21 Mines

All of the prisoners from floors 1-10 were taken. We had to leave our cells, one by one, and get the restraining handcuffs. All of this was happening with the general watching over us.

"This guy is at the peak of mid ascension. He could kill all of us with one sweep of his palm." Whispered Marcus, his legs were shaking. I think it's from the amount of power coming out from this guy. At least I didn't have to feel that pressure.

It took some time since each floor had to be inspected by the general. Each floor took around ten minutes, after almost two hours we were ready. Maybe that's why we were woken up so early. It was pitch black and really cold. When we were set to go, around 20-30 soldiers were surrounding us. The stairs went up and we could see that an army of people was going up. I wonder how much energy it uses to hold so many people.

When we reached the highest layer of the prison. Again seeing the big entrance. Not blue nor black it's just light brown. Clear color with nothing special in mind. There was also a tree in here, something I didn't see when I came here. I think the tree is over a thousand years old and its core is over 100 meters in radius. It was so high that its crown covers the whole prison. The sun slowly started coming up. You could see the sun rays shining through the cracks in the leaves of the crown. The light slowly started falling on a small portion of the prisoners. All of them in a rain of luminous strokes went to the mines that were located in that old and large tree…

We had to do a whole circle before entering the mines since it was on the other side of the stairs. I could see the walls properly and they were just poles that looked like wooden spears. Many guards on the small balcony based upon them. Almost 50 just on the walls.

The bright light went through me like a shower. It refreshed me, I felt real… Good?

I didn't feel pain anymore. Nothing I felt just my body walking slowly and me thinking simultaneously. A fresh breeze of wind went through the gate as someone else was entering this place. That very breeze reminded me of freedom…

We slowly started approaching the big tree with all 30 soldiers around us and the general at the very beginning of the chain. Like an alpha male at the top of the wolven hierarchy where those worthless wolves eat only rests. It felt just like that.

The entrance to the mines looked very old almost at the edge of breaking. We didn't have to worry because the wood was reinforced with iron. But that didn't change the way it looked.

"Puppies, you go work and I hope you can be nice to my friends right here." Said the general and in the same instance, I looked around and saw, like most people started falling to their knees and holding their throats.

"They couldn't breathe? Why?" As this thought went through my mind I saw the general approaching me.

"I forgot there is one with nothing. Trash. You are even more rubbish than those here and those are already trash. What do I call you then? Dumpster? Haha," The general started laughing with his very deep and old voice. You could say he is in his early 50s since he didn't struggle with walking and most of his hair was still black. He is enormous. I think he is around two meters high and very muscular. Wearing a brown jacket with dark red gravings on it certainly didn't resemble a 'general'.

"Where are we actually…" Scary to think about…

"You are… Lucky… That you… Don't feel that…" Estel interrupted my thoughts while heavily coughing and spitting blood. "The pressure… We feel when he does that… Is so strong. It feels like a ton falling on us. Crushing us…"

"Indeed, I'm quite lucky… And not at the same time…" All of those nice feelings I had just disappeared right now. It's just sad again…

"You may think like that but… Do you know any other human who is zero? It's a blessing… You can… Disconnect from this world. Independent of its laws!" Bullshit… It's not possible… If I try… I'm sure that that very statement will catch up to me.

Everyone slowly started walking inside the mine and at the very entrance, everyone got a pickaxe and a loaf of bread? Well, that makes sense, but a fucking loaf of bread? Really? Some people will surely die of exhaustion. Well, probably me included. Also again in the crowd I couldn't spot the old man… Is he some kind of ghost? What he did was surely real… What is going on…

It was my turn. I came to the guy at the entrance and got my pickaxe.

"Good luck." He said as I was walking into the dark mines. The only light was already slowly fading. They got dark. Pitch black even. The soil under us was just the stone from before, from the bottom of the arena. I went with the other three so that if I will get in trouble well… They could help me?

"Guys. What are we actually mining here? I only see stone."

"That's exactly what we are doing here. Mining stone. Very interesting I know. Well, they sell it to some people that need materials to build. Remember the guy from the gate? That same carriage will take most of what we mine today." Explained Matthew while kicking a pebble.

"That carriage alone? It's really small though."

"Don't worry about that. One of the soldiers will go with him and keep the stone and whole carriage in check so that it won't fall. Since someone still has to buy 'food' for the whole place someone needs to go." Estel answered the question in a mining position. He started winding up and hit the stones on the ground somewhere in the mine. I don't even know where I am.

"What if we find something valuable?"

"Since we can't use dark and we can't store it anywhere. Then you are somewhat obligated to give it to them. Those fucking bastards…" Joined Marcus.

All of them started mining and again… Matthew looked really funny. His pickaxe was about his size. He was strong so he was still able to use it as we do, but his short hands. Because of that his pickaxe sometimes hit the ground. I also began working.

The pickaxe was heavy. For me, it was really heavy. Since I didn't have basic knowledge of hard work this was harder. After 20 minutes of working the three of them removed their shirts and I followed. I saw them not breaking a sweat yet but I was already greasy as the food we get every day.

We went on for an hour and I didn't have any strength. I saw them working as they did before from the very start, but they still weren't sweating as much. They work so efficiently it's almost unbelievable. Even Matthew lasted longer than me with his short arms that required much more strength to swing the pickaxe. I just sat down and closed my eyes.

I heard the noises of pickaxes hitting the stone fading.

The sound disappeared completely and I wasn't there anymore as well. I was again in that black room. With a small ball in the sky. With something blue surrounding me. And I was walking on the invisible ground. All was dark. I felt cold… Lonely… But I kept going. With each step getting harder and harder. I looked around the dark world and heard laughs. It wasn't the psychos nor my brothers nor anyone else's I knew.

It disappeared. I don't know what is going on… Hayden, why are you asking the same question? Again. Again and again…

"Who is Hayden?"

"Why is Hayden?" No. Stop. You can't do that. Don't lose to yourself. Keep yourself together! Go on! This is not yet the time to disappear!

"Wake up! Wake up! Hayden!" A loud voice shouted. Again no one I knew. Or was it me? Who?

"Hayden! You are still young… You can manage everything as long as you go… Even in this winter. One day… The snow will surely be on your side one day. And at that time. All won't matter." Who is this? I don't know this voice… It changes from woman to man every word…

"No matter the odds, Hayden… You will find peace. And love… All that you have yet to discover… The world is broad and it's you that has to make it… Not 'us'." I felt a tear falling down my cheek. It approached the chin and fell down. I looked down and saw that small tear. Created white. In this very dark world. That small tear… Small… Human… Made a… Change…