discipline

The quaint little village was punctuated by the towering figure of a church - the beacon of the faithful. Reverend Theobald Pontifex, a character from 'The Way of All Flesh' by Samuel Butler, was the shepherd of this flock. The solemnity with which he took his duties was well known in the district, his strict demeanor a topic of hushed whispers. Yet, beneath the righteous façade was a man teetering on the edge of his faith.

Thomas Aschenbach, in his late fifties, felt the heaviness of age creeping into his bones. A renowned writer from Munich, he thought his pursuit of self-discipline, rationality and aesthetic beauty in literature fulfilled his existence. However, a sudden, undefined longing had taken hold of him recently. Thus, he found himself aboard a locomotive, travelling towards the south. The flamboyant city of Venice was to be his refuge, a place where he planned to seek inspiration.