Lili didn't know how much time had passed, or how long she had been asleep, but when she stirred, the first thing she noticed was the warmth. It wrapped around her gently, steady and comforting, sinking into her small body as she lay there on the wooden floor. It didn't feel cold at all. In fact, it felt… safe.
Still tired but wanting to wake up, to see her mother, she let out a small yawn, her long lashes fluttering as her eyes slowly opened.
For a moment, she didn't move.
Just lay there.
Then, instinctively, she curled slightly, her arms wrapping around something soft and warm beside her, holding onto it without really thinking.
Feathers.
Warm.
Alive.
Her eyes focused.
Terminator.
He was right there next to her, pressed close, his large feathery body radiating heat, while the hens—his wives, as Lili liked to think of them—had gathered all around her in a loose circle, their bodies forming a small living nest.
Protecting her.
Keeping her warm.
Lili blinked slowly, looking around in quiet confusion as she took it all in. She was still on the floor, still beneath the bed, surrounded by chickens.
That… wasn't normal.
Usually, her mother would have picked her up long before this point, lifted her gently into bed, tucked her in without a word.
But this time—
she hadn't.
The thought lingered, but it didn't settle yet.
Instead, a small, quiet sense of gratitude surfaced.
"…th-thank you…" she murmured faintly, her voice soft and sleepy as she gave Terminator one last gentle squeeze before letting him go.
Honestly, she could have stayed there.
It was warm.
Comfortable.
Safe.
She could have closed her eyes and gone right back to sleep for hours.
But then—
her stomach growled.
Loud.
Immediate.
Unignorable.
Lili pouted, the sound alone enough to drag her fully awake as she pushed herself up with small, unsteady movements. Hunger came first now, sharp and demanding, and without thinking much more about it, she turned toward the bed and called out in her small, newly forming voice.
"Mama… I'm hungry… p-please give Lili milk…"
She paused.
Blinking.
That sounded… clearer.
Softer.
Better.
Her voice was still small, still childish, but it was forming words now, real ones, and for a second she just stood there, a bit surprised at how natural it suddenly felt. She was learning fast—faster than she expected—but then again, the language itself wasn't new. It was the same as before, or close enough that her mind didn't have to struggle with it.
That part, at least, made sense.
What didn't make sense—
was the silence.
Again.
No movement.
No response.
The cup was still there too, exactly where she had left it, untouched.
Lili's small frown deepened, something uneasy beginning to form in her chest. She wasn't a doctor—she barely understood anything beyond the most basic ideas—but she knew one thing: when someone was sick, you let them rest.
That was what you were supposed to do.
Let the body handle it.
Too much stress made things worse.
And her mother had been working hard—too hard—the day before, pushing herself until she had suddenly collapsed into this sickness.
So maybe…
maybe she just needed more time.
That had to be it.
Lili nodded faintly to herself, accepting it, because the alternative was something she didn't want to think about.
Still—
that didn't solve her problem.
She was hungry.
And so far, she had never eaten anything except her mother's milk.
Which meant…
This was it.
The moment.
If her mother couldn't feed her, then she had to feed herself.
She couldn't stay a burden forever.
Even if she was small.
Even if she was weak.
Even if—technically—she should have been allowed to rely on her mother at this age.
That didn't matter.
She wasn't that kind of person.
She wasn't going to take advantage of someone else's kindness just to survive.
No.
She could take care of herself.
And now—
she would prove it.
The thought gave her just enough resolve to move, even as the dim light outside caught her attention. It was already getting darker, shadows stretching across the yard, and the idea of going out alone sent a small ripple of fear through her chest.
Foxes.
Eagles.
Things that took small creatures.
She swallowed.
Then looked around.
Knife.
There.
It was small—about half the length of her forearm—but in her hands, it felt heavy, real, important. Something she could use. Something that made her feel… at least a little less helpless.
Gripping it with both hands, she waddled slowly toward the door, each step careful, unsteady, the blade angled awkwardly in front of her like it meant more than it actually did.
At the door, she stopped.
Then peeked outside.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Her eyes scanned the dim garden, moving from shadow to shadow, searching for anything out of place, anything too large, too still, too dangerous.
But there was nothing.
Just silence.
The garden stood empty beneath the fading light.
For now—
it was safe.
Pushing the door open with effort, Lili stepped out into the yard, the cool air brushing against her skin as she carefully made her way toward the berry bushes. Behind her, she could hear the soft, familiar tapping of Terminator's feet as he followed along, never straying far.
Her teeth had grown a little now—just enough to matter—and she took that as a sign. It was time. Time to try something new.
Food.
Real food.
Reaching the strawberry bushes, she leaned in and picked a few of the small red berries. They were still a bit firm to the touch, not quite ready, but she didn't have the luxury of waiting anymore.
So she tried anyway.
Biting into one proved harder than expected. Her teeth weren't strong enough yet to tear through it cleanly, and most of what she managed was just small bits, awkwardly chewed and swallowed. It wasn't much, but it was something, and slowly, piece by piece, she filled the emptiness in her stomach while Terminator stood nearby, watchful and alert.
Then—
a sound.
A faint rustling from the nearby bushes.
Terminator reacted instantly.
"Cock-a-doodle-do!"
The sharp, loud cry cut through the quiet like a warning bell, and Lili froze. The berries slipped from her hands as she grabbed her knife, clumsy fingers tightening around the handle as she turned toward the sound.
Movement.
In the dim light, she saw it—a shape rushing forward, low and fast.
A fox.
It was coming straight at her.
Her breath caught, her body locking in place as fear surged through her, but before she could even react—
Terminator moved.
He launched himself into the air, wings beating hard as he came down at an angle, claws extended, striking the fox from the side with surprising force. The animal yelped, thrown off balance as it staggered, and in the next instant Terminator was already on it, pecking, clawing, fighting with a ferocity that didn't match his size.
The fox snapped back, teeth flashing, trying to catch him, but Terminator was faster, wings slamming against it, feathers scattering into the air as the two clashed and rolled out of sight.
Lili's heart pounded.
She could hear it—the snarling, the hissing, the frantic sounds of struggle just beyond her view. Feathers drifted back toward her, catching in the air, and without thinking, she grabbed her knife tighter and started moving toward the fight.
Slow.
Unsteady.
But moving.
She climbed over cabbages, pushed through bean plants, stumbled across uneven ground, doing everything she could to reach him. She was scared—terrified—but that didn't matter.
He had helped her.
Now she had to help him.
By the time she reached the small clearing beyond the garden, the fight was already ending.
There, in the pale wash of moonlight, Terminator stood tall, feathers ruffled, chest rising and falling as he stared into the darkness where the fox was retreating. The sounds of it crashing through the underbrush grew fainter, more distant, until finally they disappeared completely.
Gone.
The fight had lasted only seconds.
And Terminator had won.
Lili stared, wide-eyed, something like awe filling her chest as she dropped the knife and hurried forward, wrapping her arms around him in a clumsy, tight hug.
"Oh, Terminator… you're so cool," she said, her voice small but full of relief. "I—I was so worried… th-thank you… you saved me… you're my hero…"
Without thinking, she leaned in and pressed a small kiss against his feathery head.
Terminator didn't resist.
If anything, he seemed pleased.
Together, they made their way back toward the cottage, the danger already fading behind them, replaced once more by the quiet of the night.
As soon as they were inside, Lili dropped the knife by the door and hurried—well, as much as she could hurry—back to the bed, excitement bubbling up again.
"Mama, mama," she called, climbing as close as she could. "Wake up… you won't believe—Mama…"
She stopped.
Something was wrong.
The dread came slowly this time, creeping in instead of crashing down, settling into her chest as she stared at her mother's unmoving form.
She still wasn't moving.
Not at all.
How long…?
Lili swallowed, fear tightening around her as she tried again to climb onto the bed, her hands grasping at the edge, her small body straining—
but she couldn't.
Again.
Too weak.
Too small.
Her arms gave out, and she dropped back down, breathing harder now, panic beginning to rise.
"No…"
She stepped closer, rising onto her tiptoes, reaching out until her fingers managed to catch one of her mother's.
She pulled gently.
Nothing.
No response.
Only—
cold.
Her hand was cold.
Too cold.
Lili froze, her small fingers tightening slightly as she stared, her eyes slowly moving upward, taking in the pale skin, the stillness, the way nothing moved, not even a breath.
And then—
it hit her.
Her eyes widened.
"No…"
She let go instantly, stumbling back a step as her gaze darted around the room, searching, desperate.
A doctor.
She needed a doctor.
Someone.
Anyone.
Turning on her heel, she ran—out the door, into the yard, Terminator following close behind as she looked around wildly, her heart racing, her breath coming fast and uneven.
But there was nothing.
No lights.
No people.
No signs of anything.
Just forest.
Dark, endless forest in every direction.
Her mind scrambled, pulling at fragments of memory—her mother's quiet stories, half-remembered words about a town, a bridge, a castle by the sea—but they weren't directions. They weren't enough.
She didn't know where to go.
She didn't know what to do.
But she had to do something.
So she forced herself to think.
Water.
People followed water.
If she could find a stream, it would lead somewhere.
Someone had to be nearby—her father had been here, hadn't he? That meant there had to be a town, or a road, or something within reach.
There had to be.
Clinging to that thought, Lili turned and hurried toward the lake, her small legs struggling to keep up as she reached the shoreline and began to follow it, step by step, into the dark.
It was harder than she expected.
Bushes blocked her path, tall grass tangled around her legs, rocks forced her to climb and stumble and detour again and again. The ground was uneven, treacherous, constantly pulling her off balance, forcing her away from the water just to keep moving.
The forest loomed beside her, darker still.
She kept going.
She had to.
Step after step, breath growing heavier, body growing weaker, she pushed forward, refusing to stop, even as her strength began to fade.
Then her legs gave out.
She fell.
But she didn't stop.
She crawled.
Hands dragging through dirt and grass, pulling herself forward inch by inch, her vision beginning to blur, her breaths coming in short, desperate bursts as she paused again and again just to gather enough strength to keep moving.
Just a little more.
Just—
But in the end, even that wasn't enough.
The world dimmed.
Her body failed.
And finally—
Lili collapsed, the darkness taking her as exhaustion dragged her under once more.
There she layed at the edge of the lake. Untill finally she stirred as the morning sun fell across her face, warm and bright against her closed eyes. Birds sang somewhere above her, their voices light and distant, weaving together into something peaceful that didn't belong to her.
For a moment, she only grunted softly in discomfort, turning her head slightly, trying to escape the light.
Then—
something snapped into place.
Her eyes flew open.
She pushed herself up just enough to look around, her breath catching as the world came back to her in fragments—darkness, running, falling, the cold, the fear—and then she froze.
The light.
The sun.
It was morning.
The day had changed.
Lili blinked, her mind struggling to catch up, everything feeling hazy and distant, like a dream she couldn't quite remember. Her stomach growled sharply, pulling her back into her body, reminding her of something simple and immediate.
Hunger.
Her hands and knees stung as she shifted, small cuts and scratches covering them from the night before. Her whole body felt sore, heavy, like it had been pushed far past what it was meant to handle.
But she was alive.
And Terminator was still there.
He stood nearby, feathers slightly ruffled, watchful as always, as if he had stayed by her side the entire night.
"…th-thank you…" she murmured faintly, her voice still rough with sleep.
Rubbing her eyes, she pushed herself up onto her knees—
and stopped.
Right in front of her.
The cottage.
Her home.
Lili stared at it, unmoving, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. It stood exactly where it always had, quiet and unchanged, as if nothing had happened at all.
Had she… gone in a circle?
Had she really spent the whole night walking, crawling, struggling—
just to end up back here?
Or was the lake just that small?
She didn't know.
And it didn't matter.
Because the moment she saw it, something else hit her.
Harder.
A sharp, aching pain in her chest.
Not physical.
Something deeper.
Something final.
She had tried.
She had really tried.
But she had failed.
And now—
it was too late.
Still… somewhere inside her, small and fragile, something refused to let go completely.
Maybe…
Maybe—
She didn't finish the thought.
She forced herself to stand, her legs unsteady, her body protesting every movement as she began to walk back toward the cottage. Each step felt heavier than the last, slower, like she already knew what she was going to find and didn't want to reach it.
But she kept going.
She had to.
Inside, the air felt the same.
Still.
Too still.
She made her way to the bed, her breath catching as she reached up, her small hand finding her mother's again.
Cold.
Unmoving.
The moment her fingers wrapped around it, the truth hit her completely.
There was no doubt left.
No maybe.
No hope.
She was too late.
Lili's grip tightened for a second before it gave way, her small body dropping to her knees as the tears came all at once, hot and uncontrollable.
"I-I'm sorry, mama…" she cried, her voice breaking apart as she struggled to speak through the sobs. "I-I… I failed you… I couldn't f-find anyone… I tried… I really tried…"
Her shoulders shook as the words spilled out, messy and desperate, her thoughts tripping over themselves.
"I-if I c-could've talked sooner… m-maybe I c-could've asked… maybe I c-could've f-found the town… maybe… maybe…"
Her voice cracked completely.
"I-I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I'm such a f-failure…"
Again and again she repeated it, the words losing shape as her crying overtook them, her small body trembling where she knelt beside the bed.
But nothing answered.
No voice.
No movement.
No warmth.
Only silence.
Behind her, Terminator and the hens gathered close once more, quiet, unmoving, the only living things left beside her.
And in that moment—
Lili understood.
She was alone.
Completely.