Ancient Era part 4

Part 4: After his astonishing adventures in the forest, Ethan decided to go with his new friend to their town. They passed through a valley dotted with old, strange-looking houses. His friend kept talking to him, but Ethan was mostly absorbed in observing the surroundings and didn't quite understand much of what was said. Near the ancient homes, a group of tired and distressed people were sitting. However, when they saw Ethan, a stranger, they stared at him with curiosity and a bit of fear. Eventually, they reached his friend's house; a large but crowded home. Women and girls gathered around the newcomer, Ethan, speaking in what seemed to be an ancient language that he couldn't understand at all. He saw familiar traits in some of their faces; they resembled his family or ancestors but dressed in different clothes and hues. This eerie resemblance increased his fear. Sometimes he thought, "Could this be the land of spirits or genies?" Suddenly, a burly and angry man entered through the door. His thunderous voice rose, and everyone scattered. The women and girls took refuge in a place resembling a kitchen, while others busied themselves spinning wool or weaving fabric. Ethan was petrified with fear and stood frozen in shock. The angry man loudly said: "Why aren't you moving?! Who are you and what are you doing here?" Ethan was speechless. Before he could respond, suddenly a whip struck his back. The pain took his breath away. The man, now slightly calmer, looked at him disdainfully and said: "Leave this newcomer be for now. The more hands, the better." Then he firmly grabbed Ethan's wrist and dragged him outside the house. As they moved away from the house, Ethan saw a group of men and boys harvesting wheat with old scythes. Before he had a chance to look properly, three consecutive whip strikes landed on his back. The same man shouted: "Hurry up, work like the rest!" Ethan, who had never harvested wheat before, acted clumsily, and each mistake was met with a lash on his back. By evening, he had endured the whip's pain over and over again. His mind kept returning to the magical paper he had hidden in his pocket. He thought to himself if only he could escape right now. When night fell, they returned home. His new friend brought him a bowl of thin gruel and complained: "What kind of work was that? It’s like you've never worked a day in your life! If you work like that tomorrow, you'll get whipped again; you might even get killed." Exhausted and in pain, Ethan writhed and his eyes were filled with terror. In the middle of the night, when everyone had gone to sleep, he decided to give up on staying there. Silently, he slipped out of the house and ran towards Yellow Mountain. His legs trembled with pain, but the hope of returning to his own time gave him strength. When he reached the usual spot, he took the paper out of his pocket and again placed his finger on the upper right corner. The same event occurred: a luminous pyramid appeared and Ethan found himself in the middle of it. He paused for a moment. He felt sorry for the people who looked like his ancestors and even for his new friend who was afraid of losing him. But ultimately, he stepped towards the gate. As he passed through the gate, he suddenly found himself near his town home again. It seemed as if not much time had passed. Perhaps he had just arrived home a bit later than usual, but no one had noticed his long absence. Breathless and panicked, and still feeling the marks of the whip on his back, Ethan entered his house...