Dawn of the 13th Era

Mira

The Lion had been in the zoo for over 13 years, it's mother was captured when it was pregnant and brought to the zoo, it was brought up there from a very young age.

After it's mother died it felt lonely with every passing day repeating the same cycle. Until Mira came to the zoo, Mira gave it a new name and cared for it while it treated Mira like it's mother.

Mira gave it a new name and extra rations but the only thing It ever wanted was freedom, Mira knew it but the zoo didn't permit letting it out of it's cage.

When the surge occured a few days before the zoo breakout Mira noticed Sunny's abnormal state, it was living on its last breaths dying out with every passing minute.

After a few hours while Mira was searching for what could be the cause of Sunny's ill state she stumbled across the thread of deaths across the world originating from the same illness as Sunny.

High fever, feeling tired, low appetite then convulsion and sudden death, the scary part was that there was no cure and the government didn't provide any solution to it.

Mira returned to Sunny with a sad look on her face thinking his fate was sealed when she found it in an healthier condition than before.

A few other animals in the zoo died that day and a crocodile went rabid but nothing was too serious, the crocodile was killed and the zoo returned to it's normal routine.

At least it was supposed to.

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A day after that incident Mira was checking up on the animals, at the end of the row of cages Sunny was caged up in a separate cage from the others and Mira would visit it last after checking on the others.

"Sunnyy" Mira said while opening the cage watching Sunny lying the ground seemingly already waiting for her.

"You look excited today." She remarked watching it's gleaming eyes.

The lion shaked her hands off then walked over to a corner of the cage, leaned down and let out a low roar.

"What's it? You're feeling all grown up now huh? I know you want to go out but you can't, not yet Sunny." She said while moving closer to pat it but the sight unfolding in front of her made her pause in her step.

"What on Earth?" Ants were crawling over from the holes into the cage then formed a circle round the lion moving round in orbits while the animals nearby were behaving restlessly especially the elephant beside the cage turning it's head to stare at the lion's cage.

"Are they going on a rampage? I need to call the security." She pulled out her phone and was about to call the security when the Lion walked over with a calm look on it's face while it brushed it's mane over Mira's hands.

'I don't know why but it looks way more humane now like it can actually express it's emotions and is it telling me to not call the guards?' she thought while patting the Lion, the ants scattered back into their holes in a hurry while the animals turned back and didn't pay it anymore attention.

"What just happened?" She asked while looking at Sunny who just sat there rubbing it's mane on her hand.

Sunny released it's head from her hand and let out another low roar making the same situation repeat itself, the only difference was that the animals actually lowered their heads towards the Lion's cage.

'Is it controlling them?' I don't get this.

"Are you the one doing this?" She asked while looking at the Lion who actually nodded it's head slightly.

"You can understand me?" She asked the Lion who nodded in affirmation.

After that incident Mira learned the Lion could also project it's thoughts to others so she taught it how to speak which it was already familiar with after staying in a human zoo for years and got the hold of a few words in a day.

At night a guard was patrolling when he saw the anomaly near Sunny's cage and what happened after it roared. Shocked and confused, he called the others over who didn't believe him at first and decided to check the CCTV installed in the zoo which clearly displayed what happened.

The guards reported the incident to the higher-ups who gave the orders to lock the Lion up in a special cage prepared for rabid animals.

Mira came the next day to see the Lion who had been locked in the cell with torture machines in place to keep him sealed, after finding out what happened overnight she felt guilty for not warning him to not using his powers recklessly but promised Sunny she'll bring him out of the cage soon.

After the order to kill all the animals in the zoo was passed Mira recalled Sunny who was still helpless in the cage and decided to release him for a while before the army would be sent to execute them.

"Consider this as a last gift from me to you." Mira said while brushing it's mane when one of the guards spotted the open cage and walked in with his gun raised in the air.

"Please kindly step away from the Lion Miss Mira."

"What's wrong with you? This isn't the first time I'll be visiting Sunny is it? Why are you so agitated?" She asked with anger visible in her eyes.

"All the animals in Luminaries University zoo has been declared as threats to be killed on sight if they were to be found with abnormal behaviour and the Lion behind you was already seen displaying such, leaving him alive till midnight is saying too much already, I'm sorry Lady Mira this is simply the order passed across to me." The guard said with a calm look on his face.

The guards in the zoo were recruited from the army and were very strict concerning orders, it definitely didn't look like he would back down and Mira's actions just led to the Lion's death.

"I'll chain him back right now and he won't even resist so calm down." She said with her hands up in the air but the guard didn't seem to back down.

The commotion drew the attention of the other workers and guards who came over to see the Lion unsealed and raised their guns at Sunny who knew what was going on and transmitted to Mira.

'Leave.'

Mira on the other hand refused to step aside believing the guards wouldn't pull the trigger on her.

The captain of the guards walked over and looked over at the released Lion and Mira who was protecting it.

'That's the main reason they ordered the execution of the animals in the zoo and she actually released it, if I could kill it myself instead I might get a promotion into the army higher ranks and relieve all my past offences.' he thought then raised his gun and targeted it at the Lion.

They were sent away from the main army to serve at the zoo after commiting a severe crime. Staying at the zoo guarding a few workers and animals didn't sit well with him, the pay didn't either.

"Step... Aside." He said then placed his finger on the trigger and aimed at the Lion behind her.

Mira turned her head and looked at the Captain who pulled the trigger, moving to block it on instinct.

The zoo fell into pin drop silence when Mira fell to the floor with blood gushing out of the wound, the next moment the workers screamed out, the guards stood with their guns raised while looking at their captain with confused looks on their faces.

'I just killed a civilian, shit I'm doomed I have to kill the Lion also to make up for it and give a satisfying report or I'll be doomed.' he thought then made a frantic order to the guards.

"What the hell are you looking at? Open fire!" He ordered then raised his gun and fired a volley at the Lion who still stood dazed.