The next day Caelum was walking through the streets of the slums, wearing a meager uniform consisting of a skin-tight threadbare black tank-top, and thin straps that hung a pair of brown overalls, once sturdy but now a patchwork of dust and grime. A single, chipped button held the side closure together. Jarek was more or less dressed the same, except for a thin blue jacket over his overalls.
They were both making their way to the mines for a day of work.
Caelum ran a hand through his black hair as he walked, pushing it out of his eyes. He looked up at the sky, which was filled with dark clouds. The wind was starting to pick up, and he could feel the first drops of rain falling on his face.
They reached a large building with a sign hanging above the door that read "MINING CORPORATION." It was a squat, ugly structure that loomed over the streets like a square grey boulder. More soulless guards stood beside the automatic doors Caelum took a deep breath as he walked into the building, knowing that this would be another long day in the mines.
They walked to the designated counter. A irritable women was sitting behind it, her face obscured by a screen.
"Scan your verifications and then proceed to the gear room. Please be sure to return all the equipment after work," the women said in a monotonous voice.
They scanned their wrists which had ID's implanted and moved towards the room. Pickaxes were handed to them by a guard managing a large counter.
They walked past the soulless guards and proceeded down the tunnels into the dark caverns where the ore was extracted. The walls were slick with moisture and the air was cold and stale.
"You think we'll strike a vein?" Jarek asked.
"I'm not sure, let's get started and see," Caelum replied with a sigh.
They began to dig, hitting their axes against the rocks.
"You know, Cay, I've been thinking..." Jarek said, taking a moment to catch his breath.
"About what?"
"The Council... and the Dominion. What they do to us, the citizens of Valtara."
"What about them?" Caelum asked, wiping the sweat off his brow.
"Don't you think it's unfair? How they treat us like cattle? Like slaves?"
Caelum sighed, his breath fogging up in the chilly air. "I thought have you were used to it by now. This is just the way things are, Jarek. There's nothing we can do about it."
Jarek shook his head, his brown eyes filled with determination. "No, there's always something we can do, Cay. We have to fight back, or we'll be stuck in this cycle of poverty and oppression forever."
Caelum shrugged. "If you say so."
"I'm serious, Cay. We need to take action, or else nothing will change."
"Like what? Start a riot? We'd be shot before we could even raise our fists."
Jarek smiled, his eyes glittering with mischief. "There are other ways, Cay.."
Caelum scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say, Jarek."
Jarek chuckled and shook his head, his brown locks swaying in the dim light.
Caelum suddenly felt a rumble, and then a sharp pain in his ankle. He yelped in surprise, and collapsed to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Jarek exclaimed, rushing over to help his friend up.
"Yeah, I think I just twisted my ankle," Caelum replied through gritted teeth.
Jarek wrapped an arm around Caelum's waist, helping him stand up. "Do you want to go back?"
"Hell no. You want to starve, or do you want to finish our shift?"
"I can stay hungry for a day for your sake..." Jarek replied.
Caelum laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Come on, let's get back to work."
As they worked, Jarek noticed a glint of silver amidst the rubble. His eyes widened as he realized what it was.
"Cay, look! We've struck a vein!"
Caelum looked up from his task, his eyes widening in shock and avarice. He quickly got up and hobbled over to Jarek.
"no way!"
"Jarek we have to stay inconspicuous until we fully extract it otherwise the other miners will find out."
"You're right Cay, let's not make a fuss about it, we'll just have to work slowly."
They both began chipping away at the ore, careful not to make too much noise.
After hours of labor, the vein was barely excavated.
Caelum wiped the sweat from his brow, smiling triumphantly.
"This could earn us a lot of money, Jarek."
Jarek nodded, a wide grin on his face. "Yeah, but we'll have to hide it. No one can know."
"We can fill up the whole with plain rocks and dig shallow holes around it to make it seem like this tunnel was empty" Caelum said.
"Let's get started then," Jarek replied, eager to get the riches out of the ground.
As they were filling the hole, Caelum's mind was racing.
'I know Jarek will not screw me over but What if the other miners found out? we potentially might have to kill them to prevent them from talking. This could change everything.'
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the cavern.
Caelum's head snapped up, his eyes widening in fear.
"What was that?" he whispered, his voice shaking slightly.
"I don't know, but we need to get out of here, now," Jarek replied.
As they scrambled toward the exit, Caelum's heart was pounding in his chest. They needed to get out of here and fast.
The walls of the cavern were rumbling, and the floor beneath them was shaking. The mines often rumbled due to frequent earthquakes but never this violently.
Jarek stumbled and fell, scraping his knee against the rocky floor. He cried out in pain, clutching his leg.
"Shit, come on Jarek," Caelum muttered as he pulled his friend to his feet.
They were at a turn when the ceiling caved in behind them.
A huge boulder smashed into the ground between them, splitting the path. A sharp rock fell on Caelum's foot, and he screamed in pain.
"Cay!" Jarek shouted, his voice full of concern.
"I'm fine! Get out of here! I'm behind you."
Jarek hesitated for a moment, before turning and running out of the cave.
Caelum was struggling to remove the rock from his foot. His hands were shaking, and his breath was coming in short gasps. The air was thick with dust and debris, making it hard to breathe. Suddenly the ground beneath him gave way, and he fell into a dark chasm.
Caelum screamed as he tumbled into the depths of the mine. He slammed against the sides of the rocky walls, his arm breaking on the jagged rocks. Pain lanced through his body, and he couldn't help but cry out.
Suddenly, he felt his fall slow, and he landed softly on lush green grass. Caelum looked around in shock, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.
He was in a large cavern, illuminated by a faint blue glow. In the center of the cavern, was a large pool of water. The water was clear and glowed with a blue light.
Caelum stumbled toward the pool, his ankle throbbing with pain. He reached the edge and dipped his hands in the cool water. It was surprisingly cool as he cupped his hand and drank.
'This place must have been untouched for centuries, though the grass is fresh.' Caelum thought as he drank his fill.
Caelum looked around the cave, searching for an exit. There were none.
'Looks like I'll have to find another way out.'
Caelum sighed and walked along the edge of the pool, his footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness. He paused at the sound of movement, his senses alert.
He saw a marking on the rock wall, a crude drawing of a bird.
'The mark of the phoenix...'
Caelum's eyes widened as he realized where he was.
"It can't be... this is a rebel hideout?"
Caelum took a deep breath and reached out a trembling hand to touch the symbol.
"Please let this not be a dream," Caelum muttered under his breath.