Somewhere in the eastern continent of Drofas, rested a cavernous hole littered with jagged edges and dots of varying colors. Upon further examination, these dots would be recognized as people of all ages including children, adults, and even the elderly all of whom were clothed in shabby clothing that indicated they had not been washed in months. These people were entering and exiting the hole through a  steel rectangular box held by a pulley system which seemed surprisingly rigid and intricate which provided a stark contrast to the people using it. Despite this what enraptured an observer's attention was not the people but the gust of freezing wind rhythmically erupting from the hole as if the hole was regulating its own breath.

Deep within the freezing hole and its countless tunnels which swerved in all directions, distant shouting could be heard.

"Get a moving you daft runt!"

Koyle felt the wind move behind him but he didn't move as a fist came in to hit the back of his sternum. He winced but continued to mine the glittering gems in front of him despite the freezing frostbite slowly enveloping his hands.

Behind him stood a heavily muscled mixed middle-aged man dressed in bulky leather clothing of giant proportions whose current expression was one of amusement.

Doggas glanced at the runt mining in front of him, whose clothes were torn at multiple sections and back ripped barely holding its seams together. Doggas sneered when he saw that the boy's back was still red from the punch he threw earlier.

"Listen runt in about 5 minutes the session will be over and this time I know your luck is gonna run out"

Doggas moved to the side of Koyle who was placing the gems into a plain bag draped on his waist. He sneered and reached into the bag pulling out two red gems.

Koyle reached to grab Doggas's hand but he immediately cut his movement short when he saw the anklet on his leg flicker from green to red in his peripheral vision. Koyle grit his teeth and bared his gaze directly at Doggas's eyes, cursing the man in front of him in his head but refusing to flinch in the slightest despite the freezing winds assaulting his green eyes.

Doggas glanced at the child in front of him who sported unkempt jet black hair and emerald green eyes, laughed, and walked away.

"Fuck!" Koyle yelled at the top of his lungs but his voice was instantly drowned out by the heavy wind in the cave. "If it wasn't for this damn anklet I might be able to-"

Koyle cut himself off after looking at his frostbitten hands and his tiny frame. He frowned, there was no way he could teach Doggas a lesson not in a direct fight at least and even if he could- his vision flashed to a young girl wrapped in tattered clothing and hugging her knees.

"Alia" Koyle's expression immediately softened as he thought to himself, his expression complex.

After some time in this stupor, he was snapped back to reality as the wind suddenly stopped and a horn sounded out from the distance.

"Crap! I spent too much time-" there was no time to think as he knew the clock was ticking.

Koyle immediately focused all his strength into his legs, bursting into a full sprint occasionally taking angled turns with no other source to guide him other than the sound of the horn and the intermittent lantern.

As he ran he pulled out the gems he had in his bag, these were red and green crystal-shaped rocks the size of his fist which emitted a slight warm glow.  There were only 2 and upon seeing this Koyle's face contorted in horror and panic.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

He immediately stopped in his tracks, his breathing becoming irregular and his hands began trembling as he stared at the gems in his hand and began "It's not enough, it's not enough.."

At this exact moment Koyle heard rushed footsteps in the tunnel parallel to him, looking to his left he observed a man and woman running to his side both of whom were wearing expressions of relief and a tinge of excitement on their faces.

Koyle looked at the bags on their waist and then at the crystals in his hand as a grim expression dawned on his face. The air around him seemingly warped for a moment as a forbidding expression dawned on his face. He knew his next move. In the next second, he ran forward grabbing a lantern in his right hand and running parallel between the two, his lithe body seemingly matching the couple to his left.

Koyle braced himself as he agilely changed directions, he threw himself into the woman and they both rolled onto the sturdy ground. Koyle was the first to react and before the woman could shove him off he threw the lantern at the man who appeared to be furious.

Sparks and fire flew everywhere as the lantern broke on impact, and the man stumbled back quickly trying to ward off the encroaching fire spreading across his rags. However Koyle knew this would only offer him a momentary respite, he quickly turned back to the woman only to be punched square in the face. Yet her attack was futile as her hands were also frostbitten and lacked the strength needed to fully knock out Koyle.

Koyle paid no attention to the pain as he reached into her bag, pulling out the first crystal he could feel. As soon as he pulled out the crystal from the bag his eyes went wide, the color was blue.

However, there was no time for astonishment as the horn up ahead suddenly cut off. Koyle's heart palpitated. He rushed off the woman as fast as he could, well aware that the man behind him had already begun to run after him as he could feel the scorching heat behind him but it was too late as a hand reached out to yank his neck back.

Koyle barely had time to react before an oppressive force began to squeeze his throat and a hand tried to wrestle the crystal out of his hand. Up ahead he could faintly see Doggas figure and the pulley slowly beginning its ascent. Breathing became harder and it wouldn't be soon until he lost consciousness. Suddenly images flashed before his eyes, marketplaces, prisons, wilderness, and finally Alia.

Koyles veins became pronounced as he forced his mind to maximum efficiency and his body to move, the blue crystal in his right hand seemingly responding to his plea and lighting up the entire tunnel. As soon as the foreign hand tried to touch the crystal it was burnt off completely, screams ensued and the grip on his throat immediately loosened.

There was no time to consider the situation for those behind him, he wrestled free and ran at full speed, reaching a small pillar-like decoration, Koyle quickly threw all his crystals into an opening in the pillar upon which a heavy gurgling sound occurred as a fleshy head-sized eye opened on the gate door directing its gaze to him as the elevator gate opened.

Koyle looked at the inside of the elevator with a relieved expression, yet those inside were looking at him with a disgusted expression as if a rat had clawed its way inside your most valuable possession. Doggas himself looked at him with an expression faltering between surprise and uncertainty.

Koyle paid none of these glares attention and he walked inside the cramped space as the elevator slowly lifted itself off the ground. For a moment there he thought it would be his last, he waited patiently for the ride to begin. Yet the uncomfortable silence was broken as there was another person that entered the elevator, Koyle looked up only to see the woman he just stole from glowering at him with tears streaming down her face. However, the attack he expected never came as the woman took a fearful glance at the eye remaining on the gate door and stayed quiet.

As the elevator raised itself slowly up to the surface Koyle looked at his hands and although they looked relatively clean he knew they were stained with blood. Koyle gulped, was what he did ok? Maybe he should have stayed down there and then-

Koyle looked up, it was unclear when he had reached outside his rickety tent but a green glow covered his entire body. He looked up at the green moon above and mustered his courage. Opening the tent he could see a young girl with long black hair barely 9 curled up into a ball whispering to herself as the air seemingly constricted around her, Alia.

Koyle's expression melted as he looked at the girl in front of him and a heartwarming smile appeared on his face. Alia stopped her whispering and the air slowly unwarped around her as she stared Koyle dead in the eye, her eyes scintillating green.

"Hello Sister".