I Did Nothing Wrong

Marfa, standing at the window of her office overlooking the expansive, dreary mine, squinted her eyes at the pit outside, an anomaly catching her attention.

A small solitary figure, undeterred by the biting cold, worked diligently, pounding at the stones. His steadfastness under such harsh conditions piqued Marfa's interest.

She unclipped the walkie-talkie from her belt, pressing the call button as she held it up to her mouth, "Ivan," she called out in her rough voice, "What's the name of the boy working outside?"

A moment of silence followed before Ivan's surprised grunt came through the walkie-talkie.

"That's the kid... Andrei," Ivan sounded almost incredulous, "Didn't expect the little rat to get back up on his feet and work. I tossed him out there when he passed out, just like the rest of the slackers. He must be quite desperate to survive."

Marfa's gaze didn't waver from the sight of the diligent Andrei, his persistence catching her eye.

She shot a glance at Irina, the girl with flaming red hair who worked tirelessly in the other pit, her determination always visible, "Seems like Irina might have a contender," Marfa mused, her eyes narrowing in thought.

The sun had risen high by the time Ivan lumbered over to where Andrei was still toiling.

He held out a bundle of clothes to the boy, "You can have your clothes back. You've earned your right to work back with the others," Ivan ordered, his gaze sweeping over Andrei, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes upon seeing that this brat was not showing any signs of exhaustion like before.

But Andrei shook his head, refusing the offer. His eyes were resolute, reflecting the light of the sun, "I want to work here, in the open," he replied, his voice surprisingly steady despite the cold.

Ivan's brows furrowed in confusion, but he shrugged it off, tossing Andrei's clothes aside. As long as this brat kept working, he didn't particularly care where it was.

Andrei continued mining as the second hour drifted by. He didn't feel tired, the chilly winds no longer a deterrent. He felt stronger, his arms seeming to work with newfound energy, making him even more happy that his mother was watching over him.

Suddenly, the stone under his diligent hammer cracked, revealing a startling, vibrant blue light.

It was a cluster of small, blue-glowing stones. Andrei picked one up, feeling a strange resonance with it, like an ethereal pull he couldn't quite understand.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy boots echoed, and a group of men led by Ivan appeared by his side. Their faces were lit with an astonishing blend of surprise and greed, something Andrei had never seen before on the hardened visages of these men.

Ivan crouched next to him, his eyes glittering as he looked at the blue stones. A smirk stretched across his rough features as he clapped a heavy hand on Andrei's shoulder, "Good work, brat. Keep this up and you might get better grub and more rewards," he drawled, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

Andrei didn't understand what these glowing blue stones were, but he quickly realized that these stones meant a lot to these people.

—

Months melted into each other as the grueling routine in the mining pits became second nature to Andrei.

The boy who had once arrived fragile and tear-stained had been hardened by the ceaseless toll of labor. His newfound status as one of the top performers garnered mixed reactions among the children. Envy sparkled in the eyes of some, while others radiated a sense of awe and respect.

Irina, the red-haired girl who had shared a crucial piece of advice that first day, remained an enigma.

Despite Andrei's attempts to communicate, she remained aloof, exchanging only fleeting glances and terse nods. He realized she wasn't interested in talking and decided not to disturb her.

Finally a year had passed since Andrei arrived in this bleak place.

The harsh environment, combined with the physically demanding labor, had molded Andrei into a far cry from the young boy who had first set foot in this brutal world.

His body, once scrawny and fragile, had been reshaped through countless hours of toil. His muscles had tightened and hardened, making his movements more efficient and agile. His arms, accustomed to the weight of the hammer and even bigger tools, the resistance of the stones, held a deceptive strength, toned and powerful.

His once soft face had developed sharper edges, a premature toughness that came with enduring constant hardships.

His palms were rough, weather-beaten, bearing the marks of sweat, dust, and grime that were a mirror to his daily battle in the pits.

His black hair had grown longer, often falling into his eyes that held a kind of grim determination and resilience. Yet, beneath the hardened exterior, there was an underlying hint of innocence that refused to be extinguished.

Andrei's clothing had changed as well. The tattered rags he had arrived in had been replaced with more durable work clothes – still threadbare, but better suited to the harsh environment. His feet, once tattered shoots were now replaced with boots albeit a bit shoddy one.

He got a lot of friends in the meantime, kids around his age always flocking around him and talking to him. It was one of the very few things that helped him cope with his life here, though there was always the lingering worry of how long he has to be here.

—

Under the gray shroud of dust rising from the mining pits, Alexei and Boris watched Andrei from a distance.

Alexei's eyes squinted, lips curling into a scowl. His arms, smeared with dirt and grime, rested on the handle of his pickaxe as his gaze seethed with resentment, "That little fucker, Andrei, gets to enjoy all the good stuff, while we break our backs. How could a little shit like him be better than us?" he spat, his tone venomous.

Boris, a burly, bull-necked boy with a sly glint in his eyes, nodded in agreement, grumbling, "Because he's a freak. Isn't that why he is always gazing at the skies like a fool. Meanwhile, we are here, breaking stones and sweating like mules. If it weren't for him, we'd be the ones getting the better treatment. We were always better than the rest of the boys."

Alexei's dark eyes gleamed with an ominous light as a cruel smile spread across his face, " Boris…we should do something about this," His voice carried a sinister undertone.

Boris' face lit up with a twisted sense of excitement, "Yes, yes. We can easily do that by making sure he can't be better than us anymore, hehe," he said, a wicked grin plastered on his face.

—

As the reddish hue of the setting sun bathed the mining pits, Andrei finally finished his labor.

As he heaved a sigh of relief, he found Alexei and Boris standing beside him. They wore friendly smiles, their hostility seemingly replaced by camaraderie.

Their arms slung casually around him as if they were old friends, "Andrei, little brother, want to take a walk with us?" Alexei asked, maintaining his smile.

Andrei glanced at them, surprised and a bit suspicious. But optimism pushed him to hope that they had softened and perhaps wanted to befriend him like the others.

With a nod, he agreed and they began to walk, their conversation surprisingly amiable.

They chatted about simple things - the days they spent mining, their favorite foods and so on. Yet as they continued walking, Andrei felt a pang of unease. They were leading him towards a dilapidated, abandoned toilet block, standing alone, far from the dormitories.

"Why are we here?" Andrei asked, a line of worry creasing his brow.

Alexei flashed him a conspiratorial grin, "We've got some good stuff stashed here, Andrei. Thought you might want to check it out. You will definitely like it," His voice was brimming with enthusiasm, almost too much, but Andrei's curiosity got the better of him.

As they stepped into the damp, dank interior, Andrei felt a shiver run down his spine, feeling even more uneasy.

Suddenly, the creaky door slammed shut behind him. He was about to turn when he felt a forceful kick in his chest.

"Argh!"

He stumbled back and fell on the dirty tile floor.

He looked up to see Alexei and Boris looming over him, their smiles twisted and sinister, no longer looking friendly.

"Why...Why are you doing this?" Andrei cried out, his face a mix of confusion and fear, "I did nothing wrong to you!"

Alexei scoffed, a cold and malicious grin spreading on his face, "Don't play dumb, Andrei. Today will be the end of your easy days here," With that declaration, Alexei and Boris lunged at Andrei, their boots ruthlessly hitting his body. He curled into a ball, arms shielding his head as he pleaded for them to stop.

"Ugh, why is it so hard to break his bones??" Alexei grunted, pulling out a claw hammer from his pocket, wanting to end this quick after being surprised seeing Andrei not crumbling under their kicks.

Andrei's eyes widened in terror, his heart pounding against his ribcage as he saw Alexei raise his arm, preparing to strike with the hammer.

In the face of impending danger, Irina's words resonated in his head. With a surge of adrenaline and desperate courage, Andrei clenched his fingers into a fist, and before he could process it, his arm was striking Alexei in the stomach with all the force he could muster.

*Wham!*

"Uuurgh!"

The blow landed with a solid thud, driving the air out of Alexei. His eyes bulged, a gasp escaping his lips before he crumpled onto the floor, unconscious.

Boris, frozen in shock, stumbled back, his gaze fixed on Andrei as if he was a monster sprung from a nightmare.

Andrei rose, disbelief mirrored on his face. He couldn't believe he knocked out someone bigger and stronger than him.

Boris, panic flaring in his eyes, fumbled for the door handle.

He was on the verge of bolting when a swift punch from a small fist landed on his face, knocking him out cold.

Andrei's eyes followed the origin of the strike, only to find a masked little figure standing in the doorway. The cloth mask concealed their features entirely, leaving Andrei unable to discern their identity or even their gender, though he knew it must be one of the kids here.

Fear and curiosity pulsed in his veins as he looked at the mysterious savior. How were they even able to see with such a mask?

But his eyes widened when this figure suddenly rushed towards him and something was telling him they weren't going to be friendly with him!