With a sharp sound of thud, the young girl fell to the ground, her body wracked with pain. The tall man in his late 20s loomed over her, his expression a mixture of frustration and disappointment. "Get up. Is this the kind of training you've been receiving for the past four years?" he demanded, his voice tinged with irritation.
With a grunt of effort, Mia pushed herself up, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "I thought we agreed you'd go easy on me," she retorted, her tone laced with irritation.
"Don't give me that attitude, Mia," the man snapped back, his gaze piercing hers with a stern intensity. "It's for your own benefit. Remember, you were the one who specifically chose me as your trainer, out of all six of your brothers."
Looking down at her feet, Mia fidgeted with her fingers, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions. Yes, she had chosen him, but she hadn't anticipated the harshness of his training regimen. Over the past four years, she had been through seven different trainers, each one replaced due to suspicions of ulterior motives. "The trainer had bad intentions," was the reason she would always give.
After physically one of her brother catching the trainer inappropriately touching her, Mia's brothers had convened to address the issue head-on. Concerned for her safety, they had collectively agreed that one of them would personally oversee her training.
In the wake of the incident, Mia had turned to Daniel, the third oldest brother, for guidance. Their bond was forged through years of shared experiences and mutual trust, and being one of the strongest, making him the natural choice to take on the role of her mentor.
But now, as she stood before him, Mia couldn't shake the feeling of disillusionment. She had hoped that by choosing her own mentor, she could finally find someone she could trust. Yet, with each passing minute, she found herself questioning her decision more and more. Was this truly the path she wanted to pursue, or had she made a grave mistake in her quest for independence?
Taking a look around the dim basement, Mia tried to absorb her surroundings. There wasn't much light, just a dim lamp hanging above them. The room felt gloomy, with shadows lurking in every corner. The walls were plain, lacking any decoration. The air smelled stale, like it hadn't been breathed in a while.
Clenching her hands into a tight fist, her eyes brimming with tears, Mia exclaimed, "I-I can't do this anymore, brother," her voice breaking as she collapsed to her knees. Sobbing uncontrollably, she attempted to wipe away her tears, but they only seemed to flow more profusely.
