With a groan, the heavy metal gate opened slowly, unveiling Locky standing behind it. The small Locky had morphed into a tall figure, her many thick legs sprawling out from beneath her dress.

The hands she normally used to brew tea and arrange flowers had turned into powerful crab legs, their sharp jagged edges shimmering in the cold light.

She looked down with a frosty stare from a height of three or four meters, her dark red eyes brimming with aggression and caution.

The tall Locky was rigid, resembling a ready-to-burst bomb, her tension palpable until Kestrel walked in and shut the iron gate. The gate’s loud slam made Locky tremble slightly, as if she grasped the reality of who had just entered her home at this moment.

She descended slowly - her body contracting till her dress kissed the ground, reverting to her original delicate and fine form.

Locky gazed at Kestrel, her lips sealed tight. Her face, a blend of distress and suppressed panic, reminded Kestrel of Locky’s expression when they first met in this house.

Now, witnessing Locky quiver like that, Kestrel felt a sudden, painful pierce in her heart, as if poked with a blazing needle.

"What happened?"

Her voice sounded steady, portraying a sense of control amidst potential chaos, concealing the abrupt surge of worry that made her heart tighten.

"A burglar broke in." Locky’s voice was timid, her fingers anxiously twirling her apron.

"Hmm, a burglar, you say?"

They had faced intruders many times. Initially minor thieves, but over time, more formidable adversaries emerged, all effortlessly handled by Kaworu’s psychic interference.

Kestrel grew curious about the nature of this time’s intruder.

Noticing the once vibrant flora in the yard now visibly drooping, a realization dawned on Kestrel that she hadn’t sensed Kaworu’s existence despite being there for such a long while.

Locky muttered with her head down, "I can’t pinpoint what occurred. Kaworu told me to retreat to my room and sleep as the individuals entered."

She maintained her downward gaze, seeming utterly remorseful, "For reasons unknown, I followed without hesitation, and slept profoundly..."

"You’re not to blame," Kestrel reassured her. "Kaworu is a formidable beta, capable of easily influencing you, directing your actions to your slumber."

Locky’s head shot up, her eyes welling up, her breaths coming in ragged bursts, a sign of the immense burden being lifted off her chest, letting her breathe freely again.

"What happened afterward?" Kestrel’s tone remained unshaken, perhaps even steadier than before.

Overwhelmed, Locky started speaking rapidly, vividly recounting to Kestrel the series of events that unfolded at home in the last few days, her words pouring out in a frenzied rush.

That day, Locky slept so deeply. When she stirred awake, she saw that the family of groundhogs from the garden had gathered silently with her in the same room.

She scanned her surroundings and discovered the couple of wild ducks from the pond in the back, the cuddly snow rabbit from its den, the orange cat notorious for pilfering food from the kitchen... In a nutshell, all the little beings that Kaworu adored were congregated in clusters in her cramped room right now.

Each one nestled quietly, the room embracing them in safety, akin to how the towering tree in the yard typically sheltered them.

Locky perched on the bed, frozen briefly, observing the golden necklace resting on the nightstand adorned with a golden heart-shaped charm. She understood it to be Kaworu’s precious possession, yet she wondered about its presence in her room.

All of a sudden, Locky sprung up, grasping the necklace. Next, using both her hands and feet, she raced among the scattered chicks, ducks, and rabbits on the floor, sprinting to the yard. She sprinted faster than she had ever before, deploying all her eight limbs.

The yard bore the signs of turmoil, strewn with snapped branches and the flowers nurtured by Kaworu now spread across the soil.

It didn’t take Locky long to spot a bit of a golden stump in the open space.

In the whole yard, the loveliest tree, the Erdtree, had been felled, leaving only a minuscule stump amidst the sprawled branches.

Locky remembered vividly, when Kaworu initially arrived, he lacked arms or legs and Kestrel brought him home in a carry bag. Afterwards, Kestrel positioned him in the room blessed with the most sunlight, facilitating his daily sunbaths on the porch.

At a later time, he took root in the yard, masquerading as a regular tree.

In the onset, he was naked and lacking vitality, yet day after day, he sprouted golden branches and golden leaves at a leisurely pace. Gradually, very gradually, investing a considerable amount of time, he entrenched himself here. Ultimately, akin to Locky, he became an integral member of this household.

Locky took delight in the times when the breeze swirled through the open area. The golden leaves rang out, serenading, bringing all the yard’s trees into their symphony. Each time this happened, regardless if she was bustling in the kitchen or steeping tea in the dining space, she’d nod her head and vocalize in harmony with Kaworu’s melody.

Every tree in this abode, coupled with all the creatures and folks, joined in the chorus. Kestrel, residing in the upper room, would sporadically settle by the window, immersing herself in the melodies resonating from the yard.

Life was exceedingly blissful in this manner.

Regardless of what people called it, for Locky, this was home. Kestrel and Kaworu were her family.

But after just a short nap, Kaworu was no longer there. The golden gem in the garden had been cruelly chopped down, taken and snatched away by the horrible enemies.

Locky was filled with self-reproach for having dozed off instead of fiercely attacking those burglars. Had she been alert, she would have fiercely attacked them, risking her own life if necessary.

Locky extended her hand, aiming to touch the small naked remainder of the golden stump on the earth.

"I just grazed it, just a bit. Then it transformed into dust. The dust was so delicate, spreading everywhere across the garden, I couldn’t even gather it," Locky said with a breaking voice, guiding Kestrel to the place where Kaworu vanished, indicating the exact spot to her.

The soil at that place had been seared by fire, leaving only a burnt hollow. The hollow was barren, devoid of any remnants.

Tears started to fill Locky’s eyes, she gritted her teeth, her eyes adopting a fierce crimson hue.

Kestrel stayed mute, quietly scrutinizing the vacant pit. Her massive tendrils unfolded from every side, claiming the burnt soil, conducting a detailed search.

A number of days had gone by, yet the potent spiritual fluctuation that happened here then were still subtly present. This indicated that a violent battle of life and death had happened here that evening.

Kaworu had stood here solo, bearing the impact, guarding this garden, this residence. But in the end, he was overpowered, severed, and reduced to ashes. The ground here was burnt, the drifting ashes were gone, leaving no traces behind.

Kestrel gazed at the hollow space.