A day in the mines

The air inside the mining facility was thick with dust, laced with the faint, crackling energy of raw aether. The moment Lucius and the others stepped through the fortified gates, soldiers began distributing equipment.

The elderly—both men and women—were handed heavy pickaxes, their frail hands struggling to wrap around the rough wooden handles. The younger, stronger adults received similar tools, their expressions blank as they accepted their fate.

Lucius, along with the other children his age, was given a simple wooden crate. No explanation was needed. It was obvious what their job would be.

"Move," barked a soldier, shoving a miner forward.

The chains rattled as the group was ushered into the gaping mouth of the mine.

The tunnels stretched endlessly, carved deep into the earth, their walls lined with jagged protrusions of aether crystals. The faint blue glow from the deposits bathed everything in an azure light.