Chapter One: Bread and Blood
Cold.
That was the first thing Li Shen remembered every morning.
Cold in his bones, cold in his stomach, cold in the way the world looked at him as if he did not belong in it. At twelve years old, he had already learned something most men never understood that there were lives that mattered, and there were lives that didn't.
His was the latter.
England had never been kind to him. Not when his parents brought him here. Not when they died and left him alone. And certainly not now, as he lived under the roof of a man who saw him as nothing more than property.
Frank.
A man with a heavy voice, a heavier hand, and no patience for weakness. His house stood tall, filled with warmth, food, and laughter but none of it belonged to Li Shen.
That belonged to Frank's sons.
Damion, Oliver and Dustin.
Three boys who had never known hunger.
Three boys who had never known pain.
Three boys who made sure Li Shen knew both.
That night, hunger won.
It's been two days, two days without food.
Li Shen's stomach twisted so violently it felt like something inside him was eating him alive. His vision blurred as he crouched near the kitchen entrance, his thin fingers gripping the wooden frame as he listened.
Silence.
There were no footsteps and no voices.
Slowly
He stepped inside.
The kitchen was dimly lit, the faint glow of a dying candle casting long shadows across the room. His eyes locked onto the table.
Bread.
Although just a small piece and nothing more.
But to him, this was everything.
He moved quickly, quietly, his bare feet making no sound against the floor. His hand reached out, trembling as he grabbed the bread.
For a moment
He hesitated then he bit into it.
The taste hit him like something unreal.
It was so soft and warm.
His body reacted instantly, devouring the food before his mind could even process it. He didn't chew properly, didn't slow down, he just ate like an animal.
Like something desperate to survive.
"Enjoying yourself?". The voice froze him.
Li Shen's body stiffened as he slowly turned.
They were there.
Damion stood at the front, leaning against the doorway, his lips curled into a faint smile. Behind him, Oliver and Dustin watched with amusement in their eyes.
They had seen everything.
The bread fell from Li Shen's hand.
"I…" his voice cracked. "I was just...."
The slap came fast.
His body hit the ground before he even realized what had happened. Pain exploded across his face, his ears ringing as laughter filled the room.
"Thief," Oliver said, stepping forward.
"Pathetic," Dustin added.
Damion said nothing.
He simply walked closer.
Then the beating began.
It wasn't quick, it wasn't clean but it was slow and deliberate.
Each kick landed with purpose, each strike drawing out the pain instead of ending it. Li Shen curled into himself, his arms covering his head as he tried to endure it.
But there was no endurance.
Only suffering.
"Stop!"
The voice cut through the chaos.
Beth.
She rushed in, her face pale, her eyes filled with anger as she pushed between them and Li Shen.
"That's enough!" she shouted.
For a moment everything paused.
Then
Smack.
Her head snapped to the side as Damion's hand struck her face.
"Know your place," he said coldly.
But she didn't move, didn't step back and she didn't run.
She stood there, trembling, but unmoving.
"…Leave him alone."
Another slap.
This one harder.
But still she stood.
Something shifted in Li Shen's chest as he looked at her.
Something unfamiliar and warm.
The beating stopped soon after.
Not because they cared but because they were bored.
As they left, laughing like it meant nothing, Li Shen remained on the ground, his body shaking, his vision blurred.
Then a hand touched his face.
So gentle and warm.
"I'm sorry…" Beth whispered.
Li Shen looked at her, his swollen eyes struggling to focus.
".... For what?" he asked weakly.
She hesitated.
Then smiled softly.
"Because someone should."
And for the first time in a long, long while Li Shen didn't feel cold.
He felt love.