Part I: The Ominous Funeral
Ryan’s car rolled to a gentle stop under the gray light of an overcast morning as he stepped out in his heavy coat. The church loomed ahead, an austere building with stained glass windows that hinted at forgotten prayers. Today, he wasn’t here to celebrate or remember a life well-lived—he was here, burdened by a swirling mix of unresolved grief and inexplicable unease.

He had always known that saying goodbye to his father, Arnold, would be hard. But as he climbed out of the car, an inner voice whispered that today, something was different. “We couldn’t even give Dad a proper funeral,” Ryan thought, the weight of loss threatening to compress his chest.

Stepping to the side of the driveway, his loyal dog Bella, usually calm and obedient, began barking furiously. The high-pitched sound echoed off the church walls like an alarm. Ryan’s gaze snapped to the small black-and-tan mutt; Bella’s ears were pinned back, her eyes fixed intently on the large coffin that rested at the front of the church.

“Bella!” Ryan barked softly, giving his dog a quick hand signal to lie down. Bella obeyed after a few tense seconds, though her posture remained alert, head cocked and eyes shining with uneasy intelligence. Ryan patted her head through the open window of his car, murmuring reassurances before he reluctantly walked away and stepped into the church.

Inside, the atmosphere was heavy. The pews were filled with muted murmurs, the smell of incense layering over the undeniable scent of sorrow. Ryan took a seat beside his mother, who sat silently with eyes red from grief. The casket of his father—Arnold, whose legacy was so intertwined with their family’s past—was already in place. According to the funeral director, the coffin had been sealed and cordoned off discreetly as a precaution; Arnold had passed away from an infectious disease, and protocols demanded cremation rather than burial.

As the mass drew to a close, the final hymn began and mourners rose slowly in unison. Suddenly, Bella’s sharp, insistent bark cut through the solemn melody. The sound startled everyone. Ryan’s heart pounded in his ears as the dog leapt from her spot, bounding toward the casket with unbridled energy. In that moment, Ryan felt an inexplicable sense that something was wrong.
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