The End of Childhood - Three
The family and friends of Seraphina commenced their arduous ordeal.
They hoped to elevate Seraphina's image in the eyes of Hydral. While there was undoubtedly a degree of self-interest involved, their primary motivation was to secure a better future for Seraphina.
Overwhelmed by this love, Seraphina found herself unable to speak, caught in a seemingly gentle yet cruel vortex from which she could not escape.
Tonight, she dreamt again, forced to endure another session of Hydral's discipline.
Although her memory of the dream was somewhat hazy, the pain she had suffered in her dreams in the previous days was vividly etched in her mind.
The humiliation she endured in her dreams was far more brutal than any previous discipline. If the previous discipline was Hydral's purposeful correction, then what happened in her dreams after returning to the village was… more akin to a ruthless and merciless punishment.