Third-person POV
Ssss...
The smell of burnt flesh filled the air.
The pain was insane, like her soul was being scorched by the silver.
Maris let out a primal scream as her vision went dark.
She didn't know what kind of symbol or word they had branded onto her, but the bone-deep shame told her one thing: this mark would be with her until the day she died.
Once they were done branding her, the warriors started beating her with leather-wrapped fists and heavy combat boots. They weren't trying to kill her quickly. They wanted her to feel every bit of pain and humiliation.
She lay on the ground. Every breath felt like her organs had shifted out of place. Her whole body hurt, and she was drowning in despair.
As her mind slowly slipped under from pain and freezing cold, Ethan's face flas
