Severity tells the story of Luisa, a young, successful student, and Raymund, a shy nerd. What begins as a seemingly harmless encounter quickly develops into a captivating love story that tests the boundaries between dream and reality. The novel sheds light on the all-too-familiar feeling of love at first sight and the difficulties that arise when personal desire is not reciprocated. Luisa falls for Raymund, who neither recognizes nor wants to recognize her feelings, in a seemingly senseless infatuation. Nevertheless, she does everything she can to get his attention, and the story takes unexpected turns that fulfill every cliché – except for one! Pascal Ringstahl, known for his versatile literary works such as the e-book *MeinHard*, the horror thriller *Scrunch* about the Twin Dogs and the educationally valuable novel *Calyx*, ventures in a new direction with *Severity*. The reader is invited on a journey into the past to experience the futility of infatuation. What if a relationship had arisen from those moments when you fell in love at first sight with a person who didn't suit you or didn't return your feelings? Severity raises the question of whether reality can withstand dreams.