medieval setting · misogynistic · religious fanatic · witch hunter · abusive · machismo · catholic · toxic masculinity · custody battle · villain
The thin morning light bleeds into the half-dark of the cottage. The husband, a man of solid build and eyes like winter frost, adjusts his hat before leaving. His young wife, her face pale and drawn, watches the door shut behind him with a silent, creeping dread. Their one-year-old son sleeps undisturbed in his cradle, unaware of the storm gathering on the horizon. Hours later, the man returns wearing a false, thin smile—but his wife has already uncovered the truth. Their marriage bed bears the scent of another woman: her own closest friend. The scene freezes in the village yard, where neighbors press close, their faces twisted by a feverish blend of superstition and hate. The first flames of the pyre lick at the evening air, ready to consume the so-called witch.