[FLASHBACK; 10 Years Prior]
A sixteen-year-old Rafael was deep within an underground cavernous tunnel, laboriously breaking through the extremely hard stones to fish out the red gems hidden beneath. He wasn't alone, and about fifty more slaves were scattered about, each struggling with their tools to unearth the precious stones and piling up their finds.
His axe dug into the rugged walls, the impact of his strike making the walls shatter and crumble to the stony floor. Sunlight filtered through an opening at the end, illuminating part of the interior and casting shadows on the foreground.
Rafael's heart clenched.
Sweat dripped from his forehead, stinging his eye as he worked, but when he paused for a brief moment to catch his breath, his respite was cut short by the sharp crack of a whip against his bare back. The force of the blow sent a shockwave of pain through his body, causing his teeth to clench and his muscles to automatically tense.
