Chapter 1 - Hours Before (1)

Chapter 1 - Hours Before (1)

A suffocating darkness enveloped everything, penetrated only by fleeting sparks of metal hitting stone. A rhythmic clink echoed through the darkness, with a fickle and brief flash of light revealing the extensive stone cave walls surrounding it. From one flash to the next, the outline of a single human was slowly revealed. Bleached white hair, taut pink skin over dense muscle, dull red eyes, and a youthful yet firm, unfeeling expression.

With each strike, the lustrous blue coating of the man’s pickaxe reflected the sparks of light, revealing his shabby brown garb and the tattered leather shoes on his feet. Despite the numerous swings of his pickaxe, barely any sweat was visible on his body. A few meters behind him rested a dimmed lantern that seemed cold to the touch, as if it hadn’t been used for hours.

With another swing of his pickaxe, a distinct crumbling noise echoed throughout the cave, akin to a rock being split into pieces, alongside a light blue glow spreading through the cracks in the cave wall. Noticing the distinct hue, the man exhaled, a faint semblance of satisfaction showing in his eyes. The blue light glinted off his face as he slowly hoisted his pickaxe, his steady hands lifting it as if it weighed nothing.

With a single breath, the man swung down on the cracked stone, shattering through the loose stones and digging firmly into the light emanating from the wall. The lustrous head of the pickaxe shone bright blue as it remained stuck in the wall, illuminating the cave with the strength of several lanterns.

The man sighed heavily as he let go of his pickaxe and began sliding the loose rocks from the cave wall. With each falling stone, his muscles twitched and contracted, as though reverting from an unnatural swell. His hands and forearms began to tremble, his shoulders and chest muscles twisted and shrank, revealing the man's rib cage beneath his skin.

Yet his face showed no changes, no pain or flickers of emotion, just the faint semblance of satisfaction sprouting from a job well done. As the remaining stones fell to the cave floor, the source of the blue light revealed itself. Embedded in the wall was a brilliant blue cluster of crystals, its surface a chaotic mix of dulled and razor-sharp edges. The man, with his hand still trembling like a newborn fawn, reached out to the crystals, only resting his fingers upon it for a moment before returning his hands to his pickaxe’s grip. As his fingers slid through the grooves in the handle, his trembling hands slid to a halt.

With a single motion, the man dislodged his pickaxe from the wall, raising it high in preparation to collect the brilliant cluster. As he closed his eyes and inhaled, his muscles began to swell back to their previous size, and a brilliant blue aura enveloped the pickaxe’s head. He then opened his eyes and simultaneously swung down on the crystal cluster, detaching it cleanly from the wall with a single strike. The cluster fell, its glow flickering like a dying flame before vanishing against the stone.

Despite the darkness that engulfed the cave, the sounds of footsteps and metal scratching against stone echoed about. As the echoes faded, a small orange candle flame illuminated the cave. Although the light wasn't as strong as the crystals’ had been, its light still reached the cave walls, revealing the hundreds of chips and dents in the stone walls. Without letting go of his pickaxe, the man stepped toward the crystal cluster on the ground, opting to set his lantern down before picking up his prize.

The crystal was cold to the touch, and its jagged edges felt like knives balancing on his skin. As he stood up with the crystals in his hand, he flipped the pickaxe in his spare hand, using its handle to pick his lantern up off the floor. With his belongings collected, the man began his march through the tunnel to the cave's exit. Passing tunnel after tunnel as the sounds of pickaxes striking stone echoed through each one, he continued to walk forward without so much as a hint of emotion on his face.

After ten minutes of walking, a bright light came into view at the end of the tunnel. As the man grew closer to the light, the reverberations of yells began to fill his ears. Soon after, the distinct cracking of a whip rang through the air, accompanied by blood-curdling screams and further yelling. With each step he took, the screams he heard only grew louder, yet he still displayed no emotion.

'It's every day with this... Those monsters.' The man thought as he finally reached the end of the tunnel, revealing an expansive chasm with glowing clusters of crystals littered across its walls.

Having arrived at his destination, the man blew out his lantern before bending down and setting it by the tunnel's entrance. Yet as he looked up, he watched as a fellow human lay on the cold stone floor, curled up into a ball as whips cracked themselves against his skin. His limbs were scrawny, and his spine was visible through his skin. 

The two wielding the whips stood over the man, yelling and cursing at him as they continued to strike his frail body. Their pointed ears, flowing glossy hair, and elegant attire made them an alien sight amidst the ragged humans of the chasm. As the white-haired man began to walk away from the scene he had witnessed, a voice called out from behind him.

“Ralogolar! Where do you think you’re going?”

As Ralogolar turned around, he came face to face with another pointy-eared man, an Elf. His voice was silky, yet carried a sharp masculine edge. In his hands were a clipboard and a metal quill pen, and he wore a clean pressed uniform decorated with various flowers. Ralogolar bowed deeply to the Elf before speaking with a respectful tone.

“Chief Inspector, I planned on resting in my room after turning in this crystal.”

The Chief Inspector looked down at his clipboard and scribbled down a few words, only choosing to respond after he had finished.

“Hand me the crystal, I’ll mark you down for having fulfilled your quota. Report to the dining hall immediately for your rations.” 

“Yes, Master,” Ralogolar replied, stretching out his hand and presenting the crystal to the Elf.

The Chief Inspector swiftly grabbed the crystal from Ralogolar’s hand, stuffing it in a pouch as he strode away from him. Although Ralogolar remained in a bowed position, his fingers dug into the pickaxe’s worn grooves as he squeezed its handle tightly. Yet not a single trace of the fury in his hands reached his face as he straightened himself.

‘Now isn’t the time,’ Ralogolar thought to himself as he slung his pickaxe over his shoulder. 

As Ralogolar traversed through the chasm to the dining hall, he watched coldly as scenes that could only be described as horror occurred in every direction. Humans being whipped by Elves, others being set ablaze, only to be extinguished over and over. Humans being stabbed and beaten, with their broken bones piercing through their bruised skin. Some being stretched like putty, and others being crushed under the weight of boulders three times their size. A true sight of torture brought forth by their Elven captors.

As he passed human after human, each one called out his name. Begging, pleading, demanding to be saved from their abusers. Yet Ralogolar did nothing to help his fellow humans, or rather, he couldn’t, lest he wanted to join them. And so he marched forward, tuning out the screams of his fellow humans, not even daring to glance at the horrors that surrounded him.

‘It happens tonight, don’t mess things up when we’re so close,’ Ralogolar told himself as he passed through the final group of humans enduring torture.

A dense, odorless steam pressed into Ralogolar's face as he entered the dining hall. Its interior was only slightly different from the rest of the chasm, with only the rows of stone stools, tables, and an eerie silence that set it apart. Yet the most distinctive difference was the source of the steam, a lone structure at the far end of the hall. The thick wooden roots that pierced through the stone roof and spread out against the stone and foggy glass wall. 

As he approached the end of the dining hall, the fog that clouded the glass began to fade away, unveiling the expansive kitchen locked behind the wall. Yet despite the sleek metal cookware and fancy knives, the row of food that was accessible through a long rectangular slit in the glass looked anything but edible. The assortment of white and gray meats looked pale and chunky, with the occasional feather sticking out from the metal pan holding them.

The random assortment of fruits and vegetables was bruised, moldy, and covered in flies. At the same time, the bread was cold to the touch and firmer than even the stone that made up the chasm walls. Yet as Ralogolar grabbed a stone plate from the stack resting beside the trays of improperly cooked meat, a feminine voice called out from the kitchen.

"Ralogolar, the first one done as usual."

A lone human girl emerged from the other side of the kitchen, her light brown hair and hazel eyes a soft contrast to the white of her apron and faded yellow dress. Light freckles dusted her bright pink skin, making her appearance all the more striking amidst the sea of the chasm’s battered, colorless slaves.

"Rolozuthen, you look as radiant as usual," Ralogolar replied, his expression softening slightly. "Did you get to see the surface recently?"

"Yup! The surface is always so beautiful, you could even see the capital’s wall from atop the hill we’re beneath," Rolozuthen replied, puffing her chest out pridefully. 

“That’s great, I’m glad you got to enjoy it,” Ralogolar said with a cheery smile, although his tone didn’t reflect what his face portrayed.

Yet Ralogolar’s expression didn’t last long; he paused as his face returned to its usual serious expression, only to look back to the dining hall’s entrance. A single Elf stood in the doorway, his whip unraveled in hand, ready to strike. Rolozuthen and Ralogolar bowed to the Elf instinctively, yet their actions failed to appease him.

“Ralogolar, explain yourself. Why are you here so early in your shift? It’s only been ten hours.” The Elf snapped, lashing his whip at a nearby table. “And Rolozuthen, just because you were allowed to see the surface this morning doesn’t give you the right to slack off!”

The Elf approached Ralogolar slowly, his whip slithering across the ground behind him like a snake traversing a forest floor.

“Master, Chief Inspector Ascal Sanev Zylnan gave me permission to eat as I have fulfilled my quota for the day!” Ralogolar exclaimed, every muscle in his body tensing in preparation to be whipped.

A second later, a searing pain ripped across Ralogolar’s back as his already shabby clothes ripped upon the impact. As the crack of the Elf’s whip echoed through the dining hall, a crimson stream of blood trickled down Ralogolar’s back. Through the gash across his back, his muscles could be seen, squirming like a worm stranded in burning sunlight.

“You should know better than to speak in that cheeky tone, you damn human,” the Elf snapped, preparing to strike once more.

As Ralogolar collapsed, the walls of the dining hall began to reverberate. Small circular stones rolled aside into the walls, revealing clusters of gleaming green gems embedded within. A gentle green light began to exude from each of the extruding gems. That same light washed over Ralogolar, causing him to glow with a grassy green hue. As the torn muscles across his back squirmed and stretched to their counterparts, the trickle of blood down his back slid to a stop.

His damaged skin began to graft itself back together, covering his newly reformed muscles within seconds. Ralogolar’s gasps for air slowed as he struggled to stand, with one hand balled into a fist and the other gripping his pickaxe tightly. Yet as Ralogolar stared down his Elven oppressor, every muscle in his body began to twitch and expand, making his previous appearance scrawny in comparison.

“Oh?” The Elf asked, lashing his whip against the stone floor. “Getting rebellious, are we, Ralogolar? Maybe I ought to teach you a more thorough lesson!”

Putting all his strength into his core, the Elf lashed his whip forward, intending to tear through Ralogolar’s neck. Even to the Elf, the end of his whip disappeared as it approached Ralogolar, as it moved too fast for him to see.

Yet the ever-familiar crack that pleased the Elf’s ears did not come. Rather, the taut twinge of a rope being pulled to its absolute limit filled the dining hall. The Elf stared at Ralogolar in confusion. In his right hand, his pickaxe remained completely still, having shown no signs of moving. In his left hand lay the other end of the Elf’s whip, resting mere inches away from his neck.

“You’ll have to be faster than that, Inspector Liadan,” Ralogolar said firmly, letting go of the whip as he spoke.

“Keep my name out of your filthy mou—” 

Before Inspector Liadan could finish his sentence, Ralogolar closed the gap, bringing his pickaxe down like a hammer driving a nail. But before the pickaxe’s spike could pierce Inspector Liadan’s skull, a smug smile overtook his previously confused expression.

“You damn human, did you forget how your own Skill works?” Inspector Liadan asked, chuckling to himself as he stared at the pickaxe spike halted in midair only a few inches from his face.

Despite the momentum Ralogolar’s pickaxe wielded, it was as if an indestructible wall stood between them. His hands trembled as they tried to push past the invisible barrier, yet he could only struggle for mere seconds. With speed faster than that of his whip, Inspector Liadan’s foot dug deep into Ralogolar’s stomach, sending him tumbling across the unforgiving stone floor.

“This is why you humans are weak, you refuse to learn! You knew that your Skill wouldn’t let you harm a living being while you used it to expand your strength and mastery with that pickaxe. But you still attacked! How foolish, you damned human!”

Ralogolar laid still against the stone floor as the grassy green hue covered his body once more. The cuts and bruises peppered across his skin began to fade from existence, yet Ralogolar’s body did not budge, as even his ragged breathing seemed like it could cease at any moment.