“Bonnie’s friend? But I’ve never seen you before.” The middle-aged woman’s tone brimmed with suspicion.

  “Heh…” Glenn offered a harmless smile. “My name’s Glenn, ma’am. You can ask Bonnie — she should know me.”

  “Wait here a moment.” The woman spoke politely before closing the door.

  Glenn waited patiently, and soon the door opened again — this time revealing the little glutton, Bonnie.

  “Mr. Glenn?”

  Compared to last time, the girl looked noticeably thinner, the lively brightness in her eyes dulled as if by illness.

  “I heard what happened with you and Layla. I was worried, so I came to check on you,” Glenn said, pausing briefly before adding, “May I come in?”

  “Ah… yes, please.” Bonnie blinked as though awakening from a daze and stepped aside.

  Glenn entered the modest home — a little better kept than most around it — and, to avoid seeming rude, gave only a brief glance before withdrawing his gaze. He placed the cloth bag in his hand upon the table, noticing the simple food laid out there.

  Typical fare for a common household, he thought.

  “I’ll leave you two to talk,” said Bonnie’s mother, sensing the need to give the young people some privacy. “I should go wash the clothes.”

  Though she knew it wasn’t entirely proper to let her daughter spend time alone with a young man, she hoped this friend might somehow lift her spirits.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Glenn replied with a polite smile.

  Once the mother left, silence fell. Bonnie stood awkwardly, uncertain what to do. After all, she had only met Glenn recently — and he was a man. The situation was unavoidably uncomfortable.

  “That day must have frightened you terribly, didn’t it?” Glenn spoke first, easing the tension and drawing color back into Bonnie’s cheeks.

  She lowered her gaze, unsure how to answer.

  “I’ve heard about what happened,” Glenn continued softly. “And I’m sorry. I should’ve been there — part of that was my responsibility.”

  “Please don’t say that, Mr. Glenn. No one could have predicted what would happen next,” Bonnie said quickly, waving her hands as if to brush away his guilt.

  Glenn only smiled faintly. He knew the truth of his own fault, even if no one else did.

  “You don’t look well,” he said, nodding toward her pale face. “You haven’t been eating properly, have you?”

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  Bonnie blushed and lowered her head.

  “You’re worrying your mother, you know that? It’s natural to be shaken after something like that. But shutting yourself away won’t make it go away.”

  His voice was gentle, like an elder guiding a child.

  “I know… but…” Bonnie murmured, fingers nervously entwined.

  “Don’t be afraid, Bonnie. You’re not alone — there’s a guardian watching over you.”

  His calm, steady words made Bonnie blink in surprise. “A guardian?”

  “Yes. A guardian,” Glenn said quietly, meeting her eyes. “Have you forgotten what saved you and Layla that day?”

  Bonnie hesitated, following his lead as her mind drifted back to that dreadful scene — the rough men dragging her along as she struggled and screamed in vain. Just when despair swallowed her, they had suddenly released her and fled, their terrified cries echoing as they vanished.

  If Glenn was right, it was this so-called guardian that had frightened them away.

  “Mr. Glenn, you mean—”

  “Shh…” Glenn interrupted her with a conspiratorial smile, pressing a finger to his lips.

  “Oh my!” Bonnie gasped, covering her mouth, a spark of excitement lighting her eyes for the first time in days.

  Seeing her newfound energy, Glenn felt a quiet satisfaction.

  Children her age were drawn irresistibly to mystery — their curiosity outshone their fear. Tell the same tale to someone in their thirties, and they’d likely be terrified instead.

  And in a world where magic was real, such things hardly seemed impossible.

  “So… Mr. Glenn,” Bonnie whispered, hands clasped like a spy awaiting a secret signal, “what exactly is the guardian?”

  Glenn glanced left and right with exaggerated caution, then leaned close and whispered, “The guardian… is actually a giant dog.”

  At that very moment, somewhere far away, a certain enormous dog twitched its nose — and sneezed loudly.

  “A giant dog?” Bonnie’s eyes widened.

  “Yes — a dog as large as a horse,” Glenn said solemnly. “It punishes evildoers — the Hound of Retribution. It’s been watching over you from the shadows. When it saw those brutes hurting you, it appeared, and they were so terrified they fled for their lives.”

  “That’s… that’s…” Bonnie’s breath quickened, words failing her.

  “It’s cool, isn’t it?” Glenn offered, smiling.

  “Cool?”

  “Yes — cool.”

  “Yes! That’s exactly it — it’s so cool!” Bonnie exclaimed, her face flushed with excitement.

  Perhaps she was too loud, for her mother suddenly burst through the door. “Bonnie, what’s wrong—?”

  But she stopped mid-sentence when she saw her daughter’s radiant smile.

  “Bonnie! You’re smiling again! Oh, I thought I’d never see that smile.”

  As any good mother would, she wept with relief — tears of joy glistening in her eyes.

  “I’m all right now, Mother,” Bonnie said softly, wiping her mother’s tears.

  “I know, I know…” Her mother sniffled, giving her a gentle nudge. “You two go on talking. I’ve still got laundry to finish.”

  With that, she closed the door, leaving the two alone once more.

  “My mother’s just… a little overprotective,” Bonnie said, embarrassed.

  “Overprotective?” Glenn smiled. “No — she’s loving. To be cared for so deeply… that’s something to be grateful for.”

  His words struck something in her heart. For a moment, she wondered — had Glenn lost his own family? Was that why he lived alone, far from town?

  Noticing the soft change in her expression, Glenn chuckled quietly. “Don’t overthink it. Just an observation.”

  Bonnie nodded, though she wasn’t entirely convinced. She shifted the subject instead. “Can I see it? The guardian, I mean. I’d like to thank it in person.”

  “Of course. It lives near my home. If you come by, it’ll watch from the shadows — I can make it show itself.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Bonnie exclaimed, bouncing lightly on her toes.

  Gurgle… gurgle…

  A sudden sound filled the room. Bonnie froze mid-bounce, her face turning crimson — even her ears flushed pink.