In his car across town, Michael's personal phone began to ring. The moment he pressed the answer button, the terrifying, amplified roar of the liger echoed clearly through the line. Evelyn's breathless, shivering, and stammering voice came bursting through the speaker.
"The... the l-lion... the liger! The animal is out! The cage isn't l-locked!"
Evelyn didn't dare look back over her shoulder. She kept her eyes locked on the white castle in the distance, silently cursing. Just how far away had she walked?! The distance felt agonizingly long, and this was an absolute matter of life and death!
Michael checked the dashboard clock, and his heart instantly leaped into his throat. It was exactly the time of day the caretakers usually cleared the area for the beast's scheduled maintenance, but it should never have been left unattended. He aggressively slammed his foot onto the gas pedal, forcing his vehicle to race toward the Villa at a breakneck speed.
