Thunderclouds gathered over the city of Baohe, covering the sky. In the distance, thunder rumbled, and the first drops of rain fell on the dusty streets of the slums. The storm drove even the most restless locals indoors, and the children, frightened by the thunder, huddled close to their parents. Far away, lightning split the sky above the forest, and moments later, peals of thunder rolled over the rooftops.

  The noise of the rain drowned out the shouts and commotion near one of the houses. Two small figures were trying to escape from three men dressed in ragged, filthy clothes. In a yard fenced off by a crooked barrier, the girls darted about like trapped birds, while grimy hands reached closer and closer to grab them.

  “Stop running, you little bitches!”

  “Aaah!” Mingzhu screamed in panic, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. “Go away! You’re bad people!”

  Despite all her training, the little girl was terrified of grown men. She hadn’t forgotten how much their blows hurt or how long her bruises took to heal. With trembling hands, she pulled out a dagger and waved it in the air, as if trying to drive off stray dogs. Lightning tore through the sky, flashing across the steel blade. For a brief moment, everyone froze. The beggars caught their breath and stared warily at the weapon. Endless streams of water poured from the sky, as if the heavens themselves were falling to the earth, while the merciless wind lashed against her face.

  “Just give us the money you owe!” one of the beggars shouted over the storm, forcing a smile. “We’ll leave right after!”

  “We don’t have anything!” Xue snapped, drawing her own dagger.

  The man tried to keep talking, but his words were swallowed by a deafening crack of thunder. Smiling faintly, he reached out to snatch the weapon. The yard was quickly turning into a swamp, and as he stepped forward, he slipped in the mud. While he distracted the girls, the other two exchanged glances; one crouched down, picked up a stick, and swung clumsily, striking the younger girl on the head.

  “Enough talking to them!” the man with the stick croaked, grinning.

  Seeking approval from his friends, he turned toward them, only to feel a sudden sharp pain in his side. With a startled cry, he stumbled back and looked around. Behind him stood the older sister, a dagger dripping with blood in her hand, her fierce gaze burning like that of a mother defending her child.

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  “How dare you!” she screamed and lunged again.

  “Kill that little bitch!” the beggar shrieked as he ran, “What are you waiting for? Aaah!”

  Before the girl could reach him, a heavy branch, one of those she and her sister had gathered for firewood, crashed against her back, and a rough hand seized her wrist, yanking her aside. Rain splashed across her face, followed by a slap so strong it nearly made her lose consciousness. When she thought it was all over, the grip on her suddenly loosened, and the hated enemy howled out in pain and crashed to the ground, clutching his leg.

  Shaking like a leaf, Mingzhu tried to stab him again, but the man jumped back. Rain mixed with the blood on her face; tears streamed from her eyes, but the downpour washed them away. Xue put a hand on her shoulder and turned to face the beggars. Two were sitting in the mud, writhing in pain, while the third brandished a stick before him.

  “You brought this on yourselves!” he shouted over the roar of the rain. “Don’t blame us for being cruel!”

  “Run to the house!” Xue yelled, pulling her sister’s hand.

  Taking advantage of the gap in their circle, the girls dashed toward the house and slammed the back door shut behind them. The beggar lunged after them but slipped and fell face-first into the mud. By the time he stumbled to his feet and limped to the entrance, the girls had already crossed the room and unlatched another door, bursting out into the street. Mingzhu glanced back and saw two figures in the doorway, one clutching a bleeding side. A flash of lightning revealed his twisted, hate-filled face.

  “You!” he shouted, pointing a crooked finger at them.

  The sisters flinched and ran as fast as their small legs could carry them, away from those terrible men. Water splashed underfoot, the rain beating mercilessly against their faces. They ran through streets and alleys, heading for the riverbank, somewhere peaceful, somewhere safe, but when they reached the city gate, it was locked. Standing before it, they clung to each other, trembling from the cold and from the terror of what they’d endured.

  The raging storm shrouded the city in a white mist, blurring the shapes of buildings. On a small patch of wet cobblestone, cut off from the world by the curtain of rain, the girls looked at each other, holding hands. They had no one left, nowhere to go, not even a home. Lightning split the sky once more, followed by rolling thunder.

  Clinging to one another, the sisters trudged back into the city to find shelter. The guard stables were the nearest refuge, and sneaking inside under the cover of rain, they burrowed into the sweet-smelling hay. Along the way, they had fought to hold back tears, but now both broke down, sobbing from pain, exhaustion, and fear. Xue only sniffled quietly, clenching her teeth, while Mingzhu clung to her and cried out loud.

  “It hurts! It hurt so much!” she whimpered.

  “I know. Just hold on. It’ll be over soon.”