Two days later...
The dog still hadn’t returned.
Every single morning—and sotis even in the evening—Aria and Lila would run out toward the gate, their eyes filled with hope as they searched the empty road.
"Maybe she’s there today..."
"Maybe she ca back while we were sleeping..."
But every ti...
They were t with nothing.
No wagging tail.
No cheerful bark.
No Sunny.
And each ti they turned back toward the shelter, their steps grew slower... heavier.
---
anwhile, Ivy hadn’t stopped checking on the dog.
Through the system interface, she kept track of Sunny’s location.
Every few hours, she would pull up the screen, her gaze scanning the surroundings carefully.
And each ti she saw that the dog was still alive—
Still safe—
She would let out a quiet breath of relief.
At least she wasn’t dead.
At least she hadn’t been torn apart by monsters.
But surviving wasn’t the sa as living.
Sunny had been struggling.
Over the past two days, the dog had been forced to search for food on her own, wandering through dangerous areas, sniffing around for anything edible.
Each ti Ivy saw it, her heart clenched.
And each ti—
She stepped in.
Preparing chunks of at—clean, unseasoned, and safe—Ivy would find ways to leave food behind for the dog.
She couldn’t afford to keep buying canned dog food from the system.
Not yet.
So this...
This was the best she could do.
---
Inside the shelter...
"Just forget about her, babies."
Ivy’s voice was gentle but firm as she sat down, breastfeeding little Hope.
"She’s not coming back."
Her tone softened slightly.
"Like I said before... I’ll get you both another dog."
She offered a small smile.
"A golden one too."
Lila sat quietly, her head lowered.
"...Alright, Mommy," she murmured softly, though the sadness in her voice didn’t fade.
Aria didn’t respond at all this ti.
She simply stared down at her hands.
---
Just then—
Ping. Ping. Ping.
The system interface suddenly appeared in front of Ivy again.
Her eyes imdiately shifted toward it.
And what she saw made her sit up straighter.
The screen showed Sunny.
But this ti—
She wasn’t alone.
A military van had pulled up nearby.
Two burly n stepped out of the vehicle.
Ivy’s eyes widened slightly.
"They’re back to get her..." she thought inwardly, a faint smile forming on her lips.
Finally.
"Bark! Bark!"
Sunny barked loudly, her tail wagging as she ran toward them.
But instead of welcoming her—
"Get away from here!"
One of the soldiers snapped harshly, his voice filled with irritation.
"You’re still not dead, huh?"
He clicked his tongue in annoyance before turning away from the dog completely.
His gaze shifted toward a nearby hiding spot.
"You all can co out now!" he shouted. "The area’s clear enough. You’re lucky you survived these past two days—I thought you’d all be dead by now."
Ivy’s expression darkened.
Lucky? she scoffed inwardly.
They’re only alive because Sunny stayed there.
Her jaw tightened.
The system’s protective influence had extended subtly into that path—
All because of the dog.
And yet...
These people didn’t even realize it.
---
Slowly, a group of survivors erged from hiding.
A man.
Two won.
And a small child.
They looked weak, exhausted—but alive.
"Get into the van," the soldier ordered impatiently.
The survivors nodded quickly.
One by one, they climbed into the van.
Sunny barked again, trying to follow.
"Bark! Bark!"
"Step back!" the soldier snapped, clearly annoyed now. "Even the commander is furious because of you."
He glared at the dog.
"You should’ve died already. Just stay away—I don’t want to be the one who kills you."
Without another glance, he turned and got back into the vehicle.
Monts later—
The van drove off.
Leaving Sunny behind.
---
The dog didn’t give up imdiately.
She ran after the vehicle, barking desperately as she chased it down the road.
But no matter how fast she ran...
It kept getting farther away.
Until finally—
She slowed.
Stopped.
And sat down in the middle of the road.
Her head lowered.
Her tail stilled.
Silence.
She has been abandoned again.
---
Back in the shelter, Ivy’s fists clenched.
"Oh, you poor thing..." she muttered under her breath, anger flashing in her eyes.
"These people are worse than beasts."
Her expression hardened.
"How is a dog responsible for whatever happened to the commander’s daughter?" she scoffed inwardly.
It made no sense.
And yet...
They took it out on her.
Twice.
They abandoned her.
Twice.
Ivy exhaled slowly.
"...That’s enough."
Her decision was made.
"I think it’s ti to bring her ho," she said quietly to herself. "This ti... for good."
Her eyes softened.
"She’s mine now."
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