The sound of rain pouring outside the house was constant, like a soft, sorrowful rhythm.Inside the humble cottage, Maria moved a wooden stool to a leaking spot and placed it down. She then picked up a plastic bag and hung it on the dilapidated, damp ceiling. The plastic could barely stop the water from leaking, but it was the best she could do. She hadn't eaten all day, and exhaustion had drained all her strength. On the broken table was a jug of water, from which she drank most of it, but her hunger remained. In the corner, there was a half-rotted piece of bread in a cardboard box, but it was her brother's, and he had not eaten for two days. She couldn't bring herself to eat his food.Thinking of her brother brought a sense of terror that weighed heavily on her heart. This fear had been pressing down on her for days.Her brother was injured, lying in bed for a long time without waking. His face was pale, with no trace of blood, his lips cracked and dry, his chest rising and falling faintly, his body growing colder by the hour.It had already been two days since her brother fell unconscious. A kind man had told her that if her brother did not wake today, he would die. Maria's eyes instantly filled with tears, and they fell freely down her cheeks.It was her fault. It was because of her that her brother had been hurt.Maria moved to her brother's side and gently touched his bloodstained head. The blood had already dried, and his hand felt ice-cold to the touch.He was cold. He needed hot water. Maria stood up and took the little dry wood she had, ready to light a fire to boil some water.Maria was almost six years old, malnourished, and looked even younger than her age. Despite her small size, she was adept at starting a fire. The firewood was made up of dried twigs and soft, easily combustible grass that she had gathered over time. However, the rain had soaked the wood and straw, and it took her a great deal of effort to ignite them. The cottage quickly filled with smoke.Before long, Maria's tears began to flow again."Brother must be thirsty…" she murmured to herself."Maria! You need to start the fire!""Once brother drinks some hot water, he will get better!"The smoke stung her eyes, making her tears flow uncontrollably, and her small face became streaked with the tears, looking like a painted mask. After much effort, she finally managed to get the water to boil. She took a small bowl, carefully filled it with water, blew on it gently, and brought it to her brother's side, placing it by his bed. She kept blowing on the water to cool it.The bowl was too hot. Her hands burned with pain."Brother, drink some water." She seemed to remember something and quickly found a broken porcelain spoon, cleaned it, and placed it into the bowl.She then carefully picked up the bowl again, tested the temperature, and walked toward her brother. The bowl was a simple white porcelain one with a small flower pattern, a gift from her brother, and it was the most precious thing she owned. She always treated it with great care, cleaning it thoroughly after each use, and storing it safely."Brother, drink some water.""Brother...""Brother!"Maria's hand trembled as she held the bowl. Had the thing she feared the most finally happened? With great effort, she reached out to touch her brother's face, but it was icy cold.Suddenly, the small bowl that she cherished so much slipped from her hands, shattering on the floor into two pieces."Waah...""Brother is dead!? —""Brother is dead!""It's all Maria's fault!""Maria caused her brother's death… waah..."Maria collapsed onto her brother's chest, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to accept the painful truth. She felt a deep sorrow, as if the world around her had lost all color. Her body felt cold, and her heart sank into an endless abyss, devoid of life and hope.Despair? There was nothing left to despair about.The rain outside grew even heavier, as if the heavens themselves were mourning the loss of a soul. In the distance, the sea churned, as though furious at the tragedy.Maria, a young girl who should have had a happy family, was born into misfortune. Her parents had always been unlucky, and eventually, they met with an accident and died in a car crash. Before she even turned one, Maria was sent to her aunt's house. But within half a year, a tragedy struck there as well—her aunt's family went bankrupt, and her aunt almost lost her life. Maria was then sent to her uncle's home, but that didn't improve things. Her uncle's family began facing misfortune, and eventually, her aunt insisted that Maria be sent to the orphanage. Even at the orphanage, misfortune seemed to follow her—both the children and adults were frequently hurt, and no one wanted to care for her.After she turned three, Maria was abandoned by the orphanage. A few kind people took her in, but within a month, they sent her back. After several such incidents, no one was willing to take her in anymore."Unlucky girl," "Wicked witch," "Demon," "Devil," "Disaster star"—these were some of the cruel names given to her. Everywhere she went, she was met with disdain, hatred, and rejection. People wanted to forget her, to rid themselves of the burden of her presence. Eventually, they did just that—they literally threw her into a garbage heap far from the orphanage, near the sea. This garbage heap was rarely visited, and a three-year-old child left there would surely starve to death.After being discarded so many times, the cruel stares of people made Maria lose any hope she had left for the world.She had already been abandoned.Thrown away, the young Maria didn't cry. She knew crying was pointless. She didn't make a fuss either, because no one cared for her. If she upset someone, they would hit her with brooms, slap her with shoes, or pinch her. She no longer feared anything in this world. She simply sat quietly in the garbage heap, accepting her fate."Hey? Why are you lying here?""Do you have no home either?""Are you hungry? Come to my house. I have some bread.""Too tired to walk? I'll carry you. From now on, you'll be my sister, and I'll be your brother."A boy, calling himself her brother, came to her, and it was he who made her feel that living no longer had to be a solitary experience. His smile was bright and full of warmth, and when Maria saw it, she felt something she had never felt before—comfort. He didn't mind her dirty, disheveled appearance and carried her without hesitation. Although he was thin, he was strong, and he carried her effortlessly. His home was large, and there was bread—sweet, fragrant bread. Maria ate so much of it.Maria settled down there. As long as she had her brother, she always had food. This place was far from the orphanage, and there were no familiar faces to remind her of the cruelty she had faced. No one despised her, and she never had to face the cold, hateful stares again.A month passed, and Maria's life here was calm and happy. Her frail body seemed to gain a little weight. This place felt like heaven, even though no one spoke to her. She was content.But even in heaven, angels can fall. A few troublesome children, who had fallen from grace, became the tormentors. They would target her and her brother, mock them, beat them, insult them, and take pleasure in their pain. They made their lives a continuous suffering for almost a year, and eventually, the villagers drove them out.Once they were cast out of their home, food became scarce, and their lives grew even harder. The struggles of survival taught Maria various life skills.One morning, her brother was preparing to go out to search for food, and Maria decided to accompany him."It's been a month since we've gone out. Let's go see if there's anything left. It should be safe."Her brother agreed, and Maria happily skipped alongside him, like a cheerful little bird, hopping and skipping, picking flowers, and collecting small stones.They weren't lucky. As soon as they returned to the village, they ran into the same children who had tormented them before."Oh! Look! Isn't that the poor girl, Maria?""Why aren't you in the garbage heap?""Haha, looks like the bastard picked her up! What a perfect match!""Get out of here! This place isn't for you!""Go back to the garbage heap!"No one would have imagined that such cruel words would come from children so young. The group of older kids began cursing at them, spitting, and throwing stones.Maria's head was struck by a stone, and her brother stepped forward to protect her. The attackers were taller and outnumbered them, and with a single blow, they knocked him down, kicking and punching him. Then they grabbed sticks and started beating him, throwing rocks."Bad guys! Don't hit my brother!""Don't hit my brother!"Maria was frantic, her tears streaming down her face as she tried to shield her brother. The attackers showed no mercy, laughing cruelly and hitting harder, throwing stones faster.Blood poured out! The situation escalated, and those who realized what was happening fled. All that remained was