo, eyes wide and lips parted, stares at his father, his small frame shivering amidst the chaos.
"Dad? What… what was that?"
Thomas groans, pushing himself upright, his body aching and his mind spinning. He glances down at their naked forms, cheeks flushing as he grabs a kitchen towel to cover himself.
"I… I have no idea. But I think we need to figure it out, and fast," he mutters, surveying the wreckage for anything salvageable. He tries to steady his voice, wanting to reassure Leo despite his own uncertainty.
Leo clutches his arms to his chest, eyes darting from his father to the wrecked kitchen and back again.
"Are we… are we going to change again? What if it happens at school?"
Thomas kneels beside Leo, voice gentle but strained.
"I don't know, Leo. But whatever this is, we'll deal with it together,"
Leo spots the stone, hesitating before picking it up. Its cold, smooth surface pulses in his palm, sending a shiver up his spine.
"Dad, look at this. Do you think… did this do it?"
Thomas takes the stone, brow furrowing as he turns it over in his hands. He feels a faint warmth, echoes of the transformation still humming beneath his skin.
"We'll figure this out, Leo. We just need to be careful, and maybe… keep this between us for now,"
"Yeah. I don't think anyone would believe us anyway,"
They both stare at the stone, the memory of scales and fire fresh in their minds, and a strange sense of possibility lingering in the air.
Leo leans against Thomas, his fear receding in the warmth of his father’s presence.
"Let’s start by cleaning up. Then maybe… we can look for answers,"
As they gather broken chairs and sweep up shimmering dust, hope flickers between them, gentle and persistent—and in the corner, the stone waits, its secret yet to unfold.
