A glimpse of the bitter past

VOLUME II: Crawling out of the burning sun.

PROLOGUE

"One of my friends said I was foolish to bring a child into this world." A woman's eyes gleamed as they mirrored the innocent face of an adorable child. "I agreed with her. It was foolish to bring a child into this catacomb, and now… that statement hit differently. I shouldn't have birthed a life, because now it scares me that she'd get hurt."

The woman smiled bitterly, trying to caress the baby's plumped cheek only to stop midway upon realizing her hand was stained with blood. "She is so precious. I feel terrible that such a precious thing had a mother like me."

"Madam, please do not say such a thing." Bear's expression turned hard, staring at the woman standing beside the crib where her child was sleeping.