The damped smell of the dungeon is sickening, the cold walls always a reminder of what they are, slaves caged in by a solitary iron cage, the scattered remnants of straw all over the floors, and the ever-faint gleam of the moonlight shining through the barred up window.
This is the life Kazuya had envisioned being reincarnated, but still, It wasn't much different from his past life, kept away, beaten, unfed. At least in this place, he had others to suffer with and it isn't just him.
Selfish…but he doesn't care.
With his back against the wall and his head pressed together by his knees, he stares blankly at the ants crawling back and forth with pieces of the half-eaten bugs in the corner the kids once tried to eat because of hunger.
'Fifty-eight hunger ants. Every five minutes a new set of fifty-eight emerges from the whole in the floor to retrieve more food.' Kaz thinks to himself. 'Ants is a good example of strength.'
Everyone has their own means of staying sane and for Kaz, it's thinking about anything, so he calculates the minutes the distance and every aspect of the ants as much as he can before it was the creaks in one of the cobblestone slabs but he didn't get much out of it it helps him stay sane.
"Ok!" A voice trumpets right beside him and he snaps his head in the direction to see the same group of kids discussing another escape. "We have a plan!" The ginger-headed boy shouts with a bright smile beaming on his face.
'Another attempt huh?'
"There's always a split second where they leave the door unattended to feed us we'll take that chance!" He tightens his fingers into a fist, bright green eyes still shining with such brilliance after many failed attempts.
The boy even though in the cold wears a torn-up shirt that barely reaches his waist and and busted pants with jagged ends, and still nothing captures the other kids like his eyes.
Full of meaning and determination.
'That's not going to work…As always.'
Narrowing his eyes to them, Kaz exhales knowing he has to be the one to cut his little speech short, encase with all that confidence in escaping as many times before might actually get him killed this time around.
"It's not going to work." He retorts shifting his gaze away from them. "We all know no matter how many times we try we are not getting out of here."
The boy's face reddens, as anger coils within him. "You don't know that!" He shouts back, catching the rest of the people sitting around attention.
"I do," Kaz says firmly. "It's common sense. And when you do leave this celler what are you going to do? You don't know the layout of the structure, since we've all been blindfolded anytime we went out." He doesn't meet his furious stare.
"We can find a way!" He grumbles out trying to contain his anger.
"Yeah, and that "finding" will ultimately lead to your death." He continues not sparing his emotions or anyone's. " And even if we do we are systemless, magicless so we won't survive either the monsters kill us or Number 1 as Anomalies-"
"Hey!!"
As he finishes, his shirt is yank to the direction of the boy who's standing over him holding him by the collar of his tattered shirt. "So what you're saying, our only safety is this damned dungeon." His voice bleeds with animosity.
"Dezel!" A girl flies up behind up, the same ginger curly hair framing her face but Kaz merely glances her way for a second before focusing on the boy again.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. We've reincarnated into a hell whole." The corner of Kaz's mouth raises awkwardly. "Deal with it or die."
"When you have faith anything can work out, even at outrageous odds!" He exclaims desperation clinging to his tone.
"One in a million is beyond outrageous." Kaz bites back, letting his anger cloud his vision for a moment. "I've been here the longest, I've watched each of those little escapes end up with one of you dying by a system user."
Dezel steps back a bit, his grip on his collar slackening but not letting go.
"And even if we get out, what makes you think you can take on the leader of this establishment? You're weak, a mere human with no magical talent and no system." Kaz takes in a deep breath. "Your results of such will no doubt about it end up in your death." He finishes.
Dezel's teeth bear as he lifts his curled-up fist readying to strike him. Kaz doesn't move or flinch, awaiting the consequences of his actions. But with a sigh, Dezel drops his fist and lets go of him.
"I guess an emotionless freak like yourself wouldn't miss the outside world or freedom." He mumbles beneath his breath.
'You're wrong.'
'I crave it…Revenge, freedom…Power. I want it all and yet I have none, in both worlds I lived in.'
Biting his lips, blood drips to the floor stopping the pathway of ants carrying back its food. Kaz may have had a decline in emotions most of the time, but he still had wants and goals he wanted to complete
One is bringing down the heavens and gods that rule over this world and many others.