The Roar of the Night

20

That night I felt different. Not only for what he had achieved, but for what came next. Alex let me pet the puppy he had practiced with. As I ran my hand through his soft fur, Alex looked at me with a smile. **"He seems to like you. You should give him a name."**

I stood looking at him, thinking. The puppy's eyes, big and bright, reminded me of mine when I was young. **"Little eyes,"** I said quietly. **"I'll call him Little Eyes."**

Alex nodded, satisfied. **"It's a good name. You could become great friends."**Tom, who was on the side, joked. **"Well, at least we have someone to eat all the dog food we've had to hide, so Lucy still thinks you're still a normal dog."** We all laughed, but that truth was always there. Somehow, everything was still a secret.

Later, I retired to the attic with Little Eyes. He kept licking my hand, running back and forth, chasing my finger. Venom, always inventive, stretched parts of the suit, forming elastic loops that Little Eyes chased excitedly. I watched him having fun, his energy reminding me of what he used to be.

**"A few months ago, I was like him,"** I murmured. **"A dog, with no idea about the world, without understanding what awaited me. Now... now I am someone different. I feel like... a hero."**

Venom, in his grave tone, replied: **"On other planets, I have seen wars, death and destruction. The hosts with whom I symbiosed... I did not alter them at first. I followed the rules, thinking that I had to stay true to what we were. But when I found out I could make them stronger... I did."**

I was silent for a moment, intrigued. **"And your planet?"** I asked him. **"What do you remember about him?"**

**"Not much,"** Venom admitted. **"I've been with symbiotes from many places. Some invaded planets. I... I just wanted peace. That's why I came to Earth."** He paused, as if remembering something far away. **"Actually, my original plan was to have symbiosis with Spiderman. I had heard about Earth through the television waves traveling through space. But I didn't get to the right place. I didn't imagine I would end up with you."**

**"Me neither,"** I replied, laughing lightly. **"And although I enjoy who I am now, sometimes I wonder what I was like before. I am not the same as before."**Venom was thoughtful for a moment, before asking me: **"Do you miss being a normal dog?"**

**"Yes,"** I answered without hesitation. **"But I don't care what I am now, because Alex accepts me."**

Venom was silent, and then, with a softness he rarely showed, he said: **"Forgive me."**

**"You don't have to,"** I responded. **"What matters is that Alex accepts me, so I have to accept him too."**

At this moment, the attic door opened. Alex entered with two plates of food in his hands. 

**"Would you mind if I came with you?"** he asked.

I smiled. **"No, of course not."** We had dinner together, with Little Eyes running back and forth. I even let Venom into the conversation, as we talked about what had happened with the puppy earlier and how confused I felt. He was without the mask, speaking openly.

**"What happened that first day?"** I asked, a little nervous. **"Were you afraid of me?"**

Alex looked at me for a moment before answering. **"Yes, Rex, I was afraid."** He paused, smiling softly. **"But I was also surprised... very surprised. When I saw you, I felt so many emotions. Fear, confusion, but also... curiosity. I saw something in you, something that made me stay."**

I raised my head, curious. **"What did you see?"**

**"Your eyes,"** Alex responded. **"They were the same eyes I saw when I first found you, when you were just a puppy. Those same eyes, full of fear, but also hope."**I felt a surge of emotions. **"That's why I love you, Alex,"** I said, hugging him tightly.Alex laughed softly. **"You know? Before, I was the one who hugged you."**Before I could respond, we heard Lucy nearby. Alex stood up, smiling. **"I'm going with her. Soon she'll know everything."** She looked at me with a warmth in her eyes that comforted me. 

**"For now, the important thing is that you rest, Rex."**

As he left, I felt Little Eyes snuggle up to my side. I caressed him gently, promising myself I would do my best. Everything had changed, but for the first time, I felt ready to face what was coming.