Hope?

The moment those words escaped from Gulfram's mouth, an overwhelming wave of joy and excitement flooded over me.

Tunneling?! yes, this could be it... Digging our tunnel to freedom! 

Why didn't I think of this earlier... but then again, it likely demands manpower, tools, and an unbelievably long amount of time. I could never excavate a tunnel all on my own. Now that I have friends in the quarry, including Gulfram himself, then maybe... tunneling our way out of this damned place might become feasible.

Despite my best efforts to hide my elation, I couldn't escape Gulfram's disapproving shake of the head, a clear indicator that my true emotions had been revealed.

But why is he like this?

After a moment's hesitation, I mustered the courage to pose the burning question that had been gnawing at my thoughts, "You want escape?"

His eyes widen slightly at my question, clearly caught off guard. 'What do you mean by wanting to escape?' he asked, his hand rising to scratch his beard in contemplation.

"I mean-" I tried to say but he suddenly cuts me off.

"I know exactly what you meant, boy!" He raised his voice. "What prompted you to ask me such probing questions?"

I involuntarily flinched at his response, a surge of surprise and fear washing over me. Swallowing hard, I averted my gaze, fixating it on anything but him. My body felt like it had turned to ice, beads of sweat forming on my skin, a cold shiver running down my spine.

It's my first time seeing him react like this... Did I offended him somehow? if so, then how?

Shit shit shit..

Subsequently, a heavy silence descended upon us. Initially mere seconds, it stretched into minutes, with neither of us daring to break the quiet by uttering a single word.

Maybe I should break the silence...

Rubbing my temples in contemplation, I mustered the courage to shift my gaze toward him. To my surprise, I found him with his head hung low, lost in his own thoughts.

I cleared my throat, prompting him to snap his gaze towards me, a sense of uncertainty clearly etched across his expression.

"You have no hope.." I muttered, inwardly cursing myself for how I said the words too quietly for him to hear.

"What?" he tried to clarify.

"Your question earlier... My answer is I am curious." I flatly responded.

"Curious of what?" By this time, his face is now showing signs of confusion and annoyance.

"Why you angry at my question? you want stay here forever? no freedom?" He fell silent at my questions, trying to open his mouth once in an attempt to deliver a rebuke, but it seems he eventually decided against it.

Silence prevailed for at least another minute before he finally gave me a reply.

"No man would want to spend the rest of their lives living and working in this shithole, of course I wanted to escape this place, There's nothing more euphoric than savoring the taste of freedom." He paused, cleared his throat, before eventually continuing, "But the thing is... we lack the means to execute it successfully. Moreover, the guard presence, especially the cloaks, has significantly increased compared to before. And considering the warden in charge of this place, any escape attempt would likely result in a brutal bloodbath and unimaginable torment for those unfortunate enough to be left behind."

Then we'll just bring everyone along... I wanted to propose it to his face, but a lingering doubt held me back. In fact, the world works with logic and reason, and I knew he would likely dismiss it with laughter. After all, what kind of prisoner attempts to lead an entire prison in an escape?

Unless it's a... riot.

Swiftly dismissing my current thoughts, I ask him another question, "What about dig another tunnel, like two men before?"

I am confident that he would consider my suggestion, but that was until he began shaking his head in disapproval, a sense of disappointment washing over me.

"Not possible-" Before he could continue his words, I was surprise to find myself suddenly interrupting him.

"What you mean not possible?!" It was now my turn to raise my voice.

His words felt like a splash of water quenching the flames of my hope; I could sense it fading rapidly. I can't seem to find myself believing his words, It's just so impossible for me.

Then a memory suddenly cross my mind, I was like this before; despite the already clear evidences presented to me, I just blindly and stubbornly stuck to the idea that I'm still on earth and that I just discovered a hidden realm within the planet, not to mention that deep down I already know the painful reality, I just tried to convince my self otherwise, hoping that it would give me even the slightest amount of comfort. After all, in a harsh and unforgiving world such as this, comfort is not a luxury.

I could always feel my heart being pierced by dozens of pins every time I recall this. It's as if I'm revisiting a forbidden memory, one that exacts a hefty toll in exchange for its recollection.

Should I simply cast aside all my hopes? It wouldn't hurt as much to accept the fate Gulfram has foretold for me, compared to before. I'd only be adding to the misery of my already inevitable and nearing end if I choose to be stubborn.

As I began contemplating the decisions I needed to make, both now and in the uncertain future, my gaze drifted towards Gulfram. I noticed him staring back at me, and in that very moment, I became aware that I had been holding my breath the entire time.

Releasing the stored oxygen, I let out panted breaths for the next few seconds.

"Tunnel sweepers" He suddenly began, prompting me to look at him with raised brows.

"Tunnel.. what?" I asked, confusion and curiosity swelling up inside of me at the same time.

"Tunnel sweepers," Gulfram repeated, his voice carrying the weight of experience. "After the tunnel incident, which led to the escape of two miners, they erected a second perimeter around the quarry. They stationed observers and dogs at every conceivable location to detect even the faintest trembling and abnormalities beneath the ground."

My heart skipped a beat at this revelation, and with every remaining shred of hope within me vanishing, it felt as though Gulfram could see all the color drain from my face.

Should I now place my trust solely in the hope that the warden might be replaced, and that someone with authority would discover my wrongful imprisonment here and grant me the freedom I deserve?

Will it ever happen?... Very unlikely.

The positions and authority held by the Warden and that particular commander stand as glaring examples of just how corrupt this system operates in this place. Why were they ever granted such power? That's a question I can never wrap my head around. They should never have assumed their roles in the first place, sparing more people from needless suffering and death, all at the whims of these twisted individuals.

I was wrong to put my confidence in such childish hopes.

If spending the rest of my life in this quarry is my fate, then so be it. Until I discover a way to escape this wretched place, there's no one to rely on but myself and the friends and allies I've forged within these unforgiving realm of rocks, stones, and pickaxes.

With the hope of escaping this place reduced to nothing more than a flickering spark, however I could feel my determination to survive until the very end blazing fiercely within me.

"I see..." It was the only response I could muster. Surprisingly, Gulfram didn't seem to mind my questions or the brief replies I offered in response to his answers.

And so, our lessons commenced in earnest. Over the next few hours, I immersed myself in his tutelage, eagerly delving into the discovery of new Artanian words, gradually expanding my vocabulary. Although I stumbled over the pronunciations despite countless repetitions, I held onto the confidence that in the coming of the third month, I would not only comprehend these words but also weave them into my own sentences with ease.

When we were finally done, I now found myself standing at Gulfram's doorway, waving him goodbye.

"Tomorrow again, yes?" Gulfram asked, nodding his head at me.

"Of course, thank you and.... Goodnight!" I responded, giving him a hollow smile.

"Goodnight, Carillus..." With those words, I finally opened the door, stepping outside into the chilling night air. As I closed the door behind me, a sudden gust of cold wind washed over me, sending a coldness down my spine. The encompassing darkness also did little to ease the uncomfortableness creeping over me.

Despite this, the sights had grown painfully familiar to me by now... Well, who wouldn't, considering I had to trudge here every single night, and this view was the only one I got after wrapping up my lessons each day.

With a heavy sigh, I started to make my way through the town under the watchful gaze of the moon above.

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CHAPTER DONE!!