Cheng Bo Jing watched the child in front of him, trying to pull herself together. Everything in him demanded that he try and make this better for her, but how was that possible? He couldn't bring back the dead.
But he could take their place.
Still on his knees he studied the girl. Her eyes were swollen from crying just now, but she had more poise than most of the adults in this room.
"Tell me," he asked, staring at her. "What do you need?" What he really wanted to ask was what he could do for her. He assumed that the older gentleman behind her was looking after her basic needs, but there was more to looking after someone than just looking after their basic needs.
She seemed to be studying him just as intently as he was studying her.
"Emancipation," she answered suddenly, her little spin becoming stiffer as if she was expecting him to reject her.
