Understanding the task's importance, Yuyan followed her father up the stairs, though she looked back multiple times with tears still flowing down her cheeks her heart hurting.
Alone now except for the mass of traumatized children, Shuyin sat fully on the floor, making herself vulnerable in a way that might register as non-threatening. "My name is Shuyin," she said quietly. "I didn't know you were down here. The people who put you in this place did it without my knowledge. But I'm the owner of this house now, and I'm going to fix this. You're going to have clean rooms with beds. Food, real food, as much as you need. Water. Medicine for anyone who's sick. And nobody is going to hit you or hurt you or lock you in darkness ever again."
Still no response. The children watched her with those empty, hopeless eyes, perhaps hearing her words but unable to believe them.
