The early morning sun streamed weakly through the small kitchen window. The scent of brewing coffee filled the cramped apartment.
Darren sat at the chipped wooden table, quietly pouring cereal into two bowls. Across from him, Aria looked up from her phone, her eyes tired but determined.
"Thanks, big brother," she murmured, swallowing a bite.
He smiled, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. "You've got a big day ahead. I'm proud of you."
Aria nodded, but her smile faltered as she glanced toward their mother, still asleep in the back room.
The moment their mother was forced out of the Hayes estate still haunted Darren's dreams.
He remembered the cold whispers behind closed doors, the accusing glances from former friends, the way her head bowed under the weight of disgrace.
"You and the twins have no place here anymore," his grandfather had said.
"Our family's honor can't be tarnished."
His mother's tears that night were the first Darren ever saw. But even as they left with only what they could carry, she promised them one thing:
"We'll rebuild. Together."
Back in the present, Aria adjusted her school bag and stood, steeling herself.
"Ready?" Darren asked.
She hesitated. "I'm scared."
"You don't have to be. You're stronger than you think."
He handed her a crisp jacket, bought with system money yesterday. "Wear this. It'll help."
She smiled faintly.
At school, Aria's heels clicked down the hallway — loud and confident.
But the whispers followed her.
"The Hayes rejects."
"The twins who lost everything."
A group of girls blocked her path.
"Nice jacket," the tallest sneered. "Did Daddy buy it for you?"
Aria swallowed, looking away.
Suddenly, a voice behind them cut through.
"Back off, Mia."
It was Lucas — a boy Aria barely knew but who had noticed the bullying.
Mia shot him a glare but stepped aside.
Aria exhaled, grateful but shaken.
That evening, Darren returned home exhausted but determined.
Aria was waiting in the small living room, textbooks spread out around her.
"I tried to talk to Mia today," she said quietly. "She just laughed."
Darren sat beside her, pulling out his notebook.
"Let's make a plan," he said.
For the first time in weeks, Aria's eyes sparkled with hope.
Later, as the city lights flickered outside their window, Darren sat alone, thinking about the system.
It wasn't just about money.
It was about reclaiming their family's place — bit by bit.
And no matter how many battles lay ahead, he wasn't going to let the past define them anymore.