The smallest cub gasped from below. "Brother high!"

The second cub immediately woke fully and stared up with huge eyes. "Brother fall?"

"No one is falling!" Swanly shouted.

The eldest cub trembled harder.

Swanly slapped a hand over her own mouth.

Wrong.

Bad.

She was making it worse.

She forced her voice to soften, but it came out strangled because her heart was already hanging from the ledge with him.

"Okay. Baby. Listen to Mama. Just stay there. You can climb down slowly."

The eldest cub’s eyes filled with panic.

He lifted one paw.

Then put it down.

Then lifted another.

Then froze.

Swanly looked around wildly. There were furs on the ground. She grabbed the thickest one and dragged it under the ledge.

The smallest cub ran in a circle around her feet.

The second cub was so scared he hid behind the fur pile with only his round eyes showing.

Swanly spread the fur with shaking hands.

"Okay. If you fall, fall here. But do not fall. Actually, no, do not listen to that. Just climb down. Slowly. Gently. Very normal. Very safe."

The eldest cub gave a tiny sound.

Then he jumped.

Swanly’s soul left.

She screamed and threw herself forward.

The little black body dropped from the ledge, too fast, too small, too soft, and Swanly caught him against her chest right before she crashed backward onto the cave floor.

Her back hit the fur.

The eldest cub hit her stomach.

The air left her lungs.

For one full second, Swanly could not speak.

Then she hugged the eldest cub so tightly that he squeaked.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Are you insane? Are you trying to kill me? Do you know my heart stopped? Do you know I nearly died? I survived zombies and you want to finish me with climbing?"

The eldest cub looked up at her with wet eyes.

He did not understand why she was angry.

He only understood that Mama was shaking.

Mama’s voice was loud.

Mama was holding him too tight.

And Mama looked like she was about to cry.

His little mouth trembled.

"Mama mad?"

Swanly froze.

Then the eldest began to cry.

Not loud at first.

Just one small broken sound.

Then his tears came, and he pressed his face into her chest like he had done something terrible.

Swanly’s anger died so fast it was almost embarrassing.

"No, no, no. I’m not mad. I mean, I am mad, but not that kind of mad. I’m scared mad. Do you understand? You scared me."

The eldest sobbed into her hide dress.

The smallest cub immediately climbed onto Swanly’s lap and licked her wrist because he did not know what else to do.

The second cub came out from behind the fur, saw everyone upset, and started crying too.

Swanly stared at the three cubs.

"Why are all of you crying? I’m the one who almost had a heart attack."

The smallest cried and licked her hand at the same time.

The second pressed his head under her arm.

The eldest kept making tiny guilty sounds.

Swanly hugged all three and rocked them badly because she did not know how mothers did this properly.

"Okay. Fine. Mama is sorry for shouting. But you cannot climb high places without telling me. I am new to this. I do not have the mental strength for baby panthers falling from cave roofs."

At that moment, Kael came through the waterfall.

He was in human form, with water dripping from his black hair and shoulders. A fur bundle of fruits was tied in one hand. His eyes went straight to Swanly on the ground with all three cubs crying in her arms.

His face changed at once.

He dropped the fruit and rushed to them.

"What happened?"

His voice was sharp.

Swanly looked up at him with wide eyes. "Your son almost jumped from the sky."

Kael froze.

The eldest sniffled.

Kael looked up at the ledge.

Then he looked down at the cub.

His face became confused.

"He climbs that type of height often."

Swanly stared at him.

Kael added, "He can come down."

The eldest slowly hid his face again.

Swanly’s mouth opened.

Then closed.

Then opened again.

"He can what?"

Kael looked at her face and stopped.

She was genuinely scared.

Her hands were still shaking around the cubs. Her white ears were stiff. Her tail had puffed out so much it looked twice its normal size.

Kael’s eyes softened a little. To him his female had just been so scared. He could not let it happen again, so he looked down at the eldest cub.

"Do not climb high when your mama is watching."

Swanly snapped her head toward him. "That is not the lesson."

Kael corrected himself very quickly. "Do not climb high at all until your mama allows it."

The eldest sniffled and nodded.

"Good," Swanly said.

The smallest licked her wrist again.

Swanly looked down. "And you. Stop using your tongue as emotional medicine."

The smallest blinked with his wet eyes.

Then he slowly licked her again.

Swanly stared at him.

Kael looked away, but Swanly saw the corner of his mouth move.

She pointed at him. "Do not laugh."

"I did not."

"You wanted to."

Kael picked up the fruit bundle again. "I checked the area. It is safe for now. We should eat and leave soon."

Swanly sighed and hugged the cubs one more time before putting them down.

"Fine. But from now on, everyone walks, climbs, breathes, and exists carefully."

The cubs nodded very seriously.

Swanly did not believe them.

After they ate fruits, Swanly packed the pot, bowls, rice, medicine, lighter, and other things back into her space while making sure she stood in the dim corner again. This time, she did not want Kael and the cubs staring like she was pulling out stars.

She called her system in her mind.

System.

The tiny fairy appeared in her inner space, floating with one hand still holding its ear.

It looked at her with the face of someone who had suffered for seven lifetimes.

Swanly stared at it.

"It has been a whole day."

The system’s lower lip trembled.

Swanly lifted one finger. "No. I am not apologizing."

The system’s lips wobbled harder.

Tiny tears gathered in its eyes.

Swanly’s face went blank.

"Oh my God. Stop."

The system sniffed. "Host damaged system dignity."

"You ate my popcorn."

"System was emotionally injured."

"You have no job."

"System has many jobs."

"Name one."

The system straightened at once, but it still held its ear.

"New daily task unlocked."

Swanly paused.

The system lifted both hands, and a small glowing screen appeared.

{Daily Task: Keep all three cubs alive until sunset.}

{Reward: Cub-safe medicine kit.}

{Failure: Your cubs will remember your incompetence forever.}

Swanly stared at it.

Then she slowly lifted her head.

"Are you mocking me?"

The system’s wings fluttered. "System is encouraging growth."

Swanly reached out.

The system vanished immediately.

Its voice echoed in her mind. "Violent host!"

Swanly opened her eyes in the cave with a dead expression.

Keep all three cubs alive until sunset?

What kind of task was that?

How hard could it be?

Two hours later, Swanly wanted to laugh at her past self and throw her into a river.

Kael traveled in his black panther form.

He was huge enough that Swanly could sit on his back with the three cubs tucked safely in front of her. His black fur was thick and warm under her legs, and his body moved smoothly through the forest. Every step was quiet. Even with his size, he barely made a sound.

Swanly held the cubs close.

The forest was bright now.

Huge trees rose around them with roots thicker than human bodies. Vines hung low from the branches. Large leaves brushed Swanly’s shoulders when Kael passed. Strange flowers grew from tree trunks, red, yellow, and blue, with open mouths like little cups. Insects clicked from the bark. Birds with long tails flew from branch to branch. Somewhere far away, a beast called out, deep and rough, and the sound traveled through the trees like a warning.

The air smelled of wet soil, sweet fruit, old leaves, and animal scent.

Swanly’s ears kept twitching.

She could hear too much.

Tiny feet in the bushes.

Water running under rocks.

Wings moving above them.

The cubs loved it.

That was the problem.

The smallest kept trying to climb over her arm to see everything.

The second kept staring at the shadows with wide quiet eyes.

The eldest stood with his front paws on Kael’s neck, trying to look like he was leading the journey.

Swanly held him by the belly.

"You are not the captain."

The eldest looked back. "I protect."

"You are the size of a bag."

The smallest giggled.

The eldest looked offended.

Kael’s ear flicked back as if he was listening.

Swanly tapped his fur. "Don’t encourage him."

They moved for a long time before Swanly saw something that made her pull Kael’s fur gently.

"Wait. Stop."