It had been a couple of weeks since the provocation.
The first few days had been unbearable.
Pain and sound overloaded his mind—noise, sensation, even sight piling on top of one another. Everything had changed, and it took all his willpower just to keep working.
One sound he couldn't block out was the ever-present presence of the knight. It followed him everywhere, heavy and unavoidable. Still, he slowly began to understand how to cope. Blocking certain noises took intense mental strain, but it helped—just a little.
The sound of his own pickaxe.
The breathing of those around him.
It wasn't perfect, but it kept him standing.
He had spoken with Peg about it once or twice. They believed his senses had been enhanced because of the provocation. He didn't agree.
It felt less like improvement and more like the world had stripped away its filters, leaving everything raw and exposed.
The worst part came during the move.
They left the old mine and headed east, deep into the forest. Nearly two dozen knights escorted them, a sign that the kingdom was desperate for resources. They had been sent far—too far.
The forest felt enormous, almost like a kingdom of its own. Towering, castle-like trees loomed over the caravan as it pushed deeper inside. Every sound assaulted him—the flutter of leaves like needles in his skull, drifting branches, raindrops striking the canopy.
It was a living hell.
This was where he had to focus.
If he didn't, he wouldn't make it.
Eventually, they arrived. The mine lay buried deep within the forest, rich not only in coal but also in iron as well.
Two dozen knights had escorted them, but only half remained. The others left after the camp was established.
The knights behaved differently here. Six stood guard outside the cave, while the rest remained inside. Normally, only two bothered to stay underground. The workers were weak, malnourished—what threat could they pose?
But here, precautions were taken.
The forest was dangerous.
Whispers spread among workers and knights alike. Expeditions had been sent before. Some never returned. Monsters roamed freely, the terrain favouring them.
The kingdom had deemed the region a lost cause.
The mine was the only thing worth extracting.
So they sent expendable workers.
And expendable knights.
The process of moving mines was exhausting. First the journey. Then the digging. They were ordered to carve out a thirty-by-thirty meter chamber for living quarters.
Food changed too. A bowl of stew replaced stale bread. No one knew what it was made of, but it filled the stomach better.
Like always, the tunnels rang with clanking pickaxes. Candles lined the walls, their weak light casting dancing shadows across the stone.
Sometimes roars echoed from the forest. When that happened, they were ordered to stop while the knights outside scouted. The noise attracted monsters. This place was different.
The horn sounded earlier than usual.
"Time to go deeper. It's all dried up here."
The workers lined up single file. Half the knights took the front, half the rear. Peg walked near the back with the boy, carrying spare tools. The deeper they went, the hotter it became.
As they walked, the boy felt uneasy.
The cave groaned—slow, rhythmic—almost like it was breathing.
Shifting rocks.
Dull thumps.
Something was wrong.
He didn't understand what he was feeling, but he couldn't stop thinking about it.
He glanced at Peg. Sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Can you hear that?"
Peg tilted his head, listening.
"Hear what?"
Then it happened.
A loud crack tore through the tunnel. Screams erupted from the front.
Peg gasped, a vein standing out on his forehead.
The boy's thoughts raced.
"A cave collapse," he muttered.
But it didn't fit.
If it were a collapse, why were people running?
Why did metal clash against stone?
Workers surged backwards, panic spreading. Knights unsheathed their swords and pushed forward.
Another crack echoed—closer this time. Behind them. To the right.
Before he could turn, he heard it.
Heavy footsteps.
Too many.
Bursting through a crack in the wall—chaos erupted.