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CW: depression & mentions of child death
Munich, Bavaria, Germany, 1895
Autumn reigned in the Bavarian region with a particularly merciless fist this year. She brought frigid winds that could whisk away a prepubescent child, neverending rainfall that came down harder than the wooden paddle of a nun, and an ephemeral dawn that transformed into dusk in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, death and fear burgeoned under Autumn's rule. Over the last couple of months, more than thirty bodies were found scattered all across Bavaria—throats torn open in a horrendous exhibition of unrestrained barbarity. The culprit? Some unknown animal, referred to as The Beast of Bavaria by the papers.
Panic sunk its claws deep into the hearts of Bavaria's citizens. An unusually unforgiving autumn coupled with the arrival of a deadly, mysterious beast could only mean one thing—sinister forces were at work. No one dared to venture outside their home after sunset. And if someone had to be outside during ungodly hours, they were accompanied by two or more people.
If not for his prestigious teaching position at Munich's finest music conservatory, Michael would not stray far from home at all. These days he was a hollow shell of the Michael everyone knew and adored, his effervescence dying with his precious Eris. He no longer lived, but merely existed—composing, teaching, drinking. The mundane cycle repeated itself, lessening the often grueling condition of being human.
Michael's decision to languish in the pit of despondency created strain within his social and familial circles, his marriage being the most impacted. The warm, unconditional love he and Adelaide shared grew colder with each passing day. They still lived under the same roof, slept in the same bed, and dined at the same table. However, the emotional distance between them was too immense to go unnoticed.
"What happened to the man I fell in love with?" Adelaide questioned one night as they lied in bed, face to face but worlds apart. "You're a stranger in his skin."
Michael offered her no response. Instead, he turned away from Adelaide, seeking comfort in his ever-growing despair. Michael feared that engaging with Adelaide would only lead to conflict, pushing him to finally verbalize the cutting accusations that flooded his head since Eris' passing.
You never loved her. She was a doll made of flesh, blood, and bone. Nothing but an accessory to you.
He knew those thoughts were irrational. Everyone grieved in their own way. Some people were beacons of pain while others hid behind stoicism. He couldn't truly demonize his dear wife for soldiering on. Truth be told, Michael envied her show of strength during this difficult period in their lives. He would say anything to watch her mask slip. Misery did love company, after all.
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a/n:
This prologue was gonna be longer, but I decided to keep it short and sweet just to give y'all a little taste of what's in store without info-dumping and cramming 99.9 % of the book into one prologue 💀. ANYWAYS, I hope y'all enjoyed it !!! The upcoming chapters will have y'all STRESSING.
