What does it feel like to be in a nightmare that is difficult to wake from? This was actually not too unfamiliar to Tia, who was only twelve years old at the time. In fact, it had only been almost a year since she left the orphanage where she had spent her entire childhood and entered life in Ilvermorny.
Speaking of which, she hadn't even really adjusted her mentality to get rid of the shadow of the past, otherwise she wouldn't have had this trip to New York to skip school for no reason.
However, compared to the days when he was bullied in the orphanage, the current situation is obviously much more serious!
Tia felt very scared—probably because she had not studied well in the past year. Her newly acquired identity as a witch did not seem to play any role in this crisis. So now, after the previous figures passed by, huddled in the corner and hugging her knees tightly became the only thing she could do.
This kind of... this kind of fear and uneasiness that curls up to hide in the darkness and confinement, unable to wait for the pain to come, this kind of anxiety and depression that seems to make even the air thick and suffocating, is it any different from the past
"In the final analysis, I am just a bed bug who can be stepped on at any time. In the orphanage, in the magic school, in New York, the result is the same... No one can save me, God and Sister Talisa can save me. If they can’t save me, Ilvermorny and Mr. Stewart, New York and Alyssa can’t save me... because, because I have no qualifications or value to be redeemed!”
In this cold prison where she couldn't even see her fingers, the petite and thin Tia would only hug her body tightly, and then tremble slightly in fear, inferiority and self-abasement. She was talking to herself in her mind, silently counting the people who had reached out to help her and conveyed kindness to herself, and she no longer even tried to distinguish whether those kindnesses were true or false.
Is that important? No, it actually didn't matter to Tia at all, because even if it was just false kindness, it was warm and beautiful enough in her feelings.
Then the warmth will eventually fade away and leave, and I can only continue to hide in the darkness while the remaining warmth remains, savoring the bone-chilling cold that is even more cruel because of the contrast.
Who can blame this? Obviously not, the only thing that can be blamed is his own cowardice and powerlessness.
"This is my destiny."
In the end, Tia's chaotic mind gradually became the only one sentence left, but it became impossible to get rid of.
Until, the sound of footsteps sounded faintly from outside the iron fence door again.
"Is... here again? Who is it this time?" Tia was shocked all over and couldn't help but shrink back to the corner. "The person before said that it will be my turn soon, so... yes Me?"
Because of the darkness in the dungeon and the obstruction of the thick walls, she still doesn't even know how many other prisoners like herself are around her. For her, everything she has to face next seems to be... Unknown.
So, since you don’t know anything and can’t do anything, then... you just have to give up, right
So when the footsteps gradually approached and reached the aisle outside, Tia completely closed her eyes that had been hidden behind her messy hair and gave up thinking.
"Ta...ta...ta..."
"Clang!"
"Oh, dear, are you waiting obediently? Then... let's go..."
Fragmented sounds swirled in his ears, and then there was a cold touch on his arm. It was a dry and strong palm, and it pinched the arm with great force, which hurt.
"Well."
Tia could feel that she was being dragged up from the ground quite roughly, and her thin body seemed like just a toy under the opponent's strength. She staggered a few times, subconsciously trying to follow the opponent's strength to walk, but she soon discovered that this move was in vain.
"clang!"
"ah."
Her ankle probably hit the half-open cell door, and the pain was so painful that Tia almost burst into tears. In order to no longer experience this unnecessary pain, Tia just let the other party drag her mercilessly. Even though her bare heels still hurt when they rubbed against the rough ground, at least it was tolerable.
So be it! Whatever!
Under the slight illumination that was probably caused by the glowing spell of the wand, the cells on both sides finally had their outlines. If you looked carefully, you might be able to see the figures of some people who were also imprisoned here. But at this time, Tia still had her eyes closed, and was no longer interested in caring about the surrounding situation.
She just hoped that no matter what was going to happen next - even if she was going to die today - it would be all over as soon as possible.
"Well."
It seemed that after passing a corner, Tia's calf hit the wall or something again, causing her to groan.
"Oh, I'm sorry, dear, it seems to hurt you again? But don't worry, it will be here soon, it will be there soon... When the master has personally checked your qualifications, we can truly become a family... "
The hoarse and unpleasant voice was still mumbling something, as if it was talking to Tia, but also seemed to be simply talking to itself. Tia didn't listen carefully and just let this nightmare go on by itself.
I don’t know how long it took—the other person strode very fast, so maybe it didn’t take long before Tia felt as if she had stopped. The skin on the heel had already been worn out, and it was probably dripping with blood at this moment. The wound was so painful that she couldn't tell whether she had stopped or not.
"Click... click... click..."
There was a sound like the rotation of the lock cylinder and the opening and closing of the hinges, followed by a tooth-softening sound of opening the door.
The man dragged Tia into a heavy iron door, then waved the wand with his backhand to close the door. With a muffled "bang", he was left behind. Tia, who was almost completely empty-headed at this moment Finally, he realized that he might have been taken out of the dark prison before.
"Well."
Tia, who had regained consciousness somewhat, began to open her eyes. Suddenly, light came in through the gaps in her eyelids that gradually opened. The light was a bit dazzling, causing Tia's eyeballs, which had already adapted to the darkness, to feel a slight dull pain. However, she still endured the pain and her own tears and looked around.
What appeared in her constantly shaking field of vision was a gallery-like corridor. Almost every painting hanging on the wall was of dynamic figures and scenery, similar to those she had seen in Ilvermorny. Same. But some of the paintings had portraits staring at her with fierce and cold eyes, so she subconsciously avoided them.
But in short, this place is no longer in the dark prison area.