The Big Sister and Her Little Brother

In the 9th Base.

A young boy dashed across the dimly lit alley, the night sky deepened, clutching his little bear stuffed toy, already soiled with water from the canal. 

Between his small chest and the soft bear lay a dirty piece of paper with large letters written across it.

At seven years old, this young boy could read.

When his big brown eyes caught sight of the words on the paper, his little mind filled with joy, and he felt an overwhelming excitement to share it with his older sister.

"Sis...Sister---"

"You bitch! I told you to spread your legs and enjoy the good life, but you dared to bite me!" A furious roar echoed through the cramped room.

It was followed by the sound of a harsh slap echoing across the small space.

A young woman, dressed in a lovely pink high school uniform now faded and threadbare from countless washes, lay sprawled on the ground.

Her small, thin, and weak figure was defenseless against the taller man's kicks, which continued until he was satisfied.

Seeing this little beauty not responding, the man who doesn't like forcing others suddenly got bored and made one last kick, earning a soft moan from the young woman under his feet. 

Then he turned away, cursing that he will never dare to book this little beauty again. 

He was deceived! 

Since the apocalypse happened and granted him superhuman abilities, the man had become like a big boss in this era. 

No one dared to disobey him. 

In fact, others even resorted to flattering him to get on his good side. 

Before there was no apocalypse, he was just a regular gangster, uneducated and unable to attract anyone to warm his bed. 

But the world has changed, everything flipped.

Those who once bullied him were now the ones begging for his favor.

Isn't this chance for him to be happy?

Have fame, wealth, and women or men!

So, when this man saw his fellow superhuman in the base canteen, happily recounting how a little beauty made him happy overnight, he felt tempted.

The man couldn't resist the allure of eating meat after a week of supplies collection outside.

The next day, the man asked the fellow superhuman who the little beauty was and already booked the beauty for his happiness. 

But little did he know, the beauty would only dance, and that would be the end of it.

His excitement turned to anger as he anticipated enjoying the little beauty, only to have her bite him on the arm.

There are people who still don't know their place in this apocalypse.

He wanted to enjoy the little beauty, but he didn't like forcing things. 

It wasn't fun.

When the angry man was leaving the small room, he saw a dirty young boy staring at the floor with his head lowered. 

He scoffed, ignored it, and left the old apartment complex.

After the bad man's angry stomps faded away, the young boy walked over and slowly shut the door. 

He clicked the lock with trembling fingers, hoping the bad man from just now wouldn't come back.

There are fear flickering within his eyes, a trace of worry worn on his little face under the dim light coming from one candle in the room.

However, as if remembering something, a determined glint replaced the fear as he clutched the crumpled paper tighter.

"Sister! Sister!" The young boy called out in a whisper, his childish voice hoarse with excitement. "Look what I found!"

"Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to hide outside?" A tone of restrained anger and impatience greeted the young boy.

He looked up at his older sister, who was wiping her bruised face with bleeding lips. 

The young boy's heart quickened, a panicked whimper escaping his throat.

He rushed to his big sister's side, burying his face in the worn fabric of her uniform and clinging to her like a lifeline.

"Sister, they beat you again! Are you hurt?"

"Don't hug me, and go sit on the chair!" Marie's voice broke, betraying the strain beneath her façade of anger. It hurt so much, it felt like hell. That man's kick was too strong.

Three years after the apocalypse, 21-year-old Marie Diore, who had never awakened a superpower, lived as an ordinary human beneath the superhumans in this chaotic world.

Marie Diore despised her situation. The gnawing powerlessness twisted her insides, feeding an endless well of frustration. Now, she could no longer control her anger.

There were no customers tonight, and she had to find one—unless she wanted her little brother to starve.

Marie Diore immediately rushed to a small box, rummaging through it in search of more suggestive clothes.

While the young boy didn't flinch at his big sister's anger, his large brown eyes held a quiet understanding.

He shuffled his feet slightly—a habit that always betrayed his worry—but otherwise remained still. He knew his big sister was just tired.

And the young boy believed she wasn't truly angry with him.

It is true. Marie Diore wasn't angry with her little brother but with herself.

Sitting on the only small chair, the little brother watched his big sister change clothes. 

He bounced his legs slightly, barely containing his excitement. He clutched the crumpled paper in his hand, its surface creased with the marks of his anxious fingers. 

Words peeked out from a fold – but they cannot be read under the darkness, but the little boy really couldn't wait to tell his big sister about this paper.

Maybe this could change things for his big sister, and she wouldn't have to meet any more bad men.

But the young boy knew better than to interrupt at this moment.

A good boy listened to his big sister, and right now, she needed him to stay quiet.

"I'm going to go out, you stay here, and lock the door. Don't ever open the door---"

"And don't speak and hide when someone comes in." The young boy continued.

These words had always been said almost every day, at every moment when he was left alone in their little room. 

Marie Diore was not surprised and nodded with a sigh before turning around, ready to leave the house.

"Sister..sister...wait!"

"What---"

For ordinary humans, electricity was something they would never afford again in this life. 

Living in small, shared apartment rooms had become the new way of life in the 9th Base.

However, those with superhuman abilities enjoyed the privilege of a decent home and electricity provided by the base.

Marie Diore and his little brother were obviously not superhumans, and they could only afford to live in a small room at the dirtiest part of the 9th base.

Before the apocalypse began, Marie Diore had been a young lady from a wealthy family.

Now, she was like a princess cast into the mud overnight, burning with resentment for what she had become.

Her mother and father were eaten by zombies in the first year of the apocalypse, leaving only her 4-year-old brother by her side.

Since then, she has done whatever she could to survive and feed her little brother.

Human society was slowly declining, and everyday life became increasingly difficult. 

For ordinary humans, the world had become a nightmare.

For Marie Diore, it was the same.

She would never have a peaceful life again, and the words she read under the candlelight seemed to mock her shattered reality.

Her little brother had brought home a ridiculous school advertisement, which she now held in her hand.

It felt like the biggest joke Marie Diore had encountered in this broken world.

Who the hell dares to print this? Who's bored enough to do this? Marie Diore cursed deep inside her mind.