Chapter 7: A Risky Move

I can't put a finger on it, I feel a mix of anxiousness, excitement, eagerness, and a whole lot of fear. My hands are a mess, and my back still stings from those brutal lashes. I look at my body, covered in scars, burns, and cuts, and it's like some kind of bizarre puzzle. Thank goodness there are no mirrors around here. I never was a looker, and now... well, let's not dwell on that.

We've been digging for hours, and that crystal hidden in my trousers is burning a hole in my conscience. I figure, "What the heck, let's just go for it." So, I wait for the guard behind me to wander off a bit, then I grab that crystal, point it right at his face, and dive in the opposite direction, curling up like a scared armadillo. But something feels off. Is there a delay or something? It doesn't take long for me to realize my mistake.

I hear it, that unmistakable sound of the whip cracking, cutting into my back. I glance up, and there's the guard, not looking the least bit amused, holding the crystal in one of his tentacles. Yeah, you guessed it, the guy caught my throw. I mean, seriously, what did I expect, trying to outsmart these creatures?

More lashings follow, and then I'm dragged away, feeling like my brain's gone numb. It's like I'm watching this happening to someone else, not me. But hey, at least I gave it a shot.

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They haul me into this huge chamber filled with these dark, crystal-like stones. The newcomer, the tentacle monster, is perched on some fancy platform thingy, flanked by its entourage of retainers. The guard hands over the crystal to another guard, who passes it to one of the retainers. They inspect it like it's some kind of treasure.

Then, the tentacle monster starts chattering away in this high-pitched squeaky language, or that's what it sounds like to me. I sneak a glance at the guard beside me and quickly stop myself from shrugging. The tentacle monster motions to the guard, who scurries off, probably on an errand. I decide to keep my mouth shut for a change. Maybe there's wisdom in that, just like the old man. After all, he survived here for who knows how long. God bless his soul.

The guard comes back with a glass ball, almost shoving it into my hands. It's surprisingly heavy and clear as crystal (pun intended). I stare into it, half-expecting fireworks or something, but nope, nada. The tentacle monster and the others keep up their chattering.

Eventually, they toss me back into my cell like I'm some sack of potatoes. Well, that was a whole lot of nothing. But at least I'm still breathing, and I've got this crystal ball thingy with me. It's got a bit of my blood on it from that hand wound, and when I look inside, I don't see much. So, I head over to the old man's corner, thinking of scratching "John was here" on the wall, but then I spot it – a tiny crystal fragment in the pit where I'd dug for the big one. Maybe it broke off or something. I pick it up, and poof, it's gone. For a split second, I question if I've got a concussion, but nope, it really disappeared.

I need to test this. I pull out the only other crystal I swiped months ago, clutch it in my hand, and it starts fading. Something's different, and I know it's that glass ball. It might just be my eyes playing tricks, but it feels real. I grip the ball tight, hoping for more crystals and staring at it like I could make it do tricks. And then, darkness sweeps in like a curtain.