Chapter 37: The Embers of Rebellion

The final spark that ignited the fire of rebellion in David's heart was Elias's seven-year-old daughter, Lina.

The little girl had contracted a strange illness. Her body alternated between fever and chills, and large, decaying grey spots appeared on her skin, like dying fungi, exuding an ominous air. Drawing on his limited biological knowledge, David deduced it was an infection from the "Grey-Rot Fungus" that grew on damp rock walls. He remembered seeing a type of moss that emitted a faint blue glow in a cave on the edge of the Sanctuary, an area Landon had designated an "unclean forbiddenzone." Based on his experience from his own world, he knew that the antagonistic properties of certain fungi could produce effects similar to antibiotics.

However, it was a forbidden zone. Landon had proclaimed that the air there would "pollute the purity of the soul."

At his wit's end, Elias knelt before Landon's dwelling, a temple-like structure built from the highest branches of the Great Tree of Light. He kowtowed humbly, begging his god to allow him to enter the forbidden zone to gather the moss, or, to grant him one of the legendary "Sacred Fruits" from the treetop, said to cure any ailment.

Landon emerged slowly from his temple, looking down at Elias with a sorrowful expression, like a deity pitying mortals.

"Elias," his voice was like a celestial hymn, yet devoid of any warmth, "your daughter is not sick from a fungus, but from your wavering faith. You hoarded ore, your mind filled with impure thoughts. That sin is now borne by your own bloodline. This is the Great Tree's admonishment to you. What you need is not worldly moss, nor the grace of a Sacred Fruit, but devout repentance."

Elias slammed his head against the ground in despair, blood from his forehead mixing with the dirt, but Landon just watched calmly, his eyes without a ripple of emotion. The onlookers whispered among themselves, their faces a mixture of sympathy and, more potently, a relieved certainty that they were not the ones suffering this "divine punishment."

In that moment, the last shred of respect David had for Landon vanished into thin air. This was no longer a necessary measure to maintain order; it was pure, pathological power-mongering. Landon was intoxicated by the feeling of controlling others' fates, of playing the role of a savior. He wasn't a shepherd; he was a tyrant who toyed with the souls of his flock.

That night, David moved like a phantom, slipping into the so-called "forbidden zone." With his excellent survival skills, he evaded the Watchers' patrols and found the eerie, blue-glowing moss deep within the cold, damp cave walls. He carefully collected a sample and slipped back unnoticed, delivering it to the near-broken Elias.

"Crush this. Apply half to Lina's spots and mix the other half with clean water for her to drink," David's voice was a low, urgent whisper, yet incredibly firm. "Trust me, Elias. Trust science, trust ourselves, not that 'god' on his high perch."

Elias stared at David, his eyes filled with shock, gratitude, and a bone-deep terror. He took the moss, his hand trembling. "You... you're challenging the Shepherd... He'll kill you, crush you like a bug!"

"If we stand by and watch a child die without doing anything, what's the difference between us and dead bugs?" David's gaze was as sharp as a knife. "We are human beings, not livestock in a pen. We cannot live like this forever."

A miracle happened. Three days later, Lina's condition had miraculously improved. The grey spots on her skin began to fade. Elias saw David as his savior, and his gratitude was as heavy as the hammer in his hands.

This incident became the first crack in the iron curtain.

David began to use his expertise to secretly help those around him with problems Landon couldn't or wouldn't solve. He taught people how to identify edible, harmless fungi to supplement their monotonous diet. He showed them how to use the cave's natural mechanics to reinforce their dwellings. He even began mapping the areas around the Sanctuary, marking sources of water, minerals, and potential dangers.

His actions earned him the trust and respect of a small group of people, a trust that passed between them like embers in the dark. They started to gather around him in secret, listening to his stories of the world outside—a world with a real sun, with laws, with freedom, where all people were born equal. These stories were like a gentle breeze, blowing into minds long imprisoned and accustomed to the dark.

Elias became David's most steadfast follower. Through him, David connected with others who harbored resentment toward Landon's rule: a hunter named Karl, who had been flogged for exploring too far; an old woman named Mara, whose husband had been "exiled" for questioning Landon's distribution of the light-fruits and was never seen again.

A secret resistance was taking shape, like a ghost, right under the "god's" nose.

Their goal was clear: to overthrow Landon's theocratic rule, return control of the Great Tree of Light to everyone, and establish a fair, transparent council. They didn't need a god on a pedestal; they needed an equal leader who could guide them all toward survival.

"Landon's power comes from his monopoly on information and the fear in our hearts," David's voice echoed in the darkness during a secret meeting deep within a cave. "If we break that monopoly, if we show everyone that we can survive without him, even live better, his throne will crumble from within. Our chance is the next Festival of Light."

The Festival of Light was the Sanctuary's grandest celebration. On that day, Landon would ascend the altar of the Great Tree of Light to distribute the year's best fruits and deliver his oracle. It was the moment he was most like a god, and also the moment his guard would be at its lowest.

The plan was meticulous and audacious. Every participant understood it was a gamble with no retreat. Success meant a new beginning. Failure meant being cast into an abyss from which there was no return.

Elias gripped David's hand, his calloused palm trembling with excitement. "David, we're with you. For Lina, for everyone he has trampled underfoot, we will follow you to pull that so-called 'god' from his altar!"

Looking at the flames of "humanity" rekindled in their eyes, David took a deep breath. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the dangerous perfume of hope. He knew the arrow was nocked.