Chapter 165: One Rainy Night (1)
Kestrel’s arm couldn’t move at all, so they stopped her training. They took her to a special healing pod in the Tower to help her get better.
The Queen didn’t give out the red gemstone as a prize. But she gave Kestrel a unique gift to celebrate her success in cracking the Eyehole.
This special gift was a fancy card. With it, Kestrel could use a special elevator to the Tower and ask to see the Queen whenever she wanted. It was like a golden ticket to the royal palace.
After Kestrel came out of the healing pod, she got this amazing card, specially made for the elevator. The way people looked at her changed right away. They were surprised, impressed, jealous, and some tried to be extra nice to her. Being given such respect was a huge deal in the Empire.
The Queen was the most powerful person in the Empire. She decided on many things, like if some ministers should lose their job, where the soldiers should go, and how money was spent. Not many people got to see her. Even royal family members and top Empire officials couldn’t just go and talk to her unless she asked them to.
In the whole Empire, only a few could ask to meet the Queen whenever they wanted. So, everyone was astonished that Kestrel got this special gift.
But Kestrel didn’t think it was that big of a deal. She wondered, "Is this so I can just go into the palace and challenge the Queen?"
She was mostly interested in the red gemstone necklace. When Kestrel looked at its shape, she felt it was linked to the Verity Vault hidden at her house.
Sadly, she didn’t get the necklace this time, and it would only be harder to get it later, since it was one of the Queen’s own treasures.
Healing betas was slower than healing alphas, so it took longer for Kestrel’s arm to get better.
When she finally came out of the healing pod and went back home, it was dark outside. It was raining a lot, and dinner time had already passed.
Kaworu was there at the gate, waiting with an umbrella. Kestrel left her car and quickly got under the dry umbrella.
The raindrops made tiny sounds as they hit the umbrella. The whole courtyard looked misty because of the rain.
Kestrel walked carefully, her shoes splashing on the wet ground. Next to her, the silver half-mask on Kaworu’s face gave off a shiny reflection in the dim rainy evening glow.
"Things have been a bit crazy AT HOME lately. Some thieves showed up," said Kaworu with a deep and chilly voice. He then showed her a gold necklace he had inside his collar.
"These aren’t just any thieves. I think they want this necklace or maybe something in your room."
Kestrel picked up on him saying "home."
Walking next to her in the rain was not an actual human, but to her, he was as good as family.
From the moment Kaworu had come to live with her, his impressive psychic power had acted like a shield around their home. Not a single person had successfully taken anything.
Intruders, no matter how clever or quick they were, just couldn’t find what they sought. Kaworu’s psychic energy made sure of that—even if what they were looking for was right out in the open, like in Kestrel’s toy collection or hanging on the window’s wind chimes.
But this was a warning. It hinted at darker nights ahead, more intense rain, and increased threats.
"It’s fine," Kestrel responded, walking briskly through the chilly raindrops. "I believe you, Kaworu. I feel like I’ve gotten stronger. And I’m going to keep getting stronger."
Locky had made dinner ready for her when she got home.
"Ren came over earlier," Locky mentioned, yawning since he wasn’t used to staying up so late. "He waited a bit for you, but then got a phone call and had to rush off for an emergency."
Kestrel responded with a nod, focusing on eating her food to get her strength back.
Later, she went up to the attic, trading her wet clothes for comfy pajamas, and crawled into her soft bed. That was when she took a moment to think about her day.
After all the stress, dangers, fights, and injuries, she felt a bit sad about missing her dinner with Ren.
They had planned to eat together.
Kestrel shifted in her bed with a hint of annoyance. But she didn’t really mind feeling this way. These small feelings reminded her she wasn’t like the distant Queen. They made her feel alive and more human.
Outside, the rain continued to pour, hitting the windowpanes hard. The rainwater ran down the window, looking like small rivers. Listening to the rain, Kestrel found herself drifting into sleep.
And in that sleep, she dreamt.
She hadn’t had such restless dreams since coming back from the Eyehole.
This particular dream took her back to a childhood memory she had long since forgotten, yet in her dream, it felt so clear.
The dream showed rain, just like now. A young Kestrel was by a window, her small hands holding a paintbrush as she eagerly drew in a notebook.
Suddenly, a woman’s hand reached out and held her tiny one. "This is Mommy’s journal, Kestrel, not a drawing pad," a soft voice said.
The words might have been a gentle scolding, but the voice was loving, without any real anger.
In their younger days, people are incredibly observant. It’s like they have a built-in radar to understand how others are feeling. They use this skill to figure out if they can continue being a little sassy or mischievous.
"I want to draw in it. You’ve been so busy with this notebook you haven’t had time to play with me," little Kestrel said with a cute pout on her face.
Seeing this, her mom scooped her up, laughing, and twirled her around the room in a playful dance.
As they spun, Kestrel saw all her toys and drawing books zip by in a colorful blur. Amidst all this, there was one smiling face that stood out, even if it was a bit blurry—it was her mom’s.
Finally, her mom set her down gently on a chair, giving her a soft, brand-new toy orca. "Play with this little whale for now, Kestrel. Mommy and Daddy have to visit the Polluted Zone again. But we’ll be back super soon, I promise, and then we’ll have lots of fun together."
The toy orca was all soft and cuddly, and it even had a cute pink bow tied around it.
Kestrel was super happy. She grabbed the toy, played with the ribbon a bit, and then started making the orca swim around on the table.
Nearby, there was an open notebook filled with her doodles. But on the very last page, some words were scribbled:
"I have an unsettling feeling. I think we’re being watched."
"Where’s the best place to hide the box?"
...
