Regret Came Too Late

The people of Northbrook had long been hardened by la.

Even if the world forget about them, they knew how to fend for themselves. They'd hail the gods on makeshift carts to sell in the neighboring city

It wasn't enough to make them rich, but in kept food on the table. Hard work was just part of the deal.

But this year, the relentless downpours had caught everyone off guard. No one had been prepared for the sheer force of the storms.

dece kept her stance low-key, and even when

she was injured, she didn't make a fuss. The gathered fruit farmers exchanged glances, hesitating Then, a few younger ones finally booke the

"Three days. Just three days, She's a streamer. Maybe she really can help "

The others still looked uneasy, but in the end, they nodded.

Mandy red or tocheck Grace's injuries, but she shook her head. "I'm fine."

Not a chance. Her

already pulled back the flap of a tent belonging to some of the younger farmers and stepped inside,

ship. If n Mandy frowned "Why send that message? We've got over to thousand orders lined up. If we just ship them out, no one will know the difference between Southbrook and Northbrook

"Southbrook" label on their apples is an it. Back then, Southbrook treated them like outcasts, pushing them our of the circle of prosperity like a bunch of bandes. "And now if they let their apples ride on Southbrook's reputation, it's no different

people in this would clung stubbornly to

heads. Naturally, neither would the younger

such a bad thing. At least they weren't

disgusting they were decades ago. People died because of them. Even our most respected His voice

chief was killed. My mom was only a teenager back then. She always said he was a highly educated man from a top university. But instead of chasing a cushy city job, he chose to come here, determined "It was his idea to start growing apples in the first place. Back

industry and kept getting

straight, but the chief told them to let it go. As long as people could make a living, that was

The chief went to negotiate for our rights, but before the meeting even started, he was beaten to death with arake.

who had given