"Marlena's fate resembles mine, but much harsher," Calma spoke, her gaze fixed on Bernard. However, after a couple of seconds of silence, she looked up at the overcast sky, opening and closing her mouth several times before continuing.

"Two weeks ago, as I was fetching water, I heard strange sounds from Marlena's house. Her husband, after drinking in the tavern and getting into a fight with other men, returned home. I don't know what his intentions were, but upon arriving home, he began to assault Marlena. Even though I told him hundreds of times not to touch her, especially at that time, who would stop a raging, drunken man? Neither a fragile young woman nor an old lady could restrain him. Marlena fought back, as did I. My bucket struck his back dozens of times in an attempt to make him stop, but he had already begun and had no intention of ending. It was horrifying... It was only when neighbors from across the field came that they separated him from her."

Felix wanted to kill him, but he understood that if he did, Marlena would be left completely alone. Nevertheless, anger boiled inside him. What the man had done went against all eleven oaths of the Mother.

"A week later, a baby girl was born, lifeless. I can only assume that it was because of him that the child perished..."

Felix sighed. He had sensed that something was amiss, but he had never imagined that such a thing existed, not even in the most distant and impoverished villages. Felix silently contemplated, not uttering a word. However, Calma abruptly stood up, snapping Felix out of his reverie. She went inside the house and emerged with two leather straps. She tied them on the man's back and placed the baby, securing it to Felix's back with the straps.

"Take care of your little one," she said, patting him on the shoulder.

He thanked her and set off for Marlena's house. Perhaps the old lady had understood Felix's intentions, and she slowly followed him. As he approached Marlena's house, he didn't see either her or the man; he only heard the sounds of a struggle inside. The bonfire burned slowly but intensely. Upon entering, he saw Marlena partially undressed and a man desperately trying to overpower her. Felix's fingertips were of a dark skin tone, and he charged them with mana, delivering a direct blow to the man's neck. There was a loud crunch, and the man's head turned and hung, while his body fell to the floor with a crash.

"Forgive me, Mother, for I have sinned, but something like that must die..."

Felix glanced at the trembling Marlena and her tear-stained eyes. He shook his head and, without turning away from her, began to leave the house, so that even little Bernard wouldn't witness such a scene. As he stepped outside, he noticed Calma approaching him. She smiled gently and said, "Leave; This bastard has a friend - Sven, he is a very dangerous person, so go and don't come back to these parts, child, it's already terrible here..."

"Thank you for feeding my little one," he said, and she waved her hand. Felix headed north into the woods.