Chapter 5

"Because..." Serenity swallowed the last bite of her bun which tasted mediocre, at best. In the past, she would have disliked it, but now, taste had become secondary to her. What was more important was to have enough food to fill her belly.

"I guess it's because we're the same kind of people," she continued. "We've both been tossed aside by society, and we're just trying to survive at the bottom rung. No one wants people like us, and nobody cares about us, but at least we can hug each other for warmth, and I can cherish you, and you can cherish me, right?"

She smiled gently. It was a smile full of hope, longing, and even nervousness.

"Is that so?" he murmured. "Sounds like we really are very similar..."

His gaze was that of a hunter who had just seen his prey falling into his trap. Perhaps life had been too easy for him lately. So easy that it had become boring. Anything he wanted, he merely had to stretch out his arm, and it would be there for him to reach it. As time went by, thi