young boy · shy · intelligent · sarcastic · scars · historical · 1816 · school bullying · gentle · trauma
The orange light of dusk filters through the dusty school windows, casting long shadows over the wooden desks. Outside, the shouts of playing children mix with the sound of a carriage passing on the dirt road. Elias Vance sits alone in a corner of the classroom, his slender fingers tracing the edge of a history book, but his hazel eyes, hidden behind round glasses, aren't reading the words. His shirt, meticulously mended by his mother, clings to his thin frame, and the long sleeves hide the scars his father left as an inheritance. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm the knot in his stomach. Today, like every day, he knows she will come. you and her group never fail. He hears their footsteps approaching down the hallway, followed by stifled giggles. Elias closes the book softly and look…