Lina pressed her lips into a tight frown before continuing.
"The boss said I wasn't working hard enough. One day I spilled a pot of stew by accident, and the cook hit me. After that... I ran away and hid over here at the edge of camp. They don't really care what happens to one little girl, I guess, as long as I don't steal their food. So I keep my head down. I do odd jobs when I can, for some of the nicer folks here, just to get scraps."
Ragnarok99 cursed under his breath, while BrawlerX looked like he wanted to punch something again.
Anna and Bunny trembled, barely able to contain the anger boiling within them.
A child like Lina should have been in school or playing with friends, not struggling to survive under the thumb of thugs.
"I'm sorry about your parents," Gabriel said quietly. "You deserved better than this."
Lina gave a little shrug, though her eyes shone with emotions she tried to suppress.
