Chapter 2

I knelt on the cold concrete ground, my forehead already raw and bloody.

"Please… please, just pull her up… she's just a child!"

My throat was raw from screaming, my fingers scraping against the gaps in the iron bars, nails tearing and bending backwards, but I felt no pain.

From deep within the pipe came rustling sounds, mixed with Daisy's heart-wrenching screams.

"Mommy… Mommy, help me! It hurts so bad… they're biting me… Mommy…"

That sound was like a dull blade, slowly, agonizingly carving into my heart.

I frantically shook the fence, only to be met with Julian's impatient kick.

"So noisy!"

He kicked me to the ground, looking down at me. "Willow, can't you be sensible? She's just a girl, is it really worth this?"

I crawled over and hugged his leg. "Julian, that's your daughter, your own daughter."

"Tsk."

He shook me off, turning to look at Cassandra, who was clinging to him. "Cassandra's right. That girl is just overdramatic."

"So what if she's radiation immune? If our Leo went out to find supplies, he'd be a hundred times better than her."

Cassandra chuckled, covering her mouth. Her fingers, adorned with vibrant red nail polish, traced circles on Julian's chest.

"Julian, I knew you were the most reasonable one. Kids, they need a little lesson to learn their place."

"Mommy… Mommy…"

Daisy's voice grew weaker and weaker, replaced by the excited squeaking and tearing sounds of the mutated rats.

I trembled, lunging at the fence again, but Cassandra grabbed a handful of my hair.

"Willow, don't push your luck."

She leaned close to my ear, a smile twisting her lips. "Your daughter stole my son's abilities. This is her deserved karma."

"What abilities? There are no abilities!"

I shrieked hysterically. "Daisy is just… just physically unique…"

"Enough!"

Julian cut me off impatiently. "Cassandra, let's go distribute the supplies. Don't waste time here."

Cassandra immediately beamed. "Okay, I'm starving anyway."

Before she left, she deliberately kicked the fence. "Little bastard, enjoy yourself."

They walked away, embracing, as my daughter's increasingly faint cries for help echoed in my ears.

I fumbled for a piece of shattered rock on the ground and furiously smashed it against the fence lock.

The sound echoed in the empty sewer, but it didn't budge the sturdy iron lock in the slightest.

"Daisy… Daisy, hold on… Mommy's here…"

My voice was choked, fragmented.

The response from the pipe had dwindled to faint sobs, then the chilling sound of gnawing.

I don't know how long passed, my hands were already raw and bloody.

All I could hear was the rustling feeding sounds of the mutated rats.

When Julian and Cassandra returned, well-fed and satisfied, my tears had run dry.

Julian carelessly kicked away a fat rat that crawled out of the pipe opening, then shone his flashlight inside.

"Tsk, already given up?"

He frowned, his eyes full of impatience.

"I put common rats in there. They can't kill a person."

I stared blankly at the pipe opening.

Only half of a tiny leg remained, wearing the little bunny socks I had sewn for Daisy myself.

Julian followed my gaze, then suddenly laughed. "Huh? That stupid girl, did she just scare herself to death? I told you she always lied and played victim since she was little, didn't I?"

In that moment, a surge of murderous intent ripped through me.