Mariassa had grown accustomed to what others called "persecution." It was only natural that they fear her ability to cause spontaneous combustion, and even she wondered if she would not aggrieve someone with her abilities were she also normal. However, it was meeting a young orphan, stricken by the epidemic, that ultimately turned her stoic view to anger. Unlike the rest of the world, Mariassa found she was unable to forsake the child, and she felt the empowerment of rage for the first time.