You are a cat demon

That day, you still didn't see Carmen the eagle in the holly tree. Gazing at the empty branches, your heart felt like a withered leaf drifting in the wind, with nowhere to land.

As the sky gradually turned a pale white, and the afterglow of the setting sun painted the corners of the sky crimson, until finally the stars draped you in a silver veil, its form still did not appear. You stared blankly at the place where it used to frequent, squatting until your limbs were numb and your neck ached. It was getting late, and not wanting to worry Village Chief Zhang Qingshan and his family, you had no choice but to return home.

Staring at the same thing for a long time can easily cause mental problems. Right now, all you can see is that big tree branch. When you walk down the street, you feel like there's a wooden stick as thick as a human calf blocking your way every step or two. You're even a little out of it, your steps are light and unsteady, as if you're flying in the sky instead of walking on the ground. You almost tripped and fell flat on your face when you got close to your door.

You know, Carmen the hunting eagle's owner is going on a long trip. Apparently, he's going to the city with a few other villagers to buy supplies, and they won't be back for at least a week. He didn't take Carmen with him, nor did he prepare any food for it, because hunting eagles aren't stupid; they can catch mice or frogs in the wild to eat. Previously, its owner often left it at home for days on end, and it wouldn't run away, so no one thought much of it.

The hunting eagle is at its freest during this time. Before its owner returns, it can go wherever it wants, briefly reliving the feeling of soaring through the mountains. Unlike your big black dog, which becomes restless and loses its appetite when Village Chief Zhang Qingshan is away, always squatting by the gate and refusing to budge until its "owner" returns, Carmen, the hunting eagle, doesn't seem to have any attachment to its owner. It probably wishes its owner wouldn't take it out every day, giving it more freedom.

During this time, Carmen the Eagle Hunter might appear in any unexpected place.

The last time its owner went on a long trip, it seemed to have flown to a valley a thousand miles away from Sakura Village. This was described by a villager who went to that valley to gather herbs. He said he was clinging to the edge of a cliff picking some hemostatic herbs when suddenly a golden eagle that looked almost exactly like Carmen flew past him at such a speed that it nearly scared him off the cliff. The villager was still shaken as he told this. Although golden eagles don't look very different, the possibility of such a coincidence cannot be ruled out.

You don't care where the golden eagle Carmen flies to; the only thing you're certain of is that it can't stay away from this holly tree forever. Its owner didn't build it a nest, so this holly tree is its roosting place. Besides, golden eagles are extremely territorial; since it has already made Cherry Blossom Village its home, it can't stay away forever. But several days have passed, its owner is almost back, and you still haven't seen a trace of it.

This is very unusual.

Could this guy have been having too much fun outside and lost track of time? Or perhaps it spotted a young and beautiful female golden eagle in the wild and is on its honeymoon, or maybe it's even planning to elope? Has it finally come to its senses and decided to take this opportunity to slip away and continue being a free-spirited wild golden eagle? Or perhaps…

Let me preface this by saying you've already made peace with the eagle Carmen. That day, you even shared half of your food with it, and it ate it quite heartily. You, such a stubborn cat demon, have already let go of that; if this eagle still holds a grudge, you'll definitely make it vomit up every single piece of meat it ate!

That's what you said, but your heart still felt as heavy as lead. Bathed in the moonlight, you couldn't fall asleep at all.

Your relationship with it isn't exactly good or bad; it's only slightly better than your relationship with the big black dog when you used to fight every time you met. But right now, you're probably the only one in the whole village thinking about it. Why should you think about an eagle that has absolutely nothing to do with you? ...

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, you came to the holly tree again, carrying a piece of chicken breast that you had left over from the night before, which you had intended to save for breakfast that day.

In the most prominent spot on the tree, the hunting eagle Carmen stood proudly. The sun slowly peeked over the horizon, gradually changing the sky from a watery red to a golden red. The gentle sunlight bathed its body, making its brown feathers seem edged in gold, each one shimmering with the luster of life. You noticed that its eyes were no longer filled with endless sorrow, but rather with the unique brute spirit of a bird of prey, looking down upon the world and everything in its path.

It's back.

With a swift movement, you leaped up the tree and arrived beside it.

It didn't look you in the eye, nor did it deliberately avoid you or keep its distance. It didn't let out any threatening howls or adopt an aggressive stance, which can be considered as tacitly allowing you to approach.

Seeing that it was safe and sound, and even seemed more energetic than before, you finally breathed a sigh of relief. But the guy's crop was empty, and you could tell at a glance that it hadn't eaten a full meal.

So you went out and had fun? Now you're paying the price, aren't you?

You place the chicken breast next to its feet and gently nudge it with your front paws, signaling it to eat.

It remained unmoved.

You assumed it was out of respect for the golden eagle—it doesn't eat food offered with contempt—and that it was embarrassed to eat the meat you "given" to it in front of you. Knowing this, you left without saying anything, figuring you didn't have anything else urgent to discuss with it, thinking it would probably swallow the meat whole only after you were completely out of sight.

But when you went to check on it again the next day, you were surprised to find that the chicken breast was still there, untouched. In fact, because it had been there for so long and the temperature was too high, the meat had begun to smell moldy, and a few ants were crawling on it. The hunting eagle Carmen seemed to haven't changed its posture at all, still standing proudly, still looking down on everything before it, exactly as it had the day before. Of course, you don't know if it really stayed in the tree all day, and you didn't see it with your own eyes, but since it's a golden eagle, such extraordinary perseverance is not unusual.

The sun rises as usual, everything seems normal, and it seems that Carmen the Eagle's disappearance for a few days was just a dream. However, the beautiful bubble is ruthlessly burst, and a majestic howl pulls you back to the cold reality.