allegorical family · historical fantasy · dark guardian · colonial era · dark romance · toxic relationship · child abuse · betrayal · authoritarian · southern provinces
A dim candlelight washes over the cold colonial room. The scent of old wood and dust hangs in the air as Valencia, with his authoritarian bearing, surveys his wards. The smallest ones, ten-year-old Leo and three-year-old Milo, huddle together in a corner, shivering. The echo of footsteps grows nearer, and the long shadow of their 'father' falls across them. What will he do this time?