Tunnels

"They're gone," Elysia said as she stood in front of everyone. Her commanding presence drew everyone's attention. "How's Tuck?"

"He'll be okay," the boy from earlier said. "But likely out of commission for a few days, at least."

"Understood, Lucian. The sooner he's back on his feet, the better."

"How're we gonna get double the amount by next week?" Someone called out from the back.

"We cut back on sleep," Elysia said. "It's the only way. We start now."

There was a murmur of complaints from the Talkers, while the Soulless stood hunched over from exhaustion. For a moment, no one moved.

"Well, what're we waiting for," Ryker asked, pickaxe already in hand. "Let's get mining. Elysia, I'll start scouting the tunnels for new veins."

With that, everyone set off to their duties.

"You're coming with me," Ryker said, grabbing Kael by his jacket and pulling him along.

As they moved through the winding tunnels, the oppressive silence of the mine seemed to press in on Kael. His limbs felt heavy, and the lack of sleep gnawed at his mind. Every step seemed to drain him further. Ryker, on the other hand, seemed unaffected, walking with purpose.

"Ryker…," Kael breathed, voice barely above a whisper. "How are we supposed to do this? Double the quota in a week? It's impossible."

Ryker glanced back over his shoulder, eyes narrowing. "It's not impossible. It's just about pushing past what you think you can handle. You'll learn that quickly down here, Kael. The pain, the exhaustion—it's just a part of it. You get used to it."

Kael wasn't sure he wanted to get used to it.

They reached a narrow offshoot of the main tunnel, where Ryker stopped abruptly. "This is the spot. We've been using this one for a while, but I think there's more. We've just gotta dig a little deeper."

Kael wiped the sweat from his forehead, trying to ignore the ache in his bones. "What if we don't make it in time? What happens then?"

Ryker didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a couple swings at the rock in front of them, powerful blows that sent pieces scattering in every direction.

"We don't want to find out," Ryker muttered. "The Royals don't care about the 'whys.' If we don't meet their demands, they'll massacre us and replace us with more Soulless."

Kael watched Ryker work for a moment before stepping forward, hefting his own pickaxe. The sound of metal striking stone echoed in the tight space. With each strike, Kael's muscles screamed for rest, but he forced himself to continue. There was no other choice.

As the minutes turned into hours, Kael's vision started to blur, the rock in front of him becoming a haze. His body was on autopilot, just swinging, breathing, swinging. His hands were raw, his muscles screaming.

How could he keep this up?

"Ryker," Kael called through the haze, his voice hoarse. "How do you keep going? Every day… this... this hell."

Ryker paused, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. For the first time since they entered the tunnels, his shoulders slumped slightly. "Because if I stop, I'll die. And not just from exhaustion. I'm already a dead man walking, Kael. This life? It doesn't let you stop. You keep moving or you get left behind. That's the only rule."

Kael didn't respond, his thoughts tangled with everything he had learned since waking in that pod. Was there any hope for a life outside this mine? Or was it truly a cage with no escape?

Another hour passed, maybe more. Then, a loud crack echoed through the cavern. Kael's heart leapt into his throat.

"What was that?" Kael asked, fear creeping into his voice.

Ryker looked up, his eyes sharp. "Collapse. Get back to the main shaft, now!"

The ground shook, dust falling from the ceiling, and rocks crumbled down. Kael scrambled to his feet.

Together they took off down the tunnel, dodging falling debris. 

Kael looked up, watching a crack form in the ceiling above. Behind him, the tunnel was caving in, hundreds of pounds of rock slamming into the ground. 

They rounded a corner, and Kael tripped over a newly formed crevice in their path.

Kael hit the ground hard, his chest slamming against the stone as pain shot up his arms. The sound of collapsing rock echoed behind him, growing louder with each passing second. His heart raced. He had to get up. He had to keep moving.

"Kael!" Ryker's voice cut through the chaos, panic lacing his usually calm tone. "Get up!"

He stumbled to his feet, but it was too late. The top of the tunnel above him groaned and gave out.

Covering his hands over his head, Kael crouched to the ground as the overwhelming weight of the rock crashed into his body.

Then, only darkness.