In the early morning of that day, there was a strange silence in the mine, as if even the sound of dripping water that never stopped had become dull and low. The air was still full of the smell of blood, so pungent that it was suffocating. The bodies of Emma and Lor were found by the children who woke up first, lying in a corner of the mine, with stiff and twisted postures. Emma's little face was pressed against the ground, soaked in coagulated blood, and her back was deeply sunken, as if her spine was smashed by a huge heavy object. Lor was lying beside her, his hands still protecting Emma's head, but the arms that once held the pickaxe were now bent unnaturally and swollen to the point that their shapes were almost unrecognizable. The bones at the wrists even pierced the skin, revealing white fragments.
Some children couldn't help sobbing softly, but the crying was hurriedly stopped by the people around them. More children just stood silently, clenching their fists, and pinching their nails into their palms without making any sound. There was no anger on their faces, only deep despair, the kind of numbness that had long been accustomed to watching people around them die, but the struggle of not being able to fully accept it all. Lor's clothes had long been torn, and his blood solidified into dark brown scabs in the low temperature of the night, spreading around along the ground, like a hideous painting. Emma's little hand was still tightly grasping the corner of Lor's clothes, as if in the last moment before her death, she was still trying to rely on her only protector.
When the slave owner came, he brought a familiar sense of oppression. He was wearing a yellowed white shirt with his sleeves rolled up, revealing two greasy arms, and holding a short whip in his hand. He frowned and approached the corpse, covered his nose with disgust, and kicked Lor's shoulder with the tip of his shoe. "Are these two little bastards dead?" His voice was low and contemptuous. "They are really a nuisance. Even dead, they still make me worry." He kicked Emma's leg again, his eyes fell on her face, his eyes full of disgust, "This little thing died in a disgusting way. It's disgusting to look at." After he finished speaking, he smacked his lips hard.
The children dared not speak, but their eyes were all fixed on the slave owner, and some even had a flash of anger in their eyes. The slave owner noticed this, turned around suddenly, and pointed at them with a whip, "What are you looking at? If you look again, you will die here like them!" His voice was like a thorn wrapped in spikes, piercing everyone's ears fiercely. The children immediately lowered their heads, holding the tattered corners of their clothes tightly with both hands, but tears slid down their cheeks uncontrollably.
The slave owner turned his head, glanced at the corpse, and frowned, "Get rid of these two troublesome things, throw them deep into the mine, and don't let me see them again!" He waved his hand, signaling the two supervisors to come and do it. As they approached the corpse, Caesar slowly raised his head, his eyes still calm, but with a hint of unquestionable majesty. He stepped forward, his tone low and gentle, "My lord, please let me deal with their bodies."
The slave owner was stunned for a moment, turned his head to look at Caesar, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, "You come? Why do you do that?" Caesar lowered his eyes and whispered humbly, "I'm not afraid of dirt, why do you let others waste their energy?" His voice was not loud, but it was full of an irresistible power. The slave owner stared at him for a few seconds and nodded involuntarily.
The next moment, Caesar's eyes flashed a little strange. He gently raised his finger, and there seemed to be an invisible wave passing through the void, and the slave owner's expression suddenly became dazed. His eyes lost focus, his feet involuntarily stepped back two steps, and he muttered something in his mouth, as if he was trapped in a dream that was difficult to escape. Caesar's fingers slowly dropped, his eyes were still calm, as if nothing had happened. He turned to the overseer and said, "I am enough."
The overseer hesitated, glanced at the slave owner, and finally just nodded and turned away. Caesar leaned down and gently picked up the bodies of Emma and Lor. His movements were extremely careful, as if he was afraid of disturbing their souls. Blood dripped down their bodies to the ground, thick and sticky, emitting a disgusting fishy smell. He did not frown or pause, but silently led them to the depths of the mine.
There was a hidden corner, dark and quiet around, with only the occasional sound of water drops dripping from the rock wall echoing in the empty space. Caesar gently placed the two bodies on the ground, his eyes swept over their broken bodies, with no expression on his face. He stretched out his hand, and an indescribable force in the void began to condense, and something seemed to wake up in the depths of the darkness. It was a huge eye, slowly opened, staring at the body on the ground indifferently. The temperature in the air suddenly dropped, and the surrounding light seemed to be sucked into the bottomless abyss. The next moment, a deep light enveloped Emma and Lor's bodies.
The light was like a flowing fog, slowly covering the bodies of Emma and Lor. Their broken flesh began to wriggle, as if spliced together by an invisible force, the collapsed chest bulged again, and the blood flowed back along the broken blood vessels. Lor's exposed bones slowly shrank into the skin, and a layer of new muscles and tissues covered the surface, as if a horrible reverse decomposition. Emma's originally stiff little face gradually softened, her pale lips were stained with blood again, but her eyes were still closed, as if she was sleeping in some unspeakable abyss.
In the darkness, the huge eyes gradually closed, and the light disappeared. Caesar stood aside, watching their recovery, his movements were slow but revealing a certain indifference. He did not rush to wake them up, but took out a clean cloth from his arms and carefully wiped off the blood stains left on their skin. His movements were cautious, as if he was taking care of a fragile porcelain.
When Lor opened his eyes first, he took a deep breath, like a drowning man struggling to surface. His eyes were wide open, and his sight swept around in the dim environment, finally stopping at Caesar. He froze for a moment, and his fingers trembled as he touched his chest and his face. "I..." His voice was hoarse, with a trembling of fear, "I...what's wrong? I clearly..." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something and turned his head to look at Emma.
Emma also slowly opened her eyes at this time, her eyes were a little dazed, as if she had not fully realized that she had been pulled back from the abyss of death. Lor grabbed her shoulders and spoke quickly and chaotically: "Emma! You...you are still alive? We..." His voice was spinning in his chest, and his sentences were intermittent. He touched Emma's face and shook her shoulders hard to confirm that her body temperature was real, not a cruel illusion.
Emma raised her hand and touched Lor's arm, and her eyes slowly focused. She whispered, "I... Am I not dead?" Her voice was as light as a feather, but it was filled with fear and confusion that could not be concealed. She turned to look at Caesar, her innocent eyes full of questions and faint fear. "Brother Caesar... did you save us? But... why?"
Lor also turned his gaze to Caesar, his face full of vigilance and disbelief, even with a hint of instinctive fear. He swallowed hard, his voice trembling a little: "Who are you? Why can... can you revive us? Are you a human? Or..." When he said this, his voice choked, as if he didn't dare to continue guessing.
Caesar didn't answer immediately. He just smiled slightly, his eyes as gentle as a harmless brother next door. His voice was still calm and gentle: "Now is not the time to talk about this. You take a rest first. I have found a safe place for you. No one will find you." He stood up and pointed to the small cave behind him. It was a space he dug out. It was hidden enough that it was difficult to detect. The inside of the cave was covered with a layer of soft hay, and there were even a few stools made of simple ore.
Emma and Lor looked at each other, and their eyes were full of doubts, but more of fear of the unknown. They did not ask any more questions, but slowly stood up and helped each other to walk towards the cave. Their steps were still a little unstable, but the pain in their bodies seemed to have completely disappeared.
After entering the cave, Lor finally couldn't help it. He leaned against the wall and asked Emma in a low voice: "Do you think he is... normal? He can't be an ordinary person, right?" Emma shook her head, still with uneasiness on her face. She whispered: "But... he has no ill will towards us. And... if it weren't for him, we might really be dead." Her voice became lower and lower, and finally it was almost inaudible.
Just as they were whispering, Caesar came in with two pieces of rough bread in his hands. He handed the bread to them, still with that gentle expression: "Eat something first, your body needs to recover." He sat on the other side of the cave, leaving them enough space, without a hint of coercion.
Lor took the bread, looked at Caesar with complicated eyes, and finally said nothing. He lowered his head and took a bite. The dry and hard bread was almost impossible to swallow in his mouth, but he still gritted his teeth and swallowed it. Emma also picked up the bread, thanked him softly, and ate it in small bites, glancing at Caesar from time to time, as if trying to see something from his expression.
"Brother Caesar," Emma finally spoke, her voice as small as a mosquito, "In the future... will we have to hide here forever?" There was a hint of uneasiness and more helplessness in her tone.
Caesar looked at her, his smile still gentle: "If you want to go out, I can help you, but it's not safe outside. You are still young, there are plenty of opportunities in the future." After he finished speaking, his eyes fell on the exit of the cave, and his voice was a little lower, "Now, the most important thing is to survive."
Lor bit the dry and hard bread, and his throat made a subtle gurgling sound with every swallow. He frowned, with a hint of stubbornness in the corners of his eyes, but he still unconsciously covered his mouth with his palm, as if he was afraid that others would see him wolfing down. Emma ate very slowly, as if she was savoring some delicacy. She gently broke off a little bread with her small fingers, stuffed it into her mouth, and licked every residue with her tongue, as if she was afraid of wasting any food. The air was filled with the smell of hay, accompanied by a faint smell of wet soil. The silence in the cave was filled with occasional chewing sounds, which seemed particularly depressing.
Caesar sat quietly by the side, his hands folded on his knees, his eyes seemed to pass through this small space, staring at a deeper place. He did not urge them, nor did he try to break the silence, but occasionally turned his eyes to Emma and Lor, as if to confirm whether their condition was stable. Emma looked up and found that Caesar was looking at her, so she immediately lowered her head and whispered: "Thank you, Brother Caesar... We really don't know how to repay you." Her voice was as light as the wind, with a little imperceptible tremor.
Lor stopped moving and looked down at the half-bitten bread in his hand. He was silent for a moment, as if he had finally found an outlet for the words he had been holding back for a long time: "Caesar... You saved us, but we don't even know how we survived." His voice was low and suppressed, and his eyes flashed with doubts and struggles, "I'm not a fool, I know this kind of thing is impossible. Can you tell us the truth? Even if it's just a little bit..."
Caesar's eyes fell on Lor, his eyes were still gentle, but he didn't answer immediately. He smiled slightly, as if he was not surprised by Lor's question. "Lor," he said softly, with a convincing comfort in his tone, "some things don't need to be known now. You have been through a lot, I hope you can rest first, and the rest will slowly understand later." He didn't say much, but with a firmness that made it impossible to refute.
Emma muttered softly: "But is it really okay? Will we... be discovered by those people?" When she said "those people", her voice almost dropped to the lowest, as if she was afraid of being heard by some invisible ears. Her fingers unconsciously clenched the bread, and her eyes wandered.
Caesar shook his head gently, stretched out his hand and patted Emma's shoulder, the force was as gentle as a feather falling. "No," he said, "It's safe here, no one will find you. I will protect you, don't worry." His voice was low and powerful, with an unquestionable sense of stability, which made Emma relax a little.
Lor frowned, obviously not satisfied with Caesar's answer. He gritted his teeth and said in a hurry, "But who are you? Do we trust you so much? You can obviously do those... those impossible things, why do you still stay in this place?" His eyes were full of doubt and uneasiness, like a beast trapped in a cage, trying to break free but unable to do anything.
Caesar's eyes darkened a little, but his tone was still gentle: "Lor, the answers to some questions will not make you feel better if you know them now. On the contrary, they may make you more confused and more painful." He paused here, his eyes scanning back and forth between Emma and Lor, "But there is one thing you can believe - I will not hurt you, nor will I let others hurt you. This is the promise I can make."
Emma looked down at the bread in her hand, her eyes slightly red, but she did not cry out. She sniffed and whispered, "Brother Caesar, we know you are a good person... Thank you so much. Without you, we... We can't survive at all." There was a kind of pure trust in her voice, like a fragile little seed, trying to take root in this desperate land.
Lor did not speak again, but lowered his head and continued to chew the bread in his hand, but his brows were still furrowed, and it was obvious that he still had many questions in his heart. The cave fell into silence again, with only the sound of their chewing intermittently.
Caesar stood up, patted the dust on his body, and said softly: "You rest first, I'll go outside to take a look." After he said that, he turned and left the cave, leaving Emma and Lor staring at each other in the same place, with uneasiness and complex emotions intertwined in their eyes. Neither of them spoke, as if they were afraid that once they spoke out, the doubts in their hearts would turn into greater uneasiness.
______
When Caesar came back from outside, he was holding two cloth bags in his hands, which were filled with crude but enough food to fill his stomach. He put the bags on the ground and said in his usual calm tone: "Eat, replenish more energy." Emma and Lor immediately came forward, with a little impatience in their movements. Lor reached out and took out a pancake. He wiped the sweat off his face with the back of his hand and took a big bite. The dryness of the pancake made his face twist slightly, but he still forced himself to continue chewing. Emma picked a smaller fruit, carefully wiped the skin with her hand, and then secretly looked at Caesar while chewing, as if she wanted to ask something but didn't dare to speak.
After a while, Lor finally spoke, with food in his mouth, his voice was a little unclear: "Caesar, how long can we hide like this? We can't stay here forever." There was a little more uneasiness and stubbornness in his eyes. Obviously, he was tired of this dark life. Emma stopped chewing the fruit, looked up at Lor, then turned to Caesar and added in a low voice: "Yes, we can't stay here forever. Those bad guys... those supervisors, they... they will find out that we are gone sooner or later." Her voice trembled a little, recalling the painful memories of the past.
Caesar did not answer immediately. His eyes swept between the two of them, and then he slowly said: "If you want to go out, I can help you. But it is not safer outside than here. Those people will only be more cruel and ruthless." His tone was still gentle, but it revealed an unquestionable calmness, as if reminding them that this was not an easy decision to make.
Lor frowned and gritted his teeth and said: "But we can't live like this forever! Emma and I both know that sooner or later we will be discovered. Instead of being caught back, it is better to go out and try it ourselves. At least we still have a little hope." There was a kind of impulsiveness and unwillingness to admit defeat in his tone, and he looked at Caesar firmly, as if waiting for the other party's response.
Caesar was silent for a while, and finally nodded: "Okay, if you decide, then I will help you. But you have to listen to my command, otherwise if something happens, I can't save you." As he said, he walked in front of the two and raised his hands, as if preparing for some ceremony. Lor and Emma looked at each other, their eyes full of tension and expectation.
"Close your eyes and don't move." Caesar's voice was low and steady, with a power that made people unconsciously convinced. The two closed their eyes obediently, and Lor even held his breath. Caesar's palm gently touched their foreheads, and a cold feeling spread instantly, like an invisible wind blowing through the inside of the body. Emma couldn't help but tremble slightly, and whispered: "It's so cold... It feels so strange."
Lor gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound, but when Caesar's hand left, he couldn't help but open his eyes. "That's it?" There was obvious doubt in his voice, and he reached out and touched his forehead, but found nothing.
"Try to walk to the door." Caesar pointed to the exit of the cave, his tone calm as usual. Lor walked over half-believing and half-doubting, and when his body approached the exit, he was surprised to find that a slave supervisor who was originally guarding outside did not react at all, and was still dozing against the wall. Lor's eyes widened, and he lowered his voice and shouted, "Oh my God! He didn't see me!" Emma ran over immediately after hearing it, looked over, and then covered her mouth, her voice full of shock: "Is this... is this true? Are we really... invisible?"
Caesar walked behind them and whispered, "It's not invisible, but unobservable. Their eyes can't see you, their ears can't hear you, and they can't even smell you. But you must remember that this is not absolutely safe. If you make too violent movements, such as touching them, they will still feel abnormal. So, be careful when you go out and don't cause trouble."
Emma nodded vigorously, her face full of uncontrollable excitement: "Thank you, Brother Caesar! You are so amazing!" Her eyes flashed with admiration, as if she had seen some kind of miracle. Lor did not speak immediately. His eyes stayed on Caesar for a moment, and finally whispered, "Who are you? Why do you have such ability?"
Caesar just smiled and didn't answer. He reached out and patted Lor's shoulder, whispering, "For some questions, knowing the answer is meaningless. You just need to know that I'm here to help you, that's enough." His voice was so calm that it was impossible to refute, as if this was an indisputable fact.
Emma and Lor did not ask any more questions, but their eyes were still full of doubts and complex emotions. The two walked out of the cave carefully and explored the outside world stealthily in stealth mode. Emma saw a familiar old man and couldn't help running over and jumping in front of him a few times, but found that the other party had no reaction at all. She couldn't help laughing out loud and turned back to Lor and said, "This is so fun! They can't see us at all!" Lor frowned and whispered, "Don't be too proud, what if something goes wrong?" Despite this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly, and he was obviously attracted by this strange ability.
Caesar stood in the shadow of the cave, watching the two leave, with a hint of imperceptible complex emotions in his eyes. His fingers gently stroked the wall of the cave, as if thinking about something.
Emma squatted at the entrance of the cave, picked up a piece of soil with her little hands, rubbed it vigorously, and then smeared it on her face. She raised her head and smiled slyly: "This way, it looks like you just came back from outside, no one will suspect it." Her voice was brisk, as if she was announcing a little cleverness of her own. Lor stood aside, his brows slightly frowned, but his eyes softened unconsciously. His fingers stroked the rag bag at his waist, and a shriveled pancake appeared at the mouth of the bag. Lor said softly: "Don't make trouble, Caesar asked us to come out, not for you to show off." Although he said so, he couldn't help but smile.
Caesar stood quietly in the shadows, his eyes lingering on the two of them. His face was normal, like a calm lake, unable to spy on the undercurrents hidden deep under the water. He walked forward slowly, his voice low: "You don't have much time, take a good look outside while no one is watching. Remember every road and every door here." Lor nodded, and his eyes passed over Caesar with a little more respect: "I know, we won't let you down." His words were simple, but with the determination of a teenager.
Emma stood up, patted the dirt on her hands, and looked up at Caesar. Her eyes were still bright, as if the dim sunlight outside the cave could not cover them: "Brother Caesar, you really won't lie to us, right?" Her voice was very light, but it revealed a trace of seriousness that could not be ignored. Caesar looked down at her and said slowly: "I haven't lied to anyone, but I won't give you false hope." His tone was so steady that it was almost indifferent, but Emma smiled, as if she had received some great comfort: "I believe you."
The two walked out of the cave carefully, their footsteps were so light that they were almost silent. Emma occasionally looked back at Caesar, her eyes full of dependence and gratitude. Lor stared down at the ground, as if silently remembering the position of each stone. Their figures gradually merged into the dim light, like two fledglings who had just learned to fly, testing the boundaries of the world.
The miners not far away were still busy, and the sound of the shovel hitting the stone wall was monotonous and dull, like a never-ending elegy. An elderly miner squatted on the ground and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His movements were slow, as if every breath exhausted all his strength. Emma couldn't help but stop and gently pulled the corner of Lor's clothes: "That's Grandpa Al, he has always been very good to me." Her voice was very low, but it revealed a trace of heartache. Lor looked up and whispered: "Don't go over, he can't see you, but you can feel him, he is too tired." Emma nodded, although there was still a smile on the corner of her mouth, but there was a touch of complex emotions in her eyes.
Caesar always stood at the entrance of the cave, watching their figures gradually go away. His hand gently pressed on the wall, his fingertips stroking the rough stone surface, as if sensing the breath of this land. His eyes were deep, as if he was thinking about something.
Lor and Emma came back soon, holding a handful of gravel in their hands, like some kind of precious trophy. Emma raised the stone excitedly and said with a smile: "Brother Caesar, look, these stones are so beautiful!" Although Lor didn't say anything, there was a glimmer in his eyes, and he was obviously full of curiosity and expectation about the outside world. Of course, Caesar also knew that they didn't really go outside. At most, they just went to the front area of the mine that they had never been to before. It was still a long way from the exit outside, otherwise they wouldn't have found their way back.
Caesar glanced at them and said calmly: "Keep these things and don't let anyone find them." Emma nodded immediately and carefully hid the gravel in her clothes, with the seriousness and innocence of a child.
The three of them hid back in the cave again. Caesar covered the entrance with a rag and then went to sit in the corner. His eyes stayed on the two of them for a moment, and finally he spoke slowly: "Your hatred is right. But hatred itself can't change anything." Lor was stunned for a moment, and whispered: "What should we do? Are we just going to endure it?" His tone was unwilling, but more confused.
Caesar looked at him, his tone calm: "Hatred can be a force, but it can't be an obstacle. Whatever you want, go for it yourself. No one will help you except yourself." His voice was low, but like a sharp knife, piercing the hearts of the two. Emma lowered her head, holding the corner of her clothes tightly with both hands, and whispered: "I just want to leave here, with Lor, and never come back."
Lor was silent for a while, and finally nodded. He raised his head and looked at Caesar, with a firm look in his eyes: "We will work hard, Caesar, no matter what the result is." His voice was not loud, but it also revealed a kind of determination.
Caesar did not answer, but just reached out and patted his shoulder, as if silently encouraging him.
After sitting with them for a while, Caesar went to work.
After he went out and sat in the shadow, the damp breath of the cave wrapped around his body, and the water drops on the stone wall dripped onto the ground, splashing with a barely audible sound. His eyes penetrated everything in front of him, staring at the darkness deep in the mine, where countless souls were devoured. What came to his ears were intermittent coughs and the harsh tones of shovels scraping against stones. An elderly miner dragged his broken body, and the spine on his back was completely deformed due to long-term bending. Every time he swung the shovel, he would stop and breathe for a moment. Despite this, the whip in the hand of the supervisor still lashed down mercilessly, and his screams mixed in the air, like some kind of mourning melody.
Not far away, a young miner tried to protect a child beside him. The child's ankle was injured by the gravel, and blood was winding on the muddy ground. The young miner opened his arms, but he couldn't stop the wooden stick in the supervisor's hand. His head was hit hard, and blood gushed out instantly, dripping on the child's pale face. The child's eyes widened in horror, tears mixed with blood, and he cried hoarsely: "Stop hitting! Stop hitting!" However, the supervisor's laughter was as cold as a venomous snake, and he didn't even mean to stop until the young miner's body fell to the ground and completely lost his life.
Caesar's eyes tightened slightly, he looked down at his palm, and his fingertips gently stroked the palm, as if he was feeling some heavy power. He didn't move, or even show any expression, as if all this had nothing to do with him. But deep in his eyes, there was a chill that could not be ignored.
As night fell, the torches in the mine burned a faint light, illuminating those exhausted faces. Some miners sat in a corner, sharing a small piece of bread with their cracked fingers. Their movements were slow and silent, and occasionally someone coughed softly, and then wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand to cover up. An old man with white hair sat in the corner. His eyes were cloudy, but he had an indelible hope. He looked up at the miners around him and said in a hoarse voice: "When I was young, I heard that the outside world was big, with blue sky and rivers... We will leave here one day." Although he said it firmly, no one responded. Everyone just lowered their heads and ate the dry bread in their hands, as if it was the only belief that supported them to continue living.
Caesar walked to the old man, squatted down, and asked in a low voice: "Do you still remember the outside world?" The old man's eyes fell on Caesar, stunned for a moment, and then shook his head: "I can't remember, I even doubt whether those stories were made up by myself... But anyway, there must be a thought, right?" He pulled a dry smile at the corner of his mouth, then lowered his head and stopped talking.
Caesar slowly stood up and looked around. He saw the despair and numbness on every face, and also saw the faint light that occasionally flashed. He knew that his plan must start with these lights, like a fire, to ignite the entire mine. Beside the fire, the dim light flickered, reflecting the tired faces. The miners gathered in a corner, talking in low voices, trying not to let the supervisor notice their actions. The air was filled with the smell of soot and wet soil, and the hot firelight made everyone's face look blurry and old. Caesar sat aside, watching all this silently. His eyes swept over everyone, assessing their emotions and reactions, and slowly he approached a young miner who looked taciturn. The miner was wiping the stains on his face with his hands, his expression numb.
Caesar walked to his side and whispered, "Tomorrow night, there will be a piece of ore loose near the stone wall on the east side. Go and take a look and bring some back." The miner did not look up, and seemed not to notice Caesar's approach. His fingers were still mechanically wiping the dirt on his face. After a while, he slowly raised his head and looked at Caesar, with a hint of confusion and curiosity in his eyes: "Ore? That's not worth much, why do you..."
Caesar did not respond directly, but just lowered his head slightly and whispered: "You brought back more than just ore. Tomorrow night, I will give you some more help." He spoke briefly, but the deep meaning in his words was not ignored. The young miner hesitated for a moment, looked down at the shovel in his hand, and after a moment of silence, he nodded. Although he still had doubts, he finally did not ask any more questions.
Caesar turned and walked to another corner, where several seemingly older miners sat. They looked tired, hunched, and their clothes were worn. When Caesar approached them, they did not show any surprise or alertness, but seemed a little numb, as if they had long been accustomed to every bit of darkness and oppression in the mine. Caesar's voice was low and calm: "Tomorrow at noon, find that location by the pool on the west side and clean it up." He pointed to the location of the simple map in his hand. The old men looked at each other, seemingly not fully understanding, but not refusing.
One of the older miners finally spoke, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "What do you want? What's the use of these things?" His eyes were full of fatigue and despair from the years, and the helplessness accumulated from years of labor made Caesar frown slightly.
"You don't need to know." Caesar replied, his tone calm and firm, with an irresistible sense of oppression. "Just do what I say, and tomorrow, you may live differently from before." His words were not many, but meaningful.
The miners did not speak again, but nodded silently. Caesar knew that these people did not completely believe him. Caesar turned and left, his steps light and decisive, his eyes cast on the darkness outside the cave. Every such action is a preparation for the future, step by step embedding themselves into the depths of this decaying mine, waiting for their moment of outbreak.
Soon after, Caesar quietly came to an inconspicuous place, where there were several young miners. Perhaps because of their young age or because they had not had too many dependencies and connections, they seemed more alert. Caesar walked quietly to their side. He did not give direct instructions, but spoke in an almost inaudible voice, "Tomorrow night, bring me a stick, long and dry." He did not give any more explanation, just let them remember these words silently.
One of the miners asked in confusion: "What do you want the stick for?" Caesar turned his head and looked at him with cold eyes: "You don't need to know. If you do it, I will help you get whipped less often. " The miner was shocked by this sentence, and then nodded, and the others also agreed silently.
One day, after a young miner secretly completed a task, he couldn't help asking Caesar: "Why do you do this? We can't escape at all." Caesar just looked at him, his voice calm without a ripple: "Not to escape, but to survive." His tone was without any emotion, but it made the young miner fall into deep thought.
Late at night, Caesar stood alone in the depths of the mine, with the even breathing of the miners in his ears. He closed his eyes, and the faces of those who were whipped and killed, as well as those souls who were still struggling in the dark, emerged in his mind. His hands slowly clenched, and a cold murderous intent emerged in his eyes. He whispered to himself, as if declaring to himself: "This will all end. Slave owners, supervisors... everyone must pay the price." His voice was low, but full of unshakable determination, like a sword about to be unsheathed, shining coldly in the dark.