She first used her supernatural ability when cornered in an alley by a thug. As a child without the protection of adults, survival in District D seemed impossible. A seven-year-old Aries, alone in collecting supplies, became an easy target. The thug followed her into an alley, intent on stealing her food. Aries resisted fiercely, but the assailant mercilessly beat her. Weak and battered, she eventually let go. After securing the loot, the thug looked back at Aries, contemplating another act of violence.
Realizing the danger, Aries wished she could go unnoticed. To her surprise, the thug, staring with widened eyes, suddenly fled as if chased by an unseen force. Aries, perplexed but spared, embraced the small victory, understanding that survival, even without meaning, was still a victory.
Aries discovered her invisibility ability much later, after multiple incidents of food theft. Utilizing this power, she avoided being robbed and, eventually, found it served other purposes. She no longer needed to collect fixed food rations daily; instead, she could feast in the warehouse. Moreover, she learned she could confront those who had once bullied her, silently inserting a knife into their necks when least expected.
At the tender age of seven, Aries understood the new survival rule: "With power comes the freedom to do as one pleases." The journey to District D's supply station with Alfonso became routine. The incongruous car drew the attention of local thugs, but upon noticing the Jiang family emblem, their avaricious eyes retreated like startled mice in the presence of light. Aries, once a resident mouse of District D, keenly sensed the familiar gazes. She smiled silently at the term "mouse," a label she used for herself and others in the district.
The car came to a steady stop in front of the supply station. Aries opened the car door and stepped out, breathing in the familiar, murky air of District D—a blend of familiarity and a faint hint of decay. Despite the numerous covetous gazes cast from the shadows, Aries paid them no heed and proceeded directly into the supply station.
It wasn't the time for food distribution, and the closed gate stood firm. Aries, unfazed, made a few unsuccessful attempts to push it open. With a disdainful smirk, she inserted her hands into her pockets, lifted her leg, and delivered a powerful kick. The door produced a loud bang but remained shut. Aries followed up with another kick.
"Damn, got tired of living, huh?!" A string of curses emanated from behind the door. After a short while, the door swung open, revealing a menacing-looking man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Not surprised to see Aries, he barked at her, "Are you looking to die? It's not time yet. Come back later if you want food!"
Unperturbed, Aries pushed him aside and walked past. While doing so, she snatched the cigarette from his mouth and tossed it on the ground, stomping on it a few times.
"You!" The man glared, cursing as he slammed the door shut.
"Where's Jazlyn?" Aries, hands in her pockets, looked around but didn't spot anyone. She asked the man.
"Asleep in the back!" The man took another cigarette from his pack, lit it, and nonchalantly walked to a table, pulling out a chair to sit down. He tilted his head, looking at Aries. "You, little brat, clinging to Estrella's coattails. Why keep coming back to District D? Tired of the good life?"
Despite his words, the man understood that Aries returned for them. In this era of cold indifference, the existence of someone still holding onto past connections was a rare sentiment, and to claim it was unmoving would be untrue.
Rolling her eyes at him, Aries walked toward his bedroom. "I'm going to find Jazlyn."
The man chuckled, uttering a curse, and settled into the chair, smoking away.
The man's name was Miley, transferred from the Central District to manage this supply station. He was an electric ability user. Miley was not the only one; numerous ability users were assigned to District D for security purposes. They were scattered throughout the district, indifferent to personal matters. Even if someone were killed in front of them, they turned a blind eye, only intervening when there were zombies or mutated creatures.
This trend was instigated by Miley since he was their leader. With no orders from higher-ups to interfere in human affairs, they adopted a hands-off approach, intervening only when there were undead or mutated creatures.
Miley had always maintained a carefree appearance. Apart from opening the supply station's gate at the designated times, he spent the rest of his days sleeping. However, despite his seemingly unreliable demeanor, he had some skills.
Initially, Aries had sneaked into the supply station's warehouse to steal things, utilizing her stealth ability. Miley discovered her after a few attempts and, without treating her as a child, subjected her to a thorough beating. After the beating, Miley, upon seeing her limp away, decided not to press the matter further, tossing her two sausages.
Although Aries accepted the sausages, she didn't reciprocate any gratitude. The grudge from Miley's beating lingered in her mind. Aware of Miley's capabilities, she kept her distance.
At the age of seven, Aries had discovered her ability to turn invisible. After her stolen supplies were taken back a few times, she realized her newfound power. Leveraging this ability, she no longer fell victim to theft. Over time, she discovered other applications of her power, such as bypassing the daily ration system by feasting in the warehouse.
She also found another use—settling scores with those who had mistreated her. A silent, vengeful stab in the neck when the target least expected it.
By then, seven-year-old Aries had grasped the new survival rule of the era: "With power, one can do as they please."
The car drove to the supply station in District D. Alfonso, who had been driving Aries for a while, knew about her routine visits to the district. Aries never went anywhere else, only to the supply station in District D. Over time, Alfonso stopped asking questions and simply drove her directly to the supply station every time they went to District D.
This conspicuous car in District D attracted the greedy glances of its residents. However, upon spotting the insignia of the Jiang family on the vehicle, those covetous looks were promptly withdrawn, as if the rats had suddenly seen the light.
Aries, once a rat herself in District D, keenly sensed the gazes and, with a nonchalant glance out the car window, flashed a silent, mocking smile.
Exactly. Rats. That's how she referred to herself and the residents of District D.
The woman's name was Katalina, and Aries was the first to notice her in District D. What caught Aries' attention initially was Katalina's clothes. They were clean and looked beautiful. Aries had never seen such nice clothes before. However, Katalina was lying on the dirty ground of District D, and Aries couldn't help but feel a sense of pity.
Next, Aries observed Katalina's face, a face that had been severely damaged, with flesh and skin turned outward, looking bloody. Despite her injuries, she was still alive, which was unsettling.
In normal circumstances, someone who had lost so much blood and sustained such extensive injuries would likely have died. Although afraid, Aries couldn't resist her curiosity. Being cautious, she turned invisible and crouched nearby to observe.
Katalina's appearance quickly attracted the attention of people in District D. Several men gathered around her, eyeing her for a while. Soon, the atmosphere turned tense. They began to strip Katalina's clothes, and Aries, watching from the side, wondered if they also liked the clothes. This thought didn't last long before she realized that these men were discarding the clothes they had stripped from Katalina and were eagerly touching her fair skin with their dirty, greedy hands.
Aries was stunned for a moment, but then she realized that this scene was not unfamiliar. In District D, it was a common occurrence.
Watching those men impatiently unfasten their belts, Aries stayed silent for a moment. Then, using the knife in her hand, she inserted it into their necks. Blood sprayed everywhere, and it was both foul and sticky. Aries paid no attention, picking up the clothes that had been stripped from Katalina and covering her body, which was covered in blood. Then, she sprinted to the supply station.
At that time, Miley was sleeping in a slouched position on a chair. Aries knocked on the door but couldn't open it, so she smashed the window of Miley's bedroom and crawled in through the broken hole.
When she found Miley, he was still sleeping like a log. Aries didn't hold back, delivering a hard kick to Miley's shin. Startled, Miley fell off the chair upon opening his eyes. Seeing Aries, he pointed at her nose and cursed. Aries, without a second thought, grabbed his finger and pulled him outside.
Speaking of which, Miley being with Katalina could be considered Aries' contribution. Although Miley appeared unserious, he was, in fact, innocent. When Aries left District D, the relationship between the two was not clear. Even when Aries returned to see them each time, they remained the same. Aries felt anxious for them and wondered how Katalina could be patient with him. Aries thought if it were her, she would have slapped both of them and walked away.
It was only in the early part of last year that Miley finally took that step. Although Aries wasn't present at that time, she learned about it later and was genuinely happy for the two.
Once, when she visited the supply station again, Miley nervously pulled her aside, marked his safe spot on her map, and asked her to bring back some things to replenish Katalina's health. Aries, upon asking, found out that Katalina was pregnant.
Knowing about Katalina's pregnancy, Aries visited District D more frequently. Each time she came, she would bring something. However, today was a spontaneous decision, and there were no shops near the warehouse location, making it inconvenient. Hence, she came empty-handed.
Aries was familiar with Miley's bedroom. It had been a mess, like a garbage dump. So, when Aries threw garbage into his room initially, she felt no guilt. Perhaps Miley didn't even know that she intentionally threw some of the trash. However, after Katalina appeared, Miley's bedroom became clean and tidy. This made Aries feel reluctant to throw more garbage in there.
When Aries entered Miley's bedroom, Katalina had just put on her shoes. She carried a large belly, and her movements were a bit slow. Seeing her, Aries quickly approached to help her.
"Jazlyn, if you need anything, let me know. What can I get for you?" Aries looked at her enlarged belly, finding it somewhat intimidating, like a giant balloon that might burst with the slightest neglect.
"I didn't want anything specific. Didn't you hear your voice? I got up. Did Miley scold you again? I'll teach him a lesson later." Katalina's voice was always warm and gentle, especially when facing Aries. Even when speaking to Miley, she didn't sound as gentle. Miley, seeing this every time, felt a twinge of jealousy, but he later realized it was futile and gave up.
Based on this, Aries developed a special liking for Katalina.
Katalina was different from the people in District D, a distinction Aries understood from the first glance. At that time, Aries believed the difference was only in Katalina's attire. However, after spending more time together, Aries discovered deeper distinctions.
People living in District D generally seemed on edge — cold, desperate, shattered, twisted, insane — these expressions were the most common on their faces. Aries once thought that this was how people were supposed to be. However, Katalina's presence shattered her preconceptions. Katalina was gentle, serene, and peaceful, a type of person Aries had never encountered before.
Even though Katalina's face was thoroughly disfigured, covered in scars of varying depths, making it uncomfortable to look at, Aries still felt she was good, exceptionally good. Aries found herself deeply attracted to Katalina.