At that moment, Johanna suddenly felt a surge of courage.
She nodded firmly, her voice clear and resolute. "I'll go with you!"
The two quickly packed their things. Archie quietly sneaked into the director's office and stole 500 dollars. Meanwhile, Johanna went to the kitchen, stole some food, and stuffed it into a backpack.
The two youngsters slipped out of the house under the cover of night, scaled the wall, and escaped into an uncertain future. The years of wandering were just as difficult.
At first, the 500 dollars they stole was enough to prevent them from starving, but once the money ran out, it was hard to put food on the table. They occasionally had to starve.
They even had to sleep under bridges, where they were often driven away by other homeless people.
At that time, Johanna and Archie collected discarded mineral water bottles for a week. They rummaged through trash cans without care for cleanliness because those bottles could be exchanged for money. Once they had filled a large sack, they would sell it for a few dollars, which was enough to buy them some food.
Countless days and nights passed like this. Life was harsh but also sweet.
Compared to the orphanage, Johanna preferred those years of wandering because of the sweet taste of freedom. But good times didn't last.
One day, a group of young thugs came into their area. They targeted Johanna, and their provocations grew more and more excessive. To protect her, Archie fought with the thugs. In the end, he dragged his injured body back to the bridge where they were staying.
One of the thugs had his leg broken by Archie. They wouldn't let it slide, and it was only a matter of time before they came after them.
The two of them gave up the "home" they had made do with for so long and left the city, traveling from place to place until they arrived at Seldvale. After that, things developed further.
In Seldvale, a dazzling and prosperous city filled with skyscrapers, the two youngsters who had never seen the world were deeply shocked.
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