The Shadower has no emotions. At least, not anymore. Not since she swore to cut herself off from them forever.
After being raised in a harsh orphanage, a girl named Melany is stolen away by the dark sorceress Evena, who nobody dares even speak of...
*Author's note: There is a scene in this chapter (though a short scene), that may be potentially triggering to some people, briefly depicting a violent punishment. If you wish to skip it, scroll from the three asterisks (***) to after the next branch page break that appears, similar to the one that follows this author's note.
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The ten-year-old girl collapsed on the top of the stairs. The sponge that she had been using to scrub the staircase fell from her hand and tumbled down.
"Melany!" a shrill voice rang out.
Melany did not rise.
"Melany!" A hand gripped her ebony hair and yanked her up off the floor, jerking her awake. She gasped, crying out, as she awoke to her hair being pulled out of her head. She was then dropped unceremoniously and her name was yelled again.
Melany scrambled to her feet and stood, then swayed. "Yes?" came her quiet, raspy voice.
"Why do I see you resting? You've only finished the stairs and the downstairs. I want you to sweep the floors in all the rooms and wash the windows." "But ma'am, I'm tired." Her vision swam in double.
"Shut up, would you, girl? I don't want to hear any of that nonsense."
"At least give me some food today. Please." I cleaned the kitchen extra today, fed all the little ones, did all the laundry, swept all the floors downstairs, and scrubbed the floors until they shone. It must count for something.
"Food? You are still such an ungrateful girl as to ask for another meal before you finish all your chores?"
"But ma'am-"
"Nonsense." "But-"
"Whatever it is you have to say, it is nonsense. All you've ever said that began with 'but' these past six years has been nonsense. Absolute nonsense."
"I haven't eaten in two days, ma'am." "You've been slacking, then. If you want to eat, work harder." The woman turned on her heel and left the room.
Melany groaned and swayed again as the head of the orphanage walked out.
What I would give to leave this place, she thought. What I would give to make them feel what I feel.
I would watch all of this go up in flames.
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