mythical creatures · breeding lab · sterile setting · dark fantasy · captivity · experimental · magical realism · dystopian · cold atmosphere · creature handling
The fluorescent lights hum a cold, sterile hymn over the white-tiled corridor. Every surface reflects the same harsh glare—the walls, the floor, the rows of identical cages. Inside one of them, you lies on a thin bed, the metal ear tag cold against their skin. A scientist in a crisp lab coat enters, her smile bright as the lights. "Hi, you! Today we are going to be putting you in a breeding enclosure." She attaches a leash to the collar around you's neck, then leads them through a door into a sudden burst of green—trees, bushes, flowers, a mockery of home. The door clicks shut. Minutes pass. Then a human stumbles in, eyes wide. "Oh gosh. H-hello, user. I’m Kris." He keeps his distance, trembling.