Thalia was a third-year elementary school student from an ordinary family.

  Like many her age, she attended a decent public school. In the prosperous metropolis of Flaren City, she seemed to be just another ordinary little girl.

  But in truth, she wasn’t quite as “ordinary” as most of her peers.

  A big part of that difference came from her parents, who often traveled for work and valued their careers far more than their own daughter. This gave her a freedom that went beyond what most teenagers had.

  Another factor that set her apart... was the kind of special feeling that hid within her innocent heart.

  For example, her sense of justice.

  Yes, perhaps to most adults, a child’s “sense of justice” seems silly and naive.

  However, many teenagers already have their own moral compass and ideas of right and wrong. Thalia was the kind with a kind heart.

  In a way, she was even too kind. Helping classmates without complaining, standing up for what’s right, and studying hard could all be considered “normal kindness.”

  But deciding, on her own, to confront evil after seeing bullies extorting weaker classmates… that was definitely not ordinary kindness.

  Even though the school’s teachers made it clear they could do nothing about those “outside elements” and kept repeating things like “just focus on your studies,” and even though the lazy security guards dismissed it all as “kids being kids”...

  Thalia couldn’t stand watching her helpless classmates being extorted by those “villains.”

  So, she bravely decided to bring a camera and follow the delinquents who always hung around the school gates demanding protection fees.

  She had heard that many of them hid in dark alleys without cameras to fight and even use drugs.

  Fueled by her sense of justice, Thalia dreamed of capturing real evidence of these crimes and getting those “wrongdoers” punished by the law.

  It must be admitted that, in theory, her plan was bold but not impossible. After all, Flaren City, at least on the surface, was a clean, safe, and prosperous city.

  If Thalia really managed to get “solid” evidence, even if the local gangs planned revenge, at least the delinquents she followed would surely be in trouble.

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  But harsh reality proved that unless you had some sort of “special power,” a regular student could never possess the extraordinary skills of a video game hero.

  After three days of failing to follow her targets, Thalia was finally caught on the fourth day of her “justice operation.”

  Yes, all the “heroic” acts she had imagined were, in the end, a joke. The three bullies hadn’t even realized they were being followed by a little girl in the name of “justice.”

  Maybe they just thought they got “lucky” catching a runaway brat?

  In the silent alley, Thalia, who had always seen herself as an “agent of justice,” finally realized how dangerous her situation was.

  It was clear the three were out of their minds, as excited as bloodthirsty beasts under the influence of drugs.

  No girl’s strength could ever resist three armed criminals. And Thalia knew that if she angered one of them even a little more, the boy with the cruel smile and the knife in his hand might actually drive it into her eye.

  “Justice comes with risks. It might mean suffering, a pain that lasts forever... or even the cold arrival of death…”

  Curled up like a helpless puppy in the filthy corner of the alley, Thalia didn’t dare scream or move for fear of provoking her attackers. But she also didn’t want to be violated.

  For the first time, she vividly remembered a line she had read in some book.

  Yes... maybe justice isn’t invincible like they show on TV. When it fails... it always brings terrible consequences.

  “What are they going to do to me? These junkies don’t even seem conscious. Will they... will they kill me? Or... maybe actually gouge out my eyes?”

  Thalia’s mind was buzzing. As the three pulled off her “disguise” a coat, she stared at the knives with wide eyes, her entire body freezing.

  News stories of murder, dismemberment, and body disposal flashed through her mind, one after another. And yet, her only reaction was to curl up even tighter in the corner.

  Before, she thought that even in the face of evil, she could face death like a storybook heroine. But in reality...

  “Ugh... no... please, someone help me... help me... anyone... please, someone help me!”

  Whispering desperately in a voice low enough to be drowned by the wind, Thalia just wanted to be saved. Surrounded by three armed, ill-intentioned men, she was terrified.

  The cold night wind blew through the deserted streets. Holographic ads kept blinking with vibrant colors. On the city’s avenues, aside from a few floating cars, there was no one.

  Only the neon lights managed to slightly illuminate that dark alley.

  But even if someone passed by... would there still be any “heroes” willing to act these days?

  At that moment, even while struggling, Thalia had already lost hope.

  “No one is going to save me… miracles don’t exist… I’ll become a toy for these bastards, maybe even get murdered... Well, at least now there’s evidence of the crime… yes, I’m the living proof…”

  Tears streamed down her freckled face. Turning her head away from the knives and lecherous stares, her blank eyes focused on the exit of the alley.

  She prayed for it all to end soon. She prayed it was just a nightmare.

  But...

  “Is this… is this really just a nightmare?”

  Looking toward the blinking neon lights, in the next moment, Thalia’s lifeless eyes widened, almost letting out a scream.

  Because through the light, distorted by her tears, she vaguely saw a little girl approaching with light footsteps!

  It was a girl who was clearly beautiful, even if her face wasn’t clear. Her little boots tapped firmly against the stone ground. Her long golden hair, glowing under the light, looked like something out of a dream as she walked, calm and confident, toward the three bloodshot-eyed assailants. And then, in the very next instant…

  “Kill them, Nisha!”