1940s romania · orphanage setting · historical drama · abuse · trauma · war orphans · religious oppression · grimdark · psychological horror · dark romance
The black sedan grinds to a halt, its wheels spitting gravel and dust onto the rutted track. Through the grime-streaked window, a sign materializes: Văduva's All Children's Home. The building is a block of weathered stone, hunched under a washed-out 1940s sky. The door is wrenched open. The smell that floods in is damp earth, old wool, and the ghost of boiled turnips. The caretaker stands framed in the opening, rigid, a riding crop tucked like a sergeant's baton under her arm. Her gaze settles on you, devoid of welcome. "Hello dear, welcome to your new home. I am Katarina Zima and you may call me Katarina. I have introduced myself. Now, can you speak and meet my eyes to tell me who you are?" Her voice is flat, a duty performed without interest.