TPN Novel 4 Short Story (5): Don and Gilda

[2050]

Gilda nostalgically recalled her 10-year-old self. From the day she learned the truth at the House until today, she has been desperately running through it all.

She knew that on the day when Conny departed for her foster home, Emma and Norman secretly went to deliver the forgotten Little Bunny to the gate. 

It was forbidden to go outside the House at night, but Gilda wasn't too worried about their actions. It was Norman and Emma, after all. She believed they would quickly return and say, 'We gave it to Conny!'

But when Norman and Emma returned, they asked Gilda to keep it a secret from Mama. Gilda nodded, but something felt odd about that request.

It was the next day when she began to notice strange things about Emma. While she seemed normal when with the family, Gilda noted her wearing a thoughtful expression when alone. Whenever Gilda tried to talk to her, Emma would excuse herself and disappear somewhere during free time. While she grappled with this anxiety, Gilda was informed by the three that the siblings who left were sold to bad people.

Gilda recalled that night in the library and narrowed her eyes.

"Emma didn't tell us the truth at first."

"Really?" Emma looked surprised at the revelation.

"Oh, right…that."

Don remembered as well, chuckling awkwardly. Ray and Norman, too, looked back at their past with a hint of a wry smile, realizing their own lack of consideration.

"But why would I not tell Don and Gilda?" Emma murmured, looking puzzled. Gilda smiled at her.

"Because you didn't want to hurt us," she replied. 

Both Gilda and Don now understood the reasons behind Emma's actions.

If I were Emma, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell it either…

Tell the family about the deaths of their siblings and Mama's betrayal in their peaceful House all of a sudden.

Norman, with his eyes closed, nodded nostalgically.

"But because of what happened with Don and Gilda, Emma resolved to tell the other children." he said.

Norman remembered Emma's face as she confided while standing amidst the swaying sheets of the house's yard. "I thought about it myself," Emma had said back then, explaining her plan to 'bring everyone along.' She talked about revealing the truth to other children, as well.

Relying on others can be more challenging than protecting oneself at times. Norman, to his embarrassment, understood that feeling all too well. That's why Emma's choice at that time dazzled before his eyes. 

Don and Gilda reminisced about those days with a dry smile.

"Well…when we were in the House, we couldn't do the sort of things you three could, y'know."

"Now that I think about it, we might've been quite a burden…"

"That's not true!"

The quick denial didn't come from Norman, Ray, or from any of their other siblings - but from Emma herself. Everyone looked at Emma in surprise as she herself realized the situation and hastily added,

"Um, well…I think so!"

The words slipped out unintentionally, an odd thing for Emma to say without her memory. She slowly trailed off. Seeing this, Gilda smiled gently.

"Thank you, Emma."

The children sitting around them began to chime in, echoing Emma's words. 

"Even when we were in the shelter, Don and Gilda were very reliable." Alicia remarked.

"And the way you took down a demon was so cool!" Mark added. At their words, Don scratched his head and chuckled.

"Haha, we didn't really take it down, just managed to luckily escape."

"Huh, I've never heard that story before. Did that really happen?" Norman tilted his head curiously. 

"Hmm? Didn't we talk about that? It was when Emma and Ray were at Goldy Pond." 

Gilda recalled, tracing her memory of the old events.

*****

[2046]

Earlier that morning, Don and Gilda were still packing their backpacks with necessary gear. They packed water bottles, emergency food, knives, ropes, and other supplies. Finally, they checked to ensure the bowstring was properly tensioned and aligned it with the arrows.

"Yosh, let's get going, shall we?" Don declared. 

"Mhm." Gilda agreed.

The younger children who were helping with breakfast rushed over to Don and Gilda.

"Are you going hunting already?"

"You're leaving really early today."

Yvette and Dominic remembered the departure time from yesterday and looked up at Don and Gilda as they spoke. Don shouldered his backpack and nodded in response.

"Yep. Today, we'll definitely bring back a big catch!"

With a brave stance, Don raised his bow, and the younger siblings smiled in response.

"Got it! Just be careful, okay?"

"Don't do anything reckless!" 

Gilda smiled warmly at her kind younger siblings. Like Don, she also strapped on her backpack and carried her bow and arrows.

"We'll be fine. Thanks." 

Gilda reassured them, then locked eyes with Don. The latter tightened his expression and nodded back in agreement.

Climbing up the ladder and opening the shelter's lid, they stepped outside into the wilderness stretching as far as the eye could see.

"We can't afford to be reckless, but…we really need to catch some food today," Don murmured. 

"Yeah, you're right," Gilda admitted. The cold wind tousled their coats as they scanned the barren land.

For the past two days, Don and Gilda hadn't had much success with hunting. They, along with their siblings, had escaped from the House and arrived at this shelter in pursuit of the coordinates left by William Minerva, aiming to uncover the mysteries behind B06-32.

Minerva wasn't at the shelter. Instead, they encountered a mysterious man who appeared to be one of the escaped children from thirteen years ago. Uncertain whether he was friend or foe and relying on clues to new coordinates, Emma and Ray set off with him from the shelter. 

Three days had passed since then.

While the shelter provided adequate living conditions, they still needed to venture outside to collect food. With minimal provisions in the shelter's pantry and a desire to conserve the House's preserved food they brought for the future, hunting fresh meat outside was necessary. 

Catching birds or other animals outside would allow them to preserve canned meat for longer. That said, venturing outside also meant facing the danger of encountering ferocious wild demons or pursuers from the farm. Being cautious not to be discovered, Don and Gilda took charge in their older siblings' absence, protecting their younger siblings.

On the first day, Don managed to catch a bird near the shelter. Having been taught hunting techniques by Emma, Don felt confident in their ability to hunt for themselves. But from the next day onwards, they couldn't find any game at all.

The two managed to catch lizards, snakes, and rodents. But when divided among all the siblings, the amount of meat each received was minimal. They desperately wanted to catch larger prey. But today - like the previous days, they could only see some shadows passing overhead.

"Searching only around the shelter is hopeless," Gilda remarked, scanning the area and exhaling a sigh. The shelter was located near the center of a wilderness where few creatures ventured. While this distance provided safety from wild demon territories, it also limited the availability of prey.

"You can say that again…"

The faces of their younger siblings waiting back at the shelter drifted in Don's mind. 

Emma and Ray are away, we're the only ones they can rely on. 

Don couldn't afford to be discouraged. 

"Alright, let's head towards the forest today!" he made a prompt suggestion. 

Gilda didn't oppose Don's proposal. They had discussed this before setting out, after all. That's why they had left early for hunting today.

"Yeah, sounds good. We'd also be able to gather nuts and berries, so let's move near the forest carefully." Gilda commented. 

Confirming the direction, Don and Gilda moved towards the area where the forest sprawled.

The terrain around the shelter was mostly flat with only slight elevations. There were few trees or grass. After walking for a while, the scenery gradually began to change. They reached rocky area. Large rocks were scattered all around the once-flat ground. Beyond this area laid the edge of the forest. They could already see patches of green from the grass and sparse bushes. 

Gilda noticed something and pointed ahead.

"Don, look at that."

A flock of large birds rested on a tree growing out of the rocks.

"Whoa, awesome!"

Don nocked an arrow and aimed at one of the birds.

Please hit…

He exhaled slowly, trying to steady his trembling fingers as he released the arrow. The arrow flew straight and pierced the target successfully. The surrounding birds startled and took flight.

"YEAH!"

Don carefully performed gupna on the warm bird and tucked it into the bag. It had been a while since they had performed this ritual that combined prayer and bloodletting for larger game. 

"Thank goodness…"

"This might be the biggest bird we've caught so far!"

With their catch secured, a sense of relief washed over Don and Gilda. They didn't voice their concerns about what would happen if they kept failing to catch anything until Emma and Ray returned, but it always lingered in their minds. 

Gilda looked around and whispered.

"There seems to be quite a lot of game around here."

"Yep. The flock of birds from earlier shouldn't have gone too far."

Don put the catch into the bag and hoisted it onto his shoulder. The weight of the dead bird lifted his spirit.

"All right!! Let's catch a lot of 'em and return!"

Don, with a renewed vigor, walked deeper into the forest with Gilda. 

As they left, the rocky outcrop became eerily quiet. Small insects moved on the rocks, sensing something, then flew away. From the shadows of the rocks, a black figure slowly emerged. 

It was a wild demon, camouflaged to look like the rocks. The demon sniffed the scent of the area where the bird had been prepared with gupna, and detected the smell of blood along with faint traces of human scent.

"Growr…"

Saliva dripped from the rows of sharp teeth inside its gaping jaws. Seeking out the scent of its favorite prey, the wild demon began to move.

As the greenery thickened, Don and Gilda spotted creatures in bushes and hollows of trees. Inside the forest, Don found the flock of birds again, and he and Gilda successfully shot one bird each.

"YES! Three birds! We can process these for preservation!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah. We managed to gather some nuts and medicinal herbs, too."

Gilda said, counting the number of nuts and berries wrapped in cloth.  The berries were edible, as they learned from Mujika. Though small, they had a rich sweetness. Gilda could imagine the delighted faces of her siblings already. After all, the medicinal herbs, too, were plants that couldn't be found in the wasteland. 

As the sun shifted westward, Gilda called out to Don.

"Time to head back."

"Yeah."

With three birds of this size, they could share enough among the family. Tonight's dinner might be a bit more lavish than usual. The two discussed all that as they made their way back.

The two began to approach the area where the trees started to thin out. Checking the shelter's position with a compass, Don and Gilda continued walking.

"…"

As they walked, Gilda suddenly felt like she heard a noise and turned to look behind her.

The approaching dusk cast slanted rays of light through the branches and leaves of the forest. The forest was so rich in scenery that they might have wanted to take a leisurely stroll - if they weren't hunting. 

Something felt off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Despite her thoughts, she turned forward and resumed walking.

However, after just a few steps, she turned back again. This time, she stopped and stared intently.

"Huh? Gilda? Something wrong?" 

Don, who had been walking in front, noticed Gilda had stopped.

"Hey, Don…something's been…"

Gilda trailed off. She focused her gaze on the forest behind them.

The forest was quiet. There was nothing moving. She thought about it for a moment. 

Too quiet.

The constant chirping of small birds that had been echoing since earlier had stopped. The presence of creatures she sensed here and there was no longer felt. The forest at the front had become so eerily quiet, as if it had suddenly turned into a painting, devoid of any movement aside from the swaying of grass and trees by the wind.

Within this silence, there was a faint sound of movement.

Rustle…

(What…?) 

Gilda furrowed her brow, scanning the trees and bushes. She couldn't see anything. The sound had stopped too.

Just as she began to think it might have been her imagination after all, she noticed a pair of eyes moving in the dappled sunlight amid the undergrowth.

"!!"

Both of them gasped together the moment they noticed it: a demon resembling a lizard that had been lurking in the thicket had lunged out.

"Run!!!"

Don and Gilda dashed through the forest. Don glanced back at Gilda behind him, his face contorted in horror as he saw the figure of the demon closing in.

Crap! 

They had taken every precaution to avoid such an encounter, yet here they were, face-to-face with a demon. Somehow, they'd been spotted by creatures outside the safety of the shelter.

The memory of being chased by a massive wild demon in the forest before they met Sonju and Mujika flashed through their minds. The one chasing them now wasn't as large as that terrifying demon, but it was big enough to capture and devour them whole. 

Don and Gilda ran, searching desperately for a place to hide. 

If they reached the open wasteland, they'd have no place to conceal themselves. But the demon was closing the distance between them with frightening speed. Catching up only a matter of time. 

We've got to slow it down somehow…!

In a moment of desperation, Don thrust his hand into the bag he was carrying. He pulled out one of the birds they'd caught, hesitated for a brief second, and then shouted in frustration.

"Agh, damn it!"

He hurled the bird toward the demon.

As the demon greedily devoured the meat that had landed right in front of it, Don and Gilda took the opportunity to put some more distance between them and the threat. 

Gilda spotted a massive fallen tree in their line of sight and pointed quickly. 

"Don, over there!" 

As predicted, the decayed tree was hollow. Don and Gilda hid themselves inside. The moment they stopped, sweat poured down their faces. 

Gilda tried desperately to calm her breathing, which was so rapid it made her lungs hurt. Holding a similar tightness in his chest, Don searched their surroundings for signs of danger.

“Did we lose it?”

He listened intently but heard no footsteps. Don prayed that the demon had given up after finding the bird they'd thrown.

As her heartbeat gradually returned to normal, Gilda began regaining her composure and assessed their current situation.

"We’re downwind…the smell shouldn't reach it."

She gauged the wind direction from the faint breeze blowing into the tree. Then, she measured the distance and direction they had run in her mental map. 

Since they had been running along the edge of the forest, they hadn’t actually strayed far from the shelter.

"Wouldn't it be better to head straight out into the wasteland from here?"

If they left the forest, the demon might not pursue them into the wasteland, as that wasn't part of its territory. She figured that it would be safer to escape from its territory while they weren't being chased.

"Right…while we still can, we should—"

Don spoke as he began to step out of the fallen tree, and then it happened. 

Srrr, a noise reached them, different from the noise of leaves rustling in the wind. It was like something heavy was scraping against the ground. At the same time, a foul, fishy odor drifted through the air. 

Don held his breath and froze in place. He exchanged a glance with Gilda. 

It was the demon from before.

"Gr…Gawwr…" 

The feral demon growled softly as it sniffed the ground. Its ragged breathing could be clearly heard. The sound of its steps dragging across the soil was unmistakably approaching their position.

“We’ll be toast if we stay here…”

“…So before it gets too close…!”

Don and Gilda whispered to each other, and slowly, carefully began to move away from the fallen tree without making a sound. 

The demon had already reached the other edge of the tree. 

The two moved cautiously, ensuring they didn’t enter its line of sight or make any noise that could alert it to their presence. 

The forest floor was littered with things that could betray them with sound—twigs, gravel, and dry leaves. They had to maintain their distance and calm their racing hearts, gradually putting space between themselves and the demon. 

The lizard-like demon sniffed the ground with a relentless persistence before lifting its head. Its thin tongue moved, checking the smell in the air.  

Only if we can get a little further…!

Don and Gilda held their breath and continued walking. Gradually, the distance between them and the demon increased. They believed they could reach the wasteland unnoticed.  

Just then, the wind changed direction. The mischievous breeze carried the smell of the two humans' location to the demon. 

Noticing this, the demon quickly turned its face toward them and immediately leapt onto the decayed trunk with a roar.  

"Grooowr!"  

Its countless eyes clearly spotted the two.

Taking a sharp gasp, Don and Gilda began to run. They could no longer make it to the wasteland.  

Don recalled the location they had passed earlier.  

"That rocky area! Let's head to the rocky area where we shot the bird first!"  

Gilda immediately understood which place Don was referring to. That rocky area had several crevices between the rocks where they might be able to hide. 

As they ran, they saw the large tree where they had shot the bird. Next to it was a crevice surrounded by rocks.  

"Over there!"  

"Yeah!"  

With the shadow of the demon already closing in behind them, Don and Gilda slid into the gap.  

"GRAWR!"  

With a cloud of dust, the demon clawed the entrance of the hole where their bodies had been just a moment before.  

"Haa…haa…"  

The two of them, half-buried in the ground, caught their breath inside the cave-like rock crevice. 

Although they had to crouch, the inside was more spacious than they had expected.  

"What…what should we do?"  

Gilda murmured, her voice trembling. 

From the gap between the rocks, they could see the demon's sharp claws repeatedly scratching the ground. This wild demon was not particularly intelligent or huge, but it was alarmingly sensitive to smells. Once it detected the scent of humans, it could pursue them endlessly.  

"How can we go back to the shelter like this?!"

Don understood what Gilda was thinking. If they didn't throw off this demon here, there was a risk that it would chase them all the way to the shelter. Although demons usually don't come near the wasteland, they couldn't rule out the possibility of drawing it there. 

Don nodded, and whispered in a quiet voice. 

"We have to avoid putting the younger ones in danger…Besides, if we go out into the wasteland, we won't have anywhere to properly hide."  

If they were chased by the demon in a place like that, they wouldn't stand a chance.

The demon’s eyes peered through the gap as drool dripped from its large mouth onto the ground. Ignoring the wear on its claws, the wild demon relentlessly struggled to reach its prey between the rocks. 

"……" 

Both Don and Gilda held their breath at the scene. 

Let alone throwing off the demon, they weren't sure if they could escape safely from this spot in the first place.  

At this rate, we both might…

…just be eaten by this demon right here…!

Thinking about their siblings waiting in the shelter, both Don and Gilda's faces grew pale. As the oldest ones in Emma and Ray's absence, they absolutely couldn't afford to let themselves be killed. 

Gilda felt around the gap between the rocks and realized that there was still space to move further in. 

"Hey, Don, it looks like this gap between the rocks leads further in," Gilda said as she shifted her body deeper into the crevice.

Peering inside, she saw that they could continue moving forward. An opening to the outside was visible ahead.

"D'you think the demon can get in?"

"No. Probably not. I can barely squeeze through, though."

Gilda crawled through the space between the rocks, checking the width of the gap. 

Don compared the hole further in with the demon still prowling near the entrance they had come through. He then handed Gilda the bag of game they had caught.

"…Alright, I'll draw the demon's attention. So, Gilda, you escape while I do that."

Gilda immediately replied in a heated tone. 

"And how are you planning to escape, Don? Don't tell me you're going to act as bait!"

Facing Gilda's serious gaze, Don quickly raised his hands, acknowledging his fault.

 "Sorry! Okay. But then, how are we going to escape?" 

From outside, the demon's growls and movements were constantly audible. 

Indeed, if one of them acted as a decoy, the other might be able to escape to the shelter. Even though that method seemed more logical, neither of them wanted to choose it. After all, they had escaped from the House without abandoning their family—that remained as their conviction.

"Let's think of another way."

"Yeah, you're right." 

Don agreed with Gilda. They both had been thinking the same thing. 

If it were Emma, she would surely do the same. In desperate situations where it seemed like there was no way out, Emma never gave up on thinking. 

The two of them took out the items they had brought and reviewed their inventory.

"Six arrows each. A knife, and, hm…nothing else that could be used as a weapon."

"Water, emergency rations, a rope, a compass, a flashlight, first-aid supplies…"

With just these, it was hard to imagine being able to fight off the demon. 

Shooting arrows might cause it to hesitate a bit, but inflicting a fatal wound would be difficult. The knife's reach was too short. 

Don and Gilda proposed several ideas to each other, but none of them seemed practical. They knew their chances of success were slim, but they couldn’t come up with a crucial "correct" solution. 

In times like this, what would Emma or Ray do?

Emma, Ray—or even Norman—would surely come up with a clever plan or quick thinking to get through this. Memories of the time they spent planning their escape from the House flashed through Don and Gilda's minds. 

The three of them had always been special, even before that. Comparing themselves to Emma, Ray, and Norman's overwhelming skills always felt pointless. 

But on a certain day, they definitely felt frustrated. 

Frustrated that they had been protected, kept in the dark about the truth of the House. Frustrated by the fact that they didn't have enough power to help. 

Since then, they had been desperately learning. Learning how to succeed under harsh conditions and ways to turn obstacles into advantages. 

Everything they knew had been taught by those three who had led the way.

Gilda, deep in thought as she looked at the items laid out before her, muttered.

"We really do…need a decoy to escape." 

"Wha?!" 

Don looked back at Gilda in surprise, hearing her say the exact opposite of what she had mentioned earlier. 

Gilda raised her head and murmured. 

"Hey, Don, I’ve been thinking…"

She then explained her plan to Don. 

In the darkness, Gilda's eyebrows knitted with worry. 

"Do you think…it'll work?"

"Dunno. But," Don said, taking off his jacket and flashing a grin. 

"Let’s give it a shot!" 

The sun began to set, and the light filtering through the cracks in the rocks started to take on the colors of dusk. 

Gilda moved as close as possible to the gap that led outside, holding a bundle of cloth in her arms. From the other side, Don called out to her.

"Ready?"

"Mmhm," Gilda nodded back. 

Don took a deep breath and then shouted loudly from the gap in the rocks. 

"Over here! C'mere!!" 

While shouting, he shook the rope from the gap. 

The demon roared and thrust its claws into the crevice.

"Haha! Come and get me, Demon!" 

Don forced his voice to stay steady as he drew the demon's attention. 

While Don distracted the demon, Gilda, holding a bundled cloth, quietly crawled out of the opposite hole without making a sound.

"Graaaaw!!!" 

The demon was roaring ferociously at a close distance. The impact of its claws, powerful enough to shatter stones, reverberated through the ground. Gilda suppressed the urge to retreat to the safety of the crevice, and ran. 

She threw the rope knotted with a stone over a nearby tree. After looping the rope over a branch, she placed the bundle of cloth on the ground. Then she grabbed the stone-tied edge of the rope and hid behind a rock.

Hooked on the high branch, the rope connected the bundle of cloth on the ground to Gilda who was hidden behind the rock.

Please…let this work!

Gilda slowly pulled on the rope. 

As the rope lifted, the bundled cloth on the ground gradually rose, swaying as it went up. 

It was Don's coat, stuffed with a bird they had caught to make it smell like meat. 

Once the coat was fully lifted, it looked human. Like a scarecrow. 

Gilda tugged on the rope a few more times, making the coat sway on the ground. The movement and scent of blood and flesh mixed with a hint of human smell caught the wild demon's attention. It raised its nose.

"Grr…" 

Gilda forced herself to speak despite her trembling voice.

"Over here!!"

At her shout, the wild demon finally lunged at the moving figure.

Holding the rope, Gilda started to run. The demon chased the coat instead of Gilda, and swiftly climbed up to the tree's branch. 

It's working…!

Seeing the rope fully extended, Gilda threw the weight to the ground and continued running. The decoy remained stuck in the high branches. 

As she ran, Gilda focused her thoughts on what she could do. 

There isn't much that we can do, but still…!

At that moment, Don emerged from the rock crevice. He ran around the rocks in the direction Gilda had fled. 

If this plan failed, they would have to rely on their own legs. Breathing heavily, Don ran relentlessly over the rocky terrain. 

As they jumped over rocks, the faces of Emma, Ray, and Norman—dependable as always—flashed through their minds. The older siblings always gave precise instructions and helped the family. 

This is nowhere as cool as those three, but still…!

Don and Gilda shouted. 

The demon, opening its massive mouth, devoured the decoy hanging from the branch. Immediately, its moan echoed through the evening sky.

“Graaaa!” 

We did it!!

Don and Gilda looked back as they ran. The demon, biting into the decoy, had blood spilling from its mouth. 

Inside the decoy, a knife had been hidden. It was wrapped tightly with bandages to make the blade protrude, designed to pierce the demon’s mouth when it was bitten. 

Each time the demon tried to crush the decoy’s meat, the knife sliced through its mouth. As the knife pierced the upper jaw, the demon writhed in agony and screamed. 

“Score!” 

The demon, spewing blood from its mouth, fell from the branch. Seizing the opportunity, Don and Gilda continued running towards the wasteland. 

The sun had already set, and darkness enveloped the surroundings. 

“Haa, haa…” 

Out of breath, Don and Gilda reached the center of the wasteland.

When they finally saw the entrance to the shelter, the two nearly collapsed to their knees from relief. It felt like it had been days since they had left. 

"Haaaa…!" 

After entering inside and securely closing the door, both Don and Gilda let out a deep breath. 

They had safely made it.

The moment the realization sank in, their guard dropped, and they found themselves on the verge of crying. But noticing the younger siblings running towards them, both managed to hide their tears. 

“Don! Gilda!!” 

The faces of the younger ones who ran towards them were already smeared with tears. 

“Wah, they're back!” 

“Welcome home!” 

“Are you okay!?” 

Jemima, Mark, and the younger children all embraced them at once. 

“Sorry for making y'all worry!” 

“We’re sorry, everyone…” 

Don patted the heads of their younger siblings. Gilda comforted the crying children, rubbing their backs.

Nat looked alternately at Don, who wasn't wearing a coat, and Gilda, who was covered in sand. 

“We were worried because you didn’t come back even after sunset,” he remarked. 

“Yeah, well…” 

Don and Gilda recounted how they had ventured to the edge of the forest without catching any prey, encountered a wild demon, fought it off, and barely managed to escape back to the shelter. 

“Whaaaaat?!? You encountered a demon?!” 

“W-w-was everything okay?!” 

Thoma and Lannion shouted. The other siblings were too stunned to speak. 

“Yeah… At one point, I thought we were goners, but we managed,” Don said with a wry smile. Gilda nodded with a worried expression. 

“We only managed to escape by taking advantage of a momentary distraction, so we need to be extra careful about that area in future hunts.” 

This time, all they could manage was to find a chance to escape from the demon. The siblings, still in disbelief, hugged Don and Gilda tightly again.

“We're so glad that you're both safe!”

"Thank you." 

"With Emma and Ray gone…we were so worried about what to do if Don and Gilda didn't come back!" 

Hearing their siblings' words, Don and Gilda felt a renewed sense of gratitude for returning without any injuries. They had been fighting to catch prey for the siblings left in the shelter and to keep the demons away, but those very siblings had been most concerned about their safety. 

Considering their personalities, it was only natural. Compared to their older siblings, Don and Gilda might not be as dependable. Yet, the warmth in their hearts grew as they realized how much their younger siblings cared for them.

"Really, we're sorry for making you worry," Don said as he wiped Rossi's tears. Alicia regained her smile. Anna slowly shook her head. 

"No, it's okay. We're just glad you both came back safely." 

Even as they headed towards the dining hall, the children chattered cheerfully, holding Don and Gilda's hands. 

"It's amazing how you both managed to escape from a demon on your own!"

"Was it bigger than the demon that chased us in the forest?" 

"No, it was much smaller than that, but…Ah!" 

At that moment, Don remembered something. He lifted the bag he had been holding in one hand. Then, with a groan, he slumped his shoulders. 

"Actually…we had to use the game we caught to escape from that demon, so…this is all that's left…" 

Even though they caught three birds, only one was left. Don informed regretfully. Gilda also huffed in disappointment. 

"Yeah, we really thought we could make this hunt a success today, but…" 

The two mumbled in frustration. 

Seeing their expressions, the siblings first looked puzzled. Then they burst into laughter. 

"As long as you two are safe, that's all that matters!" 

"One bird is more than enough!" 

"This is food that Don and Gilda risked their lives to bring back for us." 

"We have to cherish it and eat it carefully." 

Hearing these words, Don and Gilda's eyes widened in surprise.

"Eh…?"

Up until now, there was always a delicious meal prepared for them at the House every day. Suddenly, their lives had shifted to relying on preserved food and whatever they could hunt or gather. It wouldn't have been surprising if the younger siblings had complained. 

But none of them ever made a fuss. Despite their age, they all understood that it wasn’t easy for their older siblings to provide food.

"I see. Thank you, everyone," Gilda smiled at the younger ones. Don, too, rubbed his nose bashfully.

That night, they made a warm bird meat soup and had a late dinner. One bird was far from enough to fully satisfy the entire family, but the table was filled with smiles.

As a special treat, they all indulged in sweet berries as a dessert. 

The absence of the oldest escapees, Emma and Ray, still cast a shadow of worry in everyone’s hearts. They wondered if the two would return safely and what they could do in the meantime. 

Don and Gilda felt the pressure, and the younger children also realized they couldn’t simply rely on others. While they might not be able to help or protect much, supporting one another was something everyone there excelled at. 

That night, Don and Gilda took turns keeping watch on the monitor, but the demon that had chased them never came to the shelter.

Even without an attack, the responsibility of guarding the shelter remained the same. The siblings who stayed behind continued to hunt cautiously, increasing their stock of preserved food. They studied the old books left in the shelter to uncover new information. Not only Don and Gilda but all the siblings contributed in whatever ways they could.

Six days after they had left, Emma returned in a near-death state, carried on Mister's back. While everyone rushed to treat Emma, Ray also returned, accompanied by new allies who were farm children like them. 

"…Emma and the others are really amazing, aren’t they?" Gilda murmured to Don as she prepared medicine and new bandages.

"Yeah. Fighting in a demons' hunting grounds…it’s incredible." Don remarked.

Compared to that, their own actions of driving away a wild demon seemed trivial.

But what filled their hearts wasn't frustration at being unable to catch up. Instead, it was pride that such admirable people were part of their family.

*****

[2050]

As the story came to an end, Don's face formed a curved smile. Looking back, it was far from a well fought battle. 

"We were lucky that the demon was unprepared," he said.

Gilda nodded in agreement. 

"Thinking about it now, that knife must've hit the demon's weak spot."

Even though the demon’s skin seemed impenetrable, they assumed that the mouth's interiors might be different. The strategy had worked out, as they might've managed to injure the demon in a vulnerable spot deep in its eye. Otherwise, it probably would have regenerated quickly and continued chasing them.

It was only later that the two learned about the demon's weak points and how to fight them. They gained much of this knowledge after they began working with the allies from Goldy Pond, who had experience fighting demons.

"Our luck really pulled us through." Don affirmed.

"You think?" 

Even though Don shrugged his shoulder and laughed it off, Emma thought the tale she heard of their efforts was a battle of courage. 

"Not at all! Don and Gilda were always cool!" 

"Right? They'd catch delicious birds for us, they were always so reliable!" 

"Even in places other than the shelter, they helped us a lot." 

Emma wasn't the only one who felt that way. The younger siblings all started speaking up and cheering for Don and Gilda.

"I think the same!" 

Emma joined the small siblings and nodded loudly in agreement. 

"Eh…r-really?" 

"That was a little awkward…but thanks, everyone!" 

We couldn't do much that time, either. That's how Don and Gilda recalled the story. But knowing their siblings didn't see it that way, Don and Gilda felt both happy and bashful. 

Norman, too, smiled and spoke up. 

"When I met the two of you again, I also thought the looks on your faces had changed a lot!" 

"What, really?" 

"Well, it's you who changed a lot, though!" 

Don held a bitter smile at the memory. At the time when they were gaining strength to survive outside, Norman rescued many cattle children from the farms and became the successor of the name 'Minerva'. 

Norman shook his head with a smile. 

"I chose an extreme path, that's why." 

But he didn't have to keep pushing his way forward, all thanks to the siblings he grew up with at the House. 

"When I was shipped off from the House, I told you, didn't I? That I'm leaving Emma and Ray in your care." 

Norman smiled softly. 

"And you really did help them all the time, I felt so relieved." 

Saying this, Norman turned at Ray. Ray noticed it and nodded. 

"Yep, true. If you two weren't there, there's a ton of things we wouldn't have been able to do." 

Hearing Ray's words, Don reacted with a jump scare instead of being happy. 

"Wait, wha? Ray making compliments with a straight face? Don't spook me like that, man…Is it snowing outside?" 

"The hell? Don't call people cynics!" 

"No no no no…" 

Gilda was the first to burst into a laughter at the exchange. Emma and others also followed with a contagious laugh. 

The door opened. The old man, who was working outside, called the children around the table. 

"The last bus will leave soon." 

At the words, Emma looked out the window. 

Before she knew it, the sun had already set and it became dark outside.

"Eh?!"

"Woah, you're right!"

The children were surprised when they looked at the clock. It felt like they'd just arrived at the hut, but they were talking for hours.

"Time flies so fast when we come to visit Emma."

As they prepared to home, the siblings continued chattering. The memories of the House, their past adventures - they talked and talked, but it wasn't enough to convey it all. 

"Y'all can still rush to the bus stop, but I really don' mind if you spend the night here." 

The old man called out to the children as they calmly attempted to walk down the night road towards the bus stop, which was by no means at a close distance. 

Norman was cheerful with a smile when he shook his head. 

"It's alright, really." 

"This many people's got to be hassle."

Ray also declined politely.

Compared to the worlds they'd traveled, the night roads in this world, no matter how remote, were far less dangerous. Still, they were grateful for the thoughtful offer from the old man.

"I'll go to the bus stop, too!"

Emma chimed in, and prepared a light. The children put on the jackets they had taken off.

"If only we lived a bit closer, we could visit more often!"

"You can say that again…"

Yvette raises her finger and makes a suggestion to Dominic and Mark, who were talking between themselves.

"Let's build a House next to Emma's where we can all live together."

"Ah, that's a good one!"

"Would it be a hassle for the uncle if we came over?"

Looking at the young faces of the children, the old man's eyes softened as he answered.

"Nah, no hassle at all."

The children beamed as they went outside. Emma followed her siblings, taking a look at the old man standing at the door.

"I'm off!"

"Yeah, see you soon."

The old man said calmly. 

With lively laughter and footsteps, the boys and girls left the hut.

_____