The winter of 2026 did not just bring frost to the city of New Valerius. It brought an icy, systematic cruelty that suffocated the poor.

In the neon-lit Upper District, the elite walked on heated pavements beneath climate-controlled glass domes.

But down in the Narrows—the subterranean maze of slums—the cold was a living predator. It crept through cracked windowpanes and stole lives before dawn.

Twelve-year-old Clara ran through the freezing sleet. Her bare feet were numb against the slush-covered asphalt.

Tight in her arms, she held her three-year-old brother, Leo.

The toddler was shivering violently. His small face was smeared with dark soot and frozen mud from the coal hovels.

They had been hiding in those dark alleys since their mother’s body went cold three days ago.

Leo’s whimpers had faded into a terrifying, hollow wheeze. He was starving.

Clara knew that if she didn't find food within the hour, the Narrows would claim him.

Driven by pure desperation, Clara crossed the border into the wealthy Lower Promenade.

Her eyes caught the warm, golden light spilling from the windows of Maison de L'Aurore, the city’s most prestigious bakery.

Through the glass, she saw mountains of glazed pastries and rows of golden-crusted bread.

The scent of melted butter and vanilla drifted through the exhaust vents, mocking her empty stomach.

Clara pushed the heavy brass door open. A melodic chime echoed through the pristine, ivory-tiled interior.

Clara only wanted a piece of bread to save her little brother's life. But the moment she stepped into the city's most luxurious bakery, she unknowingly set in motion a chain of events that would expose a secret the powerful had hidden for years.

The warmth inside Maison de L'Aurore felt unreal.

Clara stood frozen near the entrance, water dripping from her ragged coat onto the polished marble floor. Customers in expensive winter clothing stared at her with disgust.

Leo's weak breathing grew shallower against her chest.

A waitress rushed forward.

"You can't be in here."

"Please," Clara whispered. "My brother hasn't eaten in two days."

The woman hesitated.

Then the bakery manager appeared.

A tall man with silver hair and cold eyes.

"Remove them."

Clara felt panic rising.

Leo let out a tiny cry.

She looked toward a nearby display filled with fresh bread.

One loaf.

That's all she needed.

As security guards approached, desperation took over.

Clara grabbed a loaf and ran.

The customers gasped.

The alarm sounded.

She barely reached the door before slipping on the wet floor.

The loaf flew from her hands.

Leo hit the ground.

The toddler didn't cry.

He didn't move.

"Leo!"

Clara dropped beside him.

The room fell silent.

A young man stepped forward from the back of the bakery.

Unlike the others, he wasn't dressed like staff.

He wore a simple black coat.

His eyes immediately focused on Leo.

"Call an ambulance."

The manager frowned.

"Sir, she's a thief."

The young man ignored him.

Instead, he knelt beside Clara.

"What's your name?"

"Clara."

He touched Leo's forehead.

The child's skin was freezing.

Then he noticed something strange.

Around Leo's neck hung a small silver pendant.

The moment he saw it, the color drained from his face.

Because he recognized the symbol engraved on it.

It belonged to the Valerius Foundation.

A symbol connected to one of the city's darkest secrets.