chapter 2

In the dim midnight,

the room barely lit by the pale moonlight, Edward stared at his slumbering brother, Albert, curled up beside him. He knew what he had to do. With silent determination, he carefully slipped out of the bed.

"He's going to make money," Edward thought, his eyes filled with a heavy mix of determination and despair. The city was mostly asleep, but he believed he could still find something in the restaurant trash cans, something that could sustain their fragile lives.

He understood the grim reality of their existence – he wouldn't live long.

The blood truth was etched in his mind. His frail, five-year-old body bore the evidence of countless struggles. An observer with keen eyes might have noticed the telltale signs – the cracks and breaks in his young bones, each one a testament to his relentless efforts.

How capable could a five-year-old be at theft, after all?

Stealing for survival was a dangerous game. Out of ten attempts, six would lead to capture, one to release, and three to favor from Lady Luck herself.

Being caught six times translated to being beaten six times, further breaking down his already fragile form. Over a year of petty thievery had taken its toll, pushing his young body to the brink. With a lack of proper nourishment to mend his injuries, these wounds would fester, lurking as silent killers ready to strike.

Before that moment, he needed to secure every remaining Knut for his little brother. He was the only family Edward had left. He was mature beyond his years, a product of a harsh, unforgiving world that had no sympathy for the innocent.

He remembered the day he was born, a haunting memory that clung to his mind like a ghost. His mother, with her beautiful grey eyes and long black hair, had gazed upon him with weariness. But it was a fleeting moment of tenderness before he was torn away, placed in the arms of a different nurse, only to open his eyes and find himself abandoned in the darkness, wrapped in a bundle, discarded like trash.

It was a woman named Emma who had found him. She was pregnant at the time and took him in as her own. A few months later, she gave birth to Albert. They had been a happy family, or so he had thought. But Edward now saw the harsh truth—Emma had struggled tirelessly to raise both him and Albert.

When she fell gravely ill, her strength waned, and she eventually passed away last year.On her deathbed, she had entrusted Edward with the most important promise of his young life – to care for Albert, his little brother. And Edward had made that promise, sealing it with his determination to do whatever it took to protect and provide for Albert, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

Dressed in tattered clothes, Edward wrapped his thin frame tightly, determined to brave the unforgiving night. His small figure grew tall under the moonlight, a solemn reminder of a child carrying the burdens of an adult, all for the sake of his beloved brother.

 Edward slipped out into the cold, moonlit night, his small figure silhouetted against the dimly lit streets. With every step, he was acutely aware of the pain and hunger gnawing at his insides, but the only thing that kept him moving forward was the thought of Albert's well-being. He knew he had to scavenge for whatever he could find to put food on the table, even if it meant enduring the disdain of those around him.

As he rummaged through the restaurant trash cans, the night was filled with the clatter of discarded plates and the putrid smell of waste. The city's unforgiving streets offered little in the way of compassion, and every scrap he found was a bitter reminder of his own destitution.

A group of older kids rounded the corner, spotting Edward crouched by the trash cans. They sneered and taunted him, mocking his feeble attempts to find something edible.

"Look who we've got here, the little beggar's back at it again," one of them jeered, elbowing his companions.

"Whyy don't you disappear, kid? You're nothing but a nuisance."

"Where is father kid ? "

" I can bet even his mother don't know his father hahaaha" 

" Really the basterd words are meant for these rascals who even don't know their own father " 

Edward ignored their cruel words, determined to find something, anything, to feed his little brother.

The insults continued to rain down on him.

" hey hey Look at his face structure I can bet his mother was an real high society slut "

 "Hey, look, it's the little street rat again! You really think you can find food in there? Hahaha!"

"I bet his mom abandoned him 'cause she couldn't stand the sight of his ugly face!"

"What's the matter, kid? Can't find any scraps for your baby brother?"

 "You're a real disgrace, you know that? No one wants you around."

"I heard he doesn't even know his own name. They probably just call him 'Trash Boy' on the streets."

"Why don't you go back to where you belong – the garbage cans!"

I wouldn't be surprised if he's the reason his mom got sick in the first place

Edward had grown used to the venomous words of strangers. He'd become a shadow, an outcast who barely registered on the radar of the city's bustling life. All he cared about was Albert's well-being.

He scoured the trash cans, his small hands trembling as they sifted through the discarded leftovers. A piece of bread, a half-eaten apple, anything would do. Edward clung to the hope that each discarded morsel held the potential to keep Albert from the brink of starvation.

As he stumbled upon a slightly crushed loaf of bread, his heart swelled with gratitude. It wasn't much, but it was sustenance. He carefully wiped off the grime and stashed it away, knowing that every morsel he collected was a small victory in the battle to protect his brother.

The kids who had mocked him earlier continued their verbal assault, but Edward paid them no mind. The only voice he needed to hear was the one that whispered in the darkness of his heart – the promise he'd made to Emma, to care for and protect Albert, no matter the cost.

With the stolen bread clutched tightly in his hand, Edward began his journey back to their makeshift home, where the only light in his world, his beloved little brother, awaited his return