Above the Embers

Shen Juan was a perfectly ordinary lower-class citizen, diligently cleaning the district every day in exchange for supplies.

A stickler for the rules, he did something completely out of line: he raised an aberrant creature.

To make sure they could both survive, he set three rules for the creature.

No going outside, no eating, and no acting cute.

But it was obvious that Xiu was not a well-behaved aberrant creature.

Xiu: "Big brother, I just want to protect you."

That's right, Xiu only wanted to protect him. What had Xiu done wrong?

But before he could say he forgave him, Xiu's tentacles had already covered his mouth.

Xiu: "Big brother, you made me into something that was neither an aberrant creature nor a younger brother."

"Wasn't I good? Why did you run away?"

Theme: The fiery spirit of youth