"Wh... what happened here?" My voice was practically a whisper, my fingers squeezing the bag I held so tightly, I felt my knuckles cold.
The coldness spread from my hands to my arms to my chest, and I could feel the numbness creeping into my heart.
The man looked at me with pity in his eyes, and I knew, even before he spoke, what he was going to say.
"Of course. A certain noble came over not too long ago and... toyed with the boy. It was horrible," he explained solemnly, his voice heavy with the weight of what he had witnessed.
The man's eyes were downcast, his shoulders slumped, and there was a tremor in his hands that spoke of suppressed anger. "After having his fun, he eventually gave him a pie. The boy appreciated the noble and had his meal... But he soon coughed, vomited, and was in a lot of pain. There was nothing we could do... Madam...? Madam?!"
His voice faded into the background, becoming distant and muffled, as if I were hearing it from the bottom of a deep well.
