ENTROPY [Naruto]

Act I • Chapter 1

Brianna Zaragoza was a very mediocre 12-year-old girl from the capital city of the Philippines. With straight black hair, tanned skin, average height, and a not too slim not too chubby figure. She was just like any other.

She was someone who came from a broken family, a person who grew up not having someone to love and care for her, a child who received not a single amount of parental love, an individual who never got to attend school, and a human being who never got to experience life.

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Brianna hastily took off her apron and packed her personal belongings. Heading outside the kitchen of the cafe that she was working at, she then exited and started hurriedly heading home knowing full well that she was incredulously late and would most likely not have a good ending once she gets there.

Checking her old but still working wristwatch, she panicked even more and sprinted her way instead of taking a transportation.

She needed to work overtime to replace her co-worker who was currently on sick leave since the cafe was more crowded than usual.

It was already 9:30 pm which meant that dinner had long passed. She was starting to prepare herself for another scolding and beating as she was nearing the gate to her house.

She opened the entrance door in labored breaths but immediately forced herself to calm it down as her guardian sternly stood in front of her with a frown on his face.

He's in a bad mood, bad timing. Brianna thought.

Brianna stood in front of him, head down as she have been taught to.

In an irritated voice, her uncle spoke. "Ba't Ngayon ka lang?" (Where have you been?)

Brianna was already used to the way he talks whenever he's angry so she didn't flinch nor did she tremble, however, something tells her that today, her punishment will take a huge toll on her life.

"Kulang po kasi ng tauhan sa pinagtatrabauhan ko ngayong araw..." (The place that I'm currently working at needed an extra server, that's why...)

"Wala akong pakealam! Sinabihan na kita na dapat may pagkain na diyan sa lamesa sa tamang oras!" He angrily huffed, "At may lakas ng loob ka pa talagang sumagot sagot demonyo kang bata ka!"
(I don't care! I told you to always cook dinner on time! And you still dare to talk back?!)

Brianna stayed silent, knowing that if she replied she would only be labeled as 'disrespectful or someone who have no mannerism' and would only a harsh beatings.

If she stayed silent, he would scold her still and mock her for hours and then get beaten. Both of the choices did not favor her so instead of wasting her energy in talking, she chose to save it for the beating later.

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Brianna coughed out another batch of blood as she curled herself into a Fetus form to avoid getting any of her important organs from being damaged by the thick wooden broom any further.

She was once again laying in her pool of blood, numbly covering her mouth to stop herself from coughing out any more of her vital fluids.

She didn't cry.

She couldn't cry.

It would only infuriate the man beating her after all.

She had handled this type of pain ever since her parents suddenly left her with her uncle and then never came back. Up until now, she had endured every pain her uncle inflicts on her as a form of payment for being a burden to him.