They adopted a "dog" from a shelter, but the veterinarian took just one look and screamed.

A Tense Silence

With every tick of the clock, the room grew a little quieter.

The family exchanged tense glances, silently posing questions they weren't yet ready to answer. "Do you think it's serious?" Alex whispered, his face pale. Grace gave a slight shrug, struggling to maintain her composure. "We'll know soon enough," she murmured, though even to her own ears, she sounded unconvinced. Nix—usually so relaxed and focused—now seemed strangely quiet. His ears twitched at the faintest sounds, as if sensing the mounting tension in the room. No one spoke again after that. A heavy silence settled over them, thick with fear and uncertainty, as they waited for Dr. Morgan to return with the answers that might change everything.

Under the Microscope

Meanwhile, in the back room, Dr. Morgan was hard at work. He placed the hair sample under a high-powered microscope, adjusting the lens to achieve a sharper focus. The structure of the hair was peculiar—far more complex than anything he was accustomed to seeing. He entered the characteristics into a database, then waited, tapping his pen against the counter. "Something isn't right," he muttered, frowning as he studied the sample. Symmetrical patterns, unusual textures—nothing about it matched his expectations for a Cane Corso. He clicked "Search" again, staring intently at the screen, unsure whether he was looking at a mutation or something else entirely.