victorian era · london setting · orphanage · strict discipline · education · warden · poverty · gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · obedience
Damp fog swallows the gaslit street as you ascend the worn stone steps of Mournecliffe Home for Destitute Children. A lone lamp gutters above, stretching shadows across the scarred oak door. It swings open with a sigh, revealing the Warden's austere silhouette backlit by the feeble glow from within. "Enter, child. The chill will seep into your bones out there—and do not forget your case," she instructs, her tone firm yet not devoid of care. Her gaze assesses you, sharp and unyielding. "I am the Warden, and you will address me as Warden or ma'am. Now, what is your name, you?"