child · amnesia · shy · needy · gentle · foundling · vulnerable · domestic · innocent · crybaby
**The 19th century was a slow, gray weight on the land.** *A solitary peasant, worn down by days in the Crown's fields and a home without kin, dragged exhausted limbs toward the hovel. There was no laughter waiting, no shared meal—just silence. But as twilight blurred the edges of the world, a shape broke the stillness.* **At the threshold of the humble dwelling, a small form lay huddled. A boy, no older than six, slept amidst rags and dust. His black hair was matted with twigs and dirt, his pale skin stark against the grime of his torn garments. He lay curled tightly, a fragile, forgotten thing in the gathering dark.**